Following the negative response to Mass Effect 3′s ending, BioWare co-founder Casey Muzyka promised that his team was working on initiatives that would provide more clarity and give its fans better closure.

Their “initiatives” remained vague until today when EA announced their plans to release a free DLC pack titled “Extended Cut” that would expand the game’s ending events with key additional cinematics and cut-scenes.

“We are all incredibly proud of Mass Effect 3 and the work done by Casey Hudson and team,” said Ray Muzyka. “Since launch, we have had time to listen to the feedback from our most passionate fans and we are responding. With the Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut we think we have struck a good balance in delivering the answers players are looking for while maintaining the team’s artistic vision for the end of this story arc in the Mass Effect universe.”

Casey Hudson also added, “We have reprioritized our post-launch development efforts to provide the fans who want more closure with even more context and clarity to the ending of the game, in a way that will feel more personalized for each player.”

Now, this doesn’t mean BioWare is making additional endings or changing anything. “BioWare strongly believes in the team’s artistic vision for the end of this arc of the Mass Effect franchise,” states BioWare’s blog. “The extended cut DLC will expand on the existing endings, but no further ending DLC is planned.”

The DLC is expected to release in the Summer with no specific date. Hudson’s statement also indicates that there is definitely other DLC in the works, but that priority was given to address its fans’ disappointment and feedback.

Were you one of those people who was met with a different looking Shepard when importing your character into Mass Effect 3? Several players reported this glitch when the game first launched, and no solution existed.

This glitch affected some players who imported a Mass Effect 2 Shepard that had been originally created in the first game. This not only led to hours of emotional counseling to some, but it also meant these players had to painstakingly recreate their Shepard’s faces if they wanted their commander to look the same.

BioWare’s community coordinator Chris Priestly updated their forum thread with an updated stating that the glitch has in fact been fixed and is currently under going testing to make sure it doesn’t affect anything else in the game. This fix will be issued in the next Mass Effect 3 patch, which, unfortunately, doesn’t have a release date as of yet. Rest assured, your Shepard will soon be how you remembered him.

BioWare co-founder Ray Muzyka released a statement today that further supports their past statements of listening to player feedback. It looks like they care so much what their fans have to say about the ending of Mass Effect 3 that the team is currently working on ways to remedy this unrest.

It’s incredibly painful to receive feedback from our core fans that the game’s endings were not up to their expectations,” Muzyka said in a statement. “Our first instinct is to defend our work and point to the high ratings offered by critics – but out of respect to our fans, we need to accept the criticism and feedback with humility.

I believe passionately that the power of our medium flows from our audience, who are deeply involved in how the story unfolds, and who have the uncontested right to provide constructive criticism. At the same time, I also believe in and support the artistic choices made by the development team.

The team and I have been thinking hard about how to best address the comments on ME3’s endings from players, while still maintaining the artistic integrity of the game.

The journey you undertake in Mass Effect provokes an intense range of highly personal emotions in the player; even so, the passionate reaction of some of our most loyal players to the current endings in Mass Effect 3 is something that has genuinely surprised us.

This is an issue we care about deeply, and we will respond to it in a fair and timely way. We’re already working hard to do that.

Executive producer Casey Hudson and the team are hard at work on a number of game content initiatives that will help answer the questions, providing more clarity for those seeking further closure to their journey. You’ll hear more on this in April.

Once again, the question still stands: what kind of “initiatives” are they working on? Will it be an addition to the game’s conclusion, or will it amend the last hour to provide a different sense of closure?

Even with their efforts to appease fans, BioWare must realize that it’s difficult to please everyone. Let’s hope their fans actually like their new ending solution and can finally get some closure.

Last week marked the one year anniversary of the release of Dragon Age II. Over the past year, BioWare has released countless downloadable content for the game including weapons and mission packs, and they’ve corrected several of the game’s issues in the form of patches and updates.

Dragon Age II executive producer Mark Darrah today announced on the BioWare Social Network forums that his team is now done making content for the game and will be moving on to the “next phase of Dragon Age’s future.”

“You’ve most certainly heard the rumors floating around,” Darrah writes, “and unfortunately I can’t really comment on them.  However, what I can say is that we’ve been thinking a lot about Dragon Age – what it means, and where it could go.  This past year, we’ve spent a lot of time both going back to the “BioWare vault” of games and re-examining them, and looking at some new possibilities that today’s industry allows.”

Whether his comment means the next Dragon Age game will be a departure from what we’ve seen in the past couple of years  or whether it simply means the next game will incorporate more RPG or action elements from other BioWare titles is still unknown.

Darrah and his team also will be attending PAX East and other gatherings to receive input from their fans because, as we all know, BioWare likes to listen to their fans.

Fans have been busy voicing their opinions on the conclusion of the Mass Effect series, and BioWare is still listening. The studio wrote on their Facebook page that Mass Effect 3 may or may not receive a change to its endings and that fans’ feedback is still being considered.

We would like to clarify that we are actively and seriously taking all player feedback into consideration and have ruled nothing out. At this time we are still collecting and considering your feedback and have not made a decision regarding requests to change the ending.

Just a few days ago, Mass Effect 3 executive producer Casey Hudson told fans that he and his team were going to support the game by adding more content determined by feedback and constructive criticism.

Whether this content will be a direct change to or a reworking of the game’s ending remains unknown. What is certain, though, is BioWare’s commitment to its fans in at least listening to their complaints and opinions even after their game has already been released and met with favorable criticism.

The ending of Mass Effect 3 has been met with mixed criticism, most of which is just plain outrage over its failure at giving players choice and closure. Many longtime fans who have been playing the series since 2007 just don’t like it and have taken it upon themselves to petition for a new ending. Other are venting their feelings on Facebook and other social media sites.

Casey Hudson, the executive producer of Mass Effect 3, released a statement yesterday responding to their dissatisfaction. His statement promises that we have yet to hear “the last of Commander Shepard” and that he and his team will continue to work on new content that will “reshape the remaining experiences of the Mass Effect trilogy.”

There’s been a lot of discussion and debate about the conclusion of Mass Effect 3, so I thought I’d share my  perspective with you here. I’ll avoid outright spoilers, but I’d still recommend finishing the game and experiencing it for yourself before reading this.

For the last eight years, Mass Effect  has been a labor of love for our team; love for the characters we’ve created, for the medium of video games, and for the fans that have supported us.  For us and for you, Mass Effect 3 had to live up to a lot of expectations, not only for a great gaming experience, but for a resolution to the countless storylines and decisions you’ve made as a player since the journey began in 2007. So we designed Mass Effect 3 to be a series of endings to key plots and storylines, each culminating in scenes that show you the consequences of your actions.  You then carry the knowledge of these consequences with you as you complete the final moments of your journey.

We always intended that the scale of the conflict and the underlying theme of sacrifice would lead to a bittersweet ending—to do otherwise would betray the agonizing decisions Shepard had to make along the way.  Still, we wanted to give players the chance to experience an inspiring and uplifting ending; in a story where you face a hopeless struggle for basic survival, we see the final moments and imagery as offering victory and hope in the context of sacrifice and reflection.

We’ve had some incredibly positive reactions to Mass Effect 3, from the New York Times declaring it “a gripping, coherent triumph”, to Penny Arcade calling it “an amazing accomplishment”, to emails and tweets from players who have given us the most profound words of appreciation we’ve ever received.

But we also recognize that some of our most passionate fans needed more closure, more answers, and more time to say goodbye to their stories—and these comments are equally valid. Player feedback such as this has always been an essential ingredient in the development of the series.

I am extremely proud of what this team has accomplished, from the first art concepts for the Mass Effect universe to the final moments of Mass Effect 3.  But we didn’t do it on our own.  Over the course of the series, Mass Effect has been a shared experience between the development team and our fans—not just a shared experience in playing the games, but in designing and developing them.  An outpouring of love for Garrus and Tali led to their inclusion as love interests in Mass Effect 2.  A request for deeper RPG systems led to key design changes in Mass Effect 3.  Your feedback has always mattered.  Mass Effect is a collaboration between developers and players, and we continue to listen.

So where do we go from here? Throughout the next year, we will support Mass Effect 3 by working on new  content.  And we’ll keep listening, because your insights and constructive feedback will help determine what that content should be. This is not the last you’ll hear of Commander Shepard.

We look forward to your continued support and involvement as we work together to shape the remaining experiences in the story of the Mass Effect trilogy.

Thanks for taking this journey with us.

Casey Hudson

Whether or not this means we will see future DLC that directly affects the game’s ending, this move would speak volumes on how much impact fans and consumers can truly have on an interactive medium such as video games.

BioWare has previously listened to their fans when developing their Mass Effect titles, removing unpopular features and implementing things based on input from their fans. This move, however, just might give players as much power as the developer has.

EA’s John Riccitiello has announced that Mass Effect 3 has sold an amazing 890,000 copies in it’s launch in the first 24 hours. It’s also shipped a staggering 3.5 million units to retail so far.

“We anticipated it doing well, so we’re happy,” Riccitiello said in a conference call earlier today. He also mentioned that 40% of users who purchased the game also purchased the day once DLC.

In case you missed it, here’s our Mass Effect 3 review. To say we liked it would be an understatement.

BOSTON – Mass Effect 3, the most anticipated game of the year so far, has been showered with praise and hype in the weeks leading up to its launch. While many retailers prepared massive midnight launch parties, fans in the Boston area were treated to a unique experience, get to meet two of the developers who worked on the game.

“It’s always a spectacle, a culmination of the hype,” said Nick Clifford, Product Manager for Mass Effect 3. “We are sending developers to different stores and doing live streams in Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles.”

Bioware set up their Boston headquarters at the Downtown Crossing Gamestop. Word spread throughout the night as fans crowded the store in anticipation for the title. Many of them were not even going to pick up the game at the store; they were simply lining up to get something signed by the developers.

“The plan for the midnight launch has always been changing,” said Eduardo Vasconcellos, Community Manager for Bioware, “We have been scrambling to adjust. At one point we had Foo Fighters in the plan.”

Despite the lack of a major record artist, hundreds of fans lined up on a chilly New England night to meet what many considered their heroes. The developers were signing anything from the game box, to strategy guides, to copies of other games.

“We are really eager about fan’s reactions,” said Clifford “The benefit of a midnight launch is that is lets us pay attention to all lines of communication the moment players get their hands on the game.”

“[It’s] all about the fans. We are here to make them happy,” said Vasconcellos. “Without fans, there is no game.”

Developed by: Bioware
Published by: EA
Genre: Action/Roleplaying
Platform: Pc, Xbox 360, PS3
Play it if: You have a heartbeat
Skip it if: Don’t
4 out of 4 stars

There was a point early on in my play through of Mass Effect 3 — it couldn’t be more than an hour and a half in — that took my breath away. When it was over, I set the controller down, turned off the system and walked away. I needed time to come to grips with what just happened. That’s the first time I’ve ever been that emotionally moved by a game, and that’s when I knew that Mass Effect 3 would be even more special than I thought.

Bioware’s finale for Commander Sheppard is, in a word – -stunning. In even more words, it’s gripping, engaging, emotionally charged and painstakingly well done. The entire Mass Effect series has felt like a symphony leading up to this, the crashing crescendo that outdoes everything before it. Most importantly, Mass Effect 3 is a fitting tribute to a universe we’ve spent the last half decade caring about and will leave you thinking about it long after you’ve finished it.

Mass Effect 3 tells the final chapter in the story of Earth’s struggle for survival against the menacing Reapers — an ancient robot species that looks to eradicate all life from it’s chosen target planet. At the end of Mass Effect 2, Commander Sheppard learned of the impending invasion and thus tried to warn everyone, only to be brushed off like the town crazy. Guess what happened? ME3 opens with an amazing scene featuring the entire Alliance attempting to mobilize against the Reapers, only to fail tragically.

I’ll admit that at this point I was a bit worried — the story seems awfully familiar. The only man who warns the people of their impending doom is locked away just before it happens — it’s the plot of nearly every 50s sci-fi movie. Luckily though, Mass Effect 3’s story only gets better from there. You’re of course quickly released, and it’s off to rally any allies you can find in a frantic effort to save mankind. (note: be sure to read our interview with Mass Effect 3′s lead writer Mac Walters)

Much like earlier installments of the franchise, Mass Effect 3 is a game that believes that getting there is half the fun, and while you’ll still have the epic Buck Rodgers style planet hopping moments that the series is known for, but the real attraction here is the amount of choice you’ll have over just how you battle for the fate of the universe.  The story of ME3 is dotted with poignant, touching and sometimes even heartbreaking moments that define how strong a relationship with a series of video game characters can be. This is undoubtedly one of, if not the greatest storied ever told.

Player choice in Mass Effect 3 spreads beyond the game’s narrative, and into very structure of how the game plays, which will open up the series to a an incredibly large new audience (believe it or not, there are still people who don’t play Mass Effect). At the beginning of each game, you’ll have the choice of just what type of game you want you want, between action, which gets you straight to the robot shootin’ without any of the conversational mechanic, story; which does the exact opposite and role playing — which is a mix of the two, much like your traditional Mass Effect game.

Regardless of what you choose, Mass Effect 3 features brilliant pacing that not only pulls you through the game, but always leaves you wondering what’s going to happen next. I’ll confess that in the two previous games, there were sections, specifically some of the combat sections that seemed to go on forever, but thankfully I never felt that way throughout my time with Mass Effect 3.  The game is filled with thrilling set pieces and locations like Mars in a sandstorm that you’re going to want to explore again and again. It all culminates in a fiery conclusion that puts the entire trilogy in perspective.

What truly impressed me about these set pieces are the scale of some of the battles. I’m an admitted scale-whore, I love sections of games where I’m up against enemies that dwarf me in size, the feeling is incredibly rewarding, and it often takes a bit more strategy to bring these enemies down, and Mass Effect brings that in droves. One battle towards the later half of the game comes to mind especially, and without giving much away, it was easily one of my favorite moments in the entire series.

The truth is that the combat and AI have been greatly improved from Mass Effect 2 to 3.  Battles don’t have that ongoing feeling, and you’re going to need to have adaptable strategies to get past some of the enemies, especially at the later stages. Enemies will flank you, they’ll use grenades to get you out of cover and they’ll do pretty much anything in their power to stop you. Luckily, your squad’s AI has also been beefed up, and you rarely feel like you have to completely carry the load in a battle. In fact, there were a few times when my squadmates quickly killed off enemies I was carefully targeting with my sniper riffle.

There’s a fairly more robust strategy element to Mass Effect 3 than there were in the previous games. Leveling your character and your weapons (one of the coolest features in the game is the ability to customize every weapon in the game) up is now much more RPG-centric in a manner similar to that of the original Mass Effect. There’s also a new mode that tracks how ready you are to fight the reapers, and adds an interesting mix to just how you go about completing the game’s tasks as you’ll have to plot your course using the game’s map to see where you’re needed against the Reapers.

Mass Effect 3 marks the first time multiplayer has been introduced into the series, and it’s a surprisingly welcome addition. Galaxy at War is a Horde-esque survival type mode where you’ll start as a human character (other races open up as you play) and attempt to get through wave after wave of enemies to improve your military readiness rating. I’ll admit that I was worried that the multiplayer modes would feel tacked on, but the compliment the main campaign very well.

The Blast Factor: When you’re in the gaming industry for a bit you realize one thing very quickly; don’t believe the hype. Mass effect 3 is the exception to that rule as it doesn’t only meet it’s expectations — it blows them away. It’s an emotionally charged, and often touching tale that doesn’t skip out on the action one bit. Most importantly, it’s a fitting ending to a world and characters we’ve spent the last five years getting attached to.

This review is based on a PS3 retail copy of Mass Effect 3 provided by the publisher.

Mac Walters is a busy man. Though he prides himself as being an avid gamer, the Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada native has a stack of more than fourteen of last year’s biggest titles including Uncharted 3, Batman: Arkham City, all sitting on his desk, unopened. Oh don’t worry; Walters has a good reason — he’s been hard at work as the lead writer of one of this year’s most anticipated titles, Bioware’s epic sci-fi trilogy bookend, Mass effect 3.

Releasing this Tuesday, March 6, Mass Effect 3 tales the tale of the grand finale of Commander Sheppard’s battle to save Earth from the Reapers — but this is no ordinary game. Almost everything in the Mass Effect series plays out as the result of player choices — think of it as an interactive choose your own adventure book…with robots. Choice plays a role in plenty of games, but the Mass Effect series is defined by it. In Mass Effect, missions can be failed, resources can be lost and even major characters can die, as in for good.  What’s more, players can take their saved files from the first two Mass Effect games and use them as a starting point for the third game. With all of the possible options this creates, Walters tells Blast of the massive amounts of prep work that needed to be done.

Mass Effect 3's lead writer Mac Walters

“For Mass Effect 3, there was a lot of choice that we were dealing with from Mass Effect 1 and 2. Different options that people could play, plus they could come in as a new player — we had to look how that was going to work out,” said Walters.  ”As a writing team, we spent close to six months just working out the logistics of how this game was going to work — what kind of paths we could take, what kind of story we wanted. I had worked out what I like to call sort of a backbone with series producer Casey Hudson so we had something to go on, and then of course you have to flesh out the details, which is really just pages and pages about the emotional beats of the game. Then we start getting into the nitty gritty of it. You know, how does this choice impact this or how does that choice impact that one? It’s a lot of planning but it’s also willingness to be flexible; I can tell you that even after those six months, when we thought we had a plan, it continued to change throughout the project. We ran into a situations where we found that things don’t work like we thought or we’d come up with a better way to tie two events together or something like that.”

Walters points to a single mission in Mass Effect 2, as an example of how those player choices can make writing a continuation all the more difficult, but again gives the credit to his team and their planning as to how they got past it.

“All of the choices add complications to the process for sure. I often kind of laugh because I think we knew what it was going to do, but we sort of put blinders on with Mass effect 2 and the concept of a suicide mission with twelve of your favorite characters. It was one of those moments where we were really like ‘Oh, this is going to cost us,” Walters told Blast. “It all goes back to that planning and decision making. For Mass Effect 3 we said ‘Well, how are we going to handle this? Are we going to try to bring those people back and then we realized that these are major characters, in fact they’re now beloved characters and we have to find a way to weave them back into the story. That was one of the bigger hurdles, it was a major challenge.”

A major challenge that Walters, and his team were ready for. Waters praised the team first aspect of Bioware, and how hands on series producer Casey Hudson was with the project.

“We’re really lucky to have the management team and leadership structure that we have on Mass Effect. Casey has a very keen understanding and eye for narrative so I pretty much trust his instincts. I also like the fact that we sort of compliment each other very well so often only get uncomfortable when we both like an idea. It’s like ‘Wait, if we’re both agreeing on this, that worries me, there’s got to be some push back. So it’s one of those things where I’ll bring something to him and he’ll make some points on it — it goes back and forth until it’s sort of honed.”

In Mass Effect everything from your player's gender to the fate of your squadmates is determined by your actions

Even with all of that work, Walters tells of the sacrifices needed to develop and finish a game as massive as Mass Effect 3. “The first game was about 26,000 lines, but I’d wager a guess that we wrote about 40,000 — and that’s a lot that was cut, but you know that’s part of the process, some of it doesn’t make it or doesn’t fit. There were whole planets that got cut from the first game, and some of that comes down to it not fitting the story or the simple fact that we know we’ll never finish it if we don’t cut something. The key is quality here, and more often than not, cutting something to make sure that everything is better is the choice we’ll make. It’s a hard lesson to learn as a young designer, but after while you get better about it and you realize that you are actually making a better game because of it.” Interestingly enough, Walters says that Mass effect 3 features over 40,000 lines of recorded dialogue (including squad banter).

So just what does Walters hope that players get from this massive project? His answer was surprisingly simple. “You know, someone asked me the other day what the best stories in gaming history were, and I realized that to me, a lot of what I think about when I think about a story that truly stands out was just how memorable the experience was and there are a lot of factors that go into that. Playing through Mass Effect 3 myself, and some seeing the repercussions of the choices I made and they always revolve around the characters, and that’s the key — even these galaxy wide decisions, we find a way to make them personal.  We really hope that people are going to remember those moments in five years, ten years..maybe even longer. They’ll remember playing this game and the impact that it had. It’s interesting because though we are very story based; we’re interactive as well. You’re making these decisions and I think it feels differently when you’re playing it rather than watching it, when you’re experiencing it first hand. I hope it has that resonance, that people remember it fondly.”

So what’s next for Walters? Though he admits that after seven plus years of working on the Mass Effect franchise, he is “fairly tired and has to fit in some vacation time, he’s already looking for his next project. Walters commented that he’s looking for some time to really drill down what a story is, and what it can mean in the interactive medium. “I’m really looking for some ideation time; where I can play games, read books, watch TV and just focus on what the future of story in games is all about. I really think that’s where we’re headed next, not just what’s the next story, but just how can we tell it?”

Look for Blast’s review of Mass Effect 3 this Tuesday.

So you’ve got a bit of a dilemma, the Mass Effect 3 demo comes out this coming Tuesday, but that also happens to be Valentines Day, and you’re sweetie may not be too keen on you skipping your scheduled dinner and viewing of The Vow to get a taste of the crew of The Normandy’s finale. What do you do?

If you’re a card carrying member of Facebook (and let’s be honest, who isn’t these days), you can head over to the Mass Effect 3 Facebook page and take part in a flash game — the result, early access to the Mass Effect 3 demo, like instant access.

So boom — you get your first taste of Mass Effect 3, and your girlfriend doesn’t miss out on her Channing Tatum flick. You’re welcome.

AbleGamers, the advocacy publication for disabled video game enthusiasts has named Star Wars: The Old Republic as its mainstream Game of the Year, meaning that it’s the most widely released title that is also widely accessible and accommodating for gamers with different needs to experience full gameplay.

The publication cited The Old Republic for ”many accessibility options such as full subtitles, queue-able actions, multiple action bars, area looting, auto looting, and built-in mouse sensitivity.”  The color-blind friendly mini map, and full keyboard and mouse functionality also received mentions.  Perhaps most interesting is what the publication calls the unintentional accessibility by the NPCs. ”These NPC characters which accompany the player through most of the game provide support to those who need it without forcing them to request help from other players,” AbleGamers wrote

Past honorees for the award include Forza Motorsport 3 and Dragon Age.

Hey, remember Freddy Prinze Jr.? He was that guy in that thing once. You know, that 90s teen movie.

Bioware and EA have announced that actor and screenwriter Freddy Prinze Jr. will be lending his voice to the newly announced James Vega in the upcoming Mass Effect 3.

The studio also announced that for the first time in the series, players will venture to Mars. It’s rumored that when players get to the red planet, they’ll be reunited with returning character Liara.

“Maybe there’s something there,” said Bioware lead writer Mac Walters when referring to Mars and the Prothean Archive. “The Protheans came very close to defeating the Reapers…unfortunately the Illusive Man [and] Cerberus are there ahead of you.”

It was also earlier in the week that a playable multiplayer and single player demo will hit Xbox Live and the Playstation Network on Valentines day, ahead of the game’s March 6 release date.

Remember that teaser image we ran a while back from Bioware? Turns out its Command and Conquer Generals 2. The title, which doesn’t have a release date yet will use the Frostbite 2 engine made famous by Battlefield 3 and will reportedly begin a new direction for the long running series.

Though they’re busy finishing up work on Star Wars: The Old Republic and Mass Effect 3, Bioware is giving us the first glimpse of their upcoming brand new project — and no it’s not Rage (no matter how much it looks like it).

While we don’t know much about the project, we do know that it is a completely new title, meaning those of you hoping for Jade Empire are going to be waiting even longer.

The new project will make its debut at the Spike TV Video Game Awards December 10.

Mass Effect Executive Producer Casey Hudson took to Twitter today to confirm that Mass Effect 3 will in fact have online co-op missions. “Yes, co-op MP missions for #ME3: they’re real, and they’re spectacular. Rest assured, it’s nothing of what you’ve feared. More soon…”

The reveal comes hot of the heels of word of a “killer new feature” being revealed for the game, and Australian gaming magazine PC Powerplay spilling the beans a bit early. In a preview for the magazine’s November issue, PC Powerplay’s website says; ” “That’s right – Mass Effect 3 is getting multiplayer! We travel to BioWare’s office in Edmonton for hands-on time with the series’ first foray into online gameplay, and chat with Mass Effect Series Producer and Mass Effect 3 Project Director Casey Hudson about the decision to go multiplayer in the epic battle for the galaxy.”

Online multiplayer is just the latest feature to be revealed for the upcoming third chapter in the Mass Effect series, back at this year’s E3 it was revealed that the game will also feature Kinect functionality, allowing users to interact and speak to other characters via Kinect’s microphone.

Mass Effect 3 releases for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 on March 6.

Remember like two days ago when we told you that EA might delay Star Wars:The Old republic into next year. Just kidding — Bioware and Lucas Arts announced today at the Eurogamer expo that their highly anticipated MMO will release in the United States on December 20.

“This is an incredible moment for everyone at BioWare and our partners at LucasArts who have dedicated their lives to build this extraordinary game.,” Bioware’s Ray Muzyka said . “We appreciate the patience from the millions of fans who have been waiting for the game’s release.”

Each copy of the game will come with a 30-day free trial, after which gamers will have to join one of three subscription models:

1 Month Subscription: $14.99
3 Month Subscription: $13.99 per month
6 Month Subscription: $12.99 per month

Those who preorder the game will get early access.

Commander Sheppard’s latest adventure could be Kinect enabled , that is if a new box art that popped up on the EA Store is to be believed.

The box art, as seen to the left, which shows the Mass Effect 3 box with the “Better with Kinect” header across the top was taken down quickly after being spotted by a NeoGaf forum member. Games adorned with the header feature some motion control functionality, but do not require it.

Could this be a hint as to what will be revealed at next week’s E3? While it could just be a mistake, and neither EA or Microsoft has commented on the image, it’s not hard to believe that the tech would be used for one of the platform’s biggest franchises.

Stick with Blast for more on this and all the hot news leading in to next week’s E3.

You didn’t take the 2011 date shown at the end of the Mass Effect 3 trailer to heart did you? Hope not, as Bioware has announced that Mass Effect 3 will now release sometime in the first three months of next year.

The announcement came via Mass Effect 2′s official Facebook page, where Executive Producer Casey Hudson assured fans that the delay was for the best. ”The development team is laser focused on making sure Mass Effect 3 is the biggest, boldest and best game in the series, ensuring that it exceeds everyone’s expectations.”

If Mass Effect 3 does release in the first quarter of next year, it will mirror the release of Mass Effect 2, which released in late January of 2010.

Blast has already booked time with Mass Effect 3 at this year’s E3, check back during the show to hear all of our nerdy lust for the game.

First details for the highly anticipated Mass Effect 3 have started to roll in from the latest issue of Game Informer Magazine.

According to the magazine, which features a 12-page spread and the third chapter in the Sci-Fi epic, Mass Effect 3 starts off with Commander Sheppard facing trial on Earth for the events at the end of the recently released Arrival DLC. It’s not long before Reapers invade, Sheppard escapes to the Normandy and once again travels the galaxy to find troops to battle them.

Game Informer confirms that Liara, Ashley/Kaiden and Garrus will return as squadmates, assuming they are still alive from your Mass Effect 2 save file. Wrex, Mordin, Legion, and Anderson are also confirmed to appear in the game, but are not confirmed as squadmates.

Mass Effect 3 is also supposed to be the most RPG centric of the franchise, giving players more freedom over characters, skill trees and abilities.

Mass Effect is expected to release sometime in 2011 for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. Stick with Blast for more information.

So, Dragon Age II hasn’t even hit shelves yet, but Bioware is wasting no time announcing DLC for the title. This morning they announced that the game’s first DLC, “the exiled prince” will come shortly after the the game and feature new quests, content and a new companion.

So why the early announcement? It could be because the DLC will be free to anyone who preorders the game’s signature edition, with others having to pay 560 MS points, or $7.00 in real people money.

Here’s a trailer for unreleased DLC for an unreleased game!

Editor’s Note: Each week in December we’ll be unveiling another nominee for Blast’s 2010 Game of the Year Award, here’s our this week’s — Bioware’s space masterpiece Mass Effect 2. Keep checking back each week until the final week, when we reveal the winner along with all of the yearly award winners.

The release of Mass Effect in November 2007 was the beginning of a cult following and the birth of a wonderful RPG franchise from Bioware. The major aspects of Mass Effect that made the first title shine weren’t just your typical answers like beautiful graphics and fun gun play (some opinions were the combat was clunky). The story of Commander Shepard and the characters that joined you along the way made this title the epic RPG that it was. The universe that Bioware introduced us to had the depth and creative story to suck gamers in and have them wanting more. The announcement that your game save from the first title would have a direct impact on the sequel left the gaming community waiting in even bigger anticipation.

The level of excitement for the release of Mass Effect 2 made me a little skeptical for a few reasons. The promises that Bioware made in assuring gamers a more developed story and revamped combat for the sequel had me worried. The balance between RPG elements and combat are tricky and I was afraid if Bioware went to much in one direction the franchise would lose its RPG roots and epic story. The announcements of voice over contributors such as Martin Sheen and others had me worried as well. I didn’t want to see Mass Effect go the route of say, the Call of Duty franchise, with huge explosions, big name voice over talent, and a sub-par story (not to mention a new game every 6 months). I wanted my thirty plus hours I put into the first Mass Effect to mean something, and for the sequel to blow me away.

On January 26^th 2010 Mass Effect 2 was released and Bioware delivered on every promise made with a sequel that I can say, is an almost perfect action RPG. The game was an instant game of the year contender for many reasons. There is one fact that had been true since I had been a young lad and even rang true in the first Mass Effect. When you have an RPG, the combat will be turn based and not as smooth as say, an FPS title. That wall has been torn down thanks to Bioware. Mass Effect 2 has a smooth FPS like combat in a RPG setting. The dreams of gamers being able to duck and take cover after blasting an enemy in the face with a rocket launcher, or look down the sights of a sniper rifle in slow motion in an RPG, were answered. This successfully brought in the interest of gamers that have never even purchased an RPG before. The core fans of the franchise like myself didn’t cringe at this new combat system or the FPS elements either, because of the story and in depth character detailing. The universe that Bioware had developed in the first title was back, and better than ever.

The evolved combat, epic story, or improved graphics are not the only aspects that awarded this title a game of the year nomination by Blast Magazine. The choices you made in the first title had a deep impact in the sequel, just as Bioware promised. This was the first time a sequel actually took a game save from the first title and made you deal with the consequences. For example if you (as I did) decided to have Wrex take a bullet in the first title he would not be around in the sequel. The blank slate that is Commander Shepard and the tools Bioware has given you to mold him or her into your own hero or anti-hero are nothing short of amazing. This game keeps you coming back for replay after replay and just playing as a different class warrants another play through.

The main factor that really sets this franchise apart and brings Mass Effect 2 to the top is the characters you meet that join your mission along the way. There are a lot of RPG’s or action RPG’s out there that have characters that join the main character along the way. These characters help you fight or play a part in the story but in most cases you never really get to know their back story, and many won’t hold your interest for very long. This is what sets Mass Effect 2 apart from the rest; I had such a blast getting to know every character in this game, and their back-stories. The team at Bioware did such a great job with these characters. Besides them having special combat abilities, they also have great stories and you feel a real connection to them. My two favorites were Jack the wild, emotionally-disturbed, biotic-powerhouse, and Mordin the scientist who would talk a thousand words per minute, and even break into song at moments.

. The gaming market right now has so many titles out there that have over priced or lack luster DLC. I can’t tell you how many times I have shelled out 800 Microsoft points for a couple weapons in a game and been highly disappointed. The DLC market in my opinion has felt like a way for developers to make a little more cash, not quality additional content for the gamer to enjoy. There has never been a game that offered armor, weapons, characters, and expansions for such fair prices. The sheer amount of DLC support this game received was phenomenal especially since the game is quite large to begin with.

As rumored earlier this week, Bioware and EA confirmed Mass Effect 3 tonight at the VGAs, and it looks like the posting from yesterday on the EA page was true, the game is set on Earth and seems to introduce a multiplayer aspect to the fold. Here’s the teaser trailer.

One of the big rumors about tomorrow night’s Spike TV Video Game Awards is that we’re going to get confirmation of Mass Effect 3. First, Sony’s Russian office confirmed the rumor over Twitter, then took it down, now it seems that EA proper is eager to spill the beans.

The picture to the right was spotted by Destructoid earlier this morning over at EA’s online store. The listing has since been taken down, but they were lucky enough to snag the shot before.

The features spot on the page also seems to give us the first details of the game’s plot. It reads: ” Earth is burning. Striking from beyond known space, a race of terrifying machines have begun their destruction of the human race. As Commander Shepard, an Alliance Marine, your only hope for saving mankind is to rally the civilizations of the galaxy and launch one final mission to take back the Earth.”

So, Mass Effect 3 returns to Earth? What do you guys think?

See that picture there? The one with the guy with gun? Yeah that one. Apparently it’s from Bioware and is the very first teaser image from their yet to be announced new game. Though no other information is given, Bioware is promising a Spike TV Video Game Awards reveal. Oh, and Sony Russia says it’s Mass Effect 3. Whoops.

According to Ripten, Sony Russia’s official Twitter updated this morning to say (translated of course) “Company #BioWare Award for #VideoGameAwards showed a teaser, in which we can see the first footage #MassEffect 3.? The posting was quickly deleted, and Sony is acting like it never happened.

So either Sony Russia spilled the beans a bit too early, or we’ll be seeing our first glimpse of Mass Effect 3 when the Spike TV Video Game Awards premier on December 11.

For those of you gaming faithful without a chance to attend E3 this year, EA has something nice to keep you busy. Instead of reading about all the fun you’re not having in Los Angeles, you can get download the ‘Overlord’ pack for Mass Effect 2 starting June 15. Overlord reportedly runs about 10 hrs and features a powerful AI villain reminiscent of the shadowy character from Ghost In The Shell. The horror-style adventure spans 5 planets and can be had for 560 MS points starting Tuesday.

Source: Major Nelson

The newest DLC pack for Mass Effect 2 features a rougue, sentient AI to battle wits with and adds five new planets to the Galactic map, each of which can be explored with the Hammerhead tank that was first featured in the previous Firewalker DLC pack. Bioware touts this expansion as the most sweeping of the contest released yet for ME2 and has been speaking about the fact that players should expect a horror-type experience complete with flickering lights, dark corners and a perturbed alien intelligence pulling the strings and playing with all the switches.

Overlord runs a  little over two hours and features some seriously upgraded handling on the improved Hammerhead vehicle. For extended details, have a look at the GameSpot interview with Mass Effect 2 executive producer Casey Hudson. This DLC pack should drop sometime in June.

Source: Gamespot

Dragon Age: Origins was one of our game’s of the year from 2009, so it’s understandable that, when given more of the same just a few months later in the form of an expansion, we would be pretty pleased with it. That’s not to say this is as good as the original game, as there are reasons to like it less, but what is here is worth playing if you enjoyed the original, as it expands on the Dragon Age universe and allows you to return to doing what you liked best about Origins: slicing Darkspawn into itty bitty pieces.

Awakening allows you to build a new character from scratch–an Orlesian Grey Warden commander come to aid Ferelden–or import one of your Origins characters with their equipment, statistics and abilities in place. Personally, I enjoyed taking charge of my previous character more than using the new one, as Awakening is a 15-20 hour expansion, and not a 40 hour epic–reacquainting yourself with former companions and others you met on your adventure has more meaning than if you meet them with a brand new face, but that’s a personal preference. The tie-ins are also stronger if you import a character, since some of your past information is used within the game as well as in the endings, though it’s not as strong a correlation as in say, Mass Effect 2.

You have new abilities that you unlock past level 20, which means your strategy from the previous title has the ability to adapt and change to meet your new needs and to keep things fresh for you. There’s also an (almost) entirely new cast for you to befriend (or aggravate–up to you really). The one returning character was a favorite of mine who I felt wasn’t fleshed out enough in Origins, so it’s good to see that Awakening rectifies that by cranking his/her personality up to 11 and letting him/her loose. Also, as a Grey Warden commander, you now have the right of conscription, so if you meet an angry individual that you would like to be in the Wardens, and they want no part of it, then their other option is death. Have fun toying with people’s lives!

The basis of the story is that you are now (SPOILERS if you haven’t played Origins, but if you haven’t, what are you doing here instead of waiting in line at the store to get it?) that you are now the Grey Warden commander in charge of the now deceased Arl Howe’s lands. You have to govern the people there (some of whom want you dead for your part in the death of Howe) as well as protect the citizenry in both the farmlands or the city–it’s up to you to distribute the troops to where you think they are needed most. You have an economic advisor who you can listen to or ignore as well–again, it’s up to you. If you upgrade Vigil’s Keep to its full potential though, you will see the effects of your handiwork when the time is right and appreciate what you have done. As for story-changing decisions, outside of choices you can make with individual characters there is really just one major moment, but for a very focused expansion that’s not much of a surprise, even for a BioWare title.

The Darkspawn have not fled for the Deep Roads, as they always do after a Blight, and they seem even more organized now than they were when an Archdemon was leading them. It turns out they do have a new leader pulling the strings, and this leader, like many of the Darkspawn you encounter, can now talk–picture an Orc with a working brain, and you would be on the right track. Since Darkspawn were enough of a threat already before they were capable of organization, sneak attacks and strategy, you need to get to the bottom of things before all of Ferelden is faced with something even worse than a Blight.

While the lack of major plot decisions isn’t a turn-off for Awakenings, the lack of conversation with your party members is. They only talk to you if they have something to say–you aren’t going to be exploring their psyche, poking and prodding at them like you did in Origins. While on the field they are all business, and don’t have time to talk to you. One of the characters even just groans and says you’re like a nagging child every time you try to speak to her. While back at camp, they talk to you, but again, only if they have something to say–you can’t just go up and explore the character through conversation like you could in Origins. It’s a shame, and kept me from feeling as connected to certain party members, whereas in Origins, conversations allowed me to take a liking to characters that, based on my first impressions, I would never have bothered to use in battle or on the field.

Because of the lack of plot twists though–meaning that, outside of completing or not completing sidequests, there isn’t much differentiation between playthroughs–Awakening also does not have the replayability of Origins. My best advice would be to use your favorite character from Origins, and maybe play through again as the Orlesian commander, but, if anything, you’ll just want to play Origins again after completing Awakening. As an expansion of the brand, it certainly succeeds, but it’s not as successful of a standalone product as Origins, despite being better than all of the DLC released for that title thus far.

Blast Factor: If you were a fan of Dragon Age: Origins, then this is a necessary purchase that expands the Dragon Age universe and gives you another reason to return to the lands you’ve defended once before. If you weren’t sold on the idea of Dragon Age before, this game will not change your mind. It doesn’t have the same replay value as Origins, but it’s definitely worth at least one playthrough for fans of the franchise.

Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening is available on the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC, and retails for $39.99. A copy of this game was given to us by the publisher for reviewing purposes.

Remember that clock that showed up on the Dragon Age and Mass Effect 2 sites a few weeks ago? Well, now we know that it’s been counting down to  a little something called the Bioware Bazaar. If you login to social.bioware.com before April 10th, you’ll be given 1000 tokens that can be spent in the bazaar towards a slew of cool paraphernalia. Top prizes include Dragon Age and Mass Effect-branded PCs and Xbox 360s. You can see the full list of official rules and prizes here.

In order to get the good stuff, you’re going to have to hustle though . Vast amounts of additional tokens can be earned by staying tuned to Bioware’s Twitter for ‘Bazaar Challenges.’ These ask you questions like, “What was your most memorable experience playing a BioWare game?” or “What did Commander Shepard have for breakfast?”

There are 100 winners of each challenge and they each get an extra 500 tokens toward the auctions. I think it’s doubtful you could get any of the hardware without winning about 5 or more challenges or so. Challenges are currently about 9 questions deep, with 3 hours allowed for responses to each – so you should probably get to work.

Challenge Submission Judging. At or about 3 hours after the Challenge has ended, Sponsor or its designee, the Challenge Judges, whose decisions are final and binding on all matters relating to the Challenges, will independently evaluate and judge all eligible Submissions received on a per-Challenge basis and select in its sole and absolute discretion up to 100 Submissions that shall win the prize of 500 tokens. The Challenge Submission Judging shall be based upon the following criteria in the Judges’ sole and absolute discretion: 60% creativity, 20% appropriateness to topic, 20% skill and quality of the submission (i.e. grammar and writing skills). The Judges’ decisions for any particular Challenge are final and binding. PLEASE NOTE THAT, WHILE YOU MAY SUBMIT MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS NO MORE THAN ONE OF YOUR SUBMISSIONS WILL BE SELECTED AS A WINNER IN ANY CHALLENGE.

Auctions will begin April 6th at 9am PDT and proceed every 15 minutes after that. You can check out some additional ways to earn boo-ku Bazaar tokens below.

Good Luck!!

Additional Methods of Earning Tokens

1. Additional Tokens can be earned as follows:
   1. 1200 Tokens: Register your Dragon Age: Origins Game OR Score 100% On Dragon Age: Origins QuestionnaireRegister your Dragon Age: Origins game using your BioWare Account at http://social.bioware.com/user_bw_games_register.php. If you previously registered your Dragon Age: Origins game using the BioWare account associated with your Token account, then the additional tokens will be automatically awarded to your Token account within 8 hours of your initial registration for the contest. If you do not own Dragon Age: Origins and/or cannot register your game for any reason, then you can earn the same amount of Tokens by scoring 100% on the Dragon Age: Origins questionnaire available at this URL: http://social.bioware.com/token_questionnaire.php?game_id=1. Answers to the Dragon Age: Origins questionnaire can be found by reviewing the content of the website available at http://dragonage.bioware.com/. Either method entitles the entrant to only 1200 Tokens–entrants cannot earn double tokens by registering their game and submitting the questionnaire. Tokens will be awarded to your Token account within 8 hours of your successful completion/submission of either the game questionnaire or game registration.
   2. 1500 Tokens: Register your Mass Effect 2 Game OR Score 100% On Mass Effect 2 QuestionnaireRegister your Mass Effect 2 game using your BioWare Account at http://social.bioware.com/user_bw_games_register.php. If you previously registered your Mass Effect 2 game using the BioWare Account associated with your Token Account, then the additional tokens will be automatically awarded to your Token Account within 8 hours of your initial registration for the contest. If you do not own Mass Effect 2 and/or cannot register your game for any reason, then you can earn the same amount of additional tokens by scoring 100% on the Mass Effect 2 questionnaire available at http://social.bioware.com/token_questionnaire.php?game_id=10. Answers to the Mass Effect 2 questionnaire can be found by reviewing the content of the website available at http://masseffect.bioware.com/. You need not own Mass Effect 2 to earn the 1500 tokens. Either method entitles the entrant to only 1500 Tokens–entrants cannot earn double tokens by registering their game and submitting the questionnaire. Tokens will be awarded to your Token account within 8 hours of your successful completion/submission of either the game questionnaire or game registration.
   3. 1750 Tokens: Register Your Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening Expansion Pack OR Score 100% On Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening QuestionnaireRegister your Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening game/expansion pack using your BioWare Account at http://social.bioware.com/user_bw_games_register.php. If you previously registered your Dragon Age: Origins– Awakening game/expansion pack using the BioWare Account associated with your Token Account, then the additional tokens will be automatically awarded to your Token Account within 8 hours of your initial registration for the contest. If you do not own Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening and/or cannot register your game/expansion pack for any reason, then you can earn the same amount of additional tokens by scoring 100% on the Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening questionnaire available at http://social.bioware.com/token_questionnaire.php?game_id=11. Answers to the Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening questionnaire can be found by reviewing the content of the website available at http://dragonage.bioware.com/awakening/. You need not own Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening to earn the 1750 tokens. Either method entitles the entrant to only 1750 Tokens–entrants cannot earn double tokens by registering their game and submitting the questionnaire. Tokens will be awarded to your Token account within 8 hours of your successful completion/submission of either the game questionnaire or game registration.
   4. 500 Tokens: Create And Upload A Character In Dragon Age: Origins – Character CreatorGo to http://social.bioware.com/page/da-character-creator, log in with your BioWare Account associated with your Token account, download Dragon Age: Origins – Character Creator and accept the Dragon Age Origins – Character Creator EULA. Follow the instructions to upload a character in Dragon Age: Origins – Character Creator while logged into the same BioWare Account associated with your token account. Once you have created the character, you must click “Upload Info” in the final character creation screen. If you previously uploaded a Character via the Dragon Age: Origins – Character Creator while logged in to your Dragon Age: Origins account, you will automatically be awarded 500 Tokens within 8 hours of registering for the contest. You need not own Dragon Age: Origins to download the Dragon Age: Origins – Character Creator or to upload a character to earn 500 Tokens. Tokens will be awarded to your Token account within 8 hours of your successful upload of the character. Entrants may upload multiple characters but are eligible for only one 500 Token award for doing so.
   5. Get Your Friends To Click On Your Unique URLGo to http://social.bioware.com/promotion_code.php, log into the BioWare Account associated with your Token account and follow the instructions to create a unique URL. For each click that your URL gets, you can earn Tokens.Tokens will be awarded directly to your Token account for clicks to your referral URL in the following manner:

10 tokens per unique click (based on IP address) per day up to 500 tokens; and then 1 token per unique click (based on IP address) per day thereafter.

Joystiq is today reporting the game is NOT coming to Xbox 360.

“While we recognize that there are other operating systems and platforms available for games today, our development is specific to the personal computer using the Windows operating system at this time,” BioWare’s Sean Dahlberg said.

Could it be? The epic massively multiplayer online role playing game “Star Wars: The Old Republic” coming to console?

According to an internal Xbox 360 release list, nabbed by VG247, The Old Republic is slated for a TBC date in 2011 for Xbox 360.

Given the believed massive magnitude of the game, and its persistent online experience, it seems extremely unlikely. But, in 2008, EA’s Frank Gibeau pretty much hinted at it when he said “We’re definitely looking at the opportunity to bring the MMO experience to console, without question.”

Would you play a MMORPG on a console, like the Xbox 360? I only worry about the controls, but I do think if one were to show up and the controls did work, it could be a  huge success.

If you’re anything like me, you may not have gotten around to dropping the $60 you need for Mass Effect 2 just yet -  even though it is like the hottest shooter – RPG – Hollywood – Dr. Approved – Out of This World – Masterpiece you can get on the Xbox 360 right now. Fortunately, your resistance to launch day hysterics has proven you richer once again. BestBuy has your budget in mind, making ME2 available this week for the very agreeable price of only $40.

You can’t really ask for much more than this from a gamer’s perspective. What could very well be GOTY at a 30+% discount less than 2 months after launch? Recession indeed.

I almost feel bad paying just $40 bucks for it. This game has obviously reviewed pretty well. Can I maybe tip someone at BestBuy? Take one of the cashiers out to lunch?

The Maker approves…

A countdown clock, spotted at BioWare’s “Mass Effect” and “Dragon Age” pages, signals an announcement coming this Monday, but what the heck is it?

What're you counting down to!?

Could it the already hinted at Dragon Age: Origins 2? More downloadable content for “Mass Effect 2″? Or something even more wild; a Star Wars: The Old Republic release date?

The latter is unlikely, as nothing new popped up on the Old Republic’s pages, but we can still hope!

What do you want it to be?

BioWare is primed and ready to unleash the “Awakening” $40 downloadable content for its role-playing-game “Dragon Age: Origins,” but first, don’t you want to see what it looks like?

The studio revealed this gameplay/cutscene trailer on last night’s GameTrailers TV episode and proves that all the blood you spilled and enemies you slaughtered, pales in comparison to what’s next.

For a game with arguably hundreds of hours of gameplay, it’s hard to not report on Best Buy selling BioWare’s Dragon Age: Origins for a very attractive $30.

That’s right, the game we played and loved, is selling this week for half off thanks to Best Buy slapping the starting price down to $39.99 and a $10 coupon below.

To bask in the savings you have to be a RewardZone Gamers’ Club member (and a RewardZone member), which are both free to sign up for and print out this $10 off coupon to bring the game’s price down to $30.

Source: Slickdeals

Role-playing hasn’t been kind to science fiction. Whether it be table top or video game, there just haven’t been too many successful adventures into deep space for fans of all things sci-fi (or SyFy apparently). The original Mass Effect managed to change this with its deep storyline and heavy focus on both dialogue and moral choices. Although there was definitely a line of division between those who loved the interactive novel approach and people who just thought the game was too talky, it’s hard to deny that Mass Effect was simply the best interactive science fiction around.

Well, until the sequel. Mass Effect 2 is a direct sequel of course, but more than that, Bioware set out to refine the gameplay of the original—beefing up its strengths and, frequently, eliminating what didn’t work. The result is nothing short of stunning.  The continuing saga of Commander Shepard is proving to be one of the most rewarding and interesting experiences in all of gaming, particularly because the game makes you feel as if you’re actually part of something epic.

Importing your Commander Shepard from the first game and seeing the decisions you made affect the second part of the storyline is a superb gameplay mechanism. Further, the past and present decisions will eventually have significant consequences to the third part of the story—whenever Mass Effect 3 is released. It’s this sense of continuity that makes Mass Effect so damned engaging. Although the gameplay is as much shooting action as full-blown role-playing, the sheer amount of choices, characters, and situations to explore makes this series feel like a singular experience on your Xbox or PC.

Few titles bring together such a cohesive sense of action and actual role-playing in so seamless a fashion. Combat is much more intensive this time around, with simple, yet effective cover system and team mates that are more useful. You can easily adjust NPC situational behavior and use their special abilities on the fly, and both ally and enemy  AI react surprisingly well. This makes your computer-controlled cohorts far more useful allies during some of the harsh combat missions, and also makes the choice of team mates for individual missions a bit more important.

While action is a more focused effort this time, the RPG elements are very much in control. The stats and character developments have been streamlined, but you are always fully in control of how Shepard and his group advance. Dialogue choices in particular affect your morality, but the game allows you to be both a paragon (good) and a renegade (bad) in whatever measure you deem fit. Dialogue trees allow for both paths, and there are even chances to change the conversation mid-stream for a specific moral action that can have long-term consequences.

The set of characters that join Shepard are a motley bunch. You’ll track down some old friends, but mostly the cast is completely new. There’s  a surly, dangerous merc; a nearly psychotic biotic chick covered in tattoos and not much else; a hilarious alien scientist; a scarily sexy blue-skinned priestess of the law; a zen-like reptilian assassin, among others. Each has a distinct personality and personal mission that Shepard can complete to earn their trust.

Although a couple of them will likely grate on you, causing you to hardly ever use them, the group is fascinating to talk to, learn about, and fight beside. Just the same, it would have been nice had the selection of possible team mates been both larger and more pliable. There’s no real options here except simply not seeking them all out. You can’t ditch characters you don’t want, you can only ignore them. Another issue is that transitioning from the original game leaves some real gaps—particularly in the relationship department.

If Shepard found love in the original Mass Effect, don’t expect it to have much meaning this time around. This is especially strange given how important so many of your other choices turn out to be. The game clearly wants to foster Shepard into new relationship directions, but the option to be monogamous to your first love in some real way would have been nice. That said, it’s much harder to find romance in Mass Effect 2 than in the first game and especially in comparison to Dragon Age.

The other main complaint with the game is that it seems to go by much too quickly. Skilled players will blow through most of the side missions and the main story in around 30-35 hours. Gamers who take their time will likely make it to the 40 hour mark. It’s certainly a testament to the game’s addictiveness and expert design that 40 hours seems too short, but Mass Effect’s galaxy is a place that you’ll want to spend more time in.

While many chided Bioware’s Dragon Age for having middling graphics, that’s definitely not the case here. Mass Effect 2′s visuals are stunning. The level of detail of the characters is nearly movie quality, and the locations look much more varied and interesting this time around. The voice acting is universally excellent, the digital surround effects immersive, and the soundtrack is great.

Blast Factor: While Mass Effect 2 is an undeniably better game than the original, it’s important to stress that it’s the middle of a greater story. As such, it’s highly recommended that you play the original first and transfer that character over to the sequel. You’ll find a far richer and more rewarding experience that way. Either way, this is a truly great game. Epic, mature, and intelligent, Mass Effect 2 is just the sort of title that the industry needs to see more frequently. Where so many RPGs, especially those from Japan, are merely cookie-cutter copies of each other, this is a sci-fi adventure boldly going where few games have gone before.

Mass Effect 2 is available on the Xbox 360 for $59.99, and the PC for $49.99. A copy of this game was given to us by the publisher for reviewing purposes.

While we do not know much about the downloadable content for the upcoming space-based role-playing-game Mass Effect 2, today BioWare announced some exciting details.

DLC...it's on the way and it's free!

BioWare Tweeted the following last night regarding the DLC:

“Addressing rumors: BioWare will not be charging extra for any new Mass Effect 2 content on launch day. More DLC details next week.”

We’re oh so very excited for the space-bound RPG and will have a review for you next week when the title launches, but stay with us for continued coverage of this developing story and keep an eye on BioWare and Mass Effect 2 on Twitter in the meantime.

Source: Kotaku

You heard all about Dragon Age’s first genuine batch of $40 downloadable content this morning, but now, via this glorious BioWare-produced trailer, you get a look into the fright, excitement, and danger, the expansion will offer when it arrives for PS3, PC and Xbox 360 March 16.

Electronic Arts and BioWare today ended speculation and officially announced, priced, and dated the first genuine expansion to the epic RPG “Dragon Age: Origins.”

Dubbed “Awakening,” this downloadable content will require the DAO disc, and  an additional $39.99 from your wallet when it comes to PS3, Xbox 360 and PC March 16.

According to the press release, the DLC is set after the events of Dragon Age Origins in Amaranthine where players will assume the role of a Grey Warden attempting to restore order. Outside this task, gamers will fight new enemies Inferno Golem, Spectral Dragon and a “mysterious foe that calls itself the “Architect.”

Best of all, perhaps, is that the DLC raises the level cap of the game,provides new abilities, spells, specializations and items for players to amass, and affords you oh so many more hours to sit in front of the screen.

Additionally, with Awakening, players can import and revise their characters and can even create a new Warden from the land of Orlais and will have five new party members available to recruit for the perilous journey.

BioWare co-founder Ray Muzyka said, about Awakening–

“Dragon Age: Origins — Awakening shows BioWare’s commitment to our fans by delivering new story-driven experiences which enrich the dark heroic fantasy universe our fans have come to know and love. The vibrant worldwide community of Dragon Age fans will relish uncovering the secret motivations of the darkspawn, revealing how the darkspawn continue to infest the world despite the defeat of the Archdemon.”

$40 is a lot, lot, lot of money. That may not sit well with gamers. We’ll see. Internet, what do you think?

]]> http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/gaming-news/dragon-age-origins-first-expansion-awakening-announced/feed/ 5 http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/gaming-news/the-full-mass-effect-2-cinematic-trailer/ http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/gaming/gaming-news/the-full-mass-effect-2-cinematic-trailer/#comments Fri, 01 Jan 2010 14:03:33 +0000 Eddie Makuch http://blastmagazine.com/?p=36222

If you have a couple hundred extra hours laying around, BioWare’s Mass Effect 2, a sequel to an absolute stellar original, hits shelves in just a few weeks, at the end of January.

But today, on this first day of the new 2010 year, we’re treated to the full-on and awe-inspiring cinematic trailer from BioWare, as the studio is likely currently abusing QA testers to hammer out the bugs in the game.

Mass Effect 2 comes to PC and Xbox 360 January 26. Here’s the trailer.

When BioWare and Electronic Arts release Star Wars: The Old Republic, the massively-scaled and fully-encompassing MMORPG sometime this year (2010 finally!), it will steal the lives away from millions upon millions, and this is why.

Here’s an interview, from the guys at GiantBomb with more guys from BioWare, chatting, at length, about the MMO.

Let us know, in the comments, what you’re excited about with this title. It will likely draw me back to the MMO-world. Here. We. Go.