My top 5 [video games] - 1. Mass Effect

Okay, so now you know what I think of Robot Unicorn Attack, I'll introduce myself properly. I'm a sucker for countdown lists, so I'm going to do a series of top fives starting with (yay!) my favourite video games.

Admittedly, I'm somewhat of a latecomer; I didn't really get into gaming until about six years ago when the husband moved in and my brother donated his PS2 to us. Also, I'm a bit of a girly girl when it comes to gaming, which means story has to come first (bonus points for well-done romance subplots), the game has to be visually appealing, the less driving the better, and big beefy guys in army gear are out of the question (sorry Gears of War/Call of Duty/Splinter Cell, it's not you, it's me).

So here are the games which, for one reason or another, put a smile on my face whenever I think of them.

1. The Mass Effect Trilogy

I say trilogy because even though ME 3 doesn't come out for another couple of years, I will most likely love it as much as I did the first two. ME1 introduced us to a seemingly Trekkian utopia set in the not-too-distant future. Humans have discovered mass relays which allow them faster-than-light travel within the galaxy. We are now newcomers amongst a host of more (and some less) advanced species. The galaxy is ruled by an alien Council who reside in the oh-so-gorgeous Citadel. Of course, things are not as perfect as they seem. A serious threat to the entire galaxy looms just across the horizon. The Council is in denial, and the only person who is willing to face the truth and save us all is the Ultimate Badass, Commander Shepard.



You play as Shepard, whose gender, appearance, and special talents are customizable (although if you're about to start a game, I strongly recommend making yours a FemShep, because she is voiced by Jennifer Hale who takes badassity to a whole new level). Your dialogue options range from kind and noble to downright nasty. As the game progresses, you recruit a team of humans and aliens while exploring a plethora of beautifully conceived worlds (they reminded me alot of the artwork featured in an old Carl Sagan book). The first time I played it, I remember being impressed by how well-written the characters were - after a couple of conversations, you get a real sense of who they are and you actually care about them. No cheesy sci-fi stereotypes (well, none that are really bad), just solid, sometimes moving backstories. And even if you choose not to romance any of your crew (and really, why wouldn't you, heh), there will still come a moment in ME1 which will leave you speechless, with your guts in a knot.



ME2 is much darker and a bit more BSG. The writing is still excellent, and alot happens in between the games, so the characters all have a bit more of an edge and a few more chips on their shoulders. Bioware definitely ramped up the Shepard-is-awesome factor, although the new characters that they introduced were a bit disappointing (*cough*JackandGrunt). Combat and graphics are much improved, and a big deal is made about a possible suicide mission at the end of the game. Personally, I think this was a bit of a gimmick, because unless you're really trying to kill yourself, it's really hard not to survive. And though I'm opposed to it in principle, I've actually really enjoyed the downloadable content as well (Kasumi love!).

My Shep and her BFF Garrus

Here are my hopes for ME3 (i.e. Dear Bioware...):

1. Please give Shepard a happy ending.
2. Please turn Garrus back into the suave, stoic Turian that he is. Let's just all agree to forget about that awful narrow-waist pick-up line.
3. Please de-Vegas-ify the Citadel!
4. More flying cars, less planet scanning.

Up next, Assassin's Creed.