April 2022
Mass Effect
April 18, 2022 Filed in: Video Games
After Civilization V, I was looking for another top notch computer game to play. I certainly found one in Mass Effect. Specifically, I have the Mass Effect Legendary Edition, which includes the entire trilogy plus a ton of DLC. In addition, some gameplay tweaks were made and the graphics were updated for 4K Ultra HD. Mass Effect is widely regarded as one of the all-time great video game series and it did not disappoint. Developed by BioWare, I should have known it would be special. They created some of my all time favorite computer role-playing games such as the Baldur's Gate series, Neverwinter Nights, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and the Dragon Age series. I just finished the first Mass Effect game and it certainly joins those lofty titles as one of my favorite RPGs.
Mass Effect is an RPG at its core but it features third-person action elements, including combat. Unlike some other BioWare games, this one features an original game world. You play as Commander Shepard, a human Alliance solider who must stop a threat of galactic proportions Along the way, Shepard is joined by several allies. You choose two of these characters to accompany Shepard on each mission. There were plenty of main missions and side missions to keep me busy for around 30 hours of gameplay. Along the way, Shepard and his companions gained levels, skills, and equipment. In addition to the usual squad based action, some missions involved the M35 Mako, an all-terrain vehicle with its own weapons. Mass Effect did a good job presenting choices that had real repercussions, both moral/ethical and tactical. I played Shepard as a "good guy" for the most part and he accumulated many more paragon points than renegade points.
The ending was satisfying and it obviously left things open for the sequel. Mass Effect 2 is generally regarded as the high point of the series. I am very eager to play it.
Commander John Shepard
Mass Effect is an RPG at its core but it features third-person action elements, including combat. Unlike some other BioWare games, this one features an original game world. You play as Commander Shepard, a human Alliance solider who must stop a threat of galactic proportions Along the way, Shepard is joined by several allies. You choose two of these characters to accompany Shepard on each mission. There were plenty of main missions and side missions to keep me busy for around 30 hours of gameplay. Along the way, Shepard and his companions gained levels, skills, and equipment. In addition to the usual squad based action, some missions involved the M35 Mako, an all-terrain vehicle with its own weapons. Mass Effect did a good job presenting choices that had real repercussions, both moral/ethical and tactical. I played Shepard as a "good guy" for the most part and he accumulated many more paragon points than renegade points.
The ending was satisfying and it obviously left things open for the sequel. Mass Effect 2 is generally regarded as the high point of the series. I am very eager to play it.
Commander John Shepard
Civilization V
April 01, 2022 Filed in: Video Games
I ended March 2022 by completing a game of Civilization V. It's hard to believe that I played Civilization IV nine years ago. Civ III was several years before that. Sid Meier's Civilization series is well known for the "one more turn" syndrome and it didn't take me long to get immersed in version 5. I chose a default game, which involved playing a random nation and five computer opponents. I was assigned the Aztecs, led by Montezuma. The other nations were the Iroquois, England, Arabia, Greece, and Japan. I started in the middle of a large island running north to south. Japan was on my northern border and Arabia was to our south. Arabia was quite peaceful but we did have tensions with Japan. In previous Civ games, I've gone for cultural victories or technological victories by being the first nation to venture into space. I felt the Aztecs should be played more warlike. One of their unique advantages was sacrificial captives, which provided bonus culture points for each enemy unit killed. Therefore, I pursued a militant path. We eventually went to war with Japan, England, Arabia, the Iroquois, and Greece. We won a domination victory in the year 1966. I could have easily won years earlier, certainly back in the industrial age. However, I stretched things out because I was having so much fun growing my empire and experimenting with newer units.
The Aztecs' special unit was the Jaguar, a specialty warrior. They were great in the early game when we were battling a lot of barbarians in unsettled lands. Unfortunately, Jaguars are quickly outmoded in later ages. That is one knock on the Civilization series. After a certain point, the differences between nations become small and they can feel very similar. Even so, Civ III, IV, and V have all been very fun to play. When the time comes, I look forward to playing Civ VI as well.
1670 AD - The Aztec Empire is in red
1966 AD - Just before capturing Athens and eliminating Greece
The Aztecs' special unit was the Jaguar, a specialty warrior. They were great in the early game when we were battling a lot of barbarians in unsettled lands. Unfortunately, Jaguars are quickly outmoded in later ages. That is one knock on the Civilization series. After a certain point, the differences between nations become small and they can feel very similar. Even so, Civ III, IV, and V have all been very fun to play. When the time comes, I look forward to playing Civ VI as well.
1670 AD - The Aztec Empire is in red
1966 AD - Just before capturing Athens and eliminating Greece