Category Archives: #52games

Nordisch by Nature

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2nd post for #52games. Posting from my phone, so it’ll be very short again. VERY VERY short. Promise to be better with most of the remaining 50 topics. ;-)

The current topic is fitting for the weather in Central Europe: cold (Kälte); and since I played 153 hours of Skyrim, I just have to comment that the inhabitants of Skyrim must guzzle potions of cold resistance like crazy. Even those who live in huts without big fireplaces or doors (!) sleep without blankets, while it’s snowing outside. Yes, the Nords of course have adapted to their environment (blah), but all immigrants have the same unhealthy habit. It’s funny if you pay attention to such details, but of course very nice if you want to pickpocket people. :)

 

The female armors in Skyrim are very similar to the male version, so at least there’s no freezing to death in Daedric bikinis like described in this recent post about another freezing RPG world.

PS: The title is a pun about a track by a German band, so “Nordisch” is not a typo. ;-)

It’s Okay, I Only Died!

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I’m participating in @zockworkorange’s project #52games, where lots of people write posts about ONE topic that reminds them of ONE game. I’m doing it in English because I can  ;-) …because I don’t want to neglect my usual readers.

Missed the topic “new beginning” (Neubeginn) last week, but I need to catch up on this. VERY QUICKLY. Very briefly.

Warning: Contains spoily spoilers for the beginning of Mass Effect 2.

Mass Effect 2 was a great game. I loved many things about it, but it fell especially short in an unexpected regard: The story. In my opinion, the game focused so much on the “recruit teammate – gain teammate’s trust – recruit next teammate…” cycle that there was no “Shepard story” as in the first game.

Unfortunately, and with this I’m returning to the topic “New beginning”, this becomes evident quite early in the game, when Shepard is resurrected (a bit prematurely) after two years during which everyone had to assume (s)he was dead. In terms of the cinematics and escape from the station that is under attack, this is presented very well.

If you haven’t played the game, here is a YouTube video of these starting minutes of ME2:

It’s also a nice explanation for the opportunity to change his/her class entirely; and advance the plot, allowing ME1 veterans to discover many new things that have changed since the end of the first game’s narrative.

But most reactions to his/her reappearance from authorities, friends and enemies are simply underwhelming, and the topics of life, death and resurrection are never dealt with in any detail. This would’ve been difficult (but hey, it’s BioWare), but the way it is now, it’s a missed chance (yes, hey, it’s EA) to discuss something immensely meaningful in a computer game.