I've just come back from finishing off Mass Effect, a game I very much enjoyed.

It had some problems in it, and I'm hacked off at not getting my promised achievements right now (I lugged the same two soldiers through the vast, vast majority of the game, one of whom never left my side once, to collect two achievements, and I got neither for no reason whatsoever) but it was a solid as hell game. When I heard that it was going to be a venture into third-person shootery, I was concerned, but the mechanic was pulled off well and even the MAKO vehicle missions became enjoyable after the 10 hours into the game, I learnt the rover had a bloody cannon as well as a machine gun (My non-manual reading fault rather than the games. I didn't discover the maps until 13 hours in, either)

There was a lot of dead space and unexploreable planets, but there was also so much to do. Branches and branches of overlapping side-quests, barren planets to explore and plenty of things to gun down. I'm pretty sure I've seen most of what the game has to offer with this play-through, but I'm keen to play through again on a harder setting. Maybe this time I'll appease DE and play "dark-side". He thinks that my playthough as a light-sider was out of character and done only to fool him somehow.

I'm going to look up why I missed these squad achievements. If anyone knows how this could be, I'd appreciate being let known.

I think I'll try and beat Eternel Sonata today, as well. Been parked on that last dungeon for months.

Most recent blog posts from Gary Hartley...
Things I remember playing in 2024 I used to write about horror games. Games Consumed 2024

Feedback
	Felix_Arabia - March 01, 2008 (09:48 AM) Yeah, why would you play as a good guy? You're pretty much the most evil guy I know.
	EmP - March 01, 2008 (10:09 AM) Yes, like that. Over AIM. Every day. For a month.
	pup - March 01, 2008 (10:48 AM) I had 25 achievement points stolen from me in Half Life 2. I went through all of Ravenholm with the gravity gun as instructed, at times with nothing to pick up and throw but the splinters from a busted plank. Then my thumb slipped, and switched to the crowbar. I didn't hit anything, or even swing for that matter. Switching was enough.
	wolfqueen001 - March 01, 2008 (11:30 AM) Bah. I don't care what you people say (or joke)- EmP's one of the nicest guys I know. He can be nice in-game if he wants. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it.
	Suskie - March 01, 2008 (01:17 PM) I had the same problem with the Achievements. Garrus and Wrex never left my side and I never got any points for 'em. That said, I agree: Mass Effect is an awesome game... though I wasn't fond of driving the Mako even knowing about the cannon. If you're interested, you should check out my most recent blog entry on the Mass Effect book. It's a prequel worth reading if you liked the game's story.
	bluberry - March 01, 2008 (01:21 PM) switching isn't enough, pup. otherwise you'd get fucked when he tosses you the shotty, after all. did you load up the Ravenholm chapter and go all the way until the end of the mines when you make it to the train tracks without firing a single shot or slashing the crowbar once?
	EmP - March 01, 2008 (05:02 PM) I keep telling people I'm a nice guy, but they don;t believe me. The beatings will continue until they do. I read your blog post on the book, Suskie, and do find myself interested, but I've finf myself with no time to devote to reading these days, which makes me very sad. Got to the very last bit on Sonata, then quit to watch the football. Arsenal are lucky bastards.
	Felix_Arabia - March 01, 2008 (06:25 PM) I still think Man City is awesomer.
	WilltheGreat - March 03, 2008 (02:59 PM) Is that even a word?
	darketernal - March 04, 2008 (02:54 AM) Yeah, Arsenal is real lucky...especially when some two bit hacks named Taylor start breaking legs of our star players and Arsenal players as well and thus crippling them for the Euro.
	EmP - March 04, 2008 (07:56 AM) Oh, hush, you. That tackle was an accident and Taylor's fallen to part over it. I really feel for both parties. Football is a physical game and, sadly, these things happen. I know it's certainly beaten the crap out of me over the years.
	johnny_cairo - March 04, 2008 (11:29 AM) My days as a footie prodigy are long gone. Mass Effect got really boring the second time through (playing as an asshole/womanizer) but it's still a very enjoyable RPG. As a shooter, it could be a lot better.
	darketernal - March 04, 2008 (11:45 AM) I agree that it was an accident, but every football player said the same thing, and that is that nobody ever makes such a horrid slide in the third minute of the match. Perhaps in the 90th when the result is not in their favor, but at the start? Noone. He should have been suspended until Eduardo is able to play again.
	EmP - March 04, 2008 (12:41 PM) If I think it will win me the ball, I'll slide in the opening seconds. I think that the game is being made soft enough as it is. The other day I got booked for jumping in a wall -- and when I asked the ref why this jump, which I have done a million times before and will do a million times after, is a bookable offense, I was told if I questioned him again, I would be sent off. But I can not complain about football right now. The Euro Championship score is currently Man Utd 1: Vile French 0 and my own game of footie this night went swimmingly with a 7-2 drubbing handed out. I never knew you played Cario. DE here's more of a badminton guy.
	darketernal - March 05, 2008 (03:23 AM) Bah, you can slide before the anthems are complete for all I care, but to slide from the back with both legs in the opening of the game is a penalty punishable by jail and subsequent hanging. As for my badminton days, it is but a hobby. And you very well know I am a manly boxer.
	wolfqueen001 - March 05, 2008 (08:52 AM) I think it's hilarious how this went from talking about Mass Effect to talking about football. XD Speaking of whhich, there was a game on ESPN yesterday. Not sure how old it is since last time I watched a Euro match, I was told it aired weeks ago. This was Arsenal vs. Milan. I didn't watch it all because I got bored... meant to check in periodically but by the time I remembered, it was over. >_>; I seriously hope you don't hurt yourself doing these things, EmP. Granted, I have no idea what you mean by "jumping in a wall" but the image it inspires isn't very comforting. Sounds like you were deliberately trying to knock yourself about for some reason. >.>
	PAJ89 - March 05, 2008 (11:59 PM) EmP, for those character achievements, you need to finish 45 side quests and 15 main quests with said character. If you get all the characters ASAP without doing any side-quests (Wrex, Talia, L'iara, Garrus, get all of them as soon as you can) and keep the same two with you for the game, you'll end up getting the achivement somewhere around the end of Virmire.