Favorites - Ranked Dragon Age 2 Companions

Now, this was definitely one game I wanted to revisit. Dragon Age 2 was released in 2011 and was underwhelming for fans. I didn’t play it until like 2015 since I was in my Bioware phase. I remember liking DA2 and can kinda see why some folks didn’t like it. It did feel a few steps below Origins. We had a lot of reused dungeons and areas, some of the gameplay could be repetitive, and some of the writing wasn’t the best. Still, I had a fun time back then and eventually went on to play Inquisition. 

Now that I’ve replayed it and some of the DLCs (I skipped Mark of the Assassin), DA2 really grew on me. The fact that this game was rushed out of development and made to shelves playable was a miracle. While I get that some wanted an experience similar to Origins, I like how DA2 changed it up. We’re limited to Kirkwall  and get to see how bad things are for Hawke, his companions, and the rest of the city over a span of a few years. Last time, I had no idea what I was doing and didn’t know what to expect when some big moments happened.This time, I really wanted to see what could happen with these characters. I came away with a bit of a realization from some of my companions. I was Warrior Hawke this time and I had so much fun with that big sword/axe/hammer. I might go two handed for Inquisition, but I’m not sure yet.

So, how were the companions this time? They were pretty good as usual. Some of them don’t hold a candle to the ones from Origins, but there are some that are on par. We also have a limited number of companions which I think helped things a bit story wise. Since we play Hawke over a span of years, we get to see these friendships go through the ringer, and you sometimes don’t know how things will end. 

Favorites - Ranked Dragon Age Origins Companions

I did not want to be gone this long! This is what happens when you’re married, have two growing kids, have a job, and have other activities that get in the way of writing on your pretty old blog. One of those things that took a lot of time away from here was revisiting one of Bioware’s greats: Dragon Age Origins. After Dragon Age: The Veilguard was released, I had a hankering for some Thedas action especially since I can’t play the thing yet. “That will happen one day,” I wistfully say to myself. 

I thought about maybe doing a bit of a retrospective on it, but I already don’t have that much time. Just know that I still had a blast replaying this game. This time, I was able to really delve into it unlike with my first long playthrough. I made some thankfully better decisions. Alistair didn’t leave my party, Zervan became a good friend, and I held off going off into those dang Deep Roads. I still couldn’t romance Morrigan nor Wynne (Bioware dropped the ball on some old lady action!), but Leliana still fits that role in a good way. I also was able to play more companion quests as well.

The game play is still the same in that weird “turn-based/real-time action”, but I got used to it. I was also curious about the rest of the DLCs I didn’t play through way back when. That Witch Hunt DLC was a waste, finding an old Warden castle was alright, and returning to Ostagar was interesting. Anyway, since I have been able to do a more detailed playthrough of the game, I thought a new companion ranking would be good. I did one back in 2015 with all the main companions in the games. This time, it’s just gonna be the Origins ones, and I mean all of them. I’ll even throw in the DLC ones this time. I’ll also add a quick tip on gameplay.

"It's a Video Game!" - Mass Effect: Andromeda

“Space: the final frontier. This is the voyage of the Survey Ship Tempest. Its continuing mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no Ryder has gone before… and no, I ain’t just talking about dating a hot asari either!”

Well, it has come to this. When I heard that another Mass Effect game was on the way, I was stoked. The Mass Effect trilogy is one of my favorite video game series. I think every ME fan was throwing that “my body is ready” meme around or something. Then, as we started to see more of it through trailers and gameplay, the excitement started to die down. Also add reports of things going on behind the scenes. Then, the game was actually released. The reception was pretty mixed overall. Some liked it while others thought it was really flawed for what Bioware is known for.

Mass Effect: Andromeda was released during March this year. The reports and videos about the game did leave me worried, so I thought I’d wait until those game patches got released. Besides, I’m an adult with bills to pay, so it had to wait. I did rent it through Redbox first to see how the game actually was. Later, I finally bought the game along with the latest Witcher game. I’m playing that now and… well, I’ll keep my opinion on whether it’s better than MEA. After over 70 hours of gameplay, what did I think of this spinoff?

The Many Faces of Ryell Ryder. I played around with some looks and they worked for the most part. I did have that weird gaze that everyone has, though.

Mass Effect: Andromeda takes place roughly 600 years after the original trilogy. In 2185 (between Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3), the major races came together and formed the Andromeda Initiative. The plan was to make a one-way trip in four giant ships (arks) and the Nexus (their version of the Citadel) to the Andromeda galaxy and explore new planets. 20,000 citizens from each race (human, krogan, turian, and asari) volunteered for this undertaking and they were all put to cryogenic sleep for the long, 600-year trip.  One of the leaders of the Initiative was Alec Ryder, a former Alliance soldier and one of the Pathfinders for this undertaking.

Daddy Ryder!

You’ll either play as Sara or Scott Ryder, Alec’s children. When the Hyperion (humanity’s ark) makes it to the galaxy, they run into trouble. Hey, it’s the Mass Effect universe, so you know things will go bad. It turns out that the planets that the races are supposed colonize aren’t perfect. Add new threats, new races, and infighting with your people into the mix.  Top all of that off with something happening to Alec and you are made humanity’s Pathfinder, the one who’s supposed to lead the colonization of these planets. With a new ship and new crew, you’ll have to brave space and make the Heleaus Cluster a viable place to settle.

Favorites - Top 15 Missions from the Mass Effect Trilogy

So… it’s another Mass Effect post. Some say, “Is he mad?” Others may say, “Who’s this dude?” As for me, I’ll just say that I’m one random guy who does what he wants, dang it! I’m back on days, so this is a late post. Anyway, this should do it for Mass Effect for now. I don’t know when I’ll get to play the newest game, Mass Effect: Andromeda, but it might be soon. It comes out soon but I barely get games right when they’re released.

I’m almost done with my replay of the trilogy. I have a couple of missions left. For a while, I started to wonder what my favorite missions from the trilogy were. A lot of Mass Effect’s missions were action-oriented. They’d also shake it up at times. Not only did a lot of folk die, decisions were made that had repercussions as you kept on playing. Here are my 15 favorite missions from the trilogy. These are the ones that I was pretty excited on playing again for whatever reason. They’re ones that have everything from good action to good story.

15. Project Overlord (Mass Effect 2)

“Overlord” was a DLC mission for ME2. You go to a planet where a Cerberus VI (Virtual Intelligence) has taken over all the technology in the facilities. The VI is even reactivating inoperable geth in the area. When you find the project leader, you end up learning that a human mind is behind it all. It’s a good mission but it does get dull at times since you’re driving around in the Hammerhead. Towards the end, the story takes a twist as you find out the truth. The ending is still pretty shocking and messed up today. I won’t spoil it here though. Let’s just say that you really want to shoot the project leader at the end.

14. Rite of Passage (Mass Effect 2)

Grunt’s loyalty mission wasn’t like the others. Since he was genetically engineered, he had no family. He still had the primal urges of a krogan and that began to mess with him. They go to Tuchunka and it turns out he’s sick. In order to balance himself, Grunt must undergo a rite of passage and face a craptton of insects and even a thrasher maw. It’s pretty fun overall. You even get to face a krogan who sounds a lot like a Klingon by the name of Worf. It may not have deep introspection, but it does pack a lot of punches.

13. The Adart-Yakshi (Mass Effect 2)

Most of the missions from ME2 were loyalty missions and some of them revolved around the companions’ families. While most like Miranda’s and Thane’s were okay, Samara’s stood out to me for a few reasons. In the mission, she wants to track down her daughter, Morinth, who is an Ardat-Yakshi. Let’s just say that while most Ardat-Yakshis are fine, Morinth is one of the bad ones and she’s killed many people. Samara tracked her down to Omega. In order to lure her out, you get to play as bait. It’s such a weird mission and it’s one that doesn’t involve any gunplay. At the end, you even get a chance to get Morinth on your team if you’re really that messed up in the head. It’s a weird mission to find one weird asari.

12. Dossier: Archangel (Mass Effect 2)

In ME2, you have to go around space in order to recruit your companions. One of these companions was a vigilante who went by the codename of Archangel. Considering it’s a turian, you can only guess who he is. I’ll just say that he is my favorite companion. During the mission you have to fight through legions of gangs who want Archangel’s head. It even gets pretty challenging at some points.  It was definitely a mission that brought the fun.

11. Leviathan (Mass Effect 3)

Leviathan was another DLC for MS3 and one that really should have been in the game proper. It’s part- mystery and part-shooting range. You find out about reports of a weapon out in space that can take on the Reapers. As you learn more and more, you find out that it may also be a Reaper or a rogue one. All of your searches and research take you to a planet where you find out some pretty shocking things. It’s a nice mission for a couple of reasons. It’s one of the only missions that centers on the Reapers themselves. Plus, it even makes the ending (which most folk don’t like) make some sense. It’s also a one tough one to beat, so be ready.

10. Old Blood (Mass Effect 2)

Unlike most companions, Mordin Solus’s mission revolved around heading to Tuchunka and finding Maelon, a young colleague who’d been kidnapped by the Blood Pack. On the mission, we find out that Maelon has been conducting experiments on krogans in order to cure the genophage, a disease that was created by the salarians in order to stop the Krogan Rebellions over a millennia ago. It basically made the krogan infertile and kept their numbers down. Not only is this a good mission to blast some of the Blood Pack, we find out a lot about the genophage and Mordin’s guilt about the disease. It was this mission (and other conversations) that made me think that Mordin was one cool dude.

9. Priority: Earth (Mass Effect 3)

This is the final battle on Earth and it’s pretty much the last level of the game. You make it back to Earth and face Reaper forces on the ground in London. You go up against all of the assimilated enemies you’ve faced throughout the game from Husks to those freaky-looking Banshees. Afterwards, you get to the pretty controversial ending. While this mission isn’t the best final mission, it’s still a good one. You get to put on an epic fight with the Reapers, you get to say farewell to your companions, and you get to change the scope of the galaxy for good or bad.

8. Noveria (Mass Effect 1)

On Noveria, you track down Matriarch Benezia (aka “Matriarch Hotness”) as she is playing with experimentation. She’s trying to bring back the rachni, a group of intelligent insects-like aliens (more or less) that waged war centuries ago. They’re the reason why the krogan were made cannon fodder by the salarians and why the krogan eventually became a problem. The ME universe is full of problems, ain’t it? Fighting the rachni and geth here is pretty tough as well as creepy especially when the rachni are involved. Benezia is another matter. She and her squad of fighters are pretty challenging even on a low difficulty. You also have the choice to commit genocide by killing the rachni queen.

7. Priority: Rannoch (Mass Effect 3)

This is another mission from Mass Effect 3 that brings an end to a long conflict: the quorian/geth war. Basically, the quorians decide to take back their homeworld from the geth and all heck breaks loose. Since the Reapers are involved, it’s up to you to possibly save both groups. The fighting itself is cool and pretty challenging especially when you go up against a few Geth Primes… ugh. Then, top it all off with a battle against a Reaper… sort of. Also, you get the choice of either destroying the geth or allowing Legion (or his double) to upload a virus that’ll save the geth. Either way, tears may be shed. It definitely pulls on the heartstrings whichever way you go here.

6. Treason (Mass Effect 2)

This loyalty mission was Tali’s and it revolves around her being accused of treason by the quorians for sending active Geth stuff back to their fleet. Tali knows she didn’t do this. The situation is made worse when it turns out that those geth have taken over a ship where Tali’s father is stationed at. It’s a mission that’s part-Matlock and part-Star Trek: First Contact. We also find out more about the quorians and how they operate out in space. It’s a mission full of speechify-ing, sadness, and some dead geth.

5. Shore Leave (Mass Effect 3)

Citadel was part of a DLC made for MS3. The whole mission has you and your companions on shore leave. Instead of enjoying yourself, you get embroiled in a fight with your clone. Yeah, the story for this mission is a little too on the nose especially with how the companions act. Still, it’s a fun mission that has one pretty tough battle against your clone. Dang, I didn’t know I was that good! It also has an added bonus after the mission ends: more time to spend with your companions. Even former companions from previous games (living ones, anyway) come back for one more good time before all hell breaks loose with Cerberus and Earth. By the way, save this mission for the end before you chase after Cerberus. That way, you can get everyone in on the fun.

4. Ilos/Final Battle (Mass Effect 1)

This is pretty much the final mission from the first game. It’s split up into two parts. On Ilos, you find Saren and his forces have amassed here.  You ultimately find out why Saren came to Ilos and that the Citadel is key to Sovereign winning. Not only is it a cool mission where the MAKO is actually cool to ride in, it’s also got some good music that sounds like it came from The Terminator. The second part of the mission brings you to the Citadel where you have to fight through legions of geth and beat Saren. You get to fight in space (sort of) and Saren is one tough sucka to beat. Overall, it’s not the best final level ever, but it’s still cool to me.

3. Priority: Tuchunka (Mass Effect 3)

In Mass Effect 3, you’ll have to do certain things for races in order to get them to help you with Earth. One of those things is ending the genophage. While genetic engineering isn’t one of Shepard’s strong suits, there are certain salarians that will help you get this done. Unfortunately, you have to deal with a Reaper literally blocking your way. Luckily, you’ll get some help from one big thrasher maw. You also have the choice in making sure the genophage continues. The mission is awesome for a lot of reasons. Not only do you get to help end (or continue) the genophage, you get to (possibly) team up with some former companions. Plus, that fight between the thrasher maw and the Reaper is awesome.

2. Virmire (Mass Effect 1)

Obviously, Virmire is up here for a few reasons. It’s pretty much the turning point of the first game.  It’s also where I got invested in the Mass Effect universe. A lot of stuff happens in this mission. You personally go up against Saren for the first time. Krogans are also being created to be nothing but mindless soldiers. You find out what Sovereign truly is. You also have the potential to lose not only one, but two, squad mates. Top all of that off with Virmire being a really good-looking place to shoot up geth. This was another area where the MAKO seemed pretty cool and did its job by running over geth. It’s one where you really have to make the big decisions.

1. Use the Omega-4 Relay (Mass Effect 2)

There are a lot of reasons the suicide mission against the Collectors is number one. Pretty much everything goes into that final mission. All the decisions you’ve made go into how it plays out. You could get out with a few scrapes or you could lose your whole team. It’s all up to how you play the game. You fight through legions of Collectors in order to save the day. While the final boss itself (a human Reaper) was a little weird, beating that thing was a bit of a challenge. It’s a final level that I can honestly say is one of the best final levels in a video game.

.................................................................................

Well, that’s where I cut this ME love off for now. As I said before, I don’t know when I’ll get to play ME: Andromeda. I actually don’t have anything good to play it on yet. Plus, even if I did have something, I’m probably going to be catching up on some games anyway. I will talk about it someday though. Here’s hoping that it is worth talking about. Well, I’m out. Peace, God Bless, and remember to do this one thing... Hold The Line!

Random Thoughts On… Mass Effect: Redemption and Mass Effect: Evolution

Wow, it’s been a minute since I’ve posted anything! Maybe I’ll let it last a month… or not.

While I’ve been on my sabbatical, I’ve been in a bit of a Mass Effect fix. Mass Effect: Andromeda is right around the corner, so a revisit was needed. Heck, since the beginning of year, Bioware has been my go-to developer for a bit.  I played through Mass Effect again and it is still really good. I played some of Jade Empire last month and decided to face the Collectors again with Mass Effect 2. Somehow, I lost Mordin again. A tear was shed for the cool salarian. Right now, I’m finishing off the trilogy with Mass Effect 3.

While playing the games, I started to think about a couple of Mass Effect trade paperbacks I picked up some time ago. I think it was at McKay’s but I really don’t remember. It was a while before I really read them. They were tie-ins done by Dark Horse around the time of the Mass Effect sequels and they center on certain characters from the series. Today, I thought I’d give a bit of an overview of these two trades.

Mass Effect: Redemption was released around 2010. It contains one storyline. The next trade, Mass Effect: Evolution, was released in 2012. It not only contains a four-part storyline but two short stories. Mac Walters, the creative director for the games, handled the story for these two trades and later ones that I won’t be talking about today. John Jackson Miller handles the script and dialogue. The artwork for Redemption and Evolution was done by Omar Francia. Incursion’s artwork is done by Eduardo Francisco while Inquisition’s artwork is done by Jean Diaz. The colors and letters for all the stories were handled by Michael Atiyeh and Michael Heisler.

"It''s a Video Game!" - Jade Empire

Next up for the month is another video game from my Xbox adventure last year. Back in 2005, Jade Empire, an action RPG, was released on the Xbox. It eventually made its way to the PC. It’s even on mobile platforms too. I had heard about the game back then but couldn’t play it for the obvious reason of I didn’t own an Xbox. I know it’s on PC as well but I’m not much of a PC gamer. I’m more of a politically incorrect gamer anyway… yes, that was a joke. I’ll show my way out now.

Anyway, Bioware developed the game. I guess this was one of the reasons they didn’t develop KOTOR 2 back then. Since I’m pretty much a seeker of anything Bioware-related and kung fu-related, I sought the game out and bought it.  I’m replaying it now to re-familiarize myself with it. From what I’ve read, the game was viewed positively back in the day. Unfortunately, those positives vibes didn’t get a sequel made. Considering what Bioware ultimately went through with franchises like Mass Effect, Star Wars: The Old Republic, and Dragon Age, it’s possible they just didn’t have the time. The game also might not had sold well.

Obviously, these guys don't look like me.

Inspired by Chinese culture, Jade Empire takes place in a fictional land in Ancient China. In the game, you play as an orphan (in my playthroughs, “Chan the Endless” and “Stone Cold Larry”) who was adopted and taught by a man named Sun Li. Master Li runs a school in a small village. One day, the village comes under attack by the land’s empire and Master Li is taken. You and another student end up going on a journey to save him. On your journey, you gain more followers to the cause. The land isn’t doing well these days with spirits at unrest and the empire’s Lotus Assassins being shiftier than ever. You also learn skills, take up new weapons, and get stronger. You also have to choose between following two ways: The Way of the Open Palm or the Way of the Closed Fist.

Yes, I had fun doing this sort of thing.

"It's a Video Game!!" - Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

Well, it’s time to get back to the world of Star Wars. Yeah, one could say it’s not really science fiction. Still, it does have clones and artificial intelligence, so it’s at least light sci-fi. Instead of the usual stuff involving familiar characters, I thought it was time to branch out a little bit. In 2003, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic was released and got much praise. Since I didn’t own an Xbox and I’m not a big PC player, I didn’t get to play this. That changed some time back when I found KOTOR at McKay’s. I was already playing the sequel, The Sith Lords, when I found it. I was also going to talk about the sequel today, but I’m still playing it.

The game was done by Bioware. As you can probably tell by some previous posts, I like Bioware. That was one of the reasons I sought out this game. I know it’s also playable on mobile stuff, but I wanted to try it out on old-school consoles. It’s an action RPG that takes place 4,000 years before the movies take place. Like with Bioware’s more recent games, you get to build your character from the ground up with his or her own skill sets and powers. Unfortunately, you can’t change much with the size and shape of the character.

Yeah, there is no similarity. My guy does kind of look like either Shelyn Ward from Power Rangers in Space or Vince Carter.

You start out the game as a random Republic soldier (in my case, Krell Vulcanos) fighting in a war against the Sith Empire. They’ve hit it big in the universe and the Jedi aren’t doing well. After you land on Taris, you have to look for the Jedi Knight known as Bastilla. After you save her, you and some gathered companions head to Dantooine. Since you’re apparently endowed with the Force, you’re trained as a Jedi. Since your character is having visions that involve Malak, the Sith’s leader, and Revan, Malak’s dead teacher, the Jedi Council sends you on a mission to stop Malak. Twists and turns await you… unless you were already spoiled on said twists and turns. Thanks, Internet!

Random Pics of the Month - Feburary

Wow, it has been a while since I've done one of these posts. I guess I post enough pics, so I tend to forget about this section. So, here are some pics on things I'll talk about over the coming months.

This is from a forgotten game called Jade Empire. What is it about? I'll let you know... later.

I'm past ready for this. Don't let me down, Snyder!

Yeah, I'll be talking about this event though not in detail. I'll say this, "Civil War" is definitely a talker.

Since Ben Affleck is also appearing in it, we better see something similar to this in the new Suicide Squad movie.

Don't worry Gwen. I didn't forget about Ultimate Spider-Man.

Favorites - 14 Favorite Dragon Age Companions

Since I’ve gone through all of the Dragon Age games, it’s finally time to see  who are my 14 favorite companions. The series is pretty similar to the Mass Effect series in that the companions are usually one of the best parts of the game. I love the banter from all of the characters. Some of them even have some good personal missions that add a lot to their character and the game as a whole. Some are even some good companions to have in battle. These are just some of the traits I look for when choosing these favorites.

The only thing that kind of sucks is that you don’t get a lot of companions that stick around in the games. Since the lead character tends to change, you usually get stuck with new characters. Within the Mass Effect series, you’ll get holdovers like Garrus, Liara, and Tali along for the ride in all three games. You would even have former companions around in the trilogy somewhere.  If you’re wondering, Fenris won’t be on here. There’s only so much mercy I’ll give and I won’t give it to the mage-hating, mopey, depressing elf. I’m going with 14 since there are a lot of companions to choose from this time around.

"It's a Video Game!" - Dragon Age: Inquisition

Well, I’m back with the next game in the Dragon Age series, Dragon Age: Inquisition. The game was released during November of 2014 on current-gen consoles, next-gen consoles, and PC. I ended up getting the game in 2015. I guess it was during July or August, I’m not sure. I do know one thing: man, this game’s long! The world has been expanded in a big way. I put in over 80 hours of gameplay on it. I haven’t played any of the DLCs yet. I can’t play two of them since EA decided to be money-grubbing idiots and have them exclusive to next-gen consoles and PC. Leaving my PS3 out... yes, I’m still bitter on that!

DAI takes place sometime after the events of Dragon Age 2. Mages and Templars went to war with each other in the land of Thedas.  The game starts out during a botched attempt at a truce between the warring parties. Something happens that causes a Rift in the Fade and demons begin to show up in the real world. You play as the Inquisitor (in my case, Michelangelo… yeah, I named my guys after the TMNT), the only survivor of the truce. You are marked with a piece of the Fade so you are able to close the portals. You get drafted by the Inquisition, a long-dead group that has been reformed by different and familiar faces in Thedas. The main goal is to find out what has caused the Rift to appear in the sky and to help heal the land from the various wars that have cropped up.

"It's a Video Game!" - Dragon Age II

So, Dragon Age 2… what to say, what to say. Well, I guess I can start out with the basics. Dragon Age 2 was released in early 2011 by Bioware. Electronic Arts (EA) was surprised by the success of the first game, so they got Bioware to churn one out. I heard a lot about this game years ago and it wasn’t exactly good praise. After I finished off DAO, I looked for DA2. I have to admit that I was a little timid with how this game would be. Were most people right about how lackluster the game was? I’ll let you know below.

DA2 takes place over the span of a decade. You play as Hawke (in my case, Leonardo Hawke), a human who flees with his family to Kirkwall during the Blight in DAO.  In Kirkwall, Hawke makes friends and enemies while trying to make it in the big city. When Hawke makes it big, he’s labelled as the Champion of Kirkwall. He/She also has to deal with the growing tensions between the Mages and Templars as well as other tensions between other races.

"It's a Video Game!" - Dragon Age: Origins

Well, this was a long time coming. A few months back, I told ya’ll I got a bit preoccupied with a series called Dragon Age. It took a while but I was able to more or less finish the series as it is now. I’m not big on fantasy games like these which is probably why I didn’t play the first game when I got it. I’ve played Oblivion and Skyrim but that’s about it. I bought Dragon Age: Origins on a whim a couple of years ago but I didn’t start to play it heavily until June. I guess something finally clicked or I was pretty bored. I had so much fun with it I decided to check out the rest of the games in the series.

For those who don’t know, the Dragon Age series was developed by Bioware. I looked at their other successful RPG series, Mass Effect, back in May. I guess the best way to describe Dragon Age would to say it’s like Lord of the Rings but much darker. You have humans, elves, and dwarves, but there are also more heavy issues in the game like slavery, racism, and bigotry. It takes place in the fictional land of Thedas. The plan is to basically talk about the three DA games that are out there. Instead of doing in one post, I’m splitting this up since I have a lot of stuff to say. Today, I’m starting with Dragon Age: Origins (DAO).

Favorites - 12 Favorite Mass Effect Companions

This sweet image comes from JoesHouseofArt on DeviantArt.

Yeah, I got another list. It’s the season. Besides, I’m preparing for September.

If there’s one thing I can say about Bioware, it would that they have some cool companions in their RPG games. I’ve run across a lot of them in the Dragon Age and Mass Effect games. To me, a companion not only has to be interesting,  you have to be able to use them in battle. You’ll get some good ones and bad ones. You’ll have some companions that are good in battle but bad everywhere else. Yes, I’m looking at you, Zaeed. You were good on missions, but that was it. You also have the inverse of that with a guy by the name of Kadian. Nice guy, but he was pretty weak.

Today, I’ll be listing down my favorite companions from the Mass Effect trilogy. I’ll save Dragon Age for later since I still haven’t finished Inquisition yet. Man, that game’s long and I can only play it well on an HD TV. Fortunately (or unfortunately), that’s a post for another time. Most of these companions all had something that made like or care for them. They also were pretty cool on the battlefield and that’s always good. There will be some spoilers, but I won’t spoil everything.

"It's a Video Game!" - The Mass Effect Trilogy

So, what does one get when they combine elements of Star Trek, Star Wars, Starship Troopers, Aliens, Battlestar Galactica, Firefly, and everything in between? It’s possibly one of the coolest trilogies around. Today, I’ll be looking at the Mass Effect Trilogy, so sit down and lay back. This’ll take a while.

Where can I begin with Mass Effect? I guess I’ll start at the beginning. I didn’t know crap about this trilogy before March of last year.  All I had heard about it was it was good and that its third game had a crappy ending.  I had finished up a new game called Watchdogs. The game itself was fine, but it didn’t have any replay value for me, so I decided to trade it in at Gamestop. Since I got a sizable amount back for it, I looked around for something that might be good. I saw the Mass Effect Trilogy for a pretty cheap price, so I got it. The rest, you might say, is history… also, the helper there was pretty cute. I think I saw her at Hastings in Murfreesboro.

Anyway, here’s a little info for the uninformed. Mass Effect was released on the Xbox 360 and PC’s (it got ported to PS3 much later) in 2007. It was developed by Bioware who was responsible for games like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Jade Empire, and Dragon Age. It takes place in the somewhat distant future (2183) in the Milky Way galaxy. You play as Commander Shepard, an Alliance soldier who you make your own. Mass Effect 2 was released in 2011 on all consoles while Mass Effect 3 was released in 2013. For this review, I decided to play through the whole trilogy again in order to give it a better look and see what trouble I could really get myself into.

My Shepard’s black and looks like he’s trying to do his best Captain Sisko imitation.