Mass Effect 2: The Best Movie of 2010?

*Note: I normally don't discuss video games on this blog I am an avid gamer and as you will see there is a reason for this venture away from my normal medium.*

January is typically the dumping ground for movies that had promise on paper but failed to
warrant the money required to promote a prestige film. The same is usually true for the gaming industry, the prestige games (a.k.a the big sellers) all come out in time for the holiday season.

However the big story in gaming this last year was a number of delays on some major titles like Red Dead Redemption, Alan Wake, and of course Mass Effect 2 all of which are currently slated to come out in January or early spring.

Chances are you've saw commercials for Mass Effect 2 during yesterday's playoff games and if you knew nothing about the game before hand, you may have thought it was the first of the studios line of Avatar rip-offs.



Yes there is little to no game play footage in the in ME2's ad campaign but this is due to the same reason the game is advertised during a mainstream sporting event on network TV. For you see, Bioware's sequel is a role-playing game, also known as an RPG, a genre that usually draws images of World of Warcraft players like these guys.



Unlike World of Warcraft, the Mass Effect games have a story, and that's an understatement. The characters are as well developed as any Oscar winning picture. There are moments in the first game where the player has to make decisions that decide which characters live and which die. More importantly the decisions are some of the most difficult in any game due to the commitment to story.

Finally, that brings me to the games cut scenes, which in most games are are more stiffly acted than any of the Star Wars prequels. Not only are these better acted but the gamer can seamlessly choose Commander Shepard's dialogue choices. Take a look:

http://xbox360.ign.com/dor/objects/718963/mass-effect/videos/masseffect_garrus_091407.html

So if you have a roommate or are planning on getting the game yourself. Make some popcorn, because you'll have one hell of a story to watch.