The Button Presser

This week's deals on Xbox Live involve some great Mass Effect 2 content. Gold Members can pick up the Overlord and Kasumi downloadable expansions for 400 MSP each and various avatar items for up to 50% off. Check out more below:


"Keep a powerful hybrid VI intelligence – and the geth it has unleashed upon a planet – from wreaking havoc across the galaxy! “Overlord” includes 5 new levels, exciting ground combat and Hammerhead missions, and all-new achievements! Download “Overlord” now!"

Link To Content- Overlord (400 MSP/ 839 MB)

"Cerberus has procured the service of Kasumi Goto, the galaxy’s most enigmatic master thief. In return for her help, Kasumi has asked Shepard’s help on a dangerous heist to infiltrate the vault of a deadly master criminal named Donovan Hock. Gain Kasumi’s loyalty on the planet Bekenstein, where Hock is throwing a party for the galaxy’s richest and most deranged criminal minds to recover data of great importance to Kasumi... and to the galaxy at large. New squad member, weapon, research, and achievement."

Link To Content- Kasumi's stolen memory (400 MSP/ 765 MB)

One of Bioware's greatest games so far will be making it's way to PS3 in 2011. Announced at Gamescom 2010, Bioware stated that the PS3 version will include everything that was in the Xbox 360 version, as well as some new goodies. Mass Effect 2 released to critical acclaim in January of this year, and now PS3 owners can see what all the fuss was about in 2011.

I never expected a demo for this game, but here it is. Mass Effect 2 is an amazing game, and those that may have played the original but not the sequel, should definitely check out the demo and see what they've been missing:


"Download the Mass Effect 2 demo now! Experience over an hour of action-packed and immersive gameplay from Mass Effect 2. As Commander Shepard, you must survive and escape from a Cerberus space station under siege. Then play through an intense mid-game mission where you must rescue an infamous convict from an impenetrable prison ship. Once you have completed the demo, you can carry over YOUR progress and character into the full game! The demo also includes the Mass Effect "Story So Far" video, detailing the events of Mass Effect 1 narrated by Martin Sheen."

Link To Demo- Mass Effect 2 Demo (2 GB)

The first big premium content for Mass Effect 2 is Here with the new ally Kasumi. The download will allow you to add a new lethal member to your party, and she has a few things she needs help with like the regualr members do. Kasumi will cost 560 MSP ($7), and Bioware promises some more great hours of gameplay can be had with the Kasumi Pack.


"Cerberus has procured the service of Kasumi Goto, the galaxy’s most enigmatic master thief. In return for her help, Kasumi has asked Shepard’s help on a dangerous heist to infiltrate the vault of a deadly master criminal named Donovan Hock. Gain Kasumi’s loyalty on the planet Bekenstein, where Hock is throwing a party for the galaxy’s richest and most deranged criminal minds to recover data of great importance to Kasumi... and to the galaxy at large. New squad member, weapon, research, and achievement."

Link To Content- Kasumi - Stolen Memory (765 MB/ 560 MSP)

As promised, Bioware has released the FREE Firewalker pack as well as the $2 download for alternative outfits for Thane, Jack, and Garrus. So use the Cerberus Network on Mass Effect to download the new content today!

Besides the free Firewalker DLC out next week for Mass Effect 2, more content will be available that day including Alternative outfits for Garrus, Thane, and Jack. The "Alternative Pack" will cost $2, which is 160 MSP I believe, so it's not that bad if you want these characters to have a new look. Look out for the pack this Tuesday.

The Firewalker pack which includes five missions and the Firewalker itself, will be out March 23rd for the low price of free via the Cerberus Network.

"Download the Firewalker pack and gain access to 5 new missions featuring the Hammerhead. The Hammerhead is a heavy assault vehicle that hovers over the battlefield at up to 120 kilometers per hour and features a guided missile system ensuring accuracy even during aggressive maneuvering."

Kasumi will be added in April to Mass Effect 2's Cerberus Network. BioWare has stated that a roughly one hour mission will introduce players to Kasumi before she joins your party. I believe this might be the piece of downloadable content for Mass Effect 2, but it looks pretty neat and worth the Points to get it.



"The galaxy's most enigmatic thief Kasumi has enemies everywhere, but only a few could put a face to her name. Not much is known about her, other than Cerberus has contracted her to assist Commander Shepard in the mission to save mankind. In exchange, she requires help with a dangerous heist to infiltrate the vault of a deadly criminal known as Donovan Hook.


Kasumi is master of stealth and eluding her enemies, her unique skills and technical expertise will be a valuable assets to Cerberus and Commander Shepard."

Available via the Cerberus Network, The Arc Projector can be yours for the taking. The Projector is a new heavy weapon that requires two seconds to charge up, and ionizes enemies with an invisible laser:

"The Arc Projector is capable of discharging a massive electrical blast that can jump to multiple targets. For more information, check out the Arsenal on the website."

The Cerberus Network has offered some cool goodies for purchasers of ME2, and BioWare has announced that more is on the way later in March. Best of all is once again, this pack will be Free!



"Download the Firewalker pack and gain access to 5 new missions featuring the Hammerhead. The Hammerhead is a heavy assault vehicle that hovers over the battlefield at up to 120 kilometers per hour and features a guided missile system ensuring accuracy even during aggressive maneuvering. Coming late March, free to all Cerberus Network members!"

Looks pretty cool, huh? The Cerberus Armor and M-22a Eviscerator Shotgun will be available Tuesday afternoon for FREE! Make Sure you have the Cerberus Network to download these new items.



Description:

Cerberus assault armor is designed for shock troops, who are expected to turn the tide of battle against creatures or forces that would decimate normal soldiers. The troops demanded three things in its design: shields, armor thick enough to last against a superior foe, and a rechargeable pack to extend a heavy weapon power cell. The only drawback of the armor is its weight, which the troops carry as a point of pride. They have a saying: "Out of shape going in, in shape coming out."

* Increases heavy weapon ammo capacity by +10%
* Increases shields by +10%
* Increases health by +10%














Source- JoyStiq Xbox

Mass Effect 2 is an amazing game that makes up for the technical setbacks that were in the original game while delivering on it's promise of utilizing your save games from Mass Effect 1. You are then able to continue your adventure with your Shepard as you prepare for his or her biggest challenge yet.




This game is heavy on the story as you probably know, so I won't talk about that element, but you expect about 25 hours or more with an engaging storyline full of highs and lows for your squad that will have the hours flying by before you know it. What I would like to talk about is the massive improvements BioWare has made to the combat and exploration in the game.

While you still have access to the biotic powers and the ability to pause the action in combat, everything now is much more smoother and plays more like an intense shooter while still keeping the important RPG elements that Mass Effect contained.

The use of cover is even more critical in ME2, and feels just as responsive as it does in games like Gears of War 2 and Uncharted 2. While your A.I teammates still all have various powers to use, control over when they use them is now in your control if you want it with the press of left or right on the directional-pad. In short, the combat is fun, fast, and a lot more fluid and allows you to deal some real damage to your enemies.




While the combat is awesome and a huge improvement over ME1, Mass Effect 2 is still an RPG meaning it's up to you to take on the role of Commander Shepard and make the tough decisions that only he/she can make, with your help of course!

The dialogue interface is back with even more choices to make, as well as more Renegade and Paragon actions that can sometimes pop up on the screen at certain times. They could be applying some Medi-gel to someone in need, or shooting a foe while they're in mid-sentence. These moments are pretty intense, and add a new welcome addition to how good or bad your Shepard can be.




In terms of the visuals, it's hard to even believe that BioWare made both games on the Xbox 360. Mass Effect looked great when it came out in 2007 , but the sequel looks even better and comes with a much smoother frame rate as well. The technical problems that popped up a little too much on ME1 are gone, and the details in the planets you will explore make Mass Effect 2 a much more immersive place to be in as well.

But even with the great gameplay and visuals, the characters are what really sucked me into this game from start to finish. Many may or may not return from the original depending on your choices, but the new characters are just as great, if not better than some from ME1.



Overall Mass Effect 2 is a must play for RPG/Shooter fans and especially those who have already spent many hours with Shepard in the first game.








How Does it Play?

Honestly more like a great shooter with some nice RPG elements as well. BioWare's best game yet in my opinion

How Long Does it last?

It took me about 32 hours on my first playthrough, and it seems to have some nice replayability with the promise of More DLC this time around

Is it a Buy or Rent?

A Must Buy if you can!

+Amazing Story, Gameplay, and Visuals
+Immersive Worlds to explore
+Save Importing to continue your adventures

-Weird Code Redemption might screw players out of their preorder bonuses



Developer: BioWare
Publisher: Electronic Arts

So Mass Effect 2 came out this week, and that's what Ive been playing most of this week, and I hope to play even more this weekend and start to work on a review for it. Besides adventuring as Shepard, I'll probably play a little Modern Warfare 2 and get some more kills with the AA-12 Auto-Shotgun. Have a great and relaxing weekend of Gaming!

So Far on Mass Effect 2, Ive faced some tough choices and engaged in some pretty awesome action moments and this is only about five hours in. The elements that were bad in the original Mass Effect have all been addressed and improved. I'm gonna take my time with this game, but I hope to have a review in a timely manner, but you'll probably be playing the game as well, so you'll understand if I can't review this massive game in a week! So overall my first impressions with this game is that is feels very familiar and that is a definite plus since I really enjoyed the first game. Unless things change, Mass Effect 2 might be my first 5/5 Review of the year!

Jan. 26th marks the official release of Mass Effect 2, and I'm sure they are plenty of reviews out their playing it and getting ready to give their verdict on the latest from Bioware. With Many people still invested in Dragon Age: Origins, It will be hard to put that game aside for a while, but hey Mass Effect 2 is out next week! Since 2007, I've kept my saves on my hard-drive, in preparation of using my level 40-something character to continue on as Shepard and see how the second chapter of the game pans out. Will it be worth the wait? I'm sure it will!

The Second Game in the Mass Effect trilogy will arrive in January of next year, the 26th to be exact. Players will once again take to the role of Shepard, either male or female, and will continue the story and utilize your saved games from the original game. So not only to we get Dragon Age Origins in November, just two months later we will have Mass Effect 2 to play!



Image Sources-Mass Effect 2 Official Website

Check out Grunt, one of the new allies in Mass Effect 2


"The new character revealed in the Mass Effect 2 squad is ‘Grunt’. A violent and unpredictable Krogan fighter, Grunt has never faced true defeat. His unsurpassed physical strength makes him a strong asset to Commander Shepard’s team, if he can be tamed, and if he can be trusted.

Grunt is the second party member to be revealed in the Mass Effect 2 universe following ‘Thane’ a deadly assassin who was first introduced in June. More details about the rest of Shepard’s crew will be revealed in the coming months."






























Picture Sources (GiantBomb)

The latest episode of Game-Trailers TV air today/early Saturday and reveals some more details about Mass Effect 2. Check out the Promo!