Third time lucky.

Ok so I've just bought Mirror's Edge for the third time. I paid £4 on eBay. There's something about the game that I just can't shake. On previous occasions I became frustrated and gave up and traded it in. But I always would be drawn back to watching videos of it on YouTube or reading retrospective articles.

I give it a week before I take it to Game. And about a month before I start roaming eBay looking for it again.

Mass hysteria

Ok so I finished Mass Effect 2 last week.

And you know it was good fun - really enjoyed it. But it wasn't great. Certainly not 'Game of the Year' as Eurogamer crowned it. I was left with a bit of 'oh that was it then' feeling. The ending was too sudden. I spent literally months exploring the galaxy, making sure that every system was fully strip-mined. Then went through the gate to rescue my crew only to find that they were all dead.

I hadn't been told that I had to give chase as soon as they were abducted. It was disappointing to find the Collectors ship right there on the otherside - no exploring of their galaxy which would have been interesting.

It was all so rushed. I lost Dr Chakwas by sending her back to the Normandy by herself. And then only when the game was over did I realise that Miranda was dead too.

Just a bit 'meh'. 

Still enjoyed it and I look forward to the third one. Just hope the ending's better.

Mass Effect 2

In addition to trying to design a game of my own I thought I treat my readers to my own musings on video games in general and perhaps other flim flam that occurs to me.

Mass Effect 2
It won Best Game at the BAFTAs the night before last. I've been playing it now for a couple of months (I take my time) and it is without doubt great fun but last night something happened that has kinda spoilt it a bit for me. Dear reader let me explain.

I'd just completed the mission Shephard has to retrieve the Reaper IFF thingy from the Reaper ship and it was being installed in the Normandy. Then I was told that the next mission would have to be conducted in the shuttle 'cos the Normandy was going to have to do some stuff that I wasn't quite clear about. OK I thought that'll make a interesting change, might see a bit more of the inside of the shuttle etc etc.

Then I automatically get in the shuttle and fly off. Then the Normandy gets attacked, the crew fight the baddies and I take control Joker and guide him to switch on other bits of the AI to counter the attack. And in the process the whole crew get killed or taken by the Collectors. But not my hand-picked bunch of elite badasses who are still in their respective rooms twiddling their thumbs.

Why are they all still alive?

Maybe they all fought the collectors but failed. Not very probable. After all this isn't the first time we've fought them and killed quite a few. Perhaps the best excuse is that the Collectors locked them in their rooms. Then slaughtered/kidnapped the crew before being sucked out in to space.

Happens all the time.

A beginning.

Right this is where I attempt to design a game.

The last time I tried I was in my early teens and it was for a competition that Zzap 64 was running. It was a side scrolling platformer set in a circus. Trapeze, trampolines, lions, elephants, scary clowns, cars that blow up etc. Had it all really.

Didn't win though. So lets try again.

OK he's the pitch...

Cops and Robbers. Think Spy Vs Spy but instead of trying to blow each other up, people try to steal jewels from museums, rob banks, hi-jack lorries. Or you can try and stop the aforementioned crimes. You can either be a Cop or Robber. Play against the AI or friends. You could set up a crime gang with your mates and plan and commit jobs together. Or form a squad and try to take down the crims.

Sounds brilliant. I'd buy it. And it's going to be on the iPhone. And Android and Windows 7 handsets.

Watch out Angry Birds.