A Letter to the Developer: Updates and sweet releases from Bioware

Dear Bioware,

First, I would like to let you know that you never cease to amaze me. Why it doesn't seem that long ago that I picked up a copy of Star Wars: Knights of The Old Republic and fell in love with you and your style of game development. Then not long after, my brother got a copy of Jade Empire and he too, became a loyal fan. You've blessed us with so many great and wonderful things, and yet, you're not through.

It wasn't long ago that I first saw your E3 trailer for Star Wars: The Old Republic and then your other E3 trailer for the latest developments for Mass Effect 2. I must say, well done my friend, well done. As usual, I was blown away at the quality of the graphics, intrigued at the complexity of the plot lines, and bedazzled at the promise of the gameplay. Bioware, if you were a person, and a female person, I would ask you to marry me. But since you're not a person, and a corporation of many many men, I most likely won't.

A few issues though. Why are you only releasing the Old Republic only on PC? Don't you realize half (or even more) of your followers are young adults who have realized that PCs are pieces of garbage and have made the conversion to Mac?

Also, as a personal preference, I would have much rather seen another RPG as opposed to an MMORPG.

Good work on Mass Effect 2. It looks like it's going to be one hell of a sequel.

And Mass Effect 2

Coming Soon: Mass Effect 2

If you've played games like Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Knights of the Old Republic, Jade Empire, or Mass Effect, than you already know that Bioware is (of course, in my opinion) one of the best game developers out there right now. Bethesda Softworks is a close second, gracing our gaming world with The Elder Scroll series (Morrowind and Oblivion) and most recently my current favorite Fallout 3.  Anyway, the game Mass Effect easily took the cake (and muffins too) for game of the year 2007. It is a beautifully designed game complete with a GREAT story, solid characters, and a fun real-time fighting style. But I think what makes a game like this really great is (drum roll....) all of the work and creativity that went into creating the mass effect universe.

One of the things that makes me a total dork is I like living in worlds that other people create. Mass Effect is a game (well, soon to be series) that takes every little detail and expands on it in the codex. The codex is basically a journal of sorts that lets the player in on the details and all the nerd-age that went into developing such a vast and complex universe. For example, if you wanted to know how your weapons work, it's in the codex. If you want to know more about an alien species, it's the codex. If you want to know about planets, systems of government, currency, weapons, technology, it's ALL in the codex.

You'd think this entry was about the codex. I'm just saying, this is a very well developed game, and if you decide to buy a copy (Currently for 360 or PC) you will NOT be disappointed. 

All this to say that Bioware has announced the release of the sequel (called Mass Effect 2....yay!) and the unique thing about this sequel is it will (this is still rumor, but a pretty confident one) take your save file from the first game and pick up where you left off in the second one. Mass Effect is one of those 'choose your own path' sort of games and the decisions you make in the first game (who lives, who dies, that sort of thing) is said to directly effect the story in the second game. Pretty neat-o huh? I think so. If you just buy the second game without playing the first, you will be brought up to speed on the events in the first game. This is really lame, and most of you should probably just buy the first game and play it and see what the hype is all about.

Here's a teaser, just to wet your pallet.