I've thus-far enjoyed ME3, but haven't yet completed it, in part because of the time spent on multi-player (and I suspect most of the reviewers hadn't completed it by the time their reviews went live, so that defense is less compelling).
My complaint for ME3 thus far is not with Bioware and the story, setting, or characters. Indeed, I appreciate the cameos and references to decisions in the previous two games. It (almost) makes me want to restart the series with different decisions just to see how ME 3 changes.
My complaint, however, is that EA (and I'm blaming EA because of pre-existing biases) is the commercialization of the game. Gamers are treated increasingly like wallets to be harvested rather than fans to be nurtured. Much as with Dragon Age Origins [1], DLC is used primarily as a way to lever more dollars. Zero-day DLC with core story elements and tight game-integration is unappealing and insulting [2][3][4]. Yes, it's a business. I get that. But if EA keeps treating gamers like something to be scraped off the bottom of a shoe (after paying, of course), customers will drift away.
ME was successful because of a following built over two episodes catering to fans wanting a deep back story and role-playing experience. ME3—despite its numerous exceptional qualities—is starting to feel like a bait-and-switch.
My complaint for ME3 thus far is not with Bioware and the story, setting, or characters. Indeed, I appreciate the cameos and references to decisions in the previous two games. It (almost) makes me want to restart the series with different decisions just to see how ME 3 changes.
My complaint, however, is that EA (and I'm blaming EA because of pre-existing biases) is the commercialization of the game. Gamers are treated increasingly like wallets to be harvested rather than fans to be nurtured. Much as with Dragon Age Origins [1], DLC is used primarily as a way to lever more dollars. Zero-day DLC with core story elements and tight game-integration is unappealing and insulting [2][3][4]. Yes, it's a business. I get that. But if EA keeps treating gamers like something to be scraped off the bottom of a shoe (after paying, of course), customers will drift away.
ME was successful because of a following built over two episodes catering to fans wanting a deep back story and role-playing experience. ME3—despite its numerous exceptional qualities—is starting to feel like a bait-and-switch.
1: http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2009/11/6/ 2: http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/03/10/the-problem-... 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ri0vrJ-y2zM 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSfcWr5jxac&feature=relat...