Rachel Unboxes: Mass Effect 3 N7 Edition

The box art for the N7 Edition of Mass Effect 3 is a simple yet effect box with the N7 logo prominantly displayed in the middle under the title and 'collector's edition'.  Seen through the N7 logo is an image of Earth burning during the Reaper invasion.

Simple yet effective, the cover of the N7 Edition

Inside the main box is a smaller box featuring an armoured hand gripping an unprotected arm.  I'm guessing it's Shepard's arm due to the N7 stripe on the armour.  The game case is a shiny metal box that features both male and female versions of Shepard.  The female version was voted on in an online poll on facebook.

The contents of the N7 Edition

Here is a shot of the box spread open to show both versions of Shepard.

Side by side, the official male and female versions of Shepard

Inside the small box is the following extras.  There's a small copy of issue #1 of the Mass Effect: Invasion comic series, an N7 fabric patch, a lithograph of the Normany SR2, and an art book of art from Mass Effect 3.

The bonus physical content

The art book contains concept art of characters, locations, and weapons.  Below is a double page spread of pistols and rifles as well as an explanation of how the omni-blade works.

The guns of Mass Effect 3, and the omni-blade

All in all this is a really nicely packaged collectors edition and it was a very limited edition indeed.  It sold out not long after it went on sale as a Game exclusive edition.  I was lucky enough to secure a copy when it came out that Game would not be stocking it and it went on sale through other retailers.  I made an order pretty much within the hour on the thinking that I'd rather make the order and then cancel it than to lose out on it because I didn't act when I had the chance.  I do feel bad for those who lost out on it because they weren't able to preorder elsewhere in time, but I also feel for the Game employees that lost their jobs.

Was it worth the extra cost?  I'm going to go with yes on this one.  The digital extras don't really add much to the game but they are nice little extras that add to the experience.  The bonus mission and character are available to all so no one is missing out on that.  The N7 hoody that's available as a casual clothing option is better than I thought.  When I'm wearing it I feel more like it's the Shepard I want it to be and it's more in line with what my Shepard would wear.

Rachel Unboxes: MW3 Hardened Edition

This is probably the most underwhelming Limited Edition game that I've bought so far.  I've bought Special Editions that only have digital bonuses before, but this is different.  It has physical bonuses but not much.  The outside of the box it came in is rather nice.   It's simple with an outline of a rifle which looks nice.  The box is rather large which is a little strange considering what's inside.

 

Inside the box is the Founders card, a notebook with military notes and diagrams inside, and the steelbook cased game.  I actually really like the steelbook with it's black and white image of a soldier taking aim down a rifle.  The other side has the MW3 logo. 

 

The notebook is rather interesting but would probably mean more if I'd play MW2.  It's still worth reading though and it comes with mementos including photos of the characters and an imitation book of matches.

The Call of Duty Elite Founder card is rather nice.  I can't tell if it's metal or plastic but it's credit card sized so it'll fit into wallets easily enough, if you like that kind of thing.  I keep my on my desk, somewhere.

Inside the steelbook case is the game and a manual.  It only really gives details on the default controls, the display, and the menu options.  It's not the most helpful of manuals but it gives the basics so players can jump in and get playing.

Under the steelbook is this handy little leaflet that details the benefits of being a Call of Duty Elite Founder.
It's fairly useful the first time but it doesn't really contain much that would need to be read again.  On the back of mine are the Elite subscription code and the avatar gear codes.  I don't know what's on the back of the PS3 or PC versions but I expect it'll be similar.

Rachel Reviews: Doritos Crash Course

Overview

Doritos Crash Course is a free XBLA title that's a lot like the TV show 'Wipeout'.  It's basically a series of reasonably short obstacle courses that run left to right with various hazards along the way.  Unlike the TV, everything in the game happens to your XBL avatar, which is great fun and it means you can get crushed by stompy things and smacked with hammers bigger than you are.

Dazed and confused!

Hitting the nail on the head!

 Gameplay

The game itself isn't difficult to play.  The controls are fairly simple to learn which makes it easy to pick up and play without any kind of difficulty.  The first few levels are more introductions to the types of obstacles and hazards than anything too challenging, though there is one later on that took me far too long to get past!  The learning curve isn't too steep and if it proves too hard then you can always skip to the end and move on to the next level.  Doing this will stop you unlocking levels so it's not advised as it will mean you won't be able to go back and do them individually to get a Gold medal.

In one level you have to swing on a rope over a moving walkway, jump off onto a moving platform, and then jump off that onto another rope.  It does require a fair degree of good timing in order to do it, but that's true of the rest of the levels.

I'm Tarzan!

Graphics

The graphics are kind of basic while still looking good.  Taking a cue from the avatars, the game has a kind of cartoon-y feel to it with bright colours and amusing avatar animations.  It's always obvious as to what does what in the game.  The ropes are distinguishable from the chains because the move and are bright yellow whereas the chains are silver kind of grey.  The two types of moving walk way, one fast and one slow, are very different in colour so there should be no surprises there either.

Achievements

There aren't many achievements and they're only worth 200 gamer score in total, but they are more than just a few token achievements.  Getting Gold in all the levels will take time and effort.  It is possible to get some just by play any level without worrying about time so they aren't all hard to get either.

Gripes

Yeah, I have some gripes with it.  One of the levels (level 4 in Japan) is insanely hard.  There's an achievement for doing it in 1:40 or less, which seems impossible, but I'll still keep trying to get it.  Whether I actually do it or not remains to be seen, but it'll probably be worth it, I hope.

There is no level editor.  I know this is a free game but I feel they missed out on something here.  There levels are fun enough to provide replay value on their own but having levels made by friends would have been a great addition.  Halo and Trials Evolution are two examples of where this works really well.

Overall

It's not the most sophisticated of games and there are certainly better games out there.  That said, it is free so you don't lose anything getting it.  If you don't like it you can just delete it.  I, however, do like it and I'll definitely be keeping it.  There's a certain charm to seeing your avatar being smacked into the screen or get squashed that never gets old, except after the tenth time in the same place or something.  If it wasn't free I probably wouldn't be fussed about it, but as it is free I definitely think it's worth trying out.  And, hey, winning is always run!

Winner!

(images taken from the XBL marketplace page)

Rachel Reviews: Gioteck EX-05 Wired Headset

Overview

The Gitoteck EX-05 headset caught my eye because of the wide mesh headband with rigid metal supports.  This was important to me as I have a pair of Sony MDR-XD200 headphones which are comfortable but started to hurt after a while.  What I needed most was a wide band that would spread the weight of the headphones and keep them comfortable after hours of use.  I'm pleased to say that this has been the case and I can happily wear these all night.  The 'military styling' seems limited to a bit of camo design on the mesh but it does look pretty nifty.  The ear cups are soft and breathable so my ears don't get sweaty and my head doesn't hurt from the pressure, which is another great point.  That said, they are only comfortable with the mic on the right and the cable on the left.  This isn't a big problem as such but I'd rather have the cable on the right where the volume controls are rather than have the cable cross over.

Audio

These sound amazing.  The sound they produce is sharp and clear with clear trebles and responsive bass tones.  Every little sound is so much clearer, whether it's footsteps in a shooter or the spray of blood in an RPG.  As I got the wired version I have use these for my PC as well as my 360 and music sounds a lot better with these as well.

I didn't get the headset just to listen to sounds though.  I got it so I can talk to people.  The boom mic has a ratchet-like system that keeps the mic in place and stops it rotating down under its own weight.  This makes it a little less adjustable than perhaps it could be without it but knowing that your mic is going to stay put is worth it, especially as continual use would wear out a friction based system causing it to loosen up.  The mic itself is great and picks up my voice loud and clear even when it's pointing at my chin.  I drink a lot of tea and this is great as it keeps the mic out of the way and still lets me talk to my friends.  It's a little detail that I doubt many will appreciate just how great it is but if you're drinking and gaming you don't want your beverage to knock the mic.

Another great thing about this headset is the audio controls.  It has separate controls for the game audio and the chat.  If you're more interested in talking to your friends you can lower the game audio and raise the chat audio so you can hear them better.  Conversely, if there are only idiots on XBL then they can be muted completely, leaving you to enjoy the game audio undisturbed.  It's not a unique feature but it's well worth looking out for.

Customer Support

This isn't something that I'd normally write about in a review but as I have experience with this I thought I'd mention it all the same.  I'm not the worlds most organised or graceful person and I had an accident which involved my headset.  Long story short I broke the cable that plugs into my controller which does voice chat.  I contacted customer support and they were happy to replace the cable for free if I sent in some stamps and my address.  I did that and my replacement was soon with me.  They initially thought I meant the main audio cable with the volume controls and would have replaced that for free as well if I'd needed it.

Overall

While customer support isn't something that people normally think of when looking at a review, it is worth noting that their customer support is good.  As for the headset, I find it to be very comfortable with great audio and a great mic.  The volume controls are easy to use and the mute switch is sturdy and won't switch on or off suddenly.  The only downside is that I can't have the mic on the left or the cable on the right, but this is personal preference and doesn't have a negative impact on comfort or the headset itself.  I highly recommend them.

Rachel Reviews: Fez

What is Fez?

As strange as it might seem, I'm having problems classifying Fez.  It's a 2D platform puzzler in that the game is 2D and there are platform based puzzles to solve, but it has a 3D world that can be rotated by ninety degrees to shift perspective and find solutions with a different 2D view of the same thing.  This sort of trickery isn't exactly new.  Paper Mario had something similar where the world could be rotated to avoid some obstacles.  Echochrome is another example of perspective play, with a series puzzles to solve.  Neither of these have an actual completely 3D world to explore and get lost in, and getting lost is kind of easy to do.  It's easy to see how this kind of perspective play has been done before but the result is something completely unique.

Gameplay

The game plays much as you'd expect a 2D platformer to work.  The character, Gomez, moves left and right, jumps up to ledges, and drops down from them.  There are plants and ladders to climb which helps with exploration and they are sometimes needed to solve puzzles, and sometimes they are the puzzle.

There are no monsters or bad guys to fight, just golden cubes and cube shards to find.  It is possible to die though, but there's no real penalty or Game Over result from this.  Falling too high kills Gomez but it's not a huge setback as you return to the last stable platform you were on.  I say stable as some of them move.  While it can be if you die a lot trying to solve a problem, it's not as bad as it could be, like if you had to start the whole thing again.

The world rotation adds a lot to the puzzles.  Because the world is a full 3D world and perspective plays a hug part in the game, rotating the world allows you to get to places that wouldn't be accessible otherwise.  You might see where you have to go and it might seem impossible but rotating the world could reveal that it is actually really simple, though it might require a few rotations.

Graphics

The graphics are beautiful yet simple at the same time.  It's very reminiscent of the 8-bit era in it's aesthetics and style, but it's all very sharp and clear.  It has a very old school feel which only adds to the charm of this game and the high definition graphics allows it to do more complex things.  Standing by a door you've been through will show a preview of what's on the other side, and this preview is what you see when you look at the map of the world.

Overall Verdict

Fez is a charming game that looks and feels old school and simple while actually being innovative and highly complex.  Once you get into the game a bit and you understand how it works you'll be doing things that other people wouldn't think of when face with a 2D game and a platform they need to get to but can't jump far enough.  Amazing in every sense of the word, this is one game that everyone needs to get.

The only downside is that you might become addicted and it might just break your brain.