Mass Effect 2

Okay. I've been here. I've been lured in by video game ad campaigns before. Dead Space had a great series of commercials and is, I'm told, a great game. Unfortunately, playing that for more than 10 minutes creates a prohibitively expensive underwear-replacement cost. I should've known better. Street Fighter IV did wonderful things with the ink-in-water effect that's seemingly chic now, and I loved it. The ads, that is. I suck at fighting games and SFIV is among the least forgiving; I should've known better. Modern Warfare 2 is a followup to a game I love. The sequel--as is the case with so many sequels--just didn't live up to the original. In this case they should've known better, but that messes up the parallel structure I was going for.

I'm writing this three days before the release of Mass Effect 2. I pre-ordered my copy back in November after thinking about all the bad experiences I've had and then succumbing to the ad campaign. I've recently replayed ME1, and it's simply fantastic. Bioware, the game's developer, has an impressive library and I'm increasingly confident they won't let me down.

I am SO excited for this game! Well, "game" is a less appropriate term and will continue contributing to PR problems in the future, but that's a discussion for another time. I don't want to get too gushy with my excitement, but rest assured: it's there.

What finally tipped me from expectation into excitement was the launch trailer. There are countless streaming sources with the video, but I hate that low-resolution digital artifacting crap. Here's the original: Mass Effect 2 Launch Trailer.

Watch that video and tell me you don't feel something. Even without knowing any of the backstory or what to expect, the graphics, voice acting, direction, and music (oh, the music!) already create an immersive experience that, though still rare, is increasingly common.

I'm looking forward to this game the same way I did the last few Harry Potter books. I have my main character from ME1 and I want to know what happens to him. There's more to the story and my decisions, as the player, will either save or destroy the galaxy.

Did I mention that I'm excited?