Cash Effect - Why Mass Effect 3's Collector's Edition is a slap in the face

Once upon a time, not too long ago to those of us over 25, when you paid full price for a game you got to take home a full game. But the advent of the internet has, as with all aspects of life, taken its toll. Now there's no such thing as a "finished game". Everything needs patching, or expanding, or tinkering with post-release. It's like buying a brand new car and not getting the breaks fitted until a few weeks later.

Life Ain't A Game

Videogames exist in a strange universe. No matter how different two games may seem, you’ll always find common rules that link the two – like Forza 4 and Prince of Persia sharing a rewind function, for example. Now imagine if our world was governed by those rules. Would it be better? Or worse? In this feature I take a look at real life through a skewed lens, and ponder what it would be like to live in a world governed by the rules of the videogame.  

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - "The Borderwatch" (Fan Fiction)

Loredas, 5.50 p.m., 15^th Last Seed, 4E 201

Northern Cyrodiil

 

I never did care for the taste of blood in my mouth.

When the Imperial bastard with the gap-tooth grin and nervous twitch struck me again, I ignored the sting of impact that lanced my frozen cheek and spat a long plume of bloody saliva across his leather boot. He cursed, long and loud – something about feeding me to a frost troll – and raised his hand for a third strike. I glared at him, willing him to do it, to stoke my rage just a little more – but the officer behind me intervened.

Made of Win or Straight to Bin... Lord of the Rings: War in the North

Last time in Made of Win or Straight to Bin I looked at Dark Souls, which if review scores this week are anything to go by, is almost definitely made of pure win. In this second feature I take a peek at Snowblind's incoming Tolkien spin-off, Lord of the Rings: War in the North, due for release on November 4th. As before, I'll list five highs and five lows - all of which will probably be proved utter nonsense when the title launches...