Bioware has done it. While the famous video game studio may have stumbled with previous editions to its stellar space opera, the latest DLC Lair of the Shadow Broker is something to behold. Delivering on not only a great Mass Effect experience but a unique game in and of its own.

Story
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The essential part of the Mass Effect series is its story.
Unfortunately (with the exception of Overlord), previous Mass Effect expansions have not been able to complete fulfill the expectations set by fans of the series. Lair of the Shadow Broker delivers, telling an emotional narrative that even rivals the main campaign.

The story follows Commander Shepard, and former teammate Liara as they struggle to take down a powerful and omniscient crime lord, whom Liara has a personal grudge with. Together the two face terrorists, high flying car chases, personal revelations, and more then a bit of humorous banter.

The plot carries on at breakneck speed. The action continues almost constantly, but feels completely natural. This makes the gaps between the chaos all the more important and impactful. Lair of the Shadow Broker feels truly cinematic, even more so then the main game.

In true Mass Effect fashion, Shadow Broker is a character driven tale. Liara T'Soni, a friend and squadmate from the original game, steals the show. Her character is truly expanded beyond the relatively shallow shell seen previously. Liara actually evolves as a character throughout the course of the narrative, something which is surprising considering that the campaign is relatively short.

However, Liara is not the only scene stealer. Something that Mass Effect 2 was missing was a memorable villain, Lair of the Shadow Broker has several. From the morally ambiguous Spectre Tela Vasir to the Shadow Broker himself, Bioware has collected an interesting rogue's gallery.

Even the normally hollow Shepard has his moment to shine. Perhaps where Shadow Broker is most memorable is its fun and amiable relationship created between its protagonist and Liara. The two joke and banter like old friends, and it feels incredibly genuine. It's also really funny.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for your squadmates. Although Bioware makes sure to add in a cool feature that allows them to further flesh out your battle hardened team, your squad will once again remain completely silent for this mission. While understandable due to budget constraints, it's still a frustrating experience.

+Exciting Main Plot
+Dozens of memorable moments
+Great Characters
+Great Comic Relief
-Silent Squadmates

Score: 38/40

Gameplay
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Story is the only aspect that makes Lair of the Shadow Broker such a success. The expansion delivers everything the fans have come to love with the addition of a new temporary squadmate, new game feature, smarter AI, and interesting combat locales.

While she does not remain with your party permanently, Liara makes an interesting and welcome addition to your team. Her biotics powers are unique, and allow for some combat. Liara's addition to the game also comes with a revistable location that will updated with upcoming expansions.

The enemies are also more intelligent. They can now throw flash-bang grenades and employ clever flanking tactis, all adding to the experience. Add on some of the most original locations in the history of the series and you have some really memorable combat sequences.

Easily the most drastic edition to the game, the high speed car chase may be the clunkiest edition as well. While its exciting and a fun change, the controls for the vehicle are stiff and confusing. Luckily, this experience is so short that you are ultimately left with a cool experience without the frustration.

+All that made Mass Effect 2 good
+Liara
+Smarter enemies
+Memorable Locales
+/- Chase Sequence

Score: 38.5/40

Graphics
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Mass Effect has always been a stunningly beautiful game, and Lair of the Shadow Broker continues this to great degree. With great new locales that look jaw-droppingly good, and increasingly complex character animations Lair of the Shadow Broker looks better then ever.

While you may encounter the occasional awkwardly animated scene, there is little negative to be found.

+Locales
+Character Animations
-Bugs

9.5/10

Sound
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Mass Effect 2 has perhaps some of the best sound ever in a video game. From expertly crafted sound effects, genuine voice acting, and a powerful score, the game is an absolute aural treat. Lair of the Shadow Broker is no different.

The same expert voice acting returns, along with Jack Wall's score. The music itself is perhaps even more spectacular this time around. Jack Wall pens new themes for the Shadow Broker and his team, while incorporating themes from the first Mass Effect to accompany Liara.

+Score
+Voice Acting
+Sound Effects

Score 10/10
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Overall:
Definitely the best edition to the Mass Effect franchise in months, this expansion is necessary for any fan of the series.

Aggregate/Overall Score: 96

September 7th will be a big day for Bioware fans. With it two of their largest titles move forward to their next stage of existence in the release of DLC for Dragon Age: Origins and Mass Effect 2. Dragon Age Origins fans will be treated with Witch Hunt the final DLC for the game that will wrap up the story of your Grey Warden and will reveal the fate of the witch Morrigan. Mass Effect 2 will also move forward with its DLC Lair of the Shadow Broker. This new chapter in the games story will connect the plots of Mass Effect 2 and 3 and will feature the return of fan favorite Liara.

Today, at Gamescon, Bioware showed the first actual video of space combat. Unfortunately for you EVE fans, there doesn't seem to be any free exploration or any of that boring stuff that you inexplicably find fun. But fortunately for us Nintendo fans, the space combat looks like Star Fox 64 with multiple types of ships and fantastic graphics.

The video can be found here.

Bioware has released the trailer for Dragon Age 2 at Gamescon. We don't get to see any gameplay, but the action probably hints at what some of the moves are going to look like.



Flemeth's voice actor seems to return as the narrator for this trailer, and maybe for the game itself. And I must say, I'm really liking that beard.

"The rise to power" which I'm assuming is the release date, is March 8th.

Bioware has revealed a new timeline trailer for the upcoming Star Wars MMO The Old Republic.



In addition to this, the The Old Republic site revealed today four new playable races for the Sith and Republic classes: Zabrak, Mirialan, Miraluka, and pure blood Sith.

Although officially announced yesterday, the news has finally leaked to the outside world. Space combat will be a part of Star Wars: The Old Republic. The exact mechanics are unknown as of the moment, but will be fully revealed in the October issue of PC Gamer due out August 17th.


To hold us over until then, Bioware Community Leader Sean Dahlberg has dropped the following blurb: "If you’ve been following the news coming out of the Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ panel at Comic-Con International, you’ve heard the announcement that we will indeed have Space Combat as part of the TOR experience! But what does that mean? Space combat is an alternative gameplay experience to the primary game of storytelling, questing, and ground-based combat. In space combat, you fly your personal ship to various “hot spots” on your galaxy map. From there, you will blast your way through asteroid fields, enemy fighters, frigates, destroyers, and a variety of other obstacles that will evoke memories of some of the great Star Wars™ space battles."


More news on this gameplay development as it is released.

There is no franchise in history that has a more lauded score then Star Wars. With Bioware's upcoming MMO it appears as if they are planning to replicate this audio experience. With over five and half hours of original score, The Old Republic looks better with every passing week.

There is also some rather impressive gameplay footage.

There are few game makers more critically acclaimed then the RPG giants Bioware. Creators of such beloved series as Mass Effect and Knights of the Old Republic, the studio has garned particular acclaim for last year's epic fantasy Dragon Age: Origins. As earlier speculated, Bioware has announced that Dragon Age story is far from over. Today on its official website,the studio unvealed Dragon Age 2 with this press release:

Experience the epic sequel to the 2009 Game of the Year from the critically acclaimed makers of Dragon Age: Origins and Mass Effect 2. You are one of the few who escaped the destruction of your home. Now, forced to fight for survival in an ever-changing world, you must gather the deadliest of allies, amass fame and fortune, and seal your place in history. This is the story of how the world changed forever. The legend of your Rise to Power begins now.

Key Features:

•Embark upon an all-new adventure that takes place across an entire decade and shapes itself around every decision you make.
•Determine your rise to power from a destitute refugee to the revered champion of the land.
•Think like a general and fight like a Spartan with dynamic new combat mechanics that put you right in the heart of battle whether you are a mage, rogue, or warrior.
•Go deeper into the world of Dragon Age with an entirely new cinematic experience that grabs hold of you from the beginning and never lets go.
•Discover a whole realm rendered in stunning detail with updated graphics and a new visual style.

A debut trailer is planned for an August 17th release on the Bioware website.

When it comes to DLC, the Mass Effect series has been a mixed bag at best. You have your fantastic add ons (Brind Down the Sky, your mediocre (Kasumi's Lost Memory), and your terrible (Normandy Crash Site). Although it is nice to have regular additions to the amazing franchise that Bioware has created, it is disappointing that that fans are not given a more consistent level in quality to these (some times expensive) features. It is easy to say that the latest update, Overlord, although far from perfect is the best released for Mass Effect 2 so far.


Story
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The story is the essential part of any Bioware game, and unfortunately almost every DLC has been lacking in this department so far. The concept for Overlord is a fairly simple one. Cerberus scientists in an attempt to gain influence over remaining Geth forces have interfaced a human mind with a highly intelligent and powerful virtual intelligence. When the VI goes highwire, machinery around the planet goes haywire and launches an all out assault against the science team. However, it does not stop there. The menacing computer plans to spread its influence across the entire galaxy creating a galaxy wide apocalypse. Already the scale of this DLC is far larger then any of those previously presented. For the first time since the main game it feels as if the mission we are undertaking is a worthy one for our now battle hardened team. Although the plot is a seemingly familiar one, Bioware manages to tell the story with a decidedly disturbing, human, and emotional tone. Despite the overarching plot, story only really matters at the onset and ending of the mission. However, the ending to Overlord is absolutely fantastic. The last twenty minutes of the campaign justifies several hours of relative mediocrity and is easily one of the best Mass Effect scenes ever rendered. The choice presented to the players is shocking and surprisingly poignant. There are also moments of refreshing comic relief scattered throughout the missions. However, perhaps the most disappointing aspect of Overlord is how little our main characters do throughout the campaign. Shepard (outside of the bookends of the mission) is surprisingly silent except for several snarky quips. Most upsetting is that your teammates will never utter a word. Although this is understandable due to budget and actor constraints, it is still sad to have your teamamtes stand there like relative puppets. (However, there is a rather nice scene involving Legion and the lead scientist.)

+Great Presentation
+Humor
+Fantastic Ending Sequence
+Epic Scale
-Slightly Cliched Main Plot
-Silent Teammates
-Story only relevant at the beginning and end of campaign.

Score: 32/40


Gameplay
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The base game of Mass Effect 2 remains in this DLC. The outstanding combat and dialogue system remains, with great opportunities presented for both. There are numerous fun action set pieces in this expansion including a rather disturbing series of bosses ranging from a corrupted Geth Prime and the insane VI itself. The dialogue is offered less time to shine, but the amazing interrupt system is once again a standout. There are also numerous puzzles introduced into the gameplay that add to the experience. Perhaps the best introduction gameplay wise into this DLC is the expanded use of the Hammerhead vehicle, first introduced in the Firewalker pack earlier this year. Unlike the original Mass Effect's Mako tank, the Hammerhead is easy to handle and is alot of fun to use. There are numerous creative uses of the vehicle, including some very fun platforming sequences. However, the same flaws present in the original Firewalker pack still remain. The Hammerhead still only has one form of attack, and it you are prohibited from saving within the vehicle. Luckily, there are numerous autosaves which prevents this flaw from totally ruining the experience. Unfortunately, the campaign is also annoyingly short only lasting about five to six hours in length.

+Great Combat Sequences
+Fun Puzzles
+/-Dialogue
+/-Hammerhead
-Short

Score: 35/40


Graphics
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Overlord is perhaps the most impressive looking Mass Effect content ever released. Exploring the planet the campaign takes place is a breathtaking experience. As the VI on your Hammerhead points out, the scenery is a beautiful sight. Whether its the flames of the volcanic station of the game, the haunting presence of the VI as it stalks you throughout your mission, or the Tron-esque finale Bioware has provided a striking visual experience. The amazing character animations remain, and only experience slight hiccups.

+Outstanding visual design and scenery
+ Outstanding character animations
-Some minor graphical hiccups


Score: 9.5/10

Sound
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Mass Effect has always shined when it came to an exceptional sound experience, and Overlord is no different. Jack Wall's score returns, although more subtle then in previous iterations. The top notch voice acting is still present, although in smaller additions then in the main game. Shepard's actor gets better with each time he plays the character, and he is far from the wooden statue like soldier seen in the original. However, the real star are the brilliant sound effects. Whether its the pang of bullets shooting past your head, or the eerie insect liking shrieking of the villainous computer Overlord is an aural treat.

+Jack Wall's Score
+Voice Acting
+Sound Effects

Score: 10/10

Overall
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Overlord may not be perfect, but for Mass Effect fans it is easily the best expansion delivered since the award winning Bring Down the Sky for the series's original installment. Your money is well spent in this short but sweet gem of a DLC.

Aggregate Score: 86.5/100
Overall Score: 88/100

As many of you may have already seen, G4 featured an entire half hour long view at Star Wars The Old Republic. For those of us that were unable to view this special, it is now availible online. View below.

However, the embed code for the third portion of the is poorly made and will not work on this post. I have included a link instead.





Link to part 3

http://e3.g4tv.com/videos/46527/E3-2010-Live-Star-Wars-The-Old-Republic-MMO-Combat-Demo/

Although the Mass Effect DLC's tend to be a mixed bag, it is still always a pleasure to have a reason to return to spend time with Shepard and his crew. However, the latest DLC Overlord, which was shown at this year's E3, looks to be the breath of fresh air that Mass Effect fans have been waiting for.

Even more videos have been released detailing the information released at today's coverage of Star Wars: The Old Republic at E3.



Our first video details the customization for the bounty hunter class. Shows a wide variety of armor designs and colorings.



Next, we have a gameplay video showing off both the Imperial Agent and Bounty Hunter classes. Also shows glimpse at the Mass Effect-esque dialogue system.'



Here is another video showing the same details, but with the Imperial Agent and Sith Warrior classes.

Bioware has released a new video glimpse at its player housing star ship system. It also includes a look at a Twi-lek race player and glimpses at the companions.

Now, a long-awaited second trailer for the upcoming Bioware MMORPG has been released.



Along with the new trailer, Bioware has announced that every player, regardless of class, will have their own customizable ship. Also, they have revealed that PvP will yield specific rewards for those who join in the fray.

Gamespot had a chance to play a bit of Star Wars: The Old Republic, and has posted their article of it.

After their play-through, Gamespot has confirmed that both Twi'lek and Chiss are playable races. Also, the trooper class seems to now rely on an ammo system.

Hopefully, these small tidbits will whet the fan's appetites for the upcoming week of TOR announcements in E3.

Although often filled with panels, interviews, and developer walkthroughs ultimatley what defines and E3 conference are its trailers. Exciting cinematic representations of video games to come, E3 trailers have risen to legendary status and have caused countless numbers of nerds to scream in victory. Here is the shortlist of what I regard to be the top 5 best E3 trailers of all time.

5. Spore-E3 2006


This zany and creative glimpse of the evolutionary epic Spore was easily one of the most fun trailers of E3 2006. Although Spore was ultimatley a disappointment, this trailer offered an interesting glimpse of portions of the game that were never to be fully realized ,including the underwater stage. Also, the subtle similarity to Futurama adds to the spectacle.

4. Halo 3-E3 2006


The first glimpse that Halo fans would get of the game that would end the trilogy. This E3 2006 teaser trailer is beautifully animated, visually poignant, and of course wonderfully orchestrated.

3. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess-E3 2005


Although not the first glimpse fans would have of a new Zelda game, it would become the best piece of information that Nintendo fans would have of this mysterious game for over a year. If anything, this trailer has reached immortality due to a hugely dedicated fanbase.

2. Super Smash Bros. Brawl-E3 2006


Easily the highlight of E3 2006, this surprise trailer for the third Super Smash Bros. shocked the entire video game community. Not only is it energetic and alot of fun, but it includes one of the best surprise announcements in video game history.

1. Star Wars: The Old Republic-E3 2009



There are few trailers that reach the level of visual excitement that Bioware's glimpse at The Old Republic offers. Not only the best trailer from last year's E3, it is often considered the best moment out of the entire expo. This cinematic glimpse at a lost age of the Galactic Republic is so renowned that it has won numerous rewards and has even inspired its own sequel at this years E3. That's right a sequel for a trailer.

UPDATE: EA has come out to say that these rumors are completely false, and that we will not see Mass Effect 3 or Dragon Age 2 at this year's E3.

Any self respecting nerd knows that this week is a huge event. That's right the Electronic Entertainment Expo opens its doors to the world this week for its 2010 edition. And Artificial Continuum will be keeping you posted on all the announcements as they break. That's right, I've drafted my numerous, and mostly inoperative, staff members to help me cope with such a massive event. Now, Gormy will be covering the majority of the news regarding Bioware's The Old Republic MMO, but I decided to whet your appetites with these teasers provided by Gamespot, Gametrailers, and Attack of the Show.

Easily one of my favorite updates Bioware releases on its site, a new timeline dictating the details of the Jedi Civil War has been released on The Old Republic site. Enjoy. (WARNING!: Contains Spoliers for Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic)

Bioware is slowly becoming the most successful and influential video game studio in the industry. With such titles as The Old Republic, Mass Effect, and Dragon Age taking the world by storm, Bioware has changed the way that storytelling is approached in video games.

The critically acclaimed company announced last month that production had begun on a film adaptation to the science fiction epic Mass Effect. Today, Bioware released further plans to expand their franchises into different forms of media. According to aintitcool.com, Bioware along with FUNimation plans to release an anime adaptation of their fantasy RPG Dragon Age some time next year.

Here is the press release listed on the site:

BioWare and FUNimation Entertainment will be collaborating on an anime movie adaptation of well regarded fantasy RPG Dragon Age.

Production of the Dragon Age anime movie is slated to begin this month with a home video release in 2011. Executive producing the film are BioWare's Executive Producer Mark Darrah and Creative Director Mike Laidlaw, as well as FUNimation's president and CEO Gen Fukunaga and Director of Original Entertainment Chris Moujaes.

Dragon Age has been selected as the first title in FUNimation's slate of major anime movies to be developed through FUNimation's Original Entertainment team since the announcement of the company's co-production initiative in November 2009.

"Dark heroic fantasy" Dragon Age: Origins, reminiscent of works like George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, allowed the player to explore the history of a Human Noble, Mage, Dalish Elf, City Elf, Dwarf Commoner or Dwarf Noble before taking control of a Grey Warden in their campaign to revived Darkspawn.