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This makes me very sad.
With the announcement of the final single-player DLC, Citadel comes the knowledge that it will all be over, one way or another. It could be argued that it was "over" when BioWare and EA collectively crapped on the entire Mass Effect universe almost a year ago and that, despite the Extended Cut patching up most of the holes they blew in their own franchise, their failings effectively killed what was, up to then, one of the most epic creations since the original Star Wars trilogy.
I knew that it would all come to an end one day and, despite everything, I'm still rather deflated. I'd feel this way regardless of the quality of the ending to the trilogy because for me it's been an emotional rollercoaster and, all things considered, a fucking blast!
I'm not really getting my hopes up for this DLC but I will still be getting it because I want to - a barmy notion, I know! Leviathan was alright and I will be playing Omega again before I pass my final judgement as I rushed my playthrough and wasn't feeling 100% at the time. I did get very excited for Omega but that was a mistake I think, which is a shame. There are things mentioned in the very limited blurb for Citadel that intrigue me though - Wrex, for one! While it's not been stated if he will be part of the squad, I would very much like for Wrex to join the squad again as he's brilliant! Some of the best lines in the Mass Effect trilogy are uttered by Wrex and the voice acting is bang-on - Steve Barr really nailed the character and brought him to life!
I also have to admit that I like the idea of having a few little "asides" and the promise of customisable digs on the Citadel. While it's busy-work and could be considered a distraction, I kinda like little things like this in other games such as Skyrim (they just need to sort out Hearthfire's many bugs) so I shall see how that pans out. Yes I could go bonkers about the fact it's just a "distraction" from the games bigger issue(s) but I am not going to...because I can't be arsed and I don't want to be part of the argument today.
Do I think it will be sub-par? I try not to be negative about things before they have a chance to present themselves but I have to say that, to my eyes, the focus for ME3 DLC has been on the Multiplayer and it has been to the detriment of the single-player DLC. Mass Effect 2's DLC were not lumbered with such problems and although I thought Firewalker was a bit "meh", Overlord, Lair of the Shadow Broker and Arrival were all brilliant. The three single-player DLC's for ME3 can best be described as "good but not great" and definately fell short of the mark, even allowing for the high bar that ME2's DLC set. I don't know the reasons for this and the debate could rage on for years but the sad fact is that anything to do with Mass Effect is now tainted and, whether fairly or not, the ultimate blame for this black-cloud rests with BioWare and EA. I will be doing my best to ignore this and, as I did with From Ashes (which is the best of this bunch, in my opinion), Leviathan and Omega, judge Citadel on it's own merits and failings accordingly.
Short version - I will be getting Citadel but my optimism can best be described as "restrained".
With the announcement of the final single-player DLC, Citadel comes the knowledge that it will all be over, one way or another. It could be argued that it was "over" when BioWare and EA collectively crapped on the entire Mass Effect universe almost a year ago and that, despite the Extended Cut patching up most of the holes they blew in their own franchise, their failings effectively killed what was, up to then, one of the most epic creations since the original Star Wars trilogy.
I knew that it would all come to an end one day and, despite everything, I'm still rather deflated. I'd feel this way regardless of the quality of the ending to the trilogy because for me it's been an emotional rollercoaster and, all things considered, a fucking blast!
I'm not really getting my hopes up for this DLC but I will still be getting it because I want to - a barmy notion, I know! Leviathan was alright and I will be playing Omega again before I pass my final judgement as I rushed my playthrough and wasn't feeling 100% at the time. I did get very excited for Omega but that was a mistake I think, which is a shame. There are things mentioned in the very limited blurb for Citadel that intrigue me though - Wrex, for one! While it's not been stated if he will be part of the squad, I would very much like for Wrex to join the squad again as he's brilliant! Some of the best lines in the Mass Effect trilogy are uttered by Wrex and the voice acting is bang-on - Steve Barr really nailed the character and brought him to life!
I also have to admit that I like the idea of having a few little "asides" and the promise of customisable digs on the Citadel. While it's busy-work and could be considered a distraction, I kinda like little things like this in other games such as Skyrim (they just need to sort out Hearthfire's many bugs) so I shall see how that pans out. Yes I could go bonkers about the fact it's just a "distraction" from the games bigger issue(s) but I am not going to...because I can't be arsed and I don't want to be part of the argument today.
Do I think it will be sub-par? I try not to be negative about things before they have a chance to present themselves but I have to say that, to my eyes, the focus for ME3 DLC has been on the Multiplayer and it has been to the detriment of the single-player DLC. Mass Effect 2's DLC were not lumbered with such problems and although I thought Firewalker was a bit "meh", Overlord, Lair of the Shadow Broker and Arrival were all brilliant. The three single-player DLC's for ME3 can best be described as "good but not great" and definately fell short of the mark, even allowing for the high bar that ME2's DLC set. I don't know the reasons for this and the debate could rage on for years but the sad fact is that anything to do with Mass Effect is now tainted and, whether fairly or not, the ultimate blame for this black-cloud rests with BioWare and EA. I will be doing my best to ignore this and, as I did with From Ashes (which is the best of this bunch, in my opinion), Leviathan and Omega, judge Citadel on it's own merits and failings accordingly.
Short version - I will be getting Citadel but my optimism can best be described as "restrained".
On coloured pictures
As you may have noticed, I have been slowly working on colouring pics with Procreate rather than markers. The marker situation was becoming untenable due to the fact they can no longer be refilled and so have to be replaced, which at around £5 each gets expensive when they generally only last for 2-3 pics (more if used on small details) so, seeing as I got an iPad 11" Pro last year and a bunch of Apple Store credit, I invested in Procreate and also an Apple pencil. So far I am still very much in the working it all out phase. I've worked out how to transfer my scanned drawings to Procreate and turn them into a mask so I can colour away without going over the inked lines. Despite posting a recent flat-colour commission I am not offering them at this time. It was made very clear to the buyer I was still learning the ropes and that was accepted before any money was handed-over. I'm working on adding highlights and shading to the flat-colour pic of Conrad I uploaded a while ago but
I bought an Apple Pencil
Today I made the decision to spend some of a small work bonus on an Apple Pencil. As much as I love traditional media, it's very unforgiving to a novice like me and VERY expensive. While I have gotten to a point I'm more or less satisfied when colouring characters with markers, I continue to suck at backgrounds. It's all very well saying "practice makes perfect" but it also wears out markers quickly and, because capitalism, you can't refill them anymore, only replace then, which of course costs more. Also, depending on the piece, one coloured picture can use somewhere between 1/4 - 1/3 of a markers ink and I often use 3-4 markers to build up the colour gradients and shading I need on each character. And then there's the backgrounds, clothes, accessories etc. I currently have 66 markers (colours, greys and blenders) in my possession. Say each one costs £4 each that's £264 to replace all of them. The Apple Pencil cost £120. Yeah, ouch, but it's less than half the amount of
Happy Holidays!
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Yuletide Greetings, Joyous Kwanzaa, Happy Hannukah...whatever you believe (or not) or how you say it - have a good one!
Unemployed...again!
Welp...for the second time this year I am unemployed through no fault of my own.
If you want to commission me, now's a good time as I need all the money I can get, plus I have a lot of time on my hands.
© 2013 - 2024 MajorWard
Comments1
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Like many of my peers, I would have much more appreciated a "post-ending" DLC, with something like Shepard impossible salvage from another wreckage. Crazy idea, but still...
Except that, I feel about the same as you do about the serie right now, and since march 2012. I absolutely love ME, I had awesome moments whit the 1 and 2, and, even despite the ending, I can't say I enjoyed ME3 as much as the previous episodes. Something was just missing.
Except that, I feel about the same as you do about the serie right now, and since march 2012. I absolutely love ME, I had awesome moments whit the 1 and 2, and, even despite the ending, I can't say I enjoyed ME3 as much as the previous episodes. Something was just missing.