The Mass Effect Legendary Edition June 7 update is live now on all platforms, bringing a handful of fixes, including a resolution to the Mass Effect Xbox launcher problem, and some new features. Using a wireless headset will no longer conflict with the Xbox launcher.

A few other notable bug fixes include inaccessible Spectre Master gear in the first Mass Effect and problems that kept trophies connected to Paramour achievements from activating.

You can now choose subtitle languages different from the spoken dialogue language, PC performance is improved, and some cutscenes received a visual boost following a problem the previous update introduced.

If you're hoping to start Mass Effect 2 as a very rich space commander, however, BioWare has some bad news. The maximum number of credits you can transfer is now capped at 100,000 to help keep the game balanced.

A handful of bugs and issues aside, Mass Effect Legendary Edition captured us the same as the trilogy first did over a decade ago.

[Source: EA]

Mass Effect: Legendary Edition releases May 14 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam, with free next-gen upgrades at some point later on. According to IGN, there are no plans as of now to bring the Legendary Edition to PS5 or Xbox Series X|S in a "dedicated" way.

EA made the announcement alongside a new ME: Legendary Edition trailer and, courtesy of Video Games Chronicle, a list of what players can expect from the remasters.

The remaster collection comes with more than 40 pieces of DLC, including story DLC and promotional weapons, and Mass Effect 3's extended cut ending DLC with additional epilogues. It will not include Mass Effect multiplayer, however.

Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is more than a standard remaster, despite still running on Unreal Engine 3.

In addition to 60fps support on Xbox One X, PS4 Pro, and next-gen systems, EA said the Legendary Edition includes "tens of thousands" of improved textures, as well as improved lighting, shaders, and models. 

Original

Legendary Edition

Mass Effect 3's "Femshep" is playable in Mass Effect 1 and Mass Effect 2, and all three games have expanded customization options. Class-based weapon restrictions are no more, enemy AI gets a boost, there are more autosave points, and control schemes are streamlined across all three games.

Legendary Edition developers worked the trilogy's combat improvements back through the older games. All this is most noticeable in the original Mass Effect, which saw several of its environments and wonkier gameplay mechanics overhauled. 

Mass Effect Legendary Edition releases May 14, but it's not the only Mass Effect in store. Late in 2020, BioWare teased a brand-new Mass Effect from a "veteran" development team.

[Source: Video Games Chronicle]

Mass Effect Legendary Edition is bringing a polished Mass Effect Trilogy to consoles and PC in spring 2021, Casey Hudson, BioWare's General Manager, announced as part of N7 Day celebrations.

The remaster collection is intended for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, though Hudson said it's compatible with PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X with "targeted enhancements."

Mass Effect Legendary Edition includes the three numbered Mass Effect games, all single-player DLC from those games, plus promo weapons, armor, and packs.

Hudson said the goal was never remaking the Mass Effect Trilogy. BioWare wanted to "modernize the experience so that fans and new players can experience the original work in its best possible form."

What that means for ME Legendary Edition is better framerates, improved visuals, and 4K HD support.

Hudson also said a brand-new Mass Effect game is in the works. It's still early in development, but Hudson said a "veteran team" is working on the new installment.

The Mass Effect Legendary Edition was rated in Korea in October and rumored to be announced that month. Stay tuned to GameSkinny for more Mass Effect news as it develops.

[Source: BioWare]

Mass Effect fans have been hoping for remasters of the series' first three games for what feels like an eternity. Nearly eight years after the release of the original Mass Effect Trilogy, it doesn't seem right that the already classic RPGs haven't received the remaster treatment.

Rumors of a remastered trilogy have swirled for some time, gaining more and more traction over the past several months. EA is reportedly set to announce the trilogy this month (October) with a release later this month, according to Jeff Grub of GamesBeat. Grubb has also said that the rumored trilogy would, in fact, be called the Legendary Edition. 

Now, it seems the October timeframe could be possible. According to Gematsu, a remastered Mass Effect trilogy, called Mass Effect Legendary Edition, has been rated in Korea.

As we know, the XCOM 2 Collection and Catherine Full Body were rated in Korea just ahead of their respective releases, and the PS5 remake of Demon's Souls was also rated in Korea about a month before its official release date reveal. With that in mind, we could be on the cusp of an official confirmation, but we'll have to wait and see. 

Right now, it's unclear what game or games are actually in the Legendary Edition. It could simply be a remaster of Mass Effect, but all signs and credible rumors squarely point to it being the entire trilogy, including Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, and Mass Effect 3.

There is currently no firm release date for the Legendary Edition. Stay tuned to GameSkinny for more news as we learn, which will hopefully be very soon.

The art of cinema and the world of video games no longer stand as completely different mediums when it comes to the expression of complex and simplistic ideas. There are lessons in film that have transferred over to cut scenes, breaks in the action of a game where a movie moment fills in or progresses the details of a story.

Cut scenes can occur at the beginning, middle, or near the end of a game and by my estimation, a bad scene can signal a good time for a snack or a bathroom break for gamers. For directors of the next great cinematic moment, take some cues from these games who left a long-lasting impact on gamers everywhere.

Fallout and the Creation of Mantra

Fans of the acclaimed Fallout series will recognize the mantra of the series that "War, war never changes." There's been countless films about war itself, the effects of killing on the human psyche, and dystopian futures, but none can capture the art of the rise and fall of humanity quite like Bethesda. Fallout focuses on a world that was threatened by nuclear war during the 1950's Cold War but used nuclear energy for the advancement of mankind. This of course was all pushed to the edge as the ideals of overconsumption and greed plagued the world.

Moviemakers can often have characters repeat signature phrases, and trilogies can often call back to similar phrases. In the context of Fallout, the phrase is used to signal that regardless of the situation in any of the games in the series, one thing remains. What remains is the perils, strife, evils, and selfishness that got mankind to the place it is in. Greater commentary on the dangerous nature of these qualities would do well as a warning in movies for us all to heed.

Portal and How to Roll Credits

If you've wandered into any Marvel movie in the past several years you'll know that staying until the credits are completely over is now required. We all collectively know now that just because the credits begin to roll, doesn't mean it's actually over. Other movies have picked up this trend and are probably going to have us in movie theaters for just a few minutes more for the rest of our lives.

A great way filmmakers can take advantage of this captive audience time is to make them smile. Portal is a game where the player is constantly at odds with an evil robot mainframe named GlaDos (Who is reminiscent of Hal 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey.) The tone of the game is quite the contrary to this ending scene and performs a 180 in one of the most masterful ways in video games. A chance to do this might only come in more fantastical movies, but taking this to the big screen could be just as iconic, and hopefully catchy.

Kotor II: The Sith Lords Powerful Writing

Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords have arguably some of the best writing in video game history. The game sets up a world in which people begin to question the values of both the Jedi and of the Sith. Star Wars movies have yet to reach a critical, provoking moment anywhere near this, and Rouge One: A Star Wars Story only slightly came close in their depiction of what it means to rebel. Movies, not just Star Wars, can take cues from this cut scene as it incorporates so many elements all at once. In this one scene, the character's perceived objective comes crumbling down as the Jedi decides your fate like a kangaroo court.

Making the natural order, or those in authority actually turn out to be blinded by their own fears or misunderstandings is a lesson that can't be stressed enough. Just because an authority has done more good than harm does not make them infallible. Furthermore, Star Wars heading in a direction like this could take the idea that the force is parallel to religion and could take on the arguments we face here on Earth all the time.

Last of Us and Perfect Juxtaposition

The Last of Us provides some of the best storytelling in video games and does something movies can get right, but might often forget when it comes to stories about two rogues on a mission. Rather than just create bland pairings between our two antagonists storytellers should follow the great work of this game in character pairs. In this cut scene, we see the culmination of working together as main characters Joel and Ellie get into an argument over Ellie's future.

Those who make it to the end of the game will see the power of a relationship that develops over a short period of time. Last of Us does an amazing job of pairing the two through a number of ways. We see that Joel is the classic older, yet crotchety, guy who is experienced enough to survive tough spots. Meanwhile, Ellie is a young girl with some experience of her own, but is still discovering herself and what makes her so special.

Further, we see both characters face their fears and how those can get the best of them. For a game with scenes as good as this one it was tough to choose just one, but playing the game felt more like peeking into real lives than spectating a movie, so definitely take notes on this one.

Mass Effect and Culmination of Plans

For those who have played through the story arch combined with dynamic relationships that resulted in Mass Effect 3, you'll undoubtedly recognize this cut scene as the battle for Earth. The Battle, while a cool way to think of doing space battles for sci-fi movies speaks more to the art of culmination. Movie goers and gamers definitely have something in common when it comes to having to make us care about different groups of people in what we are watching.

The battle scene here was the work of three-game installments and countless devotion to the hours of gameplay, but this can be transferred over to movies as well. Future films will do well to take note that you don't actually have to end every sci-fi or war-type film with a final battle that solves every issue. Sometimes leaving cliffhangers and interesting threads for a future movie will bring fans along for a ride. By now we know that the bigger the blockbuster, the more likely there is to be a sequel or remake so why not let us have those moments of wonder as to where you'll take us next?

Homeworld and Haunting Introductions

Players of the Homeworld series will remember this iconic intro scene as one of the few that stays with you throughout all video game history. Movies and games have long since started introductions to desolate wastelands or futuristic movies with narration, but Homeworld moves the viewer to feel as if this was more real than sci-fi. When presenting narration, filmmakers can take heed from the design of Homeworld's intro by noting the voice-over, the choice of music and sound level throughout and overall tone for this intro.

This is how sci-fi is truly meant to start out, similar to the mention of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Homeworld utilizes spaces of silence and calming voices to create an eerie feeling. With a rise in space-type movies lately, hopefully, lessons from this game will be taken into consideration.

Final Fantasy VII and Character Development

In any story making your characters grow in some way or learn a lesson is a given. Whether it be done in a cheesy 80's way, or by having them be altered in a way they won't even understand yet, it has to be done. Final Fantasy is a series that has become iconic if for the cut scenes alone. One of the arguably greatest character interactions takes place in Final Fantasy VII, Cloud and Zack in the seventh installment of the series.

Going a step further, the scene ties together the idea that Zack's memories are fading as the scene goes on due to the fact that he is dying while also trying his best to hold on to life. There are a litany of lessons in the Square Enix made cut scenes, but the most important is to be willing to build a character up even if he is going to die. Increasing movie tie-ins like Marvel's have a Jenga tower of characters that don't ever seem to go anywhere because we have no reason to believe they'd die.

Letting a character grow on the audience and then pulling them out of the fray is a powerful move that series like Game of Thrones or The Walking Dead have done so well and continue to garner praise for it. A bonus lesson for this comes in the phrase if you love someone let it go, but in film, if you love a character it's okay to let them die. 

Batman: Arkham Knight and Winning

Few movies can do to an audience what the ending to Batman: Arkham Knight easily provided. From seamless transition between gameplay and cut scenes to the Batman overcoming all odds once again, this game carries on where future Batman movies might not. Throughout the game there are flashes of the Joker, Batman's eternal enemy, shows up and the fear that Batman is becoming just like him plays on his psyche until the very end.

The scenes above are the ending cinematic and gameplay, but speak to a tip that movies can pick up on. The relationship between the movie's hero and villain has to be one that goes both ways to truly make an impact. In Batman: Arkham Knight it isn't just Joker's hate for Batman, but it's their mutual animosity towards the other that fosters it further.

Great villains need more than a simple motif of wanting to conquer or destroy the world, they need a reason to keep fighting their enemy and even show their own fears to make them more real. So when a hero finally overcomes a well-polished antagonist, it leads us to the next lesson.

Master Chief and Bad Ass Delivery

The lesson here is to always allow your extreme, over the top and badass characters be just that. Even when they have times that show emotion or remorse for their situation, letting them have fun and just live up to their abilities can't be overstated unless it's beyond the possibilities their universe sets on them. Out of the many cut scenes of the Halo series, this one has got to be the most exemplary of what it means to be the hero -- "Return the Sender" from Halo 2.

Master Chief, the iconic-suited hero of the series is always the hero. Regardless of focus, he is used as the best asset of the UNSC Naval Special Warfare Command. A prime example of the respect that should be shown for characters like this occurs in Halo 4 as the main antagonist transforms from calling Master Chief "human" to "warrior" by the end of the game. So when you have a character who's earned their scars and could reasonably be the one-man army, it's okay to let them sometimes.

Kingdom Hearts and Musicality

Square Enix knows how to tell a story, but they certainly perfected the music of this one. The Kingdom Hearts series follows young hero Sora as he tries to make it back home to his friends with the help of iconic Disney characters like Donald Duck and Goofy. The focus filmmakers can take are the uses of theme music as a sense of tying the story together. The series uses an instrumental song called Dearly Beloved from the beginning and in the end screen, but the final scene showing Sora nearly reunited with his friend utilizes the recurring intro song titled "Simple and Clean."

The theme of the series, most recognized in numerous trailers, constantly reminds players of the game. It's a masterful job of bringing back the theme with different reprises and remixes that make it iconic in video game history. When making a film, certain theme songs will forever be associated with a character or film. One that does this as a means of tying together the film with a great piece of music is Inception that focuses on the world of dreams in relation to effects on reality, just like Kingdom Hearts. Who knows, maybe Sora's had a totem the whole time.

Honorable Mentions

There's just too many great cut scenes in video games not to mention these, so here's a quick list of additional reading for study

Uncharted

The Uncharted series is known for taking its' inspiration from the big screen for cut scenes, so what lesson could you possibly learn from them? Well, what the series does better than any other is instill a James Bond sense of danger in scenarios that make sense for the character. Nathan Drake, the protagonist, doesn't ever stray from the idea that he wants one last ride or adventure then he's hanging it all up. The fourth installment does the best job in recapturing that childlike adventure he has by literally flashing back to his childhood. Movie characters need that passion about whatever it is their doing, and the audience will enjoy finding the little quirks they may identify with.

Pac-Man

There's nothing like being first, and being original is harder these days than ever. The tip to be taken from the legend of gaming is that sometimes silent little moments can progress the story in ways that might seem silly but ultimately get their point across.

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Overall, video games can teach the film industry a lot with character development and the use of literary techniques as they are inspired by the art of film itself. The greatest films of all time incorporate different aspects like those listed above, but don't have to use all at the same time to work either. Each above can be used in its own unique ways to tie together a story with real feeling and emotions behind it.

Characters exist on screen from planning and writing, but they will stay there if they aren't given real breath and emotion that the audience can connect with. Icons don't become that way by accident, and getting back to the simple lessons of storytelling can achieve that all over again.

Tali: Is it common for human women to be front-rank fighters, Chief Williams? I know that salarian women do not serve in the military.

Ashley: It’s becoming more common, but it took a long time to prove that “ladies” could handle an assault rifle or a shotgun.

Tali: On the flotilla, we don’t have the luxury of sexism. We need the best hands for every available job.

Ashley: Sounds nice, but I don’t think I could get used to the uniform.

The above quote from Mass Effect 1 perfectly summarizes in a nutshell the argument of this post: that BioWare's massively successful RPG series shows a universe that, while obviously flawed, portrays a place where merit and ability above all else determines one's lot in life. Mass Effect does plenty of things right; it's three games tell a compelling story, the third person shooter mechanics are tons of fun, the dialogue options offer a real sense of player agency, and much more. One thing that the best science fiction does is to take complex philosophical and/or political issues and comment upon them while at the same time telling a gripping story of future happenings, events, and technology. Star Trek, in particular, is famous for tackling issues such as racism, climate change, and war (among many other important topics) in its' 726 episodes and 13 movies.

The writers at BioWare, like Gene Roddenberry, Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, and other great science fiction authors and visionaries, portray real life issues before, during, and after the galaxy wide conflict with the Reapers. Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3, in particular, grapple with what it means to be a person and self determination in the face of negativity, specifically in relation to the Geth and their search for true sentience. The same conflict between the Quarians and Geth explores how prejudice and ignorance can hamper, and (if the player's decisions go the wrong way) ultimately, foil any possibility of peaceful coexistence for the two races.

However, what this post deals with is BioWare's treatment of social mobility and meritocracy across the various space faring species of the Milky Way galaxy. The following are various examples of a progressive worldview the races of the Mass Effect universe share in relation to merit, not species, class, etc.

Commander Shepard

At the start of the game the player customizes Shepard's appearance. His or her race, gender, and various other appearance based attributes can be and are changed at will. This basic fact makes meritocracy a default setting at least in the Systems Alliance. A black woman, an asian man, skinny or fat, old or young, all are welcome in the Systems Alliance and all are allowed to succeed or fail on their own abilities.

As part of the customization in the first game, the background history of Shepard can be customized. Either option, whether she/he grew up in space, an orphan on the hard scrabble streets of Earth, or on a small colony world, Shepard only got where he/she is because of their (from now on I'll just use their for convenience sake) talents and drive to succeed. The psychological profile as much as the pre-service history shows how no matter the path, Shephard got their promotion to Commander through hard work and ability, not family connections or personal wealth.

Whether holding off hordes of enemies to protect squadmates, surviving while the rest died, or simple ruthless determination, all psychological profiles show a person whose drive and talent put them on track to become the first Human Spectre. Their last name wasn't Udina, or Grisham, or Anderson, but they were still able to become a symbol, not just for Humanity, but for the whole galaxy. 

Equal treatment of LGBTQ+

The most influential and powerful Human in the galaxy, if the player chooses, can be gay. Or lesbian. Or bi sexual. Or any gender/sexual orientation. Through its' romance system (and character customization), Mass Effect allows its' player to choose their character's sexual orientation. This shows that the Mass Effect universe's races don't judge their members by gender or sexual orientation. This, however, was not without real world pushback. 

Mass Effect 3 garnered a ton of controversy for including gay romance options. Steve Cortez, the shuttle pilot on the Normandy, turns out to be homosexual. However, tragically, he is also a widow. Romancing him takes a lot of finesse, tolerance, and patience. Even if you (like me) choose to play as Femshep, or just don't pursue a relationship with him, Cortez is still a great character with a ton of depth and backstory. BioWare, as usual, put a significant amount of time and effort fleshing out Cortez as a character, and not just the obligatory gay man put in for affect.

Although lesbian relationships had been included in the previous game (ME2) with Kelly Chambers, the final game in the trilogy opened up options for same sex relationships for the male Shepard as well as the female gendered hero. Both games have bi-sexual characters; the aforementioned Chambers in ME2, and Samantha Traynor in ME3. For the first time in a flagship AAA game, both males and females had the option of engaging in same-sex relationships in game with the same characters. True meritocracies discount gender identity and sexual preference in determining the "winners" and "losers" of society. And this is the case with the species that populate BioWare's ME universe.

The Asari

If you count Liara, then all three Mass Effect games include same sex relationships. However, I don't count her. Although in appearance all Asari resemble human females (and the voice actors match said gender), they are most definitely not. They aren't all women. Or all men. Or gender fluid. They are mono-gendered. Asari biology allows for reproduction with any gender of any species. So, as a society, Asari not only won't, but CAN'T judge other Asari by gender or sexual preference. Take it a step further, and when dealing with other species, Asari in particular are truly gender blind.

If there is one race whose sexual freedom is truly progressive and accepting, it's the Asari. For a species that lives more than 1000 years, sexual and reproductive rights are trivial and don't generate controversy like they do on present day Earth. As long as it's consensual, Asari are free to copulate with whomever they like. Whether it's a female Hanar, a male Elcor (well, it probably happens), another Asari, and so on, all Asari can, and do, have consensual sex with any willing partner.

In addition, the idea of "mother" and "father" can have very different meanings for Asari. So there is no stigma attached to having "two mothers" or "two fathers," like there is in many places of 2017 Earth. Below are some snippets of conversations between Liara and her "father," Matriarch Aethyta:

Aethyta: So, yeah. My dad was a krogan.
Liara: Yes, I'm aware of that.
Aethyta: So that makes you a quarter krogan. 
Liara: That's... not how it works.
Aethyta: I'm a thousand years old. I've had kids with hanar. Don't tell me how Asari reproduction works.
Liara: Wait... I have a half sister who's part hanar?
Aethyta: I thought that wasn't how it worked.

Aethyta: Just take care of yourself out there, okay kid?
Liara: I will, Dad. 
Aethyat: Hey, I've called a few friends. Commandos. Eclipse girls who owe me some favors. They're all yours. Just tell 'em where to go.
Liara: You're giving me... Asari commandos?
Aethyat: We'll, you're too old for me to buy you a damn pony.
Liara: You're the best father a girl could wish for.

Talk about gender identity meaning nothing. If taken out of context and just given the audio transcript, most would think it odd that a "female" called their "female" parent "dad." However, Asari aren't males or females. They treat everyone equally, regardless of their parents race or sexual preference. If nepotism occurs, it occurs in a meritocratic way as well. I guess 1000+ year lifespan truly does impart wisdom.

Krogan

At first glance, this may seem like an odd choice. After all, Krogan society is heavily gender biased. However, this is simply due to numbers. With the Genophage severely curtailing Krogan births, female Krogan are guarded fiercely. This has resulted in a society divided on classic male/female gender roles (i.e. males as hunters and warriors, females as childcare providers). However, unlike in human society, this gender divide did not make female Krogan second class citizens in comparison with their male counterparts.

Putting gender aside, Krogans are fiercely egalitarian, in the most Darwinian and harsh sense. Although fiercely selfish and bloodthirsty in nature, Krogan respect others simply on their merits, nothing else. I mean it literally, NOTHING else. One of their most damning insults is, "you're not worth killing". That's as Darwinian as you can get.

Natural selection doesn't take into account the color of a turtle's skin, or the gender of a slug. Similarly, Krogans don't care if you're Human, Asari, Turian, Salarian, or a Thresher Maw. If you show yourself to be capable, then you're accepted. When the rare Krogan is born, its' status is decided purely upon the survival of the fittest principle.

When coming of age, only those Krogan who pass the Rite of Passage are allowed membership into their Clan. In ME2, Shepard helps Grunt pass his Rite of Passage by, among other things, killing a Thresher Maw -- this test many, many Krogan don't survive. In order for Clan Urdnot to approve his membership, Grunt must show that his inclusion in Wrex's Clan is merited. His skill as a warrior and survivor are proven by his successful completion of the Rite.

Wrex is able to see that Grunt is a good judge of character by Grunt's pick of Shepard as his ally in the Rite. So, for all their regressive views of violence and its' role in problem solving, Krogans are meritocratic to a fault in choosing the members of their clans.

 Gender and Racial Equality

I touched on this before with Commander Shepard, but I'd like to go into more detail with this entry, specifically among Humanity.

By the 2180s, Humanity seems to have mostly abandoned any racial, ethnic, or gender bias (at the very least among its' own kind). Depending on your choices, Captain Anderson can be a Council Member (either way he gets promoted to Admiral and already almost was the first Human Spectre), a former female convict becomes an invaluable Alliance instructor for young biotics (Jack), a clearly crippled individual is allowed to pilot one of the Alliance's most important ships (Joker), and a clearly Middle Eastern (and possibly Muslim) criminal is allowed to redeem himself and become an integral member of the player's squad (Zaeed).

Religion, ethnicity, skin color, gender, they all don't seem to matter to Humans. Even the ultra xenophobic Cerberus employs Zaeed, Jacob, Miranda, and Kasumi. When given the chance, even criminals such as Kasumi and (technically) Shepard are allowed to re-assimilate into society after having proven their good qualities and their intentions. Just because Kasumi is Asian, Zaeed is Middle Eastern, and Miranda was genetically engineered, it doesn't mean they can't succeed in the universe of Mass Effect.

The Squad

Ultimately, the greatest sign of meritocracy in the Mass Effect universe has to be your squad mates. All species, all genders, even artificial intelligences are represented in your squad across all 3 games -- hell, even a friggin' Prothean is accepted as part of the gang, and he just woke up after 50,000 years of hibernation.

If you look at the picture above, Humans aren't the majority. For Commander Shepard and their team, all that matters is that you are the best in the Galaxy at what you do, and you're useful to Shepards mission. What other group includes the first truly sentient Geth, a Prothean, EDI, two Krogans, and a bunch of former criminals (Jack, Jacob, Miranda, Kasumi, Zaeed, Thane, and technically Shepard themselves)?

If you need one example of how Mass Effect is a meritocracy, then look no further than the squad mates Shephard recruits to their cause.

Video games are becoming more complex and so are their narratives. It is natural that developers and writers collaborate in order to work toward the true potential this medium has to deliver.

The titles listed herein are only some of the examples of games that can evoke strong reactions in their audiences. As games continue to invest more into narrative, the number of examples will only continue to grow over time.

Games are powerful experiences and the best titles in this industry are by no means behind of the best books and films of all time, especially when it comes down to emotional engagement.

To the Moon (2011)

Developed by: Freebird Games

You do not need complex graphics and detailed animations to create an emotional experience. This game is an example of this.

This 2D game became famous on YouTube for making YouTubers cry, as it tells the story of two scientists whose job is to visit people who are in their final days of life and grant them their final wish.

The method, however, is unorthodox. They use a machine to enter the minds of their clients, in order to modify their memories, so they die believing their wish has been granted.

In To The Moon, the two scientists visit a new client. An old man whose dream is to go to the moon. To accomplish this, they travel through the memories of this old man, to know what to modify, in order to make him believe he went to the moon before dying.

Mass Effect 3 (2012)

Developed by: BioWare

The Mass Effect franchise is one of the best examples of how much a player can care about fictional characters and the last installment of the trilogy is the perfect embodiment of this assertion.

Through its dialogue branches and morality system, players spend three games developing deep bonds with their favorite characters and sometimes, even diving into romantic relationships with them.

In the game that marked the finale of the fight of Commander Shepard against the threat of the Reapers, an ancient race that aimed to harvest organic forms of life, players continued to develop bonds with the characters, but it all lasted until the very last mission.

I will not go into detail, in order to keep myself from giving away spoilers, but the fate of your beloved squad during the final push against the reapers will depend on the choices made during the game.

I must admit that my squad fell on the battlefield in my playthrough and seeing them dead, because of my actions, after three games of bonding sent me into one of the toughest guilt trips I have ever underwent.

One of the best example of how games can create guilt in a player. Needless to say, I dropped many tears.

Life is Strange (2013)

Developed by: Dontnod Entertainment

The first choice-driven narrative of this list. In this adventure, players control Max Caulfield, a photography student in an Academy of arts.

Fate plays its role in the story. While saving the life of her best friend, Chloe Prince, who she has not seen in years, she discovers she can rewind time.

This reunited dynamic duo starts to investigate the disappearance of Rachel Amber, a close friend of Chloe.

As players dive into the story, they learn the dark secrets of what they believed to be just a common small town. Most importantly, they need to make choices and as the game progresses, these do not fit into an obvious "right or wrong" category anymore.

This game offers some of the most difficult choices in gaming, ranging from picking the right dialogue options in order to talk a friend out of suicide, to choosing whether you should accept the request of a terminally ill friend to remove her from life support and put her out of her misery.

This game has moments that will linger with its players for a long time, if not for a lifetime.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2004)

Developed by: Konami

The third game of this storied franchise took players to where everything began, controlling an American soldier named "Naked Snake," who is traveling through the forests of the Cold War era Soviet Union, circa 1964.

Starting with a simple mission, Snake receives the objective of rescuing a Soviet scientist who wishes to defect to the United States. And of course, the mission goes awry.

Snake's mentor, a legendary soldier code-named "The Boss," defects to the Soviet Union and encounters Snake in the forest, recapturing the scientist and delivering two stolen American-made mini nuclear warheads to the Soviets, which were used to nuke the laboratory of the scientist.

The Soviet Union declares that the United States were responsible for the incident, but the Soviets gave to the Americans the opportunity to prove their innocence. 

Snake received a new mission, return to the Soviet Union and eliminate the traitor, his mentor, The Boss.

Emotions fly high in this game, as Snake clearly opposes his mission to kill his master, but he proceeds with his orders and infiltrates the forest after her.

For how long will he ignore his feelings, in order to do what is right?

This is the emotional conflict of the game and as players learn how deep the relationship between Snake and the Boss is, they will share the same inner plight as the protagonist, considering whether they should use their minds and do what is right, or follow their hearts.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (2013)

Developed by: Starbreeze Studios

No words, only feelings. This is the premise behind the narrative of this game that tells the story of two brothers out to save their terminally ill father. The only way to keep him from succumbing to his mysterious illness is collecting water from the "Tree of Life."

Throughout the game, players explore the beautiful universe of this title, as they listen to the masterful soundtrack composed by Gustaf Grefberg that can, at times, hit you in the feels itself.

And although the characters speak in a fictional language that is incomprehensible to the player, players are able to easily understand their emotions through deduction and context. What's more, the story and each characters' personalities are conveyed through gameplay, thus creating an inventive experience that mixes gameplay and narrative with mastery. 

Due to this, players easily connect with the characters and feel empathy for them as they seem to be an extension of the players. Combined with a powerful story, this game can certainly make you drop few tears.

Throughout the years, many works of art have become famous for evoking strong emotional responses from their audiences. This holds true for literature, film, television and more.

Video games can also create a vast range of emotions, but due to their interactive nature, they can evoke feelings that no other form of entertainment can, including pride and guilt, the latter of which is particularly effective in eliciting waterworks.

If you are a fan of books or movies, you have certainly experienced the trauma of either reading about or watching the death of a character you cherished dearly. It certainly did not feel good.

In videos games, you control the action, and even if you are playing a game with a linear narrative, in which you have no choices, it is your input that drives the story forward.

When a character dies as a consequence of your actions -- even if you had no choice -- it is natural to feel guilt. This remorse multiplies the sadness by a factor of 10. Interactivity give to players a sense of agency and this makes the experience more emotionally effective. You are not just reading or watching a story, you are participating in it.

With this said, here are five games that mastered how to use the interactive nature of video games to create powerful emotions -- and ended up hitting players right in the feels.

Warning: spoilers for the following games ahead:

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• Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
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• Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
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• Life is Strange
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• Mass Effect 3
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• To the Moon
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2017 is officially here. While you may still be reeling from the tide of solid releases in 2016, the new game release calendar, unfortunately, just isn’t going to wait.

This year is set to see quite a few sequels and comebacks from major franchises. Below is a list of games that, if you didn’t get a chance to play them the first go-around, you should play right now. If you have played them, you should replay them in anticipation of these new titles.

South Park: The Stick of Truth

In anticipation of South Park: Fractured But Whole

Stick of Truth was exactly what the next gen South Park game needed to be. It’s combat, albeit simple, was fun (the “summons” were definitely a highlight), the humor was very very South Park and it all actually tied into the franchise nicely.

In other words, if you haven’t played this game yet go now! There isn’t really a better time to do so. The Fractured But Whole is slated to come out soon, on March 30. TSoT is a little bit more forgiving to your schedule too since the play time is about 15-20 hours.

Bonus: If you’re not caught up on recent seasons of the show it might be a good idea to start a marathon. At the very least watch season 13 episode 2 and season 14 episodes 11-14. That whole superhero franchise thing definitely seems like it will be a huge part of the new game.

The Resident Evil series

In anticipation of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

Ok, so you may not have time to play every game in this series, but it might be worth playing one or two to hype yourself for the latest installment. There’s a small window for this one since Resident Evil 7 is supposed to release later this month on Jan. 24.

Through the demo, gamers have been able to see a game that seems to depart from the formula of its siblings. There have been reassurances from Capcom saying that this new game will not completely abandon all that makes the series what it is.

Knowing that tidbit of info, it might be a good idea to venture back into the franchise. Even if it’s just to enjoy the 'amazing' voice acting of the first.

The God of War series

In anticipation of God of War

The reveal of God of War was a highlight of the E3 2016 Sony press conference. The public got a new view of an older and paternal Kratos. A huge development for the character since past games. Big changes are coming to the God of War universe.

Playing the older games of the series would be worth it just to see the progression of the protagonist. Just look at the description for the game on its website:

“With new purpose and his son at his side, Kratos must fight for survival as powerful forces threaten to disrupt the new life he has created..."

The game doesn’t have a solid release date yet but is rumored for late 2017. That’s plenty of time to at least get started on past games.

The Mass Effect Trilogy

In anticipation of Mass Effect: Andromeda

Another game rapidly approaching release in March is the latest in the Mass Effect series, Mass Effect: Andromeda. On March 21, players will be able to explore a whole new galaxy within the Mass Effect universe.

It’s still not entirely known if Commander Shepard will have any sort of role in the game, whether it be through lore or otherwise, what we do know though is through trailers and words from BioWare. A 2015 blog post from the developer reads, “this game is very much a new adventure, taking place far away from and long after the events of the original trilogy.”

Playing the first trilogy before this release might be a good idea not only to catch up on the inner-workings of the game’s world, but this game could signal the start of something completely new. No need to miss out on a solid story line in the hype of the new.

Red Dead Redemption

In anticipation of Red Dead Redemption 2

The original Red Dead Redemption could debatably be called one of the best games of all time. Its beautiful open world is paired with a strong story and a highly personable underdog of a hero.

Fall can’t get here fast enough. The good news is though, you have plenty of time to play the first game. Especially if you never got around to finishing it the first time.

Chances are, the story of the first game is going to play into Red Dead 2, but of course, all the details aren’t out just yet.

What are the games you are playing or replaying to get ready for 2017 releases? What other games should be on the list? I would love to hear your thoughts via the comments below!

N7 Day (November 7th) recently passed us by and along with a recent issue of Game Informer, we have a slew of information about the next entry in the Mass Effect series, as well as a cinematic reveal trailer.

The cinematic reveal trailer gives us a taste of what we will be getting with Mass Effect: Andromeda. The trailer shown to us is backed with a monologue from one of the characters, and goes through several shots of the environments we might be exploring and  some of the events we may will experience.

The Ryder siblings.

When we get to pick up Mass Effect: Andromeda we will be stepping into the shoes of either of the Ryder family. Specifically we will play one of two twins, Scott (voiced by Tom Taylorson) or Sarah (voiced by Fryda Wolff). The Ryder family can be customized with players being able to edit the twin they don't play as, as well as the father, Alec Ryder.

For the game itself, there have been a lot of reported changes.

One of the major changes that many fans have been wanting for a long time: unrestricted romance options. 

Also yes. And alien kisses for boys and girls as well. https://t.co/sqivOvSdOG

— Mac Walters (@macwalterslives) November 7, 2016

Specifically speaking if you're playing a female protagonist and want to romance a female character, you can do that. The romance options are no longer gender locked.

For those of us familiar with the class system of the old games, it has been changed to be more flexible. Instead of locking into a class at the start of the game, you will fall into a class as you spec into skill trees. And if you want to respec to change how you play, you can.

If you were a fan of the loyalty missions from Mass Effect 2 and disappointed they weren't in Mass Effect 3, be glad because those loyalty missions are returning. 

And one of the bigger changes is that the Paragon and Renegade system is gone. You still have different dialogue choices that will personify your version of the character but it seems that you might not have to invest in being completely Paragon or Renegade.

Are you happy with these changes? Or do you wish the old mechanics were merely refined further? Let us know in the comments below.

Good gameplay, interesting storylines, quests which offer choices, deep companion characterization, and innovative ideas all play a key role in making you enjoy any game you play. These are my top six aspects of gaming, and that will most likely change as games become more advanced. But what are some of your ideas for what makes a great game? Or what would make a game even better for you?

6. Innovative Ideas

Too many games are getting caught up in imitating other games. Now while that can lead to better quality versions of that particular game, it can also lead to overuse of those mechanics. Most people, while they like a certain kind of game and will usually buy similar games, will usually stop buying them once they realize they are pretty much buying the same games again.

Games need to be freshened up every once in a while, otherwise as gamers grow older many will drop off the radar, because they have seen it all and played it all. If the gaming industry is to increase in growth and expand, they need to hold onto every single gamer and attract more with innovative ideas that keep those older generation excited and hungry for more.

Two games that stand out, and deserve some type of award for having achieved that very goal is Fallout 4 with its Settlement System, where you can build a settlement, and Dying Light for its extremely fun parkour mechanics. These two games have transformed their relatively simple and average gaming experience, into something truly epic, simply by adding two complex innovations. Building settlements and watching people come in to fill them up, although quite time consuming it can be quite fascinating. I can usually spend hours building a settlement, just so I can have a base in the area to get supplies, and have some sort of safe house from the wasteland. Which can be very useful, when playing survival mode.

The Parkour system is the same way, you find yourself stomping, killing, jumping, and running all the time because it is so much fun to watch your character do it. It's even more thrilling when you have Night Hunters chasing after you. Nothing gets your blood pumping like the sound of Night Hunters detecting you in the middle of the night, and being chased through a zombie infested city.

5. Interesting Companions

Companions and great voice actors are another important tool in making a decent game, into an epic game. While some people might undervalue this aspect in comparison to graphics and other areas of gaming, it does play an essential role in drawing people into their world. By having unique and interesting companions with you, makes you look forward to every piece of dialogue or conversation in the game, it makes you want to learn more about them and in doing so learn more about the world around you. Having characters that act like your wing (wo)man just generally makes you want to play the game just that little bit longer, especially if you're able to level them up and watch them gain new abilities. 

But what would really take games to a whole new level of amazing, would be to see games break the restrictions on romance options, get rid of companions that give long tedious explanations about their lives, give companions actual dialogue that relates to each main quest so that you can engage them throughout the game, design companion side quests that will have a genuine impact on the results of the main quest, and be able to befriend anyone you meet on the road, not just companions you have to use because they're part of some main quest or side quest. I think by doing all that, games could become a lot more immersive.

Lastly having voice actors that are good at what they do, by conveying emotion through their voices or bringing the characters words to life can play an important role as well. A good example of this is Ezio in Assassin's Creed Series, his voice is constantly being adapted to show his age and his maturity. Now while you might not be able to notice the subtle difference, the way it gets deeper and gritter in each Ezio game in the series does affect the way you perceive your character.

4. Choices with Consequences

I have recently begun to notice a growing trend of games providing choices that can have immediate or future consequences. This, by far, is the most exciting development in gaming history. Having choices that matter, makes you truly think about, and weigh up, each decision you make. It adds that extra spice to every single action you make, and forces you to question every single decision you make -- in a futile attempt to get some type of foresight into what is about to happen next.

But the absolute greatest thing about having choices is replayability. This allows for a whole new side of the story each time you play, and that makes you far more likely to start the game again. Plus it's nice to see, after hours of game time, the impact you have left upon the world -- whether it be good or evil.

3. Quests that matter

I cannot stress enough how important quests are in making an average game extraordinary. To do that games need to follow four simple pieces of criteria I always find myself using.

1. The side quests have to play a relevant role in supporting the main quest, whether that is subjugating rebel tribes in order for you to ascend to the throne, or simply helping you to build your reputation in the provinces. In either case those side quests have to impact the main quest in someway to give it meaning. Otherwise completing those side quests can become a tedious chore, which most people will only do because their either completionists like me or want to gain some extra experience.

2. All quests have to fit in line with what the character's role is in the game. A bad example of this is Fallout 4's Minutemen quest line, where you become a General, a rank where you would assume all you would have to do is dictate what needs to be done and assign duties. But instead we have repeat quests of you rushing to defend a settlement, rescue hostages, and clear settlements. Which would make sense for the first few settlements, because you're rebuilding, but once you have three fully functioning settlements, you should be able to use to some type of map to have your followers do some work for you. I mean what's the point of being a leader, if a lot of your time is spent doing the same stuff you already do everywhere else in the game?

You see the same problem appear in Dragon Age Inquisition, you're the inquisitor, a person with great power, and yet you are constantly reduced to a mere servant. Collecting and killing a certain amount in nearly every single side quest, except for friend quests. While the map is an excellent addition to the game, which I hope future BioWare games use, why are there only three people to assign tasks to?Surely the Spy, Commander, and Adviser all have hundreds of people under their command, yet we never get to use more than three. Why?

3. Make every side quest unique and interesting. In all honesty I would prefer to have fifteen good long side quests, rather than having hundreds of filler quests, where the only purpose is to waste your time and keep you occupied. Witcher 3 again is an excellent example of side quests that are not only useful for experience but excellent to play. It's the only game where I actively go around searching for side quests, because I don't want to miss out on anything they have in store for me.

4. The last, and most important, rule for all quests is the pacing. I hate it when a ton of quests are dropped on top of me in the first few minutes of the game. Way to make me feel the weight of the entire world resting on my shoulders! It would make so much more sense for those games with only a few good side quests to spread out the quests to places the main questline will eventually take us too. There's no need to be immediately inundated with quests that make us feel like we are being steam rolled.

2. Thrilling Storyline

The best games I have ever played, like the The Last of Us, have this incredible storyline that makes you feel every moment of it. Every heartache, every moment of joy, and every close call to death. There is no other game in my opinion that comes close enough to eclipse The Last Of Us by Naughty Dog. The story truly entrenches you in their world and makes you a part of it. You feel the pain of their loss, you feel their growing affection for other characters. You practically feel everything; the fear, the panic, and the excitement of delving through an apocalyptic world.

If the story is that good, you don't care where the story is leading you, all you can think about is how you want to see more of this world, you want to know what happens next. That's what really makes a game truly immersive and enjoyable to play.

1. Awesome Gameplay

The best games in the world have amazing gameplay that challenges gamers to devise new strategies to defeat their opponents. They also give you dozens of ways to complete a single objective. A great example of this has to be Witcher 3, where you can take out enemies with melee weapons,spells, potions, track down enemies using your senses, and you can even bewitch people and bribe them. It makes playing Witcher 3 so much more exciting knowing that you have so many options to choose from. Not to mention the quests in this game are unique and extremely well crafted, you don't get a ton of repetitive quests asking you to go and kill someone or collect an object. There are only two things that are repeated and they are contracts and quests to find armor pieces, both are optional and both change slightly each time.

But coming back to my original point that gameplay is important, you only have to compare Witcher 3 to Dragon Age Inquisition's immensely boring world to realise how important it is to be able to choose the way you complete your objectives, and the way you fight each battle. Doing the same thing over and over again can get old very quickly.

This slideshow is going to dive into what makes a game great. There are six main aspects which join together to achieve the best games, things like gameplay, interesting storylines, diverse quests with lots of choices, engaging characters, and innovative ideas. But, how do these make games great? Read on to find out!

*Beware this slideshow will contain some spoilers*

Squall is dead through the entire last half of Final Fantasy VIII

Squall is the protagonist of Final Fantasy VIII – one of the best games in the series. At the end of disc 1, Squall and his friends fight Edea, the game’s antagonist. She seems to be defeated, but then she casts a powerful spell that kills Squall.

As you play the second half of the game, you see Squall being alive again and trying to find answers to questions from the first part. You may think that he survived the hit, but this theory suggests that he didn’t survive and everything that happens in the last half of the game is simply Squall’s post-death visions.

There's lots of evidence that prove this theory and there is even a dedicated fan-made website. So, if you are a fan of the game and never heard about this theory before, then check it out for yourself and get your mind blown.

What other crazy gamer theories surprised you the most? Share them in the comments section.

Booker DeWitt, Comstock and Andrew Ryan are all the same person

The main theme of Bioshock Infinite is the existence of parallel universes and an ability to move between them. So, there is no secret anymore that Booker DeWitt and Comstock – the protagonist and antagonist of the game – are the same person that made different choices in these parallel universes.

But this gamer theory states that Booker is also Andrew Ryan, another antagonist in Bioshock Infinite. This can be proven by following Elizabeth and Booker to the underwater city of Rapture in the DLC titled “Burial at Sea”. There is a bathysphere that can be controlled only by Andrew Ryan through the process of checking his DNA. And guess what, Booker DeWitt passed the test.

This means that he is not only Comstock, but also Andrew Ryan. Bioshock Infinite is one weird game, isn’t it?

Shepard could have been indoctrinated

There are many crazy theories about the controversial ending of Mass Effect 3, but one of them has a really interesting point to it. If you remember, at the end of Mass Effect 3 Shepard is given three choices by the Harbinger: Control, Synthesis or Destroy the Reapers.

Well, many fans of the series think that this is just another manipulative move to indoctrinate Shepard and make him not destroy the Reapers after all, and here is why. The Destroy choice has a red color, which is nothing special at first, but when you think about it, you may remember that morality choices in ME3 are Paragon and Renegade, which correspond to good and evil, with the corresponding colors of blue and red.

So, if Shepard chooses to destroy the Reapers, then he will take the red choice, which makes him a bad character, and if he chooses to salvage them, then he will make a good choice, thus the theory of being manipulated by the Harbinger makes a lot of sense.

In Destiny you play for bad guys

The golden rule of any narrative states that a protagonist is a good guy, so it is a common sense to believe that when you play as a protagonist in the game, such as the Guardian in Destiny, then you are a good guy.

But what if it’s not true at all? What if Guardians are just as bad as the aliens that they fight against? The hints to this can be found while you try to sneak up to Fallen Dregs, who will notice you and yell: “It’s the Darkness!” As you may know, the Darkness is the destructive force in the universe of Destiny, so why would they call us the Darkness? That’s a really good question, isn’t it?

On top of that, ask yourself: why the enemies are called Wizards, Knights, Acolytes, but your team is called either Titans, Hunters, or Warlocks, which all have evil connotations to them. Or how about the titles of the quests you are given, such as Slaughter the Fallen, Kill Them All or Decimate The Hive. Why not something along the lines of Save the World or Protect the Innocent?

Anyway, there are a lot of good points in this theory and you may see yourself in the different light from now on when you play Destiny again.

The Pokemon universe is recovering after a great war

Have you ever wondered why there are so few middle-aged characters in the Pokemon games? Usually you only meet either kids or their grandparents. Well, it looks like this crazy gamer theory can explain such an unusual phenomenon.

It appears that the world where Pokemon takes place has suffered through a great war in which most middle-aged men simply died. That is why there are so many single mothers and old people left. There isn’t much evidence proving this, but the constant battles between Pokemon and humans hint that the war is still going, but in a more subtle way.

Another fun fact is that you see kids who don’t go to schools, and basically just do whatever and go wherever they want. Further proof that they have no fathers, who may be a little bit stricter to them.

All this may sound really wild, but the theory definitely has the right to live.

Limbo never actually ends

Limbo is one of the grimmest and most depressing games out there. It tells a story of a boy who tries to find his sister (who may or may not be dead), and eventually he does find her peacefully playing outside. But at the very end he is caught up by a leech that takes him further away from his sister once again and everything repeats once again.

This gamer theory states that the ending is not real (meaning that he doesn’t actually find his sister – it’s just an illusion) and everything that happens is just the boy’s post-death visions that repeat themselves endlessly. That is also why he will never stop running away from the scary spider, and that he will never get out of this nightmarish limbo.

Fallout and Skyrim are parts of the same universe

The source of this gamer theory is a tiny easter egg that fans located in Fallout 4. As you search for Prydwen, a Brotherhood of Steel airship floating above Boston, go to the main deck and find a room full of scientific experiments. There you will see a small garden of familiarly-looking plants.

The description of the plants states that they emit strange sounds and cause addiction. They also look very similar to the Nirnroot plants that can be found in Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. So, does this mean that Skyrim and Fallout take place in the same world? That is absolutely possible, just in different time periods – one in the future and one in the past, but which is when?

Gamers have always been very creative and smart group of people. They obviously like playing games a lot, but what gamers probably love even more than that is debating about the events that take place in their favorite titles. The amount of research, and effort that some of them put into finding the clues to their most beloved stories is staggering.

Gamers like speculating about games that haven’t even been released yet, thus create a whole lot of theories. But the best ones come after the releases of the biggest franchises, and this is where their imagination skills go above and beyond.

However, no matter how strange and unbelievable some of these theories may sound, they can actually be totally legit. So, let’s check out some of the craziest and most incredible gamer theories.

Spoilers ahead for:

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• Limbo
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• Fallout 4
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• Skyrim
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• Mass Effect 3
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• BioShock series (and all DLC)
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• Final Fantasy VIII
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Backwards compatibility is an important feature for gaming. It helps preserve our gaming history and helps ease us into a new generation of gaming. Sure, it's great that we're getting Definitive Editions/Remasted versions of games like Bioshock, The Last of Us, GTA V, and Uncharted, but we know that not every game has a chance at that.

So here's a more cost effective way to let us keep the games we love and still preserve them without having to buy a PC. It's also better than PS Now and it's god awful subscriptions.

Call of Duty series

Say what you will about the Call of Duty series, but you know at least one person who loves at least one of the games in the series -- whether it be the "classic" WW2 era Call of Duty games (Call of Duty Classic, 2, 3, and World at War), the Modern Warfare series, or the Black Ops series.

With Call of Duty 4 being remastered, why not let people try the other games of the sub-series they like and let pessimists replay the OG games they love so much?

On another note, why isn't Black Ops 2 backwards compatible yet? Black Ops 1 is and Black Ops 2 is the most requested game for backwards compatibility. So it only makes sense.

Dead Rising 1 and 2

O.K., I'll admit, I'm starting to cheat with 2 games instead of one on the list, But it's hard to choose one game, especially if it's part of a franchise. With Dead Rising 3 an Xbox One exclusive, Dead Rising 4 coming later this year for Xbox One, and the series 10th anniversary coming up, it makes perfect sense to put both Dead Rising 1 and 2 on Xbox One.

Dead Rising was one of the first open world games on 7th generation of consoles and is still a fun, zombie slaying good time. Dead Rising 2 improved the game with it's weapon combination system and some great DLC storylines. Hell, Dead Rising 2 was even remade with Frank West as the main character, as Dead Rising 2: Off the Record. So come on Capcom and Microsoft, give us more Dead Rising on Xbox.

Crackdown

Originally known as "that game with the Halo 3 beta," Crackdown surprised people by actually being pretty fun. Created by David Jones, the creator of the GTA franchise, Crackdown puts players in an open world city as a super powered cop that was tasked to take down the biggest and baddest criminal organizations. 

Sure, there was little plot, but Crackdown made up for that with great super powers, an excellent open world, addictive grinding, and some great Co-Op action. With the third game coming next year, it'd be a great idea to let gamers who never played the original see where it all started... but lets never make the sequel backwards compatible.

Mass Effect 2 and 3

Mass Effect 2 and 3 are two of my favorite games of all time. I can't tell anyone how many hours I've put into these excellent games from Bioware, since the first game came out when I was still in High School. The epic storylines, addictive gameplay, complex characters, fantastic worlds, and so much more make Mass Effect one of the greatest franchises out there.

With Mass Effect 1 already being made backwards compatible and Microsoft confirming compatibility with multiple disks not being a big issue, it makes sense to bring these epic sequels to Xbox One.

Grand Theft Auto IV

GTA IV holds a special place in many gamers lives, as it was the first GTA game on HD consoles. The story of Nikko Bellic coming to America and getting involved with the criminal world of Liberty City still holds it's own, even against the antics of Micheal, Franklin, and Trevor.

Sure, there are things in GTA IV that haven't aged as well. Mission checkpoints are nearly nonexistent -- making you restart missions from the very beginning if you fail, car controls feel more stiff compared to other titles, and Roman can get downright annoying. That said, the world, gameplay, and storyline are still worth playing. In addition, seeing how improved Red Dead Redemption was when playing it on Xbox One, it would be amazing to see what Microsoft and Rockstar could do with GTA IV to make it a better game.

I love GTA V. It's one of my favorite games and one of few open world games that lasts 30-40 hours that I can replay over and over again for so many hours. But sometimes I love to go back to past installments and see how much has been improved, while experiencing the story over again.

Say what you will about the Xbox One, but if there's one thing that it has over the PS4, it's this little thing called Backwards Compatibility. True, it's a bit silly that it has taken a few years for the console to be compatible with dozen's of its predecessor's games -- with more to come -- where as the Wii U was backwards compatible from the start. However, that shouldn't stop us from celebrating the dozen's of titles that have become available with the system.

Assassin's Creed 2, Red Dead Redemption, Mass Effect, and so many more have given us reasons to go back to the past and play the games that kicked ass. With more on the way, here are just a few games that should be added to the Xbox One backwards compatibility list.

There hasn't been a new entry in the Mass Effect series since 2012's Mass Effect 3, the final game of the trilogy covering the story of Commander Shepard, and his or her battle against the mysterious and devastating Reapers. The good news for Mass Effect fans is that the newest entry, Mass Effect: Andromeda, is finally visible on the horizon. As I covered earlier this week, the game recently received a new teaser trailer for this year's E3 conference, and is still on pace for a release sometime in "early 2017."

With that said, now is the perfect time for those who are curious about the Mass Effect franchise to dive into the original trilogy and experience it for themselves. New players might be curious which of Shepard's various teammates throughout the series are the most helpful in the various firefights they will find themselves in through all three games. Here are my top 5 teammates for new Mass Effect players, presented in no particular order along with the games they appear in.

[Image source]

Liara T'Soni

Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2*, Mass Effect 3

The operation to rescue Liara from a detachment of Saren's forces, including a final showdown with a particularly hardy krogan commander and his geth troops, is in my honest opinion one of the most difficult moments to overcome early in a first playthrough of Mass Effect, but the reward is well worth it. Though she is a researcher and academic by trade, Liara has powerful biotic abilities that give her flexibility on the battlefield. Powers like Warp and Throw (only ME1) are good single-target choices, while Singularity can hit multiple weaker targets at once, freeing up Shepard and the squad to focus on more urgent threats or pile onto the enemies left defenseless while in the radius. In the first Mass Effect, her Barrier can be the key to Liara surviving heated battles, since she won't be able to take as much damage as, say, Wrex. Liara's also great for setting up biotic combos with Shepard and the other teammate as well.

Liara's an available teammate from fairly early in Mass Effect and even earlier in Mass Effect 3, but you'll only be able to team up with her in Mass Effect 2 during the "Lair of the Shadow Broker" DLC. You can compensate the rest of the time using Miranda and/or Samara, as necessary.

Garrus Vakarian

Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, Mass Effect 3

The always-dependable Garrus is a great choice for general damage-dealing purposes. Players who choose classes like Engineer or Infiltrator for their Shepard might find Garrus a godsend for the more chaotic firefights they encounter throughout the series. Abilities like Overload (which fries enemies' shields) and his Armor-Piercing Ammo are tailor-made counters for hardier enemies. Meanwhile others, like Concussive Shot, make for good crowd control. As an added bonus, he's available early on in every game in the series, meaning that Shepards with glaring combat weaknesses have the option to compensate relatively quickly. Garrus isn't the flashiest or most unique ally, but he always makes battles easier, and that in itself is a great asset.

Urdnot Wrex / Grunt

Mass Effect (Wrex), Mass Effect 2 (Grunt, pictured above)

This will probably come as no surprise, but the two krogan teammates Shepard encounters throughout the series are natural tanks, great at attacting and soaking up a ton of damage before dishing it back out to enemies. Wrex in Mass Effect is particularly handy to have around, because his biotic abilities further extend his versatility and survivability in battle. He has many of the same abilities as Liara (not her Singularity though, unfortunately), but isn't a pure biotic. The meat of his power comes from his weapons, while his biotic powers can soften up tough targets for both himself and the rest of Shepard's team. Grunt eschews biotic power and serves solely as a tank, but an incredibly sturdy and powerful one. One particular research project, his Claymore shotgun, makes him devastating at close range, making him a great decoy for players who prefer to snipe from afar with Shepard rather than charge right in.

Thane Krios

Mass Effect 2

For those players who do like to charge right in, and therefore chose a class such as Vanguard for their Shepard, here's a quality sniper to consider to cover your back. While Garrus can operate as a sniper, and a pretty good one, Thane seems to be, more equipped for the job. For example, his biotic powers (especially Warp, one of my favorite powers in the entire series) are perfect for softening targets, which can then make them susceptible to one of his perfectly placed sniper's bullets. His loyalty power, Shredder Ammo, acts exactly as its name suggests, which can benefit him up close with his SMG, and from afar with his rifle. The only downside to Thane is that he isn't available until fairly late in the game (and only in Mass Effect 2, sadly), but at least this gives you time to tailor Shepard's skill tree and determine his or her vulnerabilities. Thane's precision can make the final "suicide mission" a much easier affair if he's added to Shepard's squad. 

Tali'Zorah vas Normandy

Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, Mass Effect 3

I have to admit, I saved my favorite teammate for last here. In all my time playing the Mass Effect series, Tali almost never leaves my squad when she's available. Some part of this probably has to do with my personal fascination with the quarians, but I prefer her over almost everyone else because her skill set can easily turn the tide of battle. She's pretty frail, as teammates go, which makes positioning key to keeping her alive. She primarily uses SMGs and shotguns, which makes her skilled in mid- to close-range combat. It is her tech powers as an engineer, however, that make her valuable on the battlefield. She can hack electronic targets, making her particularly lethal against the geth (naturally, being a quarian and all), but also against targets such as Cerberus Atlas mechs in Mass Effect 3.  My personal favorite among her skills is her combat drone, whom she affectionately calls "Chatikka" in Mass Effect 2. Once fully upgraded, it's capable of wreaking absolute havoc on targets, distracting or outright destroying them. It can be used in tense firefights to buy a few seconds, which can be critical to get a wounded Shepard into cover to heal. The other teammate, or Shepard for that matter, can also use the drone to distract enemies, and then flank them for easier battles. She can also use Energy Drain to take the shield energy of enemies to refuel her own, and in Mass Effect 3 she can deploy a defensive drone to complement the offensive combat drone and protect herself, as well.

For the Mass Effect veterans out there: does your Top 5 list look completely different? Do you have any insight you want to share with newcomers? Please feel free to leave a comment below!

[All other images source]

Okay, chances are no one is actually going to use the cheesy pick-up line they heard in a video game while trying to woo their potential significant other. Honestly, if you said some of this stuff on a first date the other person may just laugh you out of the restaurant, so be wary of what escapes your open mouth.

With that general warning aside, if you do have a significant other who is deeply into video games or is as cheesy as you, then by all means start tossing out some video game pick-up lines. Hey, maybe one of them will work tonight!

The Smoothest, Cheesiest, and the very Best Pick-Up Lines:

"Maybe I'll let you do a strip search on me."

Okay, this one seriously goes against everything a doctor would stand for in real life. In Metal Gear Solid, Snake is offered the chance to receive a very sensual striptease from a certain long-haired doctor - Naomi - with a few proclivities on her mind.

Snake, being the total player that he is, responds, "I'll hold you to that, doctor." The rest is history, as some would say.

"I already checked you out, Commander."

This one could be taken as a harmless comment, but come on! Being the commander of a massive army in StarCraft: Brood War is supposed to be an attractive concept. The sultry medic within the game often spurts out lines like this one in her smooth, jazzy voice. 

If you take it too far, though, she will mock you and inquire into your need for yet another full physical.

"I would gladly cut my belly for you."

Sure, this one is a tad bit creepy and unsettling, but back in the ancient times of Way of the Samurai 4, this pick-up line probably worked on all of the dangerous women who carry large swords.

When it comes to wooing a female character in the game, your options are almost limitless. Basically, you can go as far as telling her to "open her borders" for you. It's a bit creepy, a tad bit raunchy, and totally worthy of mention.

"I see a strong, passionate man. With a great ass."

The relationship between Commander Shephard and Ashley in Mass Effect 3 is one worthy of an entire romance novel. There are plenty of romantic gestures and lines used throughout the game, but this one stands out the most.

In this particular scene, Shephard asks Ashley, "Is my rank all you see when you look at me?" Ashley, being the smooth criminal she truly is, responds, "No, I see a strong, passionate man. With a great ass." She couldn't make things any clearer for the Commander.

"The only music I'm interested in is creakin' bed-springs while I take you for a magic ride on my purple submarine."

Leisure Suit Larry is packed to near explosion with cheesy, horrible pick-up lines that are hilarious, but should never be used in the wild. Read the above if you think we're joking whatsoever. This particular gem of a line hails from the Box Office Bust title, which contains even more raunchy lines that come across as cringe-inducing.

Larry is a dirty bird, for sure.

"Is there a thief in the Vault? 'Cause you stole my heart"

Simple, straight to the point, and beyond cheesy. Fallout Shelter is just a pure wonderland for pick-up lines if you keep an eye on the residence room. Whenever two dwellers come together, the lines just flow with such ease. This one is just a sample, but it is actually quite elegant once you really read it. It's a bit sweet, too!

These are just a few of the odd pick-up lines hailing from various video games. It is up to you whether or not to make use of them in the real world.

Mass Effect will be opening up a new Theme Park ride at Great America in Santa Carla, CA. It will launch on May 18th of this month and is called Mass Effect: New Earth 4D.  

 This up close and personal experience will place you on the Normandy with Commander Shepard. A live action performer will be playing the part of captain on your voyage while interacting with the holographic screen. You, along with the other ride participants, will be seated in an 80 seat theater equipped with motion seats, wind effects, water, leg pokers, neck tinglers, and surround sound. 

“It’s very important that we create an attraction that fits seamlessly in the world of Mass Effect, while including the elements we know are critical to making a good amusement park experience. We want to ensure that dedicated fans and park-goers being introduced to the franchise alike walk away thrilled and excited.”

-- Christian Dieckmann, Corporate Vice President of Strategic Growth at Cedar Fair Entertainment

Also to come to Great America theme park rides are Rabbids and Assassin's Creed. Nintendo may also soon be in the mix of up and coming attractions. The new Mass Effect game, Andromeda, is set to release sometime next year. 

What's worse than a really bad game? Well, not much to be honest.

There is one thing though that can make a bad game seem not too awful: a great game with a really bad ending. You invest all your time and energy into the story and the characters only for it all to crash and burn at the end. It's like the writers took all the great things they did and just threw them in the dumpster for some odd reason.

I feel that it's worse to go through a game that you really enjoy to be left in complete disappointment at it's end. You feel lied to, plain and simple.

This list is based on my personal experiences. There are some games with bad endings that I haven't managed to play yet or some that I think are alright or did well. So if you guys disagree, always leave a comment.

1. Dragon Age: Origins/Awakening

This choice is interesting for me because its ending was actually ruined by the beginning of its expansion.

You are probably thinking: "What in the heck do you mean by that? You can pretty much choose the ending!" Let me explain.

In my own playthrough of Dragon Age: Origins, I chose the ending where I sacrificed myself to save the world (yes I just love martyrdom in my fantasy settings!) After all I went through and the tremendous sacrifice that I made, I felt I'd perfectly wrapped up the story I was a part of and had influenced. I was rather puzzled at the time when I heard that BioWare was releasing an expansion to Origins. I thought: "What more could they tell?" I was excited, however, because I loved the base game. Once I booted up Awakening, I was shocked to see my character from the previous game alive and well. Awakening is supposed take place AFTER Origins. I felt like I was cheated, like my choices didn't matter at all. I was pretty mad about that. So, whatever you folks think, I had to put Dragon Age: Origins and its expansion, Awakening, on here.

2. Mass Effect 3

Guys I promise you, I'm not dumping on BioWare. But, from what I have seen, quite a few of their games ended on a bad note. I think there are numerous reasons for this but I think the biggest is that they already have a pre-determined ending where no matter what, your choices aren't going to matter. Who could forget the rollercoaster that was Mass Effect 3. Oh lordy. Never has a game gotten me so invested in what it's trying to do, but left me angry and disappointed. Now, in my opinion, I feel that Mass Effect 3 could have been one of the greatest games of all time. The first 98% of the game was one of the greatest gaming experiences I have ever had IN MY LIFE. That's how much I loved this game. But, its ending ruined it all.

I literally cried over the deaths of Mordin and Thane. Never have I cared for fictional game characters like I did those two. When I got to the end, I saw that I pretty much only had two choices to make on how to end it all. I actually got so angry at this I was physically shaking. Yeah I was that mad. I spent $60 bucks to complete this amazing adventure I'd been on with Commander Shepard only to have it reduced to Red Choice or Blue Choice. Luckily, I had the third option based upon certain choices I made so I went with the synthesis option (or The Green Choice.) But still, if you didn't get enough points to get that ending, you were left with only two choices! And while I know that BioWare (well, EA is truly to blame) tried to make up for it by expanding the ending, it didn't do much. You still felt lied to and manipulated by what happened. So, for that, Mass Effect 3 had to make this list.

3. Resident Evil 5

This game literally makes my brain hurt thinking about it. There are so many good elements to Resident Evil 5 but it's tainted by all the stupid things that are in it. It's like if you bought a really good bottle of wine but with it comes an instruction to pour half of it out to "maximize your tasting experience." That is what RE5 is all about. As for the ending, I think I only need to show this:

4. Dead Space 3

Oh EA, why must you ruin good things?

Dead Space 3's ending is mostly ruined by two things:

1. The whole game in general went way, WAY away from its survival horror roots and turned into a post-RE4 survival horror action game

2. It made no sense to the overall story that it was trying to tell. It's like EA totally forgot that the previous two games existed.

My biggest problem with the ending is that it culminates with this huge, boring (to me)apocalyptic-like ending. It tries to push the Isaac and Ellie angle into this uninteresting mold. Instead of ending this game on a high note since this was to be the last game of the franchise, it leaves us with an ambiguous and strange ending -- with post-credits scene hinting at something more to come.

Please, don't do these things at the end of a game that's supposed to end a franchise! It just leaves us wanting more and more. The worst part is that we know we aren't going to get it. I know I praised BioShock Infinite in my other article for doing things right, but Dead Space 3 fails is that it uses the few connections it had to the franchise to make it feel like it was Dead Space, when it wasn't.

Quit baiting us EA!

5. Batman: Arkham Asylum

Talk about a letdown at the end to a great game. I still don't know why Warner Bros. went with the ending they gave to Batman: Arkham Asylum. I know that the game was meant to be a set-up for a franchise, but The Joker should never ever be turned into a giant Bane-monster. Just never. The fight between Batman and Joker-Bane-Monster was also overly simplistic. The Joker didn't feel like a threat, even with the Venom juice making him into a giant monster. You didn't even fight him most of time. You just fought his goons and pulled him down throw punches at him. Honestly, what was the whole point of fighting The Joker in this manner?

It almost feels that at this point in the game the developers just wanted to get to the end and get to work on the next big game in the series, which was Batman: Arkham City. I mean, how else do you explain it? How do you explain this?:

In the words of JonTron: "I'm speechless. I got nothin'."

What do you folks think? Leave a comment and check out my other article: Top 5 Games With Epic Endings!

Potential Movie: The Duke: Nuk'em All or Land of the Babes

Yes, I know that the Duke hasn't exactly been that popular since the 90s and his return to video games wasn't exactly well received, but let's face facts; you can't hate on the Duke.

With the return of 80s style movies, older action heroes gracing our screens once again (and kicking ass doing so!), parodies of 80s tropes and more, who couldn't see a slick comedy/action/sci-fi with the Duke played by, gee I dunno, the Governator? Maybe even throw Seth Rogen in there for comic relief? Yeah, I'd pay to see that, but then again I am a child of the 90s and love crude, crude humour (admit it, you do too). 

Well that was the last I had for you here at GameSkinny!

Each video took more than eight hours to produce, and were all made for fun and entertainment. I want to know what you all thought of my videos, so please leave a comment below, and I'll be happy to reply. If you like them, why not check out more on my YouTube channel Shark Tank Gaming.

Potential Movie: Abe's Exoddus or The Oddworld Inhabitants

I was watching the trailer for Warcraft the other day, and don't get me wrong, I think it will be awesome. The trailer is fantastic and it has one of my favourite actors, Travis Fimmel in the lead (though what's up with that Ragnar accent yet again? Is he Viking in Warcraft as well? I digress).

It got me to thinking, if a movie like Warcraft has been made and the graphics look fantastic, then why hasn't our resourceful, little buddy Abe, a.k.a Stitchlips,, not made the cut? It has a dark and gritty (yet engaging and original) story, cannibalism, aliens, traps and body possessions; the list goes on. I could really see a big budget studio take this on, and if they stick close to the original material, it could be a gold mine. Who doesn't remember sending those helpless, poor Mudokons to their doom, by accident of course...right?

Who do you think should play (or voice) the main and supporting characters?

Potential Movie: Mass Effect or Dawn of the Reapers (3-Part Trilogy)

Absolutely one of my favorite gaming franchises since, I can't even remember, Mass Effect had it all except a proper ending. (Or did they? Look up 'The Indoctrination Theory' and prepare to have your mind blown!) Still, it has everything you loved in a game, but as a movie, it may not be that engaging. Passively taking in Shepard's story may not have the same effect but...I don't care. Seeing Commander Shepard on the big screen would be glorious, especially if done as a sci-fi (duh)/action/psychological thriller (yet again). Imagine a crazy twist or journeying into Shepard's mind while the Reapers toy with him? I'm already salivating...

Who do you think should play (or voice) the main and supporting characters?

Potential Movie: FarCry (3)

By far my favorite FarCry of them all. I absolute love the storyline and the characters in the third installment, especially Vaas. (Anyone else see a little bit of the Joker in there?) If you actually look further into the story and the symbolic/psychological undertones, you have some great material for an action/adventure/psychological thriller. Take my money...

Who do you think should play the main and supporting characters?

*Video courtesy of YouTube channel, WatchMojo.

 With all of the video game movies that are produced eventually being churned out as horrible, B-grade disasters, I've always wondered why the film industry selects games that don't work as movies? With so many story rich titles out there prime for the red carpet, for the life of me, I just can't understand it. Once, just once, I would really love a team or studio to tackle a game they really understand AND have the budget to pull it off (pointing fingers at YOU Uwe Boll).

I haven't found a video game adaptation that I have really enjoyed yet, and those that I can stand seem to be getting fewer every year with little hope on the horizon.

Having said that, I created a few mock trailer videos of my own, inspired by games that I love (and would make killer movies) in hopes that maybe, just maybe one day, we can see some justice done.

Click next to check out which titles I think would rock the world and put games on par with comic book movies! ENJOY!

*NOTE: Please select the highest display settings for best quality! YouTube has a habit of marking them down.*

"Brothers" from Fullmetal Alchemist

A bonus track. All of the videos I covered over the past few slides were made by AtinPiano, and you can find his channel here.

If you are interested in learning how to play piano though, FlowKey can help on your mobile or tablet devices to rewind and show you what key to press. Otherwise, look for a professional to teach you. It is never too late to start!

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Music composed by Michiru Oshima
Arranged for piano by Sebastian Wolff, Michael Gluck and AtinPiano
Fullmetal Alchemist © Copyright: 2003 BONES, Sony/Aniplex, FUNimation Productions

Download the sheets here.

#1 "Cohen's Masterpiece" from the Bioshock OST

During a Reddit AMA, composer Garry Schyman spoke about this piece, saying:

\n

"Cohen's Masterpiece" was a blast to write. He was described to me as a crazy but brilliant artist but he was reactionary in his artistic tastes. I did NOT know that Cohen would blow up the pianist who was practicing the piece. It was a LOL moment when I discovered that!

\n

If you are attempting to learn this piece, you will need to be prepared to go from a powerful stroke to a soft key press. It might take you a while to learn, but this piece would be a great goal to have.

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Music composed by Garry Schyman
Bioshock © Copyright: 2007 2k Games Inc.

#2 "One Winged Angel" from the Final Fantasy VII Piano Collections

The piano version sounds eerily close to the Orchestral version, which makes it much more interesting to learn. The difficulty for the song is a step higher than the rest of the songs covered so far. But if you can do it, link a video in the comments so the rest of us can check it out!

I linked the orchestral version below for "One Winged Angel", if you want to compare the two pieces. And if you are interested in something that is even harder, check out "Cohen's Masterpiece" from the original Bioshock game next.

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Music composed by Nobuo Uematsu
Arranged for piano by Shiro Hamaguchi
Final Fantasy VII © Copyright: 1997 Square Co., Ltd

#3 "JENOVA" from the Final Fantasy VII Piano Collections

Jenova was a major antagonist in Final Fantasy VII and it befits her to be presented with a gorgeous piano accompaniment. While the song itself may seem daunting, the difficulty is mostly in the rapid movement. There is a bit of a forte, or heavy key pressing in the beginning that moves towards a softer version later on. But thankfully there isn't a wide range of jumping up a few octaves (I tend to personally make mistakes on those). This piece is easier though than the "One Winged Angel", which is next on our list of songs to learn.

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Music composed by Nobuo Uematsu
Arranged for piano by Shiro Hamaguchi
Final Fantasy VII © Copyright: 1997 Square Co., Ltd

#4 "To Zanarkand" from the Final Fantasy X Piano Collections

This song is what got me interested in learning piano. I keep mentioning goals and stuff like that, so this is mine. At times it is a pianissimo, which means playing softly. It has a build up though, and for people that have played the game it does speak to the listener.

All together though, Final Fantasy tends to be on the higher difficulty side when it comes to learning how to play the piano, but that doesn't make it any less worth it to learn and play. There is another Final Fantasy piece next, with "Jenova" from Final Fantasy 7.

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Music composed by Nobuo Uematsu
Arranged for piano by Masashi Hamazu
Final Fantasy X © Copyright: 2001 Square Co., Ltd

#5 "Heart of Courage" by Two Steps from Hell

With a slow beginning, "Heart of Courage" picks up at around 32 seconds in with the right hand coming in at 45 seconds. There is a lot of the repetition that helps you learn how to play piano, but the intensity of the left hand is something else entirely.

Personally I'm still learning this piece, mostly because I picked up the bad habit of the left hand being stronger than the right hand. It kind of reinforces it, but I still want to learn this song and you should too. Anyways, if you remember Final Fantasy X, check out "To Zanarkand" next.

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Music composed by Nick Phoenix & Thomas J. Bergersen
Arranged for piano by Mark Fowler
Soundmix by sayasound.com
© Copyright: 2006 Two Steps from Hell Ltd

#6 "Main Theme" from The Last of Us

Repetition helps when learning pieces in piano. With this piece there is an emphasis on the right hand more than the left hand, which definitely makes things much easier than than what you will encounter with later songs on this list. The Last of Us was nominated for 14 awards in the music alone, so it helps to wow your friends to learn this piece at least.

The next piece isn't in a particular game, but rather is in a bunch of them. So check out Two Steps from Hell and "Heart of Courage".

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Music composed by Gustavo Santaolalla
Arranged for piano by Acuity1980
Transcribed by Jake Schadewe
The Last of Us © Copyright: 2013 Naughty Dog / SCE Inc.

Download the sheet music here.

#7 "Elizabeth's Theme" from Bioshock Infinite

Another simple repetition song at the very beginning, "Elizabeth's Theme" starts with your left hand with your right hand entering at 15 seconds in. With strong deep keys, the right hand swings up an octave later on. Minute 1:06 may be a problem if you aren't used to positions on the keyboard, but thankfully it isn't both hands that have to sweep up and down the keyboard

The next song though is pretty easy to learn and comes from The Last of Us, so check that out!

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"Elizabeth's Theme" is composed by Garry Shyman for Bioshock Infinite. The piano version was arranged by Taioo.

#8 "An End, Once and For All" from Mass Effect 3

If you are considering an easy song to learn, this one has a simple repetition up to minute 1:09. From there, you will need to do a scale on the left hand, with the repetition continuing with the right hand. At 1:29 it goes back to the repetition with long notes, so it becomes easier to pick at the notes on the piano and remember their positions.

Bioshock Infinite's "Elizabeth's Theme" is next, which is another easy song to pick up.

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Composed by Sam Hulick, "An End, Once and For All" is a score made for Mass Effect 3. The piano version created by Sebastian Wolff. You can get the sheets here.

I love video game music. It isn't the trailers that get me to play a game as much as it is the soundtrack behind it. In that sense, I think that the best date someone could have taken me on would have been two tickets to the London Philharmonic Orchestra when they were playing "The Greatest Video Game Music" session.

But rather than paying the cost to fly halfway across the world to attend the concert, there is a cheaper alternative to being able to listen to what I love -- by learning how to play it. As an added bonus, you'll have something to brag to your friends about.

It's also something that you can add to a resume, along with cooking, to attract potential dates. This might be a horrible reason to learn how to do anything, but it works.

So I put together a list of songs that you can learn how to play on the piano, ranged from easy to hard. I know a few of them, and I'm personally working on the rest. (Although, for the really hard ones I might bribe a friend to play for me.)

So lets start with something simple but gorgeous, "An End, once and for all" from Mass Effect 3.

There you have it!

These are my top five Mass Effect companions, the ones I fell in love with.

With the amount of companions available in the Mass Effect trilogy, you almost certainly disagree with me with some of my choices, so which companions did you like best? Be sure to let me know in the comments below!

1. Garrus Vakarian (Mass Effect)

Both I and my version of Shepherd loved Garrus. Not only was he a decent fighter, he was also very sweet and was entirely loyal to Shepard.

He also had one of the personalities that resonated with me the most. He was dark: "It's so much easier to see the world in black and white. Gray... I don't know what to do with gray."

And he was awkward, especially when pertaining to the optional romance you could have with him (which just made me love him even more): "So... your, uh, hair looks good. And your waist is... very supportive."

How could you not love Garrus?

2. Grunt (Mass Effect 2)

Two Krogans on this list? Yep. Two.

Grunt was my go-to companion in the second game. Like Wrex, he was strong and made a great fighter to play through the game with. He was a different Krogan though. Being tube-bred, he had slightly different views and I wanted to know them all.

His loyalty mission was one of my favorites too (and one of the most difficult, which was a nice surprise considering how easy I thought the majority of the rest of the game to be).

Did you hear some of Grunt's one-liners? Like Wrex, he was insanely funny. 

"I don't need luck; I just need ammo."

3. Liara T'Soni (Mass Effect)

Liara was my female crush throughout the Mass Effect trilogy. Plainly, she wasn't annoying (she didn't just complain about everything and seemed to have a real personality). Have you seen her design too? She is downright gorgeous. She has a nice shade of blue and has subtle features. I love it.

Liara also becomes a huge asset in the second game. I don't want to spoil anything in case someone hasn't played the games yet, but trust me when I say she becomes super important and that made me love her even more.

4. Urdnot Wrex (Mass Effect)

Wrex was one of those characters you wanted on your team and knew you needed on your team. He was strong and fought well, especially on the harder difficulties. As a Krogan on the good side, he was also able to shed some light on a whole bunch of issues (particularly towards the end of the first Mass Effect).

Wrex also had some good comedic lines to lighten the mood: "Anyone who fights us is either stupid or on Saren's payroll. Killing the latter is business. Killing the former is a favor to the universe."

5. Legion (Mass Effect 2)

Despite being a Geth, Legion was undoubtedly cool. He saved Shepard and his team by sniping some baddies. He created conflict by being a Geth, especially with Tali. He shed light on the Geth, knowledge that none of the crew had known one before. He just looks amazing too! He obviously looks like a Geth since he is one, but he still proudly wears the colors assigned to him by Shepard.

Let me just point out how adorable the term "Shepard-Commander" is as well.

N7 Day is upon us!

Mass Effect day, affectionately called N7 Day, just passed, and since companions are such a huge part of the trilogy (they can make or break a playthrough) here's my top 5 companions from the Mass Effect trilogy as a tribute.

"Video games are for kids."

I'm sure we've all heard this wonderful sentence before. Whether it's from someone who just don't plain understand or a douchebag, it's okay since you know the truth.

Of course, we'll often counteract by schooling them with a bit of knowledge. "The majority of gamers are between the ages of 18 to 35" is the usual retort.

However, it does get complicated when they see you're playing Pokemon.

Good luck!

Did I leave out any of your pet peeves? If so, please leave a comment below!

Image source: First Cry India

Shoehorning multiplayer into single player games (or as I call it "You've got your chocolate in my peanut butter!")

As someone that is just not into multiplayer, this is a very personal sin to me.

For the most part, when this happens, it usually is not that big of a deal. At first, I was annoyed when Naughty Dog put multiplayer into the Uncharted series, but it turned out alright. If the singleplayer experience can still exist without relying on multiplayer, it's not an issue. Yes, it sucks when they incorporate multiplayer trophies, but I can live with that.

What I can't live with is my "galactic readiness" being influenced by how often I play multiplayer. Seriously? I didn't ask for multiplayer when I bought a story-driven RPG, EA! 

Biggest offender: Mass Effect 3

Image source: YouTube

Low controller battery (and short charge cables)

So you're deeply absorbed into the lore of your game of choice. For example, let's say you're playing a episodic story series such as Life is Strange. You're watching an emotional scene play out in front of you when you hear an alert.

Your eyes can't help but to avert to the top-right corner of your screen to see "low battery warning." The gripping emotional drama must wait while you slide your butt over to your PS4 to plug in the charge cable. Also, I hope you like the floor because that cable won't reach your sofa.

Image source: Extreme Tech

Servers offline 

This pet peeve is often always inevitable. If you're a huge MMO player, you probably often experience frequent server maintenance or server crashes on launch day.

If you're a fan of Blizzard games, well then I'm certain this happens to you every Tuesday.

Of course, the worse instance of this might have been with the release of Sim City. For a game developed to be online-only, EA's servers were always down or booting players from their games.

Although it was never officially stated, it is likely the disastrous release of Sim City was the possible cause behind the closure of its developer Maxis. 

Worst offenders: MMOs and Sim City

Image source: Tech Geek Gamer

Excessive swearing and general douchebaggery of online gaming

Typically, I am not into online gaming. This is definitely one of the reasons. We have all heard some moron or collective of morons yelling obscenities about each other's moms while we're trying to play an online match.

What's worse is when you don't have a headset and their prepubescent voices are booming through your living room speakers. Of course, its not just kids, douchebags of all ages and races enjoy online gaming!

Also, if you're female and have any semblance of common sense, I'd advise you just to play offline. Kudos to you if you can endure the nonsensical yelling of 12-year-old boys and basement dwellers. You go, girl!

Biggest offender: Xbox Live

Image source: Nag.co

Crusty Controllers

We have all been there. You're at a friend's house, taking turns playing against each other. The snacks are out. It's the usual assortment of cookies and chips. 

Then the controller comes your way. You're looking forward to shooting your friend's face off in COD when you place your hands on the controller. It's sweaty, fair enough. But as you place your finger on the trigger, you feel a crusty feeling.

You look down to see a neon orange film all over your favorite gaming pad. "What the f**k, man?" you shout to your bro whose mowing through the rest of the bag of Doritos Roulette. You admire his ability to live dangerously, but this is disgusting!

Biggest offender: Cheetos (the worst!) and Doritos

Image source: Imgur

Slide Puzzles

Puzzles are just one of those gameplay aspects that some gamers accept with open arms, but causes others to throw their controllers across the room. One of the laziest and most irritating of puzzles comes in the form of the slide puzzle.

Don't know what a slide puzzle is? Lucky you! The objective is to correctly assemble an image by sliding the pieces in limited directions. It's like putting together a real puzzle, but imagine only being able to move your hand left or right. 

Although there are several strategies to overcome these annoying little conundrums, you better hope the puzzle has the ability to reset or unlimited moves or you'll be stuck there for awhile.

Biggest offenders: Dead Space 3's Rosetta puzzle and Parasite Eve 2

Image source: YouTube

Escort Missions

You know, it can be hard enough taking care of yourself, so why do we have to worry about protecting NPCs? It's a gameplay aspect that always elicits groans from gamers.

You're surrounded by Ganados, they're coming at you from every direction, and you've only got several rounds left. Then you hear that annoying, shriek "HELLPPP!!!! LEONNNNN!!!!" You want to ignore her and just let the Ganados carry her away, but you'll get a Game Over if you do that.

Fortunately, not all escort missions are bad. Bioshock Infinite did a great job with Elizabeth by allowing her to be an incredibly useful partner who does not require your protection. Hell, she'll even toss you some ammo or salts!

Biggest offenders: Resident Evil 4 and GoldenEye

Image source: Twinfinite

Unskippable Cutscenes

So you're watching this incredibly long and emotional cutscene right before an inevitable boss battle. You're hyped up and ready to deliver the biggest ass kicking--

Oh, never mind. You died.

Just press restart and try again, right? There's that cutscene again though. You frantically mash the controller buttons, but nothing is happening. Rage starts to set in. Your last ditch effort is to press the pause button in hopes of seeing a button press prompting you to skip the scene. Nothing there except the word 'Pause' sprawled across the screen.

Not only do you have to endure the whiny main character waxing poetic about his daddy issues again, but there's that worry in the back of your mind that you might lose this fight again.

But don't worry, every gamer has endured this nightmare. At least you aren't the only one.

Biggest offender: Final Fantasy X

Image source: Final Fantasy Wikia

Day One DLC

Gone are the days of being able to play a full game right after inserting it into the console. Now, we have to wait for the game to install and waste time entering numerous codes to download the various DLC packs shoved in with the game.

The common question is "why couldn't this content just be included?" Of course, it could have easily been added to the game, but there are a lot of people out there that will pay extra money for numerous different skins for Batman. 

Also, DLC can be used by publishers to urge gamers towards pre-ordering their game. Batman: Arkham Knight did this by adding the Harley Quinn and Red Hood DLC packs for gamers who pre-ordered their copy. 

Worst offender: Batman: Arkham Knight  

Image source: YouTube

Even though we all love video games, there are just some things that get under our skin. Or things that are on other people's skin that end up on our controller.

For this list, I've compiled some of the biggest pet peeves in gaming with beautiful color photographs and detailed descriptions to appease even the most irritable gamers.

Ranging from video game sins to general annoyances, this list gives insight into what really pisses gamers off.

Image source: Giant Bomb