By
Matthew Scott Hunter
‘Mass Effect 3’
(M)
****1/2
Electronic Arts
Xbox 360
 What
“Mass Effect 3” lacks in the evolution of its
gameplay, it more than makes up for in its epic
and frequently heart-wrenching storytelling.
The original “Mass Effect” introduced us to
a galaxy full of interesting characters. The
sequel developed those characters, making them
feel like old friends. And this final chapter
will kill more than a few of them off. The overwhelming
Reaper invasion of Earth starts things off on
a desperate note, and the pervasively bleak
atmosphere seldom waivers as Captain Shepard
is forced to make some tough decisions in order
to rally several alien races to his cause. As
with its predecessor, “Mass Effect 3” takes
into account the choices you made in the previous
game (provided you have its save file), so replaying
this game — or the earlier two entries — can
provide you with an entirely different experience.
Between that and the fresh addition of multiplayer,
“Mass Effect 3” comes packed with incentives
to keep playing.
The third-person, cover-based gunplay is largely
what series veterans have come to expect. A
large variety of weapon upgrades have been added,
and maps have a greater degree of verticality
— so much so that a context-sensitive jump command
has been added. Multiplayer closely resembles
the Horde Mode from “Gears of War,” throwing
waves of increasingly difficult enemies at you
and three other co-op players. It’s a decent
enough add-on, but the real draw of the game
is the narrative of its single-player campaign.
Dramatic camera angles make every space battle
cinematic, and a massive amount of superb voice
acting imbues the proceedings with genuine emotion.
Developer Bioware crafted a living, breathing
universe, and it’s bittersweet to say goodbye
— as spectacular as that goodbye may be.
‘Street Fighter X Tekken’
(T)
****
Capcom
Xbox 360
Capcom loves a good fighting game crossover,
and having already taken on myriad Marvel characters
as well as the “King of Fighters” crew, it was
only a matter of time before the “Street Fighter”
cast stepped into battle with the characters
of “Tekken.” The 3D combatants of the latter
franchise feel right at home on the 2D battlefield
in a series of 2-on-2 tag team matches. A KO
for any one player will end the match, which
will keep you frequently switching between your
two characters. Both rosters are well balanced
and sure to please fans of either seminal fighting
series.
‘Pokepark 2: Wonders Beyond’
(E)
**1/2
Nintendo
Wii
Rather than confining them to small, red and
white spheres, “PokePark 2” allows your Pokemon
to run free — although imprisonment in a Pokeball
probably couldn’t be much more dull. An evil
plot to hypnotize Pokemon with cake serves as
the excuse for a series of mini-games, which
are as overtly cute as they are simplistic.
Very young gamers may enjoy the colorful visuals
and adorable animations, but anyone with fully
developed hand/eye coordination will likely
be frustrated with the limiting D-pad controls
as well as generally bored. | 
