I love the simple, clean aesthetic of the early Figma packaging. Some of the newer boxes are a bit overdone.

The Winter Campaign bonus comes in this little black packet. Make sure you don't throw it out when you're unpacking your shipment! Well, maybe you don't have to worry too much...

I got a pink set, which suits Haruhi pretty well.

The scarf is pretty well sculpted, as you can see, and is made of a bendable material like Max Factory uses for skirts and so on with the Figma line. The mittens look decent enough, but anyone familiar with Figmas should already be noticing two flaws; one forgivable but one fatal. First – this is the “forgivable” part – there’s no joint for wrist articulation. Fair enough, it’s a promotional bonus so we can’t expect too much. Sadly, the rod used to connect the mittens to the Figma has no ball on the end, so the mittens don’t pop in and out like other Figma hands. Basically, these will fall out most of the time unless you have the arms posed upward. I guess no one at Max Factory has ever heard of gravity, because they’ve done nothing to combat its effect here. Of course you could use some blu-tac or something like that to hold them in, but I don’t think it’s too much to ask for accessories to actually fit properly (free or not).

While the Winter Campaign set is a pretty half-hearted effort on Max Factory’s behalf – personally, I don’t think they should’ve bothered at all if they weren’t going to do it right – it wasn’t really a big concern for me. It was AmiAmi’s shipping sale that influenced my timing, and the actual Haruhi Figma doesn’t disappoint. She was the second Figma released quite some time ago so there’s not much point in going into great detail here, but there’s a good range of accessories included: three faces, two pairs of shoes, two armbands, a megaphone and all the usual Figma extras (a bunch of extra hands and a display stand). All up there are plenty of display options, especially if you add another version of Figma Haruhi for expansion.

I think that the Figma joints look much better on the long sleeves here than they do on the bare arms of the Summer Uniform, but they’re still a trade-off: if you like to be able to pose figures yourself you won’t go wrong with the Figma line, but a fixed-pose figure will be overall more aesthetically pleasing. Still, even if – like me – you prefer the latter, thanks to their fairly low price point a few Figmas make a nice (posable) addition to the collection.

The collector’s edition comes in a cardboard slipcase featuring the same cover art as the regular PAL version of the game (the US and Japanese covers are different, though Sony has essentially recognised the PAL cover’s superiority over those by offering it as a download). Aside from not being a regular PS3 game case, there’s another difference to the collector’s edition packaging that you’ve no doubt noticed above: it has this 3D rain effect all over the front, and it actually looks pretty good. It definitely looks better from certain angles and under certain lighting, but in general it has a fairly natural look and is a nice touch.

Inside the slipcase is a cardboard fold-out that features artwork of Heavy Rain’s protagonist with a strong origami motif, as well as housing the game disc, manual, download code flyer and a piece of paper with blood and scrawled writing printed on it. Even if you’re not a seasoned origami folder (is that the correct phrase for such a person?) it’s probably fairly obvious what that last item is for thanks to the origami theme running throughout both the game and this packaging. It may seem like a strange inclusion, but its purpose and the placement of the instructions are quite ingenious – I’ll get to that in a bit.

Another unusual feature of this package is the form factor of the manual: it’s a fold-out pamphlet rather than the standard booklet. It does cover all the usual information – the basics of gameplay, controls, and all that legal and support stuff – but is fairly spartan due to the nature of Heavy Rain’s gameplay. Like most game manuals these days it’s fairly inconsequential – it doesn’t seem like there’s much in there you won’t pick up from a few minutes with the game – but it’s well-presented and fits very well with the aesthetic of the collector’s edition as a whole.

The foldout even has a wet sort of texture, as though it was in someone’s pocket as they were caught in the rain and then dried out. I think I’m realising more and more as I write these collector’s edition reviews how much I appreciate little touches like this. For a lot of people, the packaging a game comes in is just that: something inconsequential that’s holding the real prize. I do agree with that mentality to a large extent, but when I shell out a bit extra for a collector’s edition it is nice to get more thoughtful packaging as well as some extra content. I’m not sure if the standard editions include the foldout or a booklet, though I suspect all versions will have the foldout. If not, that’s quite a commitment to differentiating the collector’s edition, however trivial a difference it may be.

Upon loading up Heavy Rain for the first time, you’ll be greeted by an install screen with a difference. It’s time to grab that seemingly useless square of paper, because during the game’s install you’ll be given instructions on how to fold it into what you see on the game’s cover. Thankfully, progression from one instruction to the next is entirely manual so you can work at your own pace, and I found that I finished up with the origami almost exactly as the game finished installing. I do have some experience with origami, but this particular piece is quite simple and the instructions are very clear so I can’t imagine anyone having too much trouble with it. Make sure you position that striped square correctly (as seen in the bottom right corner above) to get all the printing in the right spots in the end.

It’s not exactly a prime display piece, but that’s not really its purpose. As a means of distracting you from the install process, it’s a welcome and very well-implemented inclusion that keeps you engaged with the game while a white bar slowly fills. I’m not saying all games should start including arts and crafts to mask install times, but in this case it’s entirely relevant and other developers could certainly follow the basic principle behind it, if not the methodology.

The included extra game content is called Heavy Rain Chronicles 1: The Taxidermist. It’ll be available as a paid download at some point, but the code included in this collector’s edition will give you free and instant access to download it (it’s a little over 1GB). It takes place prior to the events of the main story, so I decided to play it before starting the game proper and it was certainly an effective introduction. I don’t really want to make judgements on Heavy Rain as a whole based on this episode, but it has me very excited to get into the main story. A single play-through of The Taxidermist takes about half an hour from start to finish – less if you rush – but it’s well worth replaying to see all the possible outcomes; I spent around two hours with it and still had one ending unchecked on the completion menu. I highly recommend playing through The Taxidermist – whether you get a code with your copy of the game or not – and look forward to the rest of the Chronicles.

If there’s one downside to this collector’s edition, it’s that the soundtrack listed on the back of the packaging is nowhere to be found. A quick Google search has led me to believe that it was planned to be a download via the Playstation Network but has yet to be added to the store. That would make sense, as both the extra game content and the XMB theme were accessed using the same code.  A 16-track soundtrack for Heavy Rain (including a digital booklet) is currently available on iTunes, so here’s hoping that collector’s edition owners are given something similar (at the very least, I’ll need to be able to get it off the PS3 and onto something more conducive to proper listening). It seems like very poor form for that content to not be available on day one, but provided it’s rectified in a timely fashion it’s not a huge issue in the long run.

Missing soundtrack aside, this is a fairly pleasing collector’s edition: it’s very nicely packaged and the extra game content is highly recommended. If the soundtrack situation is rectified with something on par with what’s available on iTunes, I won’t have any issues with the value on offer given my excitement for the game itself. Given that The Taxidermist – the main attraction - will be available as a paid download this collector’s edition is hardly essential, but it’s a nice enough package to not be redundant either. If you’ve been hanging out for Heavy Rain with as much anticipation as I have, it’s a worthwhile consideration.

The film starts strong with an intriguing premise, stunning visuals and fairly likeable characters. Agito and his friend Cain, from Neutral City, sneak to the bottom of a well to gather some water for the town. Problem is, the druids – trees in a more human-like form – don’t seem to like it when humans take more water than they’re supposed to, and when the boys are caught Agito manages to make a quick escape into the caves leading from the well. In the tunnels he discovers a girl – Toola – sleeping inside some sort of pod, and takes her back to Neutral City after a daring escape from the caves. It turns out that Toola lived before the trees took over, and was just one of many people sleeping in stasis pods in the hope of waking to a better world. Agito and Toola quickly form a bond, but trouble strikes when Shunack – another survivor of the old world working with Ragna – arrives and convinces Toola that she must help him finish her father’s work to “fix” the world.

Unfortunately, Origin seems to plateau around this point. Agito become single-mindedly focussed on getting Toola back and spends most of the remainder of the film shouting her name, and I couldn’t help but feel that his behaviour indicated a deeper emotional connection between the two than had actually been established. Of course he’s going to want to save her, but his zeal felt just a bit too strong. At around 90 minutes in length Origin is hardly short, but it feels like it’s missing an extra ten or twenty minutes in the first act that should have developed the relationship. Beyond Agito, it feels at times as if no character development at all takes place throughout most of the conflict and support characters like Cain and the other residents of Neutral City are all but ignored. This is not to say that the film becomes boring or unenjoyable – there’s plenty of action and the animation remains impressive throughout – but it fails to engage emotionally despite a relatively well-characterised opening.

Though Origin is lacking in narrative impact, it does boast gorgeous visuals. In addition to some memorable design – the various incarnations of the trees are fantastic, and the regular image of a fractured moon in the sky is especially striking – the film benefits immensely from a solid high definition transfer on blu-ray, with incredible detail, texture and clarity. Backgrounds are beautifully detailed, animation is smooth and lines are clean and very well-defined. One of the less talked about ways in which blu-ray is superior to DVD is in its broader colour presentation, and Origin is full of vibrant and at times eye-popping colour. 3D CGI is used fairly regularly in the film, to varied effect. Much of it is well integrated into the traditional artwork, but mechanical elements such as vehicles suffer slightly from a more jarring contrast. This is, thankfully, only a minor issue that won’t detract from the otherwise amazing animation on offer, and depending on your personal tastes may not be an issue at all. This is a beautiful film, and if you’re able to watch it on blu-ray you won’t be disappointed.

Origin is an enjoyable film that is visually impressive, but narratively a little underwhelming. I suppose what makes it disappointing is that the opening is so promising; with just a slightly longer runtime and more consistent characterisation, Origin could have been a more complete and memorable experience. While Origin fails to live up to its potential, it must be said that the potential is there. The result is an entertaining story that, while lacking emotional impact, is far from short on visual impact. Adjust your expectations accordingly and this is a worthwhile way to spend an hour and a half.

First, there are the six playable classes which run the gamut from straight-shooting soldiers to Jedi-like Adepts and tech-based Engineers, with three hybrid classes in between. Then there’s the current total of twelve possible squad members and the relationship options that go with them (there are four romance options for each gender, up from the two available to each in the first game). Your choices in those areas will affect gameplay, but the real experience changer is in the broader decision-making. There are many choices to make in Mass Effect 2 – big and small – and at times it feels like every one of them has a weight unlike what I’ve encountered in any other game.

If you’ve played the original Mass Effect, you have the option of importing your character from that game into this one. While you won’t carry your stats over (likely due to the heavy tweaking of the class, power and levelling systems),  you will get some bonuses based on your previous progress and – this is the important part – some of your bigger decisions will carry through, shaping your Mass Effect 2 experience before you’ve even started. This makes for a very personal connection to the game right away as you see the consequences of your actions played out at various points throughout the game, but it also has another effect: it shows you that developer Bioware is serious about connecting each game in the planned trilogy in a meaningful way. While the first game was clearly designed to allow for this connection, Mass Effect 2 is practically built around it. It is clear throughout that your actions in this game will have far-reaching consequences in the concluding chapter, and it is this mechanic that lends true gravitas to the Mass Effect 2 experience.

Bioware have made no secret of the fact that it is possible, based on choices made throughout the game, that not all of the main characters in Mass Effect 2 will survive… including the player character, Commander Shepard. The crux of the game’s plot involves preparing for a climactic mission to an uncharted region of space that, as it is told in-game, is likely a one-way trip. Normally, having everyone die at the end would simply be considered the “negative ending” to the game, but for me Mass Effect 2 was different. There’s more at stake than just getting an unfavourable ending: if these characters die, they will still be dead in Mass Effect 3 when I import my character. If Shepard is dead, I won’t even be able to import my character; everything I did in the first two games will have come to an end. Survival ceases being a marker of one’s success at playing the game as it is in most games and becomes a question, one that – in a game so focussed on preparing for a suicide mission – raises itself constantly. What is my Shepard willing to do to ensure his survival? What is he willing to do to ensure that his team survives? Perhaps most importantly, what is he willing to sacrifice to ensure the success of his mission? There is no “best” ending to Mass Effect 2, only the consequences of your actions prior to (and during) that climax.

It should be becoming clearer to you now, if you’ve not played Mass Effect 2, why playing it once is insufficient to pass judgement on it in the form of a review. The solution to that problem, however, is not to play the game however many times it takes to see every little possible difference. That would, in a sense, be missing the point entirely. The more appropriate course of action is to forego the traditional “review” altogether, and simply discuss the experience. If you want to read about Mass Effect 2’s merits in terms of gameplay and technical construction – the things that can be measured somewhat objectively by a review – feel free to peruse the list on Metacritic. You’ll find that the general consensus is, with only one listed score below 90 out of 100 as of posting, unanimously favourable, and were I to attempt a review I would wholeheartedly agree with those sentiments. What I would like to do instead is talk about what happened in my Mass Effect 2 - which is quite probably different to your Mass Effect 2 - and some of the extraordinary ways in which the game engaged me. It should go without saying that what follows will contain spoilers. Probably big ones. You have been warned.

That’s my Shepard. He’s a Vanguard – as he was in the first game – which means he uses a combination of biotic abilities (for Mass Effect newcomers, it’s Jedi type stuff) and conventional firearms in combat. When given the chance to re-create his appearance instead of leaving him in his raw imported-from-Mass-Effect-1 state, I took it and unintentionally wound up with essentially the same look, which wasn’t too big of a surprise given that in both instances of character creation I used my own appearance as inspiration. I suppose that was the very result that I wanted: minor changes to take advantage of the game’s improved rendering and little else.

You can also see above that my Shepard has a maxed-out Paragon bar, but also a decent chunk of the Renegade bar filled. Once of the things that I loved most about Mass Effect 2 is that Paragon and Renegade were not so much about the action but the intention, and I can’t imagine many people getting through the game without at least some of both bars filled. In many games, the “good” solution to a conversation-based problem would involve passive responses and a level of pacifism unsuited to the amount of bloodshed taking place outside of the game’s dialogue trees. In Mass Effect 2, a Paragon is generally someone who understands that force is sometimes necessary, but will not use it any more than is necessary. A Renegade is a “the ends justify the means” kind of person who will do what it takes to get the job done, even if it means occasionally doing the wrong thing to ultimately do the right thing. My Shepard is the kind of man who always tries to do the right thing, but isn’t completely idealistic: the fate of the entire galaxy is at stake, and you need to crack a few eggs to make an omelette.

My Shepard captains his ship, the Normandy, with a common touch – he is a part of the crew, not above it – attempting to be personable with all crew members and making sure that their needs and well-being are attended to. Because of this, he commands both loyalty and respect from his crew, and they are honoured to serve with him. He tries to avoid letting his personal feelings get in the way when there’s trouble on the ship, preferring to seek resolutions that benefit everyone. For example, during an argument between squad members Miranda and Jack, Shepard talked them both down instead of siding with one or the other (even though he had become very close to Miranda by this point). It is this skill at peacemaking that allows him to have a functional crew even when some of them don’t get along; they are loyal to Shepard and committed to the mission, and by following their commander’s example they are able to put that before personal differences. How else would Shepard manage to have a Quarian and a Geth working together?

I had all possible squad members to join my crew, and earned the loyalty of each of them. Loyalty is gained by completing personal missions for each of the squad mates – usually a certain level of trust is required before they’ll ask you – and these are not only some of the most enjoyable missions in the game but also provide some of its best character moments. It is through these missions that you’ll find out who these characters really are, and even shape them based on your handling of turning points at which Shepard can influence the situation. Will Shepard be a role model for his team? Will he let them make their own mistakes to learn, or will he protect them from condemning themselves? These loyalty missions are often rife with moral ambiguity and, aside from likely having a significant impact on your endgame success, offer some of the richest and most rewarding moments in Mass Effect 2.

Above you can see the (currently) complete roster of squad members in Mass Effect 2 (note: there is one other character available in the game, but they are a potential replacement for one of the above characters rather than a unique one). Throughout the course of the game – and thanks in no small part to the aforementioned loyalty missions – I came to care for all but one of these characters in at least some way. The only exception is Zaeed (far left), an extra character available for free download from the game’s Cerberus Network, who simply did nothing to make me care about him. You can’t engage in conversation with him on board the Normandy, and he’s little more than a hired gun. Zaeed joined Shepard’s team because he was paid to do so, and he never really amounted to anything more than that in my story. There was minor character development through his loyalty mission, in which he came to respect Shepard’s leadership and showed a glimpse of understanding that the mission at hand was more than just a pay check, but there’s no real scope for any sort of friendship to develop between Zaeed and Shepard. By extension, that gives me little to engage with.

None of the above is to say that Zaeed is not an enjoyable character – in some ways, he is – but he is a mere puddle by comparison with the rest of the cast’s depth. There’s Salarian scientist – or Scientist Salarian, if you will – Mordin (just left of centre above) who offers both comedy (check the link earlier in this sentence) and plenty of pause for thought with confessions about the nature of his past work. Lab-bred Krogan “Grunt” (fourth from right) is the very embodiment of taking pleasure in battle, but ultimately proved himself far more honourable than his rage might suggest. I initially disliked Jack (far right), a prisoner released into Shepard’s custody for the mission, but gradually changed my mind as she opened up about her tortured past. Drell assassin Thane came from a questionable background to become one of Shepard’s most trusted confidants and one of the game’s most intriguing characters.

I could go on about each character at length and how each is fascinating and often truly engaging to interact with, but although there are certain truths to them – important parts of them which are set in stone – my connection to them is not yours, nor would yours be mine. Garrus (centre) was by Shepard’s side as often as possible in the first Mass Effect, so to have him return to the crew was a more joyous moment than it might be for someone who neglected him before, and I was certain immediately that he would remain at Shepard’s side once again. The other open squad slot (each time Shepard leaves the Normandy, he takes only two teammates with him) was almost always taken by Miranda Lawson (just right of centre in the screenshot), with whom my Shepard quite naturally developed a romantic relationship throughout the course of the game.

For me, there is more to selecting a squad in Mass Effect 2 than just combat ability and team balance. In most RPGs I factor in how much I like the character as well before adding or removing them from my party, but in Mass Effect 2 there’s even more than that. There was a sense, as I got to know the characters, that I wanted my Shepard to be experience the majority of his journey with Miranda and Garrus at his side, while at the same time developing his relationships with the rest of the crew and swapping others into the squad on occasion when it felt right. This more personal approach to squad selection was never as clear as in the game’s final mission, for reasons I’ll get to in a moment.

One of most exciting things about Mass Effect 2’s climactic mission is the amount of room for error involved. Didn’t upgrade the Normandy’s weapons and armour? It’s going to take a beating, and people might die before you even get to the ground work. When you do land, all squad members still living will take part in the mission. Shepard will (mostly) take two with him as usual, while the rest need to be assigned to different critical roles. This raises some important questions, and your decisions here will affect the outcome of the mission itself. Who’s going to accompany Shepard? Who’s going to lead the other team? Who’s going to go on the dangerous solo mission? Both Miranda and Garrus would have made fine additions to the other team, and it would have made sense to send one of them – as Shepard’s most trusted teammates – with that team… but I didn’t. I (and by extension, Shepard) thought that by having them with me/Shepard, I/he could protect them. Notice the confused pronouns there. In writing that sentence, it became too difficult for me to separate Shepard’s desire to protect those characters with my own. I trusted them to help Shepard get the job done. I wanted to make sure they survived. I need them to make it to Mass Effect 3 so the relationships can continue to build.

Thankfully they did survive, and so did the rest of the team thanks to my good choices (interference of personal feelings notwithstanding) in breaking them into groups. Everyone made it back onto the Normandy, and thanks to the upgrades I had made the Normandy was in good enough condition to return them to safe space. Well, not quite everybody. Shortly before the game’s climax, the majority of the Normandy’s crew is captured by the enemy while Shepard and his squad are on a mission. Upon Shepard’s return, he has the choice to go straight into the final mission to rescue them straight away – risking the success of the mission itself – or wait and continue preparing. My Shepard chose to wait, and as a consequence was too late to save most of the crew. This loss was overshadowed by the immediacy of the mission at hand, but on later reflection has had a real impact.

Upon returning to the Normandy after his ultimate success, Shepard found it a much lonelier place than before. Kelly Chambers – essentially Shepard’s personal assistant on board the ship, both a likeable character and a valuable gameplay element – is the most obvious loss, but she is by no means the only one. Gone are engineers with whom Shepard enjoyed a game of cards. Gone are the unnamed crew members that once made the ship feel alive with their conversation. There was a man in the crew quarters who, throughout the game, could be overheard telling a shipmate about his family. Throughout those conversations I heard of the danger his family was in and, after he feared the worst for a while, eventually that they made it to safety. He was to visit them on Earth if he survived Shepard’s mission… but he didn’t. When I realised this, I was taken aback that I felt for this character who didn’t even have a name. I reconsidered Shepard’s level of success: he may have saved countless lives by completing his mission, he may have made it out alive with his entire squad by his side, but it was not without consequence.

This, ultimately, is why Mass Effect 2 is a truly personal experience. Had I never bothered to listen to that crew member talk about his family, I may never have given a second thought to his death or spared a thought for the consequences of the victory Shepard did achieve. Had I not spent so much time with Garrus in the first Mass Effect, he may not have seemed so vital this time around. Had my story led Shepard to be romantically involved with Kelly instead of Miranda, I may have gone after the abducted crew members right away and the overall mission may not have been as successful for it. There are so many “what ifs” – some referring back to the events of the first game, but most more immediate – and so many outcomes based on those possibilities, which would in turn lead to a ripple effect to create yet more alternatives. My experience of the game is mine alone, and even someone who achieved the same general structure in their play-through will not likely have experienced it in quite the same way. It is for this reason that I’ve not started a second play-through of the game already, despite the fact that I desperately want to play more of it. This first time was mine; every decision and action was my own within the scope of Commander Shepard (who is, though broadly shaped by the player, a character and not a direct avatar), and that’s a powerful thing.

Playing the game again and making different choices would surely be just as enjoyable, but at the moment I’m still too engaged with how things happened the first time. That is an incredible achievement for Bioware – perhaps even a masterpiece of interactive storytelling – and something that I don’t think could be replicated by any medium other than videogames. I long to return to the incredible world (or rather, galaxy) that Bioware have created for Mass Effect, but I wonder if that’s as much because of my attachment to my Shepard’s story as it is about the hugely enjoyable and finely tuned gameplay. Thankfully, with substantial extra content promised for Mass Effect 2 and the final instalment in the trilogy yet to come, there should be plenty of time to enjoy both of those aspects of my love for Mass Effect.

Finished your own game of Mass Effect 2? Tell me what happened in the comments!

Download Desktop: 16:10 / 4:3 / source

The wallpapers are at high-end resolutions where possible so that they can easily be scaled for most monitors.

Mari stands at around 18cm on her base, with Asuka slightly shorter because of her pose, and both figures have a pretty solid feel to them. Colours are accurate to the source with Asuka’s hair appropriately fiery (and thankfully not as bright as depicted on the figure’s box, seen above) and Mari’s a more solid brown as seen in Evangelion 2.0 rather than the purple tinge present in a lot of other artwork. Fine detail on the paintwork is quite good as well, from the pattern on Mari’s skirt and the emblem on her shirt to the red ribbon on Asuka’s uniform (which looks a little edgy in close-up photos, but perfectly fine to the naked eye). The glossy sheen on Mari’s shoes is a nice touch, and shows a level of thought and care that may not always be present in arcade prize figures.

As with the previous two figures in this set, one of the biggest strengths is in the accurate presentation of the characters. The faces are pleasantly accurate, and the body proportions seem just right. There’s very little – if anything – to complain about given the price: these figures range from around ¥1100-1500 depending on your store of choice. Nice figures at a very nice price make for a great bargain, and the ability to combine all four to create a unified display makes Sega’s Centre of Tokyo-3 an even better proposition for Evangelion fans. There are plenty of Evangelion figures out there but whether you’re looking to expand your collection of troubled teenage mecha pilots or just starting one, this set offers excellent value for money.

With the full collection of Death Note Puchis now at a grand total of 22 figures, I’m not sure Good Smile will be releasing a Case File #03. Certainly there are a few characters left who would be welcome additions – Kiyomi Takada and some more of the Kira Investigation Team – but all of the major spots have been filled. If you’re the kind of person who likes re-creating scenes or putting together stories with your Nendoroids, there’s more than enough inspiration here and quite a few different combinations of costumes and facial expressions for the main characters. For those who aren’t so familiar with Nendoroids, you can actually take them apart almost entirely to swap parts around: the arms, legs and head are removable, and the head comes apart to allow you to swap faces and hair too.

In addition to some great design choices, Case File #02 features one significant improvement over #01. In the first set, the secret figure was just a slightly altered version of one of the regular L figures from the set. That was a bit disappointing. This time around, Light gets the secret figure treatment and benefits from an entirely unique body as well as a different facial expression. The design and pose are taken from a piece of artwork that most Death Note fans will recognise, which is pretty cool in its own right but I was just glad to see the secret figure actually being a different figure altogether rather than a simple variation.

Case File #02 is a great compliment to the first set, though depending on your tastes may have less immediate appeal on its own. Case File #01 benefited from including Death Note’s most recognisable characters – including the shinigami – but Case File #02’s more playful designs, worthwhile secret figure and almost complete expansion of the character line-up prove that there can be room on Death Note and Nendoroid fans’ shelves for both sets. With a collection of this size – 22 figures, all up – it’s just a good thing they’re Puchi rather than regular Nendoroids.

Gallery
Click on a thumbnail to open the full-size image.

]]> http://autaku.com/2010/02/03/figures-nendoroid-puchi-death-note-case-file-02/feed/ 10 Steve deathnote_puchi02_set http://autaku.com/2010/01/28/games-mass-effect-2-collectors-edition/ http://autaku.com/2010/01/28/games-mass-effect-2-collectors-edition/#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 09:23:21 +0000 Steve http://autaku.com/?p=985 ]]> Mass Effect was one of the first games I played on Xbox 360 and remains, in my opinion, one of the finest reasons to own the console. The sequel – the middle of a planned trilogy – has finally arrived, and this morning I picked up the collector’s edition. It is somewhat more modest in content than other recent collector’s editions (such as the impressive Assassin’s Creed II Black Edition), but more than makes up for that with its exceptional presentation.

Inside the box – which features a much nicer, more subtle and more appropriate cover than the standard edition – you’ll find a copy of the game in a steelbook case, codes for various downloadable content, a 48-page art book, a making-of DVD and a copy of the first issue of Redemption, a comic book from Dark Horse that takes place between Mass Effect 1 and 2.

The steelbook case for the game itself is very nice – certainly much nicer than the regular edition – but suffers somewhat by having Commander Shepard on the front. I understand that he’s the main character and therefore belongs on the cover, but this is a role-playing game and that is not my Shepard. I would have preferred a different character or, better yet, that excellent art from the front of the collector’s edition box. Doppelgangers aside, the case is beautifully printed with shiny images on more matte black metal, and it’s great to have a different case from the standard edition. This is something that was missing from the last two collector’s editions I’ve bought (Assassin’s Creed II and Bayonetta): when all the download codes have been redeemed and the art books and whatnot have been shelved, it’s nice to know that the game case itself will proudly boast that it came from the collector’s edition.

I love that the bonus DVD fits in with the two games discs. Often, bonus discs come in either a case or sleeve that would fit in line with regular DVD cases or a small cardboard sleeve that isn’t really conducive to shelving at all. The former is not really ideal because I don’t particularly want these bonus discs shelved with my movie collection, and the second is even worse for obvious reasons. This is the perfect solution, and is an example of the thought that went into all aspects of the packaging for this collector’s edition.

The first two flaps open to reveal an access card for the Cerberus Network. The Network is actually just Mass Effect 2’s DLC portal, but activating access – free with this card, otherwise demanding a fee – opens up some free stuff right away, including an extra character. This is part of an attempt by Bioware and/or EA to combat piracy and pre-owned sales using the same techniques they employed with Dragon Age: Origins: buy the game brand new and you get a bunch of extra content free. Download it illegally or buy pre-owned and you’ll have to pay. Whether you see this as adding content for early buyers or removing content for late buyers is up to you, but I certainly have no issues with it.

Beneath another two flaps behind the Cerberus Network card are the comic and art book. The whole design of this little extra content package is very nice and features a consistent aesthetic. At the end of the day it’s still just cardboard, but I prefer this approach to just shoving everything in a box. I may even keep it all, as it is quite convenient for keeping all the content together and it looks good enough.

The comic is obviously not printed at full standard size (it wouldn’t fit in the box if it was) but does feel pretty good: slightly glossy paper, not too thin, with a thicker cardboard cover like you get on some “event” comics. I’m yet to read it but the art looks decent and true to the in-game characters designs and the cover boasts that it is “from the lead writer of Mass Effect 2” so it should be a decent read. Offering a single issue of course leaves with the choice of either buying the rest of the series or not finishing the story, but it also lets people decide if they want to collect the series or not so it’s a welcome inclusion nonetheless.

The art book once features plenty of nice concept art as well as some minor insight into the design process, and is presented well. It’s the same size as most other art books coming out with collector’s editions at the moment, which as I’ve mentioned previously is a very welcome standard. At 48 pages it’s probably just the right thickness in terms of cost-to-value for this collector’s edition and feels fairly well-balanced and complete in its own right, which is at once satisfying and teasing. After flicking through this little book I certainly wouldn’t mind Bioware releasing a larger one, and I’m sure they could: such is the promise of creating such a large and rich world of fiction.

While the pre-order and collector’s edition exclusive DLC are presented as the expected code on a flyer, the Cerberus Network access code is actually an access card, the same size, thickness and general quality of a regular bank card. Once again, it’s the small details about this collector’s edition that show the thought that went into designing a cohesive package rather than just a box full of content. Sure it’s still essentially a cardboard box at the end of the day and it’ll end up being either thrown away or stored on a shelf or in a drawer, but as the old saying goes: it’s the thought that counts. Beyond that, the Mass Effect 2 collector’s edition has plenty of extra content and a much nicer case design that the standard edition. Thank goodness they didn’t give me a figure of that weird guy pretending to be Commander Shepard.

The last of the obvious upgrades is my new chair, which I got for Christmas. I used to have one similar to it, but one of the arm-rests broke off so I had to use the somewhat ugly brown-ish one that was in the previous photos of my room. The new one is much nicer and more comfortable than that one, although the downside of a chair with arm-rests is that it’s more awkward to play guitar in – not good when I’m sitting at the computer trying to learn a song from tabs. The final major new addition to my room is probably too hard to spot in the first pic, hidden in the shadows, but this might make it a little clearer:

I bought a PS3 Slim. They should probably call it PS3 Slimmer-Than-Before-But-Still-Kinda-Big as rather than being truly slim, they’ve just managed to get it down to roughly the size of an Xbox 360, but it’s definitely a nicer-looking model than the original. So why did I buy a PS3 now? Well, for a long time there just wasn’t enough exclusives that interested me to warrant owning one as well as a 360, but things are picking up a little on that front now. I’ve been playing Valkyria Chronicles – long one of the few games that made me wish I had a PS3 – and that alone has justified the purchase, but I’m also really looking forward to Heavy Rain next month and a fair few more games beyond that.

Last night’s concert was entitled Destiny: Promised Legacy, and was performed by a seven-piece ensemble including Hiroaki Yura (violin, also the director of Eminence), Victoria Jacono-Gilmovich (violin), Luke Spicer (viola), Geoffrey Gartner (cello), Jem Harding (piano), Roger Lock (guitar) and Chiron Meller (percussion). The programme began with five songs from Studio Ghibli films, followed by six songs composed by Tenmon for Makoto Shinkai’s films before a twenty-minute interval. The focus on Makoto Shinkai and Tenmon was in support of Eminence’s latest CD release entitled Promise, which features thirteen recordings of songs form Shinkai’s films. Hiroaki Yura playfully informed us that the recording was pressed to High Quality CDs, though I’m not sure if the whole audience understood that he was in fact referring to a media format.

Following the interval the ensemble played four songs by Yasunori Mitsuda, who attended the concert in person as a guest. His name should be familiar at least to any who call themselves a fan of Japanese RPGs, as he composed the very highly-regarded soundtracks to Square’s Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross. In my opinion, Mitsuda’s work on Chrono Trigger remains one of the finest videogame soundtracks even fifteen years after the game’s release. With that said I was slightly disappointed that Eminence did not play anything from that soundtrack, but as the only disappointment of the night it’s easy to overlook.

The programme was rounded out by four “et ceteras” (as Mr Yura called them), but early in the evening we were promised encores “if [we were] good” and thankfully we must have been good as we were treated to a few encore songs. Throughout the night, Hiroaki Yura spoke directly to the audience about the pieces being played and about Eminence in general. His nature created a relaxed atmosphere within the theatre and his humour provided a nice contrast to the pin-drop silence of the audience during the ensemble’s performances, and overall both Mr Yura and the rest of the ensemble succeeded in creating a memorable night with more than just their music.

Still, it was of course the music that made the concert truly memorable. I was very familiar with most of the songs in the programme already, and to hear those songs played live in such beautiful arrangements was simply amazing and at times very moving. The highlights for me were River from that Day and Always With Me from Spirited Away, Kimi no Koe (Your Voice) from The Place Promised In Our Early Days, Radical Dreamers from Chrono Cross, Thanatos from Evangelion and the playful final encore of the Super Mario medley.

The entire night was a truly captivating experience that I doubt many attendees will soon forget, and one that I’m sure most would love to have again as soon as possible. Unfortunately, it sounds like Eminence is going through some financial issues due to the immense costs of running an orchestra. I hope that they are able to continue sharing such beautiful music with the world, and urge you to support Eminence where you can by going to a show (which I promise is well worth your while anyway) or buying some CDs (also worthwhile). It would be a real shame if a group so talented and unique and Eminence disappeared.

Note: photos and recording were not allowed during the performance so those that you see throughout this review are sourced from other events, though I did manage to find videos that closely resembled the concert you’re reading about here. I had intended to get some materials of my own to share with you, but in hindsight I’m glad I didn’t distract myself from the performance by doing so.

I bought a copy of Promise and got it signed by the Eminence ensemble. It's a beautifully packaged CD, which I'll show you in more detail in a separate post.

I also got my programme signed by Yasunori Mitsuda. I was going to take my copy of Chrono Trigger DS just in case but I didn't think I'd get the chance to have him sign it. I wish I had taken it now!

Programme

Main Theme (from My Neighbour Totoro)
Composed by Joe Hisaishi / Arranged by Natsumi Kameoka and Tomoki Miyoshi

River from that Day (from Spirited Away)
Composed by Joe Hisaishi

Always With Me (from Spirited Away)
Composed by Youmi Kimura / Arranged by Hiroaki Yura and Roger Lock

Tokiniwa Mukashino Hanashiwo (from Porco Rosso)
Composed by Tokiko Kato

Teru no Uta (from Tales from Earthsea)
Composed by Tamiya Terashima / Arranged by Tomoki Miyoshi

Memories from Days Far Away (from 5 Centimetres Per Second)
Composed by Tenmon / Arranged by Shiro Hamaguchi

Kanae’s Feelings (from 5 Centimetres Per Second)
Composed by Tenmon / Arranged by Roger Lock

Letter from Mikako (from Voices of a Distant Star)
Composed by Tenmon / Arranged by Akifumi Tada

She and Her Cat Theme (from She and Her Cat)
Composed by Tenmon / Arranged by Akifumi Tada

Sayuri (from The Place Promised In Our Early Days)
Composed by Tenmon / Arranged by Yasunori Iwasaki

Your Voice (from The Place Promised In Our Early Days)
Composed by Tenmon / Arranged by Yasunori Iwasaki

INTERVAL

Hako no Niwa (from Graffiti Kingdom)
Composed by Yasunori Mitsuda / Arranged by Tomoki Miyoshi

Circle of Eternity (from Kirite)
Composed by Yasunori Mitsuda

The Dream That Time Dreams (from Chrono Cross)
Composed by Yasunori Mitsuda / Arranged by Tomoki Miyoshi

Radical Dreamers (from Chrono Cross)
Composed by Yasunori Mitsuda / Arranged by Hiroaki Yura and Roger Lock

Canta per Me (from Noir)
Composed by Yuki Kajiura / Arranged by Natsumi Kameoka

Grandpa’s Violin (from .hack//Liminality)
Composed by Yuki Kajiura / Arranged by Natsumi Kameoka

Thanatos (from Neon Genesis Evangelion)
Composed by Shiro Sagisu / Arranged by Natsumi Kameoka

The Song (from Gundam Seed)
Composed by Yuki Kajiura / Arranged by Natsumi Kameoka and Tomoki Miyoshi

ENCORES
(I can’t remember the names of all the encores. If I can, I’ll update this with all the encore details.)