This Truth is Self-Evident, the Pile Won't Clear Itself

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Welcome to another month and another Pile of Shame thread! This month we celebrate Independence Day in the United States. In a completely round-about and possibly not even related way, we're going to play some games to throw off the shackles of tyranny, or something like that...

A quick reminder, in order to be considered "Pile of Shame" the game needs to be at least three months old. Otherwise, it's just a new game you haven't gotten to playing yet.

Let's get on to the games!

This month's Pick of the Pile is

[size=30][b]Mass Effect 2

[/size][/b]

IMAGE(http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu328/kakagt/MassEffect_275.jpg)

"Two years after Commander Shepard repelled invading Reapers bent on the destruction of organic life, a mysterious new enemy has emerged. On the fringes of known space, something is silently abducting entire human colonies. Now Shepard must work with Cerberus, a ruthless organization devoted to human survival at any cost, to stop the most terrifying threat mankind has ever faced.

To even attempt this perilous mission, Shepard must assemble the galaxy's most elite team and command the most powerful ship ever built. Even then, they say it would be suicide. Commander Shepard intends to prove them wrong." (Bioware.com)

[u]Multi-Platform[/u]
Assassin's Creed 2 - Tkyl, dewlinehokie36
Batman: Arkham Asylum - estorino
Bully: Scholarship Edition - SallyNasty
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - Clemenstation
The Dig - ClockworkHouse
DJ Hero - Jonman
Dragon Age: Origins - Jonman, Tanglebones, RSPaulette
Final Fantasy XIII - Lard
Gears of War - mrp
God of War - mrp, brokenclavicle
GTA IV: The Lost and the Damned - RSPaulette
Just Cause 2 - mrtomaytohead
Lego Rock Band - Jonman
Mass Effect - Tanglebones
Mass Effect 2- dewlinehokie36, Luggage, Quintin_Stone, Tanglebones
Mirror's Edge - pignoli
Osmos - pignoli
Overlord - MadGav
Prince of Persia (2008) - [color=red]MrDeVil909[/color]
Prince of Persia: Epilogue - RSPaulette
Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones - slazev
Pure - m0nk3yboy
Red Faction: Guerrilla - MeatMan
Sam & Max: Season 1 - stevenmack
Trine - stevenmack
X-Men: The Official Game - m0nk3yboy

[u]PC[/u]
ARMA II - Tkyl
Ben There, Dan That! - AUs_TBirD
Crysis - Vrikk
Crysis Warhead - Hemi
Dawn of War II - 4dSwissCheese
Deus Ex: Game of the Year Edition - cyrax
Fable 2 - maddoc1979
Penumbra: Black PLague - cyrax
The Void - KingGorilla
The Witcher - TheCounselor

[u]Xbox 360[/u]
Crackdown - RSPaulette
Fable II - maddoc1979
Forza 3 - Jonman
Fusion Frenzy 2 - Jonman

[u]PS3[/u]

[u]PS2[/u]
Persona 3: Answer - slazev
Persona 3 : FES - brokenclavicle
Shadow of the Colossus - slazev

[u]PS[/u]
Final Fantasy VII - Dysplastic

[u]Wii[/u]
Madworld - AUs_TBirD
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption - AP Erebus

[u]DS[/u]
Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! - AUs_TBirD
Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations - cyrax

[u]GBA[/u]
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon - Vrikk

Oh man. I've totally stalled on Dead Space. I think I will continue occasionally without declaring, then declare it when/if I ever get close to the end.

Will continue with Prince of Persia 2008 though, it's a nice relaxing game in the little time I have.

Okay, I did pretty well getting back into the pile habit last month, so this month I'm going for Mirror's Edge on PC. I've already made a little headway, so hopefully I should get it down before my life implodes with moving house, quitting job and getting married.

I'm going to try to finish God of War this month after my failure to finish it in June, and I'm also going to try to finish Gears of War on the PC.

First timer \o/

It's a shame, but I haven't touched Mass Effect 2 for about six weeks now, although I am already 30-40 hours in. Was it the completionist approach? Was it the Starcraft 2 beta key? Was it the steadily growing stress of my thesis? Who knows. By the end of this month, Cmd. Shepard will have kicked the Reapers asses (or other way around).

PS: Are we allowed to have more than one?

Luggage wrote:

First timer o/

It's a shame, but I haven't touched Mass Effect 2 for about six weeks now, although I am already 30-40 hours in. Was it the completionist approach? Was it the Starcraft 2 beta key? Was it the steadily growing stress of my thesis? Who knows. By the end of this month, Cmd. Shepard will have kicked the Reapers asses (or other way around).

I would guess that the answer is d) All of the above.

Luggage wrote:

PS: Are we allowed to have more than one?

As many as you like. I try only to put games in if I see it as being very possible that I finish. Some people will put one in, then if they finish they will add another, others like to add a couple or four to help motivate them.

And there is no shame in giving up if you just can't get through the game. Sometimes you beat a game, sometimes it beats you.

After not playing a single minute of Banjo Kazooie Nuts & Bolts last month, I'm going to switch it up.

Put me down for The Witcher on PC.

I'm about five hours in, but I'm really digging it, so it's easy to make it a priority.

TheCounselor wrote:

I'm about five hours in, but I'm really digging it, so it's easy to make it a priority.

Just don't let yourself get bogged down in Vizima. The pace goes a bit weird and that's where most people get stuck. Once you get through the game is fantastic.

After the detective stuff there is a lull in act 3. If you take The Witcher as a 5 act play, it is understandable. Some solid characterization, not a lot of narrative progression.

Also, I am a naughty boy. I have been too busy reading to play the Void since Tuesday. But Dune is so good.

I started on Mass Effect 2 a week or so ago. I expect to wrap it up some time this month.

List should be current. Gears and God of War both went under Multi. I'm leaning towards a PC FPS, but I'm not sure what I'm going to play this month.

I'm going to go with Dawn of War 2. Actually, I was wondering if anyone else had it sitting on their pile and wanted to try to play through it with me in co-op.

Game of the month is clearly ME2.

Continuing with FF7. Making good progress, will have it done by Summer's end despite many distractions.

Persona 3: Answer (it's the expansion) for PS2.
PoP: The Two Thrones for the PC.

This will be enough for now.

Actually started playing last month's Pile game: Dragon Age Origins. It's hook is starting to sink into my RPG-gland, so I expect to plug away at it all month, but it'll probably still be on next month's pile list too.

Forza 3 and LEGO Rock Band are also on the docket for this month.

Declaring God of War 2 (PS2) and Persona 3: FES (PS2), thought the latter will likely take a good while and will probably carry over to August's pile thread. The fact of the matter is that I can only play Persona 3 once, maybe twice a week in sessions that go for over an hour. Otherwise my bread and butter for July is God of War 2.

Wish me luck!

I guess it's time to start clearing the pile again. Put me down for Assassin's Creed 2 on the Xbox 360 and Arma II on the PC.

Thanks for carrying over The Dig, Hemi.

I believe Just Cause 2 is now pile eligible, as it was released in March. If so, please put me down for that as it WILL fall this month and I will NOT get distracted by any of the many- ohhhh shiny!

Dang it, I will beat this game!

I've sort of dragged my feet on getting into The Dig since I disliked both Loom and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. So far, though, I'm really enjoying it.

Um right, looks like I'd nearly finished Mirror's Edge already - little less than 6 hours total play time and it's done! Worth the sale price though. I can see why it frustrates people: With a little more thought put into it and some better level design, it could have been so much more. Also I'm having to face up to the fact that first person without much shooting does make me a little bit nauseous. Super annoying, that is. It's especially bad in a game like ME where the camera is moved for you, but you remain in first person view. I'm off to lie down.

Edit: Now I think of it, stick Osmos on for me. Not sure how "completable" it is, maybe I'll say beat every level counts?

I am going to go for Bully: SE on the 360. I am also going to go for Lost Odyssey - but don't put that one on the list, as I assume that will probably be longer than one month:)

Okay, please add Assassin's Creed 2 to my pile also. Thanks.

I completely forgot about last month's pile, so this month I am only going to choose one game since of the two I've started Castlevania: Circle of the Moon for GBA qualifies.

If I beat that (and I should), I will pick something else to replace it. Begone, pile!

Although I just bought it from Steam, the game was released last year, so I guess it counts. Put me down for Red Faction: Guerrilla on PC.

I'm about halfway through FF13 for PS3. Will definitely finish it this month.

Put Pure on the list for me, as well as Xmen: The Official Game, both Xbox360 flavoured (please).

Didn't mean to add Pure this month, but I popped it in to see how it played, and an achievement popped at the same time. Decided to go with "No Messing" as the first thing I attempt to keep the playthroughs to a minimum on this one.

I hate pile games with only one achievement popped in them. Might use that criteria to help me select some of my backlog for next month...

Okay, since I just finished Alan Wake, I can start clearing the pile some more. Let's not get overzealous with summervacation coming and all, you can put me down for 1 game in july; Batman: Arkham Asylum. That game really deserves some attention, hardly touched it since I got it in september '09... Looking forward to it!

Ok, put me down for Dragon Age: Origins. I'm going to give it a shot this month.

For starters this month I think I'll try to get Trine out of the way finally.

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