Mass Effect 3 N7 Collector's Edition Content Review

I finally got my copy of Mass Effect 3 N7 Collector's Edition and the Prima Strategy Guide. This is a content review of the Collector's Edition for Xbox 360.

1. The first thing you get is the N7 slide-open box. It is very cheap-looking and flimsy. The first thing you have to do is take everything out of it and save the box somewhere it will never be touched or get wet or get dry or . . . well, you know what I mean.

2. Now we get to the good stuff. Inside the slide-open box there are two things: a very sturdy tin game case including a certificate of authenticity, and another flimsy cardboard case which nonetheless has a very nice design.

3. The tin case is amazing. It is very sturdy; similar to the ME2 case, and on the back side it has beautiful renderings of Shep and Femshep in their N7s.

4. Once you flip the case, you get the usual stuff: two discs slightly interposed rather than completely superimposed, which makes it easier to take them out; and on the other side, the codes for the online pass and all bonus in-game content, which is fantastic in itself (new mission and character - From Ashes; Mechdog Companion sidekick on the Normandy; Squadmate Alternate Outfit Pack; N7 Hoodie for Commander Shepard; Elite N7 Sniper Rifle, Shotgun, SMG and Pistol; and an Xbox Live Normandy Prop for your Avatar). In terms of in-game content alone, the $80 dollar price tag is worth it. (The regular version is $60 and the From Ashes mission alone is $10, and I still haven't discussed the additional freebies).

5. The second cardboard case, although flimsy, has amazing art as well. It looks like Shep is trying to rescue an injured human from the ashes of planet Earth's annihilation by the Reapers.

6. Inside that case, is the meat and potatoes of the bonus content (other than in-game). There is a short graphic novel called Mass Effect Invasion, detailing and expanding on Liara's story; a 70-page hardbound book called The Art of Mass Effect 3, which, albeit small, has very detailed and high quality art; a 4x6 litographic print (which is really just a postcard); and an N7 patch made of fabric and velcro.

Everything here is great, except for the postcard, I guess. The patch especially is amazing. I have been blown away by the content in this Collector's Edition, even without fully digesting everything yet.

I easily give this a 10 out of 10. Now I'm off to play the actual game and I'm hoping to have a full review of it in the coming days.

FINAL SCORE: 10/10

"THE RIVER" (General Review)

One of this season's best TV series has to be "The River". Created by Oren Peli, the Director/Creator of "Paranormal Activity", and Executive produced by Steven Spielberg, "The River" is a "found footage" series about an explorer/TV show host who goes missing while looking for "magic" in the uncharted regions of the Amazon River and the efforts of his family and a documentary crew to find him and tape a season or two of the show while doing it.

Each episode unfolds like a mix between "LOST" and "Paranormal Activity", meaning that part of the episode is setup through flashbacks (cleverly done through found footage, for consistency) that foretell either the theme of the episode or the way in which the crew will solve the episode's mystery. The other part is the mystery itself; again, seen by the viewer as found footage much like in "Paranormal Activity" and its progeny.