Games don't really know how to pull off nightclub scenes. They're always so cheesy. A lot of this is likely the fault of the tech and a lot of random crap I don't feel like looking into or discussing. But I'm guessing it has to do with the processing power of many machines (or something, I don't care) where we see a few NPCs awkwardly shuffling on a dance floor.

Most games are horrible at it, RockStar games are decent at it.

For Max Payne 3, what sets it apart is how deafeningly loud the music is. To the point where you can't hear the game's dialogue. But that's how nightclubs are. You can't hear a damn thing. Even at crappy dive bars that have a sh*tty DJ with a MacBook Pro and some tinny speakers, the music is blaring and you have to get up close to someone's ear and just shout into it for them to hear you.

Max Payne 3 got that part down. You can't just have the game's soundtrack play over it and see people dancing. It's not believable at all. In Max Payne 3 the club itself isn't too packed but it's believable enough, so kudos to RockStar for not making a nightclub scene another awful, and just overall embarrassing addition to a game. It's not perfect, but it'll do for now.

While on the topic of Max Payne 3, it's pretty good. It's story focused, but the story doesn't get in the way of the gameplay. It all works and there's an action-movie "realism" to it all that works just enough to not make you question how silly some of it is. Max is constantly shot at, we all know this. You even get bullet holes on his clothing with blood marks. But when the story decides you take a sniper bullet to the arm, suddenly Max can't move. He's struggling to hold himself up. Your buddy gets you to a first aid station while dispatching enemies and then it's time to heal your ass up. With a few painkillers and a fresh bandage. You can use your arm again and kill like a boss.

It's far-fetched, sure. But it lends itself to the goofy action stylings of combat, combined with the tough-guy demeanor of the characters and so on. Max Payne 3 is really just a summer blockbuster stretched to 8 hours and the narrative is interesting enough to keep you playing.

I'm on Mission 7 right now (out of 14) and I've seen only one flashback (actually, Mission 8 is a flashback mission as well). The flashback was a bit grimier than the rest of the game, but whatever. It's taken me four hours to get this far, so I'm questioning GameSpot's "it takes 12 hours to get through this game." Unless missions get longer by like 20 minutes from this point forward, we're looking at an 8, maybe 9 hour game. But it's interesting and without garbage getting in the way.
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I also caved to peer pressure and purchased Dishonored for 50% off. It came from a few people on here telling me it's worth the price and lightwarrior's savage Indian chant of "buy it! buy it! buy it!" But I had to turn it over to my confidants. I texted my buddy while I was at work "bro, check this game out and let me know if I should buy it" (he's teh casual) and I got a text back 30 minutes later "bro, this looks right up your alley. Trailers look sick, I see high scores and I can see you playing this." I ask "yay or nay?" He responds "yay." Deed is done.

Current purchases-

Dishonored
Max Payne 3
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

I was considering Torchlight II, but I have enough on my plate at the moment. XCOM would have been sick too, but hopefully it'll be cheaper in a few weeks/months and I'll have more free time for it.
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I beat Mass Effect 2. I did almost everything. It took 49 hours.

I enjoyed it more than before because I went in with the idea of "this is like a season of Star Trek" so I went in looking for "episodes" that built up to a season finale. I enjoyed the characters more, the missions were fine and the DLC certainly helped flesh out the experience.

My issue is still with the Suicide Mission though. Even on my replay, it was crap. It's just such a letdown. Say what you will about it, but it's all just noise. You go through one easy shootout where your goal is to keep your specialist alive by opening up heating vents so he/she doesn't cook to death in there and then a second part where you follow your specialist who has a shield up for your team. That's it. That's the suicide mission. Then you fight the final boss.

Compare this to Mass Effect:

You make an impossible drop on Ilos where you chase after Saren, completely disobeying orders, discovering further horrors of the Reapers and how the Protheans were slowly killed off. You give chase to realize that the gate takes you to the Citadel which is now under siege and you literally scale the freaking tower on foot to get to your target. All while making some important judgement calls.

Compare this to Mass Effect 3:

Where you take the fight to Earth, it's completely ruined (the best alien invasion I have ever seen). Reapers and their armies are everywhere. I don't want to say much else because the game is still new and is one of the most exciting games I've played in a while. But Mass Effect 2's finale is just a boring thud compared to how excellent the first and third games' endgames are.

Regardless, I'm raising my score for Mass Effect 2 from a 6.0 to an 8.5. I was enthralled for 48 hours (counting DLC) and let down yet again by the Suicide Mission.

Your recruitment efforts feel like a joke. Why did you need Thane? He's a trained assassin but there's no reason to have an assassin? He's one of my favorite characters in the game, but why exactly is he, and many others, on your team if you aren't going to use them as specialists? The mission is a letdown and the stakes don't feel high enough. They did in Mass Effect and Mass Effect 3, but Mass Effect 2 kind of withers for its endgame, which is a shame. Or Kasumi from the DLC as a master thief.... why do I need a thief specialist if we aren't going to have anyone sneak around? I could have sent her and Thane out for something, anything, I don't know man. Just a disappointing endgame. But it's a fun build-up to it and leads in to the much superior Mass Effect 3.

I'm going to replay Mass Effect 3 after I go through some of these new purchases. Namely Max Payne 3 and Dishonored. I'll see if anything else pops up for me after that. I don't want to start Skyrim before Mass Effect 3 though. Last day of the sale is up. Nothing that interests me so I think my purchases end at those three. I might still pick up Torchlight II just because, but I think a Christmas sale for that game is more likely for me, if it happens.

For those of you that haven't played The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, it's 75% off on Steam today (and tomorrow). Get it. It's one of the best games I've ever played and it comes very highly recommended.