A quick look at the calendar tells us that January is almost over, and that March isn’t as far away as we thought it was. That can only mean one thing: Mass Effect 3 is coming very, very soon. Bioware’s epic RPG/TPS hybrid trilogy is nearing is conclusion. Earth is in flames, and only one man (or woman) can save it from certain annihilation at the hands of the Reapers: Commander Shepard. And you thought those two Super Bowl Quarterbacks were gonna have to deal with pressure.
Mass Effect 3 looks to be the true apex of what can only be described as one of the signature franchises of this console generation. In an era where FPS’s are king, the Mass Effect franchise has reinvented what it means to be an RPG, molding traditional elements found within the genre with those of the some of best third person shooters. Along with that, Bioware has introduced a revolutionary new dialog system that has begun popping up not only their own games, but in other companies RPG’s as well.
But the innovation that we’re most excited about is the ability to carry over characters and decisions from one game to the next. We’ve seen some of the consequences of our decisions from Mass Effect carried over to Mass Effect 2. But with the story winding down to it’s conclusion, we’re looking forward to seeing how our every decision up to this point effects the endgame.
Dude, we're getting the band back together
What we’re looking forward to:
As with any RPG, story is king. And the team at Bioware are the masters of bringing top notch storytelling to the gaming experience. And while Mass Effect clearly borrows it’s inspiration from many of the various sci-fi stories already out there, it takes these ideas and makes them it’s own, seamlessly creating a believable universe that we truly want to visit time and time again.
But to truly appreciate the story of Mass Effect, one has to import a character from a previous game. Only then, does the player understand how the game is truly “their Shepard’s story,” and not just another ride on the canonical plot train. In our various playthroughs of both Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2, we’ve seen numerous characters live or die depending on the choices we’ve made, as well as the various outcomes of previous plots opening up new quests in the next game depending on their outcome. As such, we can’t wait to see what kind of impact the big decisions we’ve made along the way effect the trilogy’s final act.
Bioware is also promising to change up our expectations of the battlefield itself. Supposedly gone are the obvious set pieces with the fortunately placed chest high walls. Players will have to take advantage of the environment in an ever changing battle field, featuring not only husks and enemy troops, but actual Reapers as well. We’ve seen videos of ground battles with actual Reapers, and we can’t wait to get our hands on these sequences, as they look to be fantastic set pieces that will really get our heart pumping and our adrenaline flowing.
How'd you like to go toe to toe with this guy?
We’re also interested in seeing how Bioware’s first attempt at a console based multiplayer mode pans out. The new Galaxy at War mode promises to tie in to the single player game’s plot in a way that most multiplayer games do not, with the results of these co-op missions having an effect on the endgame of Mass Effect 3. Since most RPG gamers may not be big multiplayer fans, this is an interesting choice that’s clearly designed to take advantage of fans gained by the franchise’s shooter mechanics. So this mode will have to be more than just a tacked on experience for the hardcore RPG lovers to truly dive in. This will mean that it’s going to need both top notch balancing, and good story elements. As such, we’re looking forward to finally getting our hands on the game’s multiplayer mode and seeing just what Bioware’s got up their sleeves.
What can be improved:
It’s fair to say that there’s been a couple things over the course of the Mass Effect series that we haven’t been fans of. The clunky inventory system and tank driving in the first game comes to mind, as does the monotonous planet scanning and overly streamlined approach of Mass Effect 2. Luckily for us, one of the things that Bioware does very well is listen to it’s community for input on how to improve it’s games. As such, we don’t expect a redux of the same issues from either of the first two games.
However, it’s clear that Bioware has had some trouble finding the proper line between RPG and TPS. How much streamlining is too much for RPG lovers? How much “RPG” will turn off the shooter fans? These are honest questions that we don’t really have the answers to yet, as Bioware hasn’t yet truly hit that sweet spot. If Mass Effect 3 can nail this balancing act in a way that the rest of the series hasn’t yet done, then it could be the best game in the series, bar none.
As if regular Krogan weren't bad enough.....
Taking the fight to the Reapers
There’s no doubt that Bioware has got it’s hands full with Mass Effect 3. The fanbase has high expectations for a big finish, and Bioware is known for delivering just that. As great as this series has been so far, the third act can make or break an entire story. When you add in all the new elements that Bioware’s looking to bring to the table, if it delivers, than Mass Effect 3 has got the potential to be the early choice for Game of the Year. At the very least, it looks like our March (and possibly our April as well) will be pretty well booked.
In the last photo caption, they are not Krogan they are Batarian husks. Note the multiple eyes.
This is going to be Awesome!