Mass Effect 3 will be aimed towards a more mainstream audience. Recent reports claim as much regarding one of my favorite videogame franchises. That’s why I wanted to get to the bottom of things at E3. After reading this recent news regarding Mass Effect 3, I was concerned that it would be getting a makeover that would result in a Gears of War game with dialogue trees.
How much would BioWare be changing Mass Effect? Would it still look like the Mass Effect games I’ve fallen in love with?
After seeing the game at E3, I’m happy to say that the answer to that last question was a resounding “yes.” Although far from being Gears of War, Mass Effect 3 does deliver hard-hitting action that has yet to be seen in the series. More importantly, it does so without compromising what the series stands for.The developers at BioWare ensured us that if you haven’t played a Mass Effect game, this would be “the best place to jump in” as Mass Effect 3 is where everything goes down (of course, we know better than to not start at the original). The Reapers have invaded Earth, and they’re winning. Shepard has to gather allies from across the galaxy to help aid in the fight.
In making things more mainstream, one can expect that BioWare brings it in terms of production and action sequences. And they do. Battles in Mass Effect 3 will be fought on a larger scale than on any previous Mass Effect game. The demo started off with Shepard jumping onto the turret of a tank and fighting a huge Reaper spider (think Halo’s Scarabs) in an on-rails gunning sequence. Tank turrets not your style? How about taking a Cerberus Atlas mech for a spin? Because they’ve got that too.
We were told that players will be able to take multiple approaches to these battles, so the choice of whether or not to get on the turret would be up to the player. There’s a lot of potential in this statement. The different approaches one can take on the battlefield given these large-scale firefights would do well to deliver a lot of new experiences for those who have grown tired of the series’ “firefight-to-dialogue” or “dialogue-to-firefight” formula.
In terms of presentation, it was clear that the final installment of the trilogy will be highlighting the action sequences in the game. The camera angle is slightly tweaked and is much closer to Shepard (which is much more apparent when Shepard is aiming down the sights). I thought that this was a neat change that does a good job of making the player feel like they’re closer to the action.
One of the most tantalizing parts of the demo included Shepard’s use of the new omni-blade. When close enough to an enemy, Shepard can turn his/her omni-tool into an omni-blade and deliver a finishing blow. Such devastating melee attacks (outside of the vanguard’s charge, for you sticklers) were never really explored in the previous Mass Effect titles, and I was impressed with the melee attack’s smooth animation. I’m hoping that these attacks come with a good variety of different animations in the final product.
BioWare reminded us that the power of choice will continue to be the theme in the trilogy — from gameplay to plot development. How Shepard fights will continue to be up to the player. Like in the previous games, you can continue to play tactically or run-and-gun. Players will be given a new way to play: stealthily. Shepard’s new moves also involve stealth take-downs that will count as an instant kill. In the demo, we saw Shepard avoid a firefight by infiltrating a base, sneaking up behind an enemy, and pulling them over a counter and taking them out unnoticed. I’m no programming expert, but being able to go noticed and unnoticed by enemies probably involves more complex AI, with vision cones and whatnot.
Of course, Shepard can also take a more flashy approach. Grenades have made their return to the series, and they’re different than those sticky yo-yo grenades from the original Mass Effect. They are now under the influence of gravity and can be lobbed in a parabolic trajectory. So if you wanted to surprise an unsuspecting guard in a different way — by say, tossing a grenade at his dome, you totally could.
Many choices in Mass Effect 3 will also count towards the way Shepard prepares for battle. Gamers who thought that weapon customization in Mass Effect 2 was too streamlined and became too easy will be happy. Deeper weapon customization will make its return to the series. Shepard can now stop at work benches (scattered across the game like in Dead Space) to customize his/her weapons using items that have been found throughout the game.
Players will also be able to customize their skills on a deeper level. We were shown how the combat mastery skill can be directed towards improving either combat strength or Shepard’s influence on characters. Before, the question regarding how to customize your character’s attributes was be “how many skill points do I want to invest in combat mastery?” The question becomes more complex in Mass Effect 3 as skills can now be evolved through multiple paths.
Perhaps the biggest strength of the series is its ability to make players care about the decisions they make; the most important thing about this E3 demo is that the series will continue to make players care. Interactions with other in-game characters will matter on an emotional level. I won’t reveal much, but I walked out of that room bummed out. The demo moved me, and that’s a good thing. The choices that players will make (and their repercussions) will accent the story by pulling on players’ heartstrings — hard.
Although an E3 demo isn’t always the best indication of what a game will be when it’s released, the developers at BioWare seem to have their hearts in the right place with this title. Some design choices in Mass Effect 3 have been made to appeal to a mainstream audience, but it also caters to fans of the series. BioWare has made its intentions clear, and their execution seems to be spot-on so far.
In short, it was quite clear that it’s still a Mass Effect game. And I’m still stoked for it.
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