Mass Effect 3 Overview

Ok for those that don't know, Mass Effect is a RPG/Shooter hybrid that blends the 2 genres with an amazing story-line and plot. When I played the 1st Mass Effect I was amazed at the amount of choices you were given that changed the game play in subtle ways. It sucked me in at a level that not many games have ever accomplished. When you have such an engrossing plot combined with great gun play and RPG elements you can see why Mass Effect has become such a huge franchise. Of course you can credit BioWare the makers of such games as Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Jade Empire and the Dragon Age Series.

From a technical standpoint this game doesn't look to have many visual changes but there is more polish on what I thought was already great graphics. According to the producers the game has maxed out its graphic potential with the current hardware available. I won't argue as the game is gorgeous. The audio has gotten a boost from the previous entries though. Here's an exert from Wikipedia:

Mass Effect 3's weapon audio is being redesigned and refined. BioWare's audio team has been in discussion with other EA studios, including DICE, in order to improve their combat soundscape.[102] The game will have 40,000 lines of recorded dialog; twice as much as the first game and almost twice as much as the second game.[103] In total, there are 12,500 sound and music files.[104]

This means more award winning dialog that the game is known for. Really there isnt anything on the market that is like Mass Effect's dialog system, the fluidness and precision at which it is executed is almost flawless. I do believe the delivery of the story is the games highest selling point. Also the music is timeless. I remember playing the 1st Mass Effect and at the end during the battle with the Reaper Sovereign the music was so good I actually died on purpose a few times just so I could continue to hear it. And the points in the game where you had to make these impossible decisions like saving a friend or destroying an entire race had accompanying music that stirred the soul.

The game has 3 modes now:

Action Mode which is like a typical Shooter where you kick butt then watch the cut scenes as a reward for kicking butt then go back to kicking butt again. Basically you don't have to make any dialog choices and the portions where you are fighting are at a normal difficulty level.

Story Mode which is almost the opposite of Action Mode, here you make all the dialog choices but the combat action sequences are easy as pie. As the name suggests this is for those who just want to hear the story and deal less with the in game shooting portions.

RPG Mode is the original Mass Effect play style where you make all the dialog choice along with playing the combat portions at a normal difficulty level for a complete gaming experience. This is basically for the hardcore gamers and original players of the other games.

I like the choice to have 3 modes, it really appeals to a very wide range of gamers and I can see the "Mass Effect" of such a decision. I think of it like this, my wife is a very casual gamer. She likes games but only for quick entertainment, she will never get into series and trilogies and the like but she will get down and dirty for some quick fun. That being said RPG & Action Modes are not for her but she may like Story Mode as it isn't too hard to turn her off and the story may grab her attention. Same for those action junkies who don't want to tweak Commander Shepard every single level, they just want to shoot stuff. Action Mode delivers.

BioWare claims that the combat has been refined and that "combat-wise, Mass Effect 3 is in an entirely different space" from the first two games. I'll speak on that in my review of the demo. They have made moving and shooting a viable option in this version as in the first two games that was totally not an option and was a sure way to die. The melee combat has had major progress with the inclusion of punch/kick combos and a melee instant kill that is class unique.

**Multiplayer**
For the 1st time in Mass Effect multiplayer will be an option, this has been a big request from fans for years and finally BioWare delivers the good. I have been playing the multiplayer in the demo and I can say that it is very good. The multiplayer is a 4-player co op mode like Gears Of War's Horde Mode or Halo's Firefight Mode. If you've played them then you've pretty much played this and if you're like me then you love it.

Well thats my overview of Mass Effect 3, I will also be doing a preview so be on the look out. Hope you liked my lens.

Ok so I've been playing the demo a while now so I'll give a review.

There are two options on the demo single player and multiplayer co-op. First the single player experience: For veterans of the series you will be right at home in picking you character and his/her background. Its the same as the 1st two games with minor tweaks. The game starts with a scene involving Shepard's trial, the subsequent Reaper attack on earth and his escape to warn the Counsel. The set pieces during this sequence are just amazing. The huge Reapers laying destruction on Earth with explosions all over the place and environments that are constantly being wiped out as you move along give a great sense of urgency while playing. There were also some trademark Mass Effect emotional scenes(well one) that was painful and made me want to kick some Reaper/Husk ass! Then it cut a portion I assume is later in the game where the team is heading a rescue of a group of female Krogans who have been found on a Salarian Planet. It really gives you a chance to play around with the weapons and powers to see how much more action this version has over the others. All in all I think ME3 is going to be a great addition to the series and I can't wait to finish this intriguing story.

Multiplayer: The co-op multiplayer is a great addition to ME3 I thought it was going to be something that was just tacked on but its a very nice addition. I has the fluid nature of Uncharted 3 but the mode plays the same as Horde on Gears of War. You and a team of up to 3 others engage in increasingly difficult rounds against attackers. You earn experience points to gain levels for tech points and money to buy weapon "packages". The tech points can be used just like the single player game to increase stats and powers while the weapon packages are a little vague to me. They have 3 levels of packages with the 1st being cheaper with lower weapons, ammo, med packs & grenades and the last most expensive having rare weapons with unique qualities, the best med packs and ammo.....you get the point. I hope the weapons system becomes more fleshed out for the final product. Another thing I am wondering is will we have PvP death-matches and team matches. Currently that is not available on the demo just co-op. Overall I give the demo an 8.7 as its only a demo and other factors will make the game better in the end product. I cant wait.