Ever since Bioware made the announcement of Mass Effect 3 during the 2010 Spike Video Game Awards, fans of the series have been scouring the internet for more information. In my own anticipation for the game, I decided to write an article on Mass Effect 3 Story Plots. The amount of reader responses has been engaging and has thus generated further interest and ideas on what’s next for the series. Now after months of waiting, the newest issue of Game Informer magazine has the exclusive scoop on ME 3 straight from the Bioware team. With issues currently being shipped out to all their loyal subscribers, some diehard fans have opted to jump on NEOGAF and reveal some of the key quotes from the interview. Below is a brief overview of what’s confirmed for the final sequel in the series:
- Most, if not all, major characters will return in some form. There will be select major characters for squadmates, while other characters will be temporary squadmates for singular missions (think like Liara in Lair of the Shadow Broker). Liara, Garrus, and Ashley or Kaiden are confirmed but it is unknown if they will be the permanent squad members.
- ME3’s story will have a ‘dark’ Full scale war feel to it in the sense that you’ll face dangerous odds, leaving only a sense of hopelessness.
- Some key plot elements that will reveal why the Reapers can be defeated. Wants the progression of the game to give red herrings and a flow of information, so it starts hopeless but you slowly work out what needs to be done.
- The Illusive Man and Cerberus are out to kill Shepherd.
- Strategically Recruit the races. Most races dont want to join because they dont want to be ruined by the Reapers and are caught up in their own conflicts. Examples: Visit Salarian homeworld, they’re stuck in a conflict regarding the Genophage. Quarians trying to take back their homeworld. Shepard must try and find a way to resolve these conflicts to get the best support. Solutions wont be easy or obvious, and based on past choices may even be impossible.
- NG+ sound similar to ME2. Can continue playing, but can also ‘loop back around’ and do stuff over again.
- Shepard can roll, and can vault over obsticles without going into cover first. ‘Peak’ feature tweaked. Ladders for climbing up to higher areas. Bigger battlefields.
- Smarter AI that can ‘plan’ certain attacks on Shepard. BioWare feel that with the way ME2/ME3’s combat is they need to compete with all the other shooters in the market, so improvements have to be made.
- Game cinematics want to focus on the sense of scale, of both the Reapers and the war. Lots of big moments. Aforementioned Thresher Maw Vs. Reaper is an example.
- Vehicles will be similar to ME2; not built into the main path of the game, but may return in some form as extras.
- Scanning is back but ‘wont be at at all like ME2’.
- Dynamics of how choices effect the flow of the game more like the ending sequence of ME2 rather than the actual ME2 game, as in you’ll make choices and see the differences quicker (or so they’re promising). Quicker referencing of choices in the engine.
- People still dont believe Shepard that the Reapers are coming. They attack New York, London, Japan and others first. Earth is only the beginning of the plan.
- New Normandy, which is really a stripped and altered Normandy 2 by the Alliance.
- Dont feel that there is a ‘missing out on content’ feel to the game if you happen to make decisions in previous games. No one play through necessarily ‘better’ than the other, just different.
- ME3 will be more difficult than ME2.
- BioWare wants to make a Mass Effect MMO.
After getting a look at all these descriptions, you can’t help but feel that Bioware is aiming to finish off this series on a high note. If you are subscribed to Game Informer magazine, then you should be receiving your copy any day now. If your not, feel free to stop by your newsstand and pick up the latest issue to learn more about ME3. What do you guys think of some of the features mentioned? Feel free to leave your comments and thoughts below.
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