Mass Effect 3 (review)

Console: XBOX360/PC/PS3

Background: Space RPG/Shooter hybrid game, set in the future.  You are Commander Shepard. Your task is to prevent cosmic genocide of all organic life forms in the galaxy.  For the past three years, you’ve warned people the Reapers are coming.  A technologically advanced synthetic (robotic) race that appears every 50,000 years to wipe out all intelligent life forms, so they never advance to the point where they can challenge the Reapers.  Today, they are here.  The entire galaxy is under attack.  The galaxy’s life forms must unite, or be wiped out.

Story

This is the final part of a trilogy, the story of Commander Shepard concludes here.  In Mass Effect 1 you discovered the threat of the Reapers, and delayed their arrival.  In Mass Effect 2, you fought to weaken those that serve the Reapers, and expand your circle of allies.  Now Earth is the first target of the Reapers, and it’s burning.  Humans are being melted down for raw genetic material, this is an enemy with no emotion, no reasoning, and nothing but hate.  You meet old friends, and it’s all out war.  Other planets are under attack, the entire galaxy is burning.  Why should the Turians leave Palaven for Earth?  Your job is to take the forces of the galaxy, and make one unified response to the Reaper threat.  Last time they came, the Protheans were the only race capable of FTL travel.  Now, there are more.  “We fight or we die, that’s the plan!”

However if you are new to the series, it’s best you play the first two games before this, you might be overwhelmed by what’s going on and who’s who.  But this is better than any TV series, or any movie by far.

10/10

Graphics

Simply breathtaking.  The Citadel is amazing; you can sit and watch the water or the trees.  Mars is amazing, a desert and the sandstorms are lifelike.  Earth was amazing up until its fall.  Detailing is wonderful as well, the textures on each race make them look alive.  In battle you can see the level of detail when you zoom in with your sniper rifle, and watch as you pop their head off with a well placed shot.  Cloaked units also give a very faint blur, so you better pay attention.  However, there are small issues of anti aliasing, in that you might see some jagged edges.

10/10

Controls

Same as Mass Effect 2.  Works very well, and if you’ve played Mass Effect 2, you’re fine in 3.  However, in some multiplayer areas, the storm speed and camera turn make you run into walls.  And sometimes you’ll take cover against something that you don’t want to.  But this is only in multiplayer.

10/10

Gameplay

Amazing. Takes FPS/Gears style shooting and mixes in RPG elements as well.  You go around and appeal/argue/fight to get allies.  You need every race on your side.  As it progresses, your team expands, and you can pick different teammates for different missions.  You and your team level up as the game goes on, getting newer abilities.

All classes now have a new skill, for example vanguards get nova, which depletes your shield but adds an AoE ability.  Oh yes, grenades are back!  Each class gets their own type, for example an infiltrator gets a sticky grenade.  Oh yes, let’s talk weapons.  There are new weapons, and improved weapons.  Weapons can get mods like in Mass Effect 1; you can add a scope, or armor penetration.  One example of a new weapon is a pistol that fires a sticky grenade.  The Widow sniper rifle is now the second most powerful sniper, as there is now a Blackwidow sniper rifle.  Fire that at a guy hiding behind a shield, and it pierces through it.  It goes through inches of armor.  Oh yes, now you get weapons that can punch through armor.  Guy’s behind cover?  LOL what cover, you’re dead Vorcha.

Maximum level is now 60, imported level 30 characters from Mass Effect 2 arrive at level 30 with all their skill points unassigned.  Oh and you can change your appearance (there are new hairstyles) and class when you import.  Each class has a weapon that they prefer, and get a ‘mastery’ of that that either increases damage, or decreases their weight.  Yes, weapon weight, this affects how fast your abilities cool down.  So for an Adept or Vanguard, you’d want less weapons.  Soldier and infiltrator rely more on their weapons, so you can carry more.  Snipers, when you zoom in it’ll slow down time slightly so you get a better chance to aim.  Combine this with a soldiers Adrenaline burst, and you’re hitting things that don’t move.

You can now scan multiple worlds at once for more resources, so that is nicer.

10/10

Multiplayer

None cuz this is a single player WHAAAAAAAAAAA???

There is multiplayer now.  A Horde/Firefight type survival mode, where 4 players take on waves of enemies.  It’s not easy, as even bronze is pretty hard to solo.  Get a team of 4 and survive different enemies, Geth, Cerberus or the Reapers.  You have access to all the classes of single player, but with different races thrown in.  And yes, they level up as well.

10/10

Overall

With over 30 perfect scores, do you even have to ask?

10/10

Mass Effect 3 finishes the story and has you on edge until it’s over.

Trailers:

Take Earth Back
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBktyyaV9LY

The War Begins
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VtSAWFlQMc&context=C43e944bADvjVQa1PpcFOT0cn7e-I1yCI5RoFn0qeoaqxV5f7GXUM%3D