Mass Effect 3 - Xbox 360

Mass Effect 3: Omega DLC Launch Trailer

Jim Reilly — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 18:35:00 GMT

New single-player content for Mass Effect 3 launches tomorrow, November 27, for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. The story centers on Omega ruler Aria T'loak who's out to retake the station from Cerberus control. Mass Effect 3 Omega costs $14.99 or 1200 Microsoft Points.

Electronic Arts said the content is not coming to Wii U. Check out the debut trailer below.

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Mass Effect 3: Leviathan Launch Trailer

Jim Reilly — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 17:39:00 GMT

The upcoming single-player download content for Mass Effect 3 explores the origins of the Reapers. Leviathan introduces new characters, weapons, and upgrades. It's due out this Tuesday for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC for $9.99.

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Mass Effect 3 Review: Emotion Runs High In BioWare's Grand Finale

Andrew Reiner — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 08:00:00 GMT

Near the beginning of Mass Effect 3, an emotional scene takes place when Commander Shepard encounters a frightened boy on Earth. A feeling of hopelessness pervades the encounter; Shepard can’t do anything to help, and the child knows it. The galaxy didn’t prepare for the Reaper invasion, and defeat seems inevitable. The scribes at BioWare never abandon this tone throughout Mass Effect 3, leading to a dark story that beats mercilessly to the pulse of war and the death it delivers.

While the universe’s fight for survival is the backbone of this drama – a masterfully written examination of war and the toll it takes – Shepard’s humanity is often reflected in key moments along the way. In a few sequences, BioWare even breaks free from traditional storytelling conventions to artfully illustrate Shepard’s state of mind. Many of the conversations exchanged between Shepard and military leaders are grim, and often feelings of finality or impending doom are implied or outright spoken. The once-vibrant white walls of Citadel, a hub of galactic unity and prosperity, now hold the injured and dead and are blackened by war.

As bleak as this story is, it’s offset by war sequences so large in scale and beautifully animated that you cannot help but look upon them in awe. The Reapers are often bigger than a city’s tallest skyscraper. As they approach they create terrifying sounds with enough bass to make your subwoofer rattle. Space battles consist of hundreds of vessels, gigantic volleys of laser fire, and cinematic shots that owe a debt to both Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica. Almost every shot in this game, whether it’s showing the finesse of a ninja-like foe or a simple conversation between Shepard and a crewmate, is beautifully framed. From Earth's darkest hour to the universe's last stand, this game revels in heart-pounding excitement and soul-crushing twists. It starts out with a bang and rarely slows as it races toward its conclusion.

I was left speechless at the end of this story. I won’t divulge the feeling that washed over me during the final sequence, but I absolutely love how it concludes. Most of the major plot points and character side stories – even those harking back to Mass Effect 1 – resolve. Some of these characters feel like old friends or family members, and it’s remarkable how much emotion these fictional beings evoke. I was sad to leave them behind, but satisfied since I had no unanswered questions.

If you played through Mass Effect 2’s Arrival DLC, you understand the severity of the decisions Shepard has to make. I didn’t encounter as many Renegade or Paragon choices as in the first two games, but most of the options have an important effect on the story, and many are hard to make. Yes, Shepard still finds the time to dance in a nightclub on Citadel, be cruel to reporters, and find love on the Normandy, but rarely do you have the choice to apply evil or good actions to trivial matters. BioWare has a clear path in mind for where the story threads end up, but Shepard’s input determines who is involved and what trigger is pulled. The decisions carry significant weight and lead to interesting outcomes that transcend the traditional paragon/renegade framework.

I lost three party members (Grunt, Legion, and Jack) at the end of Mass Effect 2. Obviously, I don’t know how their stories conclude in Mass Effect 3, but even if you took Mass Effect 2’s suicide mission to the extreme, you won’t be cheated out of content. You still play through the sequences that would have featured these characters; you just don’t see how they would affect a scene. You'll want to import multiple saves to see how these scenarios play out with (or without) certain characters.

Despite its more emotional narrative, Mass Effect hasn't lost its edge on the battlefield. While the majority of the gameplay mechanics carry over from Mass Effect 2 with little alteration (a decision I have no qualms with), the addition of melee strikes opens up new combat strategies and allows players to abandon cover. The Omni-Blade mechanic feels great and finally gives players a solution to close-range assaults. I just wish it would lock on to downed foes and could be canceled if I know I’m going to swing and miss.

Squadmate AI is more independent, moving freely on the battlefield and engaging enemies intelligently without waiting for orders. This is a great thing, since the enemy forces are often greater in number and coordinating their attacks. Shepard can no longer sit back in one spot like a sniper and pick off an entire battalion. Movement is necessary, and while the cover mechanic works better than it did in past incarnations, it’s still not perfect. Sometimes, the control still feels sloppy as you vault and move between cover points. Regardless, combat offers a higher level of intensity and the encounters are more interesting this time around – especially given the great variety in environment and enemy types.

Off the battlefield, Shepard rounds up troops and resources to fuel the war effort. This mechanic highlights the epic quality of this galactic conflict, and gives players a strategic experience that seeps into almost every mission. Some of this is handled through main story missions, side quests, and planet scanning. Don't worry, scanning isn't the time-consuming nightmare it used to be. BioWare clearly listened to complaints people had about Mass Effect 2 and trimmed the fat – I didn't endure one hacking minigame or awkward vehicle segment.

Friends can also lend a hand to your war effort through new four-player co-op missions. You won’t share story moments, but completing these missions raises Shepard’s galactic readiness in the main campaign. These battles play out much like Gears of War’s Horde mode, only they’re packed with objectives. Some are tough to accomplish, especially as you ratchet up the difficulty setting. Like any good multiplayer game, every match and kill brings experience points, and players can pass the time by leveling up their character, modding weapons, and purchasing gear, upgrades, and even character skins. This co-op experience is a fantastic addition that gives the game longevity whether you want to enrich your single-player experience or sink hours into a full-fledged multiplayer offering. Buying randomized reward packs between matches reminds me of collecting baseball cards as a kid; the prospect of a rare and valuable find is enough to keep me addicted indefinitely.

For two full games, we heard about the Reapers. Mass Effect 3 shows us how great this threat is both to the inhabitants of this fictional universe and to the players who must face off against it. I guided Shepard across three massive games spanning over 100 hours, and feel BioWare has delivered one of the most intricately crafted stories in the history of the medium. After getting to know these characters so well, it’ll be hard to leave this universe behind, but it’s been one hell of a ride.

The Edge

On Xbox 360, players who own Kinect can also layer tactics through voice command. This system is shaky at best – sometimes forcing the player to repeat commands – but when it works, it aids in sticky situations. As Shepard is unloading a round, you can yell “Liara, singularity” to chain together attacks. I used Kinect for the occasional battle, but found it most useful during conversations. When you’re catching up with the Normandy crew you can put the controller down and bark out commands, freeing up your hands to stuff your face with food. Laugh if you will, but I bet Kinect owners will use it just like I did over the course of long gaming sessions.

The downside to the 360 version is the need to swap discs; this doesn’t just happen once or twice during the story like in Mass Effect 2; this happened five times for me. PlayStation 3 owners don’t have to worry about this at all, but I still give The Edge to the Xbox 360 version because you can play the entire trilogy on that console.

Feast Your Eyes On The Mass Effect 3 Take Earth Back Trailer

Kyle Hilliard — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 04:04:00 GMT

It was teased to us on Valentines Day, but now you can check out the full Take Earth Back CG trailer for Mass Effect 3.

There are lots of reapers destroying international monuments, and Shepard jumping through the air to punch bad guys. It doesn't have any gameplay, but it does make March 6, the game's release date, seem really far away.

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New Mass Effect 3 Trailer Stars The Female Shepard

Kyle Hilliard — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:55:55 GMT

The affectionately nicknamed "Fem Shep" takes a starring role in the latest Mass Effect 3 trailer.

You won't find a whole lot of new footage or story revelations, but you do you get to see the female Shepard and her fan-voted red hair in some of the scenarios we've only see the male Shepard in to date.

Mass Effect 3 releases March 6, which isn't today, making today significantly less awesome.

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Mass Effect 3 Has Facebook Implementation

Kyle Hilliard — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:50:00 GMT

It's not quite a facebook game, but Mass Effect does have integration with the popular social network.

Mass Effect 3 Mission Command allows facebook users who take part in the program to unlock Xbox Live Avatar items, DLC and Mass Effect 3 gear by completing assorted missions. It's a promotion tied to the Kinect, so it only applies to the Xbox 360 version of the game.

[via Shacknews]

BioWare Unleashes New Mass Effect 3 Multiplayer Trailer

Jeff Cork — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:06:08 GMT

Mass Effect 3 ships in just a few short weeks, which means players have some time to do some last-minute housekeeping. If you've already played through the first two installments of the series (and really, you should), now it's time to start thinking about the game's new multiplayer addition. BioWare has just released a new trailer for the game's four-player mode, which should give you plenty of fuel to go on.

The clip shows a variety of races and classes in action, including a human soldier, Quarian engineer, Drell vanguard, Turian sentinal, Asari vanguard, Salarian infiltrator, and Krogan soldier. There's even a nice little cameo from Commander Shepard, as he gives our heroes a quick pep talk. Looking at some of the enemies they're facing on these side missions, our heroes will need all the help they can get. Would it kill you to help out a bit, Shep?

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For our hands-on impressions of Mass Effect 3's multiplayer mode, including five reason's why our own Joe Juba thinks it's a good addition, check out our preview. And look for the game March 6 on the PS3, PC, and Xbox 360.

Mass Effect 3 Preview: Not Bad With Kinect

Matt Bertz — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Microsoft has teased 360 owners with Kinect applications for hardcore games like Forza Motorsport and Ghost Recon Future Soldier, but up to this point the voice and gesture controlled peripheral hasn’t impacted core gamers in a meaningful way outside of giving them new ways to navigate their Netflix queues. Changing your view of a car’s interior is a nice touch, but what about gameplay? BioWare takes up this challenge in Mass Effect 3.

For BioWare, the solution was leaving the gesture recognition behind in favor of a robust suite of voice commands. The Mass Effect 3 demo used to showcase the Kinect functionality is the same level we saw at E3, Gamescom, and PAX Prime. In this mission, Shepard and his crew are fighting to extract a Krogan female from the Salarian homeworld of Sur’Kesh before the Cerberus agents snatch her.

The voice controls integrate into the action seamlessly. Instead of accessing the power wheel to issue commands to your squadmates or using waypoints to guide them into cover, all you need to do is point your reticle at a target, say the name of the teammate you want to act, and issue a command. Anything you can do on the controller is available as a voice command. When you verbalize your instructions, a small microphone icon in the upper left-hand corner of the screen indicates whether Kinect heard you properly. Outside a few instances where room chatter drowned out my voice, the Kinect understood my commands and processed the information quickly.

Moving to engage the Cerberus agents, I had no problems directing Liara and new squad member James Vega to cover and commanding them to use their special abilities on the fly. It’s a very satisfying feeling to say “James, Carnage” and watch an enemy explode into several bits of flesh seconds later. Even better, if your squad members have different specializations, you don’t even need to say their name during the order. My group was smart enough to know that went I said, “warp,” the order was intended for Liara.

Voice commands also work for managing Shepard’s inventory and interacting with the environment. By saying a few simple words, I had the commander chucking grenades, switching weapons, changing ammo types, opening doors, and interacting with consoles. Best of all, if the going gets rough, you can save your progress without drilling into the menus by saying, “quick save.”

I came into the demo skeptical of the Kinect voice controls, but after churning through baddies by issuing battlefield commands I’m pleasantly surprised how streamlined it integrates into the basic action. Not having to open the power wheel to order your squadmates around allows you to keep firing downrange, improving your overall battle effectiveness. As EA demonstrated during E3, the voice controls extend to dialogue situations as well.

The Mass Effect 3 voice commands aren’t a standalone reason to pick up Kinect, but if you already own it, give them a shot when this demo hits Xbox Live on February 14. You may finally have a Kinect experience worth talking about.

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New Mass Effect 3 Videos & Screens Show Off Pre-Order Content

Andrew Reiner — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 19:14:00 GMT

Mass Effect 3 is exactly two months away. Since I know many of you are jumping for excitement for this release, I'm going to do my part to bring you as much information as I can (actually, my sinister intention is to make the wait seem much longer than it really is). Today's update brings new videos and screenshots of the pre-order items. You can read about them here, or watch the videos below to see if these weapons and armors suit your Shepard.

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Mass Effect 3 Collector’s Edition Packs Bonus Character And Mission

Tim Turi — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 19:30:00 GMT

Feeling a bit parched? Jumpstart your salivary glands in gear with this video showcasing all the goodies you get with the Mass Effect 3 Collector’s Edition. This video - set to some amazing music - shows off a robot dog and teases a mysterious bonus character/mission exclusive to the Collector’s Edition.

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Here’s what you get:

Robot dog
Exclusive bonus character and mission
Other in-game perks
Special outfits
Normandy Avatar prop for 360 users
Fabric N7 patch
70-page art book
Metal case
Lithographic print
Digital Soundtrack

For $20 over the basic asking price, it’s hard to turn down all this great stuff. I have a denim vest that would look pretty great with an N7 patch on it. I’d look especially rad wearing it while walking my robot dog after the game releases on March 6.

More On Mass Effect 3's Multiplayer

Matthew Kato — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 21:12:28 GMT

We can't get enough info on Mass Effect 3, and with the recent announcement of the game's co-op multiplayer, there's plenty to still find out about the mode.

Over at the BioWare blog, Jesse Houston, the Mass Effect 3 producer, sat down for a Q&A session where he not only goes over some of the game's multiplayer details, but also talks about how the first two Mass Effect titles influence ME 3, and more.

Some highlights include:

There are co-op leaderboards and achievements
Multiplayer races include: Krogan, Asari, Drell, and more
Multiplayer will integrate with the BioWare Social Network
Multiplayer has its own characters not in the single-player campaign (other characters coming as DLC)

Check out the full Q&A at the BioWare Blog and check out the previous informative video segment on the game's multiplayer.

Five Reasons Why Multiplayer In Mass Effect 3 Is A Good Idea

Joe Juba — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 16:01:00 GMT

Rumors of a multiplayer mode had been swirling around Mass Effect 3 since its announcement, but EA and BioWare finally made it official. The series’ third entry will have a separate co-op mode that allows you to play alongside your friends – an addition that may raise some doubts among Mass Effect’s legion of single-player fans. If you haven't seen it yet, you should catch up by checking out the co-op reveal trailer.

I was skeptical when I first heard the news, too. Mass Effect is a shooter/RPG that built its reputation on an ambitious single-player story stretched across three epic titles. Isn’t adding a multiplayer component just a cheap ploy to cater to a different demographic? Won’t that alienate the people who made Mass Effect a success in the first place? Those were the questions that worried me, but after spending an hour playing the co-op mode in Mass Effect 3 at an EA event, I’m not worried anymore. Here’s why:

1) You Don’t Have To Play Co-Op
The conclusion of Commander Shepard’s tale is still a single-player affair. The co-op mode is a separate thing, and Mass Effect 3’s best ending can be obtained entirely within the confines of the campaign. To me, this is the most important factor. By not forcing players to dabble in multiplayer, EA and BioWare have ensured that those seeking a “classic” Mass Effect experience don’t feel betrayed or alienated. At the same time, the option is there for those who are interested.

2) Gameplay Doesn’t Suffer
The core combat mechanics in co-op haven’t been changed drastically to accommodate the new mode. You still choose from among the six major classes (soldier, adept, engineer, vanguard, sentinel, and infiltrator), and level up as you gain experience. The biggest difference is that you aren’t completing a scripted mission; you’re fighting off waves of enemies. The gunplay involves squad tactics, taking cover, and using your class powers to their fullest. As an adept, I threw a singularity into a crowd of advancing enemies, and as they twirled in mid-air, my soldier teammate gunned them down. It feels exactly like Mass Effect should – but it adds a fun element of cooperation.

3) The Depth Is There
The goal in co-op mode isn’t just to survive waves of bad guys until you are eventually overpowered. Each mission has a finite number of waves, and if you make it all the way through, you get a nice experience bonus. But even if you fail, you retain the XP you gained. That XP is the core of my favorite part of ME3’s multiplayer: the leveling. Each class has a full set of skills like you’d see in the single-player campaign, including different branches for each power. As your character gains levels, you earn more skill points to apply to your abilities, like increasing health, learning new biotic powers, or decreasing cooldown times. All of these upgrades carry over from match to match, and the persistence gives you the satisfying sense of building a powerhouse from the ground up.

4) Co-op Feeds Into Shepard’s War
Though you aren’t forced to play multiplayer, the time you spend in co-op isn’t completely isolated from the main game. The awesome multiplayer characters you take into battle can appear in the single-player campaign as war assets for Shepard to dispatch. EA is calling this the “Galaxy at War” system, where the Reaper threat is reaching critical levels in multiple areas of the galaxy. Shepard can’t be everywhere at once, and multiplayer characters join the other power groups (like the Salarian Special Forces) that are available as war assets – the soldiers that help keep things under control long enough for Shepard to finish the fight.

5) Play As Other Races
Shepard works alongside most of the major races in the galaxy, but players never control any of the other species in the single-player campaign. Co-op gives you the opportunity to step into some alien shoes. In addition to humans, players can choose to be a Salarian, Krogan, Turian, Asari, or Drell character. All of my hands-on time was spent playing as a human, but I’m looking forward to checking out what the other species offer. While largely a cosmetic choice, each race will have some sort of unique capability, but BioWare isn’t giving out precise details yet. Even without any specifics, I expect to see a lot of Krogans storming around in co-op.

What are you thoughts about BioWare's inclusion of co-op multiplayer? Share in the comments below!

Your First Look At Mass Effect 3's Multiplayer

Jim Reilly — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:30:00 GMT

Electronic Arts today unveiled screenshots and a short video interview for Mass Effect 3's cooperative mode "Galaxy at War," confirming reports from earlier this week.

The publisher also says the mode will be unlocked after entering a one-time use "Online Pass" code found in each new copy of the game. The code has been used in previous EA titles, including Mass Effect 2, which unlocked access to the Cerberus Network. The code can also be purchased separately, though a price point was not announced.

“The theme of galactic war in Mass Effect 3 presents us with the perfect opportunity to introduce multiplayer into the Mass Effect series,” said Casey Hudson, Executive Producer of the Mass Effect series. “Multiplayer not only features amazing combat and deep customization options, but it will give players another way to help the war effort against the Reapers in the main event -- the single player campaign.”

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New Mass Effect 3 Shots

Matthew Kato — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 15:35:20 GMT

Electronic Arts and BioWare showed off some new footage for Mass Effect 3, and we've got some new screens to highlight the squad play.

The scene in the demo at EA's Gamescom 2011 press conference was pretty straight-forward, showing a three-person squad of Shepard, Garrus, and Liara going up against a rival squad of enemies, included a suited mech mini-boss. The trio skillfully harmonized their abilities and firepower to dispatch their foes.

Mass Effect 3 comes out on March 6 on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC.

I Played Mass Effect 3

Joe Juba — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 06:18:40 GMT

My day at E3 started off great, because I sat in on a live demonstration of Mass Effect 3. Then my day got even better, because I had a chance to play through the demo level for myself.

The mission I played saw Commander Shepard on the Salarian homeworld in an effort to win more allies in the war against the Reapers. The objective is to ensure that a fertile female Krogan gets to safety. Yes, we finally get to see a female Krogan, and while she looks similar to the males, she is draped in blue fabric covering her body, face, and head. Over the radio, Wrex tells Shepard to get her out of there... but he obviously won't be doing that in your game if he died back in ME 1.

The female is in a separate pod that ascends the Salarian buildings, and Shepard needs to deactivate locks along the way so the pod can continue moving. Of course, it isn't that simple; Cerberus forces are attacking, so Shepard gets to try out his new combat maneuvers. My favorite change is the addition of the omni-blade, which BioWare describes as a kind of holographic switchblade that makes melee attacks more satisfying. Instead of just rifle-butting enemies in close quarters, holding down the melee button triggers a brutal move that makes Shepard impale his opponent with the powerful attack.

Grenades also make a return, but they are better implemented than they were in the original Mass Effect. They arc over cover, and I use them to flush enemies out into the open (where they promptly get concussive blasted). I'm playing as the soldier class, so I also have access to the Adrenaline Rush ability to slow down time. This comes in handy when one of the Cerberus troops showed up with a shield that seems impenetrable. While my squad stays behind and draws his fire, I sneak up beside him, activate Adrenaline Rush, and take him out before he has a chance to do any real damage.

One key piece of story information is revealed during these battles. After Liara makes a remark about Cerberus' persistance, Shepard responds: "They're indoctrinated. They'll do anything." Whether the Illusive Man is also under Reaper control is unknown, but it would definitely help explain why Cerberus is working against the one human who can save the galaxy.

So, how does Mass Effect 3 feel? It definitely isn't the drastic change in gameplay we experienced from Mass Effect 1 to 2. However, it isn't exactly the same. The evasive roll adds a new degree of mobility, and the omni-blade is neat. Even better, it looks like each character's abilty trees will allow for much more differentiation and choice than before.

I've been a fan of Mass Effect ever since the original released, so I would probably be excited for the final entry either way...but this isn't just the fan in me talking. Mass Effect 3 seems like a fantastic game from the time I spent playing, and I can't wait to go through the entire thing.

See all of the latest ME 3 videos and screenshots here, and check out exclusive features at our Mass Effect 3 hub!