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Mass Effect 3
As galactic hero, Commander Shepard, it is once again your job to bring order to the chaos & save the universe before it is too late. Shepard is no stranger to impossible demands but in Mass Effect he (or she if you wish) has to resolve virtually every problem in the galaxy just so that all sentient life might have a chance against the Reapers. It is the final chapter in the Mass Effect trilogy so Bioware is not pulling any punches. You will be asked to make some tough choices and the right ones might not always be the ones that will make you feel happy with the outcome.
The game continues directly from the last Mass Effect 2 dlc, Arrival and opens in the midst of a full blown Reaper invasion of Earth. How the game unfolds depend on the new modes however. Pick "Action" mode and the store becomes a mere cut-scene breaking up the shooting sections. The opposite is true for "Story" mode where the combat is easy enough to breeze through in order to follow the plot. Purists will stick to the "Rpg" mode which offers more depth and involvement. Gameplay wise Mass Effect 3 is not quite as drastic a leap as part two was from part one. Instead it blends the styles of the last two games into something more refined. The focus has shifted from recruiting squad members and getting to know them on a personal level like in part two to a desperate mission to sway entire races to your cause. This makes the game feel darker and more urgent but I miss the personal connections with memorable individuals. If you import your save file your past choices will have an impact on events in the game to such an extent that certain characters or missions will be completely different or even absent. Since this is the culmination of an epic trilogy I doubt if there will be many players starting fresh with the series. Your time in the game will be divided between engaging in conversations to delve deeper into the plot, watching cut scenes to see the consequences of your c choices, flying around the galaxy to acquire war assets and engaging in combat, third person style to accomplish your goals. The balance is very good (in RPG mode) and each section sees same refinements over the past two games. Your decisions and actions will improve your "Paragon" or "Renegade" levels which in turn open up new dialogue options in certain cases. If your level is not high enough these options will be visible but inaccessible to show you what you are missing out on. You are asked to make some pretty hefty decisions in this game and on a few occasions I felt genuinely bad for the consequence that happened as a result of what I thought would be the "best" course of action. Bioware has done a masterful job of creating memorable characters when you care about the in the past games and then placing their lives in your hands for this game. The emotional impact might not be the same for newcomers however. Combat has seen some refinements and now feel a lot less clunky. The overuse of the spacebar is a bit annoying but your character can now move around the battlefield much more fluidly than before. Weapon customization allows you to get the most out of your arsenal and there are a few new squad members for you to take into action. The locations you visit is a lot more varied and includes the war torn home worlds of most of the council races. The enormous Reapers make for some impressive backdrops and even better boss battles as well. The level design look and feel better and the ability to scale ladders allow you to get a height advantage over enemies. You'll need it too as you'll be assaulted by Cerberus troops and husks of most of the alien races. The improved melee means running between cover is no longer as suicidal as it used to be either. While flying around the galaxy you are no longer searching for resources but instead have to find war assets. The Normandy is equipped with a scanner which will pinpoint these but use it too much and the Reapers will be drawn to your location. You have no means to fight back so your only hope lies in escaping the system in time. This gives these sections a much deadlier game of cat and mouse feel but it can still end up being a grind. These sections actually reminded me a lot of the classic Star Control 2 which bears some striking similarities to the Mass Effect series. One thing that is a bit disappointing is the way side missions are handled. You receive almost all of them by simply strolling through the Citadel & "overhearing" conversations. These mostly involve flying to a system, scanning a planet, sending down a probe to collect the book, banner, bones or whatever it is that the alien in question was looking for and then returning to deliver it. I was hoping for something a bit more involved. The visuals in the game are ok but the textures are a bit low resolution in places. There aren't many improvements over Mass Effect 2 but then again this is a console port. The loading times were at least very quick and there were quite a few very impressive set pieces. I noticed a few visual glitches as well but nothing too serious. My gameplay experience was also relatively bug free. All the voice actors return to reprise their roles so the voice-overs are as solid as ever. The soundtrack is apparently handled by a new composer and I liked what I heard. I did not spend much time with the multi-player mode but I can say that it does not overshadow the game like I initially feared it would. Mass Effect 3 is a very good game but sadly not perfect. As the closing chapter in such an epic saga I was expecting much more closure. Bioware made some bold claims about tying up all the loose strands but it looks like they did not exactly deliver on this. I won't give away any spoilers but being told that I can continue my adventures via dlc at the conclusion of a game is a bit jarring. I have to admit though that I had a blast playing the game and the story had me hooked right to the end. Issues like day one dlc and a disappointing climax might have marred the experience for some but if you played the past two games you owe it to yourself to finish this one.
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System Requirements
TAGS: Commander Shepard, Reapers, Liara, Ashley, Illusive Man, Geth, Multiplayer
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