Mass Effect 3

Mass Effect 3 is the sequel to Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 developed by BioWare for the PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. It is intended to be the final game in the planned Mass Effect trilogy.

Release
Mass Effect 3 was released March 6, 2012 in North America, March 8, 2012 in Australia and Switzerland, and March 9, 2012 in Europe. The game was originally slated for a 'Holiday 2011' release but was delayed to "[ensure] that it exceeds everyone's expectations" and "address a far larger market opportunity." Prior to that, Ray Muzyka had stated that the release timing would be based on maximising both "quality" and "commercial success".

BioWare released a Collector's Edition of Mass Effect 3, the Mass Effect 3 N7 Collector's Edition. This edition has numerous exclusive items, Downloadable Content, a free digital soundtrack, and an exclusive Xbox 360 Normandy Avatar Prop among other things.

All PC versions of Mass Effect 3, physical or digital, will require EA's Origin software, and will not be available through Valve's Steam.

During E3 2011, EA Games Label President Frank Gibeau did not discount the possibility of Mass Effect 3 being available for the Nintendo Wii U console, stating that EA will only "announce that when it's ready." Nintendo announced at E3 2012 that Mass Effect 3 will be made available for Wii U. BioWare confirmed that Mass Effect 3 is a launch title for the console and will be released "Holiday 2012".

Retail bonus items
Depending on where the game is purchased, what edition is purchased and whether or not it was pre-ordered, the customer may be entitled to one or more Retail Bonus Items.

The following table details which items are available based on which version of the game is purchased, and whether or not the game was pre-ordered.

Demo
A demo of Mass Effect 3 was released on February 14, 2012, for Xbox 360, PC, and PlayStation 3. The demo contains both single-player and cooperative multiplayer content. While all players were able to play the single-player content, access to the multiplayer portion was initially limited. Those who had purchased a copy of Battlefield 3 were able to gain access to the multiplayer portion of the demo immediately upon the demo's release; access was unlocked by redeeming the Online Pass included with new copies of Battlefield 3. All non-early access players were able to play the multiplayer portion of the demo beginning February 17, 2012.

On Xbox 360, downloading the Mass Effect 3 demo and playing the multiplayer portion of it did not require Xbox Live Gold membership. Microsoft temporarily lifted the Gold membership requirement for the demo in the weeks that lead up to the release of Mass Effect 3.

The demo features a level on Earth during the beginning of the Reaper invasion, with David Anderson as a temporary squad member. The objective is surviving and making a rendezvous with Normandy. The Demo then switches to a mission on Sur'Kesh where Shepard, with Garrus and Liara, must save a fertile krogan female from a Cerberus attack.

Space Edition
EA sent copies of Mass Effect 3 into the stratosphere from six different cities around the world. Copies of the game are called space editions and were accompanied by an exclusive prize. They were attached to Weather Balloons with GPS trackers and were launched from New York, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Berlin, London, and Paris. The balloons were trackable at the Official Mass Effect website.

Details
Players: 1 (single player), 4 (co-op multiplayer).

Resolution: Xbox 360 and PS3: HDTV 720p/1080i/1080p // PC: Screen & Card Dependent

Publisher: Electronic Arts, Inc.

Developer: BioWare Corp.®

Format: 2x DVD (Xbox 360 and PC), 1x Blu-ray (PlayStation 3), Digital Download (PC and PlayStation 3),

Rating: "M" for Mature (US), MA15+ (Australia), BBFC 15 (UK), PEGI 18+ (EU), USK 16 (GER)

System requirements
1 NVIDIA GeForce 9300, 8500, 8400, 8300 and AMD/ATI Radeon HD3200, HD3300, HD4350 are below minimum system requirements.

Fate of the galaxy
The story is the 'epic conclusion' to the story started in Mass Effect and continued in Mass Effect 2, as well as the conclusion of Commander Shepard's story. The player's choices in the previous games were expected to have a much more significant impact on the plot than the choices in Mass Effect had on Mass Effect 2. As Mass Effect 3 is the end of the planned trilogy, the developers are not constrained by the necessity of allowing the story to diverge, yet also continue into the next chapter. This will result in a story that diverges into wildly different conclusions based on the player's actions in the first two chapters.

Throughout Mass Effect 3, Commander Shepard will be bringing the civilisations of the galaxy together as allies to take back Earth and repel the Reaper invasion. The player's choices throughout not only Mass Effect 3, but the entire trilogy, will affect the fate of these civilisations and the endings the player can receive.

Squad members
As with the previous games in the Mass Effect trilogy, Shepard is able to recruit companions that can follow Shepard into battle:
 * Kaidan Alenko 1
 * Tali'Zorah vas Normandy 2
 * Liara T'Soni
 * Garrus Vakarian 2
 * James Vega
 * Ashley Williams 1
 * Javik 3
 * EDI

While some squad members are required, and core to the story, some are optional and others are only available for a single mission. Project Director Casey Hudson has also stated that Mass Effect 3 has fewer squad members than Mass Effect 2, focusing on "deeper relationships and more interesting interplay". 1 One or the other, depending on the outcome of Virmire: Assault in Mass Effect. 2 Depending on the outcome of the Suicide Mission in Mass Effect 2. 3 From Ashes Downloadable Content.

Returning characters
The following characters appear in some capacity in Mass Effect 3, provided they survived the events of Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2.


 * Engineer Adams
 * David Anderson 1
 * David Archer 2
 * Armando-Owen Bailey
 * Balak 2
 * Doctor Chakwas 2
 * Dr. Chloe Michel
 * Dr. Gavin Archer
 * Kelly Chambers 2
 * Gabriella Daniels 2
 * Kenneth Donnelly 2
 * Kasumi Goto 2
 * Grunt 2
 * Admiral Hackett
 * Harbinger
 * Jack 2
 * Jenna
 * Captain Kirrahe 2
 * Khalisah Bint Sinan al-Jilani
 * Matriarch Aethyta
 * Thane Krios 2
 * Kolyat Krios


 * Din Korlack
 * Miranda Lawson 2
 * Legion 2
 * The Illusive Man
 * Zaeed Massani 2
 * Jeff "Joker" Moreau
 * Admiral Daro'Xen vas Moreh
 * Admiral Han'Gerrel vas Neema
 * Oriana
 * The Rachni Queen 2
 * Admiral Zaal'Koris vas Qwib Qwib
 * Samara 2
 * Morinth 2
 * Mordin Solus 2
 * Jacob Taylor 2
 * Aria T'Loak
 * Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay
 * Donnel Udina
 * Conrad Verner 2
 * Barla Von
 * Urdnot Wreav
 * Urdnot Wrex 2

1 Temporary squadmate. 2 If survived in past Mass Effect games The following characters make their first game appearance after appearing in other Mass Effect media:
 * Kai Leng, from Mass Effect: Retribution and Mass Effect: Deception.
 * Kahlee Sanders, from Mass Effect: Revelation, Mass Effect: Ascension, Mass Effect: Retribution and Mass Effect: Deception.

New characters
The following characters make their first appearance in the series:


 * Diana Allers
 * Jondum Bau
 * Major Coats
 * Dr. Brynn Cole
 * Eva Coré
 * Steve Cortez
 * Urdnot Dagg
 * Eve
 * Falere


 * Henry Lawson
 * Dalatrass Linron
 * Rila
 * Samantha Traynor
 * Geth VI
 * Adrien Victus
 * Tarquin Victus
 * Padok Wiks

Locations
Commander Shepard and the team will visit a wide variety of new locations in Mass Effect 3, including:
 * Earth, the human homeworld.
 * Mars, the site of a Prothean archive.
 * Menae, a moon of Palaven, the turian homeworld.
 * Rannoch, the quarian homeworld, now occupied by the geth.
 * Sur'Kesh, the salarian homeworld.
 * Thessia, the asari homeworld.
 * A Geth Dreadnought
 * Cronos Station, the headquarters of Cerberus.
 * Gellix, a hideout for Cerberus defectors.
 * Jon Grissom Academy, the Systems Alliance's premier school for young human biotics.
 * Lesuss, the location of an Ardat-Yakshi monastery.
 * Utukku, a planet where the rachni have nested.
 * Benning, a human colony and nearest garden world to Arcturus Station.1
 * Cyone, an important fuel reactor depot.1

In addition, the player will return to the following locations featured in past games:
 * The Citadel
 * Horizon
 * Tuchanka1
 * Noveria1
 * Ontarom1
 * Sanctum1
 * Eden Prime2

1 Also as a cooperative multiplayer map 2 From Ashes Downloadable Content

Normandy
The Normandy SR-2 returns in Mass Effect 3. It has been claimed by the Systems Alliance, which has taken the ship apart, studied it, and then rebuilt it with new technologies and new areas.

Save File Transfer
As with Mass Effect 2, Mass Effect 3 will allow the player to import their save file from the previous game, carrying over their decisions from both Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2, totaling over 1000 variables. As Mass Effect 3 will import decisions not just from Mass Effect 2, but the original Mass Effect as well, some of the player's decisions from Mass Effect that did not have impact in Mass Effect 2 could potentially have an impact in Mass Effect 3.

If Commander Shepard died in the player's Mass Effect 2 playthrough, the player will be unable to import their save game. Mass Effect 3's story is a continuation of Shepard's story and if Shepard died in Mass Effect 2 that death is considered final. Similarly, any squadmates who did not survive the suicide mission at the end of Mass Effect 2 will not return in Mass Effect 3.

A player importing a save from Mass Effect 2 will be able to change both their appearance and their class at the beginning of Mass Effect 3.

Gameplay changes
In a presentation by Lead Gameplay Designer Christina Norman, at the Game Developer's Conference in March 2010, titled ''Where Did My Inventory Go? Refining Gameplay in Mass Effect 2'', Norman outlined her goals for Mass Effect 3. These included richer RPG features, more combat options and more complex enemies.

According to Project Director Casey Hudson, Mass Effect 3 continues, with adjustments, the approach of Mass Effect 2 by focusing on "an awesome sense of exploration, intense combat, a deep and non-linear story that's affected by your actions, and rich customisation of your armour, weapons and appearance" instead of an approach where the player "(equips the) hero by sifting through an inventory of hundreds of miscellaneous items and spend hours fiddling with numerical statistics," noting the "overwhelmingly positive" response Mass Effect 2 received for its approach.

Combat
Mass Effect 3's changes to Mass Effect 2's core combat mechanics are not as drastic as the changes Mass Effect 2 made to the original Mass Effect; however, improvements have been made and new capabilities introduced. These include:
 * Difficulty was increased, with Casey Hudson describing Normal as "the new Veteran". True to the statement, Veteran Difficulty was removed.
 * An increase in overall combat speed of 10-15%.
 * Shepard is now more agile in combat. Changes to movement in combat include the ability to roll, leap over ledges or gaps without taking cover first, optimised maneuvering and firing from cover and the removal of fatigue while running.
 * Melee plays a larger role, all classes receive improved melee with each one receiving a unique heavy melee attack.
 * Enemy AI has been improved. Enemies now perform specific functions on the battlefield and coordinate with other enemies. For example, "cover buster" enemies, such as Husks, are often paired with a "suppressor" enemy type, which will try to keep Shepard in cover while the Husks get in close.

Weapons
Mass Effect 3 makes several changes to the way weapons worked in Mass Effect 2, these include:
 * The ability for all classes to wield any type of weapon. However, classes are limited by a new "weight" attribute which applies to weapons. Weapons all have differing weights, even within the same category. The severity of weight varies based on what class Shepard belongs to. Technically, any character can equip one weapon of every category at once, but going over the character's maximum weight attribute negatively affects the amount of time it takes their abilities to recharge. The Soldier is the only class that can wield a wide variety of weapons and remain an effective force in combat at the same time. Most other classes easily carry two weapons with no penalty (or even a bonus) to their cooldowns. With weapon mods and upgrades, a player can easily increase the maximum weight of weapons Shepard can effectively carry.
 * The return of weapon modifications. Players are once again able to modify their weapons with different parts, such as barrels, scopes and materials, that will affect the weapon's combat performance and appearance. Unlike Mass Effect, however, these new mods do not feature a 'quantity'. Instead, finding a single 'copy' of a mod is sufficient for the player and all of their squad members to use the mod simultaneously. Finding additional copies of a mod improves the existing mod's level (Roman numerals I through V).
 * Along with entirely new weapons, all weapons that the player could acquire in Mass Effect 2 are available, including downloadable firearms, such as the M-96 Mattock, though you will have to reacquire them throughout the campaign.
 * Grenades are more prominent. As in Mass Effect, grenades are now of limited quantity, and supplies must be replenished after they are expended. The new grenades have a different appearance and mechanics than those in Mass Effect. Mass Effect 3's grenades are "round, [and] conventional", they are thrown at enemies and detonate after a short time . In addition, grenades have a secondary effect depending on the class of the player (like the Adept gaining Cluster Grenades, which will split into 3-4 grenades after being thrown, or the Vanguard foregoing the grenades completely for the powerful Nova attack). Enemies are also capable of using grenades against players.

Powers
Mass Effect 3 features larger skill trees that offer a greater degree of freedom when it comes to choosing skills. The player has many more points to go around compared to previous games, allowing them to build up almost all of their powers to their maximum potential. To keep things from being linear however, powers at the 4th, 5th and 6th Rank gain one of two bonus effects, whereas Mass Effect 2 only offered a choice of two evolved versions of a power upon reaching Rank 4.

In addition to Powers returning from Mass Effect 2, there are several new additions to the lineup. These include:
 * Carnage
 * Cluster Grenade
 * Decoy
 * Defense Drone
 * Fitness
 * Frag Grenade
 * Lift Grenade
 * Marksman
 * Nova
 * Proximity Mine
 * Sabotage (replaces AI Hacking)
 * Sentry Turret
 * Sticky Grenade

Advancement
The level cap in Mass Effect 3 is 60. If a character file is imported from Mass Effect 2, that character's level and abilities are retained.

Exploration
Casey Hudson had previously indicated that the vehicle exploration segment of the Mass Effect 2 DLC pack Overlord was an attempt at addressing issues players had with the exploration segments in the original Mass Effect, and lessons learned from its implementation could be used to implement similar segments in Mass Effect 3. Ultimately, Mass Effect 3 did not contain any vehicle segments.

While Cristina Norman has noted that "nobody liked" the mining mechanic in Mass Effect 2, Casey Hudson stated that the mining part of the game would be changed into the Search and Rescue mechanic, in order to preserve the notion of exploring the galaxy in a non-linear fashion.

Kinect functionality
Mass Effect 3 for the Xbox 360 includes optional Kinect functionality. Kinect allows the player to choose dialogue options by reading the paraphrase aloud and give tactical orders to the squad, such as changing positions or using powers, with voice commands. The Kinect features do not not serve as an alternative control system, but "augment" in-game conversations.

An official list of Kinect voice commands can be found here.

Different play styles
Mass Effect 3 features different play styles for people who prefer a different presentation. The three different styles are Roleplaying, Action, and Story. Roleplaying is the same Mass Effect game style as in previous entries. Action mode streamlines the cut scenes with pre-selected dialogue options, throwing in a mix of Paragon and Renegade choices. The Story style makes combat very easy for players who are invested in the story, but struggle at playing the game. Play styles are selected upon beginning a new game of Mass Effect 3 without importing a save file from a previous game. Elements of each play style, such as pre-selected dialogue or decreased combat difficulty can be selected independently via the options menu.

Mass Effect 3: Galaxy at War
Mass Effect 3: Galaxy at War is a "bonus" to the Mass Effect 3 single-player. In Galaxy at War, the player can manage and experience the galactic war on multiple fronts. The system monitors the "Galactic Readiness" level, which is measured by Commander Shepard's ability to utilize assets, such as people, weapons, resources, armies, and fleets, to confront the Reapers. Galactic Readiness is influenced in several ways, including co-op multiplayer and iOS games.

Using Mass Effect 3: Galaxy at War is optional, although it is not possible to achieve the most optimal endings in the single-player mode without it. Access to Galaxy at War and its components requires an Online Pass, which is included with new copies of Mass Effect 3.

Co-op multiplayer
Mass Effect 3 features an online four-player co-op multiplayer mission mode separate from the single-player story. In this mode, the player will create a new custom character to fight on different fronts of the galactic war. Players can choose between human, turian, krogan, asari, drell, salarian, quarian and vorcha to create their characters, each with their own unique abilities. There will also be character progression, weapon upgrading, and leveling up.

Playing the co-op multiplayer mode is optional, although it is not possible to achieve the most optimal endings in the single-player mode without it. Successfully completing missions in this mode can affect the single-player of Mass Effect 3 through the Mass Effect 3: Galaxy at War system.

Soundtrack
Composer Clint Mansell, known for scoring films such as Requiem for a Dream and The Fountain, composed the score for Mass Effect 3. Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 composer Jack Wall was not involved. ; however, Sam Hulick returned, as well as Christopher Lennertz, Cris Velasco, and Sascha Dikiciyan, who composed the soundtracks for the DLC for Mass Effect 2.

Patches
The current Mass Effect 3 patch version is 1.02