If you have your priorities straight this month, the only thing you’ll be thinking about is Mass Effect 3 set for release on March 6th. ‘Mass what?’ you ask. Never mind, the Hedz is here to help.
Mass Effect occurs in future where galactic species of all sorts, including humanity, strive to work together amid interspecies prejudice and politics. Interstellar travel has been made possible by an ancient and extinct species known as The Protheans. Threatening the galaxy is a organic/robot hybrid species called The Reapers that destroy all life every few millennia. At the centre of the story is your character, Commander Shepard, and you’ve gathered a motley crew of alien battle experts to solve the galactic mystery of the Reapers, and hopefully, save the universe. Being a Role Playing Game (RPG), you must make all kinds of choices, which affect your reputation and ability to influence immediate outcomes and the ultimate results like the nature of your relationships, who lives and dies and the end game scenario.
The strength of ME is the depth of story – very well written, dense and detailed – and the seamless balance of RPG and third-person-shooter. It’s the best of both worlds in terms and many critics have deemed it the most anticipated game of 2012. So far you’ve uncovered the above dastardly plot, made some friends and enemies, gotten killed then resurrected, and kicked tons of alien butt. In ME 3 it all comes to a head, and the Reapers take the battle to the home turf: Earth. This is the endgame.
For the first time ME series will have a multiplayer; a 4-person co-op smartly limited to specific missions (the demo was released Feb 14), and includes a cast of unlockable characters. The interactive story-telling is even more involved than ever and the impact of your choices more far reaching than the first two iterations – this makes replay too tempting to resist.
Other new features include an omni-blade for melee attacks, all-new enemies and characters (yet to be revealed) and there’ll likely be new, more customisable weapons. Gameplay is also augmented with new moves – like the evasive roll-move and probably has other surprises.
The word is that this last instalment is riddled with emotion and intense moments, so keep a box of tissues nearby.
GH highly recommends you get this as soon as it’s available and don’t let it go. We predict it will be 2012’s Game of the Year and if you don’t get it your coolness level will be severely and abruptly diminished without warning.
Game on!
