First Impressions: Mass Effect 3

February 14th marked the release of the demo for Mass Effect 3, one of the most anticipated games of 2012. Players will once again get to suit up as Commander Shepard and fight against the Reapers. My expectations for this were high and I wasn't disappointed.

Breakdown:


Developer: Bioware
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC
Genre: Action Role-playing
Release date: March 6th (North America)

At the start of the demo players are given 3 choices, Action, Role Playing and Story. Action mode allows you to experience the combat and conversations played as cut scenes.  Role Playing mode delivers the classic Mass Effect we are used to, with full control of the dialogue and combat. Finally, Story mode lets you fully control the story without having to worry about combat.

The demo is broken up into 2 sections. The first part take place on earth and is basically a tutorial. It also sets the stage for the beginning of the game. The second part takes place at a later point in the game. Shepard must escort a Krogan to safety, but that's easier said than done.

The overall look of the game is what you would expect, similar to its predecessors, but with some improvements.  Even with that said , Mass Effects 3 is the best looking game of the series. Both the environments and character models look great. Level design seems more diverse than in the previous two games and I hope this pattern carries throughout the entire game. Some of the menus and visuals have been revamped and these changes are for the better in my opinion.

One of the new additions to Mass Effect 3 I was curious about were the voice commands. Through Kinect, you can issue voice commands to both Shepard and his crew. For example if you want Liara to use warp simply say "Liara Warp", and she will cast it on the enemy you're aiming at. It can also be used in dialogue scenes and to do things like open doors. The addition of voice commands really makes the combat in ME 3 feel like a free and seamless experience. Players no long have to open up another screen to switch weapons or use their biotic powers. I do suggest that you check your Kinect settings before you play, just to ensure that mics pick up your voice.

Now that I've played the demo, I am even more excited for the full games release. I have seen no glitches after a couple play-throughs. Everything about this game feels and looks better than in the previous titles. Players should be able to clear both missions in about 35 - 50 minutes. That's plenty of time to get a feel for the game. This is going to be one of the best games of 2012. Make sure you check out the demo for Mass Effect 3.