Gamers will not be able to use their Commander Shepard in new mode

Oct 11, 2011 09:49 GMT  ·  By

Soon after a feature in an Australian magazine has made its existence all but official BioWare has rushed to offer more information on the cooperative multiplayer experience that will be integrated into the upcoming action and role playing mix of Mass Effect 3.

Players will be able to recruit three friends and then engage in cooperative missions that are not part of the single player narrative ark but will have an impact on the overall fight against the mechanical Reapers.

Writing on the official BioWare forums, Chris Priestly, who is one of the developers working on the cooperative play, says it “will have a direct impact on the outcome of the single player campaign, giving players an alternative method of achieving ultimate victory”.

The Galaxy at War battles will influence something called the Galactic Readiness level, which will also be affected by other means that BioWare is not talking about at the moment.

Priestly added, “It is important to note that the system is entirely optional and just another way players can have control over your game experience – it is still possible to achieve the optimal, complete ending of the game in Mass Effect 3 through single-player alone.”

BioWare is pointing out that the single player element of Mass Effect 3 continues to be the most important part of the game and that they are only adding cooperative multiplayer in order to add another perspective for the player, one that is optional and can offer more ways of enjoying the title.

The characters for the coop missions will be created separately and will not interact with Commander Shepard in any way.

BioWare says that players will be able to select between Turians, Asari, humans and Krogans, each of them with their unique development paths.

Mass Effect 3 will be launched on March 6, 2012 on the PlayStation 3, the Xbox 360 and the PC.