14 DAY TRIAL // The first concrete details about Mass Effect 3 have finally been revealed, courtesy of a cover story ran by US magazine Game Informer.
Mass Effect 3 is by far one of the most eagerly awaited games of the year, being the follow-up to the massively successful and critically praised Mass Effect 2, and is set to complete the trilogy of adventures encountered by the protagonist, Commander Shepard.
Not a lot is known about the game, as BioWare, its developer, released just an enigmatic trailer at the end of last year, showing the Earth invaded by the evil sentient robot race called the Reapers.
Now, thanks to a cover story in Game Informer, picked up by NeoGAF, we know the first actual details about Mass Effect 3's story, gameplay and choice system.
Needless to say, if you want to avoid spoilers, read no more, but, if you can't wait until its release at the end of the year, please continue.
The game kicks off shortly after the events portrayed in the recently released Arrival DLC that appeared for Mass Effect 2, with Shepard being on trial for the actions he or she committed in that mission.
Before the sentence is given, the Reaper invasion of Earth starts, and the opening segment of gameplay sees Shepard escape onto the Normandy ship and then out into orbit before the Reapers intercept it.
At that point, Shepard will start the overarching mission to gather allies in order to battle the Reapers before they completely destroy the Earth.
Among the squadmates that will be available, we have returning characters, but all depend on whether or not they passed away in the previous two titles. Shepard will be able to work together with characters like Liara, Ashley or Kaiden, Wrex, Mordin, Legion and a new man called James Sanders.
What's rather peculiar is that The Illusive Man and his Cerberus organization will once again have an important role in the story, but, unlike in the second game, where he helped the Commander, the group will be Shepard's nemesis.
Gameplay will see the return of a lot of role playing elements, including more freedom with character skills and powers, as well the ability to upgrade weapons, just like in the first Mass Effect, with special equipment like scopes or bullets.
The game, like any BioWare title, will have multiple endings, all of which being impacted by the choices made by Shepard both in the third game but also in the previous titles from the series.
Last but not least, for those who have yet to play the other two titles, Mass Effect 3 will have an interactive comic book that will allow them to make key decisions from scratch.
Expect more details in the following weeks, straight from BioWare itself.