BioWare's role playing shooter has a lot to live up to

Jan 20, 2012 16:31 GMT  ·  By

What we know:

Mass Effect 3 is the latest chapter in the role playing shooter series developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts.

The game promises to bring a conclusion to the adventures of its main protagonist, Commander Shepard, as he (or she, depending on the player’s choice) needs to unite the universe against the threat of the Reapers, a race of sentient space ships.

While people have gone through some great adventures in the first two games, BioWare promises that players will be in for an even more impressive experience with this third title.

What’s more, besides the single-player story that will see Shepard try to save the galaxy alongside his array of comrades, Mass Effect 3 also has an online cooperative mode called Galaxy at War. In it, players take on the roles of Shepard’s soldiers who need to complete various objectives and assignments, while going up against legions of enemies.

These missions, when completed, will help in the single-player campaign of the game and lead to one of its multiple endings. Players will be able to choose the race of their characters and customize them with special armors, weapons and abilities.

Why it matters: Mass Effect 1 impressed with its unique premise and the second title delighted millions of fans with its sharp gameplay that seamlessly combined third person shooting with RPG elements. Now, with the third game, BioWare wants to improve on its predecessors and deliver the quintessential Mass Effect experience.

Don’t forget that you’re advised to bring the save files from Mass Effect 1 and 2 into the new title, so that your decisions will have repercussions in the newest game. This feature isn’t mandatory, however, so new players can experience the game without any previous knowledge, but it will certainly delight those who’ve already gone through the previous games.

Mass Effect 3 is going to get a special demo on February 14, showing off both its single-player and co-op modes. The final game will be released for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 on March 6, in North America, and March 9, in Europe.