Ryan Steele
Staff writer
For the past year fans of Bioware’s amazing “Mass Effect” series have been waiting for the final installment in the trilogy. On March 6, it finally arrived.
“Mass Effect 3” picks up not long after the second installment ended. Commander Shepherd once again has to come to the rescue of humanity against an ancient threat known as the reapers only this time, it is earth that is under attack.
Bioware knew how much fans were expecting a remarkable conclusion to the series, and this game does not fall short of that.
Fans of the series will recognize the traditional gameplay that made the series famous, however there is a twist on this installment. Players can choose how they play the game. Players can choose the action setting where they will play as Shepherd in the combat scenarios and everything will play out in cut scenes.
Players can also choose a story mode in which they watch the story unfold, choosing the dialogue and outcomes while the combat takes a backseat. Finally, players can choose the traditional “Mass Effect” experience, where both aspects of action and story are perfectly balanced.
Regardless of the play style chosen, “Mass Effect”’s story starts off strong and never dies till the end credits are on the screen. Fans of the series will also recognize characters from the previous installments. Of course, which characters fans see depend on the choices they made in the previous games.
Every choice made by players in the previous two installments fall into place in “Mass Effect 3.” If players made allies of previous characters, they will aid Shepherd in the war against the reapers. If players chose instead to make enemies, Shepherd will then have to overcome even greater odds than expected.
That style of gameplay is still important in “Mass Effect 3.” Every decision Shepherd makes will affect the entire outcome of the game. So whether players decide to play as a paragon (good) or a renegade (bad), there will be consequences based on each character.
Aside from the story aspect of the game, the gameplay itself is predictable of Bioware. Players who are familiar with the series’ gameplay will be able to jump into the game with no problem.
After choosing their class, players begin the game being able to utilize both aspects of “Mass Effect” combat to which they have grown accustomed to: classes range from a soldier, who uses nothing but weapons, to an adept, who specializes in biotic abilities.
Players can wield multiple weapons throughout the game such as the assault rifle, shotgun and pistol along with the kinetic and technological powers assigned to the chosen class. Each class also has specialized abilities that come with it. A soldier may have special types of ammo, while an adept will have abilities like biotic lift and shields. Choosing a certain class will impact everything about the strategy of combat throughout the entire game.
All in all, “Mass Effect 3” does not disappoint. It delivers a thrilling story, intense combat and an epic conclusion to one of the greatest series in recent years.