Mass Effect 3 - Hands-on @ IGN

From Cover to Combat is the title of a hands-on preview of Mass Effect 3 at IGN. More shooter-y is probably the summary:

My playtime with Mass Effect 3 was set on the Salarian homeworld of Sur'Kesh. Ostensibly, my job was to escort a Krogan princess offworld. But in practice, my main job was kicking Cerberus ass across a science station, and Shepard was more equipped than ever to get the job done.

A host of seemingly small additions have changed the way Mass Effect 3 plays. Basic character movement is more responsive for starters, more animated. Guiding Shepard around is less of a struggle than it's ever been. Aiming also felt snappier, and guns have the punch now that they've always lacked.

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In other ME3 news, 1Up hears rumours of Kinect support.
More information.

?? Guiding Shepard around is less of a struggle? I take it they were playing this on a console?

Weapon with more punch = DICE helping

Informative article.

The reviewer has somehow troubles with telling that ME2 was a poor shooter. He goes circles around it, dismissing the very idea that a shooter might be poor for the special case of ME2.

The rest of the article is oriented toward assessing the progress potentially made by ME3 over ME and ME2 through the shooter angle.

As expected, Bioware analyzed it was easier to make progress on this front rather than trying to fix the absent RPG part in the game.

From what it is reported, nice and wanted improvements even though, as the good classical player tastes want, partners appear to be once again foils and nothing more.
The player will be the battle changer element on the battle field while partners will only be there to reinforce the how great I am feeling through comparison.

Ah, yes, was the princess visiting salarian for pregnancy problems?

The quest for more money continues

I wonder how anyone on planet Earth could find "guiding Shephard around" to be a struggle in Mass Effect 2.

This game has "heavy suit design influence" written all over it, just like Dragon Age 2.

It seems to be a preview made by a fan of shooters for a shooter in which he discusses how good a job that shooter does at being a shooter. If I am to believe him it seems to do a pretty good job... that's the good news, since I'm probably going to play it and if it's going to be a shooter it will be better if it's a good one (I did find that aspect of ME2 somewhat awkward and compromised)

I expect that it wont be in Bioware's benefit though. I noticed that the writer only mentioned "RPG" once and only as an obstacle that should be overcome. I think it would be a great mistake for a company that stays successful because their shooters are RPGs if they manage to overcome their greatest advantage.

To be honest, I think their new approach will work to their advantage.

It's obviously based on profit-speculation, and I estimate they're not wrong about how to go about it.

The shooter crowd is big - REALLY big - and they're used to certain RPG mechanics by now. Almost all modern shooters have these RPG-like upgrades, and as such they're not going to scare anyone away with the simplistic RPG stuff in Mass Effect.

They're probably just trying to merge the audiences, and they're most likely aware that the "enthusiast RPG" audience is already semi-lost to them. No biggie, as we're not that numerous in the grand scheme of things.

Also, I think most gamers - casual or hardcore - can appreciate the "cinematic experience" of Mass Effect. Who doesn't love sci-fi operas and majestic plot-lines.

I'm pretty sure I'll be able to enjoy Mass Effect 3 for that - even if I despise what they're likely to do with the actual gameplay.

Unlike Dragon Age 2 - they're not playing against tradition or expectations. I think ME3 will be quite the smash.

DArtagnan said:

The shooter crowd is big - REALLY big - and they're used to certain RPG mechanics by now. Almost all modern shooters have these RPG-like upgrades, and as such they're not going to scare anyone away with the simplistic RPG stuff in Mass Effect.

They're probably just trying to merge the audiences, and they're most likely aware that the "enthusiast RPG" audience is already semi-lost to them. No biggie, as we're not that numerous in the grand scheme of things.

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Demand for shooters is big but so is offer naturally. I understand there's huge competition there.
Also, I don't think that merging audiences can really work in practice, so if they scare away those who want to play a game labeled "RPG" they might end up having no audience at all.

I have no real reason to think you're not right though… and maybe they know exactly what they're doing. We'll see soon enough. The only reason I'm following Bioware's news anyway is because I'm mildly interested, as a spectator, to see how things will develop for them.

It's all speculation on my part as well.

But I definitely see this working for them.

I have no respect for their approach whatsoever, but if I try to think as a suit - this makes a lot of sense.

holeraw said:

Demand for shooters is big but so is offer naturally. I understand there's huge competition there.
Also, I don't think that merging audiences can really work in practice, so if they scare away those who want to play a game labeled "RPG" they might end up having no audience at all.

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Bioware have done well minimizing the risk of ending up with no audience.

They are capitalizing on their previous reputation to build up a new reputation in a different genre.

They have captivated a large share of players who will buy ME3 because they have bought and played ME and/or ME2.

As the offer in the RPG genre is scarcer, added to that a number of players want to keep the illusion that RPG is still kicking and rearing alive, Bioware can rely on a number of customers who are going to buy the game on the label RPG only.

The whole question is now to know whether or not Bioware will manage to attract the call of Duty crowd or maybe more spefically Uncharted crowd.

The fact that ME3 supports being assessed through the shooter angle on clear shooter standards and yields a positive report shows the game is on the right path.

Compared to RPG genre where such articles can hardly be produced as so called RPG genre is told now to be all subjective, giving no angle to assess a so called RPG game on RPG merit, well, it shows that indeed Bioware might have made the right call on their future direction.

ChienAboyeur said:

They are capitalizing on their previous reputation to build up a new reputation in a different genre.

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That's the thing, I'm not convinced you can do that.

I remember watching a documentary about Captain Beefheart who had achieved a fair amount of fame for his music, controversial as he might have been. At some point he decided to become known as a painter and the advise he got was that if he seriously wanted to pursue a career as a painter he would have to give up music completely, otherwise he would always be 'that musician who tries to paint'. He did give up his music but he never became anywhere near as successful as a painter. You may say he just wasn't very good at it but many didn't like his music either and you maybe he didn't really do all that bad, but when he moves from being a top rock musician to a rather unknown painter it's fair to conclude that his reputation didn't seem to help that much.

ChienAboyeur said:

They have captivated a large share of players who will buy ME3 because they have bought and played ME and/or ME2.

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So there is some momentum for ME3, sure. However many of those who bought ME1&2 bought them as RPGs and I wouldn't be surprised if they decided to stop paying attention if these games stopped being referred to as RPGs. And if Bioware ends up trying to make some spiritual successor to Call of Duty crowd or Uncharted instead of Baldur's Gate they might just end up being 'these RPG developers who try to make shooters'. Their good reputation might then end up being a 'stigma' instead of leverage.

Possible ending.

But the transformation is not as radical.

More a baker who grew famous at baking rice bread loafs and through years turn to substitute more and more rice flour with wheat flour until the point no rice flour is to be found in his loaves, only wheat.

Yet the rice bread label is maintained because breads are still made thanks to the same modus operanti as rice bread used to.

That is the glamour of the situation: the RPG label might never be dropped by Bioware, selling the label through known tricks like selling elements as being exclusive to the RPG genre and not elements that are required by a situation.

Quick example: a guy runs to cover near battle brothers. The sarge briefs about the situation on the battlefield, indicating several routes to go through it. Routes are unequivalent in difficulty and reward and leads to different outcomes.

So C&C, story driven game, all elements that are propagated as being RPG exclusive while of course situations happening in shooter calls for them independently of the RPG genre.

ChienAboyeur said:

Possible ending.

But the transformation is not as radical.

More a baker who grew famous at baking rice bread loafs and through years turn to substitute more and more rice flour with wheat flour until the point no rice flour is to be found in his loaves, only wheat.

Yet the rice bread label is maintained because breads are still made thanks to the same modus operanti as rice bread used to.

That is the glamour of the situation: the RPG label might never be dropped by Bioware, selling the label through known tricks like selling elements as being exclusive to the RPG genre and not elements that are required by a situation.

Quick example: a guy runs to cover near battle brothers. The sarge briefs about the situation on the battlefield, indicating several routes to go through it. Routes are unequivalent in difficulty and reward and leads to different outcomes.

So C&C, story driven game, all elements that are propagated as being RPG exclusive while of course situations happening in shooter calls for them independently of the RPG genre.

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doesnt your name mean dog eater in some obscure language?

i swear im getting a srs deja vu here, must be because ive been masturbating furiously as i was installing wizardry 8

As some of you mentioned about the transformation, and shift toward shooters crowd and that it somehow works for them, lets not foger that ME series and theyr reputation as a good game (according to many users cassaul or not) is builded by RPG crowd not shooter crowd. Now starting from ME 2 the interest of more hardcore RPG crowd towards BioWare as an PRG producer is going down and down (i stoped to look at them as an RPG producer for example, but that doesnt mean i dont enjoy theyr games for what they are, but for now theyr products are the last one on my buy list).

The only thing that still keeps most of the fan base there, is only the curiosity for the series like my self, or the missleading genre naming as an RPG production(not to mention we do not have many SciFi RPG "operas") and DA 2 is the best example that what they do the the genre might be hited with very harsh response, and end very badly for them (if only there was more good AAA RPG productions on the horisont to make some competition, BioWare would most likely end with theyr hand in a S***Hole)

So after ME 3 once the story is done and new project will show up with the same idea of merging 2 diffrent "worlds" it might actualy show that BioWare is going down the drain.

The result of those decysions is simply unpredictable and yet to be seen, i wish them all the best but they might hit the wall and it might end badly because for now they are using all the fame as the so called "Wizards from Toronto" to give theyr self a good head start, but for how long will it last. ME series are poor shoters(in terms of mechanincs) the only strong side is the "cinematic storyline" so once they loose totaly the RPG crowd thing might get very bad ...

I hardly think ME3 can be more of a shooter than ME2. It can be a better one, sure, but not "more". After all, the shooter mechanics of ME2 were mediocre at best. I still enjoyed it a lot though, due to the actual content (characters, quests, etc).

I suspect ME3 will be similar, and I expect most people who bought ME1 and 2 will buy it - it will be interesting to see how the trilogy ends.

It's what comes after ME3 BioWare should be careful with, as whatever title they develop next could be a make or break title for their reputation.

Maylander said:

it will be interesting to see how the trilogy ends.

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SPOILERS:

Commander Sheppard unites (at least some of) the galaxy against the Reapers. The Reapers are defeated (or are they? duh duh duuuuuuuuhn!)

holeraw said:

SPOILERS:

Commander Sheppard unites (at least some of) the galaxy against the Reapers. The Reapers are defeated (or are they? duh duh duuuuuuuuhn!)

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You should probably get some sort of award for such a brilliant deduction, heh.

holeraw said:

SPOILERS:

Commander Sheppard unites (at least some of) the galaxy against the Reapers. The Reapers are defeated (or are they? duh duh duuuuuuuuhn!)

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You forgot the perfect ending find out in the next MassEffect MMO. The player shapes the galaxy coming 2015.

holeraw said:

SPOILERS:

Commander Sheppard unites (at least some of) the galaxy against the Reapers. The Reapers are defeated (or are they? duh duh duuuuuuuuhn!)

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FIXED:
Commander Sheppard unites (at least some of) the galaxy against the Reapers by collar-grabbing and banging humans and aliens of any gender any chance he/she gets. The Reapers are defeated (or are they? Duh duh duuuuhn! Or maybe Sheppard joins the dark side and becomes a Reaper (and bangs them)! Double duh duh duuuuuhn!).