Mass Effect 3 is an action role-playing game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.^[9] Officially announced on December 11, 2010,^[10][11] the game was released March 6, 2012^[12] and marks the final chapter in the Mass Effect trilogy of video games, completing the story of Commander Shepard.^[13][14]

Gameplay in Mass Effect 3 is influenced by decisions made in Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2, for players who have completed those games. Combat has been changed and refined; in particular, the cover system has been improved, there are more options for moving around the battlefield, instant melee kills and more conventional grenades are introduced as well as improved artificial intelligence. A four player multiplayer co-op mode is also available.^[15]

Gameplay[link]

Certain aspects of gameplay in Mass Effect 3 are impacted by choices made in previous games. When starting a new game, players with saved files from Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 are given the option of importing them into Mass Effect 3 to reflect these choices.^[16] If a saved file is imported, over 1,000 variables are pulled that help shape how the final chapter is experienced.^[17] If there are no saved files available, there is no origin-story comic for new players to help them make quick decisions like there was in Mass Effect 2.^[18] Imported characters' appearance and class are changeable, with more features and hair-styles included in the character creator than in Mass Effect 2.^[5][19] Commander Shepard always starts the game with some powers.^[20] Upon finishing the game, there is a New Game+ option that allows players to continue playing after the main story ends or start again with their finished Shepard and collect items they missed the first time around.^[21] The game has 82 minutes of cut-scenes.^[22]

Mass Effect 3 has three pre-set campaign modes: Action Mode, Story Mode, and RPG Mode.^[23] In Action Mode, conversations have automatic replies and a normal combat difficulty. In Story Mode, conversations have manual replies and a minimal combat difficulty. In RPG Mode, which is reflective of the typical Mass Effect experience, conversations have manual replies and a normal combat difficulty. Overall, the RPG elements in the game have been improved over those in Mass Effect 2, with a more detailed leveling up system and increased weapon customization.^[24] To level up characters, players have skills that start along a single path but eventually splinter into two branches where they can select only one upgrade or the other along a sequence of possibilities.^[25] Players can also customize their weapons with different scopes, mods, barrels and ammo types.^[26] There are 25 weapon mods total — five per weapon type — and each of them will have multiple power levels to collect.^[27] To select dialog options, players can use Kinect to speak their choices instead of selecting them with a controller.^[28]

The number of characters available as permanent squad mates in Mass Effect 3 is smaller than in Mass Effect 2 for the purposes of deeper relationships and more interesting interplay, including same-sex relationship options for both male and female Shepards.^[29][30] If players achieved a love interest in both Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2, then both vie for Shepard's attention in Mass Effect 3.^[31] This "love triangle" is resolved by the end of the game.

Throughout Mass Effect 3, players must increase their Effective Military Strength (EMS) to prepare for the game's final mission.^[32] EMS is calculated by multiplying Total Military Strength (TMS) with Readiness Rating. TMS is a measure of War Assets, which includes accomplishments from Mass Effect 1 and Mass Effect 2 as well as items acquired in Mass Effect 3. These items can be acquired in various ways, including casual conversations and planet scanning. Planet scanning has been greatly simplified from Mass Effect 2 and no longer includes the scanning of every planet individually. Other mini-games from Mass Effect 2, including bypassing and hacking, have been eliminated.

Combat[link]

Combat in Mass Effect 3 was changed and refined from Mass Effect 2, and further emphasis was put on third-person perspective aspects to make the game more commercially viable.^[33] In a preview of the game for IGN, editor Arthur Gies went so far as to say the game "plays like a shooter" and that "combat-wise, Mass Effect 3 is in an entirely different space" from the first two games. In an article for bitgamer, Joe Martin gave a conflicting impression, noting that with regard to combat, "not a lot has changed".^[34]

The series' cover system has been improved so players no longer need to slide into cover and then hop over objects. Players have more options for moving around the battlefield than ever before, including a refined sprint capability, combat rolling, and the use of climbable ladders. Players can also blindfire their weapons from covered positions, and have opportunities to shoot selected armor pieces and limbs off enemies.^[21] Verbal orders can be issued to move squad mates and use their powers with the use of Kinect.^[28] Moving and shooting, a "suicidal maneuver" in Mass Effect 2, is now a viable option because of a revised melee system.^[35] Players are able to execute formidable punches and attacks, and instant melee kills are introduced specific to each class; for example, by holding down the melee button, a soldier Shepard will deliver a killing blow with a tech-blade in his/her wrist armor. Actual, round, conventional grenades are also available.

Mass Effect 3 was planned as the most difficult in the series, with increased artificial intelligence to challenge players and increase the sense of reward.^[36] Enemies no longer act as individuals as they did in the previous games, instead fighting and supporting each other in units. Enemies include 15-foot (4.6 m) tall Cerberus mechs, assault troopers, and ninja-style shock troops, as well as Reaperized husks of all races and Reaper ships ranging from 500 to 2,000 metres (1,600 to 6,600 ft) long.^[37][38] Some changes were made to already-existing class types; for example, Engineers are now able to build turrets.

Multiplayer[link]

Mass Effect 3 offers a multiplayer co-op mode called "Galaxy at War", the first such mode of the series.^[39] In the mode, players are able to play alongside up to three other players online in unique missions that can impact the outcome of the single player campaign.^[40] Each mission was designed specifically for multiplayer, and involves taking over enemy strongholds. By completing these missions, players can give themselves a better chance of attaining a perfect ending in the single player campaign; although, they are not necessary to do so. The mode has been compared to Gears of War's horde mode.^[41]

No characters from the single player campaign are featured in the multiplayer mode; instead, players create brand new characters for themselves and can play as members of non-human species, including asari, batarians, drell, krogans, salarians, and turians.^[42] Every race has unique powers, such as a "Krogan Charge" for krogans and different movement options out of cover between drell and humans.^[43] All classes are playable.^[41] The maximum level that created characters are able to reach is 20, and just like in the single player mode, leveling up includes skill branches.

Gameplay in the multiplayer mode will only allow for players to carry two guns at a time in their inventory, and there is no ring menu to change weapons; instead, weapons are changed by holding down a button.^[43] Only three powers per class are also available as opposed to those available during the single player game. Characters, equipment, mods, and weapons are acquired randomly with the purchase of kits. The kits are purchased with multiplayer in-game credits or Microsoft Points.

Downloadable content[link]

Mass Effect 3 features a variety of downloadable content (DLC). The first DLC released for the game was a single player pack titled In Ashes, available on the game's release date.^[44] It includes an alternate outfit for each squadmate, a mission, a new squadmate, and a new weapon. The second DLC was a multiplayer pack called Resurgence Pack, released on April 10, 2012.^[45] It includes new character classes, new weapons, and two new maps. The latest DLC was another multiplayer pack titled Rebellion Pack, made available on May 29. It also contains new character classes, new weapons, and two new maps.

Synopsis[link]

Background[link]

The Mass Effect series of videogames details the adventures of Systems Alliance Commander Shepard as he or she tries to defeat a race of machines called Reapers. The Reapers are immensely powerful and purge the galaxy of all sentient life in 50,000 year cycles. In the Mass Effect 2 DLC Arrival, Shepard goes into batarian space to rescue a deep cover agent named Dr. Amanda Kenson and learns that the Reapers are close to returning. To delay them, he destroys a mass relay, killing 300,000 batarian colonists as collateral damage. Consequently, Shepard is ordered to appear on Earth for a trial regarding his decision.

Plot[link]

Mass Effect 3 begins on Earth with Commander Shepard having been detained following the events in Arrival.^[20] Out of the blue, the Reapers attack and the planet is overwhelmed. Shepard escapes to the Normandy with the help of Admiral Anderson and leaves to gather help from other species while Anderson coordinates human resistance on Earth. Before leaving the Sol System, Shepard is ordered to Mars by Admiral Hackett who claims that researchers have uncovered something that may give humanity a chance against the Reapers. There, Shepard encounters Cerberus and former squad-mate Liara T'Soni. Before leaving the facility, Shepard speaks with the Illusive Man, who claims he wants to control the Reapers.

Next, Shepard heads for the Citadel. On the way there, Liara confirms that she has indeed uncovered something useful against the Reapers: prothean data for a powerful weapon. On the Citadel, Shepard pleas for help from the Council, but they are reluctant to oblige due to their own preoccupations. Shepard realizes that the only way to gain other species' assistance will be to help them with their problems and garner favors, while at the same time gathering war assets to be used against the Reapers in battle. Eventually, Hackett begins construction on the Prothean weapon and dubs it "The Crucible".

Shepard's crew's first objective is tackling the krogan-salarian-turian conflict centered around the genophage. Afterward, they intervene in the geth-quarian war and defeat a Reaper. Finally, they attempt to defend the asari home world Thessia from the Reapers while simultaneously gathering information on "The Catalyst", an essential tool for the Crucible's effectiveness. At a Thessian temple, Shepard encounters a VI called Vendetta. As it is about to reveal information regarding the Catalyst, Cerberus intervenes and steals it. Shepard then attacks their headquarters, killing their second-in-command Kai Leng but failing to capture the Illusive Man. After regaining control of Vendetta, Shepard learns that the Citadel is the Catalyst and that the Illusive Man has been indoctrinated. Because of his indoctrination, the Illusive Man has told the Reapers of the Citadel's true identity and they have moved it to a defensive position in Earth's orbit.

Under the Hackett's leadership, the galaxy's forces attack the Reapers on Earth in an attempt to retake the Citadel and use it as the Catalyst for the Crucible. Shepard helps an assault on London, the focal connection point from the planet to the Citadel. Reunited with Anderson, Shepard eventually makes it to the Citadel and encounters the Illusive Man. They stop him, but Anderson is mortally wounded in the process. Shepard is then transported to the pinnacle of the Citadel where a childlike AI appears. The AI declares itself as the Catalyst and the Reapers' creator. It reveals that the Reaper cycle is an attempt to prevent organic life from wiping itself out by creating synthetic life; creators, the Catalyst argues, are always doomed to be destroyed by the created. The Catalyst characterizes the harvest as an ascendance, wherein advanced organic races are preserved in Reaper form and space is left for more primitive species to rise, evolve, and advance.

The Catalyst says that it has lost faith in the Reapers' ability to achieve its goal and gives Shepard three options of defeating them: control the Reapers, destroy the Reapers and all synthetic life, or synthesize all organic and synthetic life together. Each choice results in Shepard's apparent death and the destruction of the entire mass relay network. London suffers varying degrees of damage and the Normandy crash lands on an alien planet.

Development[link]

Origins[link]

From the start, BioWare envisioned the Mass Effect series as a trilogy, with the first two games being a preamble to the third.^[47] For this reason, BioWare was able to begin production on Mass Effect 3 before Mass Effect 2 was even released.^[48] The game was directed by Casey Hudson, who previously led the production of the first two Mass Effect games and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. To design the game, BioWare made sure to use fan feedback, similar to what they did for Mass Effect 2.^[49] In particular, the game's development team paid close attention to past mistakes in the series as well as the critical failings of other BioWare titles such as Dragon Age II.^[50] The team was able to devote most of their time to gameplay and storytelling because, according to BioWare Edmonton General Manager Aaron Flynn, they didn't have to worry about technology as it was "pretty maxed out".^[51] Initially, the game was predicted to be released at the end of 2011 or early 2012.^[52]

The lead writer of Mass Effect 3 is Mac Walters, who previously wrote on other games in the Mass Effect series as well as Jade Empire.^[53] One of the goals set by the writing staff at the beginning of production was to treat the game like a movie and make sure that players playing it for the first time would "just be able to jump in".^[54] Emphasis was put on making the story user friendly for players inexperienced with the franchise because BioWare felt they "didn't do a really good job of new player orientation" in Mass Effect 2.^[55] To begin the writing process, Hudson and Walters sat down and created a story document no longer than three or four pages that contained all the major plot points.^[54] Once the document was complete, Walters took the document to the writing staff and began filling out minor details including minor plot points and missions. Once these details were complete and the "backbone of the story" was established, each writer was put in charge of specific levels and missions. Work done by each writer was reviewed in-depth by the rest of the writing staff and others.^[56]

Reveal[link]

On December 10, 2010, Electronic Arts posted the official synopsis for Mass Effect 3 on their website, although the listing was later removed pending an official announcement at the 2010 Spike Video Game Awards.^[57][58] The following day, the game was confirmed for a "Holiday 2011" release and accompanied by a teaser trailer.^[59] On March 21, 2011, Tricia Helfer announced via Twitter that she would reprise her role from Mass Effect 2 as EDI, and had already started voice-recording sessions.^[60] Seth Green soon followed, announcing that he would reprise his role from Mass Effect 2 and the first Mass Effect as Joker.^[61]

The first detailed information regarding development of Mass Effect 3 started being released in April 2011. On April 20, Belgian website 4gamers.be reported that BioWare were collaborating with Battlefield developer DICE in weapon development for the game.^[62] The same day, Game Informer released the first-ever screenshots of Mass Effect 3 to help promote their May 10 cover story.^[63] On May 3, 2011, IGN announced that Mass Effect 3 would be presented and demoed by Electronic Arts at the 2011 Electronic Entertainment Expo.^[64] The next day, BioWare announced that the game's release date had been pushed back to early 2012,^[65] in part so it could be tweaked to appeal to as wide a market as possible.^[66] On June 1, EA Games' online store uploaded artwork by mistake which revealed the game will have Kinect support.^[67] The artwork was later removed. At the 2011 E3 Convention, BioWare finally confirmed Kinect support in a gameplay video.^[4] The game's collector's edition,^[68] cover art, a new teaser trailer and official release date of March 6, 2012 were also revealed. For the first time, fans were shown actual gameplay videos, including a 15 minute demo supervised by Casey Hudson.^[69] At Comic-Con 2011, fans were given an opportunity to play a demo version of the game.^[70] Hudson and lead writer Mac Walters were both in attendance, with Hudson sitting on the Legendary Pictures panel to talk about the upcoming Mass Effect film and Walters sitting on the Dark Horse Comics panel. At Gamescon 2011, a new trailer was released demonstrating 50 seconds of combat gameplay.^[71] The game was also demoed at PAX Prime 2011.^[72]

Internal leaks and multiplayer[link]

On October 3, a leaked South African advertisement hinted at multiplayer capabilities for Mass Effect 3.^[73] On October 10, multiple BioWare employees took to Twitter to announce that the game would have a multiplayer component.^[74] The announcement confirmed longstanding multiplayer rumors, stemming from a BioWare job listing in 2010 for someone to take Mass Effect's "existing single player user experiences and make them multiplayer safe".^[75] On October 12, an official trailer for the multiplayer mode was released through BioWare Pulse.^[42] Soon after, it was reported that a demo for both multiplayer and single player modes would be released in January 2012.^[76]

On November 4, a private beta of Mass Effect 3 became available on Xbox Live.^[77] The beta was only available to players who signed up to beta test a new version of the Xbox 360 Dashboard. In a response from Jesse Houston, it was revealed that the leak was the result of "human error" at Microsoft. Houston stressed that the leaked code was in a rough, unfinished state not intended for public release. Despite BioWare's quick response, some fan videos still made their way to YouTube. From the beta, some information was extracted from game files that represented rough notes from early story drafts.^[78] In an interview conducted shortly after the leaked script was removed, BioWare co-founders Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk revealed that feedback from fans who read it might be used to tweak the story before the game was released.^[79]

Pre-release[link]

On September 13, Casey Hudson posted to Twitter that Mass Effect 3 was seeing signs of its final stage of production.^[80] A few days later, lead writer Mac Walters revealed that writing for the game was almost finished.^[81] Music started going into the game around the same time.^[82] On October 27, the development team transitioned into an "editing" stage where story elements were evaluated and key lines or scenes were re-written.^[83] Character lighting was being polished as of November 7 and voice overs were completely recorded by December 7.^[84][85] On December 10, the game was presented at the 2011 Spike Video Game Awards with a new teaser trailer.^[86] On January 9, 2012, Sam Hulick turned in his last audio mixes for the game.^[87] On February 22, 2012, SCEA offered bonuses to those that pre-order via the PlayStation Network. These incentives include A M55 Argus weapon and a Mass Effect 3 PS3 theme.^[88] On March 2, the game became available for preload on Origin in the case of digital purchases.

Audio[link]

Mass Effect 3's music is composed by Golden Globe-nominated composer Clint Mansell, together with Christopher Lennertz, Cris Velasco, BAFTA-nominated composer Sam Hulick and Sasha Dikicyan.^[89] Mansell first stated he would be scoring the game during an interview with The Quietus on February 9, 2011.^[90] Electronic Arts officially announced his involvement shortly thereafter with a Facebook post.^[91] Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 composer Jack Wall had no involvement with the production of Mass Effect 3 due to undetailed and "complicated" reasons.^[92]

Commander Shepard is again voiced by Mark Meer (male) and Jennifer Hale (female).^[93] Many other members of the cast return, including Yvonne Strahovski (Miranda), Tricia Helfer (EDI), Seth Green (Joker), Martin Sheen (The Illusive Man), and Keith David (Admiral David Anderson). New voice actors include Jessica Chobot (Diana Allers), Freddy Prinze Jr. (James Vega), and Buzz Aldrin (The Stargazer).^[93][94]

Mass Effect 3's weapon audio is redesigned and refined. BioWare's audio team was in discussion with other EA studios, including DICE, to improve their combat soundscape.^[95] The game has 40,000 lines of recorded dialog, twice as much as the first game and almost twice as much as the second game.^[96] The game has 12,500 sound and music files.^[97]

Release[link]

Before Mass Effect 3's release date was delayed to 2012, numerous gaming websites called the game one of the most anticipated games of 2011,^[98][99] with IGN ranking it number one in their "Top 10 Xbox 360 Games of 2011" column.^[100] Following the 2011 E3 Convention, IGN nominated the game for Best Role-Playing Game and Most Anticipated Game,^[101] and EEDAR called it the most promising retail title of 2011.^[102] At the 2011 Spike Video Game Awards, the game was voted the most anticipated of 2012 by fans.^[103] In an interview with Computer and Videogames, BioWare marketing director David Silverman went so far as to call Mass Effect 3 the "best game we've ever made".^[24]

Customers purchasing PC editions of the game (retail or digital) are required to install Electronic Arts' content delivery and digital rights management system, Origin. The Origin client (and an Origin account) is required to install, activate and run Mass Effect 3 on a PC for single and multi-player portions of the game.^[104]

Marketing[link]

To promote Mass Effect 3, BioWare relied heavily on viral marketing. Using an internal channel called BioWare Pulse, weekly videos were posted on the company's official website and YouTube offering fans a preview of upcoming content.^[105][106] To keep in touch with fans during development, social networking websites such as Twitter were utilized by members of the game's production team including Casey Hudson and Mac Walters.^[107] On December 12, 2011, staff writer Patrick Weekes posted a blog as Commander Shepard writing from the Normandy and elaborating on some minor plot points.^[108] Official badges, 2D and 3D posters, stickers and temporary tattoos for the game will be produced by GB Eye and stocked by retailers such as Chips and HMV.^[109] A demo for the game was released on February 14, 2012.^[110] Early access to the demo was granted to consumers who purchased Battlefield 3 and activated their online pass.^[111]

Mass Effect 3 was released in multiple editions. Alongside the regular edition, there was also be a collector's edition and a digital deluxe edition, each of which will include bonus content and unlockable items; most notably, four exclusive weapons found in the N7 Arsenal Pack.^[68] The digital deluxe edition is exclusively available through Origin, EA's rebranded PC game store.^[112] All pre-orders of the game were accompanied with the M55 Argus Assault Rifle bonus weapon, with retailer-specific bonuses available as well.^[113] Anyone who pre-orders the game from GameStop will receive N7 warfare gear and anyone who pre-orders the game from Origin will receive an AT12 Raider Shotgun. As a part of a crossover promotion, players can also unlock two bonus items — the Reckoner Knight Armor and Chakram Launcher — by playing through the demo for Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning.^[114] To alleviate sales lost to the second-hand market and rentals, only unused copies of Mass Effect 3 will come with an online pass allowing players full access to the online multiplayer mode.^[115][116] Once the pass is activated, it cannot be used again; therefore, players who buy the game used are required to pay an additional fee in order to use multiplayer.

Unlike the first two Mass Effect games, BioWare added the female version of Commander Shepard to the series' marketing.^[117] Often referred to colloquially as "FemShep", she was featured in her own dedicated trailer for the game and graced the cover of the Mass Effect 3 N7 Collector's Edition.^[118] In addition, the standard version of the game featured a reversible slipcase cover, allowing the purchaser to display either the male or female version of Shepard on the front.^[119] To help decide the official female Shepard model, BioWare let fans choose between five prototypes on Facebook.^[120] Eventually, the fifth prototype won and a new fan vote was held to decide its hair color, which ended up being red.^{[121][122][123]}

In February 2012, EA sent early copies of Mass Effect 3 into space via weather balloons. The games were equipped with a GPS tracking device, allowing fans to track their progress. When the balloons land, anyone who finds one was able to snag a copy of Mass Effect 3 a week or more ahead of its release.^[124]

Reception[link]

Mass Effect 3 was released to critical acclaim. Andrew Reiner of Game Informer awarded it 10 out of 10 and asserted that "BioWare has delivered one of the most intricately crafted stories in the history of the medium".^[135] Thierry Nguyen of 1UP.com rated the game 'A' and concluded, "While Mass Effect 3 stumbles at times, the fact that it's the ultimate culmination of my own Shepard's story makes it one of the signature (and somewhat-literal) role-playing-games of this year."^[131] Edge rated the game 8/10 saying "It's off-putting to new players, too busy tying up loose ends to dangle any threads of its own, and fails to stand up as its own game in the same manner as its predecessors. But it's also a spectacular, powerfully imagined and dramatically involving final act to one of gaming’s richest sci-fi sagas."^[132] Tom Francis of PC Gamer US gave the game a score of 93/100 and ended with saying "...the end of the series is a mixed bag. Satisfying in some ways, nonsensical in others, and ultimately too simple. But the sheer scale of the adventure it’s ending – and the music, which is gorgeous throughout – gives it an emotional impact that goes beyond its plot payload.".^[140]

Sales[link]

During March 2012, Mass Effect 3 sold 1.5 million copies for consoles, with 3.5 million shipped for all platforms.^[141] According to EA's Q4 results, Mass Effect 3 has grossed over $200 million.^[142]

Controversy[link]

The game's endings have been controversial with many fans.^[who?] Criticisms include the lack of variation in the endings in view of the player's choices over the previous two games, as well as a general lack of closure and perceived plot holes.^{[143][144][145][146][147]}

Displeased fans organized an internet campaign called "Retake Mass Effect" to demand a better ending to the game, part of which includes a charity drive for the organization Child's Play.^{[148][149][150]} The drive officially raised $80,000 in less than two weeks, but was shut down at Child's Play's request due to confusion amongst some donors as to the purpose of donations and the organization's unwillingness to become associated with any other cause than their own.^[151][152] The group later raised $1,000 in under one hour to go toward the purchase of 402 cupcakes. The cupcakes were made with three different colors (red, green and blue) to correspond to the different endings, yet all had the same vanilla flavor.^[153] They were then sent to BioWare's main office, who in turn donated all of them to a local charity.^[154] One fan even went so far as taking his complaint to the Federal Trade Commission, the agency created to protect consumers. His argument was that BioWare did not deliver on the promise of its game saying, "after reading through the list of promises about the ending of the game they made in their advertising campaign and PR interviews, it was clear that the product we got did not live up to any of those claims." ^[155]

One of the writers of the Mass Effect series, Patrick Weekes, revealed that executive producer Casey Hudson locked him and the other writers out of production of the ending.^[156] The Better Business Bureau also responded to the controversy, reporting that the developers falsely advertised about their claims regarding the player's control over the game's outcome.^[157][158] BioWare's co-founder and CEO Ray Muzyka later acknowledged feedback over the endings stating that the company planned to address them, with an announcement to be made in April 2012.^[159][160] On April 5, 2012, BioWare announced they would be offering a free download to be released during the summer, which will expand the ending with a cinematic epilogue but not replace it.^[161]

References[link]

• Lenhardt, Heinrich. "Mass Effect 3: Electronic Arts chief executive feeling 'awfully good' about launch." WashingtonPost.Com. March 9, 2012. http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/electronic-arts-reveals-new-mass-effect-3-and-star-wars-mmo-numbers/2012/03/08/gIQAFBqb1R_story.html
• Brown, Nathan. "Mass Effect 3 sells 890,000 in 24 hours." Edge-Online.com. March 9, 2012. http://www.edge-online.com/news/mass-effect-3-sells-890000-24-hours
• Snider, Mike. "'Mass Effect 3' becomes true space oddity." USAToday.com. February 16, 2012. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gamehunters/post/2012/02/mass-effect-3-becomes-true-space-oddity-/1#.T1z1I9SXR8E
• Rosenberg, Adam. "Mass Effect 3 Will Feature Unused Mass Effect 2 Mission." G4TV.com. November 30, 2011. http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/718744/mass-effect-3-will-feature-unused-mass-effect-2-mission/
• Zivalich, Nikole. "Mass Effect 3 Multiplayer Video Preview -- Save The Galaxy Together." G4TV.com. November 15, 2011. http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/718392/mass-effect-3-multiplayer-video-preview-save-the-galaxy-together/

External links[link]

• Official website
• Mass Effect Wiki, an external wiki

Mass Effect is a series of sci-fi action role-playing video games developed by the Canadian company BioWare and released for the Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows and, from the second installment on, also for the PlayStation 3. The first game in the trilogy centers around a player-created character named Commander Shepard and his/her mission to save the galaxy from a race of mechanical beings known as the Reapers, and its followers, including Saren Arterius. The first game sees Shepard facing Sovereign, a Reaper left as a vanguard, who plans to allow the Reaper fleet currently hibernating in extra-galactic dark space to invade the Milky Way, and destroy all sapient organic life, continuing a mysterious cycle of destruction. The second game takes place two years later, and sees Shepard battling the Collectors, an alien race abducting entire human colonies in a plan to help the Reapers return to the Milky Way. The third and final game centers on the final battle against the Reapers.

Since the beginning, the series has been a major critical success. All three games have received critical acclaim for their storyline, characters, romances, voice acting, choices, tolerance of diversity, and the depth of the galaxy.^[1] Video game website GamesRadar called Mass Effect the best new franchise of the generation, saying that the galaxy was so well-constructed that it felt like a decades-old franchise and that it represented "a high-water mark for video games as a story-telling medium."^[2]

Games[link]

A trilogy of games has been released, each continuing the game's story in chronological order. The Mass Effect series combines action role-playing game elements, with the main series games being in third-person perspective. The protagonist can use two AI-controlled squad members in battle, which usually consist of members he or she has recruited from various places and for various reasons, and taken onto the Normandy, Shepard's starship. The player could make perspective decisions depending upon the situation. At these times, the player has multiple sets of dialogue choices with which to respond to NPCs, separated by tone. Starting from Mass Effect 2, the player can interrupt cut-scenes calmly or aggressively. The games often have various mini-games in them as well, such as drinking and dancing.

Main trilogy[link]

• Mass Effect (2007): The first game in the series was originally created as an exclusive title for the Xbox 360 but was later ported to Microsoft Windows by Demiurge Studios. The game focuses on the protagonist, Commander Shepard, and his/her quest to stop the rogue 'Spectre' Saren Arterius from leading an army of Geth to conquer the galaxy. During pursuit of Saren, Shepard learns of a far greater threat in the form of the Reapers. Saren has been mentally enslaved by the Reaper 'Sovereign', a vanguard sent into Citadel Space to initiate the purge of all advanced sentient life in the galaxy, a cycle repeated by the Reapers every 50,000 years. Mass Effect was received with critical acclaim by many industry reviewers, and has garnered a large fan-following.
• Mass Effect 2 (2010): The second main game in the series was released on January 26, 2010 in North America and January 29 in Europe.^[3] A great deal of secrecy surrounded the game prior to launch, with few details emerging other than Casey Hudson, Project Director for BioWare, stating that "players should keep their save files, because decisions made by the player in the first game will continue to have influences on their character in the sequel."^[4][5] The game takes place two years after the events of Mass Effect. Human colonies are being attacked, their colonists disappearing without a trace. The game's protagonist, Commander Shepard, is forced into an uneasy alliance with the pro-Human paramilitary organization, Cerberus, in an effort to discover the cause. Evidence emerges pointing to the 'Collectors', an advanced, enigmatic race of insect-like humanoids. Adding to the threat is the revelation that the Collectors are working for the Reapers. Shepard sets out on a "suicide mission" to stop the Collectors, accompanied by a hand-picked team of soldiers, assassins, mercenaries, and specialists. Mass Effect 2 has received overwhelming critical praise since its release, for its characters, storyline, voice acting, and refined combat and gameplay with many critics calling it a major improvement over the original and an easy Game of the Year contender despite its January release. At Gamescom 2010, it was announced that a PlayStation 3 version would be available in January 2011. Although PlayStation 3 owners will be able to play the second installment, Microsoft still has publishing rights to the first.
• Mass Effect 3 (2012): The third and final installment in the Mass Effect trilogy, the game was released on March 6, 2012.^[6] Casey Hudson commented that Mass Effect 3 "will be easier [to develop] because we don't have to worry about continuity into the next one."^[7] However, decisions will still be imported from the two previous titles to Mass Effect 3, as to keep continuity within the series.^[8] In the final chapter of the trilogy, the Reapers have returned in force, and have begun their purge of the galaxy, attacking the human home world of Earth. During this attack Commander Shepard is on Earth and forced to flee.^[9] After fleeing Earth Commander Shepard must race against time to rally the advanced races of the galaxy to make one final stand, not only to save Earth, but also to break a cycle that has continued for millions of years. Casey Hudson stated in an interview at the Consumer Electronics Show that Mass Effect 3 would complete the story arc of Commander Shepard, and would pull in over 1,000 variables from Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 to shape how players experience the final chapter. The first official trailer was unveiled on December 11, 2010 during the Spike TV Video Game Awards show.^[10]