E3 News[]
Links to the major Mass Effect 3 news of E3 2011:
- June 6:
- Mass Effect 3 "Invasion" Trailer
- "Fall of Earth" - Mass Effect 3 Gameplay Trailer
- Kinect Functionality Confirmed for Mass Effect 3
- GameTrailers Live Mission Walkthroughs: Part 1, Part 2
- EA Press Conference Mission Preview - "Reaper Base"
- Official Mass Effect 3 Site Launches
- Mass Effect 3 N7 Collector's Edition Announced
Pre-E3 News[]
IGN: ME3 Story Preview[]
IGN has posted an E3 preview of Mass Effect 3 containing a few new story details. The focus on building a galactic armada to drive the Reapers from Earth is emphasized, but there a some specifics as well. The plot of a story mission on Sur'Kesh, the salarian homeworld, is outlined:
“One example of these unifying missions comes about halfway through Mass Effect 3. Shepard and crew have journeyed to the Salarian homeworld, Sur'Kesh, to rescue a Krogan princess. Yes, she's crazy hot. The princess in question is the key to uniting a divided Krogan homeworld. Mordin Solus is assisting (it is his home planet after all), and naturally the Krogan clan leader Wrex Urdnot has quite an interest in the princess.”
The article also hints at how events change depending on your decisions in earlier games. For instance, killing Urdnot Wrex may negatively affect the above mission if you choose to help the krogan.
Also, if players did not play certain downloadable content missions for Mass Effect 2, ME3 will assume they happened. If you skipped Lair of the Shadow Broker, ME3 will automatically fill in that Liara is the new Shadow Broker.
Lastly, there are three new ME3 screenshots:
- Garrus sneaking up on a Cerberus commando
- Shepard taking aim at another commando
- A new image of the grotesque Cannibal
IGN: ME3 Combat Preview[]
IGN released another preview of ME3's combat earlier (which I missed). It covers the same mission to rescue the krogan princess on Sur'Kesh. Some highlights include:
- Player maneuverability has been improved
- Weapons are more responsive, have more kick
- Again, more melee opportunities. The special melee moves for each class are one-hit kills. The Soldier's move is an omni-tool blade, the Adept's are blades of biotic energy.
- Grenades return. But these aren't the pulsing cyber-frisbees of ME, the writer describes them as "actual, round, conventional grenades".
“It all felt like a different game, like a different series even. Where Mass Effect 2 felt like a slightly tighter Mass Effect combat-wise, Mass Effect 3 is in an entirely different space. The familiar elements that need to be there are intact - powers and talents are still in the same menu wheel structure, and weapon types remain unchanged. You're not going to select an assault rifle and be shocked by its looks. But you will be taken aback by how well it works. I was. And now the wait to play Mass Effect 3 until 2012 is that much harder.”
IGN: Live E3 Preview[]
IGN has scheduled a live preview of Mass Effect 3 which will air on June 7, 2011 at 1:00pm PST.
ME3 Kinect Rumors[]
Additionally, Game Informer has posted a rumor stirred up by possible ME3 cover art that ME3 may be Kinect-compatible. Since the EA Store posting was taken down, you can view a thumbnail of the cover art here.