If you look at the skill trees from Mass Effect and compare them to the skill trees from Mass Effect 2, BioWare clearly took a big step backwards. Let’s be honest, the skills available in ME2 were a bit sparse and didn’t allow for much customization. The level up screens look very similar to those in Mass Effect 2 which will almost certainly put some players off. Let’s talk a little bit more about the leveling system.
MASS EFFECT 3 COOP CAMPAIGN UPGRADE
We’re also being told that each weapon type will retain the ability to upgrade them with new barrels, ammo, optics, etc…with a total of 5 weapon classes and 5 upgrade types per class for a total of 25 different types of modification available for each weapon, as well as multiple power levels of each weapon class, as before. This will allow a much higher degree of customization than the previous releases and should increase replayability quite dramatically. Specifically, skills will now have branches so a base skill will have the ability to split off into more specific skillsets, allowing the player to upgrade one or the other as they see fit. Enjoy!Īnother thing that has changed, as stated above, is the RPG system. I really, really hope I’m reading into this the right way.Īnd without further delay, here’s the combat trailer.
We also know that the AI system has been updated and enemies will now act as units instead of blindly fighting as single entities and, from watching the combat trailer, it seems that friendly troops will assist in kills by using what I’ll refer to as “finishing attacks” like using a sniper rifle against a frozen enemy to shatter them. Rumor also has it that standard, round, bouncy/roll-y grenades will also be present. The system will also allow blind firing and the ability to shoot off armor and limbs. ME3’s new combat system will feature a wide new array of cover and movement options, including climbable ladders, the ability to do combat rolls, an enhanced version of sprinting and a dramatically altered melee combat system which will allow 1 hit kills via various punches and kicks with enhanced tech weapons. For those of you out there who are RPG lovers, don’t worry – BioWare has enhanced and deepened the RPG elements dramatically, making this a very solid RPG core with a solid TPS laid over it. RPG’s still have a good base of players but not nearly as solid as that found for third person shooters.
Speculation is that EA / BioWare did this to make the game more viable in the market, which is probably correct. In Mass Effect 3, the focus will be solidly on third person combat making this game, primarily, a third person shooter / RPG hybrid, rather than an RPG with a few third person shooter elements mixed in. It’s been changed so radically, in fact, that previewers have said it’s in a completely different realm than either of its predecessors. What we know about the combat system, at this point, is that it has been completely revamped. We also know that the leveling and RPG elements have been refined and I will be taking a look at those after the jump. We know that the combat system has been revamped and will feature squad leader style play, as featured in a trailer released a couple of months ago, which is included, below. This should give us all enough time to get a few playthroughs in before the end of the world in December of 2012, which I predict will come via a global zombie apocalypse. The Mass Effect Trilogy will climax with the long awaited third installment on March 6th, 2012.