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E3 2011: Mass Effect 3 Preview Impressions

Kevin VanOrd
By Kevin VanOrd, Senior Editor

BioWare shows off its upcoming space-faring action role-playing hybrid at Microsoft's E3: 2011 press conference.

Microsoft is clearly focused on the Kinect hardware at E3 2011, and even BioWare has been unable to escape its thrall. BioWare CEO Ray Muzyka took to the stage at the Microsoft E3 press conference to announce that Mass Effect 3 will support the Kinect and demonstrated how it will work. He prefaced the demonstration by calling the upcoming shooter/role-playing hybrid a brand-new adventure. The galactic war is about to begin, and Shepard and company must take Earth back from the Reaper threat. Muzyka also stated that Mass Effect 3 will be about "kick-ass action."

The biggest feature Muzyka touted during the demo, however, was how you will be able to give commands in Mass Effect 3 with your voice, using the Kinect. We see Shepard interact with Mordin Solus, the fast-talking Salarian that stole the show in Mass Effect 2. The dialogue wheel has returned, but no longer do you have to choose it with a thumbstick; rather, you can speak your response aloud. (Admittedly, this came across as somewhat odd during the demo; you speak one line, but in true Mass Effect fashion, Shepard speaks another.) Shepard and Mordin spoke briefly about a character they were seeking, who was apparently considered the last hope of the Krogan civilization. Upon reaching her, your target warns: "I hope you brought an army."

The demo then switched to combat, where we saw the other application for Kinect voice integration: squad commands. If you want a squadmate to perform a biotic skill, you speak the character's name aloud and then announce the attack to execute. We also saw Shepard perform a powerful melee attack that was further dramatized by a cinematic camera angle. This certainly seems in keeping with the announcement that ME3 will feature a new heavy melee class. We then saw the previously encountered character make a big entrance in a gigantic armored suit, which brought the demonstration to a close.

Muzyka then promised that BioWare would be showing more cool Mass Effect 3 stuff on the E3: 2011 show floor. GameSpot will be scouring that floor to bring you more Mass Effect 3 information during the next few days, so stay tuned for more news from the outer reaches of the Milky Way.

For more on Mass Effect 3, check out our impressions of the new content shown off at the EA press conference here.

Kevin VanOrd
By Kevin VanOrd, Senior Editor

Kevin VanOrd is a lifelong RPG lover and violin player. When he isn't busy building PCs and composing symphonies, he watches American Dad reruns with his fat cat, Ollie.

97 Comments

  • EliteNamedSteve

    Posted Jun 7, 2011 8:00 am GMT

    Am I the only one who realizes Kinect is nothing more than a 130$ microphone? You get a headset in the box already, why is this required to talk to your game... And soon everyone will realize just like the PC people already did that voice recognition is too slow to be useful for anything other than dictation.

  • GymFox

    Posted Jun 7, 2011 6:58 am GMT

    When ME2 came out on PS3 I was ecstatic, and being a console gamer I did not find the criticism applicable. These are truly groundbreaking games, and I cannot wait for the third installment. However, I don't really care for the motion gaming quite yet, because it doesn't seem to be fully realized and somewhat gimmicky at this point. Nevertheless, ME3 will surely be a stunning game on the other platforms regardless of the kinect.

  • HCL2

    Posted Jun 7, 2011 6:41 am GMT

    What an outstanding game ! Hope it was a bit earlier release though.

  • Ionyk

    Posted Jun 7, 2011 6:26 am GMT

    I hope they will optimize this one like the others games, to run on my pan laptop)

  • federerr

    Posted Jun 7, 2011 6:14 am GMT

    wooooooooooooooooooooooooow

  • grim0187

    Posted Jun 7, 2011 6:11 am GMT

    I like the Kinect functionality. More options is better IMO. Alot of you seem angry and jaded because you thought Kinect was just going to be a waggle fest. I said it from day one, this isnt the wii. They ARE going to be putting this in most of the hardcore titles and what do you know...fable, ghost recon and now mass effect 3. Just go buy one already and stop crying like a little kid.

  • Chickenesta

    Posted Jun 7, 2011 5:59 am GMT

    Please don't ruin the final installment with Kinect support The first two worked very well without it

  • Sabzak

    Posted Jun 7, 2011 5:56 am GMT

    My all time favorite RPG (yea yea, give me them thumb downs ) :'(

  • firebolt53

    Posted Jun 7, 2011 5:20 am GMT

    @TheSplintercat
    Incorporating kinect into mass effect most certainly isnt pointless. During combat the fact that you can initialise abilities using your voice, rather than pausing the game to use the power menu, means it will be a more imersive experience. However for the voice conversation section its a wasted opportunity. Dont dismiss the partnership as it will no doubt enhance the game for those that use it.

  • DarckArchon

    Posted Jun 7, 2011 5:18 am GMT

    Well one thing is sure after watching this, will fight Cerberus

  • jollybest1

    Posted Jun 7, 2011 5:07 am GMT

    if they delayed it just for the kinect thing i gonna i gonna ..........eh nvm , i can wait until next year

  • Crash_WL

    Posted Jun 7, 2011 5:05 am GMT

    Kinect is optional guys... I agree that some things just don't fit together, and the ME + Kinect pair is one of those, but at least it's optional. Microsoft wants to boost Kinect sales by putting it in hit titles.

    Let's focus on what the game will offer and toss useless features aside. I say the game looks awesome!

  • TheSplintercat

    Posted Jun 7, 2011 4:41 am GMT

    Mass Effect 3 = Amazing

    Mass Effect 3 using Kinect = Pointless

  • buft

    Posted Jun 7, 2011 4:41 am GMT

    new melee class sounds good, hopefully it fills some sort of tank role rather than pure damage dealer. if its real of course

  • MTNDewVoltage

    Posted Jun 7, 2011 4:17 am GMT

    It's like waiting for a baby made of pure awesome to be born.

  • sirius237 posted Jun 7, 2011 3:20 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    sirius237

    Posted Jun 7, 2011 3:20 am GMT (hide)

    typical ME melodrama... although the gameplay seems pretty neat, but it seems better suited for an online or multiplayer and lol about the dialogue

  • chyng85

    Posted Jun 7, 2011 2:14 am GMT

    Top 1 on the chart~

  • Phoenix6359

    Posted Jun 6, 2011 8:26 pm GMT

    Nine more months to go! I hope it is as good a sequel as ME2 was.

  • cosita46

    Posted Jun 6, 2011 8:03 pm GMT

    Mass Effect 3 looks amazing . But I don't plan to kinect with ME3, its just to weird.

  • berygoochance

    Posted Jun 6, 2011 7:55 pm GMT

    Don't plan on playing it with Kinect, because I'll just feel like I'm talking to myself while alone in my room; although, the reason it's in there is obvious (money from microsoft for doing so). Still excited for the game, and not that disappointed it got moved back, gives me more time for Skyrim. Oh and if your Shepard dies in ME2, you just can't import that save. I'm pretty sure some Bioware interview addressed that. It probably just chooses the party member based on a pre-set priority order of who survived, so if someone died in ME2 it just jumps to the next person.