mass-effect-3
Latest
Operation: Heartbreaker brings the Banshees in Mass Effect 3 this weekend
We have two problems with this weekend's special multiplayer event for Mass Effect 3. First, players have to cope with an abundance of Banshees, the game's most hated villain that doesn't have the last name "Shields." The individual goal this weekend is to earn at least 20,000 points from killing Banshees, netting players a Commendation Pack.Next, the name of the mission is Operation: Heartbreaker, but there is no Shawn Michaels in sight to superkick said Banshees in the mouth. Our Commander Shepard refers to himself as the "Heart Break Kid," but it's just not the same.
Mass Effect 2 Zaeed actor Robin Sachs passes away at 61
Voice actor Robin Sachs has passed away after a long career, playing parts like Ethan Rayne in Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Hedronn on Babylon 5. Bioware has posted a quick note on the company blog remembering Sachs' work on their franchises, including serving as Admiral Saul Karath in Knights of the Old Republic, Lord Pyral Harrowmont in Dragon Age Origins, and perhaps most memorably as vicious bounty hunter Zaeed Massani in Mass Effect 2.As Bioware says, "our thoughts are with Robin's family and friends during this difficult time." Thanks for the stories, Zaeed.
BioWare producers tease potential Mass Effect 3 DLC
Last December, BioWare Edmonton confirmed that more DLC is in the works for Mass Effect 3. Today series executive producer Casey Hudson and producer Michael Gamble both teased screens, with no information beyond that.Above you can see what looks to be the Silversun Strip, a den of future iniquity with a casino and presumably a lot of dancing Asari – we've been to enough neo night clubs to know how things work. Past the break, you can see a towering Krogan warrior wielding an equally hulking mace. We're not sure if the guy is trying to kill ghosts or cockroaches but we wish him godspeed all the same.
Mass Effect 3's 'Operation: Ballistic' weekend goes for the gold
By now, we are surely all familiar with how this whole Mass Effect 3 multiplayer weekend thing is supposed to work: "Hey N7 Marines, something about the state of the galaxy, something about the Reapers/Geth/Cerberus, perfunctory lore justification, etc, go kill stuff and we'll give you stuff."It's a good system, so why mess with it? This weekend's Operation: Ballistic challenge charges individual soldiers with earning a gold weapon medal for assault rifles, heavy pistols, shotguns, sniper rifles, or submachine guns. As per usual, the reward for successfully completing the task set before you is one brand-spankin'-new Commendation Pack.
Joystiq Top 10 of 2012: Mass Effect 3
Just two years ago, Joystiq awarded the top spot in its Game of the Year list to Mass Effect 2. In borrowing from our description of that game, we could equally incite "the rather whimsical notion that a fictional world has some sort of permanence" when talking about Mass Effect 3. The gravity of every decision in the series is intended to elicit a feeling of dire consequence. Did you lose your favorite squad member in the second game? Factors like that are expected to play a role in the final chapter of your adventure.For some, this third game began to fall apart at the seams for that very reason: we've come to expect that as the most important human in the galaxy, our decisions will leave a permanent imprint on the universe. Commander Shepard is expected to be the seemingly unstoppable hero that defies the odds and ultimately comes out the victor. That's hardly a fault of players, as those who have stuck around since the beginning should remember a rugged Shepard strutting out from the debris at the Citadel with a confident smirk at the end of the first game. %Gallery-142871%
Operation: Prophecy burns up Mass Effect 3 multiplayer this weekend
So, okay, the Earth didn't collide with a secret planet this morning, nor did civilization wake up with enhanced psychic abilities and/or a greater understanding of its fellow man. We're just as disappointed as you are.The alternate version of Earth contained within Mass Effect 3's multiplayer is still very much in danger, however, and shooting space bugs to protect it is more important than ever. Between now and December 23, successful extraction from each Earth map (Rio, Vancouver and London), coupled with 100,000 cumulative points scored through the destruction of Reapers, will earn players a Commendation Pack and a special "Hero of the Last Days" banner.
Operation: Onslaught overtakes Mass Effect 3 multiplayer this weekend
BioWare's new breed of non-squad oriented multiplayer challenges for Mass Effect 3 continues this weekend, when "Operation: Onslaught" is put into effect. As the contrived excuse story goes, diminished Alliance industrial capabilities have resulted in a shortage of "specialized" weapons in the field, and it's up to the N7 Marines to reclaim factories and other industrial complexes so production can begin again.Sounds exciting, right? Well it would be, if this weekend's event actually had anything to do with that. In actuality, ME3's multiplayer will be business as usual, save for the fact that individual soldiers can earn a Commendation Pack by dealing 75,000 accumulated points of damage with an assault rifle. There are no map or difficulty level requirements, nor is successful extraction needed for the points to be valid.
More Mass Effect 3 DLC from almost 'every' BioWare Edmonton writer
Mass Effect series developer BioWare Edmonton is working on a new piece Mass Effect 3 DLC, and it's "all hands on deck," level designer Jos Hendriks said on the BioWare forums."It's all hands on deck for this one. Pretty much every ME3 DLC writer here in Edmonton is involved (which would include both Patrick Weekes AND John Dombrow)," Hendriks wrote. Other writers included Jay Watamaniuk and Cathleen Rootsaert. Additionally, composer Sam Hulick tweeted that he's working on "unannounced Mass Effect 3 DLC.""Tossing in piano and muted strings for this one particular piece. High potential for tears. #ME3DLC," Hulick tweeted.Twitter previously outed Seth Green and Raphael Sbarge, voices of Joker and Kaidan Alenkowere, as working on something for Mass Effect 3. Neither appeared in Omega, the DLC that hit last week.
Mass Effect 3 initiates Operation: Detonator this weekend
Commander Shepard is relaxing on a beach somewhere with a Mai Tai and a copy of I Am Not Spock, but you poor saps are still out in the deep recesses of space, fighting the good fight against gross bugs and robots. Someday, dear marines. Someday. Until the lot of you are finally loosed from the perpetual bondage of your galactic servitude, try and get some better equipment! This week's Mass Effect 3 multiplayer event is "Operation: Detonator," which tasks individual marines with earning 20,000 Biotic Explosion Points during a match, regardless of map or difficulty setting. Explosions must kill an enemy for the points to be registered, however successful extraction from the mission is not required.
Mass Effect 3 Special Edition review: Mapping the galaxy
For Wii U re-releases of existing games, we're republishing our original reviews with added evaluation of the new material. Keep track of all of Joystiq's Wii U launch coverage on the Wii U hub page! The Wii U version of Mass Effect 3, saddled with the puzzling subtitle "Special Edition," doesn't introduce much in the way of console exclusive features. Of course, even without the handful of extra features, you still have one of the year's best games, though the conclusion to an epic trilogy may make an odd starting point for Wii U owners.Helping to ease new players into the series is an interactive comic prelude, "Mass Effect Genesis 2." This is an extended version of the "Mass Effect Genesis" comic available on the console and PC versions of Mass Effect 2. It covers the events of the first two Mass Effect games, allowing players to make many of Commander Shepard's key choices along the way. The comic itself is pretty substantial, lasting a bit longer than twenty minutes.Certain choices may confuse new players, notably whether to make Udina or Anderson Earth's first councilor at the end of the original Mass Effect. Regardless of the initial choice, the events of Mass Effect 2 conspire to make Udina councilor by the beginning of Mass Effect 3, but those events aren't covered in the comic. As such, Wii U players may find it strange that Udina is suddenly councilor after making the opposite choice in the prelude. Still, the comic does an adequate job of catching up new players.%Gallery-165279%
Mass Effect 3 Omega DLC not available for Wii U at launch
The Omega DLC for Mass Effect 3 will not be available for Wii U when it launches November 27, according to BioWare's official Mass Effect Twitter account. The DLC will release on PS3 and Xbox 360 for $15.When asked about future DLC offerings for Wii U, BioWare's reply was "never say never," which either hints at the possibility of DLC such as Omega launching on Wii U in the future, or the Mass Effect team was listening to Justin Bieber at the time.
Mass Effect 3 Wii U launches November 18
Mass Effect 3 will be available for purchase alongside the Wii U when it launches on November 18 in North America, BioWare confirms today. Mass Effect 3 will also be a launch title in Europe on November 30 and in Japan on December 5. Mass Effect 3 on Wii U includes the game's Extended Cut and From Ashes DLC, along with an updated version of the Genesis comics from Darkhorse. According to BioWare external producer Melanie Faulknor, the Wii U version also packs the multiplayer add-ons Rebellion, Resurgence, and Earth. The Genesis comic was first introduced in Mass Effect 2 on PS3, giving players a chance to mold the events from the first game, which was not available on the platform. In the Wii U update, players will be able to craft their stories from the first two Mass Effect games and bring those decisions into Mass Effect 3. The Omega DLC slated for later this month wasn't addressed, so we imagine Wii U players will have to download the DLC just like everyone else. No more special treatment!
Mass Effect Trilogy pushed to Dec. 4 on PS3
Mass Effect Trilogy is coming to the PS3 on December 4 in North America and December 7 in Europe, just in time for the Hanar holiday festivities. Hanars make the best sugar cookies. The new release bundles all three Mass Effect games in one sleek black N7 box. The original Mass Effect, which is playable on Sony's system for the first time, will also be available for download through PSN. BioWare already detailed the DLC available on each platform: The "Bring Down the Sky" mission will be included with Mass Effect on the PS3, whether downloaded through PSN or within the Mass Effect Trilogy. The PC version of Mass Effect will include Bring Down the Sky and Pinnacle Station, while the Xbox 360 version will be just as it originally was when it launched back in 2007, sans that DLC and sky fully intact. PS3, Xbox 360 and PC all get Cerberus Network with Mass Effect 2; however, on the PS3, it'll also include Lair of the Shadow Broker, Kasumi and Overlord. Finally, Mass Effect 3 will include Cerberus Network across all platforms, but not the most recent expansion, "Leviathan." Mass Effect Trilogy will be available next week on the PC and Xbox 360 – November 6 in the US and November 9 in Europe. %Gallery-166617%
Mass Effect 3 goes trick-or-treating with a Halloween Challenge
BioWare is celebrating Halloween with a special trick and treat-inspired multiplayer challenge in Mass Effect 3. Beginning today and running through November 5, there are three new tasks for players to take on to earn a special holiday reward: Players need to run five extractions on the Firebase Ghost map (or its Hazard version), earn 7500 points against zombies (also known as husks or abominations in the Mass Effect parlance) and earn 10,000 points against monsters (which includes brutes, scions, praetorians, and banshees). Completing the tasks on any difficulty will earn players a Halloween Challenge Banner. What's too bad is that you won't get the Halloween-themed characters teased above to join your gang. Bioware doesn't say, but we're pretty sure they're crew members for some other Mass Effect 3 team, maybe helmed by one Commander SCARE-perd of the USS Norman-DIE! Boooooo! [Ed. Note: You're fired.]
Mass Effect: Paragon Lost loses a few Alliance soldiers in sample footage
Today you can sample nine minutes from the Mass Effect 3 prequel anime, Mass Effect: Paragon Lost. The video above shows a panicked crew of Alliance soldiers looking to Vega for inspiration during a nasty shootout with the Blood Pack.Mass Effect: Paragon Lost takes place well before the events of Mass Effect 3, and focuses on James Vega's career as an Alliance Marine going up against The Collectors. Freddie Prinze Jr. reprises his role as James Vega throughout the Production I.G.-created animated film. It's out on December 28.
Wii U voice chat sounds pretty complicated
Nintendo is approaching voice chat on Wii U from a very ... odd angle. Select games will support voice chat via third-party, officially licensed headsets plugged into the WiiPad's headphone jack, but voice chat will not be standard across all games or even the system itself. Even though the WiiPad has a built-in microphone, it can't be used for voice chat.Things get a bit more complicated when you enter the Pro Controller into the mix. The Pro Controller doesn't even have a headphone jack, so for a game like Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, players will need to plug their headset into the WiiPad and set it next to them while they play with the Pro Controller.So far the only games listed to support in-game voice chat are Assassin's Creed 3, Mass Effect 3 and Black Ops 2. Nintendo has yet to announce voice chat support for any further games, never mind detailed plans of the Wii U's online suite.
Mass Effect 3 adds 'Groundside Weapons' pack DLC
Those who pick up the "Groundside Resistance weapon pack" for Mass Effect 3 can have Commander Shepard play with some new toys. The armory set includes seven new weapons, covering pistols to shotguns, along with a harpoon gun... to hunt elcor? Asked how it felt about being compared to a whale in that last line, our token office elcor responded, "Disappointed: Did you just call me fat?"The weapon pack costs $1.99 (160 Microsoft points) and is available today on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. The next big piece of a DLC content for Mass Effect 3 is the Omega mission, available November 27 for $15 (1200 MSP).
This Reaper replica statue comes with multiplayer bonuses
Dark Horse Comics recently unveiled a 18.5" tall replica of the Reaper Sovereign from the Mass Effect series. The replica is estimated to ship in June 2013 for $350, and can be pre-ordered with a hefty $100 deposit on the BioWare store.The Reaper statue is in limited production, with fewer than 1,000 being made. It also comes with a code for as-yet-unannounced multiplayer bonuses for the Xbox 360 and PC versions of Mass Effect 3.
Mass Effect 3 Omega DLC out Nov 27, priced 1200 MSP/$15 [update: confirmed]
Mass Effect 3 DLC Omega is landing on November 27 and is priced at 1200 MSP or $15, if a video interview by Examiner's Beverly Lim Lee is accurate. The interviewee is apparently Mass Effect 3 Producer Mike Gamble, although he's introduced as "Mike, the producer of Mass 3 Effect Omega." According to the interview, the DLC is double the size of any previous Mass Effect 3 DLC, and lets players take on Aria, who is vying for control of the Omega space station.The video was uploaded to Ms Lee's YouTube account, and was apparently taken at the New York Comic Con, a convention at which EA BioWare is certainly in attendance and showing off Omega concept art.We've reached out EA BioWare for confirmation of these details and further information.Update: A post on the BioWare blog confirms the details. The Omega DLC is coming to PC, PSN, and XBLM on November 27 for $14.99 or 1200 MSP. PS3 owners in Europe will have to wait until November 28 for the DLC to hit the continent. The blog post reads: "Disturbing reports from the Citadel suggest that something big is about to go down. If our Intel is accurate, Aria is on the move. This was anticipated, as we did not expect her to sit idly by while Cerberus ran roughshod over Omega. With her biotic capabilities and well-documented mean streak, what happens next won't be pretty. Our informants believe that Aria intends to seek out Commander Shepard for assistance. We are aware of the Commander's ties to Aria, but are unclear about how deep they run. What we do know is that Aria will be relentless in her fight to take back Omega, and with the Commander at her side, she may very well be unstoppable."The video linked above has now been made private.
Mass Effect 3's 'N7 HQ' web portal now online
N7 HQ, the Mass Effect 3 online portal briefly mentioned during BioWare's last multiplayer briefing, is now online and operational. Available for anyone who's purchased the game (and visible to the general public), N7 HQ allows players to view their multiplayer profile, track their progress through ME3's recently added Challenges, view leaderboard information and assess the state of the Galaxy at War.User profiles contain information on every character an account has made, including character level, XP and skill tree allocation details for each character. As profiles are public unless otherwise specified, it's now possible to look up the builds of people you encounter online so you can steal their ideas emulate their successful layouts.Progression through Challenges can also be closely monitored via the Challenges tab (natch), which tracks advancement through both individual and meta-Challenges in three categories: General, Aliens and Weapons. Once gold-level challenges have been completed, the titles and banners awarded can also be managed online.Checking in on your Galactic Readiness is accomplished through the Galaxy at War section, which displays a familiar map of the galaxy (and its various stages of readiness), as well as information regarding increased readiness from external sources like Mass Effect: Infiltrator.Unfortunately, N7 HQ doesn't have the ability to tell members of the Alliance Military that the war ended months ago, and that they can all come home. Oh well!
