New Mass Effect 3 details

By Robert Purchese Published 11 May, 2011

Spoilers at the bottom.

A slew of Mass Effect 3 magazine coverage has been absorbed and summarised by the internet.

Non-spoiler information first, courtesy of Xbox World magazine and NeoGAF.

Mass Effect 3 develops melee fighting and each character class will have a special move. An Engineer will use an Omni-tool fire lash attack, for example, while an Adept will throw people back and stun them.

In Mass Effect 2, powers were upgraded three times and customised at the top, fourth tier; did you want a wider impact zone or a more focused blast? In Mass Effect 3 a Vanguard can tweak Charge to first slam an opponent harder, then do more damage, then be used more often.

What's more, powers can combine - a Concussive Shot can work with Cry Ammo to freeze a large area.

In Mass Effect 2, enemies advanced on Shepard's spot of cover throughout the battle. BioWare will enhance this for Mass Effect 3, abolishing the use of a single hiding spot for each battle. And movement will be essential to tackle some of the new game's harder enemies, as Shepard manoeuvres, undetected, to a rear blind/weak spot to deliver the fatal blow.

The opponents Cerberus will throw at Shepard include heavy troopers with enormous armour and Assassins with the same biotic capabilities as you. There are also Phantoms who wield blades.

But, don't panic, this time Shepard can do a roly poly. Or a commando roll, whatever you want to call it. Among other new moves.

Stop reading now to avoid story and character information.

I mean it: look away.

Your Mass Effect 3 squad will be smaller than your ME2 squad, which had 12 recruits. "We're focused on a smaller squad with deeper relationships and more interesting interplay in Mass Effect 3," Mass Effect overlord Casey Hudson explained.

"And we're bringing everyone back - every main character is in Mass Effect 3 somewhere."

Confirmed as Mass Effect 3 recruits are Garrus, Liara, Kaidan, Ashley and Tali (depending on if they're alive). Wrex sounds to be in the balance. Each character's equipment will be updated.

There are apparently no new romance options in Mass Effect 3. BioWare revealed that 70 per cent of Mass Effect 2 gamers weren't loyal to their Mass Effect 1 love interest. And this will have repercussions in Mass Effect 3.

Shepard has become an enemy of Cerberus because Shepard joined the Alliance. Why did Shepard do that? Because Cerberus is working with the Reapers. Why? We don't yet know.

Throughout Mass Effect 3, Shepard will venture to the homeworlds the Asari, Turians, Salarians and Quarians. And, of course, Shepard will explore Earth, including a Seattle-Vancouver mega-city before and after a Reaper attack. Shepard will also explore Mars.

Finally, the biggest spoiler.

Stop looking.

Shepard can pilot a 50-foot Cerberus Atlas mech. And he'll need firepower like this when fighting a 600-foot Reaper on one of the massive levels.

The scale of Mass Effect 3, BioWare said, will dwarf not only previous Mass Effect games, but also anything Unreal Engine 3 has been used for.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (50) Latest comment 1 year ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Kayin #1 1 year ago

    'Apparently 70 percent of gamers weren't loyal to their ME1 love interest.' No surprise there, huh ME2 Liara?

  • yoomazir #2 1 year ago

    "pilot a 50-foot Cerberus Atlas mech"

    beyond ridiculous...

  • geeza2020 #3 1 year ago

    I really hope this comes out better than DA2....

  • HenryFitz #4 1 year ago

    I tried to look away, but I couldn't.

  • Xardan #5 1 year ago

    Why post spoilers whyyy?!! I cant help myself!

    *sobs*

  • ZizouFC #6 1 year ago

    Sounds great but...

    How could you be loyal to your ME1 love interest?

  • Sodding_Gamer #7 1 year ago

    SHITTTTTTTT I read all of it. Damn you Eurogamer when you say to not do something your tempted even more to do it!! Sounds fucking amazing. I am going to rub my pre-ordered edition on my crotch. It sounds THAT good.

  • Bertie Verified Senior Staff Writer, Eurogamer.net #8 1 year ago

    How could you be loyal to your ME1 love interest?

    Good point. I banged Garrus. That's almost as good, right?

  • Jonathan_Fakenham #9 1 year ago

    I was wondering how they'd handle the big, epic reaper confrontation.. So, the trilogy ends with a Power Rangers-style man in suit fight, then?
    Edited by Jonathan_Fakenham at 11/05/11 @ 11:25

  • Xardan #10 1 year ago

    Okay i avoided reading most of it but unfortunately i read the last couple lines about the mech. I count myself lucky.

    From now on i am going to avoid all Mass Effect 3 news. I suggest everyone else do the same too.

  • qoobah #11 1 year ago

    Must... Not... Read... It... Allllll.......

    AAAAAAARGH!!

    Can't be hyped more for this:D

  • Sodding_Gamer #12 1 year ago

    I want this on 3 discs please. Go with the trend and I want it to be massive thank you please.

  • Jamieb87 #13 1 year ago

    Damn shouldn't of read the bit about cerberus working with the reapers- WTF?

    Ah well at least i chose to give the finger to cerberus at the end of ME2.
    Edited by Jamieb87 at 11/05/11 @ 11:30

  • mr_pink #14 1 year ago

    Sounds cool from an action game perspective, which is always the direction they were pushing in since ME2. I just hope they don't water down the RPG elements too much in their drive to be more commercial. With a game like Mass Effect, the draw has always been story, characterisation and the immersion in a new world. Without these things, it pretty much becomes HALO/GOW with more dialog and an illusion of choice. I'd like to be shown that cross-platform doesn't necessarily mean dumbed down, time will tell I suppose.

  • Sodding_Gamer #15 1 year ago

    Random question to everyone but don't you think Casey Hudson looks like Sylar out of Heroes?!!!!

  • jablonski #16 1 year ago

    "Your Mass Effect 3 squad will be smaller than your ME2 squad. "We're focused on a smaller squad...in Mass Effect 3," Casey Hudson explained."

    Translates as - we don't want to pay many voice actors for DLC, we've learnt our lesson

  • Tonne #17 1 year ago

    i do hope that mordin and grunt will be back because they were really my favourite characters, oh and that you can kill of jacob by letting him be torn to sherds by reapers, let him trow up a barrier against that

  • RevanNL #18 1 year ago

    I'm gonna be extremely pissed if Miranda isn't part of the squad.

  • space_ace #19 1 year ago

    Terra-iffic

  • Whitster #20 1 year ago

    I wonder how the romance option will work if you shagged Liara in ME:1 then someone else in ME:2 and then made up with Liara during Shadow Broker?

  • Kayin #21 1 year ago

    @whitster - Miranda will kill you. Literally. You'll be in a shop or something and then your head'll suddenly explode, the camera cutting to an extremely pissed Miss Lawson.

    Well, hopefully.

  • roquey Verified Lead Quality Assurance Tester and Compliance Specialist, Universally Speaking #22 1 year ago

    i never completed ME1 but please bring back the actual planets to land on and explore. i hated mining for resources on ME2.

  • roquey Verified Lead Quality Assurance Tester and Compliance Specialist, Universally Speaking #23 1 year ago

    i never completed ME1 but please bring back the actual planets to land on and explore. i hated mining for resources on ME2.

  • Arsecake_Baker #24 1 year ago

    "The scale of Mass Effect 3, BioWare said, will dwarf not only previous Mass Effect games, but also anything Unreal Engine 3 has been used for. "

    So lots and lots of texture problems and pop ups! And indecipherable text!

  • digoutyoursoul #25 1 year ago

    shag all of them, if the main LI doesnt like it, they can fuck off

  • ChthonicEcho #26 1 year ago

    Cerberus working with the Reapers? 50 feet tall mech going against an intergalactic horror that existed since the dawn of time?

    There goes any semblance of interest I had in the game. Down the drain, duly following ME's plot.

  • Gumersindo #27 1 year ago

    I've got one male Shepard who was in love with Ashley and didn't have any relationship in ME2 and one female Shepard single.

  • Shinetop #28 1 year ago

    How could you be loyal to your ME1 love interest?

    By not banging anyone in ME2?

    I love how people are going "fighting a reaper in a mech? -Obviously- that is the end of the game and therefore it is shit." Ah, internet douchebags. Gotta love 'em.

  • Shinetop #29 1 year ago

    I wonder what happens if you had no love interest in ME1, but did have one in ME2.

  • Ror1984 #30 1 year ago

    "Because Cerberus is working with the Reapers. Why? We don't yet know."

    The clue was in the Illusive Man's eyes.
    Edited by Ror1984 at 11/05/11 @ 12:36

  • Genji #31 1 year ago

    "There are apparently no new romance options in Mass Effect 3. BioWare revealed that 70 per cent of Mass Effect 2 gamers weren't loyal to their Mass Effect 1 love interest. And this will have repercussions in Mass Effect 3."

    Meh. I never liked Ashley anyway. Tali is where the love is at, awwww yeeeah.

  • photoboy #32 1 year ago

    SPOILERS

    I'm disappointed the entire squad is made up of people from the first game. I want characters like Miranda, Jack, Thane, Grunt, Mordin, Samara and Legion on my squad. The guys in the first game were all goody, goody squares who worked for the Alliance. I want my shades of grey dammit!

    Oh and Kelly Chambers needs a much more expanded role, including the ability to be a love interest.

  • Jonny5Alive7 #33 1 year ago

    Any spoilers obviously aren't massive spoilers or surely they wouldn't be revealing them so far in advance. Wheres Miranda in that list of crew?

  • Whitster #34 1 year ago

    @Ror1984

    The recent comic series focusing on him was a bit of a giveaway as well.

  • geeza2020 #35 1 year ago

    "I'm disappointed the entire squad is made up of people from the first game. I want characters like Miranda, Jack, Thane, Grunt, Mordin, Samara and Legion on my squad. The guys in the first game were all goody, goody squares who worked for the Alliance. I want my shades of grey dammit! "

    Err I dont think Wrex, Garrus, or Tali worked for the alliance. And I dont think you could class Wrex or even Garrus as a goody goody square. Tali possibly. I personally preferred the smaller crew from the first game, the second seemed a bit bloated, why did Jacob even exist, he was rubbish! But bring Legion and Samara back definitely. Grunt < Wrex :)
    Edited by geeza2020 at 11/05/11 @ 12:53

  • Ror1984 #36 1 year ago

    @Whitster - I haven't read those yet - every time I have a half-arsed look on Amazon, they seem rather hard to find. Worth a read?

  • TheRealCrane #37 1 year ago

    How on earth am I supposed to fight against Cerberus? I would fight and die for Cerberus!

  • andywilkie35 #38 1 year ago

    Can't wait

  • Shinetop #39 1 year ago

    The biggest question that has yet to be answered, of course, is wether or not Jacob will get the priiiize.

  • telboy007 #40 1 year ago

    "So lots and lots of texture problems and pop ups! And indecipherable text!"

    This is a wind-up right?

  • Genji #41 1 year ago

    "I'm disappointed the entire squad is made up of people from the first game. I want characters like Miranda, Jack, Thane, Grunt, Mordin, Samara and Legion on my squad. The guys in the first game were all goody, goody squares who worked for the Alliance. I want my shades of grey dammit!"

    The entire squad hasn't been confirmed yet.

  • Gunship #42 1 year ago

    @geeza2020 - they can't screw this up like Dragon Age 2 because Dragon Age 2 was virtually rebooted (180 degree design change per Mike Laidlaw) with a huge % of the fans screaming "nooooooooooooo" at BioWare since September last year. This is not happening here - just minor tweaks. And these minor tweaks are not contentious and should appeal to the vast majority of ME fans. The only thing BioWare could screw up now is story. The rest seems to be in the bag now.
    Edited by Gunship at 11/05/11 @ 14:02

  • ichobi #43 1 year ago

    If they bring Wrex back to the team i will die a happy man. Wrex > all. his banters alone worth 60 USD.

  • Er-El #44 1 year ago

    FU*K! Wish I didn't read the last one now.

  • septimus #45 1 year ago

    Seems as though ,y PC save and my XBOX save will play out very differently. Or should unless Bioware cop out on us.

  • septimus #46 1 year ago

    Seems as though ,y PC save and my XBOX save will play out very differently. Or should unless Bioware cop out on us.

  • icematt12 #47 1 year ago

    Must agree with #13 at first. But then I remembered what Cerberus are capable of and then it seemed plausible they would work with the Reapers and get all other races killed to preserve humanity. Save themselves, screw the rest. Let the Reapers turn on them like I predict, save me the trouble. Just save TIM for me or Miranda.

    Only 50 foot Mech? Barely the height of a house. Power alone surely wouldn't be enough. Thought provoking stuff in this article, more interested just want to see some in game footage now. *fingers crossed for EA E3 event*

  • Claudiov1.0 #48 1 year ago

    Thumbs up if you tried to look away from the spoilers but just couldnīt do it!!

  • Scimarad #49 1 year ago

    I was loyal, you cheatin' bastards!

  • busboy33 #50 1 year ago

    I was loyal . . . they dumped me!!

    My ME2 playthru was one where I hooked up with Ashley in ME1 (I'm pretty sure that was the save game I played in ME2). I meet up with her on the planet after the Collector attack, and she's mad because I haven't called in 2 years. I tried to explain that the only reason I didn't call was because I WAS FRIGGIN' DEAD and she ran off mad at me!

    I'm no relationship expert, but I'm fairly sure that being dead is a valid excuse for not keeping in contact.

    Fuck that, and fuck her. Had to seek consolation by having dirty, dirty sex with Jack.