More Mass Effect 3 multiplayer details

By Robert Purchese Published 12 October, 2011

Level-cap! War Assets! Drell! iOS/Facebook!

Progress made in Mass Effect 3 co-op multiplayer can be viewed on iOS devices, Facebook "and more".

You'll see a colour-coded map that will chart each area your squad has successfully defended, according to a deluge of information from OXM mined by StickSkills.

It sounds as though you'll visit these war-torn areas during the single-player campaign, and that multiplayer co-op enables you to take up arms and defend them.

The mined preview doesn't specify exactly how your multiplayer progress affects your single-player game. It does say that during single-player you earn War Assets - currency for purchasing allies, friendly fleets and facilities like radar stations. By exploring every inch of the single-player campaign you'll earn enough War Assets to be ready for the galactic war. This is the Galactic Readiness mentioned yesterday.

The mined preview doesn't explicitly mention earning War Assets during co-op multiplayer, but that's the suggestion. "The more you play and build up your multiplayer characters to survive increasingly tough odds," OXM wrote, "the more power and influence your single-player Shepard will wield by the time the endgame comes based on the amount of War Assets earned."

Mass Effect 3 co-op multiplayer will be wave-based, as was suspected in June this year. Each stage has eleven waves of enemies, ranging from basic Cerberus foot soldiers to Phantoms and Atlas mechs.

You earn experience points for kills, assists, objectives and other undisclosed actions. Downed allies can be revived but in a limited time-frame. Admiral Hackett orders the co-op multiplayer missions.

There's a level-cap of 20. Presumably Shepard can go higher during the main Mass Effect 3 game.

OXM added Drell (Thane) to the list of playable races. Soldier, Infiltrator, Engineer and Sentinel classes were mentioned. The final game will have more options as well as unlockables.

Krogan can charge and knock down foe; Soldiers can use the Omni-blade melee weapon.

Weapons and powers are selected before a mission. Weapons can be upgraded, as can armour.

Casey Hudson told OXM that multiplayer had been on the cards since the original Mass Effect, but ME3 was the first time he felt comfortable implementing it.

BioWare announced the Mass Effect 3 co-op multiplayer yesterday. BioWare is adamant that MP will be standalone and ignorable by those who prefer a pure single-player Mass Effect experience.

ME3 combat - not co-op multiplayer.

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 (48) Latest comment 8 months ago

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

  • Hieronymus #1 8 months ago

    Sigh... just as I feared, Co-op having an impact on the single player campaign, thanks Bioware, really....

  • MattEdWithCheese #2 8 months ago

    http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2011/1...

  • Jonny5Alive7 #3 8 months ago

    This Galactic Readiness thing sounds quite interesting. Sounds similar to how you could travel through the mass relay to the Reaper world on ME2 anytime you wanted but if you didn't have your team & ship ready you wouldn't do very well.

  • Daddy-Doom-Bar #4 8 months ago

    Actually sounding like the initial 'Oh noez I No wantz MultiPlaerz in miez MaZz Effectz!!111!!!1!' screams of the many may have been a little premature. Although I should think they'd be used to being premature

  • fragglerocks #5 8 months ago

    Drell as a playable race? Sold!

  • GamesProgrammer Verified Games Team Programmer, Eutechnyx Ltd. #6 8 months ago

    Is this confirmed then you cant get the good ending without being galacticly ready from playing the MP.

  • MerricK #7 8 months ago

    Sounds shit.

  • Inmediasress #8 8 months ago

    What did people expect from Eaware?
    Yeah we are totally independent. lol

  • Bertie Verified Senior Staff Writer, Eurogamer.net #9 8 months ago

    Shrug. This doesn't sound too bad to me. I'd rather the co-op was designed as something you did after finishing the main game, but the implementation seems well thought out to me.

  • bobfish09 #10 8 months ago

    @GamesProgrammer

    BioWare's last statement on it was that the multiplayer was optional and you could get the optimal good ending without doing any of the multiplayer stuff.

  • Genome #11 8 months ago

    BioWare has already said that you can get the "best" ending without ever touching MP. It was mentioned in the first official comment on this.

    But you know...

    http://www.urlesque.com/media/2010/05/ha...
    Edited by Genome at 12/10/11 @ 11:50

  • geeza2020 #12 8 months ago

    I wonder how much better the singleplayer game would have been without this waste of time and resources.

  • Phoenisis #13 8 months ago

    Progress made in Mass Effect 3 co-op multiplayer can be viewed on iOS devices, Facebook "and more".

    Ah, I knew there was still some worthless gimmick that ME3 was missing: Pointless social media integration.

  • s3y3 #14 8 months ago

    Horde then.

  • Ando11 #15 8 months ago

    To be honest, i'm a big fan of the Mass Effect series and have played the first two to death. So with the added ''optional'' mulitplayer, for me that just gives me more to do for my money, so i'm quite happy with that! More Mass Effect is a good thing...right?

  • robthehermit #16 8 months ago

    I really hope this turns out well. I'm not a fan of shooters, basically because I'm completely inept, but as an optional extra with a group of friends it could be a laugh.
    As long as it is optional that is, if playing the multiplayer aspect its going to help the endgame scenario, I can only imagine that not doing so will hinder it.

  • KujiGhost #17 8 months ago

    (Disappointedly) Is there any real need for this?

  • rob_of_the_robots #18 8 months ago

    Just a few questions:

    - Will this dilute some of the big decisions in the single player i.e. if I piss off half the galaxy I can just go on the multiplayer for a bit and they'll all love me again.
    - What if I want to play the multiplayer without it having an effect on my single player?
    - What is a Phantom?

  • ShiroBen #19 8 months ago

    This honestly makes me feel like crying.

  • spekkeh #20 8 months ago

    Collecting war assets to buy allies sounds really dumb and presence-defeating. But I guess sufficiently old school to satisfy the hardcore crpg whingers.

  • Slipstream #21 8 months ago

    I wonder how much better the singleplayer game would have been without this waste of time and resources.

    I wonder when you had the opportunity to play through the single player of ME3.

  • gamerBOB #22 8 months ago

    I'm failing to understand why a lot of people keep negging ME3 multiplayer, as long as the length and quality of the single player isn't affected does it really matter?

    Based on the information available at the moment, there appears to be a link between the two (which makes sense) but I doubt it's to the point where it affects the story in single player (which I'm assuming a lot of people are worried about)

    Look at AC: Brotherhood, people were worried when they added multiplayer and it's done really well.

    Until more information becomes available (maybe a video or two) why don't we calm down for a moment, have a cup of tea and see what gets released.

    If you really hate the fact they have ruined the game for you, why not just avoid purchasing the game altogether, sales figures speak louder than troll rants.
    Edited by gamerBOB at 12/10/11 @ 12:57

  • Ror1984 #23 8 months ago

    I'm not much of a multiplayer guy, but to me this sounds really good. I have 3 or 4 friends who all love Mass Effect, and being able to do some in-universe co-op actually sounds quite appealing.

    At the very least I'll try it out before dribbling all over my keyboard.

  • Gaol #24 8 months ago

    They've taken one of the most immersive single player experiences of recent years and given it multiplayer and Facebook integration. Fucking idiots.

  • bemaniac #25 8 months ago

    please stop putting facebook into games. I hate facebook and when I'm off sick I don't want my entire office knowing i'm grinding in rift!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Syrette #26 8 months ago

    @geeza2020

    How many times do people have to point out that this is being developed by another studio with resources added on top of the singleplayer development?

    Why do you assume that games get one budget and have to stick to it?

  • Syrette #27 8 months ago

    @Gaol

    How does adding optional features to a title make them idiots? How does it make it less immersive (which is what you seem to be implying)?

  • SteveHolt #28 8 months ago

    AC MP is worthy, because, like it or not, this mode is completely unique, and wouldn't work in any other game. ME3, on the other hand, is going against gears' horde and all its copycats.

    Why would I bother playing a horde-like mode, when I can actually play horde? It would be interesting, if ME's shooting mechanics were at least as good as gears'. But they're not. Far from it. And why should they be? It's supposed to be an action RPG, right? How can they beat a pure shooter at its own game?

    So yeah, waste of time and space, I won't support it.

    Edited by SteveHolt at 12/10/11 @ 13:15

  • JensonJet #29 8 months ago

    The developers have explicit said that the co-op mode hasn't affected the single player. It's been developed by a separate team. I assume everyone who believes the single player will now be smaller and worse off for this added feature assume Bioware are lying!?

    I can understand a lack of faith in a company whose past record is poor. Genuine fans of Mass Effect should have faith in the developers. Perhaps those that whine and complain simply aren't Mass Effect fans and through a lack of interest in co-op believe the addition of this guarantees a failed game. How wrong and sad an opinion that is.

    I think Mass Effect co-op will prove to be as popular and as entertaining as that zombie mode in a previous Call of Duty.

  • organica #30 8 months ago

    Some of you people are hilarious, and really require some more tragedy in your lives if this is what gets you upset and worked up.

    I'll come round to your houses and beat your knees with hammers if you like. That'll take your mind off it.

    Seriously though, I am a big ME fan and a massive single player fan and this sounds like a worthwhile addition. Co-op is decent action for people who don't mind teaming up, you can achieve the same results through single player alone, and if you think it will affect the level of work put into the main campaign you have limited knowledge of how games development works.

    It'll all be fine. It's fine. IT'S FINE. Here's a tissue. Pull yourself together.

  • flaming.carrot #31 8 months ago

    Not sure why everyone gushes about this series - bought ME2 and thought it was utterly unimpressive. Sorry about that.

  • Syrette #32 8 months ago

    @SteveHolt

    You won't "support it"?

    You're going to protest against the evil corporation putting in an extra (optional) feature?

    What's stopping you from buying the game and just playing the SP?

  • SteveHolt #33 8 months ago

    @Syrette: since you're asking:

    Since I didn't enjoy any single piece of Bioware DLC this gen (except maybe Overlord), I am not going to bother with their online pass project 10$ whatever, which means I won't have access to the MP, hence my "i won't support it" sentence. I'll buy the game second hand, if at all, or borrow it from a friend.
    Edited by SteveHolt at 12/10/11 @ 13:30

  • Subdominator #34 8 months ago

    So this is basically like Rage Coop, recycling the single player levels.

  • Sodding_Gamer #35 8 months ago

    I just hope this hasn't used a lot of disc space. It's looking more and more like gears of war for ME3. Fair enough they have refined the combat system with cqc and refined the cover system. Adding in a "horde" mode just makes me feel like they are straying away a bit too far from their RPG roots and that they play Gears of war A LOTT.

  • intpleeus #36 8 months ago

    I hope it's good, but I really wish they wouldn't. Do a standalone multiplayer game in the Mass Effect universe and just let Mass Effect 3 be the best singleplayer experience it can be.
    Edited by intpleeus at 12/10/11 @ 14:32

  • ruisranne #37 8 months ago

    All this sounds interesting... but will it be just grinding the same foes over and over again just in a bit different places or will it vary much. And If your level is capped only to 20 will there be much to play in this mode (how long will it take to get there)? I reallyreally hope so, but I have my fears that this will feel a bit tacked-on.

    *edit: typo
    Edited by ruisranne at 12/10/11 @ 14:43

  • anomagnus #38 8 months ago

    Well, well, more reasonable people on a ME3 MP thread than i would have expected.

    Can't wait to get this game.

  • geeza2020 #39 8 months ago

    I wonder how much better the singleplayer game would have been without this waste of time and resources.

    I wonder when you had the opportunity to play through the single player of ME3.

    Mmmmm, Nope, dont think I said that, no I definitely didnt say at any point that I had played ME3. So stop being a pathetic little pedant, and go outside and play kid.
    Edited by geeza2020 at 12/10/11 @ 15:03

  • intpleeus #40 8 months ago

    Well, the obvious reason for multiplayer is to discourage trade-ins. I think quality singleplayer DLC in the months following release would be enough, but I think EA is on record saying that multiplayer is more important.

    Mass effect 2 was released on two discs. I hope Mass Effect 3 has its single- and multiplayer content on separate discs, because then I might be able to pick up the singleplayer disc by itself, secondhand, at a lower price.

    Better yet, if EA would sell singleplayer only copies of the game for a slightly lower price, then I'd probably buy it new. I don't think Mass Effect 3 should have multiplayer, but I also can't play it anyway due to the nature of my internet connection.

  • Silvervein #41 8 months ago

    So let me get this straight. Did they say that the end of sort of role playing game is kind of bare bones of a space strategy game? Or did I misunderstand what they said about those assets and using them to buy defending forces.

  • metalangel #42 8 months ago

    *Zack Fuckface completed "Biotic throw 20 Krogans"
    3 people like this!

    FUCK OFF

  • Kikizosan #43 8 months ago

    It sounds as if it's being handled well, but I'll be less happy if the multiplayer aspect needs to be played for Achievements. I've got them all for ME1 and ME2, would like to do so for all three, but not if there are things like 'Play Co-op for 100 hours' (or whatever). That would not be cool. I do hope the co-op stuff comes good, so long as the SP campaign is top notch of its own accord - there aren't enough decent co-op games around.

    Not that I particularly care about Achievements these days, but I did back when playing ME1. Just happen to have them all for ME2 as it was such an enjoyable game, it deserved to be played to exhaustion (the game, not me).

  • Slipstream #44 8 months ago

    Mmmmm, Nope, dont think I said that, no I definitely didnt say at any point that I had played ME3. So stop being a pathetic little pedant, and go outside and play kid.

    Says he who spoke in past tense.

    I wonder how much better the singleplayer game would have been

    and then you have the nerve to call me a kid after you insult me?

    Edited by Slipstream at 12/10/11 @ 15:53

  • geeza2020 #45 8 months ago

    My point still stands, at no point did I say that I had played ME3. Sorry, you didnt read my post correctly.

  • Gastrian #46 8 months ago

    Post deleted at 17:56:43 13-04-2012

  • anomagnus #47 8 months ago

    @geeza2020

    you posted in the past tense, and in a way that suggested the single player game was flawed as a result of the multiplayer addition. The others are right, your post was wrong.

  • evarofzentral #48 8 months ago

    Sorry but can't you just concentrate on single player.