Mass Effect 3 Demo: The First 20 Minutes

Published 12 February, 2012 Duration 21:41

The stunning introductory mission.

Comments (126) Latest comment 3 months ago

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  • norsende #1 3 months ago

    How much did EA pay for the word "stunning" please.

  • Daeltaja #2 3 months ago

    Ugh, I'll be getting this, just to see the trilogy through, but couldn't be any less excited for it.

    Looks pretty dull IMO.

  • Abdu@EG #3 3 months ago

    8/10

    Using Eurogamer's style.

  • WadiumArcadium #4 3 months ago

    Can't wait for this. One of the few games I'm excited for this year.

  • Subdominator #5 3 months ago

    Probably gonna skip this, I don't like the new look (the environments look almost cellshaded, the rest is semi-realistic), I sure don't like the story anymore. I was glad that those politicians got killed and the kid, too. When the former were finally realizing the threat I was like "Great, NOW you believe what I told you years ago about the Reapers and NOW you want my help? Go get an arrow in the knee." And when the boy made an appearance I was a sad panda for not being given a Renegade choice. Thankfully the Reapers took care of him.

    Did anybody else feel that the dialogue parts were awfully out of touch with the surroundings? It looked almost like really bad blue screen scenes in television. There was stuff happening in the background, yet the characters in the foreground are neither lighted correctly to reflect that nor are their voices what they should be. The lack of background noises made it feel like two people talking to each other in a sound stage and not like conversations in the middle of a freaking war.

  • MrWonderstuff #6 3 months ago

    'Stunning'? Really? Really 'stunning' EG? Let me be the judge of that thankyou very much.

  • thesnowman #7 3 months ago

    Personally cant wait for this.

  • fiery_jackass #8 3 months ago

    "Arsegambler is online"

  • Collymilad #9 3 months ago

    Although it's cool to hate Mass Effect now, I cannot wait for this game. My most anticipated by far.

    Mass Effect 1 was amazing, Mass Effect 2 kicked ass and so will this. Haters can **** off.

    :p

  • Laythe_AD #10 3 months ago

    DA2 and TOR have pumped me full of skepticism for this, but i'm starting to reclaim a little of the old excitement.

  • RoOhDaMite #11 3 months ago

    The camerawork in these cutscenes really is disorienting.
    Way too many close-ups for my taste.
    It's not like these conversations really were in need of cutscenes to begin with.
    Edited by RoOhDaMite at 12/02/12 @ 17:47

  • HoraceGoesSquiffy #12 3 months ago

    "Welcome back Chief. I mean... er... Shepherd."

  • KujiGhost #13 3 months ago

    Fair's fair; it was pretty spectacular.

  • thesnowman #14 3 months ago

    @Collymilad Completely agree.

  • Bremenacht #15 3 months ago

    pew

  • DisneyJon #16 3 months ago

    Got it early through Expertzone, thought it was awesome and a great opener to the new game, classic Sci Fi stuff and harks back to some of the great shows like Babylon 5 - I think ME really is a series where you get more from it if you get into the story.

    Earth ignoring the Reapers isnt as crazy as it seems at this point - no one believes threat until it's clear - look at our own history in terms of the Nazi's, Al Qaeda...and those were threats that only required some changes to combat. Now imagine you are being told you need to mobile a planet for war against an ancient enemey that you cannot provide direct proof of....

  • yoomazir #17 3 months ago

    Oh look, it's GEARS EFFECT !

  • WadiumArcadium #18 3 months ago

    @Bremenacht Do you have a mental problem or something? I swear that's all you say on every article I see you comment on.

  • Velios #19 3 months ago

    It's amazing. My favourite game series of all time.

  • zm26 #20 3 months ago

    Post deleted at 13:15:51 16-05-2012

  • CloisterBlack #21 3 months ago

    The beefcake levels in this video are too darn high!

  • woodyrulesok #22 3 months ago

    I do like the music.

  • AVisualEpiphany #23 3 months ago

    "Stunning"

    No

    "Same shit as before"

    Yes

    ...I remember when ME was an RPG, It was pretty decent back then.

  • papizdano #24 3 months ago

    they really messed with the sprint i see

  • Subdominator #25 3 months ago

    There's a huge amount of truthnegging in here. :)

  • asho #26 3 months ago

    Ashley sure is stunning!! Cant wait for this game.

  • Triggerhappytel #27 3 months ago

    @Collymilad
    "Although it's cool to hate Mass Effect now"

    It does feel a lot like that in every ME article or comments thread these days, doesn't it?

  • drSchiwago #28 3 months ago

    ME3 is the first game that I plan to skip because of Origin (one Steam is enough for me), hopefully I'm strong enough to resist the temptation.

    The console version could be an option...

    Ups, this makes me sound like a addict.

  • barchetta #29 3 months ago

    It does look fantastic (to those without access to modern PCs at any rate) though some cutscenes are quite disorientating but I'd say that was a concious decision to use a verite/documentary feel.

    Enjoyed the first demo, with requisite amount of eye candy but 2nd had me cursing for a while due to over-zealous cover snapping and awkward dash mechanic. Certainly going to be a purchase from me as I love the Syd Meadesque aesthetic being given full rein here.

  • drSchiwago #30 3 months ago

    @AVisualEpiphany The game has three modes now (RPG, Shooter, Story), esp. the "Story" modes sound a bit confusing to me.

    Maybe the game makes everyone happy (from COD gamers to hardcore RPG fans) or it's a complete mess, we will see soon...

  • Darren #31 3 months ago

    That was amazing. I actually had tears in my eyes by the end, such was the emotional impact, helped by that terrific musical score. I really can't wait for this game. Visually the game is stunning as well, although the poor old Xbox 360 was clearly struggling to run many of those cutscenes smoothly.

    When is the PC demo out? (I hope the PC game supports the Xbox 360 controller this time round as well)

  • ilmaestro #32 3 months ago

    I know, I'll spoil the first twenty minutes of a highly anticipated new game for myself by watching a video of it!

  • hiddenranbir #33 3 months ago

    I was really -ssssiiiigghhh- at ME2. I'm only doing this to finish my Shepard story.

    Running over roof tops...not that particularly but...god it just looks so tacky! :|
    Edited by hiddenranbir at 12/02/12 @ 19:37

  • -cerberus- #34 3 months ago

    Never got into Mass Effect and from the looks of it, I never will.

  • RoOhDaMite #35 3 months ago

    This Intro is about to win the "more linear than FF XIII award".

  • hiddenranbir #36 3 months ago

    @RoOhDaMite but but but you get to choose what he says, red dialogue or blue!

  • The-Jack-Burton #37 3 months ago

    Characters move like Robot Chicken and look like Housewives of Beverly Hills. I'm sure the game will be good, but I could do without the long, awkward cut-scenes.

  • AVisualEpiphany #38 3 months ago

    @drSchiwago I wasn't aware of this, but I would guess it only changes the number of menu options available rather than any actual gameplay enhancements.
    If this IS the case then it makes no difference.
    Still plays (Yes, I've played it) like Gears of War...In space

  • Lunatic4ever #39 3 months ago

    wtf happened to the community? for years "hyping" games was every day behavoir and now suddenly its become popular to hate the BIG GAMES that have been around with us for years? I don't get it. All understanding aside, whoever hates on mass effect 3 before it is released is an idiot. I played the first two games and I liked them very much. I don't see how this could be a fuck up. Let's wait with our judgement.

  • darren2693 #40 3 months ago

    @drSchiwago

    From what I understand;

    RPG will be the same experience as ME1 & 2.

    Story will dumb down the combat and is aimed at those who like the story but arent good at playing the game itself.

    Shooter "streamlines" the conversations and cuts down on the dialogue and cutscenes for those who just want to play for the action
    (playing the wrong game if you want that imo but oh well)

  • diver_gr #41 3 months ago

    Simply awesome for me!!!!!!!!!!!

  • cloudskipa #42 3 months ago

    Graphics >>>> Uncharted

  • MattEdWithCheese #43 3 months ago

    Dat screen tearing!

  • RyuDrinksTheDew #44 3 months ago

    ill definitely be getting this to finish the trilogy, but those NPC running animations are HORRID!

    hope its cleaned up in the final code.

  • Srift #45 3 months ago

    @MattEdWithCheese PS3 version all the way.

  • Inmediasress #46 3 months ago

    With each sequel they try to make it look more epic only to fall into the tacky cliché category.
    Me3 seems more like an interactive movie than a game.(a bad movie at that)
    Considering the marketing EA threw at it with several other by products might as well be a hollywood movie.

  • sourc0r #47 3 months ago

    Thinking of Mass Effect I actually panicked (a little) just a moment ago in fear of my saves, but there they are. Backed up neatly with all the other personal things.

    I don't expect a great game, but I'll eventually get it and if it's only for the sake of seeing it through to the end.

  • MattEdWithCheese #48 3 months ago

    @Srift Er no... PC version all the way!

  • ginovelez #49 3 months ago

    You haters are something else. Don't know how you can see this and not be completely excited for this.

  • Daddy-Doom-Bar #50 3 months ago

    Just played the demo. Kinda loved it. Very shoddy in places, the movement is terrible and awkward, Kinect works well provided you don't have your TV turned up too loud. The weapons feel good and do a decent amount of damage. The cover system is good if slightly clunky at times, but that might just be me being rusty with the feel of ME. The graphics are awesome if you don't look too hard. I'm afraid the series is lagging behind in the looks stakes. At times it's great, others it's the same as ME1. It should have vastly moved on from that game.

    It tries to shove a lot of emotional stuff down your throat as soon as the game starts, which doesn't work as there's no sympathy worked up so early in the game. If you've just started it fresh from ME2 it would work, but I'm guessing not many people would do that.

    You can say things like 'Open' to open doors, but this saves no time whatsoever, as you have to be close enough to actually press A in order for it to do what you want. So it sounds cool, but in practice is useless. However, switching weapons and giving orders is just plain awesome. Not having to go into a separate menu for things like that makes the combat so much more fluid and realistic. You can still use the wheel to give yourself breathing space to plan things out, but having the Kinect voice commands is just like I'd imagined. A very good use of Kinect, and I'd go as far as to say ME3 genuinely is a better game for it.

    There were a few bugs I noticed, like Liara (hmmmm, Liara...) hovering in the air after she'd been taking cover and stepped out onto some steps. Also Shepard not moving correctly between cover when just finished reloading. There seems to be a little lag sometimes when trying to reload. Sometimes it does it on (button) command, sometimes not. Not sure if you can command it to reload...didn't think to try that out.

    Considering this game has been finished for about 4 months (possibly longer), I'd say that's pretty fucking bad. I'm no tester and found lots of things in my first play through of the demo.

    The servers aren't up yet which is a shame as there's an option to try the multiplayer. Looking forward to seeing how that works on Tuesday.

    All in all I loved it, even if I was ever so slightly disappointed, but I know I'm going to love it as it's one of those games you can easily forgive a lot of things.

  • Wot_the_Melon #51 3 months ago

    After BF3, The Witcher 2 and Skyrim modded until it died, I now can't help but notice all those low-res textures : P. I know, I should be more interested in the game and I probably will be as soon as I get to try it myself, but in a video I just find myself noticing all kinds of graphical signs of age. Hope the PC version will do better than this, at the very least.
    Also, having mentioned BF3, I do hope this game doesn't go even further in the cinematic/movie direction, sacrificing the last bit of nonlinearity it had... For instance, the part with Shepard and Anderson making their way through the rubble in cutscene only without even the possibility to choose what to say had me worried for a moment. Cinematicity (which is now a word) is fine, lack of interaction is NOT, in a game.

  • IronGiant #52 3 months ago

    Let's hope the missions are more than just identikit rooms with identikit baddies and endless boxes to hide behind as it was all the way through ME2.

  • ExplodingClown #53 3 months ago

    OH NOES TEH PATHOS

    ...and yup, that ol' crypto-fascist undercurrent in the dialogue ain't gone away.

  • Mystery_Penguin #54 3 months ago

    The first game this year I'm really excited about. I don't want to spoil things too much for me so I only checked out some of the gameplay footage. To me the graphics look great, a bit better than ME2. Gameplay looks more of the same but that was to be expected.

    I'm going to start my biotic bad-ass femshep playthrough of ME2 and DLC. By the end of that ME3 should be available in the stores to finish the story.

  • geordiek #55 3 months ago

    Ha! take that EG. I have not watched it, despite the allure and temptation. The force is strong in this one.

  • MattEdWithCheese #56 3 months ago

    @IronGiant and (from what I've heard) Dragon Age 2!

  • Bremenacht #57 3 months ago

    I tried watching it. I made it as far as the bit where ArseGambler came online and couldn't go any further. It really is just cynical sub-Halo pew.

    Finish the fight!
    Until it starts again in PEW4
    Edited by Bremenacht at 13/02/12 @ 00:24

  • Bremenacht #58 3 months ago

    "May god help us all.."

    lol. BioWare's writing skills just keep getting better and better.

    pew pew pew

  • Tyronne #59 3 months ago

    Does it get even more stunning the more advertising about it around the top and sides of the main page?

  • richensw #60 3 months ago

    @norsende hah.

  • Bremenacht #61 3 months ago

    Shepard: It's alright, there's no need to be scared. It's only evil aliens ravaging the earth - you'll be safe with me.
    Kid: I can't! I'm scared!

    Shepard Paragon Dialogue choice: Wibble wibble blah blah
    Shepard Renegade Dialogue choice: blah blah wibble wibble
    Answer:Doesn't make a blind bit of difference to anything
    Consequence: A bit more running then some more pew
    Edited by Bremenacht at 13/02/12 @ 00:41

  • MorgothVarg #62 3 months ago

    The ultimate "interactive movie".

    Thanks Bioware, I love it so much I'll take my kids to see it.

    Baldur's Gate.

  • metallicorphan #63 3 months ago

    the first part of the demo is pretty meh,but the second half i enjoyed a lot more

  • Badassbab #64 3 months ago

    360 fanboy- I cant wait for this game!

    PS3 fanboy- Uncharted is better!

  • Setaro #65 3 months ago

    Literally fuck the haters, this looks fantastic.

  • ChuckNorris #66 3 months ago

    Saw the video on Gamersyde. I tremble with hate and rage. That child acting and dialogue was mortifying and made me vomit. One of the worst things I've seen in ages, as the problem seems to have almost completely vanished from films. At the risk of sounding like a sicko, I honestly hope that kid gets it right there and then for the sake of the game. If he by chance does survive and shows up in the "world is saved"-happy ending epilogue, I will immediately reset and make sure the world does not survive. What's a whole race of dead people compared to the horrors of really shit child acting? Utterly worth it.

    Dear God, please save us from this gag inducing torment.

  • lylebot #67 3 months ago

    It's weird how everyone is talking about Shepard and she never actually appears. And who's that dude with the subpar voice acting that's so prominent?

  • Daikon #68 3 months ago

    I say it looks amazing, especially considering it's the same hardware the first Mass Effect ran on.

    I have high hopes for this, but will await the first reviews before getting it.

  • Daikon #69 3 months ago

    Oh and maybe it's a good idea to go offline before capturing video so that "a is online" messages don't pop up?
    I'm sure ArseGambler will get a lot of friend requests after this.

  • Srift #70 3 months ago

    I wonder if the intro with the boy and the plane are changed if you play a girl shepard.

  • icelt #71 3 months ago

    How is it the "more advanced" and "more intelligent" sentient Reapers are easily dispatched in mass by a simple "space" hand gun?

    Towards the end the cliche' story was putting me to sleep. Lastly the Reapers aren't smart enough to shoot at the Normandy?! e.e

  • nerdhunter #72 3 months ago

    @icelt Uh those "sentient Reapers" you mention aren't Reapers. Points for trying though.

  • nerdhunter #73 3 months ago

    I know it's oh so e-kewl to be as ridiculously contrarian as possible, but some of the negative comments to this first section of a demo is a bit ridic.

    Yes, the opening of the game is somwhat linear and full of cinematics because it's an *introductory level*, Einsteins. It's to set up the story of the game and to ease the player into the gameplay. Crazy! Case-in-point: the beginning of Mass Effect 2 on the Normandy when it was under attack. Exactly the same. Except in this case you actually get to shoot some stuff along the way. Pew pew, amirite?

    All in all I'm not going to judge until I have the full game in my hands.
    Hopefully it's a perfect blend between the tighter story of ME1 and the design and visuals ME2. But whatever, screw EA derp derp *flips over table*

  • craziii #74 3 months ago

    I guess I will just watch a youtube lp of it to finish the story.

  • morriss #75 3 months ago

    Mind. Blowing.

  • Okamiwolf #76 3 months ago

    Yawn. Yet another shooter where you have to slog around in dull brown environments like every other Gears of War wannabe released in the last 5 years. And god, I've never seen a bunch of trailers where they try so hard to look/sound epic yet fail spectacularly. The dialogue/story is so cliched, like Michael Bay junk.
    Edited by Okamiwolf at 13/02/12 @ 07:21

  • Scimarad #77 3 months ago

    Seriously, if Anderson implies my female Shepard is putting on weight like that then he is going to need surgery to retrieve his teeth!

  • monsieur-goggyturk #78 3 months ago

    Yawn.

  • JesseDeya #79 3 months ago

    The only thing stunning is that Eurogamer still can't make their videos compatible with iOS.

    As for ME3, just finished ME2 and I'm excited to see the story out but boy is the gameplay getting a little stale by modern standards. Also playing Deus Ex and Skyrim, both feel fair less linear and stop start than Mass Effect.

    PS: If I have to mine or survey or harvest or grow or knit <insert generic resource> in this version I'm going to lose my mind.

  • CaptainQuint #80 3 months ago

    The sprint animation is fucking terrible, Shepherd runs like a Neanderthal. And aiming with weapon zooms in way too much - the field of view is too restrictive. Looks like they still haven't been able to incorporate the action stuff properly, in a way which should feel satisfying instead of clunky. Oh well.

  • Sodding_Gamer #81 3 months ago

    Ashley looks HOT!!!

  • kirankara #82 3 months ago

    http://m.computerandvideogames.com/335562/50-minutes-of-mass-effect-3-demo-footage/

    Fifty minutes of the game if anyone cares.

    Going to try me2 again, but tbh dialogues seemed boring and pointless to me.maybe rpg's just ain't for me

  • roughsleeper #83 3 months ago

    NOT WATCHED THIS - gonna PLAY it instead. Its like watching the trailer for Dream House!
    Played ME1 3 times - Kept the saves as Soldier/Adept/Vanguard
    Played ME2 3 times - Kept the saves....
    Gonna play ME3 3 times - With my saves....And all of them have one ugly ass 40 year old Male Shepard with scars as he's a bad ass and been through it all!

  • Sunyavadin #84 3 months ago

    Not viewing it till my copy drops through the door. Contextless screenshots I can live with, but not going to spoil this for myself until my Shep is living it her battle-scarred, cybernetic badass self.

  • jaybrighty #85 3 months ago

    the framerate makes my eyes bleed, same goes for the stiff animation, and ugly textures... the only thing valuable is the soundtrack and the story.
    Bioware needs to hire better 3D sculpting artists, by better i mean with better taste.

  • jaybrighty #86 3 months ago

    @Okamiwolf i thought the same : cliché
    i.e.: 'turns around and say : "good luck!" OMG -_-'

  • jaybrighty #87 3 months ago

    @Subdominator i agree, voiceacting ? rofl

  • fabio78 #88 3 months ago

    Oh I'm definitely interested!

  • Zerobob #89 3 months ago

    I just hope Mass Effect 3 does two things:

    1. Properly explain to the player if time is a factor in a mission, or in the game overall.

    2. Make upgrading the weaponary more interesting, rather than just suddenly having "enough research" to unlock a certain weapon...Make findable weapon parts rewards for the player, for example. I felt fairly unrewarded after completing ME2.

    How "stunning" the missions are is obviously important, but its always core game mechanics and rewards that keep you hooked.

  • parablax #90 3 months ago

    Well, I thought it was great - certainly more interesting environment than the opener for ME2.

    Only slight issue was that considering they are in the middle of total destruction, they still sound like they are talking in a studio.

  • gribb #91 3 months ago

    @norsende +10 if I could

  • Djimm #92 3 months ago

    I'll probably enjoy this when I play it but Jesus, watching it as a piece of cinema/TV made it look absolute shite.

    Here are my issues:

    1) Dialogue. Bioware really need to start listening to how people actually talk. Then they need to do some research into how people in military organisations talk to each other, both informally and in crisis situations. For example, why does Anderson keep saying Williams' rank, other than to hamfistedly inform the audience that she's had a promotion?

    2) Williams. Clearly she used the time off during the second game to go get a boat load of cosmetic surgery. She's a soldier FFS, not a model.

    3) The kid. Seriously? I'm only suprised it wasn't a puppy.

    4) As others have said, Babylon 5 much? Just waiting for Sheppard to say "Get the hell out of our galaxy!"

    5) Shitty manipulative soundtrack. Just use the Donnie Darko version of "Mad World" and be done with it.

    I love games, I really do but no matter how much money they rake in they will never be regarded as artistically on a par with cinema until they employ script writers who can transcend cliche genre tropes and film-makers that understand how to properly convey emotion, text and subtext.

    Bah!

  • hiddenranbir #93 3 months ago

    Why is it that the older games that were more akin to interactive books are always superior to this interactive movie gobble.


    Books! FUCK YEAH!

  • jonbwfc #94 3 months ago

    @Djimm

    Some fair comments, but I would reply that (especially in the US military), it is customary to use someone's rank as their title if you don't know them personally. That bit of the dialog is perfectly fair. It's pretty cheesey dialog overall but (making the film parallel) it's an action movie, not The Artist.

    Point 2, how many years have passed since ME1 (in game)? Three or four isn't it? Not particularly crazy to think someone might have changed their hairstyle in that time. However, it doesn't seem a particularly wise haircut to have if you're effectively galactic special forces.

    Point 3 - have to agree - 'The Reapers are bad, m'kay?'. You mean we might not have realised that BEFORE they decided to kill a child for laughs?

    Point 4 - I (and I suspect a lot of others) have no problem with it being like B5. You either like that or you don't, but I wouldn't consider it an objective point to criticise it over. it's a matter of tatse.

    Point 5 - see response to point 3. It's clumsy and unnecessary. let the story speak for itself.

    while I agree with your final paragraph, I don't think there's a requirement for all games to be transcendent art, any more than all films have to be The Godfather. Games can just be, y'know, fun. ME3 may be fun or may not be, but it hardly seems reasonable to criticise if for not being something it patently isn't setting out to be in the first place.
    Edited by jonbwfc at 13/02/12 @ 11:08

  • Jay-ITFC #95 3 months ago

    They've clearly made Ashley a "hotty" to instigate a jizz-off contest with Miranda. But why pick 1 when you could have both?

  • jonbwfc #96 3 months ago

    @Jay-ITFC Imagine what the US Christian right would say. Mind you, at least they're both human.

  • Djimm #97 3 months ago

    @jonbwfc RE: Anderson using Williams' rank - I'm pretty sure they've met before. ME1 - Anderson used to command the original Normandy. Williams was rescued from Eden Prime by Sheppard, therefore Williams and Anderson have met. Also, "lieutant commander" is a bit of a mouthful even if you aren't running for your life, I'm pretty sure Anderson would have said "Williams" or "LC". The only reason the line is there (and indeed repeated) is to let the audience know she's been promoted. Clunky, to say the least.

    RE: Williams' makeover - not simply a haircut, but a lipjob and a couple of hours in a makeup chair. If they wanted to show passage of time, a crewcut and a big scar would have been more in character!

    RE: comparions to B5 - I like B5 (or did at the time). It's fine to reference or be inspired by something, it's not OK to crib story elements wholesale. This is what I meant by cliche genre tropes - B5 itself was Lord of The Rings done Sci-Fi with big dollops of Golden Age cheese (Psy Cop called Bester anyone?). I just get the sense Bioware would be better of mining Wells, Clarke, Sturgeon, Aldiss et al for inspiration rather than relatively recent SF movie/TV franchises that are themselves distillations of earlier work.

    RE: games not all having to be high art - absolutely agree, but I never said they did. Even CoD games have the odd bit of really good dialogue and strong characterisation.

    RE: criticising ME3 for being something it's not - the video seems to show a marked reduction in script quality compared to the first two games. I think that's worth pointing out, given that the series trades upon story and character as much as action (or at least used to).

  • Daikon #98 3 months ago

    @JesseDeya The video works fine on my iPhone with iOS 5. Maybe it's time to upgrade?

  • LegzMackenzie #99 3 months ago

    Surprised at all the negativity, if I'm honest. I thought it was pretty bitchin', even if Ashley does look like Steven Tyler now.

  • RPTGB #100 3 months ago

    WTF is it with the comments section covering up the page that we want to look at! Using I.E 9 if anyones interested...

  • Ando11 #101 3 months ago

    Love everything about it.

  • scoop #102 3 months ago

    Intriguing, but I think I've already sussed out the plot twist for the ending.

    It turns out that the past 10 hours you've spend thinking you're playing Shepard and saving the human race, you've actually been living in a holodeck fighting alongside aliens wearing human "masks", as a form of futuristic interrogation. Genius really.

    Either that, or botox is considered a healthy breakfast supplement in the far future.

    Rubber faces aren't stunning!
    c

  • Uncompetative #103 3 months ago

    Atrocious lip-sync.

  • TrilbyG #104 3 months ago

    Phew. I thought it was going to be 20 minutes of scanning a planet for minerals.*

    As far as first 20 minutes of games goes, it looks pretty darned decent. Of course it's going to be linear - if you start having story archs this early in the game, you basically need to write two (shorter) games to enable to arch to continue to diverge.

    *I love the ME games with the exception of that tedious shet.

  • jonbwfc #105 3 months ago

    @Djimm

    I see your point but to be honest I've never really regarded the dialog in the previous ME games as highly as you do. So I guess I don't see the drop in standards you do. Fair enough. The rest is... well, we can over-think these things. At the end of the day, it's a fairly frivolous piece of entertainment.

    One thing does occur to me though - we don't see which 'mode' they are playing in. IIRC ME3 has three modes of play - action, story and a half way house between. I wonder what the chances are of the dialog or cut scenes being different depending on what mode you're playing in? Bioware are probably one of the few houses that could afford to do that. In action mode you get the cheesey 'action movie' style and dialog, whereas story mode is a bit more thoughtful? Or is it just a case of how accurate the stormtrooper's blasters are...

    Jon

  • MisterCraig #106 3 months ago

    Megalol @ Anderson's running animation.

  • Kelad #107 3 months ago

    To be fair I didn't watch it. I will only play the multiplayer demo to get used to the controls (maybe training with GEARS will suffice but time will tell). But I wouldn't start judging the game with the introduction. It's a flaw if it isn't really gripping, but for me Shepard doesn't need anymore Prologue before the final act. Maybe they will never reach the audience, that haven't fallen for ME1 or ME2, but do we care?

    I'm nearly finished with my final playthrough of ME2 and I'm totally in awe of those people who made the ME-Series such an immersive and "stunning" experience. The universe, the characters ... all they build and created, they'll only be remembered if the conclusion fulfills the high expectations of millions of Gamers who wish this to be the closure for THEIR own Shepard. Not to mention the differences in what each of us expects as a worthy ending. The ultimate sacrifice? A hero's death? Making Shepard the Supreme Chancellor of Everything?

    The stakes have never been higher for Bioware. This trilogy is a chance for them to really immortalize the "shaping your own adventure"-idea or to utterly fail in a way that will cost them many of their greatest fans (even admirers). We should at least give them a chance to tell their story. And then, when the credits roll, we and everyone for himself can look back on their own Shepard's story to tell if it was a journey worth taking.

    For me it already was.

    Don't be like the naysayers of the Council. Shepard took some risks, carried a lot of weight on way too few shoulders ... just like Bioware (DRAGON AGE 2, some of the changes/story parts in ME2), but would you still judge him for a few mistakes if he ends up saving the day? The same goes for the people who brought us a Baldur's Gate or Knights of the Old Republic. They deserve this chance ... even though gaming itself changed over the course of the years.

    MASS EFFECT is the only modern RPG (let's not discuss the definition of RPG ad nauseum, for me it's all about defining and filling your character with life, choices and the price he pays for them), I truly fell in love with. The characters were rich, the stories engaging and even my male Shepard (with sometimes awkward voice acting) represented more of a true roleplaying character than any other character from whatsoever-game. It has been mentioned before: It is all about taste.

    If we don't stop the reapers who will? It's full-scale-war and we might not like everything we find along the way but just because it isn't what we expect it doesn't mean that it isn't worth the ride nonetheless. Many of the gaps will be filled with the numerous stories surrounding our own decisions and make this adventure our own. For the better or worse remains to be seen.

    But the demo won't show us that. So much is certain.

    (Sorry for my english.)

  • Retro_ #108 3 months ago

    I am so glad the kid got fried at the end of that video. Snivelling little shit.

  • Djimm #109 3 months ago

    @jonbwfc

    Nowhere in any of my posts did I say I thought the writing in previous Mass Effect games was excellent, or that I held it in high regard. All I said was the above video seemed to indicate a marked decrease in quality - from middle-of-the-road to borderline awful, in my opinion. I can safely say that I never thought they'd introduce a crying child for two cutscenes just so they could "evil up" the Reapers a bit more - as if seeing them chop up the planet wasn't enough.

    It's all the more disappointing as this is presumably the same writing team that came up with the genius of Blasto the Hanar Spectre...

    I take your point about the mode, maybe you are correct. I have my doubts though - I think as per the previous games it'll be up to the player to subvert the storyline (which is why I always play Sheppard as a sociopathic hard-arse female rather than as a goody-goody poster boy male).

  • 8bitMofo #110 3 months ago

    @Retro_ lol, You end up going on a rescue mission, and he's the only one still alive. Then have to babysit him for 5 in-game hours. Enjoy.
    Edited by 8bitMofo at 13/02/12 @ 17:08

  • demons #111 3 months ago

    i WANT THIS BUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA BUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA COUNT DOWN

    but demo for ps3 when coming out?

  • asho #112 3 months ago

    @-cerberus- you never got into Mass Effect !! yet your name is Cerberus??? wot the hell thats uncanny!

  • MrKeydog #113 3 months ago

    This is amazing.This is the most epic shit ever made!Mass Effect is the best game franchize ever made and the best sci-fi story ever created.Hands down my favourite game

  • dorkacle #114 3 months ago

    @asho
    Ashley sure is stunning!! Cant wait for this game.
    Yea really wish i didn kill her now! :p

  • Farzlepot #115 3 months ago

    Ms. Williams has clearly undergone a makeover to ensure that Mr. Shepard, who (if you lot were anything like me) was a bit of a manwhore and cheated on her at the first available opportunity, feels insanely jealous at their next meeting.

    I suppose an in-universe explanation could be down to the fact that she's a Spectre now, and so doesn't have to stick to military regulations regarding her appearance anymore. Even if that hairdo is ridiculously impractical for someone who is supposed to be an unstoppable killing machine.

  • talideon #116 3 months ago

    Well, they've fixed Ashley's face from how it looked in the original previews.

  • litote #117 3 months ago

    @8bitMofo
    why am i not surprised...so un-bioware to let die a child, of course, he had to be saved, yawn.

  • bleeptest #118 3 months ago

    What's Ashley doing there? She's dead.... ;)

  • nunbos #119 3 months ago

    apocalypse, pop culture and mass effect 3: http://www.linkontro.info/culturaaspettacoli/37-culturaaspettacolo/5009-this-is-planet-earth-scenari-post-apocalittici-in-salsa-pop.html
    can't wait anymore!