Earlier today project director Casey Hudson let us all in on a not-so-well hidden secret: Mass Effect 3 will have multiplayer. We’ve seen it here and here, but have been missing the that final piece of official statement that was finally delivered earlier today. After Hudson promises of details, we were finally given the full reveal of the modes via the BioWare forums.
The multiplayer facet is a bit of a thick subject. From their description it’s a mission based experience that is not required for the single-player, but has some direct effect on the events of the campaign. Teaming up with 3 friends will give players “an alternative method of achieving ultimate victory against the greatest threat mankind – and the entire galaxy – has ever faced.”
You’ll have your choice of a wide range of classes and races to play as, with the exception of Shepard and his crew. They’re all exclusive to single-player. With that in mind, it’s not too far of a leap to assume that you can use these multiplayer missions to tackle a particularly difficult section of the campaign. Just a shot in the dark. They’re quick to clarify that you’re not missing out on any aspect of the campaign by participating in the multiplayer side. It doesn’t hinder you to not play it, but it can definitely help you.
Alongside this co-op announcement, BioWare has pulled the sheet off of their Galaxy at War mode which at first glance reminds me of Star Wars: Battlefront 2‘s Galactic Conquest mode, but only a little bit. Galaxy at War will encompass several different aspects that all affect your last stand against the Reapers. This is quantified in your game’s Galactic Readiness. “It is still possible to achieve the optimal, complete ending of the game in Mass Effect 3 through single-player alone,” but it seems Galaxy at War will lead to a more fulfilling conclusion as it offers you more direct control of the battle and resources.
Like any good feature announcement, there’s a F.A.Q section. As you might expect, the first three questions start with “Why.” As a fan of BioWare’s solitary ventures however, one question in particular stands out: How did developing multiplayer impact the single-player game?
BioWare is dedicated and focused on delivering an engaging, fun, and action-packed experience for Mass Effect 3, one that lives up the BioWare standard. To reach that level of quality, last year BioWare opened a studio in Montreal that is home to designers, programmers, engineers, and other developers. Both studios work together as partners, lead by the core Mass Effect team, unified in a single vision. Under the direction of Casey Hudson and other team veterans, both studios make contributions to both the single-player and multiplayer modes in Mass Effect 3. Rest assured that no compromises were made to either of these modes in the development of Mass Effect 3.
It’s good to know that rather than sacrifice resources to include multiplayer they’ve increased their resources to accommodate. I always prefer a good single-player game rather than one with an unnecessary co-op component, so a multiplayer announcement always casts a shadow on my excitement. This time around, it wasn’t the idea of reallocated money that caused that shadow. No, I’m not sure if makes much difference how money is allocated, I don’t like the idea of multiplayer in my Mass Effect. Only time will tell, however, and I’m staying open-minded.
Mass Effect 3: Galaxy at War and 4 player co-op multiplayer announced [BioWare Forums]
