Mass Effect 3 is still a long ways off, but here at PlanetXbox360, we can’t stop thinking about it. We gave the first game a 9.6, the sequel a perfect 10, and most recently named it our Most Anticipated Sequel of E3 2011. It is only natural for us to be thinking about the third and final installment of the trilogy. (Side note: It is not natural to dream about it every night, though, as I have been doing. Liara’s hold on me if best categorized as “unhealthy.”) Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 have delivered some of the finest moments in the history of gaming and it has all been leading up to Mass Effect 3, which means BioWare should be sweating considering the enormous weight they have on their shoulders. Will Mass Effect 3 be able to build upon the game that came before it the way Mass Effect 2 did with the original? We believe it’s possible, if these 5 things are included:
5. Bring Back Customization - BioWare scrapped weapon and armor customization in the second game because some gamers thought the customization menu was too confusing. But that’s just it! The customization was great; it was the menu that caused problems for people. BioWare should develop a new menu that is simpler to navigate through, as opposed to ditching customization altogether. Sure, it was okay that the effects to ammo and armor were brought back as tech powers, but the customization in the first game offered so much more variety, making the gameplay experience even more unique.
4. Returning Characters - Finding out that Wrex was the leader of the Clan Urdnot on Tuchanka was a heart-warming revelation (I saved him, my Shepard’s not a cold-blooded douche.) It would be a horrendous mistake if BioWare ignored these moments in the final chapter of the series. There are so many possibilities with so many different characters, and it would be great to see them all return. Every fan has a different favorite character, so it would really be a shame if BioWare did not bring everybody back.
3. “Lair of the Shadow Broker” Story Continued in Mass Effect 3 - (Note: SPOILERS ahead) - Lair of the Shadow Broker is a great example of what downloadable content should strive to be. It delivered an awesome mission and an ending, which could really impact the rest of the story. That’s why completion of the “Lair of the Shadow Broker” should affect the main story for Mass Effect 3. The Shadow Broker plays a huge role in the Mass Effect universe, even if he always remained unseen. The fact that Liara is now the Shadow Broker should have huge consequences in the third title. Commander Shepard will have a priceless ally in Liara, as her new position brings much more power and even more information that was once not available to the Normandy crew. Having an ally in the lair should prove to be a huge benefit and open many possibilities, which would otherwise be unavailable. We are really hoping to see this in Mass Effect 3.
2. An Epic Battle with the United Races - How awesome would a gigantic battle with all of the united raced be? In the last two games, there have been some pretty intense situations, but it is always focused on Shepard and his two squad mates. I want more grandiose circumstances; I want to fight my way through a battlefield or aerial assault with hundreds of soldiers fighting around me, all united against the Reapers in an epic battle. I want Shepard to be surrounded by all the races he has fought to save in the last stand against the Reapers. How cool would that be?
1. Major Consequences for Past Decisions - I was disappointed by the consequences of my actions from Mass Effect 1 to Mass Effect 2. I was glad to see Wrex as a surviving leader of a Krogan clan, but most of my actions were met with dull results. For example, how many gamers saved the Rachni Queen in the first game expecting a game-changing reaction (either good or bad) in the second game, only to get a “Thank You” message from a courier? How disappointing was that? Mass Effect 3 needs to take our actions from the first two games and concentrate on delivering some major consequences. I don’t care if it makes life Heaven or Hell for my Shepard character; I just want my actions to have significant consequences.
So that’s what we want out of BioWare’s upcoming Mass Effect 3. What about you guys? Spout off in the comment section below!
