Rumblings of multiplayer appearing in Mass Effect 3 have been long bubbling. Now they are confirmed. Details here.
Update:
Via Twitter, Mass Effect 3 Executive Producer Casey Hudson confirmed more details of the game’s brand new multiplayer.
@CaseyDHudson: “Yes, co-op MP missions for
#ME3: they’re real, and they’re spectacular. Rest assured it’s nothing of what you’ve feared. More soon…”
Now I am not sure as to whether or not there will indeed be any competitive mode as Game Informer reported this morning, but co-operative play is definitely confirmed. Rather than a Horde/Firefight mode, it looks as though the game is receiving “co-op MP missions.” I hadn’t really even thought of this possibility but now I’m pretty excited. I hope they don’t go the Spec Ops route from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (disconnected missions–essentially time trials), but rather develop a separate mini-campaign to be played through with multiple players. Imagine missions taken on by a squad of three players through a sizable narrative (4-8 hours) that contributes to the Mass Effect narrative, but doesn’t require Shephard. After hearing this, I’m pretty excited for whatever Bioware plans to send our way.
Mass Effect 3’s Mysterious Multiplayer Mode Will Be Co-Op [G4 TV]
Original Story:
Dating all the way back to pre-SpikeTV Video Game Awards 2010, there have been rumors that Bioware was working on a multiplayer title for the Mass Effect series. Initial thoughts were debunked upon Bioware’s revelation of Mass Effect 3 proper and the multiplayer rabble died down for a couple of months. Last week, numerous sites were swarming with a leaked ad for Mass Effect 3 that seemed to confirm, at the very least, an online pass, akin to those featured in just about every game from the last year and for most titles going forward. This still did not communicate much besides an online feature similar to Mass Effect 2‘s ‘Cerberus Network,’ where players could download free content if they bought the game new or paid the $10 to access it. Finally, we have confirmation that Mass Effect 3 will include a full multiplayer component.
This morning, Australian magazine PC Power Play posted on their front page an announcement for their upcoming issue, which featured the above image. The internet was abuzz with speculation but now other publications, such as Official Xbox Magazine, have ponied up their knowledge and confirmed the rumors.
Though we will have to wait until the various magazines drop (in about a week or so) for the full reveal, some details have been discovered. First, the multiplayer will be separate from the game’s campaign. I think we always knew that campaign co-op would never work since most players wants to cut a path through the galaxy as their own Shephard, though it would be fun to have a fully player-controlled squad. It would be assumed then that the game would feature some kind of Horde mode–maybe similar to the ‘Pinnacle Station’ pack from Mass Effect. It is after all built with the Unreal Engine, so that would not be a stretch to include something like Epic’s beast of a cooperative mode. This has not been confirmed by anyone, but I think it’s still a possibility.
The second item confirmed was that the multiplayer would include some form of competitive play. This is definitely more interesting because my mind goes blank when I try to imagine this. That is not to say that it will be a cheap, tacked on feature, just that I’m curious to know how Bioware plans to differentiate itself in the Deathmatch-heavy multiplayer market.
We’ll know sometime next week just what Bioware’s multiplayer plans are for Mass Effect 3. Minor trepidation aside, I have complete faith in Bioware to deliver something engaging.
Multiplayer Confirmed In Mass Effect 3 [Game Informer]
shoot, melee, reload 