Mass Effect 3 Multiplayer: The Facts

Bioware recently confirmed multiplayer for the upcoming Mass Effect 3 which has subsequently created strong ripples within the fandom.

Like many devoted fans when multiplayer was just a rumour floating around I was admittedly worried. It’s not a secret that Bioware have been accused of aiming Mass Effect 3 towards a more mainstream fanbase. On numerous occasions fans have complained about Bioware not focusing on the fans they have and trying to appeal to a broader audience.

As a major fan of the series I was concerned that Bioware were putting more effort into making Mass Effect 3 sate every gamer’s taste instead of focusing on character development and the story. However unlike some fans I waited for Hudson to address these issues before going off on a tangent.

Casey Hudson the Executive Producer of Bioware had this to say in the Bioware Pulse video regarding the multiplayer feature. “One of the biggest concerns that we’ve heard is that by taking on multiplayer maybe we’re taking away from what could be applied to the single player story. But by adding multiplayer we actually have the opportunity to make use of an additional team that we have been growing over the years, specifically around the expertise doing multiplayer programming, design and art. So you get a single player experience that is as polished, it’s got all of these amazing enrollments. But at the same time we’ve been able to add through the addition of Bioware Montreal this new capability to do multiplayer for the first time.”

 

This news however is not enough for some Bioware fans. Some still persist to say that multiplayer will ruin Mass Effect 3 for them, some have even went as far to say that they will not buy the game.

Now, I can understand being skeptical when multiplayer for Mass Effect 3 was nothing but a rumour, but surely Hudson’s explanation was enough to reassure any fan? It certainly reassured me. In fact I would even go as far to say that I am looking forward to experiencing multiplayer after hearing the facts.

But of course reassuring words are never enough for some so-called fans who like to pick on every itty bitty thing. I would honestly bet money that most of the “fans” complaining were the ones who got themselves all worked up about the female Shepard. But that is another argument that I never want to get into again.

So here are some facts for the fans who must be sticking their fingers in their ears whenever Hudson explains everything to them. I can not for the life of me come up with another reason for most of the argumentative fans complaining so much.

1. Multiplayer is optional

That’s right boys and girls, just like the Femshep adorning the Collector’s edition. You do not have to play it, I understand that you find this particular fact hard to decipher but the most I can do is just drill the information into you. Multiplayer is there if you want to play it and if you don’t then that is your choice.

2. Mass Effect has teams working on different areas

No, they are not abandoning the story we love so dearly. Every little feature is being giving fair treatment so nothing is going to suffer at all. You cannot suddenly jump to the conclusion that because Bioware are adding multiplayer that they will spend all of their time on that.

3. Multiplayer relates to the canon of your Shepard.

It sticks with the storyline and by playing multiplayer you actually have a much better chance of getting a “perfect ending”. So don’t see this as a needless feature. Multiplayer will actually make your playthrough all the more stronger. However if you choose not to play multiplayer you can still achieve a perfect ending. The feature is just one of the numerous ways of doing so.

4. You can choose your race and your class

I don’t know about anyone else but I have been itching to play as a turian, and it looks like my dream is going to come true. You can play as a
human, krogan, salarian, asari or turian and get to choose from whatever class you want. It’s all about gaining control and securing war assets with the character you play.

5.  Multiplayer is co-op and 4 player

So you are not going to be stuck in a lobby full of 12 year olds wondering why the hell you are still playing the game. I doubt that I am the only one looking forward to getting my mates to play online with me, where what we do actually matters to my Shepard’s cannon.

 

All in all there is nothing to worry about, or better yet complain about. Bioware work hard to please their fans, if I were in their shoes I wouldn’t have done half of the things they have done for the fandom.

While they are working hours on end to give us the beauty of Mass Effect 3 there are people complaining everywhere. Please, get over it or better yet embrace it. Chances are at some point you will take a liking to the feature and if not then just remember, it is optional.

Multiplayer announcement video