Rock, Paper, Shotgun

Taking Up Space: Mass Effect 3 Screens

By Quintin Smith on May 4th, 2011 at 12:10 pm.

'Jesper how did you get a bit of metal stuck to your suit again.' 'I HAVE NO IDEA SIR'

Or should that be “Taking On Space”? Russian site Igromania has posted a selection of combative Mass Effect 3 screens that show Shepherd taking on all comers using both the front and back of his gun, which is why HE is an intergalactic badass and YOU are a guy sat reading about him, why HE is wearing a full-body suit of power armour and why YOU are wearing trousers. When was the last time you used both ends of an object to complete a task? Remote controls don’t count. Screens after the jump.








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84 Comments »

  1. 04/05/2011 at 12:18 Heliocentric says:

    Wearing trousers? Ha, I think not.

  2. 04/05/2011 at 12:18 StingingVelvet says:

    Looks pretty much like more Mass Effect 2, which is… you know… awesome.

    Though I would like more open areas this time, like the first game had. I assume there is some console RAM issue there but hopefully they can optimize the engine and get it working. ME2 felt like a corridor crawl way too often.

  3. 04/05/2011 at 12:22 MasterBoo says:

    Is it just me or the 3rd screenshot features a Krogan husk?

    • 04/05/2011 at 12:29 KingMudkip says:

      That’s exactly what I thought, actually.

    • 04/05/2011 at 12:35 thegooseking says:

      I think it’s a Collector husk. Krogans don’t have four eyes and batarians aren’t that big. And it looks… Collector-y in design (although not exactly like the Collectors we saw in ME2, though we did see a few different types and maybe there are more we didn’t see).

    • 04/05/2011 at 13:45 bleeters says:

      Good grief I hope not. Both Krogans and Husks are bastards enough as it is without combining the two.

    • 04/05/2011 at 14:22 Mendrake says:

      In the Gameinformer article it stated that the Reapers are sending husks of things besides humans including rachni, salarians, and turians. the reapers are kinda huge, so it would be impractical for them to just fight you on their own, and both the Heretics and the Collectors have been bashed in the face by shepard. of course, thats not to say that indoctrination will not also play a role in the ground forces, but husk things will make up the bulk of it. and about the eyes, when has accuracy stopped a reaper monstrocity (see Scion, Praetorian)

    • 04/05/2011 at 14:31 Caleb367 says:

      Good points, everyone, but seeing that huskifying ravages the body AND krogans have some impressive biology AND there are many examples of fused husks (Scions and Praetorians from ME2)… I think it’s a krogan husk.
      And that i hope more heavy weapons ammo will be readily available.

    • 04/05/2011 at 15:16 bleeters says:

      “the Reapers are sending husks of things besides humans including rachni, salarians, and turians”

      …

      Time to roll Vanguard :(

    • 04/05/2011 at 17:36 Ralud says:

      Batarians have four eyes.
      Salarian husks will be interesting, quick little things with high pitched moaning.

    • 04/05/2011 at 20:26 Bodminzer says:

      A Hanar Husk would be ace. Waving it’s gross techno-zombie tentacles around and growling.

  4. 04/05/2011 at 12:27 JackShandy says:

    “When was the last time you used both ends of an object to complete a task?”

    Last night.

    With your mum.

  6. 04/05/2011 at 12:33 jealouspirate says:

    I wonder who those armored solider types Shepard is fighting are. They don’t look like Geth, husks or Collectors. Maybe some new Reaper controlled/allied force? Humans even?

    • 04/05/2011 at 12:35 Tusque D'Ivoire says:

      I think it is now established that cerberus will be back for good as well as back to being evil.

    • 04/05/2011 at 16:19 westyfield says:

      Pretty sure they’re Cerberus. The white, black and yellow colour scheme is theirs and the armour looks a bit like the Cerberus DLC armour from ME2.

    • 04/05/2011 at 16:23 gwathdring says:

      I hope not … I don’t want Cerberus to become a big villain. I don’t mind Shepard pissing them off and Cerberus deciding to send some fire power his way while trying to keep humanity safe … but beyond that I think most villain potential Cerberus has was sort of deflated when they turned out to be a human nationalist organization. Which was fine … it just means that villains or no they can’t be “evil” and they have to ultimately try to help humanity as a race, and they damn sure shouldn’t help the reapers. I don’t think the Illusive Man is stupid enough to make one of the classic “I’ll serve you if you do this thing for me later” bargains with the Reapers, so that rules out another Saren type situation … or should …

      God damnit.

  7. 04/05/2011 at 12:33 Tusque D'Ivoire says:

    looks good, BUT:

    PLEASE don’t make exactly the same game again!

    And NO I am not wearing pants!!

  8. 04/05/2011 at 12:38 Pop says:

    Nice to see they stuck with the London theme from the teaser.

  9. 04/05/2011 at 12:39 talon03 says:

    You keep saying Shepard’s in these screenshots, but I don’t see her in any of them…

  10. 04/05/2011 at 12:44 Kieron Gillen says:

    I’m not wearing trousers either.

    KG

  11. 04/05/2011 at 12:45 thegooseking says:

    Is that Liara in the second last screenshot? All asari look alike to me (I’m not racist, but…) but it looks like the outfit she was wearing in Shadow Broker. I hope they come up with a decent way to bring her back into the team rather than just, “Oh, ok, I’ll come with you.” I’ll probably stick with Garrus on my team (like I did in the first two games), but when they confirmed who would be on the team, Tali wasn’t there. I wonder who I’ll be taking instead.

    Also, why is ErsatzShep standing out in the open like a lemon in these shots? Take cover, man!

    Also also, I could say the lens flare in the third last screenshot is overdone (which it is), but that would leave me nothing to say about the lens flare in the last screenshot. It’s… over-overdone?

  12. 04/05/2011 at 12:46 Ertard says:

    Liara? I think so. Yay!

  13. 04/05/2011 at 12:50 amorpheous says:

    I’m wearing pants, but now I need to change them :(

  14. 04/05/2011 at 13:00 Bluepixie says:

    Am I the only one that just doesn’t think Mass Effect is that interesting?

    • 04/05/2011 at 13:04 Teddy Leach says:

      No, we’re the only two people.

    • 04/05/2011 at 13:15 Anguy says:

      If ME 3 stays as simple and incomplex as the second one I might join your club

    • 04/05/2011 at 13:15 thegooseking says:

      I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently, and I think it’s ok to find Mass Effect uninteresting. I love it, but you know, to each their own. The idea that some people might dislike what other people like (and vice versa) is even more true on PC than it is on the consoles, I think. I think that’s a good thing, but I wonder where that leaves us economically. If everyone likes different things, how do big-budget games ship enough units to justify their big budgets?

      It’s ok for music. Over the decades, the music market has become diverse and fragmented in a similar way, but that’s ok because the cost of producing music has reduced dramatically. The cost of game development (at least for AAA titles) roughly doubles each console generation. I wonder how a diversified market can support that.

      I guess that was a tangent that wasn’t really about Mass Effect, but indirectly, in a sense, was.

    • 04/05/2011 at 13:24 Daniel Rivas says:

      NO YOU’RE BOTH IDIOTS

      x

    • 04/05/2011 at 13:31 Stephen Roberts says:

      The feeling of the Mass Effect universe is huge but the player doesn’t get to do much in that space. I greatly admire the work as a whole but think it might have better suited a more linear story telling narative. You know, like cinema. Also, Space music is fucking awesome, times infinity billion.

      Sometimes it feels like the conversations are the main game with an aim to getting your Shepard laid (which seems fucking creepy) while there’s this side plot of Galactic safety going on just to keep your trigger finger busy.

      Sadly, the combat is also very much the same. It doesn’t evolve or throw new situations at you.

      Does all that mean I don’t find it interesting? No. It’s just never going to be a shit-the-bed title. But I can’t think of much that would be. Maybe Half Life 3 (despite replaying 2 and finding it less impressive than I remember)?

      I know. If someone announced Mirror’s Edge 2 I’d shit the bed. Arkham City is also bed soiling quality. Also if Relic announced a DLC for Space Marine where you control an Ork Warboss and clan for some Krumpin’ I’d probably die from jizz right there.

      Off Topic? What?… Okay officer I’ll go quietly.

    • 04/05/2011 at 13:53 Daniel Rivas says:

      I enjoyed the power-flinging and shooting in ME2 (less so in the first one…), and, despite the fact that they’re all basically corridors, the levels are beautifully drawn. The writing’s good for a game. And it’s one of only two space-opera universes that I’m at all interested in, the other being the Iain Banks Culture stuff.

      Additionally, spaceships whizz bang kapow.

    • 04/05/2011 at 14:08 makute says:

      I just came to jump on the Mass Effect hating bandwagon.

    • 04/05/2011 at 16:59 Zenicetus says:

      “The feeling of the Mass Effect universe is huge but the player doesn’t get to do much in that space.”

      That’s about it. The production values are great, but a lot of it goes into masking how much you can’t do. The Normandy is the prime example; it’s a glorified space taxi, where you never get to actually control the ship in a space battle. All of that potential, and we only get to see hands-off cutscenes of the Normandy in action.

      Also, while I’m feeling grumpy…. I hope they can avoid telegraphing when each combat sequence is coming up, by a sudden increase in the number of boxes and railings to hide behind. It’s also a game that could benefit from destructable cover, to keep you and the enemies moving around more.. I guess that would require a new game engine, but the static cover does make things a little too easy sometimes. The only time I felt really threatened in either game, was with the few enemies that actually rushed my position, like Krogans and husks.

    • 05/05/2011 at 01:58 edit says:

      The cost of development only goes up for those who want to graphically out-compete each other.

  15. 04/05/2011 at 13:01 Auspex says:

    I’m wearing shorts and used a pencil with a rubber on the end to draw and then erase a crude picture of Quinns eating an apple earlier.

  16. 04/05/2011 at 13:07 groghog says:

    yes can’t wait to see shepard get in close and beat off all the baddies.
    er wait…

  17. 04/05/2011 at 13:31 chokoladenudlen says:

    Full body armor. Pfft. Just look at that exposed, short-haired head of his. It’s amazing he hasn’t died of… Uhm… Hypothermia!

    I, however, am wearing my trousers on my head, Pantsman-style (VG Cats). Shit, I’m damn near invulnerable…

  18. 04/05/2011 at 13:47 bleeters says:

    I notice Shepard isn’t hauling a portal munitions factory heavy weapon around in these screenshots. This pleases me.

  19. 04/05/2011 at 14:02 Inigo says:

    “WHY DID I THINK ELECTRIFYING THIS NIGHTSTICK WAS A GOOD IDEA OH JESUS MY ARM”

  20. 04/05/2011 at 14:30 Vasili Zorin says:

    I have this one:
    http://www.campist.com/archives/light-my-fire-spork-utensil.jpg

    COME ON! Fight me Shepherd!

  21. 04/05/2011 at 14:41 Shinryoma says:

    You are correct in that I am in fact wearing pantaloons. But incorrect as I hold in my hand a pencil.

  22. 04/05/2011 at 15:24 chickdigger802 says:

    As much as I enjoy ME titles. I do hate it when people call ME2 best rpg of 2010.

  23. 04/05/2011 at 15:37 Doesntmeananything says:

    Igromania is an ungodly piece of the shoddy, most shitty sector of the Russian games journalism, by the way. Not that I have anything against you linking them in regards to a couple of screenshots, no. Just saying.

    • 04/05/2011 at 15:44 CaspianRoach says:

      Except there isn’t any better. As shitty as they may be they do provide good amount of information and news and updates for upcoming games.

    • 04/05/2011 at 16:14 DBG says:

      @CaspianRoach Wha? So you’re ignoring a shitload of other games news sites?
      From giants like ag.ru and to “lil’ indie blogs” like avegamers.com

  24. 04/05/2011 at 16:23 Zyrusticae says:

    I can’t be the only one miffed about how atrociously tiny these screenshots are.

    I mean, there’s no way anyone’s actually going to play this thing at 800×450 resolution…

  25. 04/05/2011 at 16:33 gwathdring says:

    Ok … who brings tonfa to armored space combat? Biotic powers, laser guns, superadvanced projectile guns (probably made of various synthetic carbonaceous materials and metals, and somewhat harder and more useful as blunt instruments than Okinawan weaponry (though I suppose it could be special too …). But I never learned any techniques with those things that would be any good against armor. Or while wearing restrictive armor. Let alone futuristic armor that survives some of the crap Shepard puts his through.

    Unless the enemy is aware of how often Shepard runs around without a helmet on … but still, a good rifle-butt jab, headshot, or biotic punch would do just fine.

    • 04/05/2011 at 18:53 sinister agent says:

      They so far have failed to realise that Sheperd’s true weakness is exposition. If the next villains figure out that all they need to do is engage her in a conversation while someone sneaks up behind her with a fire axe, she’s boned.

  26. 04/05/2011 at 18:50 ananachaphobiac says:

    Right! I’m going to go make a really ugly version of Sheperd and make all the choices that ensure that he fails to get laid, in both games.

    That’ll show him/her.

  28. 05/05/2011 at 03:01 wazups2x says:

    I hope Bioware does a better job porting it this time. Demiurge Studios did a much better job porting Mass Effect 1 than Bioware did porting Mass Effect 2.

    Also, anyone out there like Mass Effect 1 better than 2? I really enjoyed 1 much more than 2.

    • 05/05/2011 at 05:53 JKjoker says:

      i liked 2 better, the gameplay was fun unlike the borefest me1 was, i didnt not care about the story nor most of the characters in either one, i did not think it was dumbed down because me1′s skills and inventory system were SO BAD i did not miss them at all, same goes for the mako

      that said, it did not blow my mind either, initially i thought i was an ok tps, until i realized that once the collectors appeared 1/3 into the game i had seen every enemy and fight the game had to offer and it was rinse and repeat from there (now that i think about it they were warning signs about DA2), then my opinion went down to barely above mediocre

    • 05/05/2011 at 09:38 Sepulchrave76 says:

      I vastly prefer the second one. Hated the planet scanning though, naturally. So the Illusive Man can pour trillions of space bucks into the Lazarus project, but when it comes to throwing a bit of element zero my way suddenly he’s fresh out? I didn’t mind at all about how they stripped out the weapon and armour menus completely instead of trying to refine them, although since I heard that weapon mods could be making a comeback in ME3 I find I’d quite like to have THEM back.

    • 06/05/2011 at 07:04 gwathdring says:

      I liked combat and powers from the second one better, but I missed the Mako if not the mostly empty planets it drove through and thought the story and gameplay went together better in the first game. The story in the second game seemed to be a much more separate affair, even though I really liked some of the new characters (especially some of the new side characters) and loved getting to explore more of the Krogan and Quarian cultures. I didn’t miss the inventory system, or even really the inventory per se, but at the same time I liked the weapon customization with the ammo and such in the first game. The ammo powers don’t make much sense to me.

      It’s a tossup. I loved them both, overall.

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