I have avoided Mass Effect 3: Galaxy at War for months. Ever since it was announced I hated the idea of some half-hearted death match.
Well I have beaten the game multiple times, experienced the less than spectacular endings and experienced the slightly improved endings. I always enjoyed Mass Effect for its compelling narrative. I am not in the group of Mass Effect fans that hated the endings, but I was definitely disappointed by the outcome.
With the summer coming to an end and the new Leviathan downloadable content coming to the game in just two weeks, I felt like it was time to give the multiplayer element a chance. I am grateful that I finally tried it. And it reinvigorated my desire to the play the game. Mass Effect 3 provides an incredibly well put together and addictive cooperative multiplayer mode.
Here is a rundown of how my Mass Effect 3: Galaxy at War multiplayer experience went.
My unidentified teammate opens fire on a Cerberus extraction team in rundown military base somewhere off the coast. This is one confrontation amid a surge of attacks on alliance-controlled space this month.
Gunfire from automatic weapons echoes throughout the rundown facility, a grenade explodes in the background, it is not immediately clear if there were any casualties. There is no time to look back. My other squad mates are screaming for help. I load another thermal clip and rush forward.
While the game's first player mode is a story driven action-oriented role-playing game, ME3's multiplayer sends you to the front line of the intergalactic war against the reapers. These are that battles that are only briefly hinted at during the single player campaign.
For some of you the action and excitement of the multiplayer mode is old news, but this review is for latecomers and newbies. When you play the multiplayer section of the game it affects the single player game and your ability to battle the Reapers by increasing your galactic "readiness." Throughout the Mass Effect series, Commander Shepard has been bringing the civilizations of the galaxy together as allies to repel the Reaper invasion and this is the first time in the series players get to control those armies.
Mass Effect 3: Galaxy at War is optional, although it is not possible to achieve the most optimal endings in the single-player mode without it. The other way to increase this rating is to download the Mass Effect app for iPad and iPhone. Also if you have downloaded the new Extended Cut DLC, the required experience needed to see the full endings is only 3100. This little facet of the multiplayer has never sat well with me, but I will say that the multiplayer feature is worth getting into for those who can play online.
The multiplayer cooperative missions pits gamers against 11 waves of enemies assault teams that become progressively harder with each wave. What really works about the mode is that the game plays just like the regular game, except other humans control squad mates.
For starters players have access to some satisfying character customization including weapons and abilities. The classes are the same from the single player, Adept, Soldier, Engineer, Sentinel, Infiltrator and Vanguard.
The leveling system is experienced based, and completing a mission nets you experience points. During the missions there are unique challenges like having to hack a computer. Mass Effect 3: Galaxy at War is split into three levels of difficulties: Bronze, Silver and Gold. Bioware announced that less than 1 percent of players have successfully completed maps on Gold. So it is challenging.
The mode is just flat out addictive thanks to the leveling up, award and unlock systems and exhilarating battles.
Share your thoughts about Mass Effect 3's ending and multiplayer mode in the comments section below.
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