Mass Effect 3 Overhauls RPG System, Among Other New Details

Mass Effect 3 looms on the horizon like Reapers over planet Earth in the first trailer for the upcoming game. With the game not too far from release, Game Informer has delivered an exclusive feature with fresh new details about the third-person RPG in its latest issue.

The game is said to begin with Shepard on Earth, as he faces trial for his actions in the Arrival DLC for Mass Effect 2. His trial is cut short as the Reapers begin their onslaught on the human home planet.

The entirety of the game's prologue consists of Shepard's escape to the Normandy, as he seeks out allies both old and new while making his way through Reaper troops in the process.

Confirmed squad mates include Liara, Ashley or Kaiden (which depends on the choice you made in the first game, Garrus, and the addition of a new character named James Sanders, who is presumably the British marine we spotted in the Tower of London in the first trailer. Other confirmed appearances include Wrex, Mordin, Legion, and Anderson. There is no mention about whether any of them are confirmed companions.

The game will present players with a "previously on Mass Effect" digital comic at the game's start for players who play Mass Effect 3 without importing a save from Mass Effect 2.

The Illusive Man, voiced by Martin Sheen, will be playing a big role in Mass Effect 3, as he sets the entirety of the Cerberus' resources to finding and killing Shepard, for reasons presently unexplained.

The game's RPG system will be overhauled to allow players to have more freedom with choosing Shepard's skills, which will now be listed on a skill tree rather than a single list of selectable skills. Powers can now be evolved several times, not just once, and be upgraded for significantly different effects.

The weapon system in Mass Effect 3 will retain the streamlining of Mass Effect 2, with a set list rather than an inventory log. Mods will be making a return, allowing players to customize their weapons by swapping parts such as barrels and scopes, which not only alter their performance but also their appearance. All classes will be able to carry weapons unhindered, with limited carry slots—although soldiers will be able to equip all weapons at once. Light classes like the Adept, Engineer and Sentinel will likely be limited to two weapons, while the Vanguard and Infiltrator combat classes will carry three.

Mass Effect 3 will contain numerous endings based on decisions made and events in the first and second Mass Effect games, as well as those made in the third game. Who you have in your squad and which allies you recruit will greatly impact your ending.

Bioware says that Mass Effect 3 will not have a multiplayer mode, as they want to focus entirely on building the third game as a single player title.