Mass Effect 3 Preview

The latest issue of Best Buy’s @Gamer e-zine features a hands-on preview of BioWare’s Mass Effect 3, and even if you’re not willing to shell out $15/year for a subscription, you can still download a four-page PDF that sports the entirety of the article. A sampling, as usual:

From its shocking opening scenes, ME3 tells a more emotional, tender story about war and sacrifice. But, from my playtime with the opening of the single-player campaign and four-player co-op, there’s also a heavy focus on combat. The first thing you’ll notice about the enemies is how smart they are. They seem to instinctively take cover, laying down smoke bombs when pinned and working in unison to flank you. I was often surprised by Reaper or Cerberus agents whom I didn’t initially see.

In multiplayer, surviving the match is often as important as inflicting damage. BioWare claims the multiplayer levels can be soloed, but that seems like a pipe dream. Warding off 10 waves of enemies, with sub-missions of assassinating key enemies or deactivating planted devices, was a full-time job for all four players. The toughness of your enemies ramps up considerably in later waves, too, with shieldwielding Guardians, ninja-like Phantoms, and hulking mechs making survival a real workout.