Mass Effect 3 “Better With Kinect” Trailer, Interview and Preview

BioWare and Microsoft are really pushing Mass Effect 3’s Kinect support, as indicated by this new “Better With Kinect” trailer, a brand new interview with BioWare Montreal studio manager Aaryn Flynn on GamesBeat, and a new hands-on preview at GameSpot. The trailer features well over a minute’s worth of footage of the game being played with Kinect, as well as testimonials from gamers (or journalists?) who tried it out firsthand:

Here’s an excerpt from the interview:

GB: Is it a fixed vocabulary or a large one for the voice commands?

Flynn: When a character has a specific action that is important to that character, we have to create a unique command for that character. The nice thing is that with Kinect, you can chain your commands together very nicely. So while one is doing something, you can have the other character do something else. You can build a tree of complex commands, and that is quite immersive. We have dozens and dozens of commands. We’ll publish a list at some point.

…

GB: The overall message is that the game is faster action and more shooter-like?

Flynn: I wouldn’t say that. I would say the action is intense because the story setting is intense. The entire galaxy is under threat from this Reaper invasion. I can’t imagine a more intense backdrop than the entire galaxy being at risk. That has given us the chance to do amazing set pieces, like the green thresher maw (a big monster) attacking a Reaper. There are lots of those things in the game. The Atlas is one of the bigger enemies we’ve ever had in the game. By bringing back the RPG elements from the first game, it is more customizable and deep. The story is just amazing. There are more human, emotional stories. We’ve had a lot of fun doing that. You realize how much emotion is wrapped up in this kind of environment when things are falling apart.

And a little something from the preview:

But there is something odd about voice commands in Mass Effect 3. It’s something that makes you take a step back and think, “Maybe I should tone it down a bit.” See, you’re supposed to be role playing as Commander Shepard, right? So isn’t it a little weird to shout “shotgun!” to switch to your boomstick, or “incendiary ammo!” to switch to fire bullets? At that point, aren’t you kind of yelling at yourself?

The Kinect voice commands are great for issuing squad orders. If James is playing it too safe, you can yell “James attack!” and he’ll charge forward just as you commanded. If you need to get at an enemy pinned behind cover, you can shout “Liara lift!” and she’ll instantly turn your foes into a bunch of helplessly floating bull’s-eyes. It works; it feels natural. You’re Shepard commanding your troops like the space general you are.