Mass Effect 3 Wish List

After spending more time with Mass Effect 2, GameInformer has put together a list of enhancements they’d like to see in the third Mass Effect installment. “Meaningful exploration” would be near the top of my list, right below “More RPG elements!”:

Both Mass Effect 1 and 2 included extensive exploration components, presenting a full galaxy of planets and star systems that held huge appeal to gamers. Unfortunately, neither game has delivered fully on the promise. The first game included landing and exploration aboard the Mako, but there was rarely anything of great interest on the surface of the many planets. Mass Effect 2 swept away the planetside exploration, but replaced it with orbital mining the most boring and frustrating aspect of the game.

We’d love to see an expansion of exploration elements in Mass Effect 3, capitalizing on the anomalies that showed up in Mass Effect 2. These occasional short missions were a delightful side trek from the main storyline. We’d enjoy seeing more of them, with more variety in what players can do on each planet. Neither the Mako concept or the mining feature needs to be totally removed; it’s the repetition of those features and the frequency of totally empty or uninteresting planets that hurts the experience. Combine the previous planetary exploration elements, add a few more varieties, and players will adore this element of gameplay.

Perhaps some planets require a diplomatic conversation with one of its political leaders. In orbit above another planet, players could be attacked by opposing ships, and a rudimentary ship battle system could be implemented (which would also showcase the Normandy’s coolness). Some planets might have ancient alien ruins to explore. Without a doubt, including a wealth of interesting content on so many planets would be extremely time-intensive for BioWare, but the reward to players could pay dividends.