How Mass Effect 3’s role-playing roots empower the multiplayer
Filed under: Features, PC, Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, Online, RPGsThis is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on “Western” role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity. “I just want to see how this integrates with the single-player campaign,” I thought, clicking on the multiplayer option in Mass Effect 3’s main menu. I had no expectations of making it a habit. Like many people, when the multiplayer component was announced, I thought it sounded completely extraneous. Once I started playing, though, I fell for it, and have been putting more time into the multiplayer than the campaign.
Arguments about whether Mass Effect 3 is a role-playing game or not have existed since the first game’s release. Regardless of which side you take in those, Mass Effect does include many components of role-playing games, two of which are essential to the multiplayer’s success: world-building and character development mechanics. Of course, there are simple gameplay reasons to enjoy the co-operative gameplay of Mass Effect 3 online. The levels are well designed for dynamic changes within matches, and waves of enemies seem ideal for both difficulty and time. But those things aren’t what make it special.Continue reading How Mass Effect 3’s role-playing roots empower the multiplayerHow Mass Effect 3’s role-playing roots empower the multiplayer originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 04 May 2012 20:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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