When I finally got to sit down and play, I was blown away by the games opening video. Mass Effect is known for its cinematic cut scenes and opening sequences, the opening to Mass Effect 2 was one of the best openings to a game I had seen. In Mass Effect 3 however, you get to play parts through the opening instead of just watching for about five minutes.
The game play is very similar to Mass Effect 2 which is a great play style. It is very smooth, and the third person is a break from shooters like Call of Duty. If you have ever played Gears of War, it is a similar set up. The biggest addition to game play is the ability to use voice commands through your Kinect. If you do not have a Kinect you might want to set aside the money and go pick one up just for this game. It allows for less pauses in action. You do not have to hold in any buttons to change your weapon, or tell a teammate to move up, you can simply say "shotgun," and you will see Shepard, the main character, pull out his/her shotgun, or if you want Garris to move up you just say, "Garris move," and he will. You can also use voice to activate objects, open doors, and have conversations with other characters.
The demo is very extensive, with three types of game play, including a more action oriented version with lots of fighting, character oriented where you can engage in conversations, and story oriented in which you make decisions that will effect how the rest of the demo plays out. The best part may be that you can demo the multi player online part of the game. This is the first time you can play as someone besides Shepard, and you can play with friends online.
Mass Effect 3 will be released on March 6, so make sure you pick up a copy. It is going to be an epic adventure that will drag in even the more casual gamers.
