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BioWare has admitted that the studio “might have cut a little too deep” in stripping back many of the customisation options in Mass Effect 2, but promises that things will be better in Mass Effect 3.
But Mass Effect 3 producer Jesse Houston told Wired that fan feedback after the release of Mass Effect 1 was what triggered BioWare to change the customisation options for the second game. “We got a lot of feedback from fans that [the customization options] were too cumbersome, so we totally removed them for Mass Effect 2,” before adding that “[BioWare] might have cut a little too deep with that.”
Customisation options in the third game have been streamlined and made more practical – instead of looking at a wall full of stats, for instance, you’re customising weapons by adding barrels, clips, and scopes.
BioWare also listened to feedback from players of both Mass Effect 1 and 2, who said the game needed more melee options, which led the creation of the new Omniblade – seen prominently in the game’s ‘Fall of Earth’ E3 2011 trailer.
Mass Effect 3 is all about player choice. “One of the big things that we’re trying to do is give players more choices,” Houston said. “A lot of players wanted to get up close and personal, but didn’t have the tools to do that.”
BioWare has also learnt a few lessons from another one of its games – the critically awkward Dragon Age II.
“We learned a lot about the way story flow should work [from Dragon Age II],” said Houston. “I don’t want to go into too many details, but ultimately, we’ve listened to the fans in a big way: We’re taking it very, very seriously and we’re committed to making sure we don’t repeat mistakes.”
VideoGamer.com is hoping BioWare doesn’t make any repeat mistakes from the 7/10 scoring Dragon Age II, either – Mass Effect 3 was declared the E3 2011 Best of Show.
BioWare has also said this week that it is seeking the “right way” to continue the Mass Effect series past Mass Effect 3.
Also at E3 2011, VideoGamer.com declared in its Mass Effect 3 preview that the game could be the best action title of 2012.
Mass Effect 3 is due to be released on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC on March 9 2012.
