I'll admit that "Mass Effect 2" totally caught me by surprise. Apart from the interesting universe of the first game, I found "Mass Effect 1" a chore to get through, thanks to cumbersome combat, ugly environments and those horrible driving sequences. "Mass Effect 2," on the other hand, was my favorite game of 2010. It fixed just about every issue I had with the first game and totally sold me on the future of the series. Which makes "Mass Effect 3," the culmination of the trilogy, all the more important.
The big focus in "Mass Effect 3" is combat. On higher difficulty levels, "ME2" played more like a tactical strategy game than it did a shooter. BioWare is trying to pick up the pace a bit, giving players the option to run and gun instead of sitting crouched behind cover all the time. To this end, the cover system has been completely revamped, allowing you to jump from cover point to cover point without breaking up the flow of combat.
Another improvement comes in the form of weapon customization. The first game had way more weapons than anyone could ever want and it ended up being a trial just to manage them all. In "Mass Effect 2," there were just a handful of weapons across 5 or 6 weapon types, none of which were customizable beyond activating ammo power-ups. For "Mass Effect 3," weapons get extra special attention, and players will be able to mod and customize their weapons to suit their play style. There's also been work to ensure that the weapons feel a bit more powerful when fired.
Speaking of weapons, Commander Sheppard can now stab people with his telekinetic glove. So he's got that going for him!
My first look at "Mass Effect 3" didn't exactly show a vastly different game from the last installment, but it is good to see that BioWare is taking some of the complaints to heart. It's still the same franchise, but a nip and a tuck here and there should help to make the combat feel a bit tighter. I'm sure there are plenty more surprises in store for "Mass Effect 3" which we'll discover in the months leading up to its early 2012 release date. For the time being, just remember, you can stab people with a telekinetic glove.