Dear Reader,
Let’s not mince words: “Mass Effect 3” is a masterpiece, full of masterpiece-y goodness. All those trolls on Metacritic can suck it; they were right about “Dragon Age 2,” but they’re out of their gourd here.
Perhaps the most unexpected element of ME3’s success is its surprisingly enjoyable multiplayer component; a feature no one really asked for, but works well. Still, it has some growing pains that are indicative of Bioware’s relative inexperience in this field, so I’ve compiled a few simple suggestions that I think will help this already-good mode become outstanding.
1. Re-Balance Classes. Specifically, I’d like to see the Vanguard nerfed a little, and the Sentinel/Adept beefed up. It’s not a game-breaker, but the Vanguard’s ability to Biotic Charge around the map like a madman means he/she almost always leaves his squad-mates with an armful of assists, and dominates the leaderboards. And speaking of leaderboards…
2. Better Leaderboards. The post-game report in ME3 is just sad. I need comprehensive statistics on K/D spreads, kill breakdowns, the works. Showing me a pretty menagerie of medals just does not cut it, this stuff should be at my fingertips immediately when the game wraps up. I applaud Bioware’s insistence that points matter more than kills, so as to encourage teamwork, but come on guys.
3. Loadout Swapping Mid-Game. It’s a little aggravating being forced to commit to your weapons before the game begins, then having no recourse if something doesn’t work. It discourages trying new things. If there could be some kind of load-out locker like in ME2, that would be awesome. Even if you have to risk being shot while tinkering, it would make a world of difference.
4. More Distinct Maps. The maps in ME3 are functional, but they’re a tad bland and offer very little strategic variety. I’ve played all of them many times, and I have no special attachment to any of them, nor do I play any differently from map to map.
Okay, but those little things aside, way to go, Bioware. I knew you’d nail the campaign, but this was an unexpected treat. Nicely done.
_AA
the cap slips off for, like, no reason
3 Comments
I disagree about the Vanguard being “overpowered”. There is a higher risk/reward factor when playing that class– that’s it.
Furthermore, the charging all over the map stuff ceases to be effective on silver difficulty, so you won’t see that happening. What you WILL see is a lot of dead vanguards.
Lastly, assists/kills don’t mean squat. If a vanguard is out damaging you, he’s out damaging you, period. Biotic charge is a fantastic skill to be sure, but charging all over the map isn’t going to help your team a whole lot in the later rounds and higher difficulties.
All that said, I totally agree on the post-game stats. I’d like to see how accurate I am + all other stats (accuracy of weapons/powers, damage taken, amount of shields recharged, items I used, etc). I would like to think they’re already tracking these, as is typical EA fashion, and have simply not exposed their data yet. Here’s hoping.
I’d leave the weapons locker access “mid-game” out. I think the point of having to choose what you go in with each round is a part of the appeal. Lends a bit of risk to your choice since you don’t have the ability to predict what the next map will bring…also forces you to get good with weapons/loadout that might be suboptimal against what really shows up.
I’d like to see a “gauntlet” mode…kinda like a variant of LFD runs to the next safe house except you run to the next position to do a hack/defend.
True enough. But the campaign mode has a firing range for good reason: things need to be tested before you commit. If it was a quickie deatmatch COD style, no big deal, but ME3 rounds are longer, and more people are relying directly on you. It makes it hard to experiment when you have no leeway.