Mass Effect 3 introducing resource for new players

BioWare is working to make the transition into the world of Mass Effect easier for new players in Mass Effect 3.

January 24, 2012 11:45 AM14

If you picked up Mass Effect 2 without playing the original, you might have felt a little thrown off. The PS3 version included an interactive comic that detailed all the high points, but Xbox 360 players might have been confused. Even with the cinematic, you probably still inevitably found yourself meeting complete strangers who have a history with Shepard. BioWare hopes to remedy that problem in Mass Effect 3, but isn’t saying exactly how just yet.

BioWare’s Nick Clifford mentioned a resource for new players to IGN, somewhat similar to the “story so far” comic in Mass Effect 2, but remained vague on the details. Those jumping into a story-based trilogy on the third installment might be rare, but it’s nice to know BioWare is taking it into consideration.

“In all honesty, we didn’t do a really good job of new player orientation,” Clifford said. “If you didn’t play the first game then 2 was pretty jarring for the first half hour.”

He jokes that players must have been baffled by characters referencing events they never experienced. “I would be like ‘No. I don’t remember that one time,'” he said. “So we wanted to make sure that there aren’t those moments that the player is like, ‘Who is this? What’s going on? What are they talking about?'”

Mass Effect 3 is due on March 6 for PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.