Mass Effect 3 Multiplayer Mechanical Overview and Impressions

The editors at OXCGN have doled out a lengthy piece that not only relates their hands-on impressions of Mass Effect 3’s multiplayer component, but also the mechanics that drive it. This sounds like it’ll have some entertainment value, but I wonder if it’ll be compelling enough to keep us sticking around long after the single player campaign is over:

An overarching leveling system and currency system work together to provide an interesting leveling formula. Players earn experience by scoring kills, staying alive, reviving teammates, and accomplishing objectives in a swift manner.

Objectives, in terms of what we were presented with in the two levels of the demo, range from king of the hill-esque staying in a ring for a certain amount of time while an objective, such as hacking a computer, slowly completes all the way to fixing multiple radio transmitters around the map in as timely a fashion as possible.

The experience players net over time adds up to an overall level (the highest of which was 40, from what I experienced), unlocking more weapons, weapon mods, characters, and powers as they progress.

That level, though, is tied to a specific class. I can level up my Human Soldier to level 27 and still be able to play as a Krogan Soldier at level 27, but if I were to play Adept for the first time, I’d be back to square one.

Credits, on the other hand, are rewarded similarly to experience points, but are used to purchase ‘˜packs’ from the in-game store. Packs range from a free start-up pack, to a whopping Veteran Pack at 20,000 Credits.

They’re easy ways to jump start your Mass Effect 3 multiplayer experience, as you can buy your way into better weapons, mods and character early on rather than waiting to unlock them.