Mass Effect 3 is an action role-playing game in which the player takes control of Commander Shepard from a third-person perspective.[1] Shepard's gender, appearance, military background, combat training, and first name are determined by the player before the game begins.[1] If the player has a completed saved game from Mass Effect 2, the character from that game can be imported.[2] By importing an old character, decisions from prior Mass Effect titles are carried over, which impacts the plot of Mass Effect 3.[2] Similar to previous installments in the series, the player is able to choose from six different character classes that each have their own unique set of skills.[3] For example, the Infiltrator class is proficient in stealth and sniping abilities whereas biotics-inclined classes possess psychokinetic powers.[3] By completing assignments and quests, the player is rewarded with experience points.[1] Once enough points are earned, Shepard levels up, which allows for the unlocking or upgrading of skills along a tree.[4]
Mass Effect 3 has three pre-set campaign modes: Action, Story, and RPG.[5] In Action Mode, conversations have automatic replies and normal combat difficulty; in Story Mode, conversations have manual replies and minimal combat difficulty; and in RPG Mode, conversations have manual replies and normal combat difficulty.[5] The game contains various role-playing elements,[6] such as the ability to augment guns with different ammo types, barrels, modifications, and scopes to improve their effectiveness in combat. If the player has Kinect, customization choices can be made verbally instead of selected using a controller.[7] Upon beating the game, a New Game+ is unlocked, which allows the player to restart with certain bonuses, such as the ability to further upgrade weapons.[1]
The primary mode of transportation in Mass Effect 3 is a star ship called Normandy SR-2.[8] From the inside of the ship, players can use a galaxy map to choose a destination point, scan planets for resources, or start missions.[9] To aid the player in managing tasks, the game automatically logs available missions in a journal; however, unlike previous titles in the series, the journal does not distinguish between main quests and side quests.[10] In general, Mass Effect 3 revolves around increasing "Effective Military Strength" (EMS) to prepare for its final mission.[11] EMS is calculated by multiplying "Total Military Strength" (TMS) and "Readiness Rating" (RR).[12] TMS is increased by acquiring "War Assets", which include accomplishments from all three Mass Effect games, whereas RR is increased by playing the multiplayer mode.
