If you’re hoping to learn how Mass Effect 3 unfolds when it finally arrives early next year, be careful on these here Internets over the next few days.
Some Xbox 360 owners have been playing with a near-final version of the updated dashboard (expected to be released later this month), and somehow a beta version of Mass Effect 3 showed up on the dashboard.
“Microsoft has advised us that through human error at their end, content which was meant for internal beta testing was flagged incorrectly and released to individuals who had signed up for the beta of the Xbox Live dashboard update,” said producer Jesse Houston on the official forums.
The file has since been taken down, but not before users starting mining it for information, including BioWare’s decision to give players three new options to customize their playstyle: Action Mode, Story Mode, RPG Mode. The specifics of each are still being tweaked, revealed Houston, but as it stands, Action Mode removes conversation options, Story Mode makes combat very easy, and RPG Mode is what we’ve all been playing all along.
“We want to stress that these features are still in the early stages of development and will receive considerable iteration and refinement,” said Houston. “These modes are designed to give players an even finer degree of control over their game experience than ever before.”
The beta also allowed users to pull up critical story details about how Mass Effect 3 plays out, and while some details are old or not final, there’s enough out there that you should be wary about it.
“We urge fans not to read them if they want to experience the purest form of the story in Mass Effect 3,” said Houston.
If BioWare follows past patterns regarding leaks, we should have more official details on all of this in the coming weeks.
GG Microsoft.
Who in their right fucking mind would want to play Mass Effect without the conversations? That's the whole reason to play the game!
Also: GJ Microsoft, you idiots.
Why would anyone play Action Mode : /
Great, nothing better than a good leak *cries*
That sucks. Avoiding spoilers for a game that hasn't been released should be much easier.
Remove dialog options? Nonsense!
Welp this is not good
Read a little bit of the leak and yeah... REALLY hope they make some rewrites. Still interested, though.
woah\
Lol action mode.
Action mode sounds like the stupidest thing ever.
A crackerjack job, Microsoft. And what's the point of Mass Effect without dialogue or story? The action isn't that good.
The fact that they are even considering putting "Action mode" in worries me about the game's direction.
Spoilers:
The Giant Skull Reaper from the end of two was YOUR FATHER.
Give players a finer degree of control by taking away part of the experience? Either by taking out the best part or making the combat a cake walk? Jesus. Just make a fucking game and quit trying to please EVERYONE.
Skyrim... I want you so bad right now.
Assuming direct control.
It wasn't even the updated version of the dashboard this was leaked to as that's not released yet (for beta testing), however accounts that have signed up to beta test it have been flagged as such ready for when the dashboard is pushed to these users.
Oooh story mode is gonna be useful for subsequent playthrough that I want to see specific dialogue options in. Action mode sounds kinda silly. Does it just take the neutral option each way through, or do you pick an alignment? Guess we'll find out later on.