First actual Mass Effect 3 screenshots, posted by Game Informer: one two

They depict Shepard fighting Cerberus troops on the Salarian homeworld, Sur'Kesh .

Also, does anyone else really believe the reports of the new "Heavy Melee" class? I feel like that has to be a mistranslation, or the Spanish magazine was just wrong. I just can't imagine BioWare throwing a whole new class into the mix at this point-- especially one based entirely around melee attacks, which doesn't make much sense in a third person shooter. I think it's got to be referring to new melee abilities either for the Soldier, or that possibly aren't class-specific at all.

Makes me wonder why Cerberus is on the Salarian homeworld besides looking for Shepard.

About the Heavy Melee class, it makes no sense. The Vanguard is the close-combat class in ME2, and I can't see how this "Heavy Melee" class would be anything different. Unless it's a copycat of the Vanguard, anyone with the need to get to melee distance without doing it in the blink of an eye would get destroyed.

PSM3 scan about new squadmates:

http://s3.amazonaws.com/data.tumblr....YeKqgoUegzw%3D

A lot of the info seems more like guesses, but there are some interesting bits:


- Ashley/Kaidan has been promoted to Spectre status
- Jack is definitely back, with a potentially "softer" redesign (hair? )
- Both Jacob and Thane not returning (seems unlikely to me, I think the mag is wrong-- otherwise, it's a bad day to be a fem Shep)

Originally Posted by Ryuukishi PSM3 scan about new squadmates: http://s3.amazonaws.com/data.tumblr....YeKqgoUegzw%3D A lot of the info seems more like guesses, but there are some interesting bits: - Ashley/Kaidan has been promoted to Spectre status - Jack is definitely back, with a potentially "softer" redesign (hair? ) - Both Jacob and Thane not returning (seems unlikely to me, I think the mag is wrong-- otherwise, it's a bad day to be a fem Shep)

Looking that over, I'm not sure why Ashley would be promoted to Spectre status, Kaiden I could see more than Ashley, though that's another one that I'm not sure why either one would be a Spectre.

Jacob being kicked to the curb isn't that much of a loss, even though his loyalty mission was a good one in the scenes with his father. Rest of his character wasn't that memorable.

Losing Thane from ME3 could be nothing more than him dying from his disease, though his character was interesting enough to keep around.

I guess if you lose Thane and Jacob, the only ME2 love interest that moves into ME3 would be Garrus.

I wonder if Jack's changes would be more different to her ME2 persona if you romanced her, vs. not romancing her. She's changed over the course of ME2, though she does more changing if you romance her.

I really don't think that Thane won't be a major character in ME3. He's a love interest for female Shepard, was featured in the promotional CGI movies for ME2-- he's even on the cover art! BioWare didn't go to all that trouble just to drop him unceremoniously in the next game.

With Jacob, it seems clear that BioWare intended for him to be a popular/likable character, but he's failed to resonate with most fans. Still, I don't seem them marginalizing any potential love interests from prior games.

Originally Posted by Ryuukishi I really don't think that Thane won't be a major character in ME3. He's a love interest for female Shepard, was featured in the promotional CGI movies for ME2-- he's even on the cover art! BioWare didn't go to all that trouble just to drop him unceremoniously in the next game. With Jacob, it seems clear that BioWare intended for him to be a popular/likable character, but he's failed to resonate with most fans. Still, I don't seem them marginalizing any potential love interests from prior games.

You're right about Thane being a number if places in the promotional bits, so that should get him a pass into ME3. I can't see ME3 cutting out any of the ME2 characters that were love interests, just to see where it goes into ME3 from ME2.

I took Jacob to be a drop-in replacement for Kaiden when I first saw him once I made it to the Normandy in ME2. Same type of backstory, same type of personality, at least how I had seen it. Since he's a love interest in ME2, I think he should get a pass into ME3 as well, especially with the times that Bioware has talked about the flow of decisions into ME3 from ME2. Love interests certainly seem like a big one to me for flowthrough into ME3 from ME2.

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Originally Posted by Ryuukishi I really don't think that Thane won't be a major character in ME3. He's a love interest for female Shepard, was featured in the promotional CGI movies for ME2-- he's even on the cover art! BioWare didn't go to all that trouble just to drop him unceremoniously in the next game. With Jacob, it seems clear that BioWare intended for him to be a popular/likable character, but he's failed to resonate with most fans. Still, I don't seem them marginalizing any potential love interests from prior games.

The human male LI has never been popular in Bioware games. Carth, Kaidan, Jacob etc. That's because most of us are playing are males, and if our femshep is going to get nasty, it's going to be some alien dude. Part of this is because we're perverted and part of it is because we can't take the emotional implication of placing ourselves in a character's mindset that loves another human male in a sexual way.

Originally Posted by Anexanhume The human male LI has never been popular in Bioware games. Carth, Kaidan, Jacob etc. That's because most of us are playing are males, and if our femshep is going to get nasty, it's going to be some alien dude. Part of this is because we're perverted and part of it is because we can't take the emotional implication of placing ourselves in a character's mindset that loves another human male in a sexual way.

I know that's true for me. I enjoy role-playing as a woman, sometimes moreso than as a guy, but a romantic relationship with a man, even within that context, is not something I'm interested in. My fem Shepards generally go for Liara or stay foreveralone.jpg.

Originally Posted by Ryuukishi Also, does anyone else really believe the reports of the new "Heavy Melee" class? I feel like that has to be a mistranslation, or the Spanish magazine was just wrong. I just can't imagine BioWare throwing a whole new class into the mix at this point-- especially one based entirely around melee attacks, which doesn't make much sense in a third person shooter. I think it's got to be referring to new melee abilities either for the Soldier, or that possibly aren't class-specific at all.

Originally Posted by shrike4242 About the Heavy Melee class, it makes no sense. The Vanguard is the close-combat class in ME2, and I can't see how this "Heavy Melee" class would be anything different. Unless it's a copycat of the Vanguard, anyone with the need to get to melee distance without doing it in the blink of an eye would get destroyed.

Nope. According to Bioware's own Christina Norman on Twitter. "A few people asking me about a new "heavy melee class". No new classes. All classes have improved melee and a class-specific heavy melee."

Originally Posted by Lord_Kefka Nope. According to Bioware's own Christina Norman on Twitter. "A few people asking me about a new "heavy melee class". No new classes. All classes have improved melee and a class-specific heavy melee."

That makes a lot more sense than what's been brought up on that Spanish site.

Called it.

Seriously, it's going to be impossible to stay dark on this game. I should just give up.

Originally Posted by Ryuukishi Called it.

Gold star for you, then.

Originally Posted by chubbyninja1319 Seriously, it's going to be impossible to stay dark on this game. I should just give up.

I saw no point in it, since I knew it was going to be one of the biggest games of 2011.

I'm sure Tha X and Arikado can make you some space in their bunker, if you need to go dark.

Originally Posted by chubbyninja1319 Seriously, it's going to be impossible to stay dark on this game. I should just give up.

Yeah I give up. Bring on the info!

Garrus looking like a boss in ME3.

I tried to stay in the dark for about a week after the GaneInformer article and caved after that. I think all I need to not be spoiled about is the end and I'll be very, very happy.

I'm a big Garrus fan and his design for 3 looks awesome. Can't wait for my man to join the crew.

OMG I thought this was part of a pre-order bonus for Mass Effect 3 lol. Super cool though.
Mass Effect's Normandy SR2 Model Display
I want it but I don't have room on my gaming/computer/sat modem/router desk.

Originally Posted by Spybreak8 OMG I thought this was part of a pre-order bonus for Mass Effect 3 lol. Super cool though. Mass Effect's Normandy SR2 Model Display I want it but I don't have room on my gaming/computer/sat modem/router desk.

I think this belongs in the ME3 thread, given what's actually on the ship now. I looked at this earlier and was bummed since it does seem to be a little spoilerish. Still trying hard to go in as blind as possible for ME3 (although if there's an E3 trailer, I doubt I'll be able to help myself).

This was also on that product's page earlier today, but was taken down later in the evening:

"We join the legions of gamers and graphic-story fans who've been anticipating the October release of the new Mass Effect game."

So they announced a CE or anything yet?