Mass Effect 3 achievements won't require multiplayer
BioWare knew that many Mass Effect fans would not open its multiplayer mode with open arms. That's why many are breathing a sigh of relief that the achievements do not require playing online.
BioWare knew that many Mass Effect fans would not open its multiplayer mode with open arms. The online co-op mode ties into the main campaign, and offers players an alternate way of unlocking the best ending to the trilogy. In spite of all the hoopla surrounding the mode, it is essentially optional.
Even the game's achievements reflect the optional nature of the online component. If you refuse to play co-op (or you simply don't have an Xbox Live Gold account), you'll still be able to collect every achievement.
For example, "Tour of Duty" has you playing all the multiplayer maps, or playing every "N7 mission" in single player. "Explorer" has you playing three multiplayer matches, or finishing five N7 missions. "Peak Condition" will unlock when you reach level 20 in multiplayer, or level 60 in single-player. Finally, "Unwavering" can be unlocked when finishing all the multiplayer maps on Gold, or all single-player missions on Insanity.
Having online-only achievements would have been an easy way of forcing Mass Effect players into trying the multiplayer mode. BioWare's flexible approach to achievements is definitely much appreciated. See all the achievements at X360A.
Mass Effect 3 will be available on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 on March 6th. You can try out a demo (which includes a taste of the online) soon.
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Shacknews
replyAndrew Yoon posted a new article, Mass Effect 3 achievements won't require multiplayer.
BioWare knew that many Mass Effect fans would not open its multiplayer mode with open arms. That's why many are breathing a sigh of relief that the achievements do not require playing online.-
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"Having online-only achievements would have been an easy way of forcing Mass Effect players into trying the multiplayer mode."
Does anyone really give enough of a shit about achievements to actually play a game mode that they don't want to, just to get some meaningless achievement points? I've asked this question a few dozen times since the Xbox came out, and I'm still honestly shocked that anyone's answer could ever be "yes."
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Mass Effect 1 at least had achievements that gave in-game benefits though, so I can see people seeking those out.
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Yes, many people do. I love achievements and if I like the game I'll go out of my way to try to get more. They're fun. They're just as arbitrary as any other objective in video games
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Hahah, yeah...it's oddly bipolar.
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I think you shackers are underestimating the amount of bitching, complaining or moping that Bioware had to suffer through before deciding this. Players take achievements seriously.
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My only question is...which do players care more about? Achievements or hats? :P Do you get a special hat for TF2 if you preorder?
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Bioware, you're the gaming community's hero!
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Halo 3 is the only online multiplayer game that got achievements right. Two of them, overkill and steppin razor, meant something. They were hard to get and by their nature almost impossible to boost/cheat your way into unlocking. They gave you unique cosmetic gear too, which quickly became the envy of many Xbox Live tweens. Cosmetic only. No stat bonuses. We're not talking an MMO here but FPS and you would not believe the attention these two virtual items commanded because they came to signify skilled players, or someone who got extremely lucky. I have yet to see an FPS since Halo 3 contain such merit based achievements that earned such tangible and recognizable awards. More shooters need to take that approach and throw in a few high bar achievements with worthwhile rewards. Bungie eventually caved and patched the game to make it easier to earn those achievements but for a time I think overkill and steppin razor showed the industry how to do multiplayer achievements properly.
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Overkill and Steppin Razor were not slapstick achievements. They were HARD to get and you only got them if you had real skills or got extremely lucky. Only a few percent of the entire Halo 3 player base had steppin razor. It was an achievement that meant something because it had to be earned the hard way. You couldn't bullshit/boost your way to it. Those are the sort of badges/medals that should feature in a multiplayer game. BF3, CoD have gone the way of useless stat padding. Your promotions/rank doesn't mean much of anything. Halo 3 got it right with overkill and steppin razor, and now that I think about it, H3 also got it right with their ranking system. Very few players managed to get their rank above the high 30s and keep it there. The highest it went was 50 and if you were facing a player ranked in the 40s you knew you were facing a skilled player. The kids/punks that paid better players to rank their account up to 50 didn't have the skills to keep it at 50 and they'd quickly fall back down into the 20s. No. Halo 3 got it right.
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Do people honestly care about achievements so much that they'll play a mode they don't consider fun?
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