It's no question that Mass Effect 3 will once again blow the minds of action RPG gamers across the industry. Not that we are giving the game a free pass, but with Bioware's epic reputation it would be wrong to believe that anything less than amazing would come from the developer. They would have to disappoint fans with ME3 if we were to begin to doubt them, which is not something they’re accustom to doing. The series has one of the riches worlds in gaming, and some of the most memorable characters you've ever fought with and against. With such a rich mythos, why would Bioware decide not to add a story mode to the missions in their new multiplayer component will have.

The design of the game seems as if it would easy allow for a co-op multiplayer throughout the story mode.  A drop- in drop-out multiplayer really fits the squad command system in ME3. I can’t think of a better game that I'd loved to experience with friends than Mass Effect. Though it’s likely that there wouldn't be enough room for more than one Shepard on a mission, I'm sure a creative solution could have been implemented.

 Adding co-op through the story mode could have made the best RPG of this generation one of the greatest RPG's of all time. Though thats a title the game will likely achieve anyway. Adding a four player story driven co-op to Mass Effect 3(Gears of War Style), where each player works together to save the galaxy, would definitely be a galactic experience. On the other hand, one without co-op will likely feed your narcissistic nature, satisfy your desire for glory, and continue that unquenchable superhero complex you've had for years.  Although it would be beyond amazing if the entire single player missions allowed for co-op, a nice consultation prize would have been a corresponding story for the multiplayer mission that game is planning to include.

Currently Bioware is promising four player co-op missions that will allow players to fight for control of key points in the game. From what's been revealed, Mass Effect 3's multiplayer will only allow gamers to jump into a number of different capture and control mission types. Bioware has yet to reveal any story telling elements that would take place during the co-op missions. The missions will have an effect on the single player story, but no story telling has been confirmed multiplayer portion.

Jumping into a series of capture and control missions doesn't quite seem like it would be enough to keep most interested for an extended period of time. A few escort missions or any other type of plot driven gameplay could break up the potential monotony.    

In many was it's not fair to hold Bioware to the same stander of multiplayer seen in other third person shooters; mostly because it's an RPG. However, the gameplay in Mass Effect has all the necessary features to compete with any third-person shooter on the market. Depending on how Bioware ultimately delivers on the feature, they could have missed out on an opportunity to raise the bar not only for action RPG's, but for third-person shooters as well. One key element missing from their inclusion of multiplayer in Mass Effect, is a competitive multiplayer mode. 

After spending three games developing your personal version of Commander Shepard, how epic would it be to see who’s the top Shepherd in battle. It's surely a missed opportunity for gamers to prove who the real Commander Shepard is; which would be myself- no doubt.  Competitive multiplayer, like all the other version of multiplayer mention, doesn’t appear to be as difficult to implement on the surface; especially with the inclusion of the games 4-player co-op.

Add some PVP and the galactic war for top commander is on. However, I’m no game developer, I'm just a lowly journalist, and I’m sure Bioware has their reasons for not adding a complete multiplayer experience. Whatever those reason are, Mass Effect 3's overall experience will likely be one to remember for years to come. It’s just sad to see what could have been.

Mass Effect 3 released March 6^th 2012. The games demo launches in January 2012 for those who pick up Battlefield 3 at launch.