3
Extras
The Extras menu contains the following:
Accomplishments View medals you’ve been awarded for accomplishing set goals.
Options Set gameplay, controls, graphics, sound, and online options.
Credits Watch the game’s credits.
Game Manual Read this manual!
Downloadable Content
Select DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT on the main menu to purchase new Mass Effect 3 content.
Starting a New Game
With the discovery of a network of ancient cosmic relays in the 21st century, humanity was thrust into
a universe teeming with alien life. At its heart lay the Citadel, the galactic capital for all space-faring
races. It had once been inhabited by a species known as the Protheans, who mysteriously vanished
50,000 years ago, leaving behind warnings of a godlike race of machines that had destroyed them.
This enemy had a name—the Reapers—and the warnings claimed they would return again to harvest
organic life in a never-ending cycle of destruction.
One soldier chose to heed those warnings. In 2183, Commander Shepard, captain of the Alliance
warship Normandy, destroyed the vanguard of the next Reaper invasion in a fierce battle for the
Citadel. But Shepard’s victory was only temporary. A vast Reaper armada remained, patiently waiting
in the voids of dark space to launch their next attack.
Two years later, Shepard was mortally wounded on a routine mission. Cerberus, a pro-human terrorist
organization, recovered and resurrected Shepard. Led by the shadowy Illusive Man, Cerberus
recognized that the Reapers would soon threaten humanity. Enlisting Shepard’s help, along with a
colorful crew of scientists, soldiers, and outlaws, the Normandy launched a suicide mission beyond
the fabled Omega 4 relay to once again confront the Reaper menace. Yet even this triumph was only
a delaying action in a much bigger war—a war that was about to engulf the entire Milky Way…
ME3 Experience Type
There are three ways to play Mass Effect 3. You must select one of the following options when
starting a new game, but you can also adjust combat difficulty and conversation mode in the options
menu after starting a game.
Action Mode An experience that focuses on combat. Conversations play as
cutscenes automatically.
Role-Playing Mode The core Mass Effect experience with full narrative choice and
challenging combat.
Story Mode An experience that focuses on narrative. Combat helps tell the story but
does not offer a significant challenge.
