Microsoft announced back at E3 that Mass Effect 3 would have support for voice recognition via the Kinect. At CES, Microsoft joined with BioWare in demoing the software for journalists, and allowed them to try it out for themselves. IndustryGamers jumped at the chance, and after an arduous voyage through the desert (OK, so maybe the ten minute limo ride wasn't really that arduous) the secret demo chamber appeared (cleverly hidden within the Presidential Suite at the Four Seasons Hotel). After a brief intro by the product team, it was time to go hands-on with the software.
The implementation is straightforward. There's no gesturing involved, it's purely voice recognition. That makes sense; you wouldn't want the game to be responding to gestures at the same time that you are wielding the controller. The voice recognition in combat situations is mostly confined to a list of commands for Shepard (your character), squadmate Liara, or squadmate James, but you can also use voice recognition on the conversation wheel or with basic functions like “Pick up”. The design feels like you're giving commands to your squad in a natural manner. “James, throw grenade” you snarl as you blast away, and a few moments later James' grenade sails in and (hopefully) blows up the alien gunner. If you want to haul out your sniper rifle, you merely say “sniper rifle” and a moment later you swap out your weapon and can begin sniping. It doesn't take long before you integrate the voice commands into your combat style and become a more efficient killing machine.
Any lag there might be that's caused by the Kinect's processing isn't detectible because it feels like the reasonable amount of lag you would experience when giving a command to a squadmate. (It would, after all, take a moment or two for a squadmate to haul out a grenade and throw it.) You can still devote most of your attention to the controller, and effectively increase your firepower by giving voice commands to your squad.
Mass Effect 3 will recognize commands in English (including British and Australian English), French, Italian, and German. The voice recognition is not user-specific and does not need to be trained, though you may need to speak up a bit if the ambient noise level is high (or someone's holding a conversation nearby). One interesting side effect is that you can have a friend playing with you, barking the voice commands at your squadmates while you drive Shepard. It's an interesting twist that some people may enjoy.
Mass Effect 3 was already in line to be one of the big games of 2012, based on the sales and critical reception of the first two games in the series. Visually, this third go-round looks like a worthy successor to the series. As to the story, well, a 10 minute combat scene doesn't really give you a clue about that, but BioWare will likely deliver the crunchy story goodness fans have come to expect.
The fact that Mass Effect 3 for the Xbox 360 has voice recognition capability may not shift the purchase plans of prospective buyers enough to move a significant number of extra units. Those fans who like their games on a PC rather than a console will still likely buy the PC version, though some may be tempted to try the Kinect version. The true importance of Kinect support for Mass Effect 3 is really for Microsoft, by demonstrating that a AAA shooter/RPG title can take advantage of the Kinect without slowing the game down or being annoying. Arguably, in fact, the Kinect support makes the game better than the regular Xbox 360 version. Microsoft would love to have more games support the Kinect, and especially have them released throughout the year rather than being clustered during the holidays. Will this title motivate people to buy a Kinect? Perhaps; it will be interesting to see if there's a spike in Kinect sales around the release of Mass Effect 3. What do you think?
Mass Effect 3 will be released March 6 for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.
