Mass Effect 3 with Kinect impressions

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We had the opportunity to play Mass Effect 3 during the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) last week, and we were very impressed by what we saw. Like many hardcore gamers, we were initially skeptical when BioWare announced that the final entry to the Mass Effect trilogy would include support for Kinect for Xbox 360. Would it be really be "better with Kinect," as the marketing campaign claims, or is it just hype?

After spending a few hours playing the game, we can honestly say that it's fantastic. Mass Effect 3 only supports Kinect's voice control features, so don't expect to kill a Reaper with your body as the controller. But what if you could order your companions to attack without bringing up the Power Wheel? What if doors could open with the power of your voice? Or what if you could immerse yourself in the game by calling out a dialog choice rather than selecting it? With Kinect, you can.

Voice control works extremely well. BioWare took care to ensure that recognition would be accurate regardless of language or accent. You don't need to shout at the TV or preface every command with "Xbox," it just works. "Open" will open a nearby door, "Jacob, Carnage" initiates one of your partner's fantastic combat abilities, and "Shotgun" swaps weapons. These are just three examples, but the game includes many more. Our favorite command, however, was "Quick Save." Yes, you can save the game without ever opening a menu.

Honestly, there really isn't a downside. Kinect might have a little difficulty hearing you if there's a lot of talking in the background, and you can't say "Open" from more than a few feet away--thus dashing our dreams of running through corridors with auto-opening doors--but these are really minor quibbles.

So is Mass Effect 3 better with Kinect? Yes, yes it is. If you don't believe us, you can check it out for yourself when the Kinect-enabled demo is released on February 14.