EA has two big action RPG’s coming out this winter: Bioware’s Mass Effect 3 and 38 Studios’ Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. While the sci-fi epic and the fantasy hack-and-slash might not seem like the most compatible material for a cross-over, EA has announced some incentives for players who try to demos for both games:
Players who play the demo for Kingdoms of Amalur will unlock special gear for Shephard to use in the full version of Mass Effect, while players who finish the Mass Effect 3 demo will likewise unlock unique content for use in the full version of Kingdoms. While it’s safe to assume anyone who’s into RPG’s was probably going to play Mass Effect anyway, this is a shrewd move on EA’s part, since it brings more public attention to the slightly under the radar Kingdoms of Amalur, which, according to previews, is apparently a pretty good game in it’s own right.
Players who finish the Kingdoms of Amalur demo will unlock “Reckoner Knight” armor and a Chakram Launcher for Shepard in ME3. The Reckoner armor gives Shep a boost to his attack power, while the Chakram Launcher fires discs that cut through enemies and explode on impact. Furthermore, finishing the Amalur demo also unlocks some bonus gear once players get the full version of Amalur itself, including the unique Twin Souls Chakram weapon.
Meanwhile, players who finish the Mass Effect 3 demo will unlock the bad-ass looking N7 battle armor and Omniblade Daggers for use in Kingdoms of Amalur. The N7 armor is a medieval version of the iconic N7 ballistic armor that Shepard wore in Mass Effect 2, while the Omniblade Daggers are designed to reflect the look of Shepard’s Omnitool.
While this cross-over may not make a whole lot of narrative sense, it’s pretty much win-win for everyone involved: EA gets people to try out their games, and gamers get some cool extra content for free in exchange for their time. Mass Effect 3 comes out March 6th, while Kingdoms of Amalur hits about a month earlier on February 7th. Both titles will be available for PC, Xbox 360, and Playstation 3.
