While the Kinect has all the hallmarks of a visual platform capable of following our every move and translating it into an interface, a lesser-promoted feature of the device happens to be the microphone and voice recognition. Today, at their E3 Press Event, Microsoft revealed how the voice interface will be used in their upcoming third-installment of their hugely popular Mass Effect line.

During the demo, Bioware’s Ray Muzyka revealed some of the features that the Kinect will integrate with in the game Mass Effect 3 as Commander Shepherd returns to the scene to save Earth—and the entire galaxy—from the Reapers.

Under the usual scheme, in-game dialogue is chosen from a wheel that pops up during conversations. With Kinect voice-recognition, the player can read dialogue options into the microphone and the game will choose the spoken option. This provides a more interesting flow for interacting with the narrative. Both Mass Effect 1 and 2 engaged themselves deeply in the story and the universe with the player spending more time questioning and relating to NPCs than they did slinging bullets and biotic powers.

What we didn’t see is how Paragon/Renegade interrupts work with voice command. Like many games of our generation, Mass Effect allows the player to make moral decisions during dialogue and cut scenes that affect the outcome of the game. These decisions fall along a spectrum of diplomatic to cruel and the ability to interrupt cut scenes with a heroic gesture or a harsh smack down is a big part of the narrative.

When it comes to combat, Mass Effect introduced its own take on squad-based battles (with two support characters) and the usage of cover to provide superior position and protection. Capable command of the squad during a firefight often meant the difference between defeat and victory and the interface for that involved a pause-select system to tell teammates what guns to use, where to place powers, and when to move or take cover.

With voice recognition the player can spend less time in that interface and more time in the fight.

“Liara, move up.” “Liara, singularity.”

With a single voice command, the player can get his teammates to change position or take cover where they need them, enabling the player to make quicker decisions about battlefield tactics and speeding up the pace (and thus adrenaline) of combat. During the demo, Ray also commanded his teammates to use specific powers. Although not shown, likely you can also tell your teammates to change weapons and tactics.

This voice recognition is expected to expand beyond just video games as Microsoft also hinted at an entertainment interface for the Xbox 360 using the Kinect for voice control. Although the Kinect does in a way create a “hands-free” interface—being that it dissolves the necessity to hold a controller—going the way of voice recognition and command means that players can become even more elite couch potatoes than ever before.