The war to take Earth back from the Reapers has begun. EA and BioWare have just released the launch trailer for the third installment of the Mass Effect franchise, which pits Shepard directly against the Reapers.

The new trailer shows off scenes from the game's demo, as well as Shepard's return to the Citadel whereupon he beseeches the Galactic Council for their help against the Reapers. Together, the humans and the alien races put aside their differences and unite against a common enemy. The game sees the end of Shepard's trilogy as he gathers his allies and deals with his foes the Reapers and the Illusive Man.

Mass Effect 3 also sees the introduction of cooperative multiplayer gameplay for the first time ever in the series where players can team up to do battle against the Reapers who've taken over various locales.

Mass Effect 3 is set for a March 5 release on the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It is only available on Origin on the PC.