Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut

 PC
User Score
6.5

Mixed or average reviews- based on 126 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 68 out of 126
  2. Mixed: 23 out of 126
  3. Negative: 35 out of 126

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  1. CrazyRah
    Jun 28, 2012
    5
    The DLC will get a reaction out of people no doubt. For me it repaired some of the damage cause by the horrific endings. The DLC cleaned up some plot-holes and ret-conned some stuff and in the end it was a half-assed try to convince the consumer that Bioware still know what they're doing. The ending of Mass Effect 3 got slightly better but it's still not worthy of putting an end to aThe DLC will get a reaction out of people no doubt. For me it repaired some of the damage cause by the horrific endings. The DLC cleaned up some plot-holes and ret-conned some stuff and in the end it was a half-assed try to convince the consumer that Bioware still know what they're doing. The ending of Mass Effect 3 got slightly better but it's still not worthy of putting an end to a trilogy loved by so many… Expand
  2. Gothic90
    Jun 28, 2012
    5
    It does try to save, or salvage the ending and tries its best, but completely fixing the ending is simply impossible: that will require a full overhaul and at least some parts will have conflict with the ME3 game. So unfortunately after their best effort, ME3's ending is still mediocre, as reflected in this score.

    My recommendations: 1) if you have ME3 and are still playing it, why    It does try to save, or salvage the ending and tries its best, but completely fixing the ending is simply impossible: that will require a full overhaul and at least some parts will have conflict with the ME3 game. So unfortunately after their best effort, ME3's ending is still mediocre, as reflected in this score.

    My recommendations:
    1) if you have ME3 and are still playing it, why not? It's free anyways. They didn't make it worse;
    2) However, they didn't make it good enough for me to actively recommend those who have left ME3 and are unsure of whether or not they should play to pick up ME3 againl
    3) I also would not actively recommend others to buy ME3 now, but if you want it, now I'd say go for it. I won't oppose it like before EC came out.
    4) I still would not recommend pre-ordering Bioware products in the future, no matter the pre-order bonuses. Wait until both critic and user scores are out.    … Expand
  3. AlienSpaceBats
    Jan 28, 2013
    5
    BioWare's hubris knows no limits - this should have been on the game disc at release. I still feel embarrassed for them, as it is doubtful they could have foreseen the utter crap storm that would surround their highest regarded IP. The Extended Cut attempts to rectify numerous problems and adds a proper (varied) ending (kind of) and I'm grateful for the closure but the EC shares many ofBioWare's hubris knows no limits - this should have been on the game disc at release. I still feel embarrassed for them, as it is doubtful they could have foreseen the utter crap storm that would surround their highest regarded IP. The Extended Cut attempts to rectify numerous problems and adds a proper (varied) ending (kind of) and I'm grateful for the closure but the EC shares many of the same problems of the full game (bad writing, errors, makes no sense). You cannot polish a turd. RIP, Mass Effect.… Expand
  4. CroGamer002
    Jun 28, 2012
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Extended Cut delivered what should have been from launch of the game, an actual endings.
    Even then it's far from being great, but it gives a satisfying conclusion for the most part.

    Squadmates leaving Shepard is now properly explained and it gives sobbing moments, especially with love interest.
    Catalyst get's now better explanation. Instead of a brat that you want dead for it's stupidly, now is a flawed design with flawed "solution" of it's creators to deal with wars with synthetics that blew into their faces.
    And endings are now explained before choosing them as well by Shepard asking questions, so you know what you're dealing with and there's a new Reject ending where Shepard can reject all 3 choices, but ultimately he/she get's killed by a Reapers and cycle is completed with Liara's capsule giving warnings to next species( yagh, raloi).
    That ending is neat, cause it proves that Reapers can not be beaten conventionally so Crucible is needed.

    Though, Reject ending is one of the 2 endings that has no serious issue.
    Other is Control.

    In that ending, Shepard becomes an new Catalyst by sacrificing his/hers organic being. Then Shepard starts to lead, not control, Reapers to build and guard instead of destroy and kill.
    Narration of either Mark Meer or Jennifer Hale talking as Shepard Reaper makes it both incredibly sad, and somehow terrifying at same time.

    And unlike Reject ending, with Control you see what happens to Earth, krogans, quarians, geth, most of your former squadmates and remembering of all squadmates that died.
    Normandy still crashes, but it get's repaired and launches off planet.
    Before that, your crew meets at memorial wall with one of them( love interest) putting Commander Shepard on the wall, while Shepard narrates he/she will protect them.

    This ending is just beautiful, lot's of closure and leaves lot's of room for headcanons and fanfics.

    Then there is the Destroy ending.
    While it gives as much closure as Control and it's only one where Shepard can survive, it suffers from a fatal flaw.
    Geth and EDI will always die from incredibly contrived reason and it's absolutely unnecessary.
    Control ending already had many advantages to be pick, them dying was just a desperate cop-out move.

    And reason behind it is because it will kill all synthetics.
    That might make sense in low EMS ending were barely anyone survives.
    But in high EMS ending where even Shepard can live, despite depending on synthetics? Makes no damn sense.

    And then there's a Synthesis.
    Now, Destroy ending is bad but it's improved from original.
    Synthesis in other hand only got worse and Bioware just went way out of their way to make it the best one.

    While I could say all the problems, it's sole existence of that ending is a cancer to ME franchise.
    ME universe was always pushing that diversity is what makes us great( for example, Protheans failed for not being diverse), but this ending goes against it.
    It also goes against freedom of choice, since it forces everyone to become a borg.
    And it effects everyone and everything!
    Plants, bacterias and damn husks! That's ridiculous!

    But does the Extended Cut redeems the franchise and Bioware?
    Franchise? Yes.
    Bioware? No. Lies are still not forgiven.

    But I do highly recommend Extended Cut if you are a ME fan.
    But not everyone will be happy.    … Expand
  5. keylime73
    Jun 28, 2012
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The EC improves upon the old ending by clarifying what the Starkid is: he is now basically comprehensible. It sticks in a fanservicey love-interest ("I love you, too") farewell in an odd spot (doing so adds a couple more incongruous and plot-holey things to the action). It tacks on some expository epilogues with still images that explain the consequences of Shepard's choices-- some of which are better wrought and more satisfying than others. There is also a new, fourth ending that allows Shepard to reject Starkid completely, but which has an immediate consequence and reveals how Bioware feels about players who would choose it. One of the bigger things they accomplish by retconning themselves is rescuing ME1 and ME2 from the suicide that the old ending forced on it. It won't feel utterly futile to play them anymore. And that's good.

    However, if the EC was the ending that we got months ago, it still would have been mostly reviled. It would have still been clear that it was kicked out the door because time ran out, and that it was confused because Bioware had built a plot so convoluted that it was impossible for them to get every last duck in a row when the time came. And the EC doesn't solve (and couldn't-- because Bioware cannot jettison Starbrat) the major issue of what you do in the game before the ending being mostly meaningless. Everything points towards, at the very least, seeing your war assets in action for the final battle (like in Fallout:NV); but we still don't really get that, although they did add some filler with cutscenes depicting various forces as a sop to anyone who might notice.

    The EC is the best we could reasonably expect out of BiowEAr; and I think that, as a PR effort, it is basically successful. The fans who, post-March, still care about the series enough to whine will probably be placated and ready to buy more DLC and future ME titles. As a stand-alone thing designed to do a certain thing it is basically a success. But as a proper ending to the Mass Effect trilogy? The galaxy still deserves better.    … Expand
  6. UNr34L
    Jul 11, 2012
    6
    It's not perfect but at least it makes sense now. When Mass Effect 3 first came out I was disappointed as hell with how my favorite ended. This one sweetened the flavor a bit by clearing all the plot holes and idiotic ambiguity, and while not great, it's still a thousand times better than the original ending. And all that just by adding a couple more cutscenes and dialogue options. WhichIt's not perfect but at least it makes sense now. When Mass Effect 3 first came out I was disappointed as hell with how my favorite ended. This one sweetened the flavor a bit by clearing all the plot holes and idiotic ambiguity, and while not great, it's still a thousand times better than the original ending. And all that just by adding a couple more cutscenes and dialogue options. Which makes me wonder why Bioware didn't include this in the first place...… Expand