Mass Effect 3

 PC
User Score
6.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 7228 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3,703 out of 7228
  2. Mixed: 1,119 out of 7228
  3. Negative: 2,406 out of 7228
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  1. K1ller
    Mar 15, 2012
    4
    Excellent game till the end. Oh boy how can someone screw the 5 years long series of 3 parts in a five minutes is beyond me. Well, RIP Bioware, I am finished with you.
  2. Niroo
    Mar 15, 2012
    4
    Mass Effect 3 features a decent single player storyline that, despite the early introduction of a fanciful 'Secret Weapon of Awesomeness', is quite entertaining for about 20-25 hours. The gameplay works, even if it's rather repetitive and doesn't really expand on what ME2 had to offer. The much discossed ending of the trilogy is indeed a storytelling disaster, the only part of which thatMass Effect 3 features a decent single player storyline that, despite the early introduction of a fanciful 'Secret Weapon of Awesomeness', is quite entertaining for about 20-25 hours. The gameplay works, even if it's rather repetitive and doesn't really expand on what ME2 had to offer. The much discossed ending of the trilogy is indeed a storytelling disaster, the only part of which that speaks in BioWare's favour being the fact that they had the audacity to make their deus ex machina an actual "god out of the machine". I wasn't too impressed by the multiplayer, which, with it's 11 waves of whack-a-mole, is only mildly more interesting than the bot-servers of earlier FPS games.… Expand
  3. HomeCritic
    Dec 30, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Mass Effect 3 has probably the most convoluted, lore destructive, narrative disaster of story telling I've seen in recent years. Despite few good episodes involving geth and the krogan it really isn't anything good. Introduction was confusing and not following the lore and events after the Arrival DLC, it's not the best decision if Bioware wanted to market this more towards the masses. Secondly, what was the point of ME2 if only in ME3 we are introduced with probably the most narrative breaking Deus Ex Machina device I have ever seen - the Crucible. No one knows what it does or what its for, except the hope, that this big clunk of metal can defeat antagonists - the Reapers. Shouldn't the trilogy had gone like this:
    ME1 - introducing the threat
    ME2 - learning how to stop a threat
    ME3 - stopping the threat Again, ME2 serves no purpose.
    Cerberus and their motives are as confusing as the whole TIM indoctrination by the reapers. What was the point of reapers letting to play with their mind game toys if they later on they destroyed the whole facility?
    The whole lore is utterly destroyed. Alliance are idiots, Cerberus are idiots, Reapers are idiots and Shepard is an idiot. ME1 epic was changed into ME2 space opera.
    And now the ending... Ugh.. Do I even have to start? It was the worst thing I've ever seen in story telling. The Extended Cut DLC, believe it or not, made it even worse. The ending single hand destroyed the ME1 lore, let me question Alliance strategies how to take down Reapers, and finally made antagonists into complete an utter morons. Not only the main theme was destroyed, but the fact that reapers wants to save us from ourselves by committing mass genocide of entire galaxy is the most logic breaking nonsense I've ever heard. I see what writers tried to do here, showing as much ideas and philosophies in to the main narrative, but they just didn't work, because of poor writing. So what we got is a third person RPG shooter with refined shooter elements, but extremely poor execution of RPG elements. The Quest system is probably the second worst thing in the game, it is completely broken, so is the customization. Multiplayer inclusion wasn't necessary at all.
    Overall its a convoluted package of nonsense. 2/10    … Expand
  4. Maximo
    Mar 30, 2012
    4
    Somehow, everything good about Mass Effect left with the writer that was responsible for the opening part of the trilogy. I cant think of any positive thing about ME3, none, only the terrible things remain. Suddenly, I realized how poor of a sci-fi ME is, things that didnt matter suddenly became game-breaking for me. For example, the animations, the "every species speaks english", theSomehow, everything good about Mass Effect left with the writer that was responsible for the opening part of the trilogy. I cant think of any positive thing about ME3, none, only the terrible things remain. Suddenly, I realized how poor of a sci-fi ME is, things that didnt matter suddenly became game-breaking for me. For example, the animations, the "every species speaks english", the sci-fi clichés, the bisexuality, etc. All in all, the story is just plain boring, not to mention it has many plot holes. Dialogues were terrible and the ending was a colosal dissapointment, something for people to gloat about for decades to come.… Expand
  5. Kyrgsh
    Jul 17, 2012
    4
    Possibly the most disappointing release I've ever played. I will, in all honesty, never forgive the developer for taking narrative control away from a character I'd spent _years_ with and forcing her to engage in the least satisfying ending- and least in-character actions- imaginable. I haven't even logged into multiplayer in months. Regardless of how many new "cool" weapons andPossibly the most disappointing release I've ever played. I will, in all honesty, never forgive the developer for taking narrative control away from a character I'd spent _years_ with and forcing her to engage in the least satisfying ending- and least in-character actions- imaginable. I haven't even logged into multiplayer in months. Regardless of how many new "cool" weapons and commendation packs they throw at me, the game is dead to me. I paid for it and have no interest in ever going back. And all those "critics" who gave the game a 10/10...I doubt I'll be trusting your opinions from here on out.… Expand
  6. domak
    Jan 16, 2013
    4
    Anyone who played the previous Mass Effect game and still thinks that this one is good in comparison is just a delusional liar, this sad excuse of a game isn't even HALF of what the previous one was and the conclusion of the story is just unbelievably bad I wonder how is it possible to utterly destroy such a promising franchise.
  7. Yasuchika
    Mar 6, 2012
    4
    I feel awfully betrayed that the series went from and expansive sci-fi space opera with consequential choices; to a fairly streamlined action adventure with RPG elements. Its attempts at emotional manipulation are slightly hamfisted, not ineffective but very clumsily implemented and unrelated to my character's background - which I imagine Bioware has forgotten about at this point. TheI feel awfully betrayed that the series went from and expansive sci-fi space opera with consequential choices; to a fairly streamlined action adventure with RPG elements. Its attempts at emotional manipulation are slightly hamfisted, not ineffective but very clumsily implemented and unrelated to my character's background - which I imagine Bioware has forgotten about at this point. The writing and designs for some characters also seems out of place, Vega is expected to be a bulky man but not to the extent that he's a jersey Shore cast member, the addition of Jessica Chobot and redesign for Ashley also complement this lovely little tan-orange motif. My largest qualm is with the Day 1 DLC - which I strongly oppose - by all means create new characters that are not plot-integral. But when you create a squad member who is heaily tied to the universe's lore and mystique and then aim to charge an extra $10 for it on top of the game's already hefty pricetag you know you fit a stereotype.The romance system is fine, although I'd like to be able to talk to my companions without the intention of making out with them. I wonÃ… Expand
  8. DKN
    Mar 28, 2012
    4
    *Spoilers Ahead*
    99% of the game were very good, gameplay wise I think its the best game in trilogy, it also has a great main story. There were some concerns, about the game, for example some decisions from previous parts were not transferred to this game as well as i'd hoped, some side quests were boring, your quest log is a disaster, some bugs etc., but nothing game braking... up until    *Spoilers Ahead*
    99% of the game were very good, gameplay wise I think its the best game in trilogy, it also has a great main story. There were some concerns, about the game, for example some decisions from previous parts were not transferred to this game as well as i'd hoped, some side quests were boring, your quest log is a disaster, some bugs etc., but nothing game braking... up until last 10 minutes.

    The ending was just awful. when i first seen it I thought i did something wrong, i was literally stunned. At the end you are given 3 choices DeusEx:HR style. The endings do not take in to consideration any of your decisions you made during your journey as Shepard. It gives you three choices, but in the end your choice comes down to the color of explosion that will probably destroy all civilizations as we know them, no matter what you do.

    The ending did not just didnt give you any choices or didn't provide closer, and it was completely out of place. It felt like in the last ten minutes developers decided to change the trilogy story and values.

    For me ending completely destroyed the experience from otherwise great game.    … Expand
  9. Turix
    Mar 9, 2012
    4
    I played through the game, and generally enjoyed the content - most of the game felt like a significant improvement over Mass Effect 2.... however, the game has several aspects that completely ruin immersion and just feel like a company grabbing for profit rather than wanting to build a good games or supporting their fan base - which is seriously upsetting. The main gripes are theI played through the game, and generally enjoyed the content - most of the game felt like a significant improvement over Mass Effect 2.... however, the game has several aspects that completely ruin immersion and just feel like a company grabbing for profit rather than wanting to build a good games or supporting their fan base - which is seriously upsetting. The main gripes are the graphical quality, which hasn't improved at all over ME2 on PC, the controls feel even more like a console port than before with your character going off and doing entire actions without you even asking. Parts of the game feel very rushed, specifically the beginning and end - the beginning just kind of drops you in without letting the game get going, or providing any setting. And the ending.... well I don't know where to start... all of the options are simply appalling, lazy cop outs - I was getting very involved in the story for a good part of the game and then the ending just ruins that completely. In the end I don't mind that I've spent money on the game, I can deal with that, but that I feel betrayed that Bioware doesn't seem to care about their IP beyond how much money it can make... its just plain sad.… Expand
  10. dakphillips
    Mar 13, 2012
    4
    While the gameplay has improved since the first game in terms of combat mechanics, ME3 marks a distinctly unsatisfying story. Fans of the first two games who import their characters will be dissapointed in the endings especially compared with the previous two installments. This extremely illogical ending to a great IP is only made worse by the inclusion of an important character to theWhile the gameplay has improved since the first game in terms of combat mechanics, ME3 marks a distinctly unsatisfying story. Fans of the first two games who import their characters will be dissapointed in the endings especially compared with the previous two installments. This extremely illogical ending to a great IP is only made worse by the inclusion of an important character to the lore of the Mass Effect universe as a paid DLC when it is clear that the character was originally meant to be included with the standard game package.… Expand
  11. Ghostrider
    Mar 14, 2012
    4
    10 for all of the game up until the ending. 1 for the ending. Bioware managed to destroy 100+ hours of great gameplay across all 3 parts of the trilogy with last 10 minutes of the game. Impressive achievement, but I don't like it.

    The game is awesome in every aspect up until the very end. Don't know why Bioware did this but they did. They killed DA franchise with DA2 and now this.    10 for all of the game up until the ending. 1 for the ending. Bioware managed to destroy 100+ hours of great gameplay across all 3 parts of the trilogy with last 10 minutes of the game. Impressive achievement, but I don't like it.

    The game is awesome in every aspect up until the very end. Don't know why Bioware did this but they did.

    They killed DA franchise with DA2 and now this. Not pre-ordering any Bioware game. Will wait until reviews come in.    … Expand
  12. Maelphaedor
    Mar 14, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Right up to the end sequence, ME3 was on track to be the BEST GAME SERIES I've ever played from a story perspective. Then the final cutscene played and every single choice made in the game boiled down to 3 identical endings (other than explosion color). Seriously, they really, REALLY screwed the pooch on this one. Now as said, right up to the end sequence, this is the best game story EVER, which makes the FUBAR ending all the more painful.… Expand
  13. Jaitsu
    Mar 8, 2012
    4
    The gameplay is great and all, and the story is as good and ever, but BioWare/EA made a huge mistake in essentially FORCING the player to play a ton of the multiplayer to get a halfway decent ending for the single-player. Bioware claims that the game can be beat without playing the multiplayer, but that's mostly lip service; you CAN beat the game without the MP, but you're going to get aThe gameplay is great and all, and the story is as good and ever, but BioWare/EA made a huge mistake in essentially FORCING the player to play a ton of the multiplayer to get a halfway decent ending for the single-player. Bioware claims that the game can be beat without playing the multiplayer, but that's mostly lip service; you CAN beat the game without the MP, but you're going to get a terrible ending if you didn't go and do EVERYTHING possible in the SP, and even if you do, you can't get better than a subpar ending. That's a really, really bad design decision - especially considering how bad the MP is. It doesn't encourage teamwork, it encourages leaving your teammates to die so you can take all the kills and you don't have to fight for cover or deal with them drawing fire to your location when you're trying to be sneaky.… Expand
  14. wijse
    Mar 6, 2012
    4
    Mass Effect 1 is the best PC port in the trilogy. more customizable keyboard bindings , walking stance on/off, you can holster your gun, better writing, better fov. This game is lacks all of these, they don't even care about PC players anymore. I can not fathom why they do not want to take advantage of the power of the PC and release high resolution textures, like they did with DA II. TheMass Effect 1 is the best PC port in the trilogy. more customizable keyboard bindings , walking stance on/off, you can holster your gun, better writing, better fov. This game is lacks all of these, they don't even care about PC players anymore. I can not fathom why they do not want to take advantage of the power of the PC and release high resolution textures, like they did with DA II. The game also has fewer dialogue options and more auto dialogue, they really really want the Gears of War derpy console market.… Expand
  15. MusAddict
    Mar 7, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'm rating this a steady 4. Aesthetics are amazing compared to the first 2 games, but that's pretty much where the pros end. Paragon/Renegade are useless now (they are joined together into "Reputation"), the spacebar for everything got me killed a few times, diplomacy between the Geth and Quarians is not possible, etc. I could handle misc team members from ME2 dying if you didn't help them in time, I could handle that you only have 6 squad members, but the thing that turned me off to the whole series is the lack of effort given in the final ultimatum... Such terrible, non-redeeming options. It makes me not want to replay the series because I know the end is not worth it.… Expand
  16. Kelemvor
    Mar 7, 2012
    4
    This game is not a surprise at all. The second installment was a real disappointment, but the direction for the third game was clear. Dialog is limited to 2 answers, one is nice, the other is more of the harsh kind. You have to play the boring MP to actually increase your odds collecting fleetstrength, a lot of the dialog is uninspired and boring, the animations are clumsy, the combat isThis game is not a surprise at all. The second installment was a real disappointment, but the direction for the third game was clear. Dialog is limited to 2 answers, one is nice, the other is more of the harsh kind. You have to play the boring MP to actually increase your odds collecting fleetstrength, a lot of the dialog is uninspired and boring, the animations are clumsy, the combat is repetetiv and forgettable, and the rest is just an interactive movie with game elements. Its not a good game and not a good sf-movie. It is something in between unable to satisfy even the lowest expectations. To be blunt: ME3 is a weak last installment. The shooter part is not up to par compared to a full fledged shooter, while the the weak rpg-elements are hardly worth mentioning. It's a dumbed down interactive movie with very little gameplay and an unsatisfactory story which ends with a huge letdown.… Expand
  17. hypertension
    May 27, 2012
    4
    While I enjoyed playing the first two Mass Effect games this one left me with a disappointing experience. It just wasn't fun anymore. The most this game has to offer is the voice acting but it feels like I've heard it all before. I believe that to get a slightly "richer" experience you'll need all Mass Effect games which I have but also all the downloadable content which is something i'mWhile I enjoyed playing the first two Mass Effect games this one left me with a disappointing experience. It just wasn't fun anymore. The most this game has to offer is the voice acting but it feels like I've heard it all before. I believe that to get a slightly "richer" experience you'll need all Mass Effect games which I have but also all the downloadable content which is something i'm not willing to pay for.… Expand
  18. Yandaton
    Mar 20, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Being a huge Mass Effect fan, I can safely say I am disappointed at the "final" of the trilogy. The first game was practically a new genre, a new step in video games that gave a sense of awe, the second game followed this and near matched the sense of awe and continued the genre breaking gameplay but the third game almost takes a step back from the action-roleplay and becomes more 'Gears of War' by focusing on combat, with pretty much all new mechanics revolving around improving the combat system. A step backwards with an action-roleplaying game, the previous games were fantastic and this game broke the trend. The awe inspiring is still here in this game however, when the Victory fleet flew through the mass relay and the final space battle began I was in awe there is no doubt about it, when I talk to all the characters I have bonded with over the previous games, it brought tears to my eyes, it was almost poetic but then my emotions turn to confusion and anger at the finally of the game. We were promised vastly different endings, there would be no A, B, C options and that your choices mattered but in the end, you get 3 options to end the game with no matter of the choices you have made in the previous games, no matter how high your War Assets were (which was a silly mechanic). It really comes down to what is your favourite colour? Blue, Green or Red which is what the 3 endings are, the same ending in different colours, so in reality there is only 1 ending that has filters put over it and tweaked. Even at the end of this sillyness, there is no closure to all those relationships you have developed, you never know if Garrus retired some place tropical or if Tali built her house on Rannoch or if Liara had little blue children. I don't mind Shepard dying, a bittersweet ending can be good if executed properly, this was not executed properly and it fails for it. As we had learned before, the destruction of a mass relay causes a supernova like explosion and destroys a whole system so you have just destroyed practically all life in the galaxy which is worse than the reapers. Even putting that aside, the destruction of the mass relays means everyone is stranded where they where, including the Victory fleet which will now starve to death. Joker fleeing the battle for no reason, it just doesn't make sense.

    Now apart from the endings, there is a lot of other discouraging things to be mentioned. A day 1 DLC that "was developed by a different team after the main game was finished" yet if you change 1 line of code on the game files, you can get the Prothean on your game without the DLC. A DLC that costs $10.00 for the most interesting character and one of the best guns in the game. The reveal of Tali's face, being a slightly edited stockphoto from google images. Reputation having no physical effect on the game apart from the terminator look, going so far of having to do renegade actions to save your own life? Wat. Even if Bioware was to release a new DLC for a different ending which I highly doubt, why do they need to release a new ending, it should have been on the disk, it should not have sucked so badly that it has distressed the whole of the mass effect community and destroyed the metacritic score for it. I'll be even more amazed if they make you pay for it. I however don't see why people are complaining there is multiplayer, it is a great thing to play with your friends every now and then and it adds more value to your money however integrating multiplayer into singleplayer and forcing you to play it so you can get the 'best' ending in the singleplayer is just pathetic and whoever organized that should lose their job.

    So yeah, the journey was still interesting and thrilling at times but the destination and cheap cashing in's just ruined everything that we had been working up to.    … Expand
  19. Logiwonk
    Apr 28, 2013
    4
    This game is a fistula. What is a fistula? In anatomic terms it's an abnormal hole connecting two things that should not be connected. One of the most problematic is obstetric fistula which connects the vagina (awesome) with the bowels (super not-awesome). This game connects amazing writing, good gameplay with a ending.

    You can't fix this game's ending but you can help women world-wide    This game is a fistula. What is a fistula? In anatomic terms it's an abnormal hole connecting two things that should not be connected. One of the most problematic is obstetric fistula which connects the vagina (awesome) with the bowels (super not-awesome). This game connects amazing writing, good gameplay with a ending.

    You can't fix this game's ending but you can help women world-wide suffering from obstetric fistula. Go to http://www.fistulafoundation.org/ and donate today!    … Expand
  20. JoeCool
    Mar 11, 2012
    4
    Holy cow, a 92 average critic rating and then you've got this hyped game that has you wondering within a few hours why on earth you'd been anticipating this title for so long. I'm really struggling to even give it a 5, and on second thought I'll give it a 4. It really looks like BioWare has sold its soul to the, uhm, to EA. After the let down called The Old Republic, we get an even biggerHoly cow, a 92 average critic rating and then you've got this hyped game that has you wondering within a few hours why on earth you'd been anticipating this title for so long. I'm really struggling to even give it a 5, and on second thought I'll give it a 4. It really looks like BioWare has sold its soul to the, uhm, to EA. After the let down called The Old Republic, we get an even bigger let down. Maybe they sunk so much money into TOR that nothing good could come from ME3. If you haven't bought it already, do yourself a favor and don't fall for this trap. If you liked ME1 and ME2 then stick with those games and don't let ME3 ruin the whole experience.… Expand
  21. phantomlord91
    Mar 27, 2012
    4
    A series with great potential ruined by a terrible ending that makes you wonder how was it approved to be in a game. It truly baffles me why the writers gave us this ending which is full of plot holes and has no closure whatsoever. It also offers no choice other than choosing the colour of the big explosion in the end, even though the developers promised before the game's release that theA series with great potential ruined by a terrible ending that makes you wonder how was it approved to be in a game. It truly baffles me why the writers gave us this ending which is full of plot holes and has no closure whatsoever. It also offers no choice other than choosing the colour of the big explosion in the end, even though the developers promised before the game's release that the game would offer many different and distinct endings. It's truly a shame to see a great company like bioware become nothing but liars and incompetent of creating a decent video game in years. Dragon Age 2, Star Wars The Old Republic and now Mass Effect 3. It's sad to say but the old good bioware is dead, gone forever.… Expand
  22. musique
    Mar 11, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I remember the very first time I played through mass effect. It was an enthralling experience. Never before had a game allowed you to explore unknown worlds in your awesome tank and fly across the galaxy in a state of the art super-ship. The game had an excellent upgrades system with hundreds of different types of armor and customizations that could be implemented. The storyline was exciting and original. Something that would have made gene Roddenberry proud and the ending to the game was satisfying yet left you begging for more. Mass Effect 2 was a shell of the 1st game. Gutting the original of all its great customizations and removing the ability to drive across the vast terrains of uncharted planets. Instead the game allows you to 'scan' planets (an extremely irritating and dull task) for their minerals. No longer did you have the amount of customization that was present in Mass Effect 1. The game was now more of a 3rd person shooter, like gears of war. I enjoyed Mass Effect because I felt it was the anti-gears. Focusing on storyline and character interactions instead of violent battles and never ending waves of enemies. The combat in Mass Effect was elegant and sleek, and because of all the upgrades you could become very powerful with nearly unbreakable shields and weapons that should kill your foes in 1 shot. Mass Effect 2 does away with all those powerful upgrades and instead gives you **** in its place. The same goes for mass effect 3, but I'll get to that in a moment. Mass Effect 2 has a rather stupid storyline. When Mass Effect 2's first trailer came out it was for nothing more than shock value. Shepard 'dies' in the 1st few moments of the game only to brought back immediately and you are swept into working for Cerberus (so much for the free will we were given in Mass Effect). Overall the storyline in the second game felt like nothing more than filler material. Continuing on to Mass Effect 3, Bioware has completely cut ties with any similarities from Mass Effect 1. The game features combat along the same lines as Gears of War. It almost feels as though Bioware was trying to copy gears of wars combat. Another major complaint that I have about the game is the addition of politically correct homosexual relationships added into the story. Shepard was a very straight military man in the first two games. However now he now has the so called 'choice' to become a homosexual. The choice to become a homosexual is forced upon you. If you speak to the homosexual character and do not choose to use your paragon influence on him/her the game gives you renegade points instead. I decided not to talk to the homosexual character at all because every time I did he/she was trying to hit on me. There are also numerous homosexual references in the game and at one point if you are the male Shepard you will even hit on Vega (who is straight) when he comes up to your quarters for a chat. These politically correct homosexual references are just another way to force homosexuality on the masses and I personally disprove of Bio waresâ… Expand
  23. d0man
    Mar 6, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I just want to say this before I begin: I loved Mass Effect 1 and I loved Mass Effect 2, despite how streamlined it was. Characterization was excellent and I felt like I was accomplishing something everywhere I went. That just doesn't happen in Mass Effect 3.

    I'm about 15 hours into the game and I've been really, really trying to enjoy it, but none of the content really feels "right." You're fighting a war to defend the galaxy from total extinction but no one will help you until you clean their noses and make sure the dishes are tucked away nicely. It's ridiculous. Combat has been simplified even further, but instead of enemies dying in a few hits like they did in ME2 which allowed for good flow they are all bullet sponges. Eventually I just gave up on using my guns and punched everyone to death because it was faster and actually did damage.

    Animations are absolutely hideous. Running, walking, talking, everything is just freaking awful. When you run your arms flail around ridiculously and everything is stiff. Just go watch Anderson running in the demo to see how bad it is.

    Characterization has also taken a big hit. You get bulk mcbigguy who randomly switches between English and Spanish at will, bland Asari, etc. Mordin's voice actor was replaced with someone who lacks the same charm as the original and they even managed to butcher Garrus. That's not even mentioning how bad the dialog is. Here are some examples without spoilers:

    Shepard: How are things?
    Person: Bad [specific details].
    Shepard: That bad?
    Person: Yes.
    ----
    Shepard: How are you holding up?
    Person: It's tough, you know?
    Shepard (Paragon): There was this kid back on Earth, I watched him die before your eyes.
    Person: That sucks.
    ----

    I am truly disappointed. I didn't believe that Bioware could mess up this badly after Dragon Age 2, I thought they learned their lesson. I was wrong.    … Expand
  24. jd579
    Mar 6, 2012
    4
    well, i was totally dissapointed by this game. i loved me 1 and me 2 was even better, i had hoped that they would have fixed the problems in both in me3 and finished the story and it all sounded cool, the way that the game was laid out and how it would progress. i got it today and put it in and the first thing that i noticed was they changed everything about the old games. the graphicswell, i was totally dissapointed by this game. i loved me 1 and me 2 was even better, i had hoped that they would have fixed the problems in both in me3 and finished the story and it all sounded cool, the way that the game was laid out and how it would progress. i got it today and put it in and the first thing that i noticed was they changed everything about the old games. the graphics were realistic in 1 and got more realistic in 2, it looked like a movie. now it looks cartoonish or like an anime. this is probably the worst direction i could think of to go in for me. the first thing i noticed also was the alliance uniforms are different, those things on their shoulders are huge and the little chain thing, it all just screams anime or cartoon to me. i can't stand it. the next thing i noticed was the writing was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyy worse than the first two. this is mass effect, its supposed to have excellent writing, like some of the best that you'll find. and i found the intro to be really just, im not sure how to describe it. bad. not on par with mass effect 1 and 2. the dialogue with characters in the game is worse, less detailed, less believeable. the story is just, bad. i mean, it seems like something youd find in some other video games but not mass effect. its not believable. characters just do a 180 from who they were in me2 or 1. they changed a lot of the graphics and the way the game works on missions from me 1 and 2 that didn't need changing. i heard a lot of people left or got fired or something for this game, and, you can definately tell. i heard one of the main writers left or was fired also, and you can definately tell that. at some times you can tell little pieces of the old mass effect series that are good, but mostly its something new and different and just doesn't play well. playing on palavens moon was pretty cool, and the geth ship next to the main battery. overall they just made all of these changes to something that didnt need changing.… Expand
  25. Dodo22
    Mar 7, 2012
    4
    It is impossible to import your Shepard from the previous games as the new face creation mechanism will not identify the elements from the save file. Importing your save is what has made Mass Effect as prolific as it is. Unplayable until a patch for an issue that should have been resolved during the testing phase. They apparently had the time to make $10 day one DLC but not enough timeIt is impossible to import your Shepard from the previous games as the new face creation mechanism will not identify the elements from the save file. Importing your save is what has made Mass Effect as prolific as it is. Unplayable until a patch for an issue that should have been resolved during the testing phase. They apparently had the time to make $10 day one DLC but not enough time to ensure that a critical component of the main game is functioning properly?

    Aside from this I have played through the first segment with the base Shepard, and it appears to have restored mass effect to initial appeal from the boring outing that was ME2.

    Still I'll go no farther without my Shepard character. Product is in a condition that I reasonably should not have expected. Any other industrial sector and they'd be compelled by law to restore my money, however, software laws let them off the hook. Fix it.    … Expand
  26. Dreskar
    Mar 7, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game is good, very good and yet... that ending, oh yes I do mean one ending, they are all the same sadly. [Its a made up story from a man to his son/grandson.] Though you also get to chose one of three endings at the very end that completely invalidates the other two games within the series and is very insulting. It is in essence a Deus Ex Machina moment, and I kid you not it is literally a God Child that created the reapers that shows up at the end and gives you one of three choices, your galactic readiness, your war supplies, and weather you were paragon or renegade means nothing, absolutely nothing to the story. Though if your readiness and supplies are high people survive which is confusing since I thought it would have an impact on the actual fight but it doesn't at all. Ah if you want to play Mass Effect 3, by all means knock yourself out, just stop before you play the final mission if you want to have a great game experience, otherwise play Mass Effect 1 and 2 which are far superior games.… Expand
  27. EHuntington
    Mar 7, 2012
    4
    Mass Effect 3 is, at best, a disappointing game. At its worst, it's a cliched mess of nonsense dialogue and forced decisions. What's most disappointing for me, is the separated structure of the game. Dialogue happens, then gameplay, then dialogue, then gameplay. There's no fusion. Mass Effect 3 has lengthy fighting sequences and lengthy dialogue and story sequences, but the two never mix.Mass Effect 3 is, at best, a disappointing game. At its worst, it's a cliched mess of nonsense dialogue and forced decisions. What's most disappointing for me, is the separated structure of the game. Dialogue happens, then gameplay, then dialogue, then gameplay. There's no fusion. Mass Effect 3 has lengthy fighting sequences and lengthy dialogue and story sequences, but the two never mix. There's no story in the fight, something happens then something else happens. It's depressing. This game has turned me off to Bioware. I won't be getting their next game.… Expand
  28. Dresden
    Mar 8, 2012
    4
    I haven't been so let down with a game since Deus Ex: Invisible War. The problems with this game are numerous and I could go on and on. I really don't have a clue how websites can give this 9s and 10s and expect to be taken seriously.

    The graphics are worse than ME2. It's the same engine, how did that happen? The Illusive Man's skin is smudged and compressed now and in some places NPCs    I haven't been so let down with a game since Deus Ex: Invisible War. The problems with this game are numerous and I could go on and on. I really don't have a clue how websites can give this 9s and 10s and expect to be taken seriously.

    The graphics are worse than ME2. It's the same engine, how did that happen? The Illusive Man's skin is smudged and compressed now and in some places NPCs are replaced with cheesy looking sprites when a bit further away. Lens flares are WAY overused, even for a Mass Effect game, often being way bigger than they even need to be. Animation is noticeably stiffer and models teleport around in cutscenes. Anderson's running animation in the intro is just laughably bad. I've seen far better work from modders.

    The story will be fine once in a while but ridiculous bits keep pulling me out. For instance, in the Protheans's flashback, ONLY he has a Jamacan accent (which sounds silly in its own right) but none of his other race has it. They also use human military ranks apparently. Tali's big unmasking has been reduced to a badly photoshopped stock image they pulled off of the internet. Joker dates EDI. I mean seriously? He dates a robot? What's next? A romance with option with Legion? Actually don't answer that. The endings are completely ripped off of Deus Ex. And there are so many holes in the plot, I don't know where to begin.

    From Ashes, the Day 1 DLC is $10 for...get ready...30 mins of content. If that. Great huh? Avoid buying it if your money is important to you.

    Just all around disappointed in this game and I've had enough from EA/Bioware.    … Expand
  29. MassEffectFShep
    Mar 8, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I had to wait a few hours after finishing the game before writing a review because I wanted to take some time to look back on ME1/ME2 and be as fair and objective as possible when collecting my thoughts on ME3. This game is amazing in several ways: (1) dialogue between familiar (and to some extent unfamiliar) characters feels more real and natural, (2) combat is a lot more interesting and, in some scenes, more challenging than both ME1 and ME2, (3) the cinematic scenes depicting various key events in the story are visually engaging and easy to connect with emotionally, (4) the romance interactions between Shepard and his/her LI is a vast improvement from both ME1 and ME2, and (5) the overall visual element of the game (the Citadel, the new worlds that you visit--Rannoch and Thessia for example, and the characters themselves) made it really easy to immerse yourself in the game. Having been a huge fan of ME1 and ME2, I was happy to see that Bioware came through in these areas. I had moments where I laughed, moments where I felt giddy, and plenty of moments where I cried (e.g., Thane's death). That being said, I was incredibly surprised at how much the ending affected me. Up until the very last moments in the game (I would say up until the part where the destroyer reaper vaporizes people around you while you painfully drag yourself toward the beam), I would have given the game a 10/10 hands down. I would have bowed down to Bioware for telling the greatest story ever told. And then there was the ending: (1) The number of plot holes left is an insult to the bajillion hours that I invested in the first two games, (2) the Deus Ex-style ending completely chaffed my soul, and (3) I received next to NO closure on all of the relationships that I've been building up until the point. What happened to the people on the citadel (e.g., Bailey, the council, etc.) What happens to my team? What happens to the two squadmates that I took with me in the final battle scene? What happens to the races that I just spent hours trying to unite in hopes of a more relevant and fitting ending? I loved the Deus Ex ending in Deus Ex because it fit with what the story was about up until the end; Mass Effect was more than just a morally ambiguous thought exercise on organic vs. synthetic existence--it's SO much more than that--so why condense it all to that? I don't need Shepard to live in the end (and I certainly don't need a happily-ever-after ending where nobody dies and everyone is all smiles at the end of the reaper invasion), but I sure as hell was under the impression that I'd have the choice. I put so much thought into paragon vs. renegade, which is arguably the main driving force in the plot up until the very last scene, and it seems like no matter what you do you are boxed into an ending that's uncomfortable, unclear, and unnervingly disappointing. I was amazed at how emotionally connected I felt to the Mass Effect series, and spent what felt like an eternity looking forward to the final part of the trilogy. In terms of ME3, I felt completely satisfied with the exception of the ending, which seemed totally out of place and unnecessarily broke my enthusiasm and passion for the game. Do I hate the entire series now because of the way it ends? No. Will I deny that all 3 games are amazing in multiple ways and have allowed me to be a part of an epic story? No. Can I jump on the 10/10 bandwagon for ME3? Absolutely not, because the ending of such a huge story is critical, and in my opinion it was an epic fail in this game. If I could go back in time, I would probably have not played the game past Shepard's last speech to his/her team--at least at that point you were excited/terrified/scared, but you also had the hope that other characters instilled in you, and the hope that you spent so much time instilling into other characters. So in the end, I can't give this game a positive review, although it kills me to know that it would have been such an easy thing to do if the ending had (a) more variation and more of an actual decision-making component to it (such that all endings aren't essentially the same--I know there is room for argument here, but I maintain that it can all boil down the same basic ending), (b) incorporated more of the choices that you have been making for the past three games, (c) more relevance to the personal side of Shepard (e.g., how Shepard has evolved over time and who Shepard has become), and (d) more closure on all of the characters, relationships, and decisions that you just spent three games experiencing. You almost did it, Bioware. So close and yet so far.… Expand
  30. JongUn
    Mar 12, 2012
    4
    Mass Effect 3 does not live up to the hype, at all. First of all, almost no graphics options. I mean what the hell? Just porting from console is so frigging lazy it makes me sick. Look at Remedy, they did it right with Alan Wake. The textures on some stuff in this game is absolutely hideous. The animations are bad (males walk really weird in this game ++). Some of the explosions and gunMass Effect 3 does not live up to the hype, at all. First of all, almost no graphics options. I mean what the hell? Just porting from console is so frigging lazy it makes me sick. Look at Remedy, they did it right with Alan Wake. The textures on some stuff in this game is absolutely hideous. The animations are bad (males walk really weird in this game ++). Some of the explosions and gun effects are really low quality. Then there is the FOV in this game, it reminds me of Resident Evil 5. Why can't you adjust ANYTHING in this game? Oh yeah, I forgot... it's a really bad console port. Also you have to use the space bar for absolutely EVERYTHING. On the plus side it has some great voice acting, interesting characters and locations. Not enough to make it worth my money though. Sadly. The last Bioware game I bought was Dragon Age 2, and yeah, I was very disappointed then as well. I hoped they would redeem themselves with this game, but I was unfortunately wrong. This is the last game I will buy from Bioware, and I can't recommend buying this game to others. If you want to play it, rent it, or buy it used on console.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

8
#8 Best PC Game of 2012
2
#2 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012
5
#5 Most Shared PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 23
  3. Negative: 0 out of 23
  1. CPUGamer
    Apr 11, 2012
    90
    BioWare captures the scale of the conflict well, but always focuses on the people involved in it. It's pretty amazing just how badly EA disregarded the heart of the game – the characters and the world – when they began their marking blitzkrieg, but don't worry, it's oh so definitely there – Day 1 DLC, controversial endings, and questionable use of resources be damned. This is a fine, lovingly crafted game with a clear vision despite the realities of corporations and damning business practices.
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  2. PC PowerPlay
    Apr 5, 2012
    80
    A game that's more shooter than role-playing, and a conclusion that's more spectacular than dramatic. [Apr 2012, p.47]
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  3. Absolute Games
    Mar 31, 2012
    85
    Finishing a trilogy is always difficult. Tying off dozens of story threads which had been woven by players into many different tapestries is a daunting task. Mass Effect 3 is the first game that succeeded at this colossal undertaking.
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