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. Templar19
    Mar 22, 2012
    8
    Overall this was an amazing and emotional game. It is a lot different from 1 and 2, the graphics are beautiful and the game play and combat are more fun, however it seems really dumbed down compared to the other games, more like a gears of war style adventure game. Had there been more rpg elements, better quests, and a better ending i would give it a 10/10, the ending did ruin the entireOverall this was an amazing and emotional game. It is a lot different from 1 and 2, the graphics are beautiful and the game play and combat are more fun, however it seems really dumbed down compared to the other games, more like a gears of war style adventure game. Had there been more rpg elements, better quests, and a better ending i would give it a 10/10, the ending did ruin the entire series for me though...… Expand
  2. makemenuconfig
    Mar 22, 2012
    0
    OK, I really loved ME1 and 2. I anxiously waited for the 3rd game and see how is it going to end, what is going to happen to the characters and the galaxy. Up until the last 5 minutes of the game, it was completely blown!

    But, suddenly, the game took a U turn and started going downhill fast.It betrayed not only me for insulting my intelligence, but it insulted the game itself. It ended    OK, I really loved ME1 and 2. I anxiously waited for the 3rd game and see how is it going to end, what is going to happen to the characters and the galaxy. Up until the last 5 minutes of the game, it was completely blown!

    But, suddenly, the game took a U turn and started going downhill fast.It betrayed not only me for insulting my intelligence, but it insulted the game itself. It ended without explaining anything or giving any kind of closure. And on top of it, it doesn't make any sense, not even for fiction standards.

    The reason I am giving a score of 0 is the ending. If I were to score the game prior to seeing the ending I would have given it a 8 or 9.    … Expand
  3. Jobles
    Mar 22, 2012
    9
    The beginning starts with that which you have been fighting to keep away from your world, the Reapers have come to Earth. Shepard has been grounded and stripped of his status because of what he did during the event of Arrival (ME2 DLC) The combat system has been improved slightly, making it easier to go from cover to cover, as well as easier running, unlike ME2, where running was nearThe beginning starts with that which you have been fighting to keep away from your world, the Reapers have come to Earth. Shepard has been grounded and stripped of his status because of what he did during the event of Arrival (ME2 DLC) The combat system has been improved slightly, making it easier to go from cover to cover, as well as easier running, unlike ME2, where running was near impossible if you're avoiding something or trying to run around corners. ME 3 allows faster, unlimited running, and you can run around corners easily, which helps if you're trying to run to much better cover. The weapons are customizable this time, as well as there being more weapons, not as many as ME1, but you receive plenty to choose from, especially if you're a PC user. The modifications are back as well, but these are limited compared to its ME1 predecessors. Story is just as good as it was before. There's certain points where, if you've played the games in succession, you will cry. On a bad note, there's some things that are not good. While throughout the game you gather Alliance strength for the final battle, it seems like gathering a lot doesn't matter. As you're fighting, you don't see the Rachni Queen's people on the ground (if you saved her). You don't see Turians, Asari, Batarians, Krogan(if you saved Wrex in the first game, and helped Wrex and the Turians become allies this game). Which is a huge let-down. I wanted to see everyone on the line with me. I wanted to go through the battles, and see these people, and creatures, fighting with me while we assaulted the ground units of the Reapers. Another bad thing is the day one DLC. Paying 10 dollars for the content locked on disc. It's a horrible business practice which companies need to STOP. The character is worth it, though, because unlike Kasumi and Zaeed, the DLC character has a story. He's interactive inside and outside the ship. You talk to him, you have choices. Your shipmates talk to him, NPCs on the Citadel talk to him at one point. If those two are worth 5 bucks, and you don't even interact with them aside from they spout something, without a conversation wheel popping up to interact with them. The DLC character for 3, has all that, and he's a great fighter. All in all, this game was great. It was almost perfect, however I do understand why people are giving this game a terrible rating. The ending(s) are why. However, almost every question is answered thanks to what is fan-researched: The Indoctrination Theory. When you finish this game, if you have questions still, go to YouTube, look up the 22 minute video Mass Effect 3 - Shepard's Indoctrination by ACAVYOS. This will explain SO MUCH. It ties into the endings easily, and it helps explain them as well. Again, this is a great game, and well worth every cent.… Expand
  4. slackrabbit
    Mar 22, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Wow - what can I say about Mass Effect 3? Well simply as the late stand up comedian George Carlin said ' you have to marvel at that level of Bull ****
    This review will take this from a business point of view. I did my MBA in turning around failing software companies back in 2002.
    In 5 minutes Bioware / EA completely destroyed the intellectual property of Mass Effect.....you have to marvel at a feat like that!
    All those 8 years building it up, millions of dollars research, creating, developing and marketing that game.
    For those that don't know, marketing games cost even more than the development itself.....and that's when you're not buying off the critics. Yep; if I was a shareholder I would be really pissed right about now.
    As an investor I would be wondering how to short their share price.
    This game fails on so many levels. All I can say is "Decide what your product is and completely rule out what your product is not". If Mass Effect 3 is a Role Playing Game, then it must by nature involve choice right up till the end.
    This game does not.
    I have heard people speck of the 'indoctrination theory'; frankly, that doesn't matter. Whether or not you are fighting indoctrination or not is irrelevant. The question is, does the game give you choice when it counts? The answer is no.
    Therefore customers, who purchase this game under the illusion that there is choice WHEN IT COUNTS! The customer does not get that choice.
    Choosing what tropical fish to buy is not a real choice; itâ    … Expand
  5. DeGinner
    Mar 22, 2012
    7
    While this game is way off the mark from ME1 and ME2 this is still a good game. The story can be a bit forced and it's clear were you are going, but I still enjoyed the journey, and the same can be said for the ending, poor ending but I enjoyed the journey to get to it. This Mass Effect is not more of a Action Shooter with RPG elements but it is competent (if not spectacular) at both.
  6. drewhoover
    Mar 22, 2012
    0
    The game is beautiful and polished, but in no meaningful way do Shepard's actions in previous games impact this game. The only difference between the three endings is the color of an explosion. Yes. You heard me. THE COLOR OF AN EXPLOSION is the fruit of your labor. There is no epilogue. I am angry that I wasted $70 on this game. ME1 and ME2 are still outstanding games, and I do not regretThe game is beautiful and polished, but in no meaningful way do Shepard's actions in previous games impact this game. The only difference between the three endings is the color of an explosion. Yes. You heard me. THE COLOR OF AN EXPLOSION is the fruit of your labor. There is no epilogue. I am angry that I wasted $70 on this game. ME1 and ME2 are still outstanding games, and I do not regret playing them, but I would be happier imagining the ending than being disappointed by the meaninglessness of my actions in ME3.… Expand
  7. ArminW
    Mar 22, 2012
    4
    The game itself is mostly a 9, with great, emotional moments, good fights, some RPG moments from part 1 brought back and overall only a few minor flaws (boring fetch quests, confusing useless journal, and one insufferable enemy with script immunity).
    But the ending is such an monumental, epic fail, that I actually have to rate that a -1. Yes, it DOES have to be negative, because, honestly,    The game itself is mostly a 9, with great, emotional moments, good fights, some RPG moments from part 1 brought back and overall only a few minor flaws (boring fetch quests, confusing useless journal, and one insufferable enemy with script immunity).
    But the ending is such an monumental, epic fail, that I actually have to rate that a -1. Yes, it DOES have to be negative, because, honestly, it not only spoils ME3, it manages to somehow spoil the entire series.
    It is way to short, badly written, shamelessly stolen from Deus Ex, makes NO sense whatsoever, it negates EVERYTHING you have done over 3 games, ignores al your choices and basically offers the same lame end sequence video with 3 different colored explosions. Unbelievably bad, and even worse if this is just a ploy to sell some kind of "epilogue DLC" later.
    So, the average between a 9 and a -1 is what I have to rate this.    … Expand
  8. kache
    Mar 22, 2012
    6
    Very nice game overall, but, as others have said, the ending is incomplete, and there are too many missing pieces that have been thought for DLC (see Javik). Enjoyable, from the beginning to the transport laser, but not even close to what it could have been, and what it should have been.
    So sad that EA ruins everything they put their hands on...
  9. Slva911
    Mar 22, 2012
    10
    Nothing less then perfection. I managed to get a copy a few days early and I never thought the story and game could top what the last two games have delivered, but this keeps getting better and better! You really do feel the weight of those decisions you made. Its great to finally see the outcome of these shaping after waiting for 5 years in curiosity as to what would happen.
  10. Triggerhappy
    Mar 22, 2012
    5
    I´d just recommend to wait with your purchase until the current controversy subsides. If you´re a fan of the series and want to play now, DO yourself a favour and look up how the game ends, spoilers or no, because you might face serious disappointment. There are polls up within Bioware´s social community that show anywhere between 80-90 percent ofI´d just recommend to wait with your purchase until the current controversy subsides. If you´re a fan of the series and want to play now, DO yourself a favour and look up how the game ends, spoilers or no, because you might face serious disappointment. There are polls up within Bioware´s social community that show anywhere between 80-90 percent of players disappointed with the ending. Just... wait. At the very least, you´ll get the game much, much cheaper one month from now. The user score is so low it´s scary, by the way, I think the game by itself still reaches a decent 5.… Expand
  11. dinombre
    Mar 22, 2012
    0
    Buen juego destrozado por el final.
    Nada importa, ni decisiones ni nada, una estafa, vamos...

    Solo se salva por que al menos la narrativa es amena y la jugabilidad buena, pero ese final... MAAAL
  12. doomleika
    Mar 22, 2012
    0
    I would give this game 9.0+ score, if Bioware did a proper ending.

    Yes, the ending, the ultimate insult to Mass Effect series and the fan. To keep it spoiler free: your choice don't matter a single bit.
  13. SignorRossi
    Mar 22, 2012
    0
    I just can't believe that this should be the ending the developers thought about all the years since part one. What I really think is that BioWare was unable to finish the game in time and was forced by EA to somehow end it for a scheduled release. It feels like all the ends we saw were originally one of multiple endings and that BioWare was forced to split it up by changing colors to fakeI just can't believe that this should be the ending the developers thought about all the years since part one. What I really think is that BioWare was unable to finish the game in time and was forced by EA to somehow end it for a scheduled release. It feels like all the ends we saw were originally one of multiple endings and that BioWare was forced to split it up by changing colors to fake a "you have the choice" situation. I blame EA for all what happened with the end of the game and it seems that this is just another proof for that this company has a greedy "quantity over quality" policy and just doesn't care about art but a lot about cash-flow. Origin, dlc on release day etc etc. I shouldn't wonder if someone at EA is crying right now that thousands of dollars from Mass Effect fans are going to a children-found and not in their pockets.… Expand
  14. JimmyWhistles
    Mar 21, 2012
    9
    I was seriously enjoying this game for 95% of the time I played it. In fact, if I could have, I would have given it an 11 out of 10. But then I reached the end. Don't worry, no spoilers, but let's just say the ending seriously leaves something to be desired. The gameplay aspect is just as good as that of Mass Effect 2, and the story itself (except the end) is nearly flawless. Mass Effect 2I was seriously enjoying this game for 95% of the time I played it. In fact, if I could have, I would have given it an 11 out of 10. But then I reached the end. Don't worry, no spoilers, but let's just say the ending seriously leaves something to be desired. The gameplay aspect is just as good as that of Mass Effect 2, and the story itself (except the end) is nearly flawless. Mass Effect 2 is absolutely my favorite game ever played, and Mass Effect 3 (Singleplayer) is a great game with a flawed ending. What bumps this game from the 8/10 I would have given it to the 9/10 I am giving it is the multiplayer. While it isn't the main focus of the game (not for me anyway), I foresee it entertaining me for a while while I rank up all the various classes. In summation, it would be a 10 from me, but the ending was flawed at best, so it's a 9.… Expand
  15. Raupao
    Mar 21, 2012
    0
    This game is great, except the Day 1 DLC AND THE LAST 20 MINUTES!
    Dumbed down EVERYTHING too, less dialogue options, less squad members, less type of missions, less interaction with characters, almost no answers, FILLED WITH PLOT HOLES. Don't buy this game, do ANYTHING but buy this game. Really, we have to let EA know we wont pup up with incomplete ridiculous endings and DAY 1 DLC.
    They    This game is great, except the Day 1 DLC AND THE LAST 20 MINUTES!
    Dumbed down EVERYTHING too, less dialogue options, less squad members, less type of missions, less interaction with characters, almost no answers, FILLED WITH PLOT HOLES. Don't buy this game, do ANYTHING but buy this game. Really, we have to let EA know we wont pup up with incomplete ridiculous endings and DAY 1 DLC.
    They lied about everything, this game is a fail, on EVERY SINGLE LEVEL.    … Expand
  16. IAmSovereign
    Mar 21, 2012
    0
  17. ninjamanppp
    Mar 21, 2012
    0
    Before ending 95/100 After ending 0/100 No replay value whatsoever since I played these games for the actual story. I would have been willing to wait longer and pay extra for a garanteed gem. Right now i feel like i wasted both money and time.
  18. Spoy
    Mar 21, 2012
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I am deeply dissapointed with all the other reviews on this site, most of them focus on one thing. or 2

    First off you don't give your rating to a game because of it's ending and it's ending only. Don't do that, nor day 1 DLC that does not matter of the quality of the game only the price.

    A good review focuses on 3 Main things

    -Graphics
    -Story
    And most importantly
    - The gameplay.

    They give all the Pros and Cons of all 3 main things.
    Now what's with the people bashing on CoD on a Mass Effect 3 Review? seriously? you can mention a game on a review only IF the game has something to do about it. But i'm afraid that Mass Effect 3 has NOTHING to do with Call Of Duty. So enough

    Now for my Review: (I will only review the singleplayer for now)

    Part 1-

    The Graphics

    The Graphics got some detail improvements that you can't really notice untill you look at it. The textures on the character resolutions are better, the shadows are crisper than mass effect 2. The level designs are sound way less linear, it gives you some space to move around in many different places, and they look good

    However, there are some 2D pictures you can see at the beggining of the game that really dissapoints you. Apparently Bioware haven't spent much time improving the background details that they should have.
    The running animation doesn't look natural, it looks more like "Creature-ish". However the Cutscene animations are better than the in-game ones.

    Summing the Graphics up

    + Higher resolution character detail
    +Better shadowing +Better level design
    - Bad Background
    - Bad In-game animations

    Lets go to the Story Part

    The Space Opera is back with another good story, but let's not jump to the ending now ok?

    Mass Effect 3 Story overall gives ou a bunch of hard decisions that may change your game ending forever, the story may develop differently along the choices you make along the game.
    Yes not all things that you did on ME2 or ME1 matter on the final game. but some REALLY do per example some Things related to legion might bring you peace between the Quarians and the Geth.

    Giving you 2 powerfull allies for the battle of the Earth.
    The most thrilling and exciting parts of the game are the quiet ones, they actually make you feel like if you were commander Shepard. The cutscenes are very well made and match with the soundtrack that gives it it's proper feel.

    Now the ending was a major Dissapointment to everyone who played it, there are multiple plotholes and the lack of choices in it.

    Story Overall

    +Variety of decisions (before the ending)
    +Good cutscenes.
    +Good Quiet parts of the game with excelent Combination of soundtrack
    - Bad Endings
    - Only a few of the decisions you make on the previous games matter a bunch Gameplay: The gameplay is the same as mass effect 2 with some improvements Like a better melee combat, Variety of modifiable weapons and armor. Letting you customize your shepard as you want. and a better level geometry, not so linear anymore. But the AI is dumb as always +Better melee combat +Modifying weapons and armor +Better levels -Bad AI I'll give Mass Effect 3 an 8 out of 10 because that's what i think it deserves because selling DLC on day 1 SHOULDN'T involve on reviews    … Expand
  19. textor44
    Mar 21, 2012
    7
    I've been playing Mass Effect since the first game came out. Before even playing Mass Effect 3, I went through the trouble of replaying the first and second game just so that I could remind myself of the story in full, as well as ensure that all the choices I wanted to have imported were made properly by the character I was bringing into the game.

    So, did I enjoy Mass Effect 3? Yes. The    I've been playing Mass Effect since the first game came out. Before even playing Mass Effect 3, I went through the trouble of replaying the first and second game just so that I could remind myself of the story in full, as well as ensure that all the choices I wanted to have imported were made properly by the character I was bringing into the game.

    So, did I enjoy Mass Effect 3? Yes. The game had decent writing (with an exception that I will elaborate on later in the review) and the tone of urgency was present throughout the entire game. The voice acting was superb, as usual, and there were even some moments that had me laughing hysterically, and other parts that caused me to really feel a sadness as events occurred involving characters I had grown quite fond of.

    Multiplayer was added into the game this time around, and I'm not sure I really agree with that decision. Mass Effect was always a single-player experience, and the multiplayer seems almost as if it was simply a way for EA to make more money, as you would have to purchase new equipment packs from them with a "Customizable Card Game" expansion feel to it-- a bunch of "common" items in the pack, with a chance for some rare ones. Playing with other players is a bit fun, however, but with the matching system giving me matches where I'm fighting along side level 18 characters, and dying horribly, it can get old rather fast. In addition, making this a "requirement" to increase your galactic readiness rating is also very annoying, as you have to invest a massive amount of effort to increase and maintain the rating. Alternatively, you can get the games they released for the iOS platform to assist in this, but without having the android versions available on the day of release, it gives an advantage to those who can afford Apple's products to play the games with their equipment.

    Finally, we come to the ending. This is the exact reason why the game did not get a higher rating from me, other than my issues with the multiplayer and "galaxy at war" systems:

    The ending was an insult. As long as you bothered to invest the time into getting the numbers for the war as high as you can, you will have three options, of which I will not go into the details in order to keep spoilers out of the review, instead referring to them by colors, since those who have played the game will know what I refer to without revealing anything.

    The blue ending, to me, stood against what my character fought for in the three games, so I didn't feel that would work properly. The red ending would have destroyed some of the things that I had worked very long and hard to achieve, starting all the way back in the second game, and also violating the principles that my character had fought long and hard to achieve. This left the green ending for me, which was, essentially, the least of three evils for me.

    After my choice, I had looked up the other two endings, to see what they were like... and I was appalled. Essentially the same footage was used for each one, with just the colors I mentioned being more prominent in each, and which characters you see changing a bit. To me, this was the height of laziness and an insult to myself. When I looked up the other options, I expected to see vastly divergent videos, instead of "choose which color you like best." In addition NONE of the three endings really showed an epilogue of what happened. Ok, you saved the galaxy! Now what? We won't tell you!

    So, was the game worth playing? I'd say yes. The gameplay itself was enjoyable, and with a few exceptions, it was a satisfying experience overall. They did wrap up the storyline of several characters, and answered a few questions that had been lingering, and at one point even gave a very satisfying historical lesson on the Morning War (the first war between the robotic Geth race and their creators, the Quarians), and the results of some of your earliest choices in the first game do come back to have some nice effects. In addition, they also took a subtle approach to addressing some complaints caused by bugs in Mass Effect 2 (your super-fan referencing an import bug preventing him from responding properly to what you did in the first game, for instance).

    Bioware has released a statement saying they would take the fan backlash on the endings seriously, and attempt to address them. If they do this, and create a new ending that allows players that were fans of the game since the beginning to feel as if their choices really mattered in the end, then I believe that Mass Effect 3 has the potential to be the best in the series. If these concerns are not addressed, however, Bioware's historically positive list of games will forever have a dissatisfying footnote next to what should have been the pinnacle of one of their most ambitious properties.    … Expand
  20. MrFistr
    Mar 21, 2012
    1
    I'm really sad with what BioWare/EA have done to the Mass Effect franchise. After playing the first ME, I was totally into the series - and I'm NOT a single-player RPG type of gamer. I anxiously awaited ME2 - which I personally thought was a pretty damn good sequel to the first. It was more polished, with the use of Spacebar functions for movement, cover, etc. Unfortunately, ME3 was aI'm really sad with what BioWare/EA have done to the Mass Effect franchise. After playing the first ME, I was totally into the series - and I'm NOT a single-player RPG type of gamer. I anxiously awaited ME2 - which I personally thought was a pretty damn good sequel to the first. It was more polished, with the use of Spacebar functions for movement, cover, etc. Unfortunately, ME3 was a total disaster; It looked rushed, animations looked clunky (which I immediately noticed as soon as I started playing the beta) and the writing was just terrible. A big disappointment !… Expand
  21. Mcmod
    Mar 21, 2012
    10
    I really enjoyed this game! Nice graphic Awesome Effects and wonderful soundtrack! This is a very good game but it has got some bugs... But the gameplay is better than Mass Effect 2...
  22. Kenathon
    Mar 21, 2012
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game is good, don't get me wrong. Compared to its predecessors ME3 has an improved and enjoyable interface, the shooting fells good, the story is amazing and the dramatic moments in the game are touching. Everything is well done, except the endings. I will try not to spoil too much, but let's say that every ending is basic the same thing, just in different colors. It's like Bioware didn't give a damn about the ending, not a damn about how much you work to gather an army to get better chances of survival! No matter what you do, the endings are the same!
    *SPOILER* : In every ending, the Mass Relays are destroyed and your Shepard dies(except for one ending which you can get after you play the game again with an ME3 import, also known as the plus mode for the game, or so it is called by the people I know). Some people think that Shepard should have lived, I would have been happy to but I was already prepared to suffer the pain caused by his death, so that wasn't a problem for me and it shouldn't be a problem for anyone else. Shepard is sacrificing himself for the sake of the galaxy, that isn't something wrong to do. The problem is this:

    Every ending is refusing to answer the questions everyone is having:

    1. What happened to my companions?
    2. What happened to the galaxy?
    3. What happened with the armies stuck on Earth?
    4. Did the destruction of the Mass Relays killed everyone on the planets near them like it did with the batarians?
    6. How did that old man in the end knew what I did in the citadel?

    And many more questions. So after what I said here, I have to ask you:
    Why would Bioware do something like this to the game and series everyone loves? Why did Bioware worked so much on the story if the current endings apparently do not need one? Is it because they want to launch a Mass Effect 4? Is it because they want to launch a DLC to clarify everything? Is it because they don't care anymore? No matter the answer, the game in its current state does not deserve to be bought because it is going to be a huge disappointment to everyone who looked for the end of the story and answers. If you just want a good 3rd. person shooter then it will satisfy your expectations.

    I really hope Bioware fixes the endings.    … Expand
  23. cullaxthefirst
    Mar 21, 2012
    0
    what the hell? Does this website not believe in paragraphs? I just seperated everything I wrote and it was still all jammed together. Too long didn't read, is the main reason no one reads user reviews.
  24. IronGuy410
    Mar 21, 2012
    9
    It's embarrassing that so many people just looking for something to hate in a game this good are willing to go on websites and give 0 scores just because the games ending isn't the one they specifically would have wanted. The truth is, while the game is somewhat streamlined even when compared to the last one, the combat is just right, the graphics are actually quite jaw-dropping, the storyIt's embarrassing that so many people just looking for something to hate in a game this good are willing to go on websites and give 0 scores just because the games ending isn't the one they specifically would have wanted. The truth is, while the game is somewhat streamlined even when compared to the last one, the combat is just right, the graphics are actually quite jaw-dropping, the story throughout the entire game is thrilling, extremely emotional and more epic than ever before, the voice acting is as great as the previous games, the co-op is surprisingly good and ties in well with the story, the whole game itself is 30 hours long and very replayable and the ending, which is where most of the hate seems to be directed , in my opinion does a great job of closing this incredible sci-fi trilogy.… Expand
  25. Robbie1982
    Mar 21, 2012
    10
    I gave this game 10/10 on the Xbox review, and reading some comments. The galactic readiness meter needs to be patched. I have realised it is pointless. U work really hard to get everyone into the fight, making important decisions and completing sidequests. And the readiness meter stays at 50% !! Till u go kill some stuff in multiplayer, where u can conviiently spend lots of Bioware (EAI gave this game 10/10 on the Xbox review, and reading some comments. The galactic readiness meter needs to be patched. I have realised it is pointless. U work really hard to get everyone into the fight, making important decisions and completing sidequests. And the readiness meter stays at 50% !! Till u go kill some stuff in multiplayer, where u can conviiently spend lots of Bioware (EA Points) on weapons packs. That is a huge fault with this game. That can be patched tomorrow in a flash (although I ran into a few bugs so maybe that is this ?)Despite this, and my last mission having a depressing casualty count. I Would still score this game 8. The more I think about it - what a huge flaw. But it is so incredibly easy to patch. Just make it possible to get single player readiness to 90% and politely tell us when that is reached to go play some multiplayer.… Expand
  26. johnson5
    Mar 21, 2012
    0
    I rarely review anything, I prefer to enjoy things myself (after paying such a large amount of money, for my income). But Mass Effect 3, just destroyed many things I was proud of about the whole series.

    First of all, beware of buying the game because of Origin. A blunt attempt to battle Valve, a bad one at that. Secondly, connecting the multiplayer portion of the game to your personal    I rarely review anything, I prefer to enjoy things myself (after paying such a large amount of money, for my income). But Mass Effect 3, just destroyed many things I was proud of about the whole series.

    First of all, beware of buying the game because of Origin. A blunt attempt to battle Valve, a bad one at that.

    Secondly, connecting the multiplayer portion of the game to your personal single-player experience and directly influencing your final score (thus the endings you can get), is just an awful way to promote the multiplayer part. And it's not even a small addition to the score...

    That doesn't mean much though, because as thousands have said before me, the ending is just despicable. Plot holes, no personal influence, not making much sense, seriously rushed and totally disappointing to anyone who has actually connected with the game. People are actually thinking of alternative theories, just to fool themselves that the ending was logical.

    This really feels like Dragon Age 2 (which had 5 dungeons in total and they were recycled in every way), Bioware having disappointed once again.    … Expand
  27. Lacsapix
    Mar 21, 2012
    9
    A great game with an amazing story. The feeling you get when you interact with these huge decisions is unlike anything I've experienced in a game. The reason this game isn't earning a 10 is the ending but that subject has been discussed by many other reviewers.
    The ending is just a dent in a sphere with a very solid core underneath.
  28. LEGION3000
    Mar 21, 2012
    1
    What happened to Bioware? Where did you go wrong? The once proud creators of 3 of the best RPGs in all of gaming (KOTOR, ME1, DA:O) have become the peddlers of mindless garbage like Mass Effect 3 and DA2. The whole idea of Mass Effect was the 'EFFECT' part. Your actions are supposed to effect the outcome of the game, and the series. This game literally takes every decision you haveWhat happened to Bioware? Where did you go wrong? The once proud creators of 3 of the best RPGs in all of gaming (KOTOR, ME1, DA:O) have become the peddlers of mindless garbage like Mass Effect 3 and DA2. The whole idea of Mass Effect was the 'EFFECT' part. Your actions are supposed to effect the outcome of the game, and the series. This game literally takes every decision you have made in the previous games, laughs at them and then flushes them down the toilet. Sometimes just strait up telling you, "no you didn't choose to kill that guy last time because we feel he is important to the story we are trying to cram down your gullet! But you can choose which one of your companions you want to boink, even the gay one! LOOK HOW EDGY AND COOL WE ARE!"

    This game is an insult and a travesty to anyone that played the games before. At least Bioware had the decency to change main characters before ruining Dragon Age. The graphics look good some of the time, and the song in the purgatory club has a good Daft Punk beat. Otherwise play Mass Effect 1 and 2 again and just imagine the end of ME2 is the ending of the series, you will be far far happier than the choose your death ending of ME3    … Expand
  29. devil_92
    Mar 21, 2012
    9
    i will simply say that it is an awesome game,Bioware listend to the feedback from mass effect 2 and highly improved the general gameplay,and added many customisation options that was lacking in mass effect 2 there is just 1 negative thing i can say about mass effect 3 and that is the bad ending,other then that it was great,multiplayer great,series great, totally worth the money i put downi will simply say that it is an awesome game,Bioware listend to the feedback from mass effect 2 and highly improved the general gameplay,and added many customisation options that was lacking in mass effect 2 there is just 1 negative thing i can say about mass effect 3 and that is the bad ending,other then that it was great,multiplayer great,series great, totally worth the money i put down on the digital deluxe edition :)… Expand
  30. Redwing2b
    Mar 21, 2012
    7
    I will not deny the fact that the game is a great game and so is the series, but with one major issue. I don't remember any of all the great moments of the series or the 3rd game. Why? All I remember is the last 20 minutes and the ending and how I was left feeling like something was seriously wrong. I wont spoil it, but the choices we all made shaping our characters all boil down to justI will not deny the fact that the game is a great game and so is the series, but with one major issue. I don't remember any of all the great moments of the series or the 3rd game. Why? All I remember is the last 20 minutes and the ending and how I was left feeling like something was seriously wrong. I wont spoil it, but the choices we all made shaping our characters all boil down to just three possible ending choices. Each choice is literally identical to each other save for the color. I mean literally the only difference is the color. For those who have not played yet you will see exactly what I mean when you get there and see the ending. Save for a few very slight differences. I will not say that the endings are totally bad, but that only works if the theories running around out there end up being true. The plot holes are too many to just be written off as this is the ending deal with it. Things do not make any sense, and we the players are left feeling totally put out by the series we love so much. All the choices, all the customization, all the freedom we had through the entire series are all thrown away in the ending. What we are left with is a hollow shell of what the Mass Effect series really has been. The signs are there that something is wrong with the ending. The tone, the feel, the way it pushes the player into literally a corner and says here make a choice that ultimately doesn't take into account all the choices and hard work you did over the course of three games. I was left searching for clues, much like everyone else, I was talking, searching, and sharing my thoughts on the game and the ending. So I must give props to Bioware and EA, if you wanted us all talking about the ending and the game long after it was over, you did it, but not in a positive way I'm sad to say. Sure the reviews on Metacritic can be flooded with BS bad reviews, but the real reviews I think are easy to spot. I loved the Mass Effect series and I recommend people play the 3rd game, its amazing and really makes the player feel part of the entire situation. It's just lost right at the end and it makes me sad to say that honestly. I rated it a 7 because the ending took so much away from the experience it literally made me upset. All the fun, all the deep enriching choices, all the torment over making hard choices, it all was leading to a final battle that ultimately was a let down, with little to no closure. I wanted to see the forces I worked to bring into the fight actually kicking some butt. I wanted to see the entire race of beings come in and unleash fury on the reapers, but I say none of that, instead I get a great space building to a battle that just sorta fades away. The ending for me was not bad per say but it clearly was wrong in how it feels. Something is missing, something is wrong, something more is coming. This can't be the end, it just feels so terribly wrong. When I look back on the experience I say it was worth it, but I struggle now to remember all the great and tough moments all because the ending clouds it all up. Makes me sad, and I pray that I am right in that there is something more the developers intended that is coming, I pray.… Expand
  31. makdrumz
    Mar 21, 2012
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I over-enjoyed the game. My mistake is that I gave this game an early 10... That is until the moment the harbinger laser hit the party. Honestly i am holding myself a lot not to go berserk and start swearing. So i will keep it...civilized. It not about Shepard's bad fate. I kinda liked it that he died to save the galaxy at any case. What i don't like at all is the whole "Lost" concept. The last 15 minutes of the game IS NOT mass effect. It is a combination of poetry, lucid dreaming, huge (black hole size) plot holes and the message you get after the credits " Congratulations, Shepard destroyed the Reapers and saved the galaxy. You may now continue to play DLC and **** and then you can play just before the attack on Cerberus Base. This proves that there is no "indoctrination" concept and that the end is as it is. I am extremely frustrated with Bioware. You destroyed the trilogy by creating 15 minutes of a total confusion. Maybe the reapers indoctrinated the Bioware staff so they couldn't finish the game. Not to comment the day one DLC: From Ashes. Aye...From Asses that is... Since its coming from EA its definitely " FROM ASSES". Fix it now. Not asking, not petitioning, but...DEMANDING.… Expand
  32. Deacz
    Mar 21, 2012
    1
    yea its not worth a 1 but more like a 5 or soo but im still giving it a 1 to prove a point. Where to begin?, once again a **** console port, thats a lot bioware. On my way to the end i had 2 game stoping bugs, one with the dlc that wouldnt let me watch videos and another one with the main game that required a reboot. Also sound and video would bugg out at times, In the end this is a fairlyyea its not worth a 1 but more like a 5 or soo but im still giving it a 1 to prove a point. Where to begin?, once again a **** console port, thats a lot bioware. On my way to the end i had 2 game stoping bugs, one with the dlc that wouldnt let me watch videos and another one with the main game that required a reboot. Also sound and video would bugg out at times, In the end this is a fairly shallow rail shooter with a ok story, great production values, and a horrible ending.

    Thumbs up for the multi player tho, almost the best part of the game. short and shallow as it is.    … Expand
  33. Armis
    Mar 21, 2012
    7
    Just echoing what I'm sure many others have said. The game itself is OK. It's not nearly the 10 that bought off critics seem to be giving it. It's simply a mediocre shooter with above average dialogue. But. The ending. Not only is it amazingly bad, but in order to make it even slightly less **** you'd have to grind at the horde-mode multi-player. In a single-player game. Boycotting BiowareJust echoing what I'm sure many others have said. The game itself is OK. It's not nearly the 10 that bought off critics seem to be giving it. It's simply a mediocre shooter with above average dialogue. But. The ending. Not only is it amazingly bad, but in order to make it even slightly less **** you'd have to grind at the horde-mode multi-player. In a single-player game. Boycotting Bioware from now on.… Expand
  34. DeonCadme
    Mar 21, 2012
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I just finished it 5 minutes ago and wish I could give it a better review because it was a Mass Effect game but I cannot. The biggest reason is the story; it has big holes, really poor pacing, poor content and threads strangling themselves or mutating into monsters. The child in the beginning of the game is a strange choice, someone at Bioware seem to think that a random child which we have absolutely no emotional connection to will trigger an automatic, emotional reaction... especially when he annoys you because he completely brakes up the pacing during the attack on earth. Then the child haunts your dreams in the game and return as the face for the lord of the reapers at the end of the game. They also try to force feed us a childrens' horror story that synthetic life always take over at the end... what? What happened with coexistence? And it just goes on and on... A lot of amateur writers out there could have developed a better and much more coherent story.
    Another thing that annoyed me is that they pulled a Fallout 3 on us, did no one at Bioware read the news some years ago? Shephard is killed at the end so they travel back in time after the game is finished, just before you launch the final attack on the Reapers so that they can sell us DLC... These are major reasons why I gave the game a poor score and I hope that Bioware finally listen on their community for once. I will be careful before spend any money on another Bioware, fastfood game because all I see in this game is that they want to harvest our wallets.
    Other reasons that I pulled down the score is the uneven graphics... I have a decent 3D card (GTX 560) so the game looks beautiful in my personal opinion and this is why I absolutely do not understand why they had to add low quality movie sequences? They should have kept everything in-game so that quality stayed on a constant, higher level and it is also a lot more friendly to editing so... no idea why they did it.
    I also do not understand why they fed us a half-assed multiplayer mode? They could have used that time to polish the game instead. I do not mind multiplayer though, it fits the Mass Effect universe but it would have made a lot more sense as a separate product where it could have received a lot more attention.
    I really leave this game behind me with mixed feelings but the part that probably bugs me the most is that I do not feel that end was good. Mass Effect 3 deserved a better ending and the previous games centered a lot around the interaction with the teammates. It would have felt a lot better if Shephard lived so that you had a last chance to interact with the teammates and have a proper conclusion surrounding them. Especially those that you interacted the most with like Joker, Garrus and Tali in my case...    … Expand
  35. Tristaaz
    Mar 21, 2012
    5
    Boring side-quests, to much repeating. Did not feel the characters, to little time with the ME2 characters. Bugging cut-scenes were heads are turned to the side when having conversations and sometimes just see a wall. Allot of the voice-sounds are gone, use subtitles! Wrong textures., supposed to come on different act. Sometimes strange conversations, were you dont know what they areBoring side-quests, to much repeating. Did not feel the characters, to little time with the ME2 characters. Bugging cut-scenes were heads are turned to the side when having conversations and sometimes just see a wall. Allot of the voice-sounds are gone, use subtitles! Wrong textures., supposed to come on different act. Sometimes strange conversations, were you dont know what they are talking about, like you talking with a different guy. These little mistakes destroys the total experience. Going from ME1 and ME2 to this is a scandal! Seems like Bioware are tired of Mass Effect and now so am I. Not interested in DLCs after this shaite.… Expand
  36. ryan_howard
    Mar 21, 2012
    10
    Bioware has once again provided a excelent game with mass effect 3. From the amazing storyline, to the perfected shooter experience, the new customizable weapons, and the multiplayer that to be honest i was a little worried about they have came through once again and provided a great game that I would recommend to anyone.
  37. makseffect
    Mar 21, 2012
    5
    the game Mass Effect is excellent, but Mass Effect is a complete disappointment (((In the pursuit of a new audience Bioware f*** up a second time and this time of thing will not spoil. As a fan of the first part I do not believe them anymore. Let them do simulations gay. It's what they are now able to
  38. WHITECJ2OW
    Mar 20, 2012
    1
    I would like to start my review by asking you, as a review reader, what makes a story GOOD. Well first lets look at some "good" stories......pick any 10, any 10 will do. Now look for a common theme, a common element that they all contain that plays an integral part in it's enjoyment and goodness. The ending. For a story to be good, the ending has to be good, and if you are wondering yesI would like to start my review by asking you, as a review reader, what makes a story GOOD. Well first lets look at some "good" stories......pick any 10, any 10 will do. Now look for a common theme, a common element that they all contain that plays an integral part in it's enjoyment and goodness. The ending. For a story to be good, the ending has to be good, and if you are wondering yes cliffhangers can and are good for the most part when necessary. Now with that in mind, let me just sum it up: Mass Effect 3 Does not have a good ending. Notice how i did not type ending as a plural because to be completely honest all the endings are the same. They truly are. Without going into much detail I recommend you keep this in mind because other than the ending this game is 9/10, or 10/10 on a good day no doubt. But the atrocity of the ending just overshadows and takes away the replay-ability of the game and as such I do feel a 1 is truly needed for this review to be effective.… Expand
  39. maverikki
    Mar 20, 2012
    10
    Mass Effect as a series deserves a score higher than that is on the scale. First one was quite clumsy and the second one had some annoying bits, but the series made me care about the characters in them. The final episode built on that and did it well. I haven't had this kind of emotional connection to a game since Planescape: Torment. Truly a terrific game. 10/10
  40. 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
  41. asbo604
    Mar 20, 2012
    4
    OK, ill try to write this as an impartial gamer who loved the ME series and view this as a stand alone game.

    ****SPOLIERS**** The game is good. Its not amazing but its damn good. I liked the improved customisation with weapons I liked the increase in typed of weapons etc. I liked the story (excluding the end) some of the characters who I had grown to care for and love had some    OK, ill try to write this as an impartial gamer who loved the ME series and view this as a stand alone game.

    ****SPOLIERS****

    The game is good. Its not amazing but its damn good. I liked the improved customisation with weapons I liked the increase in typed of weapons etc. I liked the story (excluding the end) some of the characters who I had grown to care for and love had some amazing, emotional endings. I can live with the sacrifice theme running through the game and it suits the story.
    I dont really care about graphics if the story and gameplay is good so Im not gonna bother here. Problems I had with the game are I missed having 1 or 2 of the previous characters from ME2 on my team. But they featured in the game so I can live with that. I didnt really like JAMES or what ever he was called. Didnt get the character, and looking at all the great characters we already had, I think it was a waist to have him take up a slot. Just seemed pointless.

    I was dissapointed with the whole building up your fleets etc and thought it would be something like DA. Origins where you could choose to deploy them some how or even see them in different combat movies depending on what resources you collected. So this was again a bit of a waist.

    Finally, the ending. Its all been covered before. I could live with sad ending. Hell I could live with sacrificing Shep. But not in every ending! Not to mention all the other complaints about plot holes, (why was the Normandy running away?) Closure is the best way to describe what I need with this.

    I have devoured any information regarding the ending I could, but I think people are being too clever and giving too much credit to writers. I just think it was a lazy ending.

    until the ending this is an 8 or 9 out of 10 game. but the ending can not be ignored. unfortunately

    Play the game, by all means, you need to. But get it second hand, then maybe Bioware/EA will start to learn not to cut corners.    … Expand
  42. Gus21
    Mar 20, 2012
    8
    Let me clarify at this point that I have always been a big sci-fi fan in all forms it comes (I love star trek, Arthur Clarke and Isaac Asimov novels etc) so I became in love with the ME universe since the 10 first gameplay minutes of the first one. I bought the game 3 days after its European release so I was full of user critic terror about it's quality. Now that I have complete it I couldLet me clarify at this point that I have always been a big sci-fi fan in all forms it comes (I love star trek, Arthur Clarke and Isaac Asimov novels etc) so I became in love with the ME universe since the 10 first gameplay minutes of the first one. I bought the game 3 days after its European release so I was full of user critic terror about it's quality. Now that I have complete it I could say that it really was a descent and fun game to play. Yes, there were bugs. Yes, there are plot holes. Yes, the all multiplayer thing is a mess. Yes, it has lost almost all the RPG elements ME1 used to have. But it was Mass Effect all right. The story and cutscenes are amazing, the gameplay and graphics are great (if you don't like many explosions and surround sound effects in your game you should ask for Steel Magnolias: The game).The hardcore-RPG fans may wait in tremor for their beloved upcoming point-and-click action of Diablo 3 but they have no right to call it â… Expand
  43. Luxangel7
    Mar 20, 2012
    0
    The game itself is pretty good, not great, not awesome, pretty good. That's it. But the ending. Oh my God the ending. If you have been playing Mass Effect DONT PLAY THIS ONE. The ending will utterly leave you in complete shock and dismay at the sheer level of laziness, stupidity, condescension, and incoherent plot holes that you will find in the ending. Literally EVERYTHING about theThe game itself is pretty good, not great, not awesome, pretty good. That's it. But the ending. Oh my God the ending. If you have been playing Mass Effect DONT PLAY THIS ONE. The ending will utterly leave you in complete shock and dismay at the sheer level of laziness, stupidity, condescension, and incoherent plot holes that you will find in the ending. Literally EVERYTHING about the ending is completely GOD AWFUL. Stay away from this piece of shi*. First they make us pay for "DLC" to have the prothean squadmate, that hackers reveal is already on the disc and no one needed to pay for it, and now this??? Just vote with your wallets and stay away from this horrible horrible middle finger to the fans.… Expand
  44. Veto
    Mar 20, 2012
    8
    I absolutely loved ME3. Best in trilogy, boy what a journey. They really pulled it off. Large scale epicness all the way. Really blew me away. I had not expected that at all. And I don't understand the hate about the ending at all. I loved the ending and seeing what happened to the Normandy (without spoiling anything).

    One aspect of the game that's really disappointing is the Multiplayer    I absolutely loved ME3. Best in trilogy, boy what a journey. They really pulled it off. Large scale epicness all the way. Really blew me away. I had not expected that at all. And I don't understand the hate about the ending at all. I loved the ending and seeing what happened to the Normandy (without spoiling anything).

    One aspect of the game that's really disappointing is the Multiplayer though. Huge letdown. It almost made me cry. We don't need another damn survival game with endless of enemy waves, with no real purpose. It gets real old, real fast. No dedicated servers, no chat system(besides voice), no real goal, stupid random unlocking system. Different enemies, yes, but in the end it makes no different. Different maps, yes, but in the end they're exactly the same in different colors and backgrounds.

    Where's the co-op missions? cause this can't be it. I really hope it will be added later on. If you're gonna add Multiplayer, you better do it right!    … Expand
  45. dmjrnbsn
    Mar 20, 2012
    0
    One of the most profoundly disappointing endings to any story in any medium. The writers removed the cornerstone in which the entire story was built upon - choice and consequence. So, the entire building comes crashing down at the end. In the end, none of the choices your character makes throughout three games matter. All the relationships you've built are meaningless. There is noOne of the most profoundly disappointing endings to any story in any medium. The writers removed the cornerstone in which the entire story was built upon - choice and consequence. So, the entire building comes crashing down at the end. In the end, none of the choices your character makes throughout three games matter. All the relationships you've built are meaningless. There is no closure in the relationships made, whether between LIs or squad mates. They never come to fruition, and there is no resolution. ME3 was advertised to have a multitude of outcomes based upon players' choices. That's what originally made the Mass Effect franchise such a great success. The finale should have raised the player to great heights or taken the player to despair... and everywhere between based upon the consequences of the player's decisions throughout the entirety of the series(Paragon, Renegade, or somewhere in between). BioWare should have finished their remarkable work on the strengths that it was built on. Choice and consequence. It seemed like a given, but...

    You leave the game feeling complete and utter disappointment. It is truly remarkable how an ending can be so profoundly and remarkably bad. It truly destroys the franchise entirely. This is not an easy thing to say, as I've loved the series from the start. There is no replay value at all.

    BioWare has ruined years of work in the last ten minutes on what should have been one of the greatest RPGs of all time. It will be a study in the future on how not to end a story franchise.    … Expand
  46. Jute
    Mar 20, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. SPOILER ALERT*** This game played fairly well, was interesting enough, and seemed to be fulfilling the 3 story arch's conclusion nicely. Not cutting edge or even inspired graphics at times, but great voice acting and pretty good cut scenes. Sure, the cut scenes got to be a bit much sometimes, making the game feel way too cinematic and not enough like an RPG, but we all knew the payout would be the resolution of the Reaper threat based on all the things we had done before. Then the developers got lazy, rushed, or both, and put out an ending which has been discussed extensively and yes, sucks every bit as much as the other reviewers said. It is a complete ripoff of the Battlestar Galactica ending as well - only done very poorly on what seemed to suddenly be a shoestring budget. Other things that will annoy you: You HAVE to download Origin, EA's game portal and online management system, in order to play. If this is the wave of the future for PC gaming, count me out. Steam worked just fine for the other 25 games I have, why make me switch to Origin for their 3rd installment? Also, finding resources on planets is so boring that you'll wish it was automated. Each planet has 1 location, which you mouse around to and fire a probe at. That's it. But really, it is the ending that will have you wishing you had never bought into the hype 3 games ago. They are all substantially the same, and all completely dumb. Seriously, the best explanation is that the producers were out of time, had just watched Battlestar Galactica, and said, "Let's force the players into an ending like that! They'll love feeling like they've been shoehorned into the end of such a great series. What? This is supposed to be at least slightly based on their decisions and input over 3 games? Bull! We're the creators and we get to decide what the ending is that we force upon them." Also note, many people think that we as gamers are just whining. (See the comments of some guy from WEDBUSH Securities, Michael Pachter, in this article: http://www.technewsworld.com/story/74668.html)
    Wrong. We paid a bunch of money and spent a bunch of time on this game because they made an explicit representation of it as a game where the ending would be based on your decisions. It wasn't. At all. Period. We're not whining. We're pissed and we want our money and our time back. And no, EA, charging me more money for a DLC that abates some of the colossal suckiness of this game is not a fix. Having great plans for the future of the game and stringing me along while you suck up my hard earned cash is also not a solution. How about releasing a game that resolves the plot based on our input, like you said you would when we started this journey, and I started handing over my cash, 5 years ago?    … Expand
  47. mammary_glands
    Mar 20, 2012
    7
    For the most part, Mass Effect 3 is a beautiful and functional game through and through (save for a rushed feeling and ultimately disappointing end-game and some awful game import bugs that still need addressing). Even the multiplayer gameplay was better than expected. If not for said disappointing ending, ME3 would be the best title in the franchise so far. With some DLC andFor the most part, Mass Effect 3 is a beautiful and functional game through and through (save for a rushed feeling and ultimately disappointing end-game and some awful game import bugs that still need addressing). Even the multiplayer gameplay was better than expected. If not for said disappointing ending, ME3 would be the best title in the franchise so far. With some DLC and acknowledgment from EA/Bioware over a few hiccups, ME3 could easily be elevated to a 10 (a rating it otherwise deserves).… Expand
  48. PapaShroom
    Mar 20, 2012
    10
    An absolutely amazing finish to one of the greatest sci-fi trilogy's ever. The game brings all of what makes Mass Effect 1 and Mass Effect 2 great and rolls it up into one epic game. For all of you who dont understand the ending you really should open your eyes a bit more. This game was incredible this entire series was amazing and will be lauded for years to come.
  49. Shaksie
    Mar 20, 2012
    10
    Firstly I must dismiss the cretinous reviews from most of the people that I've seen.
    Yes this game's dialogue isn't as good as the others but it still vastly surpasses that of other games, RPGs and shooters alike.
    The day one DLC was also a little annoying but it doesn't diminish the game at all, it makes the content included feel more exclusive thus important. Terrible graphics? What are    Firstly I must dismiss the cretinous reviews from most of the people that I've seen.
    Yes this game's dialogue isn't as good as the others but it still vastly surpasses that of other games, RPGs and shooters alike.
    The day one DLC was also a little annoying but it doesn't diminish the game at all, it makes the content included feel more exclusive thus important.
    Terrible graphics? What are you talking about, the graphics was vastly overhauled from it's predecessor, Mass Effect 2. The combat element has also been vastly improved to cater for the FPS junkies, don't get me wrong I did not appreciate this but it didn't diminish the RPG element in any way.
    The choices in Mass Effects 1 and 2 have a very profound impact on this game, I don't know what you people are talking about. Have you even played the game?
    The only reason this game is not one of the best trilogy climax games is because of the less sophisticated RPG element and dialogue in relation to the first and second, however it is still better than most games'.
    The multiplayer greatly adds to the feel of the game and with a little bit of work (especially on the connection and playable race/class/gender combinations) it could be extremely enjoyable and have a very positive impact on the game.
    However I was a little disappointed with the lack of dialogue sophistication and the choices were slightly less prudent than the predecessors, good effort Bioware but please don't diminish the RPG element if you want to increase the combat quality.
    Thanks, Shaksie.    … Expand
  50. outlawJW13
    Mar 20, 2012
    1
    Shepherd lies disgraced

    Bad end ruined good story

    I am heartbroken

    I can't put my disappointment into words greatest game ever razed to the ground by it's own ending. If you enjoyed the other games avoid this one until they fix the end. Check out retake mass effect on facebook and twitter.
  51. luke10123
    Mar 20, 2012
    9
    I feel compelled to give Mass Effect 3 a quick review trying to avoid repeating what everyone else has already said. i felt I had to say something mainly to counteract the shameless review-bombing the game seems to be getting everywhere, which I feel is undeserved. First, let's consider the game.
    NOT the ending, but the game.
    It's technically sound, the graphics are nice, performance is    I feel compelled to give Mass Effect 3 a quick review trying to avoid repeating what everyone else has already said. i felt I had to say something mainly to counteract the shameless review-bombing the game seems to be getting everywhere, which I feel is undeserved. First, let's consider the game.
    NOT the ending, but the game.
    It's technically sound, the graphics are nice, performance is excellent on high settings, the cover-based shooting (while not as good as some pure 3rd person shooters) is better than it's ever been. The missions themselves are a lot of fun and dead interesting, the only exception being the missions on unexplored planets but these are short enough that they don't get annoying. I have to point out, that I have NO IDEA what people are on about with auto-dialogue, honestly not a clue, my conversation wheel was there in all it's 6-sided glory. I also liked how the game remembered all my little decisions dating back to the original ME, it was a really great touch that i would love to see more in games. In almost every way this game is a perfect 10.
    However, the ending. Yes, it was full of plot holes, but at the end of the day, it was their game, their ending. I learned my lesson from Knights of the Old Republic II: ending are never what you want. I hated the binary ending choices, but not so much that i'm not already replaying the series for another play-through. I didn't enjoy the lack of a proper epilogue, but I knew there would be no happy ending.
    but here's the funny thing. I didn't like the ending, but it didn't make me angry. I just felt sad. Sad that such an amazing series that I've loved for years was coming to an end. This really is a compelling, beautiful game that, if you've invested in the whole series, will blow you away. Don't listen to the trolls, I beg you, this is a certainty for at least half a dozen GotY awards, no question.

    Also, one word on the game pegging DLC. THIS IS EA. what did you expect?    … Expand
  52. Wildtigaah
    Mar 20, 2012
    9
    What a obvious part of trolls here. Bunch of greedy kids that are disappointed. This game is really good and I will explain about my personal opinion of how this game is with positives and negatives.

    + Nice graphic, including facial expressions and that sort of things. And nice design och the characters as well. + Very good voice actors, nice to have the old ones coming back from mass    What a obvious part of trolls here. Bunch of greedy kids that are disappointed. This game is really good and I will explain about my personal opinion of how this game is with positives and negatives.

    + Nice graphic, including facial expressions and that sort of things. And nice design och the characters as well.
    + Very good voice actors, nice to have the old ones coming back from mass effect 1 and 2.
    + Polished at some parts that definitely needed it from the older games (like mass effects combat system). + Fantastic sounds on the guns. Even the music is very good especially at the citadel.
    The Citadel is bigger and gives you a welcoming feeling every time you enter there.

    - Sometimes I'm speechless, I don't have the ability to pick my own reaction, but that's not always though.
    - It didn't felt like it was so many touching side quests, It was like - alright another one, combat, combat...
    - And the worst **** ever is the map. Can't find for a **** and if you scan for objects It's like "You found oil" is that suppose to make me happy or what? No don't use that crap bores the hell out of me.

    If you never played any Mass Effect game you should ABSOLUTELY not start with this one. You need the whole background, to build up this personal feeling. At least play trough Mass Effect 2.
    I would also like to point out that you don't need to worry about the ending, it was alright nothing special. I mean how would people it to end anyways?    … Expand
  53. Nudz
    Mar 20, 2012
    4
    The reason for such a low score is not for lack of a good game, quite the opposite the game itself is absolutely brilliant and worthy of it's prequels.
    The ending however was probably the biggest let down of any game I have ever played, leaving the previous experiences with the entire trilogy feeling very hollow and quite without meaning.
  54. frast
    Mar 20, 2012
    9
    And finally came the continuation of one (and for me, best) role-playing game series. Well, I did not know what to expect, the final battle can transform the game from a rp to normal shooter which can upset fans. The game was not quite as easier and shows things as good as in the previous section to this was added to the enormity of interesting things and refreshed a few. But this is notAnd finally came the continuation of one (and for me, best) role-playing game series. Well, I did not know what to expect, the final battle can transform the game from a rp to normal shooter which can upset fans. The game was not quite as easier and shows things as good as in the previous section to this was added to the enormity of interesting things and refreshed a few. But this is not the same as the previous parts and does not include the quality of a shock or anything like that. My increased rating - 9/10… Expand
  55. Quichotte9
    Mar 20, 2012
    7
    ME3 is what I expected after the ME-ME2 transition -- simplified and less open. As a PC player, I was annoyed at the control changes -- got over it, but not at the environment constraints (exploring the Citadel anyone). Can't over that one. As for the decision paths, well they are more of a railroad in ME3 than ME2 and more so than ME.

    The big itch for me is the art direction -- the    ME3 is what I expected after the ME-ME2 transition -- simplified and less open. As a PC player, I was annoyed at the control changes -- got over it, but not at the environment constraints (exploring the Citadel anyone). Can't over that one. As for the decision paths, well they are more of a railroad in ME3 than ME2 and more so than ME.

    The big itch for me is the art direction -- the facials are very early 2000s. Ash looks awful. As for the split breast look: let it die. You want to release pseudo-pin-up art, do that and do it well. The manga/anime business have done so for over 30 years. My personal favorite look right now is Miranda.

    As for the rest of the art direction: too busy, too distracting and thus too useless. It makes for distracting if not frustrating game play. Therefore, my take on this is "failed". Still, there are moments -- the Citadel holding dock picture wall.

    Storyline, well there is again a sense of railroading. Yet, I expected it. This is the closing chapter, and about the end of the adventure and story. A little heavy-handed, but not disappointing. The treatment of the individuals caught in a thunderstorm over which they have little control was expected and fairly mature. Sorry, in war, few come out unscathed.

    Now did I enjoy the game experience -- yes. Did I get my money's worth -- yes. Could it have been better -- yes. Still, I give it a 7. Good game.    … Expand
  56. fuzio
    Mar 20, 2012
    4
    more then 200 hours of playing just to get this stupid ending, and no, i don't care for closure or happy one, but this one slap in the face. Beside that game was fun, not ME2 fun bu still playable, too combat heavy and not as good as two other parts. In the end frustration and anger forced me to make account on MC just to warn - if u play - stop playing before ending - more fun thenmore then 200 hours of playing just to get this stupid ending, and no, i don't care for closure or happy one, but this one slap in the face. Beside that game was fun, not ME2 fun bu still playable, too combat heavy and not as good as two other parts. In the end frustration and anger forced me to make account on MC just to warn - if u play - stop playing before ending - more fun then watching the real one :/… Expand
  57. Rakshall
    Mar 20, 2012
    6
    To be honest 98% of the game is very good and personally i would place ME3 somewhere between first and second installment of the series. However the last 2% is simply terrible . I don't say ending is bad (I could accept it!) - it simply doesn't fit to the ME universe. It really made me think that i wasted more than 100 hours with trilogy for nothing.
  58. Spice
    Mar 20, 2012
    5
    For a Bioware game, advertised as having varying outcomes depending on your choices, this game does not deliver. If you are expecting a meaningful, epic finale to a trilogy, this is not it. The last 10 minutes of the game feel like a slap in the face, denying any control over the fate of your carefuly crafted character, and making all your choices seem pointless. For this reason, it alsoFor a Bioware game, advertised as having varying outcomes depending on your choices, this game does not deliver. If you are expecting a meaningful, epic finale to a trilogy, this is not it. The last 10 minutes of the game feel like a slap in the face, denying any control over the fate of your carefuly crafted character, and making all your choices seem pointless. For this reason, it also kills replayability. If it was not for the ending, I would rate this as a 9. As it stands though, it is very disapointing and not at all what was adverstised.My other concern with the game was the questlog, it didn't update and wasn't very clear about locations, making sidequests somewhat confusing.… Expand
  59. Dandynamite2201
    Mar 20, 2012
    0
    The game itself is a really good game, with good combat and good conversation options. Weapon choices and customization add a great variety, whereas different armour types and moves ensure the player can play exactly as they want to play. The characters are fully evolved and draw great depth, creating what could have been the best game of the year. If I could have stopped a second beforeThe game itself is a really good game, with good combat and good conversation options. Weapon choices and customization add a great variety, whereas different armour types and moves ensure the player can play exactly as they want to play. The characters are fully evolved and draw great depth, creating what could have been the best game of the year. If I could have stopped a second before the ending, it would have been 10/10. However then there is the ending. This ending respresents something complete unknown to Mass Effect, gives no closure or reasoning, has no basis for being there, and completely and utterly ruins the game. In fact it ruins Mass Effect 1 and 2 as well, as how could anybody restart the series with this kind of appalling disgraceful ending?… Expand
  60. Scarlet
    Mar 20, 2012
    1
    The world of Mass Effect finally came to its end. As a commercial way to rip peoples money off. The game is only full of utter disappointment, besides a few drops of light that are far from saving the game. Good job, you tried to improve graphics that were already working, now the clips have bugs and the game is so huge it eats a lot of space from my laptop's hard drive. Combat had alreadyThe world of Mass Effect finally came to its end. As a commercial way to rip peoples money off. The game is only full of utter disappointment, besides a few drops of light that are far from saving the game. Good job, you tried to improve graphics that were already working, now the clips have bugs and the game is so huge it eats a lot of space from my laptop's hard drive. Combat had already got so boring I lowered the difficulty before I started multiplayer and story.

    Onto the multiplayer. Such golden promises, a lot of expectation from people and... ta-da! They "created" what's been created in numerous games before. Repetetive, dull multiplayer that's seen after you play a single round of it. It has no chat besides voice, and personally as a female gamer I'd hate to talk to strangers, knowing how it has ended up many times. And what about people that aren't really into shooters and come from the RPG side, or without a microphone? The only drive to keep playing it is unlocking new weapons and characters and the playing itself reminds me of a Disney made childrens game that at some point has a shooter mini-game. If I want to play a shooter game with no "goal" or purpose, I'd rather pick something like Left for Dead 2 or Bulletstorm, or hell even Call of Duty: MW. With real kick-ass weapons.

    What the ****, Bioware? I can't romance James Vega? I went to Mass Effect Wiki because I was curious about the romances. For my utter defeat, I found I cannot romance the (in my personal opinion) hottest character in the ME universe so far. I even signed a petition, a petition, to get a DLC for a possible romance. Which would also be the only DLC I'd ever consider buying for the game. Note, consider. I do not dig aliens. I do not dig whimps. Even though, I have to give it to Kaidan, he's manned up. Did I already mention I do not dig aliens? I wish I hadn't picked any romance in the game, but how was I supposed to know it'd just be 1 man, 1 alien and lesbians in the end. In my opinion the lesbians are there to sell the game more anyway. Personally I really don't like it that my assistant in both previous games has been after my character's bum.

    Besides that, I never finished the game. I played it for a good couple of hours and decided I'm not putting up with having to play multiplayer that murders my brain for a better ending. The story felt like an on-going drag that I just wanted to stop looking at even with my short play time. Much things didn't make any sense. And I was also disappointed I seriously cannot romance Mr.Vega.
    There's been a lot of complaints that the ending is very bad. I probably won't make it there, seeing that it was difficult to motivate myself to finish ME2 either. I shall be glad.

    I can very shortly analyze the reasons I would push myself to play it. 1) I could live in hope to beat Illusive Man, 2) Wrex is splendid, 3) James Vega.

    No expectations, no disappointment. I wasn't expecting the game unlike many people I know, which most likely makes me a lot less disappointed in Bioware and the stupid game. I was more disappointed in Dragon Age 2, which was a joke.    … Expand
  61. XnoX
    Mar 20, 2012
    6
    Even more dumbed down and railroaded than ME2, complete with stripped content.

    Sorry, Shepard, but the real ending is in another citadel.

    Oh, and buy moar DLC!
  62. marv418
    Mar 20, 2012
    10
    Totaly awesome game and perfect ending of epic trilogy. I really like the this game of the partially returned to the first games RPG elements and the impact of all decisions of the previous games.
  63. bhannify
    Mar 19, 2012
    9
    There is no way my post here will contend with 1,454 negative reviews of the game ... but I thought this was a wonderful experience. I'm just giving my 9/10 to say that I disagree with the legions of whiners out there. Seriously, you're overreacting.
  64. wali22
    Mar 19, 2012
    10
    This game is excelent from all points of view, gameplay, story, graphics, art design.
    Starting with the argument, solid, the story is centered on the important things, Bioware as improved from Mass Effect 1 to 3 adding things, but keeping the original essence of the game.
    The story has some generic aspecs, but itself triumphs on others: originality, diversity, consistency, and it    This game is excelent from all points of view, gameplay, story, graphics, art design.
    Starting with the argument, solid, the story is centered on the important things, Bioware as improved from Mass Effect 1 to 3 adding things, but keeping the original essence of the game.
    The story has some generic aspecs, but itself triumphs on others:
    originality, diversity, consistency, and it entertains.
    The gameplay is just perfect, still not allowing to jump, something necesary in many games, the expereince is just excelent, Bioware really knows how to improve in this aspect whitout creating the sense of change. The game is diferent, but only to improve, it doesn't create troubles for the player.
    Graphics are not the best in the industry but are efective, they look great, finally the game incorporates Antialiasing!
    Art Design/Direction is just excelent, so diverse and original, the highest point for me in the game..    … Expand
  65. HarveyD
    Mar 19, 2012
    10
    Game was quite good actually. I thoroughly enjoyed the gameplay, they story and the ending. Everyone is just sad that a great series is finally over, so they are giving bad reviews. It's a grief cycle, and they'll eventually get through it. If anyone can tell me an ending they thought was super great and better than the rest of the movie/story/game, I'll give 'em a medal. The journeyGame was quite good actually. I thoroughly enjoyed the gameplay, they story and the ending. Everyone is just sad that a great series is finally over, so they are giving bad reviews. It's a grief cycle, and they'll eventually get through it. If anyone can tell me an ending they thought was super great and better than the rest of the movie/story/game, I'll give 'em a medal. The journey there, not the destination, was what was important, and it was a journey for the ages.… Expand
  66. Thalth
    Mar 19, 2012
    0
    Not only did the ending ruin THIS game for me, but I cant even bring myself to play the previous games. It literally brought me to tears in places, but the last 5 minutes devolved into utter nonsense and bad logic. I'm ashamed that I actually paid for this travesty, I should have just let my imagination end the series.
  67. mdc837
    Mar 19, 2012
    8
    This was a solid game. It was thoroughly fun for most of the game. I loved the combat gameplay, the customization options with the armor, guns, squad, and RPG skill tree. What i was less than happy with was that so many of the missions that were sidequests were simply to fly your ship to another galaxy and click on a planet and find the spot and click. I would much rather have had theThis was a solid game. It was thoroughly fun for most of the game. I loved the combat gameplay, the customization options with the armor, guns, squad, and RPG skill tree. What i was less than happy with was that so many of the missions that were sidequests were simply to fly your ship to another galaxy and click on a planet and find the spot and click. I would much rather have had the squad actually go onto the planet, have to fight my way to the prize and then obtain it. It would've made the side missions much more fun and extended the re-playability of the game. Another thing is they should have allowed for you to have an option to skip cinematic scenes instead of forcing you to watch certain ones. Overall though this was a very fun game that had the potential to be great with a few tweaks. Bioware did a good job with this one. The ending that everyone is getting upset over is something I do not understand. I had no issue with there being a conclusion to the character and played through all three endings. This was the best shooter/RPG I have played since Borderlands was released and I was pleased with it overall.… Expand
  68. Xingenue
    Mar 19, 2012
    1
    FEMSHEP PLAYERS: They got rid of all of the male romance options except for 2. So choose wisely or else you're in for a disappointing play through in the "romantic" department.

    STORY/DIALOG: I enjoyed the story up until the last 10 minutes of the game. The choices / societal ties you've been establishing over the course of 3 games don't amount to anything aside from numbers on your    FEMSHEP PLAYERS: They got rid of all of the male romance options except for 2. So choose wisely or else you're in for a disappointing play through in the "romantic" department.

    STORY/DIALOG: I enjoyed the story up until the last 10 minutes of the game. The choices / societal ties you've been establishing over the course of 3 games don't amount to anything aside from numbers on your Estimated Military Strength meter. The "endgame" scene is terrible and full of retcons (not just small ones, but ones that quite literally destroy the past 3 games). Aside from that, the dialog is still witty and some of the character development improved many characters I didn't really care about in ME2. However, I felt Ashley's dialog was brief for players who didn't romance her. INTERFACE, MECHANICS, ETC: I actually LOVED what they did with the mechanics / gameplay. Powers recharge faster and they integrated a combo system for adepts that can cause biotic explosions and massive AOE. Multiplayer is surprisingly addicting. However, the quest interface is worse than ME2. There are no "flags" for side quests anymore. You have to constantly be checking your journal (oh and the codex + journal are now merged together so its even more user-unfriendly). I had to keep a sheet of paper on me while I was playing to keep track of side quests. Despite all the positive things I have written, I'm giving this game a 1 because, at its core, Mass Effect was about the story. Its why Mass Effect 1 was my favorite despite the terrible gameplay mechanics. I have spent money on the DLCs and the collectors editions. It has all amounted to nothing because I didn't get "an end" to my story. Their marketing campaign was "TAKE EARTH BACK". At no point do you do this in the game.    … Expand
  69. jeep232
    Mar 19, 2012
    1
    Not a very good game, I was expecting more from a highly anticipated rpg. The ending totally destroyed it and made it unworthy for what the game was expected to be. Overall I would say the graphics and game play cannot make up for the story and ending for any rps. Also the fact of day one dlc was a major turn off and didn't seem like it should have been dlc. This is more evident when theNot a very good game, I was expecting more from a highly anticipated rpg. The ending totally destroyed it and made it unworthy for what the game was expected to be. Overall I would say the graphics and game play cannot make up for the story and ending for any rps. Also the fact of day one dlc was a major turn off and didn't seem like it should have been dlc. This is more evident when the game files for the dlc were in the game itself and not even a download.… Expand
  70. wasawsolos
    Mar 19, 2012
    2
    **SPOILER ALERT**
    For the past 5 or so years, I have been a huge mass effect fan. I loved the idea that my choices mattered from game to game. In fact, this game would have gotten a 9.5 from me (not a 10 because I got stuck because of a glitch that caused me to have to restart a mission) but the ending of ME3 is the most plot hole ripping, out of context, jacked up thing I have ever seen    **SPOILER ALERT**
    For the past 5 or so years, I have been a huge mass effect fan. I loved the idea that my choices mattered from game to game. In fact, this game would have gotten a 9.5 from me (not a 10 because I got stuck because of a glitch that caused me to have to restart a mission) but the ending of ME3 is the most plot hole ripping, out of context, jacked up thing I have ever seen in a story. It is like watching the last of a super awesome trilogy movie, that has been hyped to the moon, then the film stops in the last 10 minutes, the screen goes dark, and the theater catches on fire. BioWare has essentially destroyed their entire universe that they have created because without the mass relays staying intact, the stories of mass effect cant happen. They somehow managed to kill their entire franchise within 10 minutes. Up until the last 10 minutes, the game is great. After that 10 minutes though, ME3 goes from great to crap. Don't buy until BioWare does something to change the ending.    … Expand
  71. paxbanana
    Mar 19, 2012
    3
    For some reason, Bioware decided to make ME3 a third-person shooter game with pretty cut-scenes. The RP element that made the Mass Effect series so unique was largely missing from the game, along with side-quests. I can't say I understand that, given there's a 'combat-only' game option. And, for pretending to be a shooter, there was actually no ending boss fight. I probably would forgiveFor some reason, Bioware decided to make ME3 a third-person shooter game with pretty cut-scenes. The RP element that made the Mass Effect series so unique was largely missing from the game, along with side-quests. I can't say I understand that, given there's a 'combat-only' game option. And, for pretending to be a shooter, there was actually no ending boss fight. I probably would forgive some of the dialogue shortage if the ending had actually been worth the tediousness of playing through the game. I was insulted by the ending that was played off as "16 wildly different endings". Bioware didn't even have the respect for their fans to make ONE different cut-scene and instead recycled the same one for every ending. If they had actually delivered, I probably would have forgiven the fact they dropped the RPG element from the game. As it stands, I can't bring myself to play through the game again. It says something when you'd rather read a book than watch a cut-scene again. In ME1 and 2, at least you could vary the dialogue. 30 hours of mediocre game play (riddled with graphics and sound issues that do not do the excellent VA cast and OST justice) is not worth $80.… Expand
  72. najreo
    Mar 19, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Amazing game that builds up to what I thought would be an ending where all the big choices I made through the game(s) would come together and decide the outcome of the story. But that's not what happens. In the last 5-10 minutes Bioware manages to not just ruin Mass Effect 3, but the two previous games as well(quite impressive really). Everything you've done through the game is made worthless as this starkid(!) comes out of nowhere and gives me three choices that all have the same outcome, and I have no choice but to accept what he tells me. This feels like a really lazy and cheap ending. It's a 1/10 by me. The first 99% of the trilogy is AMAZING, but when the ending completely destroys everything else that was before it the ending doesn't matter.… Expand
  73. FellishBeast
    Mar 19, 2012
    3
    Been a die-hard fan of Mass Effect since it's release. Mass Effect 3 is the best entry in the series...until the end. The end is hollow, half-assed, and does not change REGARDLESS of any of the decisions you have made up to that point. It just feels wrong. There is no closure and it really does ruin the entire series for me.
  74. Aemulus
    Mar 19, 2012
    10
    One of the best games I've ever played to date. No other game has made me feel this much emotion, or had me invest SO much into the game.

    There are two kinds of people. The first believes in the end justifying all the means, and they're the ones giving this game a bad review. The other believes that the journey is more important than the destination. And WHAT a journey it was. If you're    One of the best games I've ever played to date. No other game has made me feel this much emotion, or had me invest SO much into the game.

    There are two kinds of people. The first believes in the end justifying all the means, and they're the ones giving this game a bad review. The other believes that the journey is more important than the destination. And WHAT a journey it was. If you're the latter, you'll love it.    … Expand
  75. Alex_Whatever
    Mar 19, 2012
    2
    There is some merit to what Mass Effect 3 tries to do, but it ultimately fails at the hands of some over-zealous writer who ignores everything that happened during the previous 100 hrs. and shoehorns a new character into the ending that brings in a lot more questions and answers none. There is no pay off to this story, no culmination to your personal decisions, no outcome that make sense,There is some merit to what Mass Effect 3 tries to do, but it ultimately fails at the hands of some over-zealous writer who ignores everything that happened during the previous 100 hrs. and shoehorns a new character into the ending that brings in a lot more questions and answers none. There is no pay off to this story, no culmination to your personal decisions, no outcome that make sense, and you ultimately wonder if everything you did actually mattered then. The answer is that in the end, no, it doesn't matter.… Expand
  76. thedoctor
    Mar 19, 2012
    0
    Until about the last 15 minutes of ME3, it wasn't just a 10 - it was a 100. But the last 15 minutes are so awful that if I could give the game a negative score, I would. It completely invalidates everything you worked so hard to accomplish not only in this game, but in ME1 and 2 as well. I have zero desire to play any of the ME games ever again as there is no point. Nothing you do, theUntil about the last 15 minutes of ME3, it wasn't just a 10 - it was a 100. But the last 15 minutes are so awful that if I could give the game a negative score, I would. It completely invalidates everything you worked so hard to accomplish not only in this game, but in ME1 and 2 as well. I have zero desire to play any of the ME games ever again as there is no point. Nothing you do, the choices you make, or the relationships you build make any difference whatsoever in the outcome of ME3. The entire series now might as well never existed to begin with! AGH!… Expand
  77. mxfox408
    Mar 19, 2012
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This was an epic disappointment. Compared to the other two games in the trilogy, it is bland and lacks clarity. The story also has a lot of inconsistencies and plot holes that fail to match the actual series. There is issues with concluding the game as well.… Expand
  78. Evanders
    Mar 19, 2012
    0
    The final 10 minutes of this...ugh,.. game?... is what I remember instantly when I think of Mass Effect 3.
    For the series to be one of the best space cRPG ever despite minor issues, for the ME3 for most of it's part living up to it's title, last moments of this game has redefined my entire perception of the series.
    I can't bring my self to start this game again, In fact I can't even    The final 10 minutes of this...ugh,.. game?... is what I remember instantly when I think of Mass Effect 3.
    For the series to be one of the best space cRPG ever despite minor issues, for the ME3 for most of it's part living up to it's title, last moments of this game has redefined my entire perception of the series.
    I can't bring my self to start this game again, In fact I can't even think of replaying the whole trilogy as I intended. Animations have some issues, Quest Log is complete mess and some moments are disappointing. But the "great" finale ruins absolutely everything I loved about this series.
    It is first time ever something like this happened to me in 16 years of gaming. Mass Effect 3 left a very bad taste in my mouth and for that reason I give it ZERO score.    … Expand
  79. MauraderShields
    Mar 19, 2012
    0
    The Good-
    -ME 3 i found to be a decent combination of the first 2 with adding back in slightly more rpg aspects from the first game such as more weapons and armor and the tighter gameplay of the second.
    The Bad- -Certain aspects of the game felt like several steps backwards, such as the animations which is absolutely atrocious, to removing the gun holstering so you can't view your    The Good-
    -ME 3 i found to be a decent combination of the first 2 with adding back in slightly more rpg aspects from the first game such as more weapons and armor and the tighter gameplay of the second.

    The Bad-
    -Certain aspects of the game felt like several steps backwards, such as the animations which is absolutely atrocious, to removing the gun holstering so you can't view your surroundings even if no enemies are around.
    -If you have kept your saves from the first and second ME, like i have, and looking forward to to see how your choices will effect the end of the trilogy, don't bother. The end of ME 3 will hit you like a powerful kick to the nards when you realize you that your choices did not matter and the trilogy is ended with more questions then answers. Conclusion-
    -Its quite an accomplishment to pull of an ending so bad that it ruins the whole series. Its just that bad.    … Expand
  80. panzer
    Mar 19, 2012
    5
    Mass Effect 3 was advertised, and promised in press releases and interviews, that the decisions we made throughout the series would create a unique ending for every player, that the amount of possible endings would be countless.

    Instead we got 1 ending for everyone to experience. The same ending for everyone. Before the ending the game is 9/10, with the current ending they basically    Mass Effect 3 was advertised, and promised in press releases and interviews, that the decisions we made throughout the series would create a unique ending for every player, that the amount of possible endings would be countless.

    Instead we got 1 ending for everyone to experience. The same ending for everyone.

    Before the ending the game is 9/10, with the current ending they basically stole my $80.    … Expand
  81. pitufos38
    Mar 19, 2012
    2
    SPOILER FREE CRITIC:

    1-All your decision in the game produce military points that determine the type of ending you have. But these points affect argumental outcomes that are not related with them. For example (not real, but good for giving you an idea): if you have saved Jon the missile would destroy the reaper. If you didn't save him the missile will fail. That's it, as stupid as it    SPOILER FREE CRITIC:

    1-All your decision in the game produce military points that determine the type of ending you have. But these points affect argumental outcomes that are not related with them. For example (not real, but good for giving you an idea): if you have saved Jon the missile would destroy the reaper. If you didn't save him the missile will fail. That's it, as stupid as it seems. So through the "trick" of measuring your decisions in a completely "out of context" point scale they have save a lot of story work. Without the story been changed by our decision, the decision lost the meaning, this is only a gears of war with almost no rpg in it. Even the different ending are the same clip with diferent colors.

    2-Taking apart the ending the game resemble mass effect 2. Too repetive, although has some good points, but you can forgive that because you are preparing for the big finale. Problem here is that the finale is horrible. However you will enjoy the rest of the game. I encourage to not make sidequest, it is not worht it (the ending will be still horrible) and main quest have a much better quality.

    3-The game sucessfully take into account your previous game actions for providing you (or not) help (or trouble) in some missions. That was quite good, at least in my story (I have heard not all are so good).

    4-Missions are repetitive, lot of them with very poor argument. Lots seems like a multiplayer match with boots (indeed they seems like multiplayer maps).

    5-Too much cloying conversations. In pevious games they were there too but were well introduced. Here they are all around and feels very forced. This is specially true in conversations between male characters.

    6-You got the sense there is a love story because is has become a standart of these games. Very forced, underworked. If you are going to put love in your game do it properly with an appeling story, nothing bad happens if you do not put it.

    7-DLC day one content. Quite important indeed, unlock protean squad member, that means unlock argumental questions about mass effect lore. Should not be an extra.

    8-The protan lore, from the dlc is quite good. like the protean society a lot.

    9- Wraping up. A few closer too mainstream thrid person shooter that previous games and less RPG. Still would be a good game with a good ending but...    … Expand
  82. spinx
    Mar 19, 2012
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The user score tells it all... The gameplay of the third installment was underwhelming... The series has evolved to a mediocre cover shooter with almost no decent RPG options and even killing its wonderfull Dialogue option from the previous games... Also the ending... We fight 3 games long, get emotionaly envolved with characters, make hard choices... AND at the end, we don't get to see what these choices have done? How is the universe now? How is sheppard honored? we see nothing of this...

    Bioware should look at The Witcher 2 and really study why it is better in all fronts... it's a shame that this series has ended so underwhelming...

    Sure, its very epic and you get goosebumps from time to times... But there was so much more potential...    … Expand
  83. Irraticspasm
    Mar 19, 2012
    1
    Mass Effect 3 is nothing less then BioWare and EAs betrayal of their fan base for the sake of making money. Any reviews touting this game as a ten are lies! Im pointing my finger at Game Informer and The Escapist, two sites which I frequent.

    The trilogy once hallmarked an epic story, a story where the players decisions matters, and shape the future of the universe. This has all been    Mass Effect 3 is nothing less then BioWare and EAs betrayal of their fan base for the sake of making money. Any reviews touting this game as a ten are lies! Im pointing my finger at Game Informer and The Escapist, two sites which I frequent.

    The trilogy once hallmarked an epic story, a story where the players decisions matters, and shape the future of the universe. This has all been sacrificed, cut out of the game leaving nothing but a hollow sixty dollar shell of a game, seventy if you bought the DLC, seventy five if you purchased the Collectors Edition.

    The story and writing are an utter wreck, characters you have come to care about are as hollow and lifeless as the rest of the game. Most of the squad mates you grew to know and love as the first two games unfolded make a cameo appearance, become war assets that do nothing come the end of the story. The day 1 DLC is an overpriced joke containing a character that everyone who has played the first two games will want, but in the end shows to be lifeless and lacking dialog. In the end the DLC is worth it, if you want to spend ten dollars on a powerful Assault Rifle. (Its not worth it!)

    Dialog is lifeless, far fewer renegade and paragon options appear during dialog replaced with dialog options that are more reminiscent of games from a decade ago. The Normandy is a wreck remodeled and empty, with a skeleton crew that are essentially skeletons. The ambient dialogs and chatter that filled the halls of your ship are no longer there, most rooms have no purpose whatsoever filled with silent characters that do nothing. The few ambient conversations that take place only serve to remind players of the first two games that this is a very different beast of a game.

    Ever mission, every conversation, every decision is a tortured reminder of how good the first two games were compared to the third. The ending which answers no question, fufills no expectations and does not reward you decisions is the final blow to anyone that loved this franchise.

    Add to that the Gay Romance they have shoehorned into the game. I dont mind homosexuals, I really dont but this character just will not leave me alone. Every time I speak to him it seems I get the opportunity to start a romance with him. I said no on this play through so just stop already, stop asking! Stop trying to make me romance the poor guy BioWare! If you want to make a political statement on gay marriage why shoehorn it into Mass Effect 3? Speaking of that, when did it become legal in Mass Effect 3, and not only that why isnt Ashley furious about it? In the first game shes conservative, xenophobic, she believes in god and BioWare is telling me she wont start a conversation about the gay marriage issue?

    The multiplayer is tacked on and pointless, with one mode to play to gain system control for single player, system control that does not even matter. Spend your time playing a good online game, like World of Tanks, or Call of Duty, or even Dead Space 2s tacked on multiplayer.

    As for the ending of the game, I am going to let someone else rage on that, check out this link.

    http://angryjoeshow.com/2012/03/top-10-reasons-we-hate-mass-effect-3s-ending/

    The first two games I played non stop until completion, I enjoyed them, even with Mass Effect 2s dumbed down game mechanics I still enjoyed it and played it numerous times as well as purchasing the DLC. With Mass Effect 3 I cant wait to get away from it, to think of what could have been. Play anything else, spend your money elsewhere. Make a statement in the only way you can, DONT BUY THIS GAME. DONT RENT IT! DONT EVEN LOOK AT IT! DONT LISTEN TO THE REVIEWS OF PROFESSIONAL REVIWERS ON SITES LIKE GAME INFORMER AND ESCAPIST, THEY ARE LYING TO YOU TO LINE THEIR POCKETS!

    If you find yourself in the sorry state I am in, having wasted seventy dollars on this game only to be unsatisfied with what you got, keep it in mind for the future. EA and BioWare did this with Dragon Age 2, but even that was better then Mass Effect 3. I will not purchase any more of EAs products, not after they have back stabbed me by ruining the franchise Ive come to know and love. I just wish they had held the same love I had for it, apparently not.    … Expand
  84. Morphine_OD
    Mar 19, 2012
    0
    Gave it 0 not just because the ending dismantles the whole third part of the franchise, but effectively renders vain and misguided the previous 2 installments. None of the choices matter, none of the endings are accurate and follow the established lore and rules of the game universe.
  85. Slamdance
    Mar 19, 2012
    3
    An absolutely atrocious wash of bugs and graphic issue, combined with Bioware's DLC pandering and an incomprehensible group of endings make this an easy game to not recommend. If you liked your choices mattering in the final moments of ME1 and ME2 be prepared for massive disappointment. If you still think this games for you, good luck; just don't fall down the plot holes.
  86. Ginadin777
    Mar 19, 2012
    0
    No point in avoiding the obvious...ME3 is really a good game on its own... except for the ending. Wich is simply what matters most if u are making a ending to a triology that envolved allot of emotional investment, letting the player create the story as it goes... The entire ME game was focussed around this feature, and made it so very compelling. Choose to do A resulted in B. Or choose C?No point in avoiding the obvious...ME3 is really a good game on its own... except for the ending. Wich is simply what matters most if u are making a ending to a triology that envolved allot of emotional investment, letting the player create the story as it goes... The entire ME game was focussed around this feature, and made it so very compelling. Choose to do A resulted in B. Or choose C? Everything u did needed some carefull thinking...made u invest in characters... In the end it felt like u were writing ur own epic Scifi Novela filled with plots - action - romance ... And what happened? Frodo came to mount Doom and was about to throw the ring into the lave, just as Sauron revealed he had a failsafe switch that teleports the ring back to him and voila!!! Sorta how this felt... no matter how i enjoyed the series, wich i did, and credit for that. The feeling i have now is one of total disappointment, flustered, sad... Of all the ways it could have gone i cant think of a worse conclusion to this epic tale. In wich i thought i made a difference. I am left with confussion, 'hate'... Only to be greeted with a grand message from BW/EA to buy more DLC when released... Shame on u...… Expand
  87. Travaligno
    Mar 19, 2012
    2
    Incredible production values with great combat design and customization, topnotch voice-acting, writing, art and music / sound-design can't hide that the conclusion to the ME trilogy was rushed. Cut-corners are visible everywhere but it isn't until the finale that the game falls apart. The level of failure here is spectacular and historic: game ends in a disappointing, disjointed,Incredible production values with great combat design and customization, topnotch voice-acting, writing, art and music / sound-design can't hide that the conclusion to the ME trilogy was rushed. Cut-corners are visible everywhere but it isn't until the finale that the game falls apart. The level of failure here is spectacular and historic: game ends in a disappointing, disjointed, contrived mess that betrays the trilogy's themes and your earlier choices. No matter what ending you play towards, the result is portrayed in the same cut scene with minor cuts and a different color scheme. The implications of the choice are so nihilistic, they sap your will to replay through the story again. The fan backlash is not about entitlement but about poor game design. Trust the hype: the end really is as bad as people say.… Expand
  88. Mr13
    Mar 19, 2012
    0
    Simply put, this game lived up to every expectation I had for the finale. It's everything I could've hoped for and more. Why such a low score then? Simple. The ending. As almost every other review says, the ending was such a colossal disappointment it ruined the series for me. It negated every other aspect of the past 2 games and simply was the worst ending to a video game I've ever seen.Simply put, this game lived up to every expectation I had for the finale. It's everything I could've hoped for and more. Why such a low score then? Simple. The ending. As almost every other review says, the ending was such a colossal disappointment it ruined the series for me. It negated every other aspect of the past 2 games and simply was the worst ending to a video game I've ever seen. If Bioware were to patch their ending with a DLC package it'd be fine. Just to be clear, the game does not have 16 different endings. It has 1 ending which varies in a few small details. In the end it's all the same. And it's all terrible. Don't get this game until they patch the ending.

    10 for the whole game. -9 for the ending. Leaving us with a score of 1.    … Expand
  89. JKflipflop
    Mar 19, 2012
    3
    Game is an epic 10/10 up until the last 10 minutes. The ending of this game is so bad that it not only ruins the rest of this game, but indeed it brings down this entire trilogy. In one stroke this went from being this generation's "Star Wars" to a joke. Your choices don't matter. At all. It was all so you could be force fed some BS by StarChild and forced to picked between differentGame is an epic 10/10 up until the last 10 minutes. The ending of this game is so bad that it not only ruins the rest of this game, but indeed it brings down this entire trilogy. In one stroke this went from being this generation's "Star Wars" to a joke. Your choices don't matter. At all. It was all so you could be force fed some BS by StarChild and forced to picked between different colored explosions. Honestly, I'm still in shock. I can't fathom how the writing team that gave us this series completely imploded on itself in the home stretch like this. Abhorrent.… Expand
  90. Zenks
    Mar 19, 2012
    0
    This is the first metacritic review I have ever done as I have never felt inclined to do so before on any previous games. Mass Effect 3 was nothing short of the biggest disappointment in recent gaming history, the day one DLC was insulting to the fan base to say it nicely, the ending was a sheer abomination that has disgraced the franchise terribly with Casey Hudson simply going on to talkThis is the first metacritic review I have ever done as I have never felt inclined to do so before on any previous games. Mass Effect 3 was nothing short of the biggest disappointment in recent gaming history, the day one DLC was insulting to the fan base to say it nicely, the ending was a sheer abomination that has disgraced the franchise terribly with Casey Hudson simply going on to talk about more dlc to be released pre game ending that doesn't address any of the current issues. All in all it's honesty 120+ hours of my game time I'd rather have back… Expand
  91. Wulfburk
    Mar 19, 2012
    6
    The game has its problems, most of the time you cant really choose what to say, most of it is automatic, even if you picked otherwise on the start of the game and on the options, there arent enough "renegade/paragon" choices either, completed the whole game and only saw 3 or so. So this game is way more linear than ME2 and ME1, but i guess it is because there arent that many choices toThe game has its problems, most of the time you cant really choose what to say, most of it is automatic, even if you picked otherwise on the start of the game and on the options, there arent enough "renegade/paragon" choices either, completed the whole game and only saw 3 or so. So this game is way more linear than ME2 and ME1, but i guess it is because there arent that many choices to make, all the choices you had were made on the previous games. But there are some good parts, gameplay has been improved ALOT, combat is way more satisfying, i didnt got bored the whole time i was fighting (unlike Mass Effect 2), some of the creatures they added were AWESOME (Brutes per say), and it was very interesting that some choices you made on Mass Effect 2 and 1 that you thought would help you against the reapers actually helped your enemy! Good job on that Bioware! Characters felt alive, i am glad from my three favorite companions two survided! Was sad to see five of my companions to die, one specially, i gotta say that was the saddest moment in the trilogy! Multiplayer is fun, but can get exhausting, but it sure is great! Plot was really good, but the last minute kinda made no sense, specially the scene after the credits, but even so i was satisfied! I gotta say the soundtrack was good, specially two specific musics, but it doesnt compares to Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 1, they were much better! The beginning of the game was the worst part in my humble opinion, if you compare to the epic start of Mass Effect 1 (the other Turian spectre is awesome!) , and specifically Mass Effect 2(as epic as any game gets) it will let you down! But overall a great game, Worst than Mass Effect 1, and slightly better/equal comparing to Mass Effect 2. Graphics were really improved, animations as well (taking out Anderson's walking animation.. of course) lighting way better, great anti-aliasing, and great voice acting. Levels were way better designed than the previous games, specially Palaven's moon, that was my favorite mission! So because all of that i give this game a 6! (gave an 8 to Mass Effect 2 and a 10 to Mass Effect 1)

    edit: i actually thought the ending through, and well, it kinda ruins the game, wont do another playthrough, but mainly because of the ending, the first 3 minutes and the auto dialogue, music is great, combat is great and areas are great, but the ending in a RPG game defines the experience, and sadly, in this particular game, it sucked. -1 point for too much auto dialogue and a few bugs, -2 for the ending, -1 for the first 3 minutes.    … Expand
  92. Zagashi
    Mar 19, 2012
    1
    An amazing game, and an amazing trilogy, ruined in 10 minutes by a terrible ending, that makes all of the players actions and choices meaningless. Lets hope the last 10 minutes were all in Shepard's head, and the secret clip is him awaking back on earth to kick some ass in the new DLC ending, only $9.99!
  93. Serian
    Mar 19, 2012
    2
    I would have given it a 9 for gameplay alone, but I had to say 2 to represent how satisfied I was with this poor end of such an amazing series. The ball was dropped, and an entire story ruined by 10 minutes of plotholes and a failure to give Shepard the real chance to succeed as he/she would have if they had stayed true to the character. Mass Effect deserved better than this.
  94. BigPush
    Mar 19, 2012
    2
    Whereas Mass Effect 1 and 2 were conventional action-adventure stories set against a sci-fi background, the third and final installment in the Mass Effect trilogy attempts to address "darker", "deeper", and more "mature" themes. Unfortunately, the writers lacked the depth and maturity themselves to properly execute this sort of change in tone. The result is a poorly-constructed storyWhereas Mass Effect 1 and 2 were conventional action-adventure stories set against a sci-fi background, the third and final installment in the Mass Effect trilogy attempts to address "darker", "deeper", and more "mature" themes. Unfortunately, the writers lacked the depth and maturity themselves to properly execute this sort of change in tone. The result is a poorly-constructed story poorly told.

    While I would argue that these problems begin almost as soon as the game does (where Shepard watches a child -- the first ever portrayed in the series -- being killed), the game's ending has generated the most controversy and so is where I will focus the rest of this review. It's an attempt at a tragic ending without understanding what makes tragic endings work.

    Tragedies have a long history in Western literature. While there is and has been a great deal of debate as to the structure of a tragedy, the core idea that makes a tragedy work well is that the hero's sad fate is the inevitable result of his or her character. Aristotle referred to this as the tragic hero's hamartia (which means "mistake", though it's often translated as "fatal flaw"). This is a very important idea because as Nietzsche argued, tragedies resonate with us because they contradict, not confirm, a pessimistic view of the universe: the tragic hero doesn't experience pain and misfortune for no reason, but instead experiences this pain as a direct consequence of his or her own nature. In other words, an ending is only truly tragic if it's the result of the tragic hero's shortcomings; an ending where "rocks fall, everyone dies" may be rather sad, but because it happened at random it's not tragic.

    Mass Effect 3's ending fails because Shepard is not a tragic hero. In fact, Shepard does everything absolutely right up until the last 5 to 10 minutes of the game. Only then, by pure writer fiat, does he or she fail. There's no catharsis for the player, no satisfactory explanation, no hope. There is only "deep", "mature" death and despair.

    If games are ever going to be art, they need to pay better attention to the artistic traditions that have shaped our culture.    … Expand
  95. skinny_mean_man
    Mar 19, 2012
    0
    unless something is seriously done to fix this game i will never buy from bioware again. they were my favorite company and now they are my most hated
  96. Sshodan
    Mar 19, 2012
    2
    While the game is self is everything you expect ME to be - interesting, emotional and engaging all pleasure of playing it is destroyed by horribly done ending. Not one it invalidates all your efforts and choices, but it although renders replaying 2 older games differently pointless - no matter what you do or done you get the same 3 options and no variations around them to speak of. I canWhile the game is self is everything you expect ME to be - interesting, emotional and engaging all pleasure of playing it is destroyed by horribly done ending. Not one it invalidates all your efforts and choices, but it although renders replaying 2 older games differently pointless - no matter what you do or done you get the same 3 options and no variations around them to speak of. I can although say that emotionally speaking it is profoundly upsetting without any redeeming qualities or hope for the future, so if you like me play games to have good time and live with good mood afterwards tis is one game you should avoid.… Expand
  97. Mogul
    Mar 19, 2012
    9
    I'm a bit surprised by how many people seem to hate this game. In terms of gameplay, there are only minor differences between Mass Effect 3 and Mass Effect 2. The characters are still interesting, the combat is fun, and the overall story is solid (despite several annoying plot holes). There were several moments during the game where I had to step back a bit, and just look around andI'm a bit surprised by how many people seem to hate this game. In terms of gameplay, there are only minor differences between Mass Effect 3 and Mass Effect 2. The characters are still interesting, the combat is fun, and the overall story is solid (despite several annoying plot holes). There were several moments during the game where I had to step back a bit, and just look around and absorb how awesome something was. Sure, there are a number of things that I found annoying. For example, I loathe the new James Vega character. The new multiplayer mode is very repetitive, and generally stupid. There is also the incredibly awful ending, and the annoying fact that one of the best squad members is only available through day one DLC. This checklist of negatives, however, does not make Mass Effect 3 a bad game. I still found it to be well worth playing, and a quality addition to the Mass Effect series.… Expand
  98. cenkkitapci
    Mar 19, 2012
    0
    Bioware keeps ruining it's name again doing demands of EA . Another huge disappointment sequel to a wonderfull RPG . First KOTOR then DAO and at last ME . This is last time buying a bioware game before reading user's critics .
    ME is not a RPG it is just a FPS including a cheap tv movie story or reverse . Choices (including your choices from ME1 and ME2 ) do not effect anything major in    Bioware keeps ruining it's name again doing demands of EA . Another huge disappointment sequel to a wonderfull RPG . First KOTOR then DAO and at last ME . This is last time buying a bioware game before reading user's critics .
    ME is not a RPG it is just a FPS including a cheap tv movie story or reverse . Choices (including your choices from ME1 and ME2 ) do not effect anything major in the game . They told about 14 different endings but all looked same to me , just colour difference ::)) .    … Expand
  99. j0kup4sk4n1m1
    Mar 19, 2012
    10
    Okay just finished the game. And I really feared for bad ending noticing all the negative reviews and all, but now that I have finished this...
    What's wrong with people these days? It seems that every game that has come out lately has been flooded with criticism and called ****.
    I played ME1,ME2 and now ME3 and I REALLY think this actually was the best of the series. At first I thought    Okay just finished the game. And I really feared for bad ending noticing all the negative reviews and all, but now that I have finished this...
    What's wrong with people these days? It seems that every game that has come out lately has been flooded with criticism and called ****.
    I played ME1,ME2 and now ME3 and I REALLY think this actually was the best of the series.
    At first I thought this is going to be bad game,but closer to the end the more I enjoyed.
    Maybe I didn't some characters in my team I would have wanted,but so what? They still were connected to story well enough for me and the side-quests were linked to main story very good (buggy quests and quest list was somehow hard to look at but meh).
    Oh and the day 1 DLC,yea smells like cashing on fans.BUT I actually bought it, and its not in anyway "must have dlc" story doesn't change and all that one team member does is insult everyone and tell how salarians licked they'r eyes and catched flies in his time.
    I loved the ending, haters can hate and if you got the "wrong ending" sucks to be you.
    I'm giving this game 10 because all of you sad haters out there, really I would give this game 9/10 and this was great ending for great series.

    Thank you.    … Expand
  100. CTSV
    Mar 19, 2012
    0
    I'm almost ready to take it back and demand a refund. Most will comment on the endings, but the fact is, nearly the entire game is linear to the point of being comical. Frankly from what I can gather, none of your decisions in ME 1 or 2 have any real meaning past dialog or EMS changes in ME3. There is so much extra opportunity built in that anyone can pick the game up and play through itI'm almost ready to take it back and demand a refund. Most will comment on the endings, but the fact is, nearly the entire game is linear to the point of being comical. Frankly from what I can gather, none of your decisions in ME 1 or 2 have any real meaning past dialog or EMS changes in ME3. There is so much extra opportunity built in that anyone can pick the game up and play through it nearly identically as if someone had imported their save game. You can recruit the same species and complete the same quests.… 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

All reviews »
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.
    Read full review
  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]
    Read full review
  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.
    Read full review
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