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. grmbrand
    Mar 19, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Contrary to the formula of the first two games, all plots lead to a single set of endings that feel out of place with the rest of the franchise (including much of what happens in ME3 prior to the ending itself). I am hopeful that this was a brilliant marketing move on Bioware's part and that DLC can clarify the outcome. I'll update my rating accordingly should this happen.… Expand
  2. Sinilin
    Mar 19, 2012
    0
    I love the previous games in the series but ME3 is a disappointment in so many ways. Firstly, I can not import my Shepard's face from ME1 and the game also has bugs all over. Also, the ending of the game is astronomically bad; it goes against everything Shepard has done in the previous games and what Mass Effect-series has really been about. Players choices do not matter at all in the end,I love the previous games in the series but ME3 is a disappointment in so many ways. Firstly, I can not import my Shepard's face from ME1 and the game also has bugs all over. Also, the ending of the game is astronomically bad; it goes against everything Shepard has done in the previous games and what Mass Effect-series has really been about. Players choices do not matter at all in the end, all you get is pretty much a one and only ending. An ending that has plot holes as big as black holes, no conclusion and just leaves you empty. I can't believe Bioware actually did this. It's so bad.… Expand
  3. BOSTONJOHN32
    Mar 19, 2012
    6
    Well i will start by saying that im amazed that critics scored this game nearly perfect but not many went into detail about ending, never mention it @ all or simply (and boldly) allowed readers to think the game was great from start to finish, then i happened 2 go "outside the bubble" and found smaller, more obscure reviews and the score factored in that the ending was "literary suicide"Well i will start by saying that im amazed that critics scored this game nearly perfect but not many went into detail about ending, never mention it @ all or simply (and boldly) allowed readers to think the game was great from start to finish, then i happened 2 go "outside the bubble" and found smaller, more obscure reviews and the score factored in that the ending was "literary suicide" as one wrote. as quoted by r. ebert "if you had to ask what it symbolized, then it didnt" and i can say that this very much sums up the ending, struck in awe like many, i wasnt even sure if i had beat the game and had to check mt trophy in order to sort out if i did. thats just it, i felt like i did not know what had just happened and had to wait for the credits to scroll to know its over,and so i convince myself that ok maybe i just did not see the right ending and maybe i got the bad ending, "yes that must be it, w/ so many endings i must have screwed up along the way and got the bad ending" come to find out i got the desired and the most "definative" ending.. so then i go back and replay the mission etc and all the other endings are pretty much identical beside a different color or "end sequence" which consisted of a minute or so animation of walking another direction etc. i wont get into conspiracy theories or anything which is out of context but its kind of hard not to fall prey or offer self to some distraction or debate because we not only invested time, we invested emotion.. hours upon hours of carefully making right choices for a desired import etc, and for what? if i kind of got a heads up from critics that "decisions do not play as significant a role in mass 3 as it did in the prior 2" then i wouldve been able to prepare,lol.. but we are hearing words like art, story telling masterpiece also we were told by bioware that this would have multiple endings, a deeper consequence/decision mechanic, an end which would the opposite from lost, well no it may actually take the belt away from lost for the wtf just happened moment but the fact is that i shouldve known that a game which has a formula that works almost seamlessly, based primarily on decisions as well as story driven sequences which make the gamer care, think and DECIDE, it works so good that while i played every mass efect i made every decision carefully to prep my shep for the import into the next game, so if i am playing a game and already thinking of the next one then the system is almost flawless imo.. BUT it is obvious E.A had a bit of influence and brings me back to my point with this "formula", they deserted it and decided for MASS APPEAL rather than mass effect and i noticed this during the demo and how much emphasis was put on how one can play the game how one wishes and that the game can be toggled to suit any style, dont like stories? choose combat.. hate decisions? well you can toggle that too.. but wait, isnt that the part of mass effect which makes it like few others? and isnt that what i have spent many hours doing to have a desired and effective playthrough as well as end? was it just me or did it feel silly to scan planets this time around? as to say "hey dont want to waste time scanning for elements, well we fixed that too" huh? call me a loser, call me what you want BUT i enjoyed taking my time scanning for minerals and elements and launching probes with a feeling of purpose, because that was one of the many things which made me love this game, felt like what i did mattered and fulfilling. i can understand E.A 's stance from a business perspective, their knowledge and tactics of knowing that the fanbase of mass effect are going to buy this game regardless so lets find some fresh blood, but did the solid core and fan base have to feel jipped, let down, disappointed, confused and as well as angry in exchange for new profits/gains? well the core, the fans well we are mass effect. it breaths because we let it, we let it because it was great ,brought quality and emotion and stood apart from many other games and the exp was one like few others. but as much respect a game/developer may get through time can be undone in ten minutes.. i can not say that mass effect 3 was a bad game, but after putting in hours of decisions, careful choices to have it not effect anything in regards to the end , other than the war assets and "co-op"readiness , well i feel like it was more of a "okay hurry up and get this over with and go play co-op after" the fact remains that mass effect 3 is still a solid game, but an ending which was promised to be the finale we dream about also being admittedly rushed well how does anything rushed ever result to anything other than sub par to par? a game is about the exp, mass effect is about a unique and gripping exp BUT the end ruined both.. its obvious a lot has changed in the gaming industry in the past 5 years, mass effect supports this in every respect, reapers went from FEAR INDUCING to PAWNS… Expand
  4. Jamesyht
    Mar 19, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Great game until ending.....

    which color do u like? oh, doesn't matter, everybody screwed

    u take nothing back....

    It's only just a lie....

    what's more, they think this is a good idea....    … Expand
  5. sizuka2
    Mar 19, 2012
    4
    Mass Effect 3 is the culmination of one of the largest attempts at fusing gameplay and narrative to date. From the beginning, the bargain has been this: Bioware is telling a story about Shepherd vs. the Reapers; the players are choosing how Shepherd goes about this.

    For most of the game, Bioware tells a magnificent story, while providing changes and consequences to support the choices of    Mass Effect 3 is the culmination of one of the largest attempts at fusing gameplay and narrative to date. From the beginning, the bargain has been this: Bioware is telling a story about Shepherd vs. the Reapers; the players are choosing how Shepherd goes about this.

    For most of the game, Bioware tells a magnificent story, while providing changes and consequences to support the choices of individual players. This produces a remarkable degree of player investment. Unfortunately, the very end of the storyline deliberately averts any catharsis.

    People remember the peak and end of an experience. Bioware ensured that the peak experience of the trilogy was this ending, and that the ending caused revulsion and rage.

    Do not play unless you can ignore the story entirely - in which case, why not play a game less focused on story?

    Not recommended.    … Expand
  6. silverkiller
    Mar 19, 2012
    3
    ME3 it's a game that could have been a very good game, it has good ideas and a beautiful universe, but fall short in several important things positive:
    -story -some scene
    -atmosphere and immersion negative: -low res graphics on pc -animations (look at shep run!) -short (as an rpg, 30 hours aren't a lot) - some dialogue - need tp re-romance old romances -1 button to do every things? i have    ME3 it's a game that could have been a very good game, it has good ideas and a beautiful universe, but fall short in several important things positive:
    -story -some scene
    -atmosphere and immersion
    negative:
    -low res graphics on pc
    -animations (look at shep run!)
    -short (as an rpg, 30 hours aren't a lot)
    - some dialogue
    - need tp re-romance old romances
    -1 button to do every things? i have a freaking keyboard!
    -the log! fix the quest log!
    very bad:
    -half of secondary quest are just go-fetch task
    -ENDINGS! (that alone has pulled down my vote for at least 4 points!)
    -plot-holes
    -BW/EA DLC policy it could have been the star wars of this generation, but sadly, right now has too many problem to even reach mediocrity    … Expand
  7. Thourne
    Mar 19, 2012
    2
    I found that the endings completely destroyed any and all enjoyment from the franchise as a whole. They seemed illogical and almost in complete disconnect from the style of game play presented through out the entire series up to the final 10-15 minutes.
  8. mcdonis
    Mar 19, 2012
    2
    I have about 300 hours playing Mass Effect before I ever picked up ME3 for play. Frankly I love the series and even though Bioware has made some questionable decidions (Terminator Human from ME2) I still found a lot of fun in each of the two previous installments. With ME3 I found that indeed a lot of the key mechanics have been improved, while most of the RPG elements were stripped outI have about 300 hours playing Mass Effect before I ever picked up ME3 for play. Frankly I love the series and even though Bioware has made some questionable decidions (Terminator Human from ME2) I still found a lot of fun in each of the two previous installments. With ME3 I found that indeed a lot of the key mechanics have been improved, while most of the RPG elements were stripped out in ME2 they did manage to improve on the weapon element enough that I found it pleasing. The minigames from 2 are gone, as is planet scanning which is a good thing. I do miss something like the MAKO which added a needed element (Exploration) to the game. I think ME lacks this enough that its telling. The best way to describe this game is that the combat elements from 2 are streamlined and made into a game with limited dialog. I find in retrospect that the main strength of this series was always in the conciquences for your actions. In ME3 however I believe Bioware made a bad decision to bypass all of this with replacements that bypass any conciquences. I believe this is for the crowd who are new to the series but its telling and takes something away from the fanbase. Having said that its still enought to make a good game worthy of a score of 6 or higher, that is until you reach the climax of the game. Up until this point this series has been known for provding an experience based game that is defined more on the users choices rather than an A, B, or C path. It appears for the ending Bioware was unable to build an ending that followed the main game logic so they inserted a bland choose your path 1, 2, 3 to quickly end the series. To the uninformed this would not seem at first glance to be such a bad thing. However the thing that seperates ME from say Call of Duty in space is that who you TALK to and what you SAY to them really matters. When you decide to do X it affects Y. This was thrownout and a terribly written ending was inserted, to make matters worse the possible endings are drawn down into 3 main choices (15 sub choices) that are really just 3 endings. All of them slightly different and frankly bad. Very little is understandable, and nothing is really resolved. There are glaring plot holes in all of the endings, some so bad you see dead characters alive and well. For a series where the choice is the main attraction, to decide in the last few minutes to go out in left field is beyond me. Had the game been just average before the ending the score would be a deserved zero but since I was able to get 10-20 fun hours I have to up it a little. But the fact they ruined a series this badly is simply amazing....… Expand
  9. Spoons
    Mar 19, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. From a purely game mechanics perspective I felt that this is the best of the Mass Effect games. Sure the journal and quest tracking system for minor quests was unusable, but the increased variety of weapons and modifications available adding something that was lost in the transition from 1 to 2.

    The main plot was extremely strong for the most part. It was a bit more linear then in 2 but it had to be given what we were trying to do this time. However now to address the elephant in the room. The final 10 minutes of game. Now I was fine with the game until right after I went up the beamto the citadel. Sure it was odd that the Citadel had been taken over entirely off screen but I can't get everything. Heck I even was ok with the assumption that my squad mates at the time, EDI and Liara, had died in the Reaper blast. The Anderson/Illusive man stuff was strong if incredibly full of plot holes. The star child crap though was ridiculous. I already suspended my disbelief enough to allow the use of a McGuffin as the driver of the main plot, but now you use a literal deus ex Machina that's spouts offcrap that we directly refute during the course of the game (EDI, and saving the Geth/Quarians). Then what happens is the worst game of "Let's Make A Deal" I've ever seen since the same dam thing is behind every door. Then the weird ending where my whole squad turned tail and ran inexplicably with at least one of the people who were fighting with me on earth.

    Also without mass effect drives I realized A)Quarian fleet likely to starve B)Krogans likely to die out due to loss of Wrex and it is now impossible to import food C)my apparently cowardly crew is likely going to die of starvation and or exposure at some point on some deserted planet in the middle of nowhere.

    Somehow Bioware you snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. You basically ruined all replay value for this game and its predecessors. Awesome job.

    P.S. I have a terrible sinking feeling this was done on purpose so you could at a later date sell us a less bad ending and epilouges. You probably weren't expecting sush a viceral reaction from the vast majority of fans so nice job.    … Expand
  10. lucaburzum
    Mar 19, 2012
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The best game in the series for sure..... until the last 10 minutes.
    The ending is absolute crap, confused, nonsensical and full of "space magic".
    Adding insult to injury, all the choices you've made in the prevoius games do not count toward the ending, which is basically a "pick your favorite color" choice.    … Expand
  11. Thepeak12
    Mar 19, 2012
    1
    The only thing that was good in this third installment was the combat. Most dialogues were automatic and not to mention the LACK of it. Every choice you had to make in the series amounts to absolutely NOTHING in the end. The ending sucked so much that I wish I never got to the ending, it really kills replayability and the series as a whole. I do NOT recommend buying this game, you willThe only thing that was good in this third installment was the combat. Most dialogues were automatic and not to mention the LACK of it. Every choice you had to make in the series amounts to absolutely NOTHING in the end. The ending sucked so much that I wish I never got to the ending, it really kills replayability and the series as a whole. I do NOT recommend buying this game, you will just be disappointed. Stick with ME1 and 2, because this third game will ruin everything.… Expand
  12. killer3000ad
    Mar 19, 2012
    1
    99% of the game is brilliant but the last 5 minutes just destroys the entire franchise and removes any replay value. I was so disappointed that I could not do another playthrough. It's sad that an otherwise superb game was ruined by it's absolute rubbish of an ending. Some may think that giving it a 1/10 because of just the ending is harsh, but the fact is I judge games/movies/books based99% of the game is brilliant but the last 5 minutes just destroys the entire franchise and removes any replay value. I was so disappointed that I could not do another playthrough. It's sad that an otherwise superb game was ruined by it's absolute rubbish of an ending. Some may think that giving it a 1/10 because of just the ending is harsh, but the fact is I judge games/movies/books based on the whole. I do not cut out bits and rate them individually. That the rest of the game is so good makes the ending even worse as it ruins it all.… Expand
  13. Baknik
    Mar 19, 2012
    9
    This game wrapped up many of the plot lines from ME1 and ME2 very well. The only reason I'm not giving this game a 10 is because of the graphical bugs scattered throughout the game (none of them game-breaking). I'd like players to realize that the ending to the mass effect series is not the last 10 minutes of ME3, but instead the ENTIRETY of ME3. I would highly recommend this for true fansThis game wrapped up many of the plot lines from ME1 and ME2 very well. The only reason I'm not giving this game a 10 is because of the graphical bugs scattered throughout the game (none of them game-breaking). I'd like players to realize that the ending to the mass effect series is not the last 10 minutes of ME3, but instead the ENTIRETY of ME3. I would highly recommend this for true fans of the series.… Expand
  14. Kosheus
    Mar 19, 2012
    10
    This is Mass Effect! Still. Aside of all critics.

    The only not_so_good_thing is the ending (logicless and dicsonnected from whole game). My hopes for ending DLC from BW. This ending cannot be the official ending of the trilogy. I can't beleive it.

    But overall (not considering ending) game is another great Mass Effect game.
  15. badkins1102
    Mar 19, 2012
    0
    I just do not understand how they can write such amazing dialog for this one, and then completely botch the ending. The other two games didn't feel nearly as alive and real as this one and it was a lot of fun to play... but the ending was just horrid. Shame on you Bioware.
  16. AverageJIm
    Mar 19, 2012
    0
    What disappointing in this game is what simple actions that can make this game atleast 50% better or more,such a good series like this should not be rushed and should be a lesson to bioware about the effects of rushing good games (cough dragon age ii)
  17. Blastooo
    Mar 19, 2012
    7
    The game was fairly good until that damned end, I ignored the crappy cover based combat system and silly scanning part, all because the story that really sucked me in, i made peace between Geth and Quarians, made Turians and Krogans cooperate, and for what? So i can watch some 2001:Space Odyssey wannabe ending. Horibble. Not to mention the whole thing was such an anticlimax, no harbingerThe game was fairly good until that damned end, I ignored the crappy cover based combat system and silly scanning part, all because the story that really sucked me in, i made peace between Geth and Quarians, made Turians and Krogans cooperate, and for what? So i can watch some 2001:Space Odyssey wannabe ending. Horibble. Not to mention the whole thing was such an anticlimax, no harbinger final fight, no nothing just multi-color explosions.… Expand
  18. BiN4RY
    Mar 19, 2012
    0
    "We purposely made the ending awful so we can make up for it in the DLCs"

    Go kill yourselves Bioware. A perfectly good game ruined by a garbage and cliche ending. It's quite literally like they're trying to ruin the game.
  19. krotznapopulov
    Mar 19, 2012
    2
    Though a great game, the last few moment ruin the entire experience of the entire ME series. Like so many other players, I really enjoyed Mass Effect 3. If not for the last 15 minutes, I would give this game a 9 or more. However, the ending is so abysmal (plot holes, inconsistencies, unsatisfying explanations, not to mention exactly the same whatever you do throughout all three games...)Though a great game, the last few moment ruin the entire experience of the entire ME series. Like so many other players, I really enjoyed Mass Effect 3. If not for the last 15 minutes, I would give this game a 9 or more. However, the ending is so abysmal (plot holes, inconsistencies, unsatisfying explanations, not to mention exactly the same whatever you do throughout all three games...) that I can't give this game any more than a 2.… Expand
  20. TheSlakey
    Mar 19, 2012
    8
    Community drama and imagined personal slights aside, it's a really good game that suffers from a general lack of production rigor. If you've played any recent Bioware game, you should have some feel for what I mean. Gameplay is excellent except for the buggy/grind filled ME1 style side quests and journal problems, though not as bad as ME1. The dialog and cinematics are some of the bestCommunity drama and imagined personal slights aside, it's a really good game that suffers from a general lack of production rigor. If you've played any recent Bioware game, you should have some feel for what I mean. Gameplay is excellent except for the buggy/grind filled ME1 style side quests and journal problems, though not as bad as ME1. The dialog and cinematics are some of the best in the series. The dialog can be hackneyed in places, and there are some cinematic bugs, but it's 90% gravy. The last 10 minutes of the game have some really bad presentation issues, and they tread roughshod over sensitive ground. Watch the ending(s) on YouTube before you play if you're a fan of the series.… Expand
  21. robotrevolution
    Mar 19, 2012
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. SPOILERS

    SPOILERS

    I love the Mass Effect series. The gameplay in ME3 far outshines ME1 and even ME2, providing a vast improvement in the tactics, inventory, and general aesthetic of nearly every aspect of the user experience. The storytelling is grand and vast, the dialogue is great, the sound is among the best I've ever heard in any video game period. I'd go so far as to say ME3 has the best sound of any game ever.

    There are points to nitpick. Ashley's outfit is boobtastic and unnecessarily so. Other gratuitous T&A moments distract from the narrative flow. At least the Mass Effect universe gives women (semi-)realistic armor, unlike most comic books.

    Perhaps Mass Effect 3's only downfall is the ending. Many, many fans of the game are disappointed with how lousy it is and, for the most part, they're right. It's important to understand that fans aren't just jonesing for a happy ending where Shepard gets to ride off into the sunset. Fans don't want that - they want an ending that makes sense, doesn't break with the lore established in the previous games (and even in the third game itself), and provides the same sense of catharsis we achieved at the ends of the first two games.

    ME3's ending doesn't even involve an end boss. There is an end boss, of sorts, about an hour earlier in the game, but at the time, the thought that "oh, I'm fighting the end boss now" doesn't even cross your mind.

    Overall, I love ME3. I think it's a brilliant game. I would recommend it to anyone. It's only flaw, it's only crucial error, was the horrible no-good lore-destroying closed-off decision-less ending that invalidates pretty much every major decision made across the previous three games.

    Finally, it's amusing the Reapers believed it necessary to kill highly developed organic life every fifty thousand years to prevent organics from creating races of synthetic life forms that would eventually turn on them and wipe them out, when the Salarians did nearly the same exact thing WITH ORGANIC LIFE FORMS. The Krogan are organics and would, in the Reapers' world view, hold the same sort of threat viability as the Geth.

    WHICH IS TOTALLY RIDICULOUS AARRRRGGGGHHHH MY BRAIN ASPLODED    … Expand
  22. EvilMayorofTown
    Mar 19, 2012
    2
    Sadly, the ending of this game severely detracts from the otherwise positive feelings I had playing Mass Effect 3. What has always been the greatest strength of this series - compelling and emotional storytelling - failed completely.
  23. Ghostryderflyby
    Mar 19, 2012
    9
    I wrote an earlier review giving the game a 7 because of the disappointing ending. I've decided to amend that score. The game itself is stellar, with a terrific story, environment, voice acting and musical score. Game play is damned fun and the game really draws you into the story. The ability to see your choices across all three of the games affect what alliances you are able to build inI wrote an earlier review giving the game a 7 because of the disappointing ending. I've decided to amend that score. The game itself is stellar, with a terrific story, environment, voice acting and musical score. Game play is damned fun and the game really draws you into the story. The ability to see your choices across all three of the games affect what alliances you are able to build in the final chapter is an accomplishment by Bioware and very satisfying to the player. Single player is a blast, and multiplayer is surprisingly quite fun and well implemented. Everything about the game is amazing, so I can't continue to knock it down just because the creative vision of the writers for the ending doesn't match my idea of a good ending. I'd still prefer a much better ending, but the game is terrific through 95% of it and deserves a good score for the 95% they did right. So I'm amending my score to a 9.5.… Expand
  24. archros
    Mar 18, 2012
    0
    Probably the worst ending to a video game series I've ever seen. What happens in the last 15 or so minutes completely contradicts the previous ~150 hours of gameplay for all three games.
  25. jamielikesyou
    Mar 18, 2012
    10
    I have a hard time believing this game is scoring so low just out of spite for the last 10 mins of an epic three game opera. Battlestar Galactica (2003) scores 9.5 here despite similarities between its story progression and Mass Effect. This is a polished, well written, produced, directed and acted game. The pacing is fantastic with more frequent, desperate combat sequences interspersedI have a hard time believing this game is scoring so low just out of spite for the last 10 mins of an epic three game opera. Battlestar Galactica (2003) scores 9.5 here despite similarities between its story progression and Mass Effect. This is a polished, well written, produced, directed and acted game. The pacing is fantastic with more frequent, desperate combat sequences interspersed with meaningful interactive story segments. Major plotlines are wrapped up, sometimes joyfully and sometimes heart wrenchingly. Game performance on PC is tight with few bugs (I only had to restart a mission once due to a bug.) Graphically little has changed between 2 and 3 (on a bargain-mid system.) The sound effects are consistent from previous episodes. The tedious hacking/bypassing minigames are gone but another dreary scanning minigame (sorta) replaces ME:2's equally dull scanning game. There are few 'boss fights' and more scenarios forcing the player to outlast waves of enemies (i ddin't mind this but some may prefer more traditional game bosses.) Other negatives include the shoe-horned additions of Jessica Chobot and Freddy Prinze Jr. Their voice acting does not come close to matching the quality of the other cast like Jessica Hale, Brandon Keener, Seth Green or Carrie-Ann Moss.

    Overall, this franchise succeeds at what Bioware do best, write stories about characters that endear well beyond the games themselves. Sheppard, Tali, Liara, Mordin, Garrus, Joker now join with Revan, Bastila, Morrigan, Duncan, Minsk and Boo.    … Expand
  26. North
    Mar 18, 2012
    3
    I can't believe you Bioware! How dare you insult your fanbase with such dimwitted story progression, and worst of all, with an idiotic ending that pissed off everyone as hellfire !! Do you guys have any idea how many people are invested in this game, to see their stories achieve a more fulfilling end? What a logically insulting end, with loads of plot-holes?

    The only positive thing about    I can't believe you Bioware! How dare you insult your fanbase with such dimwitted story progression, and worst of all, with an idiotic ending that pissed off everyone as hellfire !! Do you guys have any idea how many people are invested in this game, to see their stories achieve a more fulfilling end? What a logically insulting end, with loads of plot-holes?

    The only positive thing about this game was the entire process of rallying allies. Because I am a more RPG oriented player, rather than bang bang, pow pow... Yet even at that, I couldn't see any satisfying plot writing. The whole marketing hype, day one DLC, and Xbox kinnect components were already indications that something was off about this game. And yet you were so sure that this would be the best game in the series. EPIC FAIL, by literal definition! You probably can't fall deeper than this. Nonetheless, I gave you 3 for your blood and sweat poured into the making of the game. Please get a grip and revitalize yourselves before the shame becomes too unbearable. But first, get rid of that EA leech! There are a lot better publishers out there, smaller, yes, but treat their developers with respect. My suggestion: strike a deal with Valve or create your own publishing company. The Bioware I have known is capable of doing this.    … Expand
  27. linksmaster
    Mar 18, 2012
    0
    After completing the game one has to wonder whether Bioware diverted all their resources to Star Wars - The Old Republic. One can only hope that is the excuse for this ending to the series. Regardless of the excuses or, perish the thought these "endings" were actually planned out, the Nihilistic ending made me regret having spent time even bothering to develop a character. Perhaps it's aAfter completing the game one has to wonder whether Bioware diverted all their resources to Star Wars - The Old Republic. One can only hope that is the excuse for this ending to the series. Regardless of the excuses or, perish the thought these "endings" were actually planned out, the Nihilistic ending made me regret having spent time even bothering to develop a character. Perhaps it's a joke. Or a calculated business move to offer DLC that lets you have an ending where you actually have some impact. As such this mess is such a shame for what had been such a promising series. In my humble opinion it is that bad. And it's sad. Not the sadness of any ending but the saddest thing in the world: Wasted potential. The wasted potential from a sloppy meaningless ending to an otherwise previously well executed series. I have lost the will to replay Mass Effect due to the ending. If that was Bioware's (and/or EA's) intentions, then well played EA/Bioware. I won't bother to return. If this is the same attention they plan for other games then I wish them well. I will not be playing them.… Expand
  28. DeadlyJoe
    Mar 18, 2012
    8
    ME3 was a genuinely enjoyable experience as far as games go. I prize control freedom above most other attributes of a game, and Bioware has nearly perfected the combat controls with this final edition of the series. I rarely felt as if my character was getting hung up on walls or doing things that I wasn't commanding it to do. ME3 is going to define the RPG/Shooter hybrid genera goingME3 was a genuinely enjoyable experience as far as games go. I prize control freedom above most other attributes of a game, and Bioware has nearly perfected the combat controls with this final edition of the series. I rarely felt as if my character was getting hung up on walls or doing things that I wasn't commanding it to do. ME3 is going to define the RPG/Shooter hybrid genera going forward. In terms of gameplay, there is nothing to dislike about ME3. The game is at least as big as ME2 and the stunning graphics and audio really pull you into the universe. There is absolutely no reason that this game doesn't deserve a solid 10/10... if you were to consider only the game-side of ME3. The only reason why I'm giving the game an 8/10 is because I, like many others, didn't really appreciate the story's flustered conclusion. I don't expect RPG's to read like an Orson Scott Card novel, but the end of Mass Effect was truly one of the most disappointing endings of any book series that I've read or any game series that I've played in recent years. The ending felt rushed, poorly imagined, and anticlimactic.. It didn't give me the feeling of accomplishment that a 5-year long trilogy probably should have given. The ending also pens (in neon ink, underlined, and in bold) the penultimate closure to the series. It's difficult to imagine Bioware trying to create a new story arc around ME3's ending, which tells me that they want to ditch the franchise entirely, which frankly would make zero sense from a business point of view. Anyway... all of this shouldn't scare you away from the game. ME3 is absolutely worth playing, and I highly recommend it.… Expand
  29. CainOfCimmeria
    Mar 18, 2012
    0
    Mass Effect 3 continues the engaging and wonderful traditions of the first two games in the series... right up until the finale. Without including any spoilers, I wish I could say that I just didn't like the end, or that the I didn't agree with the way BioWare chose to finish their masterpiece. Instead, the ending trivializes everything that made this series wonderful and nullifies anyMass Effect 3 continues the engaging and wonderful traditions of the first two games in the series... right up until the finale. Without including any spoilers, I wish I could say that I just didn't like the end, or that the I didn't agree with the way BioWare chose to finish their masterpiece. Instead, the ending trivializes everything that made this series wonderful and nullifies any replayability. Mass Effect 3... none of your decisions matter. Skip this one if you loved the first two.… Expand
  30. Lannie_0327
    Mar 18, 2012
    4
    An amazing game just like its predecessors, but the incredibly disappointing ending ruins the game. A recent review / article stated that fans should not be allowed the power to change a game's ending, since its tantamount to having da Vinci change Mona Lisa or Rembrandt's his Night Watch. I can see his/ her (whoever wrote it) point, but.. BUT you don't compare a Masterpiece, a MagnumAn amazing game just like its predecessors, but the incredibly disappointing ending ruins the game. A recent review / article stated that fans should not be allowed the power to change a game's ending, since its tantamount to having da Vinci change Mona Lisa or Rembrandt's his Night Watch. I can see his/ her (whoever wrote it) point, but.. BUT you don't compare a Masterpiece, a Magnum Opus, to a modern abstract art of the lowest quality. And mass effect's ending was exactly that.… Expand
  31. nirax
    Mar 18, 2012
    1
    i wrote a review before finalizing the game. unfortunately the game ending as it stands ruins everything. dont play/buy it until it gets fixed. the writes somehow thought it would be cool to change a (Great) mainstream popcorn emotional decision driven action-rpg to a linear pace ending with three "pick your color" option endings (completely meaningless) trying to move to "art" and noti wrote a review before finalizing the game. unfortunately the game ending as it stands ruins everything. dont play/buy it until it gets fixed. the writes somehow thought it would be cool to change a (Great) mainstream popcorn emotional decision driven action-rpg to a linear pace ending with three "pick your color" option endings (completely meaningless) trying to move to "art" and not closing anything.
    its very unsatisfactory and dumb. AVOID.    … Expand
  32. Skyhawk02
    Mar 18, 2012
    10
    This game totally blew me away. Mass Effect 1 was a pretty good start for the series. Mass Effect 2 streamlined the experience so you could focus more on the story and dialogue. Mass Effect 3 has taken the entire experience to another level. I have never experienced such strong emotions playing a video game. I cried a lot during the whole thing, I was so sad when it was over. This isThis game totally blew me away. Mass Effect 1 was a pretty good start for the series. Mass Effect 2 streamlined the experience so you could focus more on the story and dialogue. Mass Effect 3 has taken the entire experience to another level. I have never experienced such strong emotions playing a video game. I cried a lot during the whole thing, I was so sad when it was over. This is probably the most theatrical video game ever made, it is still very much a video game Not a movie, but the voice overs, writing, animations, etc. all come together to create something unlike any other game out there. Don't trust all the negative reviews out there, most of those people are fans of old school RPG's who don't like Bioware's new direction. They care more about choosing stats than interacting with great characters.… Expand
  33. op8
    Mar 18, 2012
    0
    ADVICE (to ppl who have'nt finished the game): Stop playing 10 minutes before the end....seriously!! ...you will be happier. The ending will infect your brain with a malignant non-operable cancer that will then ruin the ENTIRE trilogy for you, meaning any replay of any of the games will feel utterly pointless.Mass Effect should deserve a 90% score for being one of the best action sci-fiADVICE (to ppl who have'nt finished the game): Stop playing 10 minutes before the end....seriously!! ...you will be happier. The ending will infect your brain with a malignant non-operable cancer that will then ruin the ENTIRE trilogy for you, meaning any replay of any of the games will feel utterly pointless.Mass Effect should deserve a 90% score for being one of the best action sci-fi trilogies we have available to us, but goddamnitt, why did they have to ruin it with such a ridiculously lazy ending!!… Expand
  34. nexxuno
    Mar 18, 2012
    5
    Everything that made ME1&2 good games is not here (except graphics...).
    No choice and consequence, 1 (well more than one but all feel the same) ending, other characters are non-existant in this episode no way you'll grow attached to any of them, linear and weak story.
    Really pissed off, this is how to ruin a trilogy. The product would have some value but compared to the masterpieces 1&2    Everything that made ME1&2 good games is not here (except graphics...).
    No choice and consequence, 1 (well more than one but all feel the same) ending, other characters are non-existant in this episode no way you'll grow attached to any of them, linear and weak story.
    Really pissed off, this is how to ruin a trilogy. The product would have some value but compared to the masterpieces 1&2 are, this one is just a 5.    … Expand
  35. Alpha91
    Mar 18, 2012
    1
    Not only is ME3 the worst in the series but it's entire ad campaign was a blatant lie. Your choices in the previous games are not taking into account, and the ending is a gigantic mess of plot holes and nonsense.
    If you must play this game wait for the price to bottom out at 20 bucks
  36. MusicaX79
    Mar 18, 2012
    6
    I'm going to say from the beginning the story sucks there was basically no writing involved especially with the endings being as bad as they were. However if you are like me and gave up on Bioware writing a good story like I did years ago. Then you will at least enjoy the gameplay of this game. The game is FUN. the story sucks but it's funny and I'm glad that Bioware had some of theI'm going to say from the beginning the story sucks there was basically no writing involved especially with the endings being as bad as they were. However if you are like me and gave up on Bioware writing a good story like I did years ago. Then you will at least enjoy the gameplay of this game. The game is FUN. the story sucks but it's funny and I'm glad that Bioware had some of the funniest dialogue I've heard in a game. But like I said the game is fun story sucks.… Expand
  37. PhiloHippus
    Mar 18, 2012
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Amazing game. Granted, from a hardcore paragon point of view, who does want his hero to live to fight another day in the DLCs, the ending is a bit disappointing. Saving Shepard means killing the Geth and after all the emotional investment put into getting them to make peace with the Quarians, that's just nonsense. Plus, destroying all Mass Relays and setting the galaxy back to the dark ages of space immobility is plain bad closure. Still, I don't feel I can judge the game by the last 10 minutes, and considering the other 41 hours were pure awesome, this game gets a perfect 10.… Expand
  38. Zanadar
    Mar 18, 2012
    7
    The good:
    1. Combat improvements:
    There's a lot to be said about the addition of the roll and what it does for the combat in this game. Suffice it to say, it's a great feature. The (re)addition of many RPG elements like a much wider array of weaponry coupled with the upgrade system is very welcome as well and with the expanded skill trees and the weight vs power recharge system gives you a    The good:
    1. Combat improvements:
    There's a lot to be said about the addition of the roll and what it does for the combat in this game. Suffice it to say, it's a great feature. The (re)addition of many RPG elements like a much wider array of weaponry coupled with the upgrade system is very welcome as well and with the expanded skill trees and the weight vs power recharge system gives you a significantly improved experience with the games shooter bits.
    2. The writing: It's very strong at points. Bioware delves into a broader array of subjects than we're generally used to from them, like PTSD, the psychological strain of war and it's impact on not only those who fight it, but everyone else who suffers from it as well. Personal and mass tragedy is very prominent in the writing and handled quite well. Sadly, they do pull a few punches at times, but not enough to ruin the rest.
    3. The length: It's not a short game. Perhaps not quite as large as ME2 if you factor in all the DLCs, but still definitely worth the 60 dollar pricetag in sheer gameplay hours.

    The bad:
    1. Day one DLC: There's been enough uproar about this already, and frankly it's deserved, so I wont dwell on it too much.
    2. Reduced companion interaction: Unfortunately you do not truly get to interact with your companions as much as you'd like. You rarely get actual dialog wheel conversations with them and there are no companion side-missions. This is not as much of an issue with returning characters as it is with new ones, but it would have been nice to have a little more dialog-tree conversations for companions.
    3. The ending: A lot of adjectives have been applied to it already. I personally think "awful", "horrible" and so on are a bit of an exaggeration, but the truth is, it's far from good. Somewhere between disappointing and confusing is where I'd put it. The strangest thing about it is, Bioware have excellent writers as evidenced by the majority of the rest of the game. It simply defies belief that they did not understand this ending would not go over well, to put it mildly. The only explanation I can think of is that they're going to sell us a proper finish to the trilogy for 10 bucks.    … Expand
  39. ROGUE-BOLO
    Mar 18, 2012
    0
    I was a huge fan of the Mass Effect franchise (and Bioware games in general). Honestly, I even really like SWtOR. But Mass Effect 3 was a huge disappointment! What I hated most: 3. Meaningful interactions with most of your love interests from ME1 & ME2 reduced to unsatisfying cameos, 2. New movement options for Shepard in combat that can be horribly frustrating because they all shareI was a huge fan of the Mass Effect franchise (and Bioware games in general). Honestly, I even really like SWtOR. But Mass Effect 3 was a huge disappointment! What I hated most: 3. Meaningful interactions with most of your love interests from ME1 & ME2 reduced to unsatisfying cameos, 2. New movement options for Shepard in combat that can be horribly frustrating because they all share the same key as the one used to enter cover (i.e.: I have several times tried to sprint through a door only to find myself rolling back and forth between one side of the door and another, or attempting to leap over cover to flee attackers only to have the game decide I would rather "go into cover" on the wrong side, etc.) and worst of all 1. Three almost identical but horrible endings that totally ignored all of my choices made in the saga up to that point. In my opinion, they not only removed 100% of ME3's replay value (I played ME1 & ME2 dozens to times) but tainted the rest of the saga for me. As far as I am concerned, Jar Jar Binks did less to ruin Star Wars... After all, I did not sink 100+ hours into playing Star Wars after being told my choices would carry through and they would matter! And putting further salt in our wounds, these endings were abrupt, incongruous with the pace and story of the games up to that point, and glaringly inconsistent with established canon (For instance: If one Mass Relay detonating in The Arrival took out an entire star system what does losing ALL of them mean to the survivors in the galaxy?!!! How about a little QA, guys?) If EA/Bioware have any hope of painting themselves out of this corner, I would suggest they look on the Internet for all of the threads discussing "Indoctrination Theory" and deliver us a DLC to 'fix" the endings along those lines ASAP. I know, it is your "art" and your "artistic vision", blah, blah, blah... But you sold the whole ME franchise with the promise of "Real choices that make a difference. Honestly, guys, for ME3 it is time to live up to that.… Expand
  40. Zpiff
    Mar 18, 2012
    5
    I absolutely loved the game, felt emotionally attached to all my characters and couldn't wait to see how my favorite gaming series of the last decade would be concluded... Now I wish I had stopped ten minutes before I did.

    The ending has completely ruined the experience for me, not only for ME3, but also the first two games. It's impossibly difficult to invest in a game you know will    I absolutely loved the game, felt emotionally attached to all my characters and couldn't wait to see how my favorite gaming series of the last decade would be concluded... Now I wish I had stopped ten minutes before I did.

    The ending has completely ruined the experience for me, not only for ME3, but also the first two games. It's impossibly difficult to invest in a game you know will leave you an empty and broken husk at the end.

    As someone so bluntly put it in a forum post: It's like eating a magnificent three-course dinner, only to be served fecal matter for dessert, forcing your body to expunge it all at a lethal velocity. No matter how good the rest of the meal tasted, you'll leave on an empty stomach and with a terrible taste in your mouth. I wish this wasn't true. I really do.    … Expand
  41. Massiv
    Mar 18, 2012
    0
    Worst ending in the videogame history for the best trilogy in the videogame history. The last 10 minutes of Mass Effect 3 ruins the whole trilogy. I don't even want to play with ME1 or ME2 because of the ending of ME3, this is why I give a 0/10. Without the ending the game would be 10/10 for me.
  42. snapp
    Mar 18, 2012
    2
    Just BAD. not just the ending... the whole story, the no interaction, at least not at the level of the previous titles, you don´t get to know more about Tali (Tali didn't deserve a model for her face either.. getty images... lazyyyyy) or Liara or Garrus or anyone else, except for the history behind the geth and quarian war.. i dont recall anything else that reveals any part ofJust BAD. not just the ending... the whole story, the no interaction, at least not at the level of the previous titles, you don´t get to know more about Tali (Tali didn't deserve a model for her face either.. getty images... lazyyyyy) or Liara or Garrus or anyone else, except for the history behind the geth and quarian war.. i dont recall anything else that reveals any part of the ME universe. And on top of it all, the Ending.. come on... seriously? Huge let down. On the brighter side, the combat was much better than in ME2 i liked the mix between ME! and ME2 features. but its far from enough.… Expand
  43. silvs
    Mar 18, 2012
    3
    An amazing series, and for the most part a great game. But the ending is so unbelievably poor that it ruins the ENTIRE SERIES. It's like the rest of the game they spent years working on, and the ending they put together in 5 minutes. Seriously, it will destroy your appreciation for the franchise.
  44. RiceMuncher
    Mar 18, 2012
    5
    Dumbed down story with glaring plotholes that gets bigger as the game goes on. Saved by improved shooting mechanics. Uplifted by a few emotional + wow moments. Finally sank in the end due to the irrepairable logic and IDENTICAL ending cutscenes that invalidates all choices from ME1 onwards. Rest in Peace Bioware. I saw it coming since Dragon Age 2 came outâ
  45. MassExodus
    Mar 18, 2012
    0
    This game should be judged as two separate entities awkwardly conjoined rather than one whole individual entity. The first part consists of the first 99.9% of the game, of which the story telling, the build up to the climax and the tension were all very well done, as expected for the final title to this series, and would earn a maximum score. HOWEVER, the last 0.1%, also now known as theThis game should be judged as two separate entities awkwardly conjoined rather than one whole individual entity. The first part consists of the first 99.9% of the game, of which the story telling, the build up to the climax and the tension were all very well done, as expected for the final title to this series, and would earn a maximum score. HOWEVER, the last 0.1%, also now known as the infamous "last 10 minutes" was a very poorly executed of what is a brave and interesting concept, which had failed so catastrophically that the last part can get but zero score. Unfortunately, as the whole product is not whole without an ending, and the ending is but a fraction of the whole, the two scores must add up, however it must be "calibrated" for weight of importance. As the "definitive" end to the hitherto awesome series, the ending, despite its short length in this epic journey, has the heaviest weight, not only in the series concerning Commander Shepard, but also the entire franchise based on the story and trials of the Commander (as Bioware announced no future spinoffs will be based past the events of ME3), therefore its massive disappointment wiped away all the hard earned high score to bring the total down to 0, rounded down. This is not due to some petty tantrum but rather a summary of how that single misstep has probably destroyed the franchise's future, as already many have lost incentives for a second playthrough for ME3, let alone a replay of the first games, thus replayability has been thoroughly killed off. In addition, further spinoffs for the franchise in the future will suffer from similar disincentives due to them all inevitably based before the events of ME3, or at least before the last 10 minutes of it. Therefore, this franchise is lost, and lost because of this game, Mass Effect 3, or more precisely, the "last 10 minutes". I would like to take this space now to sincerely thank Bioware's staff for their time and effort to make these games, that it had been a wonderful journey, and that I really appreciated it. HOWEVER, that does not mean I will not deliver a scathing review on their products where and when it is needed.… Expand
  46. Chafilao
    Mar 18, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Experience the beginning, middle, and end of an emotional story unlike any other, where the decisions you make have absolutly no influence in your final experience and outcome.

    Probably the worst ending of a videogame I ever seem, and totally against the spirit of the Mass Effect series. It will stop you from replaying it, because no matter your actions, the end will remain almost the same.    … Expand
  47. AzureSkies
    Mar 18, 2012
    8
    Okay, I get it. You didn't like the ending. You didn't have that many choices. I understand. People fail to realize that this game is about the art of story telling that has player input, not that this is a story that the player has control of, making it dance like a marionette. This game is a beautiful work of art with fast-paced and innovative gameplay. The three-game story arc immersesOkay, I get it. You didn't like the ending. You didn't have that many choices. I understand. People fail to realize that this game is about the art of story telling that has player input, not that this is a story that the player has control of, making it dance like a marionette. This game is a beautiful work of art with fast-paced and innovative gameplay. The three-game story arc immerses you in a world that is so detailed and lifelike that you can't help get lost in it, and to me, that's what's important. Meaningful characters, intricate gameplay, and RPG-style player input all add together to create probably my favorite game of all time. And remember, folks: the ending of the game isn't the entire game.… Expand
  48. Magniir
    Mar 18, 2012
    4
    My rating's slightly higher than the average and that's simply because I played the game knowing the ending was horrible but went in with an open-mind anyway.

    Frankly, Day 1 DLC doesn't bother me. It's going to come out anyway, I don't think it really matters when it comes out. Sure, it being on the disc might suck, but nobody has actually proven that every piece of data included in the    My rating's slightly higher than the average and that's simply because I played the game knowing the ending was horrible but went in with an open-mind anyway.

    Frankly, Day 1 DLC doesn't bother me. It's going to come out anyway, I don't think it really matters when it comes out. Sure, it being on the disc might suck, but nobody has actually proven that every piece of data included in the DLC is on the disc as well.

    As for the game itself? Some of the best 20+ hours I've spent in a game. No really, it is. That 28 hours I spent on my first run-through wasn't bad, much of it felt really good. The environments were a bit repetitive from the second game but the character writing was absolutely fantastic, and much of the plot was fine until the last 10 minutes of the game.

    That's honestly the deal breaker for me. I give the game a 4 because the gameplay and character design were sold extremely well for me, but everything else was just plain crud. From the whole gimmicky "War Readiness" metagame to the absolute horrible ending. Those last 10-15 minutes are some of the worst minutes I've ever spent on any video game.

    It's not that it's bad that's the problem, it's that the ending doesn't really change that drastically from each option. Not only that, but your actions leading up to that point might as well not have happened, because doing the side-missions in the game doesn't really do much more than alter your "War Readiness" level, which doesn't change the endings as much as you'd expect. Other than these points, many of the ending scene is just absolutely confusing, non-sensical and it leaves you with much more questions than answers.

    That last one's really important. If I finish a story and I've got more questions than answers, and there is no sequel planned, then I really hate that story. Essentially it ends the story on a sort of cliff-hanger that you know you'll probably never get to see the bottom of, and that's just disappointing and somewhat cruel.    … Expand
  49. NaTeRiv3r
    Mar 18, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Mass Effect 3 - perhaps, greatest disappointment in my playing life. There are good moments in him, but them criminally small. On all basic elections from previous parts a scenario writer spit(Did you set about in slivers the base of Collectors? And in headquarters of Cerberus however use works "from that remained". Did you kill queen Rachny in the first part? Reapers-Rachny however will appear in the third.) From an ideal command from the second part there is nothing - her members appear pair of one times for a game, are a how hardly not parody on itself and thank God if fervor in a shot does not die. Be kind to love the personages of ME1 dull tossing of as if parodying casual personage Gears of War and AI....but now in the body of robot! Reapers from a galactic threat goes to the quite stupid bosses, maintaining the pair of rockets. (Teleport on Citadel, one place from where they can be destroyed one only ordinary Reaper guards) But all of it grows dim as compared to the monstrous ending, that turns all clock conducted after three parts in puke, the choice of color of this puke is only given you. All game you collected troops for a battle that so not happened, the final amount of these troops influences only on the insignificant differences of finishing roller. Explaining nothing, entering some idiotic God-child, Bioware allow titles and suggest to buy DLC.Here thank you! Good moments like permission of conflicts between different races and pair of deaths of especially favourite personages only show what could be ME3 if it were not for replacement of scenario writer and desire to do quickly continuation of successful series, instead of that to do a really good game. Sadly, that to say.… Expand
  50. MiniSween
    Mar 18, 2012
    4
    A very pretty game that kept me engaged with the action, but that's the least I expect for the money these days. But that extra something that made mass effect 1 & 2 (in my opinion) so good? It's just not there in ME3. Many reasons to say this but I suppose one of the most striking is the Deus Ex Machina (i.e. the reapers cannot be defeated... oh wait we've got this thing that can defeatA very pretty game that kept me engaged with the action, but that's the least I expect for the money these days. But that extra something that made mass effect 1 & 2 (in my opinion) so good? It's just not there in ME3. Many reasons to say this but I suppose one of the most striking is the Deus Ex Machina (i.e. the reapers cannot be defeated... oh wait we've got this thing that can defeat them). Whilst that is arguably only one small issue, to me it sums up the entire point of the story line. Obviously I like so many am not happy with the ending but only because it's full of plot holes, and even if we are to consider the unlikely "DLC ending" scenario then it feels like a cheap shot from Bioware. In summary not a bad game at all but certainly a disheartening one to any of us who played ME1&2... oh and EA are the devil… Expand
  51. fjalke
    Mar 18, 2012
    3
    ME1 was a really, really good game, ME2 was amazing - ME3 is a huge letdown to its fans. ME3 is basically a dumbed down version of ME1 and ME2 with a poorly written story and disappointing ending.

    They have removed a lot of the RPG elements, converting the game to a FPS instead - there is no inventory and no selling of unused equipment. I actually liked the graphics, but, especially with    ME1 was a really, really good game, ME2 was amazing - ME3 is a huge letdown to its fans. ME3 is basically a dumbed down version of ME1 and ME2 with a poorly written story and disappointing ending.

    They have removed a lot of the RPG elements, converting the game to a FPS instead - there is no inventory and no selling of unused equipment. I actually liked the graphics, but, especially with female NPCs, many of them look alike and you get the feeling "hey, i already saved you before".

    The rich story and involvement in your crew mates from ME1 and ME2 have been reduced to meaningless chatter that can be boiled down to "Its all so hopeless, I don't know if I can handle it - but now that you are here Shepard, everything is going to be fine". In ME1 and ME2 there were some interesting game choices during the game, both for crew mates and story - none exist in ME3, it has been reduced to "Are you going for Paragon or Renegade?". There are no storyline attached to your crew mates which really hurts the game.
    The worst thing about ME3 is the ending - for fans it is a huge letdown. None of the choices during the game has any impact on the ending, and the ending doesn't really make any sense.
    If this game becomes a box-office hit, it is due to the success of ME1 and ME2.    … Expand
  52. alexbr
    Mar 18, 2012
    4
    The game is technically and script/story wise incomplete. Many plot holes, inconsistencies with prequels, odd side missions and even "anime" style character. Playthrough comparing to prequels is different and boring. Day 1 DLC of very important character considering prequels and lore, otherwise not present in the game but found by players on disk and activated by them without any downloadThe game is technically and script/story wise incomplete. Many plot holes, inconsistencies with prequels, odd side missions and even "anime" style character. Playthrough comparing to prequels is different and boring. Day 1 DLC of very important character considering prequels and lore, otherwise not present in the game but found by players on disk and activated by them without any download so what kind of DLC is that good question. Graphics are medium, Mass Effect 2 has better graphics, porting from consoles almost 1 to 1 without use of PC technical superiority, not even keyboard. A lot of things binding to "space" and you cant change it. Controls taken away from player in terms of less movement/view possibilities such as holstering for example. Much less dialogue choices but much more cutscenes without any choices. Bug of importing characters from prequels and even if imported not look same, only remotely similar. Game have good combat mechanics and very good sound/voices. Positioned as RPG/Action in advertisement. Third person Shooter with few RPG style dialogues and a lot of cutscenes in reality. Replay value hangs on very low to none.… Expand
  53. mythandoryx
    Mar 18, 2012
    4
    Don't get me wrong, ME3 is an AMAZING GAME! It's just the ending that pisses me off. I've spent five years on this franchise working hard making all the right choices in order to have a closure that suits my expectations! However, the ending made me feel as if none of that mattered! I've lost interest in continuing the game or even replay it anywhere in the near future. I was alsoDon't get me wrong, ME3 is an AMAZING GAME! It's just the ending that pisses me off. I've spent five years on this franchise working hard making all the right choices in order to have a closure that suits my expectations! However, the ending made me feel as if none of that mattered! I've lost interest in continuing the game or even replay it anywhere in the near future. I was also frustrated by BW's Day-One DLC policy! It made me feel cheep! As if I'm nothing but money-milking machine for the Big Gaming Kahunas. THE ENDING MUST BE CORRECTED! BW is a great company that makes great RPG's. I'm confident that they won't disappoint their fans for long. Maybe!… Expand
  54. Jedah
    Mar 17, 2012
    0
    Mass Effect 3 is a very entertaining game that follows closely the formula of ME2, but there are several MASSIVE PROBLEMS with it. I would recommend you do NOT purchase it at this time.

    If you consider yourself a loyal fan of the series, and appreciated the direction of the stories in the previous games, there is an excellent chance you will find the endings deeply unsatisfying. There    Mass Effect 3 is a very entertaining game that follows closely the formula of ME2, but there are several MASSIVE PROBLEMS with it. I would recommend you do NOT purchase it at this time.

    If you consider yourself a loyal fan of the series, and appreciated the direction of the stories in the previous games, there is an excellent chance you will find the endings deeply unsatisfying. There is currently a campaign underway to convince Bioware to add an alternative to the current endings. You can find out more by searching for Retake Mass Effect. Multiplayer is a component Bioware decided to include with this game. Normally this wouldn't be a concern for single player focused players, but a player's participation in MP has a direct effect on your SP experience, specifically the ending. Even if you are a completionist type of player who carefully goes through the game checking everything, you may not have enough of a certain score to achieve the "best" ending if you do not play multiplayer. For those without a reliable internet connection, this is a serious problem.

    The day one DLC is a sore point for many gamers. While I would not call the content "necessary" for full enjoyment of the game, your squad would seem fairly bare without the inclusion of the character in this dlc, and considering the free squadmate offered very soon after Mass Effect 2's release, there is no reason this couldn't have been free as well (aside from corporate greed, which is exactly what this is).

    Finally, a smaller complaint, but one I suspect many fans will be upset about. A certain character's true appearance is revealed in this game. If you are a long time fan you will know exactly who I speak of. Let's just say the reveal is quite disappointing, and it involves photoshop. All these issues (minus the MP) are based on my own opinions. I have been a big fan of the series since the beginning, and 99% of the trilogy has been an absolute blast. I don't expect Bioware to remove or change the offenses I have listed above, but I would sincerely appreciate an alternative. If you share my opinion on some of these missteps, I would again ask that you do not purchase the game at this time. Affecting Bioware and EA's profits is the best way to voice your opinion.    … Expand
  55. Metalsand
    Mar 17, 2012
    2
    When I first saw the user ratings, I thought maybe a group of players were just being overly dramatic. I was dead wrong.

    While Bioware did a decent job on story, most of it was just reusing previous material from the first and second games. Unfortunately, this is the only good thing I have to say about this game. Combat feels like if I played the COD4 campaign 4 times in a row. The    When I first saw the user ratings, I thought maybe a group of players were just being overly dramatic. I was dead wrong.

    While Bioware did a decent job on story, most of it was just reusing previous material from the first and second games. Unfortunately, this is the only good thing I have to say about this game. Combat feels like if I played the COD4 campaign 4 times in a row. The first and second times would be fun, but the third and fourth are just the same things over and over again, and it feels like with all game combat, depending on which part of the story you are on, they would use copy and paste more. The last battle was RIDICULOUS. It became a test to see how long I could hold down the left click button, with 30 enemies plus 5-10 mini-bosses coming all at once, and sooner or later, the sheer spam would always back me into a corner, where 5 of the minibosses would keep on using stun attacks to keep me from running or even firing back. The sheer length of the combat fights is terrible as well, it would be safe to estimate that over half of the fighting you will be doing in this game is just filler, especially the last mission. In only one small section of the last mission, I'd go up against waves that would take around 20-30 minutes to complete, with over 4 waves to complete. This is one SECTION which is 100% combat spam that takes more than 2 hours to complete. So you just shoot for 2 hours straight at the same enemies, using the same weapons and same tactics. I've watched chick flicks with women that not even including the benefits of the woman are MUCH more exciting than the combat in this game. It is a sad state of affairs when Bioware games turn into a giant grind instead of story, and the whole game feels like it was made by a 3rd rate developer that had no clue what they were doing and instead mashed everything together and called it a game. Bioware has been on the decline since ME2 and Dragon Age 2, but with the release of ME3, it is safe to say that they are a dead company now.    … Expand
  56. Fr0s7y
    Mar 17, 2012
    0
    Would have been a solid 8 or 9 had the ending not succeeded in ruining the entire story that the trilogy had been building up to. Quite saddening to see the disappointments BioWare continues to churn out (Dragon Age 2, and now this), and I can't help but think EA is the culprit. I miss the days when BioWare actually meant quality roleplaying games.. Unfortunately, it seems those days areWould have been a solid 8 or 9 had the ending not succeeded in ruining the entire story that the trilogy had been building up to. Quite saddening to see the disappointments BioWare continues to churn out (Dragon Age 2, and now this), and I can't help but think EA is the culprit. I miss the days when BioWare actually meant quality roleplaying games.. Unfortunately, it seems those days are long over.… Expand
  57. conlaw
    Mar 17, 2012
    10
    This game was awesome. All these people can complaining about the plot but nI felt thoroughly satisfied with the game. Probably the best trilogy ever made!
  58. miczall
    Mar 17, 2012
    0
    WE WILL HOLD THE LINE!!!
    As a sign of protest, I advise everyone to boycott reviews of ME3. If proper DLC is delivered our reviews can be changed to positive ones.
    RETAKE MASS EFFECT 3
  59. Half-lifeer
    Mar 17, 2012
    6
    I Can't believe it.... i... i just can't.... I have stood for this game, through the hole launch periode, claiming that the ending would'nt matter to me if the game itself was great... But... but... The ending was seriously bad.. So bad that, It has destroyed the whole franchise for me.

    But the game itself isn't bad, is just the ending..... IT'S HORRIBLE! There isnt really anything i can    I Can't believe it.... i... i just can't.... I have stood for this game, through the hole launch periode, claiming that the ending would'nt matter to me if the game itself was great... But... but... The ending was seriously bad.. So bad that, It has destroyed the whole franchise for me.

    But the game itself isn't bad, is just the ending..... IT'S HORRIBLE!

    There isnt really anything i can say, that everybody allready has put out. I can only say that im a terribly sad Mass Effect fan and it will take time before i get over that piece of sh** ending(s). So 6 score points from me. It would have been 9 or even 10, but yeah.... wtf were you thinking Bioware ;.(    … Expand
  60. zennyrpg
    Mar 17, 2012
    4
    The game was 10/10 until the end. The game itself had some flaws, particularly the new characters were not as fleshed out/ interesting as they could have been. But it also had some of the most satisfying, unbelievable triumphs I've ever witnessed. The Rannoch mission and its multiple conclusions convinced me that "this is the greatest game I've ever seen." Sadly, the ending killed it-The game was 10/10 until the end. The game itself had some flaws, particularly the new characters were not as fleshed out/ interesting as they could have been. But it also had some of the most satisfying, unbelievable triumphs I've ever witnessed. The Rannoch mission and its multiple conclusions convinced me that "this is the greatest game I've ever seen." Sadly, the ending killed it- but its still "bearable" as long as you can accept that you get the same crappy ending regardless of your choices in the previous or current games. Hopefully DLC will include more options/ more epicness for the ending.… Expand
  61. daveyy12
    Mar 17, 2012
    5
    I agree with several of the other reviewers...This game is a let down, compared with ME2. The plot was weake and there were less challenges/puzzles. I played the "traditional" game and found two major irritations: (1) cut scenes were way too long and there was no way to pause the game (2) weapons available for players' use were positively wimpy. The game is ok, but didn't live up to the hype.
  62. Fore
    Mar 17, 2012
    10
    To preface I hated DA2. ME3 is not that bad a game. The story is alright except the ending needs to be tweeked a bit. Original ME was made for a console so this game has issues when played with a PC. The RPG part is weak but after DA2 its to be expected. EA is slowly killing Bioware. This will probably be my last Bioware RPG purchase. $60 for a 5/10 game is not a good buy.
  63. ckostovny
    Mar 17, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game improved the game play of Mass Effect 2 and included some of the features lost from Mass Effect, and was on track to be one of my favorite games, maybe ever, until the last act of the game. I feel that none of my actions from previous games had any impact on the ending. I feel that none of my preparation of the galaxy (I estimate 80% of the time spent playing the game!) had any impact on the ending. I actually bought the iOS game and played multi player to get 100% of my forces ready for the final battle, only to face the exact A, B, or C ending choice that the developers said this game would not have. The worst part about this game is how truly great it was until the end-- how BioWare and EA squandered the potential of this game and the epic conclusion to this heretofore great series. Had the game been uniformly bad, I would have been less severe on it, but to ascend to such great heights only to plummet to the ending we were given is a failure I never would have expected from BioWare. I'm willing to overlook the consolization, the failure of the game to update its onscreen messages with my changed key bindings, the comparatively poor resolution of the character's bodies compared to their faces; none of that would have greatly impacted my opinion of the experience if I was not so immensely let down by the conclusion (or lack thereof).

    I understand this is a product, and we are consumers, but did you really have to throw a DLC sales pitch in my face after you shattered my hopes for this game and this series?

    Shame on you, BioWare. I can no longer associate "BioWare" with "great games" after this experience, and I'm not alone in this. How long with you wait before you directly address our issues, without this PR sidestepping and pretending that we just don't understand your supposed "art" ?    … Expand
  64. StavrosDim
    Mar 17, 2012
    7
    Mass Effect 3 is promoted by its publisher as a shooter game,while Mass Effect 1 was promoted as an RPG.Many RPG elements are absent in this game,and any improvement done is on the battle/shooter department.That was something I didn't liked,as I also didn't liked the fact that the actual places you can visit are fewer,the actual dialogues you can have with people are fewer,and the gameplayMass Effect 3 is promoted by its publisher as a shooter game,while Mass Effect 1 was promoted as an RPG.Many RPG elements are absent in this game,and any improvement done is on the battle/shooter department.That was something I didn't liked,as I also didn't liked the fact that the actual places you can visit are fewer,the actual dialogues you can have with people are fewer,and the gameplay variety of this game is also shorter.While ME3 is the most linear of all the games in the series,it was bearable enough up until the end.I didn't had enough fun as I had with ME1 and ME2 while playing ME3,because many elements that I liked from past games were absent or in very short quantities in this one.
    While the actual battles aren't as predictable and annoying as in past game of the series,the fact that most quests in this game have battles tacked on gets them repeatitive and boring after an amount of time,and I ended up feeling that the game's gameplay was a chore I had to do just to see what happens in the end.So I played it up until the end expecting a great finale and to see how the game would evaluate my decisions and gameplay,by seeing what kind of ending I would get.
    The ending wasn't what I expected.I could deal with a not so happy ending,but this goes beyond that.
    The game ends without showing me what happened to the main characters of the plot and the universe. I didn't saw anybody's reactions to the decision the main protagonist,Shepard took. I didn't saw how their lives changed,what happened in anybody's life after the final event of the story.The game ends in a way that makes whatever Shepard accomplished in all 3 games to be rendered absolutely useless,and the player is left to wonder if it was even worth it taking all these decisions or not,and eventually destroying the Reapers or not,and actually if it was even worth it doing all that things that happened,and playing through 3 games to achieve them.
    I can't say I enjoyed or had fun with this game as with the rest of the series.
    Mass Effect 1 was like finding an airport full of various airplane models you could fly and got me all excited.Mass Effect 2 was like a lift off,like actually flying one of those planes,and it drove my enthusiasm to the hights of the skies.Mass Effect 3 was the landing,and a rough one where you realise that something went wrong,and you get to smash on to the ground with your face.
    While as a series it was one of my best ever until before ME3,I decided that the best thing to do is to forget ME3 ever existed.Shepard's story closes with the worst possible way it could close.Everything turns out to be futile,and the universe I loved so much by playing the first two games of the series got damaged so bad,it wouldn't make sense to make a new game with it.In the last minutes of this game Bioware destroyed every reason I had to do whatever I was doing in the games of the series,which also devastated any replay value the whole trilogy could have,by killing the motives a player might had to replay these games.This is sad.Sadder than the actual ending.    … Expand
  65. Bobnik
    Mar 17, 2012
    9
    People, are you serious? You can't give a REALLY bad score just because endings are bad and textures are loading not so well. I agree, this game is a little letdown, and Mass Effect 2 is still the best Mass Effect game. However, I don't agree about endings. They're not bad. They're just not like any other ending from different games. And I like it a lot. Sure, endings are a bitPeople, are you serious? You can't give a REALLY bad score just because endings are bad and textures are loading not so well. I agree, this game is a little letdown, and Mass Effect 2 is still the best Mass Effect game. However, I don't agree about endings. They're not bad. They're just not like any other ending from different games. And I like it a lot. Sure, endings are a bit disappointing, but they are not bad. What about graphics... I don't care, actually. But everything else is great: story, gameplay, combat etc. That's why I give this game 9 out of 10.… Expand
  66. RPGROB
    Mar 17, 2012
    0
    This game is a prime example of why the video game industry is dying--not by sales, but by soul. Release day DLC is an insult to consumers and this is exactly what this game has done. 60 Dollars isn't enough, they want more of your money upfront for the "full" experience, but we all know they will release DLC after DLC to try and milk as much money as possible from you. Just play MassThis game is a prime example of why the video game industry is dying--not by sales, but by soul. Release day DLC is an insult to consumers and this is exactly what this game has done. 60 Dollars isn't enough, they want more of your money upfront for the "full" experience, but we all know they will release DLC after DLC to try and milk as much money as possible from you. Just play Mass Effect 1 and leave it at that.… Expand
  67. Scritty
    Mar 17, 2012
    0
    Every iteration of Mass Effect BIoware seem to actively looking to "simplfy gameplay". From the herady heights of Baldurs Gate 14 years ago - to this generic simpletons game "Gears of War Lite". In another 20 years Bioware will be releasing a stunning graphical representation of Pong - and still having the nerve to call it an RPG. There is so little to Mass Effect 3 - gameplay wise I wouldEvery iteration of Mass Effect BIoware seem to actively looking to "simplfy gameplay". From the herady heights of Baldurs Gate 14 years ago - to this generic simpletons game "Gears of War Lite". In another 20 years Bioware will be releasing a stunning graphical representation of Pong - and still having the nerve to call it an RPG. There is so little to Mass Effect 3 - gameplay wise I would rather spend my time on one of those free Java game sites. Rubbish - and made all the worse by the fact it bears the name of the once mighty Bioware - Along with the generic and shallow "Star Wars t OR" this game goes straight to the back of my games cupboard, to be tossed out when the day comes that I don't wince at the waste of £35… Expand
  68. Bobbydylan
    Mar 17, 2012
    8
    Mass effect is an amazing series, and ME3 does well to live up to it's stirling reputation. While the plot has a few holes in it, anyone thinking that the first 2 did not, is sadly blinded by fanboyism. The game retains the move towards 3rd person shooter that the series made in 2, this feels more fluid and clean. The inclusion of MP added some life to the game, but beyond affecting myMass effect is an amazing series, and ME3 does well to live up to it's stirling reputation. While the plot has a few holes in it, anyone thinking that the first 2 did not, is sadly blinded by fanboyism. The game retains the move towards 3rd person shooter that the series made in 2, this feels more fluid and clean. The inclusion of MP added some life to the game, but beyond affecting my Galactic Readiness, I cant see myself playing this for long.
    While a great many people are upset with the ending, I found it to be quite satisfactory. You'd swear that the ending was "it's all a dream and everything you been through is for nothing". But the game ends with a conclusion to the current story, and leaves the future very much in the air. All in all, a great game, of the spirit of Star Control 2. Just dont expect perfection. The minor holes in Plot, and bugs in the game keep my scone below the 9, it would otherwise deserve.    … Expand
  69. Slumbering
    Mar 17, 2012
    0
    Nothing hurts more than to lose time, money, and personal investment when it comes to an ending five years in the making. Here's a short list of the ways I feel used by Bioware/EA.
    -My money means nothing to them. It does not matter how much I have spent on their project, but only that I could possibly spend more if tricked into thinking I'll get what I paid for.
    -The story was ignored    Nothing hurts more than to lose time, money, and personal investment when it comes to an ending five years in the making. Here's a short list of the ways I feel used by Bioware/EA.
    -My money means nothing to them. It does not matter how much I have spent on their project, but only that I could possibly spend more if tricked into thinking I'll get what I paid for.
    -The story was ignored during a key portion of the game. The ending. Nothing that I could invest into the game would make the outcome any different. That is a kick to the face of every gamer alive. I did not buy a game to be told I should shut up and watch.
    -Shepard was the most human I had ever seen him. I loved how fragile my role was in the series and how much he relied on his team. When it mattered nobody who was fiercely loyal to him had his back. Apparently they all sought fit to run away when the galaxy needed them most. Does hope die with Shepard?
    -The theme is self sacrifice... self sacrifice... self sacrifice... etc etc etc but to push that theme onto the customer's wallet is freaking atrocious.
    -This list goes on just like DLC will be released for a dead franchise.

    Although beating dead horses seldom brings them back to life I hope EA/Bioware will understand that this horse is being beaten because it deserved to be beaten. Nobody will forget it and it will live on in the minds of everyone who felt strongly about their experience. Let it serve as a warning that any great piece of art if put to pasture by an owner who only cares about money will watch the art die sickly and without love.    … Expand
  70. bronzerev
    Mar 17, 2012
    6
    On the whole, this is a fantastic game with a clear improvement in combat mechanics, conversation structure and graphics. Clint Mansell (Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain) and Sam Hulick (Mass Effect 1 & 2, Red Orchestra 2) provide a powerful and emotive soundtrack; however Jack Wallâ
  71. New_Order
    Mar 17, 2012
    4
    the game exciting, interesting and amazing, exactly to the last mission! The ending is just disgusting! No epic battles, the last mission is ugly boring, the ending totally illogical and senseless. What happened to the rest of the team is unknown. I was very disappointed BioWare, which I did not expect from them.
  72. jat
    Mar 17, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. the game retroactively ruins the entire mass effect franchise. You will not want to play the games again, you will not want to buy dlc, you will not want to read the books, and you will want to punch bioware in the nuts.

    The endings boil down to basically 1 ending where none of your choices matter, and you get 0 closure. Everyone dies, and the implications for the rest of the universe are just depressing. Of the endings you get, its basically the same 1, with 3 colors (6 slight variations, but not really) of the promised 16 different endings.

    Gameplay and multiplayer are entertaining, and the campaign has some well written dialogue, up until the final few minutes.    … Expand
  73. ivan_ru
    Mar 17, 2012
    3
    Mass effect 3 has become more shooter than RPG, all of these settings are more similar to weapons purchase in a counter-streak, and the skills needed for the opponents of deportation from the walls. The ending is absolutely stupid. Diagnosis: a shooter that is worse than counter-strike, with dialogue from the mass effect 1-2, and very stupid ending.
  74. Goosebump
    Mar 17, 2012
    8
    Game is very enjoyable overall. The production quality is absolutely epic. Pros: Gorgeous graphics, great sound and voice acting, fun missions and well written for the most part. Cons: Some really annoying bugs like Shepard getting stuck in the **** talking to Joker and cover fire bugs getting stuck while trying to run a gauntlet take away from the fun a little. I was veryGame is very enjoyable overall. The production quality is absolutely epic. Pros: Gorgeous graphics, great sound and voice acting, fun missions and well written for the most part. Cons: Some really annoying bugs like Shepard getting stuck in the **** talking to Joker and cover fire bugs getting stuck while trying to run a gauntlet take away from the fun a little. I was very disappointed with the ending - the whole game felt just awesome and the production quality of the ending was superb but the ending itself was such an enormous anti-climax. Maybe there'll be some reason to the choices made that are evident later in Mass Effect 4. Another amazing title overall from the Bioware stable.… Expand
  75. Radzap
    Mar 17, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Good:
    1. Weapons upgrade system. 2. Getting squadmate's abilities.
    3. Umm, reaching here, but the war effort meter gave me some motivation to visit all the systems.

    Bad.
    1. Your choices in the previous games get retconned.
    2. The cover system is totally stupid and can get you killed if you just want to leap over an object.
    3, The space bar is the default interact button for everything (Blizzard is dumbing down their button schemes too to pander to casuals)
    4. The game will try and force you to go homosexual, freaking Garrus made a pass at me and wouldn't leave me alone! Cortez gets all emo on you and wants to hold hands with you every time you see him.
    5. More retcons: Ashley was a man? So where does that come out in the game? Oh it doesn't, it's just something a writer said in an interview later. 6. Stupid boss fights: Fight a giant Reaper dreadnought and blow it up solo when it takes a whole damn army and loads of missiles to blow one up in the final chapter. WTFPWN Leng in both both boss fight against him using shield drain and maxxed out inferno rounds.
    7. Stupid Ripped Off Ending: Instead of a stupid boss fight (which would have been preferable at this point) they give you a half an hour of UNSKIPPABLE CUTSCENES and then give you a choice of three endings which have no bearing on your progress in the game. Yeah, that was satisfying.
    8. DAY ONE DLC! Yeah, the greedy A-holes want to touch you up for another $10 after you already kickd them the $60. Good job EA.
    9. Stupid missions are all the same. Go in a base, kill a bunch of dudes that rush you. Collect data, mats, or some dude and get back to the ship. Timed missions have no timer. It doesn't matter, all of the missions are stupid easy.
    10. The exploration system got even more simplified so that 100% exploration can be achieved in about an hour.
    11. The War Resources Meter has no effect on the game. I freaking rescued the Volus Dreadnought, and I wanted to see it deployed in the final battle. It was no where to be seen. You liberate a bunch of viscous gangs for T'Lara for the war effort and it has absolutely no consequences. You also free T'Lara's murderous associate from jail and nothing negative happens after she swears to go on a killing spree. You don't even get in to any trouble with Bailey the head of C-Sec about it. Basically, nothing that isn't directly linked to the main story affects the game.
    12. I have a top of the line PC and the game graphics are crap. Artifacting and noise everywhere.
    13. The final encounter with the elusive man is a JOKE. Choose the renegade option or die and restart. LOL!!

    I played this game in order to complete the trilogy and make use of my game saves. The whole thing was a serious let down from the minute I saw the message about the day one DLC. All three endings that I had involved Shepard dying in some way and even though they attempted to give you some closure by talking to the characters on a vid screen before embarking on the last mission, it just felt empty and that the sacrifice was for nothing. If you are just learning about this series, just pass on it. It's not worth the investment as the experience degrades seriously as the game progresses from box to box.    … Expand
  76. Aviod
    Mar 16, 2012
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game overall plays like mass effect 2 basically, which is a good thing.

    I felt less impressed by the story, they were so many blanks... For example, when the reapers take the Citadel to planet earth to protect. It doesn't say what happened to all the people on the Citadel. Sure you go up later, and see lots of dead bodies, but are they the bodies harvested from planet earth? sure the resources of C-SEC with the resources i collected and authorized could of hold out better.

    Also how the hell did Udina become council man, I chose anderson at the end of mass effect 1. He was also council man on mass effect 2, when i imported saves. I imported saves to mass effect 3 but Udina is council man.

    I didn't like how mass effect started as-well house arrest for blowing a balterian relay or something (must be mass effect 2 DLC which in my opinion DLC always seemed like a rip off... Sure the expansion pack (Awakenings) was good for Dragon Age:Origins as it was like a true game, but DLC it seems like $$$ for a simple weapon or something, or another character with one short quest that costs 1/3 of the original game price)

    The fuel and scanning planets things was boring in my opinion, and they butchered by ship, with so called improvements... I had 1500 fuel on mass effect 2, in mass effect 3 it's 1000. I also had awesome particle beam leasers that ripped through the Collectors easily, and great Shielding.

    The ending was worse of all, it didn't even feel like an ending, just a cheap cut off. I choose Synthesis option. Great the reapers leave earth.. I suppose everyone part machine, part biological..

    You see the normandy travelling through the cortex of a mass relay with your crew, another hole in the story... Where the hell are they off to with my crew, whilst they was a big battle on earth and around.

    I romanced Ashley in my play-through. you see joker, edi and ashley walk off Normandy. No conclusions except joker, is part synthesis. I wanted to see wide spread celebrators, like on star wars movies when they blew up the darkstar and defeated the empire. Call me egotistical but i wanted some recognition. I unknown to others sacrificed myself to save the Galaxy. I don't see peoples reactions, especially by crew members past or present. I wanted to see their reactions, See Garrus have that drink on mem others sad and happy then moving on with their lives. Thats my view on things.    … Expand
  77. boddilyfluids
    Mar 16, 2012
    0
    Breaks cannon, massive plot holes, incomplete game. While this is the final chapter in one of my most cherished series, there is very little that remains after a botched ending that can be considered good.
  78. murrayb67
    Mar 16, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. What should have been the conclusion to the greatest game series ever was completely ruined by the last nonsensical few minutes. The great thing about the Mass Effect series, and major factor in its replay-ability, was the massive number of choices the player got to make which led to a variety of distinctive outcomes. To finally get to the end of Shepard's journey only to be presented with choices A, B and C where the only difference is the color of the explosion in an otherwise identical cut-scene is a slap in the face after countless hours of hared work over five years and loads of DLC. It's so bad that it ruined my entire gaming experience and assured me that I'll only be getting one play through for my money. Not worth it.… Expand
  79. michael998877
    Mar 16, 2012
    2
    Great series ruined by a bad ending. I wasn't expecting everything to be ponies and rainbows at the end, but a lot more choice and a more fulfilling, coherent ending was what I expected and was promised from these master storytellers, who have let me down.

    The game was also plagued with bugs: first it wouldn't install from the disk (tried to download the whole game from Origin even though    Great series ruined by a bad ending. I wasn't expecting everything to be ponies and rainbows at the end, but a lot more choice and a more fulfilling, coherent ending was what I expected and was promised from these master storytellers, who have let me down.

    The game was also plagued with bugs: first it wouldn't install from the disk (tried to download the whole game from Origin even though I had a physical copy in the drive) so I had to find a workaround for that. Then it refused to import Shepard's head, so I had to go online to find a workaround for that. Then there were constant bugs and issues, and the game would often freeze unless I turned sound off in the config setting - meaning I had to watch most cutscenes twice - once in silent mode in-game, and again on Youtube walkthroughs to hear what was going on.

    Nice combat system and very emotional, but the ending really did overshadow things for me, hence the score. I will go back to playing ME1 and 2 for now. My advice is stay away until the bugs are fixed and (hopefully) the devs wake up and add some more endings - decent ones. Play ME1 and 2 and enjoy very successful story arcs which manage to be interesting and emotionally involving whilst retaining coherence and choice and not being excessively bleak.    … Expand
  80. Ochetazinco
    Mar 16, 2012
    0
    I am going to describe this game as accurately as I possibly can. First up I am going to say that this game is not an RPG anymore. They are describing it as an Action RPG, but you cannot roam around anymore (like around the Normandy, speaking to crew members, mining planets, commander Shepard's room ect ect). It is your standard third person shooter with upgrade elements from hoard gamesI am going to describe this game as accurately as I possibly can. First up I am going to say that this game is not an RPG anymore. They are describing it as an Action RPG, but you cannot roam around anymore (like around the Normandy, speaking to crew members, mining planets, commander Shepard's room ect ect). It is your standard third person shooter with upgrade elements from hoard games such as Bulletstorm or or The Darkness. I would in fact compare the game mechanics to The Darkness, because as you shoot and kill you gain points to upgrade. This game is more action adventure/third person shooter, and not an RPG by any scope of the imagination. You would not compare this game to something like The Witcher 2 or even Skyrim, as this game is more along the lines of Bulletstorm, I don't think it can even be considered a free roam game (like the Assasin's Creed ) This is a third person shooter with upgrade elements, such as, like I said, Bulletstorm or The Darkness II or even Red Faction Armageddon. Second of all the graphics look really bad. Mass Effect 2 looks better than this. The textures are all smeared and blury, and it runs so good on my computer that the characters look like and move as if they were made out of paper. Mass effect 1 probably looks better than this, probably, but most likely, I have all three games and can make a comparison. This is a really bad game and the reviewers did not give it a more just review because they were obviously paid off. This company just made it's money out of your impulse. What you bought ladies and gentlemen, was the mere illusion that this game was going to live up to it's predecessors. They fooled you by making you place pre orders with false advertising, and now you won't get back your money they technically stole. We commonly know ploys like this as "Scams."… Expand
  81. SirCabbage
    Mar 16, 2012
    1
    ** SPOILERS ARE IN THIS REVIEW ** The game was amazing, every story felt tailored to my choices and I felt rewarded when I could chose things others could not due to my diligence in the end of the game. The sound, music, both amazing, and while the graphics seemed a little aged they still worked. (well, bar the random 2D sprites and textures that sometimes popped up which looked like they** SPOILERS ARE IN THIS REVIEW ** The game was amazing, every story felt tailored to my choices and I felt rewarded when I could chose things others could not due to my diligence in the end of the game. The sound, music, both amazing, and while the graphics seemed a little aged they still worked. (well, bar the random 2D sprites and textures that sometimes popped up which looked like they were done in paint. As of now, I would have put a rating up for 9, or 10 for this game, it was fun, loads of stuff to do, explore, listen to, learn about.. the multi-player is damn addictive and the pokemon trading cards TCG booster pack system is both annoying but addicting. Then comes the bad, the bad that is so bad I am forced to rate this amazing game so low. The bad that is so terrible that it not only ruined ME3 for me, but also made me less likely to ever replay ME1 and ME2. Im sure you all see where I am going, and that is the ending. The endings themselves were weakly explained in story, full of story cannon errors and worse.. but thats not what makes me hate them. The fact is, that no matter what you do, no matter how well you play, no matter if you saved the rachni, made the geth and quarians be at peace.. anything.. Nothing you have done in the past 3 games matters to the ending, you could be good, or evil, and still get the exact damn same choices. The differences between the ending movies are also minor, with a simple colour change being the only thing to stand between controlling them, joining them and destroying them. In all three endings the major transport hubs used by the galaxy are destroyed, meaning that burning civilizations are basically forever alone in the universe and unable to build, travel or anything. A huge fleet of ships is either destroyed, or remains in orbit around earth with no way to get home, and basically all your choices didn't matter since in the end you essentially destroy the universe. Plotholes like my LI who was presumably killed during the final run to the beam mysteriously showing up on the normandy after, the weird joker trying to escape the beam for no reason, The starchild's excuse not mentioning anything to do with the dark energy mentioned all through ME2, or Shepards apparent inability to even question his reasoning. So lets recap why ME3 is good/bad

    Good
    - Epic Soundtrack
    - Rewarding to Import Savegames (during game itself)
    - Fun gameplay/combat
    - Improved squad interactions

    Bad - Ending Scenes are identical. - Ending ignors 3 years of your choices, no epilogue or future games possible unless during/in past. - Plotholes all over - Getting 100%, doing everything correctly, still you get punished by dying in all but one ending.

    Overall. Bleh

    Game 10/10
    Sound 10/10
    Ending -20/10
    Total 0/30 :P Seriously, dont pass this game if you want to still love the franchise.    … Expand
  82. StMichael
    Mar 16, 2012
    0
    I reserve a score of 0 for games that are either non-functional, incomplete or grossly incompetently made. Mass Effect 3 fits squarely in the 2nd category. Rather than bring a conclusion to the Reaper threat, the game introduces a Deus Ex Machina ending (in the traditional greek sense). There's no final confrontation, no closure given, just 1 poorly made ending with 3 different colorI reserve a score of 0 for games that are either non-functional, incomplete or grossly incompetently made. Mass Effect 3 fits squarely in the 2nd category. Rather than bring a conclusion to the Reaper threat, the game introduces a Deus Ex Machina ending (in the traditional greek sense). There's no final confrontation, no closure given, just 1 poorly made ending with 3 different color explosions (Literally, I'm not exaggerating here). It really does feel incomplete, and as a result does not deserve a formal review until the finished product is released.… Expand
  83. Prajwal
    Mar 16, 2012
    9
    Great game, The story is the main focus and it's amazing. The endings could have been a bit better but it's still really good. Amazing and enjoyable combat, Great 3rd person shooting, Awesome weapons, and well done cover system. The graphics look fantastic but it has some glitches. The sound effects and the voice actings are amazing. It's one of the main reasons that makes you care forGreat game, The story is the main focus and it's amazing. The endings could have been a bit better but it's still really good. Amazing and enjoyable combat, Great 3rd person shooting, Awesome weapons, and well done cover system. The graphics look fantastic but it has some glitches. The sound effects and the voice actings are amazing. It's one of the main reasons that makes you care for each character. Great game. Recommended for everyone. But it's better if you play the first 2 before this one.… Expand
  84. OddSuperFuture
    Mar 16, 2012
    0
    The game is absolutely top notch until the ending is reached and you're presented with 3 choices. 3 choices which completely dismiss any decisions you've made prior in any of the 3 games. There are 3 ending scenes with no closure and a convoluted, out of character plot which disregard the franchises key themes. This destroys any motivation you may have to replay this game-or any of theThe game is absolutely top notch until the ending is reached and you're presented with 3 choices. 3 choices which completely dismiss any decisions you've made prior in any of the 3 games. There are 3 ending scenes with no closure and a convoluted, out of character plot which disregard the franchises key themes. This destroys any motivation you may have to replay this game-or any of the other ME games.… Expand
  85. Chupwn
    Mar 16, 2012
    2
    I was expecting a game superior to Mass Effect 2. I really liked how doing the loyalty missions and side-quests impacted the final showdown. The ending unfortunately looked like it suffered from the developer running out of time/money/ideas. I'm noticing that every time you add a gimmick (aka multiplayer), you have to sacrifice something.
  86. Berzerker556
    Mar 16, 2012
    8
    Too much EA not enough Bioware.

    The previous game (ME1&2) decisions have very little quantifiable effect, seems like rather than implementing all of the carry over they just fake it by having some scripted vocal moments acknowledged the decision, but to add no over all game effect. The combat and character building further builds on ME2 and is slightly improved. The weapons selection felt    Too much EA not enough Bioware.

    The previous game (ME1&2) decisions have very little quantifiable effect, seems like rather than implementing all of the carry over they just fake it by having some scripted vocal moments acknowledged the decision, but to add no over all game effect. The combat and character building further builds on ME2 and is slightly improved. The weapons selection felt about right, and the class system feels about the same as ME2, maybe more refined and defined. The story starts strong and seems to hold up until you realize that you spend more of the game dealing with Cerberus and building the army than actually fighting the reapers. The army build felt generic and ineffectual on the very short battle for against the reapers. The fight for earth was also extremely short and disappointing. I was also let down by the ending but I won't spoil it.

    Overall, it doesn't seem like they made the game they set out to. The decision and force/team building mechanics felt partially implemented, or implemented to give the illusion of choice/consequence. The game is suppose to be about the battle for earth, but there really is no battle, there is a war, but the player doesn't get to enjoy much of it. The ultimate resolution also felt very generic, a little to "chosen one" for my taste. It is a decent game for $60 and the DLC does add to the experience but overall it was a slight letdown having played ME2 for the first time a few days before ME3 launched and immediately transitioning to ME3.    … Expand
  87. UniTroop
    Mar 16, 2012
    5
    It's very difficult to rate this game, as player experience will depend a lot on how "in to" Mass Effect they are. In all fairness, 98% of the game is great. Unfortunately, the abysmal conclusion to the story will ruin a lot for players who are even moderately hooked on the Mass Effect story.

    I can't believe Bioware made a trilogy of astonishing quality, and then dropped the ball on the    It's very difficult to rate this game, as player experience will depend a lot on how "in to" Mass Effect they are. In all fairness, 98% of the game is great. Unfortunately, the abysmal conclusion to the story will ruin a lot for players who are even moderately hooked on the Mass Effect story.

    I can't believe Bioware made a trilogy of astonishing quality, and then dropped the ball on the last yard.    … Expand
  88. endtherapture
    Mar 16, 2012
    8
    The gameplay of this game is great, it builds on both of the previous games and refines the gameplay into a perfect, challenging whole. The story for the most part is great, really great, it has emotions and is really engaging and the characterisation is great. However then you get to the last 15 minutes of the game it it ruins everything. It was great up to there, but then it gets ruined,The gameplay of this game is great, it builds on both of the previous games and refines the gameplay into a perfect, challenging whole. The story for the most part is great, really great, it has emotions and is really engaging and the characterisation is great. However then you get to the last 15 minutes of the game it it ruins everything. It was great up to there, but then it gets ruined, a great game up to that point, but the ending sequence leaves a sour taste in your mouth.… Expand
  89. weskandel
    Mar 16, 2012
    10
    I'm in the camp of people who loved Mass Effect 1 and really struggled with all the changes made in Mass Effect 2. I still thought 2 was a decent game and a well told story, but I would not have given it a perfect score. That being said, I went into Mass Effect 3 with hopeful but guarded expectations. I expected there to be something which was going to let me down. Also, I started seeingI'm in the camp of people who loved Mass Effect 1 and really struggled with all the changes made in Mass Effect 2. I still thought 2 was a decent game and a well told story, but I would not have given it a perfect score. That being said, I went into Mass Effect 3 with hopeful but guarded expectations. I expected there to be something which was going to let me down. Also, I started seeing headlines about the "fan outrage" regarding the ending, before I completed the game. Again, I was expecting to be let down. What I feel I got out of Mass Effect 3 was the most cinematic, expertly told and emotionally engaging stories of the entire series. Even upon completing the game and experiencing the now infamous ending, I'm still blown away. From a technical standpoint I played it on the PS3 and experienced some significant frame rate slow downs and even temporary freeze ups. But I don't feel like it was so bad that it ruined the experience. One major issue that occurred however, was for about thirty minutes the game would freeze up when I tried to enter the area with all the refugees. Even with these technical hangups, I still give Mass Effect 3 the highest rating possible. It is a masterpiece.… Expand
  90. Conranos
    Mar 16, 2012
    10
    Do not be fooled by any of the negative comments. These people do not know of which they speak. The Mass Effect story is purely amazing. I went and get copy's of all 3 no DLC just the games. I played through all three back to back. This is THE of the most complex and powerful story I have evens seen. It can be seen though the eyes of anyone. Each person will come up with a differentDo not be fooled by any of the negative comments. These people do not know of which they speak. The Mass Effect story is purely amazing. I went and get copy's of all 3 no DLC just the games. I played through all three back to back. This is THE of the most complex and powerful story I have evens seen. It can be seen though the eyes of anyone. Each person will come up with a different meaning. This game has more than earned a 10. This is the pinnacle of all story driven games. I recommend that you get the entire series. Play them back to back, skip the DLC, and really focus on the story. I personally wish to thank Bio Ware for this amazing game. It has been to long since I have had to contemplate the ending to any story.… Expand
  91. Drekor
    Mar 16, 2012
    9
    This game is a great example of people expecting more than is possible. The game continues with the same story, same theme and same style as the previous ones. Expands on the character customization available in the previous two, makes "scanning" much less ridiculous and introduces a lot more choices which shift how you travel to the end.

    The ending certainly was not the greatest, it    This game is a great example of people expecting more than is possible. The game continues with the same story, same theme and same style as the previous ones. Expands on the character customization available in the previous two, makes "scanning" much less ridiculous and introduces a lot more choices which shift how you travel to the end.

    The ending certainly was not the greatest, it seems like it was a scene that should have been played over several hours rather than 10 minutes but that doesn't detract from the fact the rest of the game was well done. Many people are upset because they feel your choices don't matter, which I don't agree with, the way your journey progresses through the game as well as dialogue is heavily influenced by your previous choices. I think again people were expecting too much and that the ending would have a variation for every combination of choices out there ... which would be absurd.    … Expand
  92. A_Person
    Mar 16, 2012
    0
    When I see all these glowing reviews by game websites giving it nigh perfect scores, its glaringly obvious that their integrity and objectivity is compromised. In fact its almost comical how much the websites try and cover for its flaws. My favorite was one where they condemned bioware changing the endings because "oh its art you'll ruin it by changing the ending." I like to think that ifWhen I see all these glowing reviews by game websites giving it nigh perfect scores, its glaringly obvious that their integrity and objectivity is compromised. In fact its almost comical how much the websites try and cover for its flaws. My favorite was one where they condemned bioware changing the endings because "oh its art you'll ruin it by changing the ending." I like to think that if somehow a 6 year old drew a big turd on the Mona Lisa, the museum would do everything it could to restore the painting by TAKING OUT THE BIG TURD ON IT. What they are really praising isn't the game it is the amount of money they received in advertising from the game's publisher. Mass Effect 3's ending (because its really only one) is a slap in the face, a total disgrace to the brand. Whoever the lead writer was for the ending, and whoever gave the okay for that crap needs to be fired. Furthermore I've never encountered an ending that made me hope for a cliched "It was all a dream" sequence as much as this one. This ending is so poorly put together it is on par with the likes of Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions, wer're talking total plot and lore breakdown. The final offense was the after credit sequence which just adds insult to injury. The only person that could of made a poorer ending was George Lucas.… Expand
  93. gotthammer
    Mar 16, 2012
    3
    Mass Effect was a great game, the only complaints I can recall being performance (optimization?) issues and the rather clunky inventory.
    Mass Effect 2, counting the DLCs (esp. Lair of the Shadow Broker), was also a great game. It wasn't perfect : some aspects felt over-simplified when compared to the first game, and the resolution of the main story could have used more choices. Still, a    Mass Effect was a great game, the only complaints I can recall being performance (optimization?) issues and the rather clunky inventory.
    Mass Effect 2, counting the DLCs (esp. Lair of the Shadow Broker), was also a great game. It wasn't perfect : some aspects felt over-simplified when compared to the first game, and the resolution of the main story could have used more choices. Still, a great game.
    Mass Effect 3, the finale of a trilogy, was also a great game, for the most part. Decent graphics. Great looking locations/environments. Pretty cinematics/FMVs. Dramatic (if a bit overly so, at times) sequences. Superb score/soundtrack. The dialogue, like the previous game, was mostly solid (ok, there were some cheesy/seeming forced/heavy-handed bits, like a few speeches). The plot was 'ok', but could use some beefing up/more work, but it was, for the most part, 'ok' (not counting the ending). Almost everything was great. Almost.
    The ending, IMHO, ruins, not just the game, but, as it is the ending of a trilogy, the franchise as well.
    The ending doesn't feel to be 'in character' with the setting or even the overall feel of the game and the franchise. The ending seemingly negates any choice and also disregards (or doesn't reward) the efforts of the player throughout the game. It is very, very disappointing.
    The ending alone makes me unable to, in good conscience, recommend the game to anyone I know. Unless Bioware were to 'fix' the endings by providing more options/choices, as well as clarifying the mess that is the current set of endings, I won't recommend the game, nor will I purchase any downloadable content for Mass Effect 3.

    Pros: Visuals, environment, soundtrack, dialogue/voice acting/humor, cinematics/FMVs, quantity of weapons

    Cons: Ending, fewer squad mates, graphics options too limited, lack of inventory/over-simplification of RPG elements, some dialogue, quantity of armor choices, lack of other 'hubs' (there's only the Citadel), some aspects feel rushed (example: under utilization of some characters, the ending, etc.)    … Expand
  94. Darkslighter
    Mar 16, 2012
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Mass Effect 3 has changed story-telling forever. Never has a game had such an emotional punch. I'm not going to lie, ME3 left me emotionally wrecked, and I'm still trying to recover. But the fact that a game can do this is to me, and make me care so much is a testimony to its greatness. That's why this game deserves a 10.

    If you have played the other games even once or twice through these characters mean something to you. When they live and die, emerge victorious or are crumpled in defeat you feel authentic emotional responses. After one poignant moment with a character I had to stop playing. It wasn't that I didn't like what happened, it's that I needed a moment to process the emotions. That is storytelling.
    If you are jumping into the game Universe for the first time, there is room for you too. However what you will get is just a pretty good game with simply (but fun) action, large set pieces, good visuals and a war story.

    You will read many negative reviews about this game, but it's not because they didn't like the game. I have trouble believing people are really angry about that. The anger comes from the ending. When I first played through my only complaint was that it was too short. It needed more exposition, it needed to show what the results of at least some of my choices were, it needed some dialogue between characters about rebuilding, or a shot of everybody dead. Whatever you thought, the ending was very classic hardcore science fiction. If it makes you angry, that only proves that you cared about this game so stinking much that it was worth picking it up in the first place.    … Expand
  95. Raewin
    Mar 16, 2012
    10
    Not only the best Mass effect game of the series by far, but probably the best game of all time.

    You will see lots of whining about the ending of the game. Ignore it. You should play this game, even the cry babies willl agree that 90% of this game is pure undiluted awesome. As for the end, judge for yourself, but if you think that a game with an atmosphere of grim dark hopelessness    Not only the best Mass effect game of the series by far, but probably the best game of all time.

    You will see lots of whining about the ending of the game. Ignore it. You should play this game, even the cry babies willl agree that 90% of this game is pure undiluted awesome.

    As for the end, judge for yourself, but if you think that a game with an atmosphere of grim dark hopelessness is all of a sudden, at the end, going to burst out into a song while Volus dance around a campfire and fireworks go off in the background because shepard beat the reapers, you are deluded.    … Expand
  96. charlie45690
    Mar 16, 2012
    10
    What a fantastic game just finished it enjoyed all of it. Now playing multilayer which is just as good. The game is definitely worth buying it has a good solid story and strong game play, as far as the ending goes for me I didn't mind it at all it was definitely unexpected. Anyway a message to all the haters and trollers who rate this game 0,1 out of 10 get a life. You dont know how toWhat a fantastic game just finished it enjoyed all of it. Now playing multilayer which is just as good. The game is definitely worth buying it has a good solid story and strong game play, as far as the ending goes for me I didn't mind it at all it was definitely unexpected. Anyway a message to all the haters and trollers who rate this game 0,1 out of 10 get a life. You dont know how to write a review. Pathetic minority of people.
    Fantastic game :)    … Expand
  97. rebo
    Mar 16, 2012
    0
    Publisher lied to the fans, there is no choice, nothing you do matters, worst ending to a series in gaming history. I have never been more disappointed in a game in my life, having spent over 100+ hours playing all 3 in the series only to be lied to like this. Do not buy any Bioware game.
  98. nilaihah
    Mar 16, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'd feel guilty about rating the game a 0 when it is such a good game, if it wasn't for the fact that the ending was purposefully a complete and absolute disaster and the aftermath is just worse. Add to this the reused generic assets (for things like Tali's portrait from Getty pictures and the ending slide with the stargazer from the cover of some power metal band's album) that are just inexcusable for a AAA title.… Expand
  99. Hawgh
    Mar 16, 2012
    10
    The game's pretty much everything I could have hoped for in the last instalment of a trilogy; A slightly elevated action level really nails home that this is something that has been built up to. The strengths of the Mass Effect series are still going strong, with gameplay in particular having been improved compared to the second game. Strictly speaking, I only think the game is worth aThe game's pretty much everything I could have hoped for in the last instalment of a trilogy; A slightly elevated action level really nails home that this is something that has been built up to. The strengths of the Mass Effect series are still going strong, with gameplay in particular having been improved compared to the second game. Strictly speaking, I only think the game is worth a review score of 9, but I'm going with a 10 in order to do a small bit to counteract the immense amount of butthurt being levelled in so many of these reviews.… Expand
  100. stone4420
    Mar 16, 2012
    0
    You know that time in ME1 when you had to choose whether or not to kill the Rachni? I sat there for a few minutes weighing the options. Remember when you had to decide whether or not to kill the council? Or when you had to decide to kill the heretic geth? Or whether or not to save the collector base, saving or killing the quarians and geth again, curing the genophage, Samara orYou know that time in ME1 when you had to choose whether or not to kill the Rachni? I sat there for a few minutes weighing the options. Remember when you had to decide whether or not to kill the council? Or when you had to decide to kill the heretic geth? Or whether or not to save the collector base, saving or killing the quarians and geth again, curing the genophage, Samara or Morinth??? Yeah none of that mattered at all. Hope you didn't actually get emotionally invested in any of those choices like I did or you might just break the disc after the impossibly poorly put together ending. I will never play ME1, 2, or 3 again because I know the ending boils down to red, blue, or green so all the decisions you made are pointles... Oh yeah and hope you didn't like any of your romances as they really really don't matter.… 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.
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