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. vash1053
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    The gameplay: Pretty decent. Makes some much needed improvements to weapon and armor customization. The need for a workbench was a little stifling, and you couldn't customize your armor pieces-- only which pieces you wear. Dialogue was decent, but there was almost NEVER a middle "neutral option". Too much auto-dialogue as well. Paragon/Renegade choices didn't really come into playThe gameplay: Pretty decent. Makes some much needed improvements to weapon and armor customization. The need for a workbench was a little stifling, and you couldn't customize your armor pieces-- only which pieces you wear. Dialogue was decent, but there was almost NEVER a middle "neutral option". Too much auto-dialogue as well. Paragon/Renegade choices didn't really come into play until well past the middle of the game.

    The graphics: Good looking game. Animations, however, seemed robotic at times and lip synch was often painfully maligned. I'd say this was a step backward from ME2.

    The story: This is where things get really dicey. Older characters from ME2 only make quasi-cameo appearances, which irked a lot of people. The choices you made in the past two games mattered to some extent-- some more than others. For instance, I know that your choice on whether or not to save the Rachni queen or not was supposed to have a decently large impact on the game. As it turned out, it really doesn't. The Rachni under her control simply contribute to your military strength score and are never seen again. Okayyyy.....

    Character development is decently well done. There are some gut-wrenching choices you can make that can result in characters dying in very emotionally striking ways.

    So what's wrong? It's hard to explain just how sour things turn around the last hour of the game. Imagine if at the end of Return of the Jedi, Luke woke up in his bed on Tattoine only to realize the entire series had been a dream. Granted, that's not exactly what happens in ME3-- but it's the same sort of self-destructive ending. The ending is so nihilistic that it essentially invalidates everything that you've done in ME1 and ME2. It does this while creating EGREGIOUS plot holes and trampling over everything that had been established in the prior games and even lolBooks.

    Bioware claims that there are 16 endings, including several hidden ones. This is fallacious. All of the endings are based on the same 3 main "endings", which are all VERY similar in the first place. I could rant for hours about just how poorly this ending was carried out, but I digress.

    Check out this poll to see the general consensus regarding the endings and take solace in knowing you are NOT alone:

    http://social.bioware.com/633606/polls/28989

    Overall, the game was probably a 7/10 overall until the ending. The carelessness of the ending, the way that it comes out of left field and creates massive plot holes, and the complete and unavoidable destruction of the ME universe's unique attributes essentially invalidate the entire series. With no point in resisting, why replay the game at all? With that in mind, the game earns a 0/10 for me.    … Expand
  2. Kaidan
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    Decent all-around game, multi-player is a plus, but the ending leaves a lot to be desired.

    If you liked ME1 and 2, you'll love ME3 until you reach the ending. Then, you'll be curious if you just screwed up and there's a better ending that you didn't know about. Then you find out there isn't, that Bioware just took a dump on your chest and your all out of soap.
  3. Absolver
    Mar 12, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Mass Effect 3 starts out as a dark thriller of resolutions, where every choice you made up throughout the game series either comes back to bite you in the rear, or leads to one little gleam of triumphant hope in the middle of a race to save the galaxy.
    It ends, however, with a literal knife in the back of not only your choices throughout three games, but also for many in the very character of Shepard. No matter how successful you have been - no matter if you went back to the very beginning of Mass Effect 1 for a replay to 'fix your mistakes' and truly work towards your impression of a perfect ending, the single-lane locking towards a conclusion at the very end defies logic and leaves only a sour taste in my mouth. There's really no way to describe the intense let-down this is, and only the game's excellent progress through the other forty hours I spent playing it before the last fifteen minutes saves it from a resounding "1" on the rating scale.    … Expand
  4. gigacorona
    Mar 12, 2012
    3
    Despite is technical/narrative issues as a long time ME fan it was a blast to play right to near the endgame, and then it choked and undermined the entire series forever. Ultimately this game has reduced the franchise to a bad joke in only 20mins. Rent, sell, and boycott any DLC for this game, bioware should not be rewarded for this.
  5. paixaot
    Mar 12, 2012
    10
    O jogo é sensacional. História original e interessante. Não é para qualquer um gostar e entender Mass Effect. Apenas para os fortes. Indico. podem comprar que vale a pena
  6. sandrom
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    i am sorry, but this was very disappointing. i am not one of those guys bashing bioware alltogether, cause actually da2 was in a lot of regards superior to da1 in my opinion and i loved it for what it was (not the typical rpg). me3 was quite different. the series was never the best ever, but very good executed and satisfying in the other parts also knowing that there will be a finale ini am sorry, but this was very disappointing. i am not one of those guys bashing bioware alltogether, cause actually da2 was in a lot of regards superior to da1 in my opinion and i loved it for what it was (not the typical rpg). me3 was quite different. the series was never the best ever, but very good executed and satisfying in the other parts also knowing that there will be a finale in part 3. now this finale really was one of the worst i ever encountered and this is really a shame. it made me instantly close the game and look for alternate endings just to find out that they are not better at all, all "4" of them. i have to say, the game was nice up until the end and it had so much potential for multiple endings, for closure, for so much. dont get me wrong, from a technical point of view those endings make sense, but we are not machines and as such deserve something more personal and emotional. just putting sad music over the ending doesnt make it nice. i dont mind if everything blows up in all of them, but please give a little closure to what happened to the friends, not to the future - leave it open at will, but there is no closure at all. it feels like money went out and someone did not care about the ones playing it and for what its worth, i will seriously consider not buying bioware games anymore when this is how players are treated. its a shame. a lot of games dont have the potential but can go for nice endings. this one had so much - but epic failure would still be nice to say. :(… Expand
  7. GB86
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. What happened?! The ending of this game was a disaster and completely ruined the entire trilogy. I no longer want to play ME1, ME2, or ME3 ever again because of this. At this point, it would have been preferable to never begin playing the series at all.

    All 3 endings were practically the same. The only real difference was the color of the shockwave. And what happens to Garrus on that planet? Given that his diet is not that of humans, it would obvious to conclude that he would die from starvation.

    Bioware spit on their loyal audience by producing this. They didn't, for a single moment, take into account the feelings of those who have been playing this series since the beginning.

    If this isn't resolved, even through some sort of PAID DLC, it will be the last title i EVER purchase from Bioware.    … Expand
  8. greenlady
    Mar 12, 2012
    2
    This game can barely be called an RPG, it is much more of a rail FPS than anything. If you enjoyed ME2 but were hoping they'd deliver on their promise of adding more RPG elements... well too bad they lied. You get way less dialog choices, can only roam around on the Normandy and the citadel because every other place you just land, kill the bad guys, then leave - and not by choice, theThis game can barely be called an RPG, it is much more of a rail FPS than anything. If you enjoyed ME2 but were hoping they'd deliver on their promise of adding more RPG elements... well too bad they lied. You get way less dialog choices, can only roam around on the Normandy and the citadel because every other place you just land, kill the bad guys, then leave - and not by choice, the screen just fades to black and your back on the Normandy. Then came the ending. What a giant obscene piece of garbage. No closure at all, most of it doesn't make much sense and feels very contrived. This was more than just a slap in the face, this was like BioWare came up with a big stinky rotten mackerel, beat me unconscious with it, pulled down their pants and dropped a deuce right on the back of my head.… Expand
  9. Michos
    Mar 12, 2012
    8
    ...Every day, with every post i see on BSN, I'm starting to be more and more certain: bioware planned everything. They are geniuses, and the knew how fans are going to react. They hid the clues, they knew we are going to unravel the thing, piece everything together. I pity people who are going to finish the game in the future, because they'll not experience the evolution that is happening...Every day, with every post i see on BSN, I'm starting to be more and more certain: bioware planned everything. They are geniuses, and the knew how fans are going to react. They hid the clues, they knew we are going to unravel the thing, piece everything together. I pity people who are going to finish the game in the future, because they'll not experience the evolution that is happening on the forums, and in everones mind. I recommend every single person who finished the game to join Bioware Social Network in 'Story and Camaign discussion'.
    I'm raising my rating from 1 to 6 now, and when everything people think is confirmed, I'm going to give the game 10 out of 10. BW, you are amazing.    … Expand
  10. WindWalker
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    They did it again, they mad an awesome game with Mass Effect 1, a little while later they made a good game, a little dumped down but still a game that was true to its roots in the RPG genre. And now they made this.... It was, for me, the only game i have been looking insanely forward to, iv have spent so many hours with my 2 characters that they feel like a part of me. But in this game,They did it again, they mad an awesome game with Mass Effect 1, a little while later they made a good game, a little dumped down but still a game that was true to its roots in the RPG genre. And now they made this.... It was, for me, the only game i have been looking insanely forward to, iv have spent so many hours with my 2 characters that they feel like a part of me. But in this game, they don't!!!
    The RP elements is all gone, this is more off elaborate cut-scenes that feels like any time a quirk time event could pop up.... And don't even get me started on the endings, I just don't feel "involved" in every 8 off them....
    The multi-player system is ok, but feels "detached", you cant even text chat with the other players?!?!?
    The companion ai is soo bad... default: they will run off and get them self killed, and if you try to control them they just stand around and can't find the way... or ignores the order... The animations and sound feels rushed, the side quest tracking system simply don't exists, you have next to none communication with the quest giver (they have no idea you are about to go around the galaxy to find something) These are for me just the top off the iceberg. All in all, Bioware has ruined the Mass Effect ending for me.    … Expand
  11. OrangeJinjo
    Mar 12, 2012
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I think most of the reviews other people are giving this game are unfair.
    I don't think any game is fitting of a 0, and 10s are extremely difficult to achieve as well.

    I am just as angry about the ending as a lot of people are, but if you think about it, it was an extremely well crafted game up until that point. Tuchanka and Thessia were both amazing moments in the game. (Not to say the rest of the game wasn't good)
    I'm not going to rate 3 based on the entire trilogy, but they did an amazing job of making me feel attached emotionally to the characters.
    It's easy to give a game a poor rating based on the ending, because it's the most fresh memory in your mind. But in all truth, the game deserves so much more than that.
    However, the ending of a trilogy (ESPECIALLY one of my favourite games) should have went out with a bang, not with a whimper.    … Expand
  12. woodbyte
    Mar 12, 2012
    1
    If you have been playing these games since the first and expect to be able to import your custom made Shepard, then stay away from this one, at least for now.

    There is a bug preventing face importing of characters created in ME1 and carried over to ME2, and despite what Bioware has said, no amount of tweaking in the character creator or with fanmade tools will get you your Shepard back.    If you have been playing these games since the first and expect to be able to import your custom made Shepard, then stay away from this one, at least for now.

    There is a bug preventing face importing of characters created in ME1 and carried over to ME2, and despite what Bioware has said, no amount of tweaking in the character creator or with fanmade tools will get you your Shepard back.

    So you will be left with a useless pile of computer bits in your harddrive collecing cyber dust, hoping for a patch that seems more unlikely with each day, just so you can finally start playing the game you've paid for so long ago.

    The menus did look nice so I'm giving it a 1.    … Expand
  13. Katzy85
    Mar 12, 2012
    1
    Beautifully written game up until the last 5 minutes. If you do decide to play, just stop playing before the final cutscene. The ending completely ruined the game for me.
  14. talonius
    Mar 12, 2012
    2
    The Good: * The game has the classic Mass Effect play style and combat.

    The Bad: * They shoe horned multiplayer in and created a reason to make it pertinent. * The equipment (and hair) of the player models is constantly poking through. * 90% of the conversations you have do not offer choices of replies - they don't even bring up the conversation wheel. * Day one DLC which requires one    The Good: * The game has the classic Mass Effect play style and combat.

    The Bad: * They shoe horned multiplayer in and created a reason to make it pertinent.
    * The equipment (and hair) of the player models is constantly poking through.
    * 90% of the conversations you have do not offer choices of replies - they don't even bring up the conversation wheel.
    * Day one DLC which requires one line of code change in order to make it appear and which should have been part of the overall game as it was the one thing that managed to add some depth.
    * Failure to take into account player choices (from ME1, ME2, or ME3) with the ending.
    * Endings which appear to provide a choice, but don't. (What color would you like your universe destroying beam to be in?)
    * No sex scenes, demonstrating EA's editorial control over Bioware productions despite Bioware's claims to the contrary.
    * None of the side quests you complete appears to have any impact other than increasing your forces' strength for the final battle. The narrative that one might expect from Mass Effect for the individual units brought into play is not there.

    As a single game, it's a shallow and fun romp until the very last portion of the game. When you and Anderson are side by side with each other, chatting, stop. Right there is the best ending you can hope for - do NOT continue. Walk away and imagine your ending. You will be happier.

    As a series finale this game does NOT suffice. I don't care what theory you take to - that they wanted to show predestination, that Shepard was indoctrinated, that they're holding the series open for DLC. None of that matters. What matters is that the ending to the game - and the series - brings no closure for the player. NONE.

    People are claiming that those of us who are complaining about the ending are overreacting. I don't think we can overreact. I have spent hundreds of hours of my life playing this game, I overrode my ban on EA games in order to purchase it, I hoped as a property of Bioware that they would treat the series finale properly. All of those hopes were dashed, destroyed, thrown down, stepped on, and ground into tiny pieces.

    Don't buy this game. It's not worth your money. When it's a $5.00 special, it might be worth it. If Bioware rewrites the ending, it might be worth it. Right now? I spent $80.00 on the collector's edition and I wish I could get a refund - of my money, and my play time.

    Between this and Dragon Age 2... well, I'm glad the indie games are ramping up because it's obvious I need to find my Western RPG fix somewhere else.    … Expand
  15. Petera_Terra
    Mar 12, 2012
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Having done over 5 playthroughs of Mass Effect 1, 2 of Mass Effect 2 I have to say that gameplay presented in Mass Effect 3 is refined, lives up to the hype advertised by EA & BioWare and should prove to be fun for a lot of players, both RPG and TPS lovers.
    Story-wise - while not presenting many choices to alter any major elements of it, still manages to provide a good impression, thanks to several quests taking place on Tuchanka and Rannoch, along with some other, less meaningful ones.
    Everything however is ruined by the abysmal choice of ending for the trilogy of Commander Shepard, my advice to anyone wanting to pick this up:
    If you have any emotional attachment to characters of Mass Effect universe, or you are simply fascinated by all the possibilities that can happen in Mass Effect universe- Play until the part where you get to London, pretend you killed off the reapers and had babies with you LI.    … Expand
  16. BuuGz
    Mar 12, 2012
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Well let me start by saying the game feels rushed out in every aspect of the game.

    Now moving on with the story portion, there are so many things that just kick you out of the immersion, like for instance when you see legion in the battle for earth even tho he "died" back in the Quarian home world , then there is the Rachni queen lol she is so angry at the Reapers and tell you shes gonna beat em up or w/e and then you find out she just helps with the Device, etc... To be honest i think the director had to cut corners to put the game out faster, i mean it just feels so cramped, so much story for potentially 1 or 2 more ME games put into 1, I got to say though i enjoyed interaction among the characters and with Shepard.

    Now something about the combat well first off yes its buggy but nothing game breaking although i gotta say even since ME1 the squad commands and its AI are just plain bad yes in ME3 is better than ME1 but almost the same as in ME2, i really never liked controlling where to position the team members the only control i want is tell them what to focus and what power to use and when i tell them to use a Flipping shotgun i want them to go up close and make use of it cuz shotguns ain't snipers and vice verse and also there is so little combat for my liking i mean its supposed to be the huge frigging war and i barely see any of it, also fights with the reapers are a joke to say the least and i won't bother with that. So all in all the combat should have been present a but more considering the scale of the war, squad commands are painful and not needed.

    Some words about the graphics, Well let me start by saying that consoles have ruined PC gaming and i really would appreciate if developers would try and separate PC games and treat it a tad differently from their Console counterpart because i think PC gamers would be grateful because pc games have different requirements to be enjoyable. Anyway the graphics in the game are very good, animations are just ok one that i really hate is the running animation on Sheppard its just plain stupid and i hate it wish they did a better job on it but hell its nothing game breaking....
    About the sound, well can't say anything bad because since the first ME voice acting , sound effects and the music are just amazing, The only thing bad about the sound is in ME games in general is the balance between all those 3 things, i tried tinkering a bit with dialogue/sound effect/music but its always screwed up its either to laud or to low, in the Overlord mission in ME2 my ears bleed and i had to turn on the subs so i wouldn't be deaf for the rest of my life.
    Ok now let me finish by saying its not a bad game at all i really had fun with it but i got to say that I'm really disappointed how could BioWare screw up such a amazing Game, i don't know if EA pushed them so hard to finish this game that they did so much wrong that it made me sad, i really think ME3 should have been just the preparation faze and gathering allies and all that other cool stuff between the races and then on ME4 a full on plain combat 90% and story 10% for an epic end game and not some half ass ending that we got in ME3, i mean I cured the Krogan from the genophage and made them help the Turians, also brought peace between The Geth and Quarians after 3000 years of war between them and all i get is 3-5 min vid vid when they enter earth's orbit telling you who arrived rofl. And don't get me started on the ending god dammit 3 different choices that apparently only change the color of the beam. I really don't know if EA is to blame for this or what but screw you whoever did it for ruining a beautiful game that has an amazing universe, to bad it was in the hands of the wrong people it seems, I really admired you BioWare but not anymore.


    Off topic a bit, The thing i never understood why BioWare made me choose just 2 team members for each mission is beyond me. I'm pretty sure technology allows more than 10 characters onscreen, i kinda loved what they did in the ME2's final mission but still it makes no sense to make me find those ppl and doing so much so i can gain their trust and then when i go to a mission only 2 come with me the rest jerks off in the Normandy rofl. just saying
    So ye i could write the whole day about the game because it really pisses me off seeing such an amazing game being torn to peaces by EA.    … Expand
  17. Gunmars
    Mar 12, 2012
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Mass Effect 3 is not what it could have been. In all reality I was disappointed at some aspects of the game but overall the game is far from being horrible. Lack luster story and failure to really give a connection to previous companions was a major downfall for me. The story isn't as epic as expected for the finale, some lines seem very forced and non committed and the chat wheel got stripped down where you have two dialog choices that are basically nice and mean response. The paragon and renegade choices that you get at key points follow the same style, paragon is super nice and renegade is a worse version of the normal conversation choice. Overall the chat system and voice acting is simply adequate.

    Graphics are a slight improvement with an emphasis on slight with problems with many facial animations, especially a problem with eyes rolling back into characters head all the time. Combat is a exact clone of Mass Effect 2 with some minor change ups such as a few turret sequences and Shepard solo missions. As for squad mates this was the glaring problem in my opinion, going from 12 choices (with DLC) in Mass Effect 2 back down to 6 (7 with DLC). I get this is supposed to have a vague focus on the "human story" and having a new human companion is nice but the lack of "new" unique squad mates is somewhat disappointing. Human James Vega, Robotic EDI and DLC Prothean Javik are the new comers with Garrus, Tali , Liara and Kaiden/Ashley are the returning squad mates. EDI nor Javik made me say to myself "I can't go without these people" I ended up connecting with James Vega but ran with my standard Garrus/Liara squad a majority of the game. Maybe it's me just going with the known hand or maybe the new squad mates aren't that interesting. Multiplayer for me was a pleasant and unexpected surprise. For those that don't know the multiplayer rip off "horde mode" effects your story modes "Galactic Readiness". Basically it is a great incentive to get people into the online aspect of the game by basically making it so your chances are slow bad without a high galactic readiness that you need to do at least some of it to achieve the best possible endings for the Mass Effect 3 story. Now for combat, it is basically a 4 player horde mode with some random objectives thrown in so you simply can't fortify a spot and sit there. Your main goal is to survive 11 waves of every increasing enemies, not just their numbers but strengths, each map has 3 possible enemy factions you can choose or be completely random. Reapers, Geth and Cereberus are your teams adversaries. You start out as a basic human that can be any of the games classses and as you beat waves and eventually all 11 waves you get credits and experience. Experience will let you unlock skills just like in story mode and credits can be used to buy varying equipment chests. The basic chest has common but useful items such as medi gel to heal and ammo enhancements. The mid range chest costs more but contains at least 1 uncommon item which varies from weapons to new races to play in multiplayer, along with common items like the first chest. Finally the top end chest is very expensive and requires multiple map completions to be able to afford but it guarantees a uncommon item with the decent chance of another uncommon with some common items. This mode also has a difficulty modifier, you can choose between bronze, silver and gold difficulty. The only difference is the very increased difficulty between them and the exp and credit rewards are substantially better. A side note about galactic readiness is that it will decay about 3% a day so it will need to do some multiplayer if you wish to have 100% readiness for future story play through if you wish.

    Overall Mass Effect 3 is solid, it isn't the epic ending we expected from BioWare. The story we expected to be amazing came off as somewhat dull and predictable at points. The graphics had a slight improvement with unexpectedly odd facial animations but the cinematics and sound track are amazing. Your new squad mates aren't very interesting but the return of old friends that make it acceptable with enough variation. The endings aren't what I expected but the piano soundtrack during the ending mission and cinematic gave me the feeling of suspenseful hope followed by what felt as a shallow victory. The big surprise for me with Mass Effect 3 was the multiplayer, while I doubt it has the staying power needed to be super active for more then a few months, possible DLC can give a fun and usually rewarding multiplayer experience more life then it should.    … Expand
  18. franktillo
    Mar 12, 2012
    1
    This game left the series in rubble. The action was great, the story was great, until the end of the game. The end of the game left me feeling cheated on not just mass effect 3, but the entire series. Would have been a solid 9, but the ending was so bad, it gets a 1.
  19. Letonator
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game was a travesty on the series. The heroes journey that the game should have been was ruined by a convoluted plot and too much sci-fi trying to be shoved in what should have been an epic battle for the galaxy, sector by sector and relay by relay. We should have seen our choices and decisions we made through all three games bear fruit, for good or ill, and we should have seen epic conclusions to all of the character's stories. We also should not have gotten screwed over with Tali's face, the DLC debacle, and multiple save game issues to list a few of the major complaints. Bioware was supposed to be better than this, but this is just a blight, and I will never trust anything from them again.… Expand
  20. Pager
    Mar 12, 2012
    10
    Ignore the 1's and 0's on here. There is no possible way you could have played the other two mass effect games and give this a bad score. Bioware did a great job on this. They have improved every single aspect of the game and made it even better. The acting and the story are rich. The characters are believable. I spend a half hour walking through the ship after almost every mission,Ignore the 1's and 0's on here. There is no possible way you could have played the other two mass effect games and give this a bad score. Bioware did a great job on this. They have improved every single aspect of the game and made it even better. The acting and the story are rich. The characters are believable. I spend a half hour walking through the ship after almost every mission, because there are so many things to do. The amount of dialogue and ways the story can change based on your decisions is astounding. I found decisions I made all the way back on Mass Effect 1 coming back to haunt me. The graphics are much impoved. Amazing. The powers feel like they have a lot more meat behind them and the weapons now sound realistic instead of some cheap toy. The areas you fight have the feel of a war instead some stiff wallpaper of mountains. The multiplayer is pretty cool. It's like horde mode for Gears of War, but with powers and items to unlock. I like how it directly impacts the single player campaign. Melding those together is something few games do.

    If you liked the first two games you will love this game. Do not listen to the bad reviews on here of 1 and 0. They obviously can't be taken seriously. I don't even like Call of Duty and I wouldn't give it that score. This game is a masterpiece and one of the best series I have played in all my gaming and I have been gaming since the 80's with the commodore 64.    … Expand
  21. JongUn
    Mar 12, 2012
    4
    Mass Effect 3 does not live up to the hype, at all. First of all, almost no graphics options. I mean what the hell? Just porting from console is so frigging lazy it makes me sick. Look at Remedy, they did it right with Alan Wake. The textures on some stuff in this game is absolutely hideous. The animations are bad (males walk really weird in this game ++). Some of the explosions and gunMass Effect 3 does not live up to the hype, at all. First of all, almost no graphics options. I mean what the hell? Just porting from console is so frigging lazy it makes me sick. Look at Remedy, they did it right with Alan Wake. The textures on some stuff in this game is absolutely hideous. The animations are bad (males walk really weird in this game ++). Some of the explosions and gun effects are really low quality. Then there is the FOV in this game, it reminds me of Resident Evil 5. Why can't you adjust ANYTHING in this game? Oh yeah, I forgot... it's a really bad console port. Also you have to use the space bar for absolutely EVERYTHING. On the plus side it has some great voice acting, interesting characters and locations. Not enough to make it worth my money though. Sadly. The last Bioware game I bought was Dragon Age 2, and yeah, I was very disappointed then as well. I hoped they would redeem themselves with this game, but I was unfortunately wrong. This is the last game I will buy from Bioware, and I can't recommend buying this game to others. If you want to play it, rent it, or buy it used on console.… Expand
  22. Redzin
    Mar 12, 2012
    10
    This is by far the best Mass Effect game so far. The combat is better and more refined than in the previous games. The scenery is vastly improved, even though it was already very good in the previous games. The story is mostly as good as in the other ME games, however, there are some anoyances. Especially the beginning, it just seems to spout this idea of "soldiers are badass, HOAH!", asThis is by far the best Mass Effect game so far. The combat is better and more refined than in the previous games. The scenery is vastly improved, even though it was already very good in the previous games. The story is mostly as good as in the other ME games, however, there are some anoyances. Especially the beginning, it just seems to spout this idea of "soldiers are badass, HOAH!", as if the marketing department wanted to make the game appeal more to the Modern Warfare crowd. It doesn't last past the first mission or two though so it's not a big issue. Then of course there's the ending... which is unusual. I didn't mind it, honestly I found it refreshing. I encourage people to play this game, if nothing else then to experience the ending, the likes of which I seriously doubt has ever been seen in video games before.… Expand
  23. SHr1KeD
    Mar 12, 2012
    10
    I honestly don't know why this game is getting so much hate. I absolutely LOVED this game and I'm extremely sad that the series is over. The game was emotionally exhausting. Especially if you carry over all your saves and play the game for its story and not the gameplay. I cared for every character in the game, even the villains were just amazingly done. The ending has been given a lot ofI honestly don't know why this game is getting so much hate. I absolutely LOVED this game and I'm extremely sad that the series is over. The game was emotionally exhausting. Especially if you carry over all your saves and play the game for its story and not the gameplay. I cared for every character in the game, even the villains were just amazingly done. The ending has been given a lot of hate too. I enjoyed the ending. It wasn't what I expected and I suppose that's why I liked it so much. Without spoiling anything. I did wish there was an alternative...BUT, I still thought it was a very well way to wrap everything up. Simply put. I enjoyed the game. I will admit that the "Rises From Ashes" DLC should of been included into the game, I couldn't see how it shouldn't have been included, it contained a very, very important piece of the story. I wished it was a bit longer. I finished it and ALL side quest in about 35 hours. (Yes that may seem alot but time passes by when your having fun) Overall, I gotta give this a perfect score. I would rate the whole damn Series a perfect 10.… Expand
  24. iamthespark
    Mar 12, 2012
    9
    Mass Effect 3 had me laughing, crying and truly entertained for 35 hours. It deserves recognition for pulling all those emotions out of a player, and to do it so consistently. The action and continuing romance of the series blew my mind. The developers listened to its fans when improving these two aspects of the game. My Love Interest (Liara) was so well written, and the time that herMass Effect 3 had me laughing, crying and truly entertained for 35 hours. It deserves recognition for pulling all those emotions out of a player, and to do it so consistently. The action and continuing romance of the series blew my mind. The developers listened to its fans when improving these two aspects of the game. My Love Interest (Liara) was so well written, and the time that her and Shepard did have together was meaningful. Playing this trilogy has been an honour and I hope Bioware continues creating titles that span numerous games like they did with Shep because after a span of 3 games, I felt like I really knew those NPCs and I was emotionally invested.

    Bioware also has a special place in my heart for creating same-sex characters and they will always have my respect for making that happen with a high-quality story.

    Day 1 DLC? I don't care. Bioware makes the kind of games that I want to play, and if they create more content, I will gladly pay for that content.    … Expand
  25. jclark123
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    I love Mass Effect. I loved Mass Effect 2. Arguably some of the best games I've ever played in my life. I won't go into detail.

    I even loved Mass Effect 3. It was an epic tale that even made me choke up at certain points. I've never had such an emotional response from a game. Then there was the ending. It wasn't because Shepard dies (although it would be nice if he lived). It was because    I love Mass Effect. I loved Mass Effect 2. Arguably some of the best games I've ever played in my life. I won't go into detail.

    I even loved Mass Effect 3. It was an epic tale that even made me choke up at certain points. I've never had such an emotional response from a game.

    Then there was the ending. It wasn't because Shepard dies (although it would be nice if he lived). It was because it made no sense. The game feels dumbed down. Deus Ex Machina stolen crappy ending that leaves a sour taste in my mouth. No thought from the developers and writers. I can't even restart the series again because of this. I'll never play a Bioware game again. Mass Effect died with the release of ME3. Bioware sold out to EA. If you played Mass Effect 1 and 2, stay away from this game. You'll regret playing it.    … Expand
  26. sickone111
    Mar 12, 2012
    10
    This game is fantastic from start to finish. The graphics are much better then Mass Effect 2. And don't believe reviews that say the game has been dumbed down from the first one. The first one was terrible. You have full control in this one and they give you those options to play with a more RPG style. It may not be the most traditional RPG but who wants to play Final Fantasy anymore?This game is fantastic from start to finish. The graphics are much better then Mass Effect 2. And don't believe reviews that say the game has been dumbed down from the first one. The first one was terrible. You have full control in this one and they give you those options to play with a more RPG style. It may not be the most traditional RPG but who wants to play Final Fantasy anymore? I mean really. This game is innovative, new, different. I have not found any plot holes. Please explain your self people. The plot is very straight forward if you don't understand it there is a good chance you are dumb. Just buy the game and don't listen to the haters on this forum. Angry nerds. OMG gay people in my game. Who cares? OMG I have to pay 10 bucks for an extra mission... Again who cares? Pay 10 bucks if you want it. If not don't the mission is not essential to the story like all these reviews are saying.… Expand
  27. GI_Biochip
    Mar 12, 2012
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Worst game of the trilogy. Poor graphics, FOV doesn't usually annoy me, but I think I was just getting irritated by the game. I liked the Mordin Solus and Krogan stories, but the whole thing feels like it was rushed out just to get it done. Oh well, at least I can uninstall "Origin" now. A sad end to a once great game.… Expand
  28. MunchySnacks
    Mar 12, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. As a huge fan of the other 2 games in the series I think that ME3 was a huge let down at the end. I can't deny that the game leading up to it was fun and full of good choices. I think that getting the Quariens and the Geth to work together was the best moment in the series. However that only made the ending more of a let down for a game all about choice and being able to change peoples minds the game does not give you that chance when it is most important. Not only can you not make the 3rd paragon choice with the illusive man on the first play through it is also not based at all on your actual paragon status that I could have let slide actually if not for the whole uninteractive conversation with the star child. Why couldn't I point out to him that the Geth and Quariens are making it work!? This was supposed to be a game that honored player choices but instead just gave you a big middle finger to the one choice you actually wanted to make the most.… Expand
  29. HungryCats
    Mar 12, 2012
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. When I first read of the low scores on MetaCritic, I assumed that the fuss was over the Day One DLC, and that gamers were venting (wrongfully, imo) by bombing the site with low scores. While the Day One DLC still has a lot of people steamed, it's clear now that the real problem is the ending(s) of the game. The problem is not that it's negative/sad/depressing/somber/etc., but that it was really poorly implemented (almost identical video for three endings? WTF?), that it really doesn't offer Shepard a choice that's in character, it doesn't give players closure on what happens to everyone (NPCs, the rest of the galaxy, Earth itself...), it dismisses almost all of the choices the player made in the game and in fact is so brief that it feels like it was just tacked on at the 11th hour. Don't even get me started on how multiplayer is shoved down the player's throat if they want to achieve the "best" possible ending--I could be wrong on that, but my bar was green all the way and Shep still went down hard. Anyway, I'm giving a good score (not great, but good) because the other 95% or so is simply some of the best storytelling Bioware has done, and the voice over work and characters are employed to tell this last part of the tale so well. To have a single game generate such a strong emotional reaction from its fanbase speaks very well of how well it was crafted--which is all the more reason why so many are angry at the final ten minutes or so. Anyway, hope Metacritic doesn't cut out all of the negative reviews here, because they're passing a message loud and clear to the developer and publisher about what the fanbase/formerly loyal customers consider to be really half-assed work. Want to sell some DLC? Fix it.… Expand
  30. dave1904
    Mar 12, 2012
    7
    I loved mass effect from day one and waited 4 years for this part. I haye to say this game will be a very big disappointment for anyone who was a fan from day one. 99% of the game is 10/10 but if you ask me a story with a bad ending makes the hole series pointless and the biggest letdown in gaming history. Giving it a 7 out of 10 is very hard but honest and to everyone out there giving itI loved mass effect from day one and waited 4 years for this part. I haye to say this game will be a very big disappointment for anyone who was a fan from day one. 99% of the game is 10/10 but if you ask me a story with a bad ending makes the hole series pointless and the biggest letdown in gaming history. Giving it a 7 out of 10 is very hard but honest and to everyone out there giving it a 0 I understand you but to give a game a 0 because of the day one dlc and ending is not justified.… Expand
  31. Tunapiano
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    Great Game, all the way up to the last 15 minutes and then it turned into a disaster...Worst ending to any video game i have ever played in 15 years of console and PC gaming going all the way back to the atari.

    I have never seen an ending that gave absolutely no closure to anything, you don't know what happens to the normandy crew, magically somehow crew members crash landed on some    Great Game, all the way up to the last 15 minutes and then it turned into a disaster...Worst ending to any video game i have ever played in 15 years of console and PC gaming going all the way back to the atari.

    I have never seen an ending that gave absolutely no closure to anything, you don't know what happens to the normandy crew, magically somehow crew members crash landed on some unknown planet when they were just with you on earth, shepard somehow just accepts death and destroying all artificial life in the galaxy and shepard either dies or you see some body that may not even be his take a gasp of air before the end. no happy ending, not even close to a perfect ending and the worst ending ever.    … Expand
  32. Gokalex
    Mar 12, 2012
    8
    I didn't like how the game had day1 dlc, but that the only thing i didn't like (and btw if u just change an ini file u can unlock the dlc) anyways everything else is good about this game, multi-player is good, single-player was awesome, except how the multilayer affected the single-player, anyways i loved almost everything about it, even the ending, a real ending to a game for once.
  33. SilentMobius
    Mar 12, 2012
    2
    This game should be a 9, I cared about the characters, the sense of drama was palpable. The action was furious without devolving into a pure shooter, even the side missions didn't feel as forced as they have in the previous games, for the most part it was fantastic.

    However, I have to knock off a point for general inexcusable QA failures (LI's not responding to actions in the previous    This game should be a 9, I cared about the characters, the sense of drama was palpable. The action was furious without devolving into a pure shooter, even the side missions didn't feel as forced as they have in the previous games, for the most part it was fantastic.

    However, I have to knock off a point for general inexcusable QA failures (LI's not responding to actions in the previous games) another point for some horrific animation glitches (characters not facing each other when they talk eyes rolling back into heads, necks twisting 180 degrees), a point for the poor integration of the From Ashes DLC (Seriously, a Prothean? much more content was needed for such and important character, I'd have been happy to pay more for it), another point off for the multi-player which is good but the matchmaking is horribly unstable (On PC at least) making it a frustrating process, And finally a massive 4 points off for absolutely horrific and poorly thought out ending that has soured the whole series for me, and obliterated any replay value. Hence we go from a "near-perfect" 9 to an "Oh goddess what have you done" 2    … Expand
  34. Jesrist
    Mar 12, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. BAD endings destroyed the game and the whole series. GREAT GRAPHIC, MUSIC AND GAMEPLAY. 95% of the game is interesting. it was so great that you felt even worse when you got through the ending.… Expand
  35. borfudin
    Mar 12, 2012
    1
    Mass Effect 3 is a travesty. The fact that it is mostly an excellent game isn't the point, and indeed makes what Bioware has done with the title even worse. Bioware has said that gamers new to the series can enter in with this game and be satisfied, and perhaps that is true. Having never played ME1 and ME2 and made decisions which felt extremely important at the time and been assuredMass Effect 3 is a travesty. The fact that it is mostly an excellent game isn't the point, and indeed makes what Bioware has done with the title even worse. Bioware has said that gamers new to the series can enter in with this game and be satisfied, and perhaps that is true. Having never played ME1 and ME2 and made decisions which felt extremely important at the time and been assured that those decisions would have lasting consequences, they would probably not feel the extreme sense of betrayal which many gamers (myself included) felt at the end of the trilogy. While technically it is a solid Action/RPG, perhaps even more so than the other games in the series, my dismal review reflects the fact that ME3 has lost its soul: it throws away the story-telling legacy of ME1 and to a lesser extent ME2, with a ridiculous Space Magic ending which should be a source of shame for whomever concocted it. Nothing the gamer has chosen appears to manner significantly when it comes to the actual outcome of the game, and the ominous and Chthonic Reapers appear to be a somewhat paradoxical cosmic joke. I am sure it will make a lot of money and as such validate the choices Bioware/EA have made, which is unfortunate for gamers everywhere. The Mass Effect trilogy began well and promised to be a truly unique experience, a science fiction universe for our generation, however it just ended up being about the money in the end. Unfortunate, but unsurprising, and perhaps that is the greatest let down of all.… Expand
  36. csomerville
    Mar 12, 2012
    10
    I have very much been enjoying Mass Effect 3. It is odd that there are so many negative reviews on here. The Mass Effect trilogy is epic and although I'm sad to see this final instalment arrive I'm glad to have gone for the ride.
  37. MumtazKhan
    Mar 12, 2012
    1
    This game completely destroys the franchise and trust in Bioware with the ending. They took the lazy way out and had an ending with no closure and with none of your previous decisions from the last 5 years and 3 games having any influence at all. The last few minutes of the game make me feel like I wasted my time and energy playing these games.
  38. kesup26
    Mar 12, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I just finished this and.... wow just wow. I mean all right, the game didn't have the best story and also had those crappy dream sequences, but it was fairly okay(not good though).... until that DAMN ending and three "choose your bad ending/death" choices! Why the heck nothing we do during the game(and the previous ones) matters? Why the relays exploding doesn't destroy their solar systems? Why is the Normandy mid-jump when this is happening and how is that sequence even possible since the jump is almost instant? Shouldn't the Normandy be fighting above Earth? And how the **** do your squad mates especially those that were with you till the end find themselves on the Normandy? I mean there are a lot of annoying gameplay decisions that I could describe but the ending is SO crap and with so many plot holes and questions, that it takes the cake for most disappointing aspect of the game. It's like seriously, I know fanfiction better than this!… Expand
  39. AJ6432
    Mar 12, 2012
    9
    Mass Effect 3 is a fantastic game, despite a few flaws. Compared to Mass Effect 2, ME3 seems less polished. Graphically, the game looks fantastic, particularly the character animations and faces. However, there are some of the slow-loading textures that plagued the the first game, though not as abundant or drastic looking. I have also sparsely encountered this weird "glitch" whereMass Effect 3 is a fantastic game, despite a few flaws. Compared to Mass Effect 2, ME3 seems less polished. Graphically, the game looks fantastic, particularly the character animations and faces. However, there are some of the slow-loading textures that plagued the the first game, though not as abundant or drastic looking. I have also sparsely encountered this weird "glitch" where characters heads turn back and forth sporadically during conversations; there have even been one or two incidents where a character is fully glitched out of whole cut-scenes. Overall, though, the presentation is very well done. The sound is superb, from the voice-acting to the orchestral background music, living up to the Mass Effect name. However, the music doesn't stick out to me as well as the music from the second game. In terms of gameplay, the game is the best in the series, with solid shooting, squad, and cover mechanics; my only qualm with it is that the space bar, used for cover, is also used to roll (double-click) and interact with the environment, and when trying to perform one of these actions one may perform one of the others. The menus are more streamlined, except for the journal. Perhaps my biggest issue with ME3 is the journal. In the second game, your journal was separated into two categories: main missions and secondary missions. If you clicked on one of the missions, an outline would appear and display what you should do next in a mission. This is gone in ME3 and all of the mission appear under one category, and are not very organized. The codex is strangely also located under the journal, but this for me is not an issue. There is also the matter of obtaining secondary missions. In the second game, one had to engage in conversation with characters in an area to start sidequests. In ME3, one simply overhears conversations in an area and most of the secondary missions are automatically started. This feels less interactive and, simply, less engaging. My last issue with ME3 is searching the galaxy. While some (or more likely many) did not like the planet scanning/mining feature of the second game, I enjoy it, making me feel that I had to explore the whole galaxy and read all of the lore. In the third game, there a new system that involves avoiding Reapers in the galaxy; if they catch you while you are exploring a system and scanning objects, it's game over. While this system is fun, it also feels limiting. These issues aside, Mass Effect 3 is overall a wonderful game. It is definitely the most emotionally engaging game of the trilogy, and does not skimp on any story-telling quality. It is amazing to see how one's actions in the first two games culminates in the third game. While I do wish that your squad was larger than six options (downloadable content aside), the squadmates in combat and in conversation are seemingly flawless (graphical hitches aside). I highly recommend Mass Effect 3, but I even more highly recommend you play the first two games before this one for a truly emotional, interactive, and exciting experience!… Expand
  40. jollysteve
    Mar 12, 2012
    2
    This one is really annoying! There is too much video and too little game in it. The battles are very irritating, especially the grenades and the cover system sucks.
  41. pospulsar99
    Mar 12, 2012
    7
    I actually enjoyed the game greatly... People are correct in that there aren't a lot of changes to the gamplay from ME2, but that's because they already had a winning combination in my mind...

    The sheer number of things imported from ME1, ME2, and DLC was impressive to me... I've had completely different experiences than friends I've talked to... even down to in-game e-mails and news    I actually enjoyed the game greatly... People are correct in that there aren't a lot of changes to the gamplay from ME2, but that's because they already had a winning combination in my mind...

    The sheer number of things imported from ME1, ME2, and DLC was impressive to me... I've had completely different experiences than friends I've talked to... even down to in-game e-mails and news reports commenting on things being done by characters you left alive in previous games.

    I was also very impressed at the level of emotional involvement they can get you to invest... there are some characters that I really truly cared about, and the voice acting for some of them was spot-on.

    I think the main contributor to the Negative scores is the Ending... and I understand where others are coming from... for the most part, I was content... but there are elements to it that didn't make a lot of sense to me... a couple more options would have been good... Even a Dragon Age style "Text Epilogue" just saying "So and So went on to do this..." "This character went off to do the following..." would have been satisfying...

    Don't let the last 15 mins ruin the rest of the game though... I enjoyed everything else immensely...    … Expand
  42. Usagi1231
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    I loved this story so much, Bioware did more than drop a ball here. Heads should roll. They took everything that made the game special and just threw it in the trash. I started to worry about Bioware after DA2, but like so many others have said, ME was still undiminished. After so many hours of play, forgiving some HUGE bugs in the process, I was just too disappointed for words at theI loved this story so much, Bioware did more than drop a ball here. Heads should roll. They took everything that made the game special and just threw it in the trash. I started to worry about Bioware after DA2, but like so many others have said, ME was still undiminished. After so many hours of play, forgiving some HUGE bugs in the process, I was just too disappointed for words at the end. If they make an attempt to 'fix this' by offering DLC at an additional cost to players I will truly never spend another cent with their company, as it is they have lost my trust. No more Bioware pre-orders for this former fan.… Expand
  43. Mugumaster
    Mar 12, 2012
    10
    I'm glad I didn't buy this game and listened to my gut feeling. I downloaded it and thought "if it can stand up to the rest of the series I will buy it afterwards...." No money from me here! This game is a total letdown! And what dissapoints me the most is that EVERY gamemagazine gives it a rating of 90+. This clearly shows that those game magazines just write what they are told from theI'm glad I didn't buy this game and listened to my gut feeling. I downloaded it and thought "if it can stand up to the rest of the series I will buy it afterwards...." No money from me here! This game is a total letdown! And what dissapoints me the most is that EVERY gamemagazine gives it a rating of 90+. This clearly shows that those game magazines just write what they are told from the gamecompanys .... very sad indeed.

    Now for Mass Effect 3:
    - Horrible long cutscenes with uneeded explosions everywhere to beef it up
    - Most of the time you had only 2 dialogue choices (Paragon, Renegade) and it was obvious which was what since paragon was always the upper choice and renegade the bottom choice
    - Missions were at first interesting but after 1-2 hours you get the feeling that there is no more innovation. Either you fight enemy waves, defend a point and fight off enemy waves, reach a checkpoint and survive while fighting enemy waves or fight enemy waves to push a button to fight more enemy waves ....
    - Combat system was a total letdown, I played as a biotic but most of the time i just used a sniperrifle or a slow firing rifle because it just owns everything else.
    - Biotic skills were totaly useless, I ended up reskilling and learn the talents my teammates gave me like infernogrenade or carnage
    - Flying around searching for stuff to beef up the army while avoiding the reapers got VERY boring VERY fast
    - The dialogue choices you had with your squadmates were too dull and you weren't able to bond a connection to them like in the previous games
    - Storywriting was bad, tried to skip all the time after a while since it just was plain bad
    - No matter which choices you made (like fake cure or real cure for krogans, save geth or quarians, save the arachniqueen, recruit alien races etc.) nothing did matter at the end. There was nothing that said what happened afterwards and the only reason to gather allied forces is only to make the end a little less bad than it already is.
    - The endings were a complete rippoff from deus ex
    - The endings were ALL bad, basicly you watched the same clip with a different coloured explosion and small changes but basicly all the ends lead to the same result without explaining ANYTHING

    I could go on with this list but I guess you get the point I'm trying to make clear ..    … Expand
  44. Qantaqa
    Mar 12, 2012
    2
    Horrible animations, story, and dialogue. Nice audio and voice acting. Watch ending from youtube and save your time.. this is not an RPG. If you like the Sims you might like this.
  45. ZawiszaTheBlack
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    Worst ending ever. 99% of good game and 1% of destructive and wasting fans minds stupidending...
    Few years of my love for universe was destroyed by few last minutes of Mass Effect 3. BioWare... I'm dissapointed and very sad. It's incomprehensible impact!
  46. Mindflow
    Mar 12, 2012
    5
    I really love all the games (ME1+2+3) and spend lots of time for perfect savegames, but the ending of ME3 is the worst ending i ever saw in a computer game! It ruins the story of the whole trilogy! I was planning to get myself a N7 tattoo (not only because i like ME, but also because i'm playing computer games since 1990) ... but the ending of part 3 destroyed that idea... what have youI really love all the games (ME1+2+3) and spend lots of time for perfect savegames, but the ending of ME3 is the worst ending i ever saw in a computer game! It ruins the story of the whole trilogy! I was planning to get myself a N7 tattoo (not only because i like ME, but also because i'm playing computer games since 1990) ... but the ending of part 3 destroyed that idea... what have you done, bioware?… Expand
  47. Tweed
    Mar 12, 2012
    1
    I've really enjoyed the Mass Effect series, but this last one, the one that was suppose to be the big climax is one of the biggest letdowns of the year so far. It really seems like Bioware cut every corner that could be cut while trying to maximize the amount of revenue they could generate from their community, there's a heavy emphasis on the multiplayer aspect of the game which actuallyI've really enjoyed the Mass Effect series, but this last one, the one that was suppose to be the big climax is one of the biggest letdowns of the year so far. It really seems like Bioware cut every corner that could be cut while trying to maximize the amount of revenue they could generate from their community, there's a heavy emphasis on the multiplayer aspect of the game which actually does greatly hinder your effort to try and get a good ending out of this game. It really doesn't help that the entire multiplayer part is designed to be a complete grind short of spending actual money to buy packs to enhance their characters. Disregarding MP the single player is rife with issues, mostly related to the terrible attention to detail, characters are poorly animated and "pop" and "spring" about unrealistically during dialog so often it becomes impossible to ignore, on the central hub of the game npcs in the background run back and forth to nowhere if they're animated at all, actors in the distance are nothing more than distorted 2 dimensional sprites or unskinned models that look more like cardboard cutouts or paper mache figurines than people. Cutscenes and dialog cannot be skipped making replay a major task for anyone who wants to see the hidden ending that requires finishing the game at least once. Attempts at continuity on Bioware's part are admirable and one of the highlights of the game, but it becomes lost in the mess of a plot, the impossibility of Earth holding out while Shepard gathers the forces of the galaxy is handwaved away and one of the main antagonists of the game winds up being a carbon copy of Mass Effect 1's villain. It also really doesn't help that Bioware decided to shift the focus of the plot right at the very last moment of the game to steal Deus Ex: Human Revolution's plot line and ending style, then expect the player to merely accept this without question. The endings are vague and unsatisfying, leaving any fan who has followed this series right from the very beginning to be extremely disappointed.… Expand
  48. Hez
    Mar 12, 2012
    1
    Accidental 10 in my first review. Still hate what EA/Bioware did with the game so 1 rating from me.
  49. moonjo
    Mar 12, 2012
    4
    Despite its shortcomings, I did enjoy ME3 and wished it didn't end. The biggest issue for everyone is the conclusion of this great series. It feels like Bioware just gave up trying to make the ending mean something.
    They improved combat mechanics but the battles/missions are still same old, kill all, survive, get to point A, etc.. In the final mission I expected to utilize all of my squad,    Despite its shortcomings, I did enjoy ME3 and wished it didn't end. The biggest issue for everyone is the conclusion of this great series. It feels like Bioware just gave up trying to make the ending mean something.
    They improved combat mechanics but the battles/missions are still same old, kill all, survive, get to point A, etc.. In the final mission I expected to utilize all of my squad, since they build up this huge battle with entire galaxy joining forces. No, you pick 2 of your squad members and that's it. Although I hate DLCs, I wouldn't give it a 2nd thought of buying if Bioware released a TRUE ending DLC.    … Expand
  50. OK0110
    Mar 12, 2012
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Game itself is almost perfect. I think even better then mass effect 2. The problem is that i am na huge fan of franchise and i played everything related to this game, so i expected good ending based on all choices and effort i made during previous game-play. That didn't happened. Last ten minutes of game came from blue and reduced everything to three choices. I was dissapointed and don't want to play it again.… Expand
  51. Sealance
    Mar 12, 2012
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. As a sci-fi fan and lover of the Mass Effect series and universe I found myself just contemplating what to say about the game.

    I personally like the graphics and it feels much more detailed than the previous games. Animations didn't bother me much. There were however a few annoying bugs. The one that mainly pissed me off was the inability to import my custom face from ME1 and 2. There were also issues with squad members becoming stuck and "blocked".

    Combat is much more intense and although the multiplayer is kind of weak, it is something that I enjoy. I personally don't think it's worthy of being called co-op. Co-op for me is playing through a story campaign (such as Left 4 Dead, Dead Island and Aliens - Colonial Marines)

    *SPOILERS*

    The story in Mass Effect 3 is brutal and the Normandy retrofit gives it a dark and foreboding feeling. Since my custom face wouldn't import properly I tried to re-create it, but I ended up with someone looking like a cross between Dominic Purcell (from Prison Break) and Jason Statham. It is clear that the events of Arrival took a heavy emotional toll on Shepherd and the early parts of the game does leave emotional scars. For me, his haunted look shines through when looking at Tali's photo frame in the cabin. It was nice to see Tali's face but the manner of which they showed her face was very disappointing, and to top it off it was a photoshopped "free license" photo from the internet. I had a vague recollection of seeing it before, until someone posted an actual link.

    Looking at the story up until the ending, I think it is actually well-written and very tense. It is too bad that it has been streamlined. The dialogs and voice acting are very good and I like the character interactions. I laughed when Tali got drunk and complained about the "induction tube".. "Tali.. it's a straw!"

    Mass Effect 3 is a beautiful game, and I have very mixed feelings about the ending. I got the "best" ending where Shepherd apparantly survived.

    It's difficult to see how they would make a sequel when every relay gets destroyed.. How they would make an MMO out of this mess is beyond me, unless some clever writer comes up with something clever.

    Liara mentioned something about multiple effects in parallell universes (or something like that.. i don't remember exactly) so perhaps that is a faint clue of what's to come (if anything).

    Perhaps they could discover some abandoned Cerberus project relating to FTL travel without the need of relays, such as an obsolete cruiser with a prototype FTL drive that was inactive during the events that destroyed the relays.

    The "aftermath" storyline could be something relating to this and trying to rebuild and reconnect the galaxy again.

    Speculations.. thoughts.. hopes.

    For now, with the ending that ME3 got, I can't give it more than a 5-6 ish on the scale. It MAY deserve an alteration if Bioware does something about it. I understand why alot of people are unhappy with the game. It's like uncovering a Mona Lisa only to have someone spill a bucket of paint on it.    … Expand
  52. Sun_Tzu
    Mar 12, 2012
    2
    Most of the main missions are well done, you can generally get the resolutions you want, with some consequences sprinkled in. For this, the game gets about a 9. I truly enjoyed myself.

    Side quests are weak, they mostly consist of mindless grinding, which is never a good thing in a game. I wanted more on-site side quests as in ME1 and ME2, but was sorely disappointed. For this the game    Most of the main missions are well done, you can generally get the resolutions you want, with some consequences sprinkled in. For this, the game gets about a 9. I truly enjoyed myself.

    Side quests are weak, they mostly consist of mindless grinding, which is never a good thing in a game. I wanted more on-site side quests as in ME1 and ME2, but was sorely disappointed. For this the game gets maybe a 3.

    And then there's the ending. In fact, the entire final mission was a huge letdown for me. It's the greatest betrayal of a gaming franchise I've ever experienced, and I've been around since the Commodore-64 days. It makes no sense, it spits in the face of the loyal fan, and it has ruined not only this game, but every preceding game for me. The ending is so bad that it eclipses every positive thing you could ever say about the game. It's a -10 experience. So we end up with a final score of 2. Until Bioware fixes the ending, I'm warning every friend of the franchise and friend in general not to play/buy me3. This was not an experience I'd wish upon my worst enemy.    … Expand
  53. Ob1Kn00b
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    If Bioware hadn't rushed this out, and put in a proper ending, then I wouldn't have created an account just to voice my displeasure. As it stands, Bioware destroyed several hundred hours worth of enjoyment in all of thirty minutes. They took a series that has, from the beginning, been grounded in enjoyable science fiction, our choices having impact, and a powerful main character thatIf Bioware hadn't rushed this out, and put in a proper ending, then I wouldn't have created an account just to voice my displeasure. As it stands, Bioware destroyed several hundred hours worth of enjoyment in all of thirty minutes. They took a series that has, from the beginning, been grounded in enjoyable science fiction, our choices having impact, and a powerful main character that consistently defied the odds... Then they turned said main character into a braindamaged invalid unable to question orders of a random star-child-god-thing. They removed any actual choice, as in the end each ending is just the same thing with different colors. Science fiction went out the window for random crystal-crazy metaphysics and some omnipotent star-child.

    First Dragon Age 2. Then issues with TOR. Now, issues with a finale I have been waiting years for. No, I don't think I'll be buying anything from Bioware again. They can talk all they want about EA not having changed them... But there's been a lot of bad since they came along.    … Expand
  54. velimrius
    Mar 12, 2012
    3
    Im glad i didnt spent cent on this, go to hell bioware with ur employed game designers whom hates gaming and want option to skip combat....

    First ME was awesome to me, second was good too, but this is disgrace!
  55. mat193
    Mar 12, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. COME ON, please stop posting reviews before you finished the game! If I were to review mass effect before I got to the ending i would probably at least give it a 9 however that is not the case. The ending simply kills everything there is to the game making everything completely pointless. I have absolutely no problem with Shepard dying in the end I actually think its a quite fitting end for the series to go. However the lack of aftermath to the universe is just sad. You spend hours upon hours crafting the universe for the way you want it to be after all this is done only to get Shepard's death and a light show. All I was asking for is to show us what we did in the game mattered show us how even though he sacrificed himself in the end that what he did mattered and changed the universe besides the destruction/control/synthesis with the reapers. What happened with the geth/quarians, the krogan, asari, turians, salarians, your crew who you developed a relationship along the 3 games and your love interest. The choices you made in all 3 games mean absolutely nothing in the end you basically just choose the color you want the explosion to be in. The war assets which is basically the main drive of the game have little impact in the final battle besides unlocking the final 3 endings which frankly why would you care if you only get a different explosion and a greenish EDI as an extra in the end.… Expand
  56. Fourdee
    Mar 12, 2012
    3
    Mass effect 1 - had many issues, but showed promise in a franchise.
    Mass effect 2 - A step forward in combat mechanics and streamlined gameplay, a step backwards in freedom with a linear exploration feel
    Mass Effect 3 - A quick money making title, ignoring the basics of animation and gameplay mechanics. PC ignorance is bliss here. I dont know what game the review companies are playing,    Mass effect 1 - had many issues, but showed promise in a franchise.
    Mass effect 2 - A step forward in combat mechanics and streamlined gameplay, a step backwards in freedom with a linear exploration feel
    Mass Effect 3 - A quick money making title, ignoring the basics of animation and gameplay mechanics. PC ignorance is bliss here.

    I dont know what game the review companies are playing, but its not the one purchased. A huge disappointing to a franchise that has gone from RPG to a FPS with poor movie style cutsceens. The SPACEBAR is used for running, rolling around, selecting world objects. It fails most of the time and you find yourself rolling around when you try to run. You find yourself standing still when your trying to run because a world object came across your hud. The animations are dreadful, for a game that trys to sell itself as a movie, it feels like they forgot about animating your player, the one you stare at. At the start of the game, you are given an option to either play the game as Action/RPG/Social. Action is the default setting, RPG claims to be "the mass effect experience" but none of the options actually provide you with information on what you gain or lose from each. The end product feels rushed, forced on console gamers and a huge disappointing to a player who loved ME1/2. It seems bioware has lost interest in making "SOLID" games, its a company that just wants to roll in on past victories, and forgets why people loved their 1st games.    … Expand
  57. Patches
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Yeah, it may be childish to give a 0 to a game that obviously is better than that. But it's the only way I've found to gives a slap in the face of Designers & Publishers that could actually hurt them...

    As you may have guessed by now, the ending is the main reason of my discontent... The ending of Mass Effect 2 was better by far... As soon as I saw Shepard bloody and crawling with only a pistol, I had a bad feeling about the ending...

    Also, the linearity of the story and the galaxy exploration is another let down. And he Normandy-Alliance crew? Been there, done that... The Cerberus crew has more interaction and 'life'... The sides quest are usually hollow, if not buggy. Do it as soon as you get them or risk not being able to finish them. They're also a lot confusing. Often, I didn't know what or where to go to complete them...

    Almost every decisions you made since ME1 result in a few more or less troops and/or ships for the final battle. Correct, but a bit dissapointing... And the multiplayer needed to have a better readiness in single player?... Bad idea... On a side note, the multiplayer is correct, but the 'Magic-the-Gathering-booster-pack' upgrading mechanic that forces you to grind XP or drop REAL cash to get is quite greedy, and another sign that money is more important that creating and satisfying people who bought the game...

    On a more personal note, I hated the 'kid-nightmare-walk slowly' parts... Hated that kind of stuff since the 1st Max Payne...

    Honestly, not everything is dark though:
    - The Action/RPG/Story experience choice can make the game more appealing to different kind of players. (Although I have to try each one to see if it makes a real difference... I don't have the heart to try right now)...
    - The scanning for ressource is now perfect: You scan a region, and if you found something interesting, then you grab or scan the planet (like finding a mission site in ME2)...
    - Ending put aside, most of the story is quite good and interesting, with great moments and surprises...

    Thats 3 huge dissapointments for me from thus far: C&C4, Dragon Age 2 and now ME3... No more preorder, EA... Ever... You can bet I'll wait for reviews & Metacritic before thinking of buying General 2!...    … Expand
  58. TobyTucker
    Mar 12, 2012
    5
    While I can certainly see the point of those giving this a 0 score to send a message to EA/BioWare over the DLC issue and the way the ending seems to be tacked on by people who have no idea what Mass Effect is all about, I can't honestly do that. But I didn't give it a terribly high score either because this COULD have been a truly great game. Unfortunately it seems to have been pushed outWhile I can certainly see the point of those giving this a 0 score to send a message to EA/BioWare over the DLC issue and the way the ending seems to be tacked on by people who have no idea what Mass Effect is all about, I can't honestly do that. But I didn't give it a terribly high score either because this COULD have been a truly great game. Unfortunately it seems to have been pushed out the door before it was completely ready. It also appears to have been "dumbed down" as far as its RPG elements go in order to appeal to a mass audience. Knowing what I know now, I would have waited until it went on sale instead of paying full price. Hopefully, with a patch or two, perhaps a (free) DLC to fix the ending and this game will live up to its full potential. Seeing as I have the PC version there's always the chance that modders will come to the rescue! It just a shame that a game with such promise turned out the way it did.… Expand
  59. YuRown92
    Mar 12, 2012
    10
    Mass Effect 3 is EPIC ending of space saga. I don't know their people, who don't like final of this game. Final is very interesting, very adrenaline, very clever. And... It is one of the best Action/RPG in all videogame's story!
  60. Berendas
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. *minor spoilers*

    The choice of endings we get is completely unacceptable. Bioware PROMISED varied and unique endings based on what choices you made throughout the series. Instead we got some illogical deus ex machina garbage that, for a lot of people, utterly ruins the whole trilogy. All the cutscense are identical and after the credits there is no closure or epilogue. We just get a Photoshoped stock image and some old grandpa way out of left field. It takes some serious effort to make an ending that bad.    … Expand
  61. yimmyyones
    Mar 12, 2012
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'm a huge fan of the first Mass Effect and enjoyed the second almost as much. That being said I am massively let down and overall unsatisfied with this game. It didn't really improve on anything as far as gameplay goes, it essentially the same as ME2. I felt like the exploration was reduced and the game felts incredibly short (18 hours logged on my first complete playtrhough).

    The story was, overall, good. I enjoyed several of the mission sequences and the dialogue was what I was expecting and hoping for. Until the ending. I'm having trouble finding words to describe my disappointment and unhappiness. The ending alone was C-rate at best. I felt no closure to the story (which may have been intentional with EA/Bioware's new view of DLC) and felt like a complete asspull by Bioware.

    But hey, there's choices right? Maybe the ending I choose was crummy but I'm sure the other two are better. Spoiler alert, there is only one ending. The cutscene might look a little different and the dialogue might change a bit but there's still one outcome. Everybody dies. The Mass Relays are destroyed. The cycle is broken and the Reapers are gone. The End. Never before has a video game left such a bad taste in my mouth.    … Expand
  62. MrsMod
    Mar 12, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I have never been a huge gamer, that is my husband, but when I discovered the Mass Effect series I fell in love. I loved everything about it, I felt like I was part of the story and that my choices mattered in the larger picture. I have never played a game where I felt so connected to my characters and emotionally involved with the entire game. I have played the series faithfully and waited anxiously for the final chapter of Shepard's story. Sadly I felt like there was not enough interaction with my crew, just standing there listening to a dialogue that was I had no say in. I didn't feel like there were enough side quests and I was disappointed when it felt that I spent more time fighting Cerberus than the Reapers. For the most part though I enjoyed the the game. It just felt to short to, this is a story that people love and they could have gone so much farther than they. I could have also lived with that. But the end of the game was the biggest disappointment that I could have ever imagined. I was expecting my choices to matter, to have a say in what my Shepard chose, but I was given 3 choices that my Shepard would have never made. There were gaping plot holes and all of the choices that I made in the previous games were thrown out the window. Ex. I made Anderson councilor but now Udina is councilor. My ending choices should not have been made up of choosing what color I want my ending to be.… Expand
  63. Dieuos
    Mar 11, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I have never written a review about a game before, but I felt very compelled to do this to vent my frustrations.

    Throughout my time playing Mass Effect 3, I was hooked. I enjoyed every minute I played, and I felt that it was the best in the series. The combat system was impressive, and the story seemed to fit the perfect role that it needed to be for the conclusion of the Mass Effect series. However, as I kept playing, I kept noticing more and more that the choices I made previously didn't really matter at all. For example, I worked to keep all of my squadmates alive in Mass Effect 2, but in Mass Effect 3, they were reduced to minor characters who mattered little more than a few points of War Assets and some whimsical reminiscence. However I pushed through, because I believed that this was the culmination of my choices, and if I just kept playing, I would eventually see what impact my Shepard had on the galaxy. I was wrong. Instead of seeing the ramifications of ALL of the choices I had made, I got a cookie cutter "Choose which ending that has nothing to do with the rest of the plot" ending. Maybe I'll max out my galactic readiness score to try and attain this "best ending possible" ending, but for now, destroying/controlling/combining with the reapers all seem effectively the same.
    TLDR:
    Mass Effect 3 was supposed to be the epic conclusion to an epic story, that many gamers had been waiting 5 years for. While this game did conclude the story of Commander Shepard, it did not give closure to those people who had invested playthrough after playthrough, meticulously choosing options that they believed would make a difference in the end. Instead, gamers were treated to a sloppy, cop-out of an ending that effectively negates any choice made previously.    … Expand
  64. SWLover123456
    Mar 11, 2012
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The Mass Effect trilogy has always been about decisions. Decisions, decisions, decisions. Bioware advertised that all of your decisions and all the work you have done over the last for years over, for some, a variety of play-throughs would come to fruition. This is sadly not the case, and that is the fatal flaw of Biowares conclusion to the most brilliant space opera of the young generation.

    That last sentence contradicted itself. And it should, the way I'm about to go off on one of my favorite games this year. I'll say it right from the get-go: I loved Mass Effect 3. But I would have loved it if you went rogue and destroyed Earth before the Reapers could, in some ridiculous psychotic rage. Because in all honesty, that would have been a better ending. That said, I will address right from the start the major flaw of this game: The Endings. Instead of putting all your decisions together, like how you handled all the struggles in the current game, how you finished Mass Effect 2, Who lives, Who dies and the other couple hundred decisions, and putting them all in a big old formula to see how your game ends, it multiplies the entire formula by zero and asks you to chose between three relatively-equal endings. That is however, the only really diminishing feature of a stellar game. The gameplay is solid and flowing, the graphics and audio are fine, and it runs like a dream. It's a very well-built game. I think all we have here is Bioware being too great. Mass Effect 3's story is comparably worse than the first two titles. But that's only because the first two are some of the greatest in the medium's history. The series before was simply too great for fulfilling gameplay to cap off. It needed more story and a better conclusion to be accepted into the Hall of Fame, with Bioware's Baldur's Gate 2 and Neverwinter Nights.    … Expand
  65. Barxalot
    Mar 11, 2012
    4
    Mass Effect 3 - Player Review
    ... 1) Story
    ... 2) Acting ... 3) Production ... 4) Multimedia (graphics,sound) ... 5) Gameplay 1) Story (2 - rating) ... too many endings lowered impact/quality (expected) ... starts slow, picks up, depresses me, falls flat, no multiple endings as promised 2) Acting (8 - rating) ... I liked the performances of main cast ... some supporting    Mass Effect 3 - Player Review
    ... 1) Story
    ... 2) Acting
    ... 3) Production
    ... 4) Multimedia (graphics,sound)
    ... 5) Gameplay

    1) Story (2 - rating)
    ... too many endings lowered impact/quality (expected)
    ... starts slow, picks up, depresses me, falls flat, no multiple endings as promised

    2) Acting (8 - rating)
    ... I liked the performances of main cast
    ... some supporting roles sounded rushed / nonprofessional
    ... in a "choose your own path" game I expect flatter performances
    ... still, I was hoping BioWare had learned some new tricks after their work on SW:TOR

    3) Production (2 - rating)
    ... where do I begin?
    ... bad editing
    ... ... story pacing (awful)
    ... ... audio pacing (awful)
    ... ... jump edits (tolerable)
    ... schizophrenic eyelines
    ... poor lipsync

    4) Multimedia (graphics/sound) (6 - rating)
    ... sound/score was beautiful
    ... visuals on the other hand
    ... ... dreadful
    ... ... I think they actually took several steps backwards from ME2

    5) Gameplay (4 - rating)
    ... uh, I liked the old minigames (I don't rate down for this)
    ... one button does all in combat made some levels a nightmare
    ... ... GOAL: escape level
    ... ... ACTUAL: mistakingly duck into cover over and over and over
    ... ... RESULT: needless reloads due to death
    ... endless sections with no save option
    ... ... followed by even more nightmarish sections where you could save unrestricted ???
    ... ... I don't understand this, but it left me just wanting those sections to end already!
    ... constant collision detection errors
    ... ... may be system specific: I got stuck every time I spoke to EDI on the bridge unless I stood in one specific spot
    ... ... spent more than one level stuck to a squadmate as they ran to a new location (controls reported "BLOCKED")
    ... squadmate proximity mine
    ... ... still drops where player is standing instead of where squadmate is standing (I don't rate down for this)
    ... multiplayer addition (pointless - this was a singleplayer game series)
    ... fake difficulty (Kai Leng)
    ... ... this ripped me whole from story telling immersion
    ... character import flawed (graphics/data)
    Enough ... let's do the math (2+8+2+6+4=22/50 == 4.4 rating) Personal note: ... I avoided blood by playing in grayscale (what? the endings were color coded?) ... I avoided gore by avoiding certain weapons/classes ... I avoided nudity (mostly) by saying no to relationship offers ... This title had less cursing than ME2 (in my playthrough)    … Expand
  66. e5150julian
    Mar 11, 2012
    1
    After spending 100s of hours polishing your character and getting to know you squad and other characters in the game, to end it like that is not only a kick to the nuts and being spat on it didn't make any sense making the whole experience feel cheap and didn't offer any closure to the characters and galaxy we fought for and came to love... I love the game but that ending ruined it for me
  67. Narath
    Mar 11, 2012
    10
    Truely an amazing, if you ignore the end this game is the best in the series. The main strength bioware has always had has been the companions you travel with and they went to the next level on ME3, i was so shocked when I found my companions moving around the ship and some of the dialog had me rolling on the floor with laughter. They also did some amazing truely sad moments with theTruely an amazing, if you ignore the end this game is the best in the series. The main strength bioware has always had has been the companions you travel with and they went to the next level on ME3, i was so shocked when I found my companions moving around the ship and some of the dialog had me rolling on the floor with laughter. They also did some amazing truely sad moments with the deaths of long time characters which were done beautifuly. Possible spoilers
    On the issue with the end, when I first played it I was in a black rage and felt depressed for days, but I got over it and for me the series ended with shepard sitting next to anderson on the citadel. No reason for 5minutes of gameplay to ruin a 36 hour game.    … Expand
  68. Korisana
    Mar 11, 2012
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Mass Effect 3 was meant to and succeeds in ending the Shepard storyline. While Bioware has fine-tuned aspects of the game, such as less time consuming planet exploration, other areas have not been as lucky. As of about a week after release, there are noticeable bugs and glitches which include randomly getting stuck in open areas and graphical glitches. None really detract from the game-play but they are fairly noticeable. An area in which Bioware succeeded with ME3 is storyline. The main plot is well done, for the most part, and does make you feel as if the galaxy really was coming to an end with the Reapers. Side quests, however, have suffered brutally in ME3. Gone are many ME 1/2 side quests which involve landing on a planet or ship for a small map-based mission. Instead, you pick up random side quests simply by over-hearing NPC's talking on the Citadel. you then head to a destination, scan a planet, launch a probe and head back. That's it. The biggest mistake Bioware has made in ME3 is the ending. The entire series as been fun and a wonderful "Space Opera" type of story. However, it all falls apart in the final few minutes. Specifically the choices you have to make. While the choices and Shepard's eventual fate is dark, fitting in with the overall theme of this third game, overall they don't make sense. Nothing is explained about what happens after your victory or defeat. There is also a distinct lack of continuity in the ending. In the final part of the game, all of your ME3 squad is on Earth, yet somehow several are see emerging from a crashed Normandy just before the credits roll.

    Overall the game is worth buying if you can deal with major story issues at the end.    … Expand
  69. Dexter
    Mar 11, 2012
    9
    Mass effect 3 is a really good game, the story is written very well.
    the ending is a drawback though. the day one DLC is also a problem, because its should have in game.
    but all together mass effect 3 have a lot to offer including a multiplayer mod which is pretty good if I do say so myself - and I do.
  70. Honeybadgers
    Mar 11, 2012
    1
    I'm not one to just bomb a game for silly reasons. I can find redeeming features in almost any game to at least call it mediocre. But Mass Effect 3 is the biggest letdown in PC gaming history. ME1 was plagued with wonky, unintuitive controls and menu navigation, but painted a rich, colorful universe that just demanded exploring. And explore we did. The Mass Effect universe was second onlyI'm not one to just bomb a game for silly reasons. I can find redeeming features in almost any game to at least call it mediocre. But Mass Effect 3 is the biggest letdown in PC gaming history. ME1 was plagued with wonky, unintuitive controls and menu navigation, but painted a rich, colorful universe that just demanded exploring. And explore we did. The Mass Effect universe was second only to Dune. The storytelling and acting were deep and meaningful, and the game just FELT enormous, even if it wasn't. You had so much freedom to do things your way, that it was mind boggling.

    The sequel narrowed the scope to your ship and your companions, telling a deeper, more personal story that blended wonderfully with the broad moral strokes in the first. Sure, you had to be a completion junkie to get the perfect ending, but the characters were fascinating, their stories meaningful, and the voice acting was superb. I really cared about the people I went to battle with, so much that I happily replayed it entirely just to make sure that one crew member survived.

    And then comes three. It starts out very serious, if a bit disjointed. You have saved the galaxy twice, and you still got court-marshaled? Your estranged companion is thrust upon you and then taken away. Relevant members jump in and out at complete random, you have no control over whether or not people live or die, and the woefully limited, boring citadel (seriously? How do you make the CITADEL boring this time?) is just a place where you go to get side quests that are essentially a dull minigame that doesn't even encourage exploration. Your companions are very mismatched, with Garrus and EDI being the only really meaty characters. Joker is thrust into some disjointed, ultra-serious role, and the animations make his eyes look downright crazed. All the animations are pathetically stiff and wooden. Why not simply use the wonderfully animated SWTOR engine and simply transplant the gorgeous textures? The stories are short, the side quests are almost meaningless and always presented exactly the same way. You either fly around collecting items whose relevance is never explained, and running from reapers in the minigame, or you are on a tiny, repetitive map fighting for equally irrelevant resources. The combat is okay, but feels so sluggish and imprecise that you can feel the "controller-itis" in its DNA. So low marks there. Also, I don't know about the other classes, but the Vanguard feels downright worthless, with absolutely no synergy in its skills, whereas in the first two, it was a fast paced engine of destruction.

    The new relationships are shallow, jerky, and forced upon you so quickly and back-to-back that it's laughable.

    And then the whole story draws to a conclusion. All that work you did to unite the galaxy, seems to have no impact or weight whatsoever. The final mission is disjointed, and all it appears to change is the length of your cutscenes, because it all boils down to the ending. The choices you're presented with mirror nothing that makes sense, let alone what your goal was. No matter what type of person you chose to play in the Mass Effect series, the ending presents nothing that you have any interest in pursuing. Not to mention glaring plot holes and absurdities. The ending was so bad, it single handedly ruined the entire series for me. After learning how things turned out, I will probably never pick up a Mass Effect title again. Nothing you can do will alter the eventual outcome, either. Finally, we get to the day one DLC. I didn't knock off a point from Portal 2 for having it. That DLC was cosmetic and completely unnecessary. But the DLC that adds 1% to the game and costs 20% of its retail cost and should have OBVIOUSLY been included, is the final nail in the coffin for bioware. I don't like making broad generalizations, but after the awfulness that was I can't help but get the feeling that EA has finally destroyed what was once my favorite RPG makers. The Mass Effect universe was the most astonishingly well-conceived, lore-ridden universe in gaming history, and EA just destroyed it. The user score (and it's not like the /v/ bombing of portal 2, which I stood against) clearly shows that EA just pays for ratings, because while barely tolerable as a game itself, the second you finish it, there is no way you can seriously sit back and think "That made sense. That ending was totally logical."    … Expand
  71. Cottonswab
    Mar 11, 2012
    6
    Overall, not a bad game but that being said it's not a good game either. Game play is nearly identical to mass effect 2 which in and of itself is not bad as ME2 had great game play. Level design is more open than in ME2 where at times it felt like a series of narrow hallways. Where the game falls short is in the storyline especially the ending. There are numerous plot holes depending onOverall, not a bad game but that being said it's not a good game either. Game play is nearly identical to mass effect 2 which in and of itself is not bad as ME2 had great game play. Level design is more open than in ME2 where at times it felt like a series of narrow hallways. Where the game falls short is in the storyline especially the ending. There are numerous plot holes depending on the choices made in the earlier games. As for the endings, there are 3, but the choices made in game have no effect on which one you get, you simply choose one after the final mission. The end also has virtually no closure for your squad members or any of the other races involved in the war. Voice acting ranges from good to bad. A decent game but not what I've come to expect from the Mass Effect series.… Expand
  72. Kussie
    Mar 11, 2012
    4
    It was a great game right up until the final 15 minutes. But those last 15 minutes were enough to sink the entire game and the entire series for me. Truly truly disappointed. Bioware has seriously lost it's touch after Dragon Age 2, SWTOR and now Mass Effect 3.
  73. clivemax
    Mar 11, 2012
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I downloaded my copy of Mass Effect 3 onto my computer with some apprehension, the critic reviews all praised the game, while a majority of the users seemed to hate it. As I played Mass Effect 3 my apprehension left me, and I realized that the game I was playing was astounding. The game still seemed to be Mass Effect even though a little toned down in the choices department.
    The gameplay was far above the previous two entries in the series and this made me enjoy my experience all the more.
    My trip through this game was amazing and as I'm running towards the beam(I've forgotten what it is called) and harbinger is firing lasers at all of us running my adrenaline is pumping and it cuts to black.
    My first thought, "HOLY **** DID SHEPARD JUST DIE?!" As Shepard wakes up, I reevaluate my situation and think I'm alive, but what about my squadmates? I realize that I must go forward. Liara and Garrus are probably dead. Their sacrifices must mean something. I enter the light.
    The sight of the bodies sickens me, but I hear Anderson's voice and I walk forward looking for him and a way to open the citadel. Upon finding Anderson I didn't really question it beyond the fact that something was wrong. **** Illusive man.
    After talking to the Illusive man, he makes me shoot Anderson. Why the hell didn't I get the chance to fight that compulsion?! Dammit. My next what the hell moment was when I didn't have enough paragon to convince the Illusive man, "How the hell do I not have enough paragon?!" Dammit.
    Illusive man. Anderson on his knees gun to his head. Renegade interrupt. Do i hit it? Hell yeah I hit it. After Anderson collapses, my first thought, "He still died?!", but I head off to open the arms. They open and he's still alive and I'm elated. We sit down just like two old pals would and talk. After Anderson tell me how proud he is of me and dies, I cry my eyes out.
    The crucible isn't working though and as Shepard is crawling my only thought is you can make it, but he doesn't.
    After Shepard gets taken up by the platform, my initial reaction is hmmmm.
    After I see the catalyst ghost child I think, "What. The. **** but I'm willing to see where it goes.
    As the conversation procedes and all I do is agree I'm screaming in my head, "Why can't I disagree and ask him some **** questions?!"
    As he gives me my final options and the three paths are open to me I am dumbfounded.
    Destroy all synthetics? I like the geth. They and the quarians just obtained peace....wait ghost child your logic is flawed this is a prime example of synthetics and organics coexisting....WAIT this would destroy EDI and the normandy along with her, there is no **** way I'm killing joker.
    Organic and synthetic symbiosis evolution? Uhhhh.....wouldn't that change everyone in the galaxy to something their not and completely destroy who they are? Looks like a no.
    Control of reapers? Doesn't sound like a great idea, but doesn't seem to completely ruin the things I love about the universe, so I guess I'll go with that.
    WAIT, all of these will destroy the relays? Why? What about all the different races on Earth that will never make it back to their homeworld? God dammit, the quarians just got their homeworld back. Fine, I'll deal with it. I'll even deal with the fact that the destruction of the relays should destroy each solar system it's next to. It's all **** depressing, but I'll deal with it.
    Joker? Why are you running away? Ship blows up. What. The. ****.
    The normandy is still alive. Thank god, but they're stranded on an unknown planet without any relays...****.
    WAIT A **** MOMENT. Why are you on the normandy, liara? You were in my squad. I thought you were dead. What the balls.
    In the end, it's not the ending I wanted with a bunch of blue babies and the reapers destroyed, but without the plotholes or lack of interactions with the catalyst ghost child it would have been a depressing, but good ending.
    My final analysis is that while the ending sucked and had no respect to the Mass Effect universe which I believe is focused on the galactic races and your crew mates, NOT the philosophical discussion of order and chaos and whether or not what the reapers are doing makes any sense at all, the overall game deserves a ten.
    One of the best games of all time that is marred by an ending that doesn't do the series justice.    … Expand
  74. DatAsianGuy
    Mar 11, 2012
    10
    Look, I know everyone is butt hurt about the ending and many fans are angry at bioware, but i dont agree with many of the reviews and I have been a DIE HARD Bioware fan since Baldurs Gate I have bought and played hundreds and hundreds of hours playing their games and I believe Mass Effect 3 was perfect. (here comes the flaming). But, ask yourself how else would it end? they have said thatLook, I know everyone is butt hurt about the ending and many fans are angry at bioware, but i dont agree with many of the reviews and I have been a DIE HARD Bioware fan since Baldurs Gate I have bought and played hundreds and hundreds of hours playing their games and I believe Mass Effect 3 was perfect. (here comes the flaming). But, ask yourself how else would it end? they have said that this game is the end of Commander Shepards Story and that he will not appear in future games, but does that mean its a bad game? No, it doesn't and the story writing was impressive and voice acting was done well. I had several moments where I had to put down my controller and think about what I was about to do. The thing is I love this game, the universe, the good AND the bad although i dont consider multiplayer bad based on how much fun I have and the challenge of gold and the AI for insanity mode in the story. Sure the ending isn't what you had expected or wanted it was still a great experience. Also, Lord Mandalore terrible animation and graphic issues? seriously? what are you playing on? and the story wasn't dumbed down at all, have you even looked at the scripting an storylines of other games?

    Also, about the Day 1 DLC they finished it after the game was completed and shipped, SO WHAT? It took considerable amount of time to create the DLC if any of you have EVER tried to script, voice over, integrate and even add more lore into a game already developed I personally would like you to do it in 2 months and then give it away for free to EVERYONE. Then and ONLY then can you **** about the DLC release. Seriously if it came out 2 weeks later everyone and their mothers would whore themselves out for it but just because its out the same day people **** and moan.

    TL:DR Everyone is mad at the ending and giving a way too biased review about the game.

    If you read this and have a problem with me come email me your "OMG YOU ARE SO WRONG STFU (insert more flame)" rebuttle to A.Chekers@hotmail.com    … Expand
  75. Scotsman1706
    Mar 11, 2012
    0
    Until the end of this game, it was the greatest thing that I ever played. The endings made all my work for naught, I believe that I have been cheated and lied to. "I don't want to live on this planet anymore." - Professor Farnsworth
  76. TJ295
    Mar 11, 2012
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Gameplay: 90/100
    Graphic: 95/100
    Platform + Origin functionality: 60/100
    Cutscenes: 100/100
    Main Story: 95/100
    Conversation: 70/100 - Too much auto conversation with the crew mate and very shallow dialogue options.
    Paragon/Renegade: 95/100 - It's very amazing of how I can choose between two of these in combinations make Sheperd seem very organic. Nice work on this tho.

    The endings: 90/100 - When the scene hasn't focus on Joker attempting to escape the blast. This is for Blue & Red. Sad Sad Sad, you killed my heart you know. When I see my shep dissipate away to control the reaper, he smiled thinking of Kaiden before burned away. I'm ridiculously depressed from this intense bittersweet ending.

    30/100 - When the scene change to Joker escape the blast and then crashed into this random planet. Worse, my crew that fight on earth somehow got on The Normandy. Joker manages to pick them up faster and escape from the blast travel faster than the speed of light and he was right beside the crucible too. Then all the ships were destroyed too then. If you choose blue, that's even worse, b.c The Reaper changes its mind and retreats safely while ships like the Normandy to all the fleets got burned!!
    Then there is no after story conclusion of what happen with the one that survive, who died, who live, the empires recovery.... so on.
    10/100: This green ending is completely stupid. Synthetic+ Organic doesn't give a full evolution. Synthetic can coexist with Organic. It's because organic has a tendecy to teach violence rather than compassion. It's like Terminator vs EDI.
    I recommend you to read novel from R. J Sawyer: Wake, Watch, Wonder trilogy. It has so much more insight on Organic + Synthetic coexistence. ....And for Tali's face..... way too obvious that somebody is being lazy. -_-    … Expand
  77. kendiara
    Mar 11, 2012
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Its pretty bad when a series can destroy itself in the last 10 minutes of a trilogy, but ME managed it. I loved the game (even with the bad cover quirks and the occasional everyone breaks their neck staring off stage left while having a conversation), but the ending pretty well scorched it. The writers at Bio-Ware are still top notch, and it was fun seeing who did and didn't make it in from the previous games. The standing conversations with teammates felt more natural, and having the opportunity to advance your relationships was done well. And then the ending. Remember Fallout with that huge plot-hole about being with a guy immune to radiation and yet you can't send him into the radiated room to hit the button so you have to sacrifice yourself? Yeah its worse than that.… Expand
  78. MadclownJack
    Mar 11, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I honestly did not get what all the fuss was about, until i took it upon myself to "dive" into the story and see for myself. And boy was it a shallow dive. First, the story. The story is so simple it verges on pointless. Hell, I'd go so far as to say this is the worst, blandest story of ANY game i have played so far. This is very, very bad. I won't go "spoiling" it for you, because frankly, i CAN'T. I don't remember what i did in this game, aside from amassing an army! I don't remember anything interesting about the missions, nor the side-quests. The Gameplay. Or in this case, the arduous art of playing a very boring game. I'd like to warn future players to finish EVERY side quest, before you take on a priority mission, because then you lose all the side quests you didn't finish, and with that vital characters. Read the manual. That is a **** move to keep you replaying the game and seeing how the gameplay is more of a unsatisfying chore as opposed to a fun experience, you'd do well to remember that if you wish to finish it. Pick your covers, because Shepard can't aim well and will get confused sometimes and get out of cover without your command. Also he's sluggish and badly centered so have in mind that shepard's shoulder or head can get in the way of your aim. The visual experience is the only thing that carries this game across. SOMETIMES. There was only one instance that i remember, while playing the game, that actually got me excited a bit. That's the Tresher Maw vs. Reaper on Tuchanka. It was a lovely sequence that kept me going, hoping there would be more such sequences. There weren't any. There was a mass of cliches and uninspiring story elements though. The graphics are just a little polished, nothing new. The animation is stiff and sluggish. Rent or Beware.

    Bioware, I **** on your honor. EA, I hope you lying, money grubbing bastards get your just deserts. And i hope you choke on it and rid us all of your blight upon this world.    … Expand
  79. Menaus
    Mar 11, 2012
    0
    So, EA forces you to use Origin, a crappy, glitchy re-brand of EA download manager, puts day 1 DLC that's ON THE DISK out, and expects people to buy it?

    This is very disappointing.
  80. Aemony
    Mar 11, 2012
    8
    Great journey, great story, amazing storytelling and satisfying narration. Too bad the disastrous, illogical, inconclusive, retarded and shameful ending(s) brought down not only the whole game but also your whole adventure through all three games. In the final minutes of the amazing story of Shepard, the critically acclaimed choices made through all games are forgotten in favor of anGreat journey, great story, amazing storytelling and satisfying narration. Too bad the disastrous, illogical, inconclusive, retarded and shameful ending(s) brought down not only the whole game but also your whole adventure through all three games. In the final minutes of the amazing story of Shepard, the critically acclaimed choices made through all games are forgotten in favor of an arbitrary choice between three generic and uninspiring endings.… Expand
  81. Atech66
    Mar 11, 2012
    0
    Thank God.. this is why i use Meta for everything... no BS no paid off journalism just the freakin truth. We have been getting screwed this whole year .. Bethesda kicked my teeth in with Rag(e) and B(usted)rink and now EA screws the biggest pooch of all.. way to F go you money hungry half azzed dumb sh*ts. greed has taken over the entire damn industry without Indie games i almostThank God.. this is why i use Meta for everything... no BS no paid off journalism just the freakin truth. We have been getting screwed this whole year .. Bethesda kicked my teeth in with Rag(e) and B(usted)rink and now EA screws the biggest pooch of all.. way to F go you money hungry half azzed dumb sh*ts. greed has taken over the entire damn industry without Indie games i almost didnt have a gaming year.. EA you suck.. if Diablo 3 is screwed up ( nothing to do with EA) Im giving up.… Expand
  82. Anonbro
    Mar 11, 2012
    0
    Fan from the first hour, this episode might be my deepest disappointment in my game history. Mass effect took foot in this rare category of the space opera, and today it commits a shameless suicide in the **** Call Of game butt hole. Why would the developers destroy this unique franchise by turning it in a total void of personality... 25 missions based on the following rule : "meet an oldFan from the first hour, this episode might be my deepest disappointment in my game history. Mass effect took foot in this rare category of the space opera, and today it commits a shameless suicide in the **** Call Of game butt hole. Why would the developers destroy this unique franchise by turning it in a total void of personality... 25 missions based on the following rule : "meet an old buddy from previous episodes, help him, watch him die/disapear somewhere". Why waste time on the multi-player side when 99.9% of this game reside in the solo side ?
    Why every game editor enforce the "multi-platform" downgrade rule with the **** texture ever on PC ?
    Didn't Bioware studios learned from DAO 2 ? It's the exact same scenario... Turn a brilliant unique game into a tasteless piece of **** for console kids.

    **** you Bioware for ruining what could have been the best game trilogy ever.
    I seriously hope you'll announce a Mass effect 4 just to show us that your stupidity knows no boundary.    … Expand
  83. Grungi
    Mar 11, 2012
    5
    I have to give the game a 5; I can't think of any other score that would accurately portray the mix of positive and negative impressions I have of the game. From a production perspective, it's an absolute masterpiece from start to (almost) finish. I would even go so far as to say that it's the most technically perfect game that I've ever had the pleasure to play. Were I scoring on thatI have to give the game a 5; I can't think of any other score that would accurately portray the mix of positive and negative impressions I have of the game. From a production perspective, it's an absolute masterpiece from start to (almost) finish. I would even go so far as to say that it's the most technically perfect game that I've ever had the pleasure to play. Were I scoring on that basis, I would give it a 10/10 without hesitation.

    But (some of) the writing .. the DLC .. the singleplayer/multiplayer fiasco .. I don't want to give any spoilers out here, and I'm sure anyone who has beaten the game is well aware of what I speak .. Bioware has effectively killed the franchise for a lot of people. At the time of writing, the official forums are aflame with the vitriol that only hardcore fanatics can muster.

    There's no denying that Biowares reputation has taken a serious hit in the last few days, and in my opinion .. it's self-inflicted and rather well deserved.    … Expand
  84. schwegs
    Mar 11, 2012
    2
    ME3 has the worst ending to to any game I've ever played. I cannot express how disappointed I am and what a super let-down feeling I have after playing this to completion. The game is literally ruined by the fact that there is NO possible "happy ending" where you save earth and are re-united with your friends -- you know, kinda what you were fighting for the entire series. If they hadME3 has the worst ending to to any game I've ever played. I cannot express how disappointed I am and what a super let-down feeling I have after playing this to completion. The game is literally ruined by the fact that there is NO possible "happy ending" where you save earth and are re-united with your friends -- you know, kinda what you were fighting for the entire series. If they had written an ending as good as the rest of the game/series, this game would be great -- I'd even overlook the plotholes/failures to explain things (which are pretty bad in spots). As it stands, however, it will be difficult to look past this sickening ending to one of my favorite series and characters of all time.… Expand
  85. joker1991
    Mar 11, 2012
    7
    I was afraid that Bioware might ruin at some point the whole mass effect magical and absorbing universe.My fears came true.Where should I start? I played the PC version and I was really disappointed in game's graphics.There are obvious signs that the game's graphics were done in some kind of a rush.Awful textures in some points during the game.For a 2012 game they look really bad .OnceI was afraid that Bioware might ruin at some point the whole mass effect magical and absorbing universe.My fears came true.Where should I start? I played the PC version and I was really disappointed in game's graphics.There are obvious signs that the game's graphics were done in some kind of a rush.Awful textures in some points during the game.For a 2012 game they look really bad .Once again PC gets a port.I am no complaining about performance since FPS rate is stable,but these textures look really ugly nowadays.What about gameplay? They made it more action,more Michael Bay style look.As a result we have bad written dialogues and on top of that we can't make a lot of real decisions during the dialogues.All this negative stuff, was obviously done for action's sake and gameplay feels a lot like GOW series.Thus, the mass effect magic is lost in the third installment of the franchise.
    Moreover,I can't understand the whole multiplayer point,Mass effect was always a trully single player experience,why ruin this now? The worst of this addition is that multiplayer affects the game's final battle.What were they thinking? Usually people play first the single player part then the multi.It's simply irrational.As for war assets feature it seemed to me quite cool in the beginning but afterwards I understood that it don't count as it should.
    Last but not least,there is a really messy badly written ending in the end of the game.Bioware gives us 3 options which all lead to an unpleasant ending.I don't say that I wanted an ending taken from children's tales where everyone lives and stays happy at the end.Though,it's really harsh to watch that all the decisions that were made in previous games simply don't count at all.This is the part why many Mass Effect's fans got angry.They can't just so simply erase our actions.It's ironic that they were saying all these years to keep the save games as they will change the whole experience in the 3rd game of the franchise.They were **** about thousands of factors that will make a difference.
    All in all,I realized in the end that spent 100 hours in Mass Effect universe,I made hard decisions,I bonded emotionally with game's characters and finally I made the impossible to unite galaxy's races only for nothing.Even the war assets don't count a lot,you have fleet of Turians,Geth,QuariansHuman,Asari and all this for nothing.    … Expand
  86. Kossak
    Mar 11, 2012
    0
    Bastards - taking content out of the game to sell it on Day 1 for even more money? If you don't respect your customers, customers won't respect you. FU!
  87. b1ackSt3p
    Mar 11, 2012
    1
    This game was great. Story, companions, quests... everything! Until the last 15-20 minutes. Ending destroyed all of our achievements... All our choices from ME 1 & 2 resulted in this? How can that be even possible??? My last hope is that you intentionally did such an ending and we will see something "interesting" soon... sigh
  88. smoothietime
    Mar 11, 2012
    1
    This is by far some of the worst story telling I've experienced. This is EXACTLY on the level of the writing of The Phantom Menace. Except with an added bonus: Massive amounts of sexual frustration from the writers.
    This game (NOT JUST THE ENDING, YOU ARE DRONES IF YOU THINK JUST THE ENDING IS FLAWED) is the epitome of lazy writing, and a lack of critical thinking.
  89. kburstall
    Mar 11, 2012
    1
    Take away the compelling story from the mass effect series and what are you left with? Most people would agree we're left with little more than a sub-par shooter. Bioware often gets a pass on this because the story elements are so strong and interesting. NOT THIS TIME OUT. The story and especially the incomprehensible nonsense ending make for a tale that sucks the awesome not only out ofTake away the compelling story from the mass effect series and what are you left with? Most people would agree we're left with little more than a sub-par shooter. Bioware often gets a pass on this because the story elements are so strong and interesting. NOT THIS TIME OUT. The story and especially the incomprehensible nonsense ending make for a tale that sucks the awesome not only out of this game, but also out of the rest of the franchise which have been building up to an epic ending, where literally NONE of your choices throughout the entire series make an impact. Not having this strong story to keep you going, be prepared to suffer through this sub-par shooter… Expand
  90. zer0sum
    Mar 11, 2012
    8
    This is more Mass Effect in every way. If you enjoyed the first two games, I can see no reason why you would not enjoy this game. It has the same epic story, solid characterization, and awesome ambiance that made Mass Effect great. Sure it has its weak areas but this game is without question worth a lot more than the 3.5 user rating that it currently has here.
  91. ChrisCat378
    Mar 11, 2012
    3
    I was a huge fan of Mass Effect 1 and 2. Not to the point of having Shepard posters in my room or wearing N7 hoodies, but I really enjoyed the Mass Effect story and more importantly the characters I have come to know and love. I was loving Mass Effect 3 and everything in it. How stories where wrapping up, seeing familiar faces triumph, and watching some choices unfold in the last chapter.I was a huge fan of Mass Effect 1 and 2. Not to the point of having Shepard posters in my room or wearing N7 hoodies, but I really enjoyed the Mass Effect story and more importantly the characters I have come to know and love. I was loving Mass Effect 3 and everything in it. How stories where wrapping up, seeing familiar faces triumph, and watching some choices unfold in the last chapter. That was up until the last 10 minutes. Nothing I had done mattered, no resolution, nothing even close to being satisfying. What happened to the divergent story lines? What happened to the characters I have invested so much time getting to know? How can a game franchise built on choice and decisions boil the last and most important 10 minutes down to a few outcomes that are largely the same? I was planning on playing this game over and over like I have with ME1 and ME2 but now.... I dont even feel like starting it up. The ending has sucked so much enjoyment I had in this series its amazing. I wasnt expecting miracles or a story book ending... but certainly not this. I have no motivation to play again or any of the previous games. I didnt think it was possible to rob so much enjoyment out of the series with the last 10 minutes.. but they did. It would take a lot of effort to think of a worse way to end it. As a player you should want to finish the game, you want to see the outcome, and you want to see the repercussions of you actions from the 100+ hours of gameplay before. We get none of that and its why I am very disappointed in this final chapter.… Expand
  92. chriseggroll
    Mar 11, 2012
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Mass Effect 3 is a great game. It has the expansiveness of the first one, the improvements on the combat system of ME2, and has the great story and character depth you would expect from a Mass Effect game. All the class powers have been tweaked enough to feel fresh and the new weight capacity dynamic gives you lots of flexibility. Want to focus on using powers? Fine, just take one weapon and boom, 200% bonus cooldown reduction. Want to use mainly weapons? Fine, pick one of everything if you want. The multiplayer adds a new bit of flexibility into the game as well, allowing you to skip some side missions if you want and still get a good war asset score. It's also pretty addicting if you actually try and play it, though it really IS totally optional. I will say that you will have to be pretty exhaustive with the side quests if you want to do only single player, and it might not be possible to get a high score without an imported Shepard. As far as the ending goes, I will admit to being pretty disappointed and would have given this game a 10 rating otherwise. Since the whole game is thrilling and a joy to play, I only took off 1 point, but if the conclusion is all you care about, don't get your hopes up too high. The Mass Effect Trilogy is definitely no fairy tale, but the ending scene doesn't seem to offer much closure as far as how your companions fared, let alone the rest of the galaxy or even Shepard himself. I think some people have definitely gone overboard with their outrage, but as a longtime fan of the series, I did feel let down by the too-short conclusion of a three-game trilogy.… Expand
  93. Chiedbadmojo
    Mar 11, 2012
    1
    If this was a stand alone game, no one would care. But fact of the matter is, it's the conclusion of an epic trilogy, and it just fails. The ending is SO BAD it actually retroactively makes ME1 and ME2 worse. It is now a spectacle show like MW3, BF3, GoW3 and so on. It's a cash cow. And for a series like Mass Effect, we - the fans - expected more. But no. Bioware is dead. It was a funIf this was a stand alone game, no one would care. But fact of the matter is, it's the conclusion of an epic trilogy, and it just fails. The ending is SO BAD it actually retroactively makes ME1 and ME2 worse. It is now a spectacle show like MW3, BF3, GoW3 and so on. It's a cash cow. And for a series like Mass Effect, we - the fans - expected more. But no. Bioware is dead. It was a fun ride, we will try to remember you for what you were, not like you are now with ME3 and DA2.

    From Ashes is SUCH an important story for all ME fans, it should have been included with all new versions of the game. It's now clearly a case of "lets make as much money we can from this series before we kill it".

    And it was killed. Hard. The ending of ME3 is probably the worst in any game ever. It could and should have been so good. But it sucks so much. The people that made ME1 and ME2 can not have seen this, they would not have allowed it.    … Expand
  94. Yamaxanadu
    Mar 11, 2012
    0
    Not surprised that EA and Bioware made a crappy ending. It looks like in recent years its their ''style'' to slap customers in the face.
  95. Honeymonstis
    Mar 11, 2012
    8
    All in all a decent game, nothing special. Good voice acting, decent graphics/sound, memorable charcarters (good and bad) and a somewhat thought through story. I dont get the why people are so angry about the endings? Yeah they arent happy, with kittens on the top, but so what? I would rate this game at 6, but since Lance Henriksen is thrown into the mix.... I cant help it: 8 points to Mr. Bishop.
  96. MikeMaximus
    Mar 11, 2012
    7
    Lets get the bad stuff out of the way first, and sadly it is mostly bad. Yes the game comes with day 1 dlc, but if you've bought a big release EA game in the last 3 or 4 years you should be used to this by now. It's not worth coming on here and giving a zero over no matter how much it sucks. The biggest fault of ME3 is that it feels even more linear in comparison to the previous games,Lets get the bad stuff out of the way first, and sadly it is mostly bad. Yes the game comes with day 1 dlc, but if you've bought a big release EA game in the last 3 or 4 years you should be used to this by now. It's not worth coming on here and giving a zero over no matter how much it sucks. The biggest fault of ME3 is that it feels even more linear in comparison to the previous games, you are funnelled along a set path of main quests with other systems only randomly appearing on your map once you reach a certain place in the story line. It's almost like a linear FPS trying to pretend that it's still an RPG. The side quests are also extremely lame fetch types that you generally come across while running by conversations in the citadel with the odd extra N7 mission during your journey. Mining has been replaced with another "scanning" mini-game to find extra resources for your war effort, it feels like a cheap waste of time, mostly because there isn't much to explore really and it could have been a lot more interesting. Thankfully the hacking and circuit mini-games from ME2 have been removed completely. The story & dialog is really hit and miss, mostly miss, your choices from the previous games don't seem to have any kind of large meaningful impact on the big picture, but I need to test this more with multiple playthroughs. The differences between your paragon and renegade choices seemed, odd to me in a lot of cases, almost like they were mixed up. It seems a lot less thought went into story, dialog and character development this time around, or it was rushed. Now the good things, the combat has been streamlined and in my opinion it's probably the best out of the series. It's a little faster, there are more powers and they are fun to use. The production values are extremely high, it looks good, sounds good and the voice actors all did an incredible job for the most part. It isn't much of a boost technically when compared to ME2, but it is still an improvement in most areas, my only issue is some of the animations, especially running, just looks wrong. Now oddly enough my personal saving grace for this game is what most think is blasphemy, the multiplayer. I find the multiplayer extremely well done over all, it's easy to hop into, it's fun and addicting and provides a good challenge. It also gives a little boost to your single player campaign but it ISN'T required to get the best ending as some idiots on here have been giving a 1 or 0 over.… Expand
  97. derOlifant
    Mar 11, 2012
    10
    First, since the question of the genre seems to be so important to a lot of people, I want to say that I do not usually play action games. My favourite genres are roleplaying and turn-based strategy, and I think two of the most brilliant games ever developed are "Baldur's Gate 2" and "Planscape: Torment".
    "Mass Effect 3" is no classical RPG like BG2 or Torment, but neither can you do it    First, since the question of the genre seems to be so important to a lot of people, I want to say that I do not usually play action games. My favourite genres are roleplaying and turn-based strategy, and I think two of the most brilliant games ever developed are "Baldur's Gate 2" and "Planscape: Torment".
    "Mass Effect 3" is no classical RPG like BG2 or Torment, but neither can you do it justice by labelling it a simple or even "dumbed-down" action game. Sure, there are lots of action in ME3. Few care to mention, however, how well this action is implemented into the overall concept of the game and how utterly believable it feels. This is no action for action's sake. This is no Roland Emmerich kind of action, spectacular but hollow once the smoke of the explosions has settled. The game makes you care about this universe in danger and creates an atmosphere of extreme urgency and desperation that is manifest in almost every single action sequence. The fights are not very tactical, but neither are they too easy or banal. They feel grim and desperate and immensely important (and what is equally important: they are a lot of fun and very satisfying). Characters you care about (and many of whom already appeared in the previous games) die, and their deaths really leave you shocked and sad, because this is something one does not normally expect in this kind of game, but also because the characters around you actually feel like real living people (or aliens). And this is where the game really shines. After or during missions, the patient listener is rewarded with lots of dialogue. The writers avoided almost every cliché you'd expect and deliver very good â    … Expand
  98. Ardonas
    Mar 11, 2012
    7
    Best game of the series, right up until the "push a button' ending. I still loved it, but God is that ending frustrating. It's like the end "Under The Dome" but even more frustrating. Buy it, just don't finish it.
  99. Trebek
    Mar 11, 2012
    0
    While I loved the first two ME games, I just can't get behind the third.

    It seems like for every positive change that has been made, 3 or 4 bad ones have been added as well. For example, while there is finally a good reason to play a soldier rather than an adept which in my opinion was by far the best class in the first two, there are now a few 'features' that I despise. Forced    While I loved the first two ME games, I just can't get behind the third.

    It seems like for every positive change that has been made, 3 or 4 bad ones have been added as well. For example, while there is finally a good reason to play a soldier rather than an adept which in my opinion was by far the best class in the first two, there are now a few 'features' that I despise. Forced multiplayer is a massive disappointment to me. I know it can be argued that it's not actually forced since the game can be played from start to finish is true, but multiplayer having *any* effect on gameplay or story is a big disappointment. This game had absolutely no need to shoehorn in multiplayer, but it's now being billed as a 'feature'.

    This leads nicely into my second complaint which is that this so called bonus in the form of multiplayer makes EA feel justified in charging for day one DLC in 'from ashes'. This makes me feel mugged that even after a preorder you can't get the whole darn game on launch day. I like how these days a preorder edition means you'll still need to buy an expansion pack on day one to have the whole game. My third gripe is this business with Origin being a requirement to play the game. The corporate shills at EA are setting up a competing service to steam, all right, fair enough but sleazy statements such as "We believe in absolute freedom of choice to allow customers to buy through whatever retail outlet... as long as they're buying an EA game, we're delighted," show they don't respect their customers when they turn around and pull their games from the most popular digital download services. EA claims they did this same thing with Crysis 2 because the DLC was not available for purchase on steam.... This ticks me off a lot since the DLC for ME2 was so well hidden I spent 45 minutes trying to buy 'the arrival' on their awful maze of websites that I *was glad* valve will now be forcing publishers to make DLC available through steam. I've had quite enough of EA's awful DLC distribution methods in the past and am not looking forward to finding out if this time will be any better.

    So in summary - an allright game, seriously marred by both technical own goals (forcing extra software to be installed), sleazy marketing, greedy day one DLC, and a general aura of disrespect to the community.

    I loved ME1 and ME2, but ME3 leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.    … Expand
  100. andvaree
    Mar 11, 2012
    10
    ME3 took 36 hours of my life to complete, but it was well worth it. One of the best, most heart wrenching, sci-fi storytelling experiences of my life - video game, movie, book or otherwise. ...and - for me - the best video game ever!
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews

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