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. Luck1N
    Mar 10, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I loved Mass Effect series. I played first and second game so many times. It was my favorite game series, I bought every possible DLC, even those **** "Appearence customizations", just to have the feeling I support BioWare in it's great work.

    ME3 gameplay wasn't perfect, but it was really good. Seeing old crewmates, watch them dies in some cases, but I was OK with that. But then came that ending... Those ends really ruins everything. Not only feeling from a game, but from whole series. Why should I play those awsome games again, when everytime i get that awful end? Why should I stop Saren, defeat Collectors and trying to stop Reapers, when in the end, all galaxy is almost destroyed and technologicaly behind today's Earth?

    Great job BioWare, you just killed the holly grail of all gamers.    … Expand
  2. SIckTired72
    Mar 10, 2012
    0
    Canâ
  3. Buster69
    Mar 10, 2012
    2
    "Ð
  4. saiyadjin
    Mar 10, 2012
    6
    1. of all - > I enjoyed every single game you made from Mass Effect series. 2. - > When i heard you were importing multiplayer into ME3 i thought "what the hell, could be fun, but i hope SP stays as good as it was, maybe even better since it was "final game" of the franchise", but i was wrong. 3. [spoiler] - > when i saw that ending i was like "WAT". i spent 2 days 0-24 hours1. of all - > I enjoyed every single game you made from Mass Effect series. 2. - > When i heard you were importing multiplayer into ME3 i thought "what the hell, could be fun, but i hope SP stays as good as it was, maybe even better since it was "final game" of the franchise", but i was wrong. 3. [spoiler] - > when i saw that ending i was like "WAT". i spent 2 days 0-24 hours playin' the game,
    to be sincese i actually enjoyed that, killed some **** followed illusive man over the galaxy, collected defense for citadel, fleeets over the galaxy etc... got it all done. green bar max. and then i get like useless ending that didn't mean **** are you **** kiddin me BIOWARE?
    even if you don't really know it, you let a LOT, like few million people down with that ending. i was unsatisfied 2 days and i felt like **** for 2 days because i didn't get a proper ending. yes, i'm not gonna buy any game that your **** company makes. ever. i watched youtube like 3 times how ME2 ended. it was in a way spectacularl. yes it was good, awesome. but here in this game... REALLY?
    so as i said i wasted 40H of playin or less to get all the war assets and **** and in the end it doesn't mean anything. DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING. REALLY? also when you finish it.... you don't feel any satisfaction at all... whole galaxy lost it's way of traveling... really? what? what?
    i'm still dazzled by that ending. totally useless and dumb. i feel like there's been a stop on game development. yes i know how it probably is. EA sets the date = 9.3.2012. game has to go out in sale. you were doing a nice job up to a month before. and then you probably saw = no more time = let's end the game as ****tiest as we can. = dumb end = dumb game. i'm telling you, game without a good ending = bad ending. i'd give a game 6 / 10, if last 5 mins weren't last 5 mins and you let one more mission in there (like say, running around the citadel, chasing illusive man, last fight with him etc..) and then that boy **** you came up with, with normal ending and satisfying animation = i'd give your game 9/10. jsut because ending would be epic = saviiour of the galaxy, also it would be emotional if you gave your life to save the galaxy, but not the way this crap of game ended. it's just hooooooorrrrriiiiiiibleeeeee. horrrible. i'm also not gonna say how much you **** up dialogues, check'd me1 and me3. heaven and earth. me1 - > lost of talking, choices everywhere, could be even better - > me 3 = yes - no, **** s**** **** horrible again. but i can't say everything is bad. i can see combat improved, yes, i'm glad it did, still not enough different enemies, saw more in me1 or me2. could have been better. you see BIOWARE ... you made 3 games where you made like 5 000 000 people who play ME series attach to the character, and expect them to give them emotionally satisfying end where you feel like a hero who saved galaxy. but you gain **** and don't feel **** it's just ****.
    and that animation? joker and 2 characters on some planet... WAT? what's that supposed to be? i'm really dissapointed into this. i REALLY REALLY HOPE that you will make DLC for i'd buy it anyway 10- bucks or so - which would add next things:
    1. - satisfying ending (citadel doesn't explode, reapers die, shepard dies, energy beam goes over mass relays throught galaxy and destroys reapers, but mass relays stay intact) (in this ther'es like whole fleet of turians, krogans, salarians and other battlecruiser ships near earth.. how would they go back? really? )

    2. - another citadel mission where you chase illusive man, and fight him (he's supposed to be stronger then kai leng) and implanted with lots of implants.

    3. more more more more more dialogue options.

    4. add use of that war assets on citadel that you looked up for. 5. add more stuff to find, check, more systems. 6. CHECK 1 aGAIN! i was really disappointed in the end, and i hope if there is ever mass effect 4 or some dlc that you won't be interrupted by EA games's RELEASE DATES. because i know how it is. we would RATHER BUY A GOOD GAME, then a half product that was rushed because your publisher said so. **** PUBLISHERS and give us a good game, it's gonna bring you money.    … Expand
  5. massefect3endQQ
    Mar 10, 2012
    1
    The ending alone is so worthless it would make ANY game get a < 3.0 rating. But combine the ending (worst ending I've seen in a game in at least 3 years,) with the wasted potential in this game, and it actually feels like the devs were TRYING to make a **** game on purpose. Maybe to sell DLC later to fix it, who knows.
  6. souledgar
    Mar 10, 2012
    8
    I haven't had such an emotional experience from a sci-fi game before, and believe me, I've played quite a few of them. Mass Effect 3 is where everything in ME1 and ME2 falls into place. While not completely perfect, its still one of the best games I've played. Heres a comprehensive breakdown of what I think about the game:

    Graphics: Its engine is pretty much the same as Mass Effect 2's,    I haven't had such an emotional experience from a sci-fi game before, and believe me, I've played quite a few of them. Mass Effect 3 is where everything in ME1 and ME2 falls into place. While not completely perfect, its still one of the best games I've played. Heres a comprehensive breakdown of what I think about the game:

    Graphics:
    Its engine is pretty much the same as Mass Effect 2's, with a small overall tweak to make everything prettier when it needs to, and bleaker when the situation calls for it. Weapons firing, explosions all have that oomph and everything looks very polished from beginning to the end. It may not have reached the standards that the latest and greatest have, but it still looks very nice. I've noticed a few texture loading issues, but it doesn't detract from the overall experience too much. Lip synch is an occasional issue as well, slightly amplified by the game's focus on dialogue, but really, it doesn't really damage the game all that much.

    Story
    I wonder why everyone hates the last 5 minutes. Personally, I thought it was such a powerful and emotional experience. I get that your 'training' didn't matter, but it IS a partial RPG game, not a pure shooter. Anyway, the whole thing was epic, powerful, and got me quite emotionally invested. Unexpected twists in unexpected places that involve unexpected people constantly kept me from being bored, and many situations and repercussions from the first two games kept the nostalgia going. There are some plot points that didn't satisfy me, but these are minor details. The ending was quite unexpected from a game like this, and personally it was quite satisfying. It does however hurt replay value, since it is quite drawn out.

    Gameplay
    Bioware seems to have taken the shooter portion of ME3 all the way. Headshots, accuracy, cover.. all the bells and whistles of the modern shooter seems to have found its way into the game. Improved AI made fighting a more interesting experience then before. There are some questionable decisions like rocket troopers and snipers that take your shield down nearly immediately, making it life difficult players who want to charge in and melee everything. The new player skill-centric combat also makes the previously useful allies less effective. Often, the only reason I take a character over another in a mission is because I believed they would have some interesting reaction to the mission (e.g. original cast in a familiar place), or, if there is no such connections, a single ability I would like to use against specific enemies, like Overload against shields. Its still fun, but its less ... Mass Effect, for lack of a better phrase. The improved AI also made some biotic skills really powerful, and some really useless. For example, in my playthrough, Shockwave has become so difficult to hit anything that I stopped leveling it, while Overload, being instant and potentially kills anything with one hit, became really powerful. I really hate the new husks by the way, they're annoying and doesn't give any sense of satisfaction.

    Sound
    Great music, great sound effects. The orchestral score, with the techy feel, adds to the impact of the whole game. No game quite moved me the way the end of the first sequence did, especially with the emotionally charged music playing. One can find that portion of the game in the free demo, just a quick fyi. Sound effects pack punch, gun fire, lasers, huge ass cannons, grenades, all explode and shoot with the oomph that one expects from a Bioware game. Voices are done very well, with the all star cast performing admirably. There is this odd need where I had to crank my speakers way up, but that might just be my setup.

    Multiplayer
    I've never really played Horde mode before, so I don't really know what most reviewers are talking about. Anyway, ME3 Multiplayer has you teaming up with three other guys to fight waves after waves of enemies. Your performance is determined as a team, how well you did, with things like not dying as bonuses, headshotting alot, using a certain weapon, etc. Its limited to a single mode, with a bunch of maps. Each wave can consist of different objectives, including kill everything, defend a point, kill specific targets, activate a bunch of nodes. Its not as exciting as a PVP multiplayer, but it entertains for awhile. It has a side goal of increasing Galactic Readiness percentage, which may or may not impact the ending you get. I'm not really sure if its possible to get the best ending without multiplayer, but looking at my own playthrough its a tall order.

    Conclusion
    Its not the best game ever made, but it certainly doesn't deserve the 1s and 2s that meta users are giving it. I liked how they took ME1 and 2 decisions into considerations, and it boggles my mind how much data it needed to take into consideration, since I'm a game programmer. In short, its a great last entry to a great trilogy. =)    … Expand
  7. Speech500
    Mar 10, 2012
    3
    I feel that i have to give a fair review of Mass Effect 3, though there will be minor spoilers throughout, but i will try not to give too much away.
    1. Graphics
    The graphics in this game are, i am unhappy to say, just not up to scratch for 2012. Though they didn't empair my experience too much, there were definitely scenes that were nice but i know that if they were in better quality, the    I feel that i have to give a fair review of Mass Effect 3, though there will be minor spoilers throughout, but i will try not to give too much away.
    1. Graphics
    The graphics in this game are, i am unhappy to say, just not up to scratch for 2012. Though they didn't empair my experience too much, there were definitely scenes that were nice but i know that if they were in better quality, the game would have been stunning.
    2. Cutscenes
    I think bioware uses so many cutscenes because their textures aren't very good. Needless to say, the cutscenes are very nice, but they don't give much to the overall experience, as i can think of only one or two that looked really cool.
    3. Conversations
    I have to say that the conversations in this game took a turn for the worse. In ME2, Shepard doesn't say anything unless you make him, this gave players a feeling that it was their character. In ME3, you are given a very mean line or a very nice line, and this gives it a bit of a Fable 3ish Feeling. These give you lots of reputation as you very rarely even get to choose what Shepard says at all.
    4. Carry Over Choices
    Not many things carry over from ME2, Though the couple that do are just about if Ashley died or if your team died, you get a memorial in the Normandy. ME3 was more about ME3 than the trilogy.
    5. The Boy
    This was really something i wish i could forget. Shepard obsesses over this kid right up to the ending, no doubt in an effort to pull our heartstrings. It's not like (spoiler) Mordin dying, as we know and love him. What do we care if some badly textured kid gets blown up!?
    6. The End
    The End was..... God no... (spoilers)
    The player has a readiness rating going from 0 to 5000, the readiness rating is increased by playing multiplayer. At the very end of the game, the player can choose from three options, all pretty **** for the galaxy. The more you played multiplayer, the more of the tree are open to you. You can either Control the reapers, killing yourself, to make them go away; You can turn every race into cyborgs of sorts, making the reapers go away; or you can Destroy them. These three vary depending on how much you did multiplayer. If you didn't do multiplayer, you can only choose destroy, and you kill all life on earth. The fact that the single player campaign has nothing to do with the end is completely shocking, and the multiplayer addition is worse still. The endings aren't even good! I finished yesterday and I just feel cheated.
    7. DLC
    This is an important part of the trilogy, and i am not going into why i am not happy that it isn't in the game in the first place. Though i can understand why it isn't on the disk, it should not cost me money. In my opinion, this is worth pirating, but don't quote me on it.
    8. Combat
    I chose narrative, so for me it was EZPZ but it was also fun. As an adept, I looked forward to playing. I liked to pull people into the air and then either explode them with a throw or make Liara use stasis, making the guy just hang there for a while. It's a laugh.
    9. Interface
    The interface is really nice and clean in Mass effect 3, something i loved. Everything is easy to do and the power system is flawless. The map is nice as it gives markers for certain places of interest.
    10. Minigames
    I actually missed the Mining interface. It game people a reason to visit planets and explore. I just couldn't afford a lot of the things that needed researching, and i felt the research option in ME3 really went down hill. I am very happy that the Debug and Hack mini games are back, because i personally always hated the **** out of them.
    11. Citadel
    I loved the Citadel this time around, though it was at the sacrifice at Omega and Illium. I'm not sue it was worth it, but forgetting those two, the citadel is bigger and better! Instead of the colorful techno feeling to it, there is a vibrant metropolis filled with sunshine and terrorists. It's a lovely place to go and relax after killing evil monsters from outer space.
    12. Characters
    The characters were really well done, when you don't count the jersey shore cast... Forgetting Bioware's slip up with the romance stuff, i really felt an attatchment to a few of the characters, I.E Garrus, EDI, Liara, and Tali. not having as many people in the team was worth the fact that they really come into their own as individual people. And yes, the loyalty missions are gone, but bioware gives you a sort of loyalty mission for watch, like a central mission revolving around that person.
    13. Antagonists
    The Baddies (Geth, Cerberus and Reapers) are really good and well defined in this game, you can tell instantly who your fighting, as each has it's own fighting styles and representatives. This was one of the things Bioware and Sata... EA did right.

    I'm not going to tell you which is the best, that's up to you to decide, but the information i gave you is mostly unbiased. Thanks for reading my review on Mass Effect 3!    … Expand
  8. DvorkaM
    Mar 10, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I do realize it will sound a bit strange but if you turn this game off 5 minutes before ending, I would give this game 80%(-20 for combat, they implemented wave system from dragon age 2) Game was thoroughly enjoyable, I even felt moved to the point of tears at certain point, but then came the ending, not only did it seem that developers just ran out of time to finish it, it didn't matter if you are paragon renegade, whatever choices you made you were simply put in front of three choices (bluntly ripped off from deus ex). And to add an insult to an injury all three are basically same just a different color show. With the number of plot holes making all endings confusing, I was mostly angered that it basically ruined the reason to play any three of the installments again, because it will end all the same anyway. Had the retirement house from pinnacle station? forget it. Freed rachni quee? doesnt matter. Romanced someone? Well aside from three f***s you got, that is it. Yeah you saved he galaxy, yeah you busted your hump for three years, but no, you cant get a break. I loved mass effect 1 and 2 but now I wont be able to play it again, because it is pointless. That is why I put only 3, because the ending was so bad that it effectively ruined three games… Expand
  9. Lockie
    Mar 10, 2012
    8
    Just in a few words: this game was killed by crappy ending.. I like everything in this game, from the beginnig and up to the end. Awesome cut scenes, good writing, interesting plot-everything we loved in previous games of this series. Also, graphics and combat system were improved. It's very dynamic and spectacular. Everything was alright.. until the ending. It kills not only this game.Just in a few words: this game was killed by crappy ending.. I like everything in this game, from the beginnig and up to the end. Awesome cut scenes, good writing, interesting plot-everything we loved in previous games of this series. Also, graphics and combat system were improved. It's very dynamic and spectacular. Everything was alright.. until the ending. It kills not only this game. It kills every game of the series at all. It kills every decision i've done from the first part. I didn't expected to see happy end, it would be too naive, but i didn't expected to see THIS! (Despite the fact that i had the best ending). Every ending is awful, i saw it on youtube. I was a biggest fan of BioWare.. Until now. Go to hell, Mass Effect 3, you made me cry..… Expand
  10. shipo
    Mar 10, 2012
    6
    Casey Hudson stated in an interview at the Consumer Electronics Show that Mass Effect 3 will complete the story arc of Commander Shepard, and will pull in over 1,000 variables from Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 to shape how players experience the final chapter. :-(
    my normal score 7/10 - whit end 0/10 - whit ME1 charackter error -2/10
  11. MMAx001
    Mar 10, 2012
    5
    Mass Effect 3 is a good game which sadly lost what made it great, where you might have felt the outcome of your choices matter and you were shaping the story to what you want, in the end it leaves a lot of question and a feeling of unsatisfaction as your choices in the series are disregarded or marginalized for plot convenience to coincide with the materials they published regardless ofMass Effect 3 is a good game which sadly lost what made it great, where you might have felt the outcome of your choices matter and you were shaping the story to what you want, in the end it leaves a lot of question and a feeling of unsatisfaction as your choices in the series are disregarded or marginalized for plot convenience to coincide with the materials they published regardless of plot holes and not the story you shaped for yourself.… Expand
  12. roee
    Mar 10, 2012
    0
    Game is not good enough. In general, I think people need to meet a real game rather than requiring them extra on the first day, especially if the game does not give them the official response. Nevertheless, clear that this is a nice game but surprisingly Hhmhllach company that just makes the game a very low level. In addition to the plot lines in my opinion not enough interesting and IGame is not good enough. In general, I think people need to meet a real game rather than requiring them extra on the first day, especially if the game does not give them the official response. Nevertheless, clear that this is a nice game but surprisingly Hhmhllach company that just makes the game a very low level. In addition to the plot lines in my opinion not enough interesting and I think there are unnecessary scenes short in my opinion they did a really good job and I wish that the company will also Mass Effect 4… Expand
  13. Stylus
    Mar 10, 2012
    4
    This game is not good and certainly doesn't deserve the praise it's been getting from the gaming press. A lot of the poor user reviews on this site are in protest of how awfully Bioware has been treating their fanbase of late although that doesn't mean that they don't have valid criticisms, and Bioware would be foolish to claim otherwise. If you've already played the first two games youThis game is not good and certainly doesn't deserve the praise it's been getting from the gaming press. A lot of the poor user reviews on this site are in protest of how awfully Bioware has been treating their fanbase of late although that doesn't mean that they don't have valid criticisms, and Bioware would be foolish to claim otherwise. If you've already played the first two games you may as well get this over and done with, but I would strongly advise against picking up the series here.… Expand
  14. Jaga
    Mar 10, 2012
    5
    Currently I'm about halfway through the game, and while the story is good (better than ME1/ME2), the gameplay is merely adequate.

    It feels very dumbed down given that there is even less customization than in prior games in the series. There is no real inventory to speak of, and when you find an upgrade for a weapon (as an example), you can immediately equip that upgrade to as many squad    Currently I'm about halfway through the game, and while the story is good (better than ME1/ME2), the gameplay is merely adequate.

    It feels very dumbed down given that there is even less customization than in prior games in the series. There is no real inventory to speak of, and when you find an upgrade for a weapon (as an example), you can immediately equip that upgrade to as many squad member's weapons as you desire. Powers are per-character, with little sharing possible via a new system. I'm not at all impressed with upgrades on skills/powers, as each feels like an almost miniscule change to effectiveness in combat.

    The primary reason I'm rating ME3 as a 5, is due to the unbelievable distaste it has left in my mouth having gay talk, scenes, and innuendo shoved down my throat at every turn. My assistant on the Normandy is a gay female. My dropship mechanic is a gay male. Liara is blatantly bi-sexual, and several other Asari in the story are either bi, or outright gay. There are people sitting in the local hospital talking about being gay, people in the commons talking about turning gay.. etc etc etc. It feels in fact, like there is more gay love and sex abounding in the Mass Effect 3 world than there are straight relationships.

    To reflect on this: I am not homophobic - I can accept that people have relationships of their choosing. But when the NORM is 10:1 (or more) in favor of straight-to-gay in reality, and you have more gay than straight in the game world, it tends to wear on you quickly. It leaves an undeniable taste of "eww" in your mouth, due to the staggering amount of it.

    All in all, a decent game - full of plenty of Mass Effect as we've known it. But a bit too much of "hay there!".. makes you wonder if the team writing/producing it was 80%+ gay. That part of it will not - never will, appeal to the mainstream audience. And is largely why ME3 is being blasted on Metacritic, among other sites on the web.

    It is one thing when it happens in moderation, and isn't blatantly flaunted in public. But ME3 really does shove it down your throat again and again, and for most straight people that does produce a substantial amount of discomfort and distaste. It isn't that it is happening, it is that MOST ME3 characters turn out to be gay.

    My recommendation for the game: either buy and play it knowing what is coming at you, or wait for the bargain bin price and see how much you can stomach before putting it down. It is not one of Bioware's masterpieces, and goes far beyond "touching on taboo issues" than it should.    … Expand
  15. avagamer
    Mar 10, 2012
    8
    The game itself is good, but the ending is killing all the impression of her. The worst ending in the game. Please BIOWARE! Change it, do not wear the universe MASS EFFECT!
  16. nnash
    Mar 10, 2012
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. In the last ten minutes of Mass Effect 3, where the culmination of all your choices from the prequels are meant to determine the outcome of the galaxy the catalyst gives you three ways to deal with the reapers; control, synthesize or destroy. Control means aligning with the illusive mans goals, synthesize turns all organic life into a hybrid (which could still be co-opted by reapers in the next cycle) and destroy includes races like the geth and EDI the Normandy's AI as collateral. But here's the catch you don't really get to choose your ending. Your ending is based on your Galactic Readiness and Effective Military Strength. If you play through the game meticulously by exploring each system and completing all the side-quests your readiness rating and EMS are still not high enough to get the "best ending". Unless of course you play the multiplayer. Now if we were to ignore the last ten minutes of Mass Effect 3 I would still say I enjoyed the greatly improved combat and the story of the trilogy as a whole. I had a great experience playing through all three games, and Mass Effect 3 was no different but the last ten minutes left a salty taste in my mouth and general feeling of disappointment that two games worth of actions and choices amounted to nothing. Mass Effect 3 has great gameplay and a captivating story but the ending is bleak and uninspired. I'm also not fond of being forced to play a boring co-op game mode to get a good ending for the single player experience. Based on these factors I give the game a score of 5.… Expand
  17. Tangster
    Mar 10, 2012
    1
    The game was going great, I could forgive the little errors, the errand-shep side quests, the mediocre graphics, the day 1 DLC... all because the plot stormed along nicely and everything was going as well as could possibly be expected in a galactic war.

    I had the Krogan and the Turians, the Geth and the Quarians, even Aria all working together for to good of the galaxy. I'd rejoined with    The game was going great, I could forgive the little errors, the errand-shep side quests, the mediocre graphics, the day 1 DLC... all because the plot stormed along nicely and everything was going as well as could possibly be expected in a galactic war.

    I had the Krogan and the Turians, the Geth and the Quarians, even Aria all working together for to good of the galaxy.
    I'd rejoined with my LI(Tali), had fun with my bro Garrus and discovered that Shep still can't dance.

    The last 5 mins? Ruined the game.
    The ending of the game was absolutely atrocious and also killed all the replay value for me as a) had to do all the side quests anyway for the GAW thing, no replay there)
    b) the endings are all terribad and boil down to pretty much a single endings with a different coloured light show.

    Come to think of it, it killed the replay value of the entire franchise since none of my choices in ME1 and ME2 made the slightest difference in the end.

    If Bioware are going to end a series like that, I'll just avoid their games in the future so I don't end up with a million metric tons of steaming disappoint, especially after being so emotionally invested in both my character and squadmates before being kicked in the face by Casey Hudson's lying foot.    … Expand
  18. Gallant000
    Mar 10, 2012
    9
    Look.. it's a fun game. Loved ME1, Loved ME2.. ME3 is pretty good. There is no doubt in my mind that I will replay the whole series over again, and I'm satisfied with what was offered for part 3.

    The problem perhaps is people have spent the last 5 years expecting something "SO GREAT" that no matter what product was released, there is going to be some room for disappointment. In any    Look.. it's a fun game. Loved ME1, Loved ME2.. ME3 is pretty good. There is no doubt in my mind that I will replay the whole series over again, and I'm satisfied with what was offered for part 3.

    The problem perhaps is people have spent the last 5 years expecting something "SO GREAT" that no matter what product was released, there is going to be some room for disappointment. In any case, you have a very solid, playable game - that improves on the shortcomings of the two previous games. Is it perfect? I played through the games, I read the books, and I even read some of the comics. In my opinion, this ties things up nicely.

    Absolutely not. Find me a game that is.

    Have I had a lot of fun playing it? Yes.

    Was it worth my money? Yes.

    Will I be purchasing DLC? Absolutely.    … Expand
  19. randomness1000
    Mar 10, 2012
    1
    Mass effect 3 a epic conclusion? More like a epic disappointment.
    I felt that the ending was a major slap in my face and leave a bitter taste
    in your mouth!
  20. sanora
    Mar 10, 2012
    0
    Do you want to play one of the most engaging stories of this era? Do you want to become emotionally invested in your characters?

    Do you want that all to amount to a Dixie cup filled with cold diarrhea because of the final 10 minutes of the series? Mass Effect 3, and by extension Mass Effect 1 and 2, are some of the most engaging pieces of fiction I've ever had the absolute joy in    Do you want to play one of the most engaging stories of this era? Do you want to become emotionally invested in your characters?

    Do you want that all to amount to a Dixie cup filled with cold diarrhea because of the final 10 minutes of the series?

    Mass Effect 3, and by extension Mass Effect 1 and 2, are some of the most engaging pieces of fiction I've ever had the absolute joy in partaking in. However the final ending, and I say it singular because essentially there is only one, is so bitterly disgusting and so insulting that it has ruined this player's experience entirely. Any subsequent play throughs will be halted before the final 10 minutes take place. It really is that insulting.    … Expand
  21. Zelx
    Mar 10, 2012
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Is this the grand game we have been waiting for? Sorta?
    A good game but nowhere near perfect
    Good:
    Gameplay-Like Mass Effect 2 it has very solid gameplay(besides the ammo clips)
    Story-Unlike Mass Effect 2 the story is much better and feels more vital and important like in Mass Effect 1
    Dialog-Some characters have very good dialog(Garus) but others don't(will get on that later
    Exploring-They removed the awful planet scanning in ME2 and simplified it for the better, Plus reaper attacks while exploring is fun

    Bad:
    Dialog-Some of the Dialog is dreadful to listen to, its repetitive or stupid(send ships to save earth! But our own planets are under siege too. I dont care save Earth!)
    The Child-Bad attempt to make you emotionally attached, you know nothing about him and don't care, he is probably one of millions who are dieing, so why care
    ME2 crew-Your crew from ME2(probably the best and well developed crew) barely are in there and don't even join back up with you, so you get stuck down with very few crew members who are mostly from the first game
    Jersey Shore Characters-Do they really need to be here? I mean they are uninteresting and serve only points to fans of the show(which im not), they could have put in old or more interesting characters
    Blatant ripoffs from the internet and games-Endings ripoff Deus EX pretty badly, pictures from the internet directly shown and Photoshopped models

    Overall is it good, Yes, There are more bad complaints I made but most are minor to the whole thing, better not to ignore them then let them slip over our heads    … Expand
  22. IonicJohn
    Mar 10, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is one of the biggest betrayals in the history of video games since Ultima 9. I loved the series. From start to finish. Well at least up to a couple of minutes before the finish.
    The story disappoints on the end. And without story Mass Effect is a sub-par action game and nothing more. I'll let the bugs, horrible animation and dumbed down gameplay go for the time being. The game is such a let down that it made a feel a little sick. First of all having lost my ME2 saves, there's a whole different world in ME3. A world which totally disregards almost everything that happened in ME2 and ME1. Up to the point of having characters which had a lot of history in ME2, meet like total strangers in ME3. But whatever I let that slide too, maybe I should have back-upped my saves.
    The endings are awful and whatever you choice you made over the last 2 games and this one become moot. It sort of feels like the story writers were either drunk or they had watched the last 2 Matrix movies or they had no time to finish a cohesive story and just rambled on about their pseudo-philosophy.
    The game's story becomes so pretentious that it renders anything you've build up over the years from playing these games into a joke. I'm a minority and I'll say that I enjoyed DA2 but the signs from Bioware's decline were evident there. Maybe I thought that they wouldn't throw the ME series under the bus just to get their cash. Maybe they would give a sh*t about their fanbase. Maybe they would try hard to properly finish a so far brilliant series. But no. Everything you knew and loved about the game goes down the drain in the last 10 minutes of the game. It's so horrific to watch and play through it.
    At first it looks like a joke, you thing "No, they couldn't possibly suggest..." but then reality kicks in and your start to fearfully realize that this is it. This is the end they are offering you. You can get your war assets to a point that you might get something positive but for that multiplayer is essential which is completely pointless and annoying for many players. Why punish people who either dislike the multiplayer aspect or just plain can't be bothered with something that's its not supposed to affect the single player part of the game?
    There is no redemption in ME3, this is just shockingly bad. You may defend the game, you might appreciate the "Shepard dies" ending(s) but the fact of the matter is that the game not only restricts your choices to strictly linear level but it also spits on your face by making every effort you've put into creating a better character, a unique character with his own choices and personality, completely pointless.
    Mass Effect 3 is a bad game even if you're not invested in the trilogy like many of the fans were. From a technical point of view, the game has graphic issues, the facial animations have been worsened since the last game (don't know how they managed to pull that off), the action is mediocre at best, always repetitive and sickeningly linear. The dialogue is poor at times and borderline b-movie-esque, there are many plots holes in the story, both in itself but also when comparing the last two games, and for the game time is relatively short, assuming you follow the main questline. With 100% completion of all side quests, no dialogue/cutscene skipping, observing ALL secondary dialogues/chats between NPCs where available, talking to ALL crew members all the time and exhausting all conservation option, the game time will not exceed 30 hours. That makes the game not a game but a visual novel. Which would be fine by me; Mass Effect 2 follows the exact same pattern, but the disappointment at the end of the game is just too much to forgive from all this pile of flaws. BioWare have made a terrible game and a terrible mistake by creating ME3 as they did. I feel sorry for all ME universe fans like me who highly anticipated the game and spends their money just to see one of their favorite worlds destroyed by shoddy writing. I would say to any fans of Mass Effect who might be deterred from buying the game to just wait till the price drops and then get it, so they can see for themselves. I felt insulted while playing the game and this has never happened to me before and I've played a lot of bad games over the last two decades. Shame to you BioWare. Even 20 DLCs won't make this right. And I'm sure you'll start releasing them soon enough but I don't think this fish is gonna bite.
    PS: You've got a lot of work to do in order to reclaim your fans when ME4 comes out. A lot of work...    … Expand
  23. gamezconsumer11
    Mar 10, 2012
    1
    EA/Bioware promised me a chance to an uplifting constructive result of clearing the game with minimum casualities through preparation and planning. I was led to believe something that was not delivered to me in the final product. I do not feel anything for a virtual character but I do enjoy building the character through 3 games of the series and get the results that I was led to believeEA/Bioware promised me a chance to an uplifting constructive result of clearing the game with minimum casualities through preparation and planning. I was led to believe something that was not delivered to me in the final product. I do not feel anything for a virtual character but I do enjoy building the character through 3 games of the series and get the results that I was led to believe possible. Had EA/Bioware advertised this series as a tragedy, I would not have bought the product. I will be selecting future products very very carefully from this company. I will not be buying any future EA/Bioware products as well as warn other consumers of this fraud. This game is simply destructive: it destroys your entire experience.… Expand
  24. Stoneboy
    Mar 10, 2012
    10
    Well, what can I say? I´ve finished the game yesterday (endings are ok, btw, romantic in me would have loved to have some blue children with Liara,I´m not angry about them).
    The game itself is almost perfect (some technical bugs, badly written quest log entries...), but that almost there won´t stop me from giving it a 10. Because it´s    Well, what can I say? I´ve finished the game yesterday (endings are ok, btw, romantic in me would have loved to have some blue children with Liara,I´m not angry about them).
    The game itself is almost perfect (some technical bugs, badly written quest log entries...), but that almost there won´t stop me from giving it a 10. Because it´s beautifully written, characters are alive and I felt (with my ME1->ME2 imported Shepard) like I was with my best friends. Garrus mission on the Citadel for example is something I will probably never forget. It was... simply brilliant. And don´t listen to some people, who are trying to tell you, that the ME3 is not an RPG. It is, and it´s more an RPG that ME2 was. It has weapon customization, branching skill trees and you´ll be able to DECIDE the fate of the entire species at one point. Role playing is IMHO not about points or stats. It´s about making choices, and interacting with the world. All this all day 1 DLC crap is just that. I wonder what the reaction would have been if the DLC never got released and the content remained a CE exclusive.
    And "autodialog"? There were one or two conversations where the extra wheel wouldn't hurt, but I suspect, that some of the dialog changes based on paragon/renegade points you get along the way. And you still make decisions, interrupts are still there... Conversations were excellent overall. So, to sum up, If you love ME, you already have ME3 and playing it. There is nothing new in it, that would stop you. However, if you don´t know ME, I honestly wouldn't recommend buying ME3. Try to play the entire trilogy on the PC or X360. You´ll experience something truly special.

    And as I said before, my final score: 10 (or 9.75, because it´s the last game, and I won´t see my friends again).    … Expand
  25. Sirinoeles
    Mar 10, 2012
    1
    The trilogy is ruined. This game is worse then ME1 & ME2 in any possible way. And I want to ask: why in the world ppl would kill their best franchise? Why threw away everything their games were loved for and replace it with things that console games are hated for? Do they really think that bad console games are more popular then good pc-games? I'll disappoint u, Bioware, in our countryThe trilogy is ruined. This game is worse then ME1 & ME2 in any possible way. And I want to ask: why in the world ppl would kill their best franchise? Why threw away everything their games were loved for and replace it with things that console games are hated for? Do they really think that bad console games are more popular then good pc-games? I'll disappoint u, Bioware, in our country only 1/4 of all gamers have consoles. Many ppl who can afford console (like me) don't buy it. U know why? Because most of console games are crap! They just are. U wanna make this crap? Ok. But I won't buy it any more. No more mass effect or dragon age - no more disappointments.
    P.S. Kill your writers or buy them new brains.    … Expand
  26. AbhorsenJay
    Mar 9, 2012
    8
    The bad:
    1) Relationships were pretty rubbish
    2) Jack and Miranda barely had any lines 3) You can't have a Krogan on your squad 4) Some graphics glitches Other than that, I think it was the best game in the series by far. I can see where everyone is coming from when they criticize the ending, but that is because they're basing their reviews on some ludicrously high imaginary standard. As    The bad:
    1) Relationships were pretty rubbish
    2) Jack and Miranda barely had any lines
    3) You can't have a Krogan on your squad
    4) Some graphics glitches

    Other than that, I think it was the best game in the series by far. I can see where everyone is coming from when they criticize the ending, but that is because they're basing their reviews on some ludicrously high imaginary standard. As it is bioware has put out an excellent game that is still far superior to most other games on the market right now. Other people seem to be upset because their shepherd decisions ultimately don't impact the ending - to which I can only respond - *obviously*. You're in a life or death conflict on a galactic scale. I don't see why your petty conversations should impact the fate of the *galaxy*. I enjoyed this game a lot, and the multiplayer is loads of fun. Storyline was great, had a good buildup, and handled suspense very well. My only criticism, in addition to the list above would be that I felt there could have been more. It was a phenomenal game, but knowing bioware I think they could have done better. For that reason and the reasons above I give this game an 8/10.    … Expand
  27. Taliesyn
    Mar 9, 2012
    1
    Mass Effect 3 started out heads and shoulders above Mass Effect, and even better than Mass Effect 2, and threw it all away in the final five minutes. Bioware removed the parts that people really hated - specifically, probing planets - and 'exploration' in a much less tedious way. The writing for the majority of the game was exceptional, they created a real sense of desperation, and theyMass Effect 3 started out heads and shoulders above Mass Effect, and even better than Mass Effect 2, and threw it all away in the final five minutes. Bioware removed the parts that people really hated - specifically, probing planets - and 'exploration' in a much less tedious way. The writing for the majority of the game was exceptional, they created a real sense of desperation, and they even made a lot of people cry in a few places. Unfortunately, it turns out that not only is multiplayer play REQUIRED in order to get the best ending, despite Bioware's promises, but the possible endings are all absolutely terrible, both in the the choices available and in the dialogue in the very final scene before you make that choice. Unfortunately, it really comes down to a deus ex machina, which is never acceptable in modern stories. If I could ignore the ending, i'd give the game 10/10, but the ending is SO terrible and disjointed that it utterly ruins the experience.… Expand
  28. gamer2012
    Mar 9, 2012
    1
    This is truly embarassing that I have to write this about a once amazing game developer. Mass Effect 3 is a shell of what it used too be. yes Mass Effect 1 had boring elevators and vast open areas with nothing there but it was a true RPG when you look at Mass Effect 3. STORY, gameplay, endings, multiple DLC it's sad that Bioware has become EA's slave.
  29. belaziel
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Review number 3, since my first two reviews were deleted.

    This was a serious letdown. Closure was not provided. Instead, I was forced to relive my choices from Deus Ex.

    I'm thoroughly disgusted with Bioware's lack of effort to ensure story continuity and that the much touted "user choices" had absolutely no meaning whatsoever, outside of a *slight* change in each of the 3 basic endings.

    Time, effort, emotional investment...all out the window.

    Bioware has forever lost a customer.    … Expand
  30. ruttunen
    Mar 9, 2012
    7
    In short greatest Sci-Fi RPG`s evolution to cover based action game with RPG elements that offers straight line shooting without puzzles and occasional glitches, bugs and missing puzzle sections. Not the best ending to series.

    First the bad stuff. Graphical bugs that show how hastily this was made, including missing walls, low quality textures, performance lowdown on bizarre occasions.    In short greatest Sci-Fi RPG`s evolution to cover based action game with RPG elements that offers straight line shooting without puzzles and occasional glitches, bugs and missing puzzle sections. Not the best ending to series.

    First the bad stuff. Graphical bugs that show how hastily this was made, including missing walls, low quality textures, performance lowdown on bizarre occasions. Just bugs include, getting stuck on bizarre locations on bizarre conditions, falling through floor when dying, endlesly looping music on occasions etc. Removal of minigames like hacking just holding spacebar is about exciting as watching an egg boil no make that less exciting. Side quests are reduced mostly to get an item X from scanning an planet. The whole quest line is direct copy paste job from ME2 in lines of gather forces for final battle. All main quest locations are straight lines from A to B. Gameplay mechanics. The one button does all configuration does not work well I played on hardest setting and most of my deaths came from dying because Shepard was rolling between two covers facing enemies while they were blasting at him because awesome button. The talents are well what you would expect in such streamlined Action game with RPG elements. I was left with ~40 unused talentpoints because there was nothing worth putting them in. The lack of any puzzle sections baffles me its just constant pipeline fighting without any mental challenge. Even the one obivious part to use puzzles ( inside AI ) was reduced to very very very dull gun play mechanic that was about as exciting as licking week old ketchup from kitchen floor. The story is the same old thing from ME2 get your forces for last battle. The characters were mostly Good or OK, but what the hell one of the most unsatisfying ending(s) ever. I mean from the ME1 you had an chance to make something great and you went with this...? Just baffling. The whole feeling of war against more advanced reapers was OK with the whole the dark and gloomy feeling, but there was still some baffling plot holes and unexplained things.

    The DLC. My god what on earth was EA thinking. The prothean DLC should have been free day one DLC. And it really fills in at least some of the caps and is rather good. But really 10$ for making the game what it should have been?    … Expand
  31. sebashepin
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    ME1 was the first game i genuinely bought, the game was so incredible it single-handedly pushed me into Steam. I really can't stress how much i liked the last two games, writers seemed like they gave a f*ck about what they did.

    This is the biggest letdown i've felt in a videogame, i wish i hadn't even thought of buying it. To all who still have faith on the plot (as in, haven't played    ME1 was the first game i genuinely bought, the game was so incredible it single-handedly pushed me into Steam. I really can't stress how much i liked the last two games, writers seemed like they gave a f*ck about what they did.

    This is the biggest letdown i've felt in a videogame, i wish i hadn't even thought of buying it. To all who still have faith on the plot (as in, haven't played ME3) stay the hell away from ME3. Assume it ended on ME2. Please, really. I know the game starts awesomely but it gets terrible faster than you can expect it to.

    Please, don't play it. If you have that much curiosity, watch the 3 (yes 3) endings on youtube. Please, i'm trying to spare you. Please    … Expand
  32. aimichan
    Mar 9, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The culmination of all the time and money spent on the past two games, the Shepard's we've carefully crafted, all go down the drain into three basic, very similar endings. The implications of the endings might be different, but what we, the viewers see, is pretty much the same thing each time. In truth, seeing the endings made everything good about the game go down the drain as well. I can't see myself playing this game, or the past two games ever again because I know now, how horrible the ending is, and not because there is no rainbow sunshine choice(which I feel should have been there regardless), but because no matter what choices I make in the series, the outcome is all the same in the end. A choice on what color lights I want to destroy the relays with.

    Thanks for the horrible experience Bioware. Do not buy this game. It's a waste of time and money.    … Expand
  33. bilwit
    Mar 9, 2012
    1
    Gameplay is enjoyable. Plenty of stuff to do. The real problem is the weak and contrived writing. For an RPG, where it's all about the story, it fails miserably on all accounts. All decisions you've made up to your last decision in the game makes virtually no difference, as they slap on the old Hamlet deus ex machina device that completely overwrites everything.
  34. FelicityDaniels
    Mar 9, 2012
    1
    While some improvments have been made in the area of customisation everything else is a massive let down. From the dumbed down content, to the horrific writing to the ending that is an obvious ploy to sell players a new ending as DLC. Bioware is dead. All that remains the corpse being violated by EA's corporate phallus.
  35. Valc
    Mar 9, 2012
    3
    The ending. Oh god. THE ENDING.

    Why Bioware, WHY!?!?

    I loved this game, seeing all my old comrades, everything leading up to the deciding moment where I'd save Earth and ultimately the galaxy. Then Bioware took a dump on my monitor.
  36. gregathit
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    I admit to being a bioware fanboy for darn ever......until now. I was willing to over look plot holes and other issues as every game has them. But to be railroaded into the worst end of a video game I have ever heard of....inexcusable!!! This whole series has been about rallying the galaxy to fight the reapers. It has been about choices. Then at the end...none of it matters. ChooseI admit to being a bioware fanboy for darn ever......until now. I was willing to over look plot holes and other issues as every game has them. But to be railroaded into the worst end of a video game I have ever heard of....inexcusable!!! This whole series has been about rallying the galaxy to fight the reapers. It has been about choices. Then at the end...none of it matters. Choose your color of pretty lights red, blue or green and by the way...everything is destroyed. Where is the button to press to kill the reapers without killing the Geth, EDI and yourself? Hell, the whole thing has space magic happening all over the place so why don't we have this option too? Why can't I have my CAKE!!!! :)

    The only way we who have already spent our money have to vent is by down rating this game. Besides, with the endings that are currently in place no impartial reviewer would rate this game any higher than an 80. I would gladly rate this game a 10/10 if the endings didn't suck so hard. I have lost count of how many times I have played ME1 and ME2. With the ending of ME3 I can't work up the desire to make another play through. I don't even want to play the first 2 games as I know that it is just a waste of time in the end.

    Bioware...fix this train wreck! I beg you, fix it now or say goodbye to many future customers.    … Expand
  37. UltraD00d
    Mar 9, 2012
    1
    Don't get me wrong, this game is playable and I'm sure if you had no standards or simply didn't care you could pick up this game and have a midly enjoyable experience. BUT the atrocities EA and Bioware committed mean I cannot give this game a decent rating with a good conscience. So what is so bad about this game? Let me tell you:
    1. Day 1 DLC: Whether it was EA or Bioware (Biowhore, if    Don't get me wrong, this game is playable and I'm sure if you had no standards or simply didn't care you could pick up this game and have a midly enjoyable experience. BUT the atrocities EA and Bioware committed mean I cannot give this game a decent rating with a good conscience. So what is so bad about this game? Let me tell you:
    1. Day 1 DLC: Whether it was EA or Bioware (Biowhore, if you will) that decided to take this course I don't know, but releasing DLC on the day of release, particularly DLC which is important to the plot, at 1/6 the price of the game itself is unforgivable in of itself. It seems they are laughing in our face as we shell out money for something that should have been on the disc, available to everyone. It is obvious that it was done simply to milk as much money out of the fans as possible.
    2. Casualisation: The game was geared towards Call of Duty players in order to cash in on the series' success, while abandoning the loyal fanbase. Not much else to say here.
    3. Shoddy Writing: Many uninformed people think that the attacks on the Bioware employee Jennifer Hepler was simply a display of hate for the sake of hate. While they certainly did go overboard, it wasn't without good reason. She was the physical manifestation of the quality of writing coming from Bioware. Examples: Dialogue is awkward, the ending is notoriously bad, after seeing so many people die and killing so many himself, Sephard is emotianally effected by the death of a random kid above all. Overall you would expect something better from a Naruto fanfiction. 4. Laziness of Bioware: For a big budget, triple A game you would expect a certain level of effort from the developers. Bioware, however seemed to have taken shortcuts left, right and centre. There are images circulating the internet which demonstrate this quite well. For example, Copying a stock image for the portrait of a character who dies in the game, and copying another 7? year old image lying around in the internet for the ending.
    5. Ininspired Multiplayer: Another cash-in, Wave survival modes have been done to death, nowadays every game seems to have one. It seems this was added in to artificially extend the life of the game and make an excuse for future half-assed DLC releases.
    6. Gay Sex: people reading this may call 'Hurr durr homophobe" - but wait to read my reasoning. Homosexuality IS a sin. Being implemented in such as fashion acts to 'casualise' it, pressing on the impressionable 13 year old minds (whose uninformed mothers will be buying this game) that it is fine and acceptable. I do not hate **** I care about them, just as I do any other person. For this reason I oppose it.
    Even if this is an attempt to cash-in with the gay audience rather than a political agenda, it gets in the way of the average straight player and does not belong. I do not want to have gay passes made to me by my squadmates when I'm playing a game.
    7. Reviewers are sellouts: This goes for every major game release nowadays, but is absolutely appalling. While I'm not implying that EA is necessarily directly paying reviewers to give the game good reviews (not that I'd put it past them) there is certainly a feel that if you don't give it a good review the publisher early access to future releases. I have heard of cases where people have lost their job because they wrote how the felt rather than what they were told to write. This is why I'm writing this review in fact - to help get a bit of truth out.
    Instead of a proper, objective review we are fed tripe with 10/10 would play again bs.

    Due to all these aformentioned problems with Mass Effect 3, I cannot take it seriously, thus it receives a score of 0/10. The only reason it has earned a 1 from me is because the Biodrone tears are absolutely delicious.
    Have a good day sirs.    … Expand
  38. Ticklefist
    Mar 9, 2012
    6
    Great, amazing game until the last 5 minutes. People are not exaggerating this one bit. Those last 5 minutes not only hurt the replay value of this particular game, but also the two installments that came before it. Without some serious reparation DLC I cannot recommend this game to a serious Mass Effect fan that has spent time perfecting "their Shepard." Not in its current state.

    On the    Great, amazing game until the last 5 minutes. People are not exaggerating this one bit. Those last 5 minutes not only hurt the replay value of this particular game, but also the two installments that came before it. Without some serious reparation DLC I cannot recommend this game to a serious Mass Effect fan that has spent time perfecting "their Shepard." Not in its current state.

    On the hand, if Mass Effect is something you've only had a passing interest in over the years but never really dove into it then the endings won't effect you so adversely. In that regard I can't recommend it enough.    … Expand
  39. NTripleD
    Mar 9, 2012
    7
    I thought the game was enjoyable, the gameplay is fun, and the graphics are good. With that being said, ME3 is nothing close to the game that ME2 & ME1 were. There is a feeling of inevitability throughout the course of the game, it is far too linear. The endings are the biggest disappointment I've ever experienced in any game that I've ever played. I got the "perfect" ending, and itI thought the game was enjoyable, the gameplay is fun, and the graphics are good. With that being said, ME3 is nothing close to the game that ME2 & ME1 were. There is a feeling of inevitability throughout the course of the game, it is far too linear. The endings are the biggest disappointment I've ever experienced in any game that I've ever played. I got the "perfect" ending, and it still left me feeling queasy.

    There are only 3 reasons I give the game a positive rating at all:

    1. The universe/storyline that Mass Effect is set in is so great that even screwing it up it is still solid. 2. The length of the game is about perfect, I hate games that are too short, and this isn't one of them.
    3. The "final battle" is great, it was very intense, and I was about to forgive all of this game's failings after it (until I got to the crappy endings).

    Also, in spite of the complaining, the Multi-Player is actually very fun.    … Expand
  40. dmz82
    Mar 9, 2012
    1
    The Mass Effect series has carried much promise. The first two games were real winners and successfully implemented the notion of player choice influencing the plot in meaningful ways. It's hard to think that with such a demonstrably successful formula in their possession BioWare could do anything to damage the series, let alone ruin it. But that's exactly what they've done--in asThe Mass Effect series has carried much promise. The first two games were real winners and successfully implemented the notion of player choice influencing the plot in meaningful ways. It's hard to think that with such a demonstrably successful formula in their possession BioWare could do anything to damage the series, let alone ruin it. But that's exactly what they've done--in as little as five minutes. Of course, I'm talking about the ending everybody is in fits about. From a plot perspective, the ending to this game is unforgivably bad--a true facepalm moment in the history of gaming. The game purports to have numerous endings, but the reality is that this isn't true. They are, for the most part, the same. Mass Effect 2 had much more variance in its endings, which is ironic considering Mass Effect 2 had to account for an upcoming game when mapping out its endings. Mass Effect 3 had no such constraint, and yet it funnels all your choices into what is the same ending at its core.

    I rated this game a 1 because the ending is truly THAT bad. It's just horrible.    … Expand
  41. rfz88
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    Registered to write this review and rate, but will continue with more titles eventually, so dont remove this, ffs.

    i did not like this at all, too hyped, origin was forced upon me (yes i knew this already but still it has to be mentioned how horrible it is, i hate ea) also tons of dlc and preorder bonuses that should all have been included in the base game for everyone, not to mention    Registered to write this review and rate, but will continue with more titles eventually, so dont remove this, ffs.


    i did not like this at all, too hyped, origin was forced upon me (yes i knew this already but still it has to be mentioned how horrible it is, i hate ea) also tons of dlc and preorder bonuses that should all have been included in the base game for everyone, not to mention all the day 1 dlc. Horrible is all i can say.

    oh and yeah, the gay thing. Really? Disgusting.    … Expand
  42. Mrsoandso
    Mar 9, 2012
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Mass effect 3 was fine through the whole game as game play went but the ending was awful to say the least, i was a big fan of the other mass effects this one was ruined by the poor ending being too abstract and poorly executed. the game play was overall fun but the ending...… Expand
  43. tallanx
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'll be quick and blunt. The game is fun, however the ending is horrible. And not because it's sad, but because none of the choices you made actually matters. Which would've been fine if they hadn't been constantly saying that our choices will matter. If the ending had been better I'd be giving this a 7 or 8.… Expand
  44. menaciation
    Mar 9, 2012
    6
    1. me very confuse with the story. too much plot that we much choose, and too much endings we must get. yeah, i wanna know all endings.
    2. graphic is very standard. bioware said that the pc version will get more graphic options. but where?
    3. i think more paid DLCs will release. oh my... i haven't got much money for these craps. 4. combat, ok. it's more intense than the sequels. 5. me very    1. me very confuse with the story. too much plot that we much choose, and too much endings we must get. yeah, i wanna know all endings.
    2. graphic is very standard. bioware said that the pc version will get more graphic options. but where?
    3. i think more paid DLCs will release. oh my... i haven't got much money for these craps.
    4. combat, ok. it's more intense than the sequels.
    5. me very hate with readiness rating concept. we must playing multiplayer for get 100% point or lock at 50%.    … Expand
  45. sammysoso
    Mar 9, 2012
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I have put nearly a hundred hours into the Mass Effect trilogy. I carefully made my decisions so as to craft a better galaxy in peacetime. I established a romance, and continued to support it until now is can turn into something truly special. (for me, it was Ashley). I formed deep bonds with my crew and have many true and loyal friends throughout the galaxy. I established alliances between all species and brought the complete military might of those species to Earth for an epic, loud, badass rumble with the Reapers. And most of that meant absolutely nothing.

    The "twist" with the Kid?/God?/AI?.....thing was weak, a la the ending of the rebooted Battlestar Galactica. I was completely fine with the Reapers remaining a mysterious force of incomprehensible evil, it worked just fine for the plot. (Their origins' would make for a good DLC post-war) After all that effort I was given a choice between 3 variations on "Shepard dies and the galaxy goes through a weird semi-reset through the destruction of the Mass Relays by space magic." Thus rendering the victory at Earth pretty much moot as most of the important people who established the alliances are now stuck in the Sol system, this doesn't bode well for the galactic community. The uplifting of the Krogan by curing of the genophage, salvation of the Quarians and Geth and establishment of peace between them, the ending of Cerberus and many other actions simply wasted as the leadership cannot return to rebuild and organize their own people.

    The worst/hardest part for me was that you couldn't experience the galaxy that you have spent five long years fighting to save. Shepard has been through absolute hell, and he (or she) deserves peace, to finally put war behind him and settle down with Ashley (or whoever your love interest was). And therein lies more wasted opportunity for excellent DLC. Seeing how your relationships progress post war would be fascinating. This saved galaxy still isn't perfect. Aria wants to take Omega back, and how long will the mercenary gangs stay peaceful, this is the perfect time for them to make a power play, especially in the Terminus Systems. The Citadel is going to need strong leadership and Shepard's input would obviously be sought. All the alliances and trust between the races was fast tracked and there are bound to still be underlying issues that will arise with the Reaper threat gone. And Cerberus, they had so many secret facilities there bound to be a few of those nutjobs hanging around.

    Bottom line, at the last second we were robbed of true choice and the chance for infinite adventure in one of the greatest science fiction universes ever created.    … Expand
  46. Gayben
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    Holy mother of **** is this game bad. Did not live up to the hype at all. Leave it to EA to spend money on marketing that should go into the game. Story was bad, and interacting with characters was worse. I couldn't manage a second playthrough.
  47. Matuka
    Mar 9, 2012
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I love this game! Mass Effect 3!
    I enjoyed ME2 a lot. I haven't played ME1. Its too outdated graphics looking old game. ME3 has a good solid story and RPG ish elements. I like the combat system a lot with the power abilities. Many classes.
    I love Garrus    … Expand
  48. churl
    Mar 9, 2012
    1
    After DA2 and SWTOR I expected the worst from this game, so I played it for a little while. ME1/2 had better dialogue, better camera angles, a much better starting sequence (ME2), better faces and facial animations, better sound effects, and just a better overall ambiance/atmosphere. What do we get with ME3? Pointless multiplayer, day 1 cash grab DLC, laughable animations and crappyAfter DA2 and SWTOR I expected the worst from this game, so I played it for a little while. ME1/2 had better dialogue, better camera angles, a much better starting sequence (ME2), better faces and facial animations, better sound effects, and just a better overall ambiance/atmosphere. What do we get with ME3? Pointless multiplayer, day 1 cash grab DLC, laughable animations and crappy dialogue. I'm glad I didn't pay for this low quality console garbage.… Expand
  49. Kokanee
    Mar 9, 2012
    9
    I've played ME3 for about two hours now, so far I'm absolutely loving it. I honestly don't know why some many players here are **** about the game; I only finished ME2 a few weeks ago (yes I was late to the party) and to me ME3 just seems like more of the same awesome that ME3 was. Gameplay is great, really enjoying the new tactics and challenging AI (flanking, grenades etc). Running thisI've played ME3 for about two hours now, so far I'm absolutely loving it. I honestly don't know why some many players here are **** about the game; I only finished ME2 a few weeks ago (yes I was late to the party) and to me ME3 just seems like more of the same awesome that ME3 was. Gameplay is great, really enjoying the new tactics and challenging AI (flanking, grenades etc). Running this on an HP ENVY 17 and it looks fantastic; everyone complaining about the "overdone shadows" is simply revealing their ignorance of the game, you have to turn on "dynamic shadows" and then it looks great, otherwise yes everything looks blacked out in pools of inky black shadow. If your rig can't handle this setting, upgrade, end of story.

    In summary, very pleased so far and looking forward to getting deeper into this game, sad it's the last one in the series.    … Expand
  50. howlincroft
    Mar 9, 2012
    6
    I think I get it now. Freedom of choice in the end of ME3 is almost like elections in Russia. I mean, this guys telling you 'Feel free to build your own game! Your choice is important and all, but in the end we show you how it must be, regardless of your opinion'. Btw, the whole series is just superb, I never had such a nice gaming experience since old good Arcanum back in the days. ButI think I get it now. Freedom of choice in the end of ME3 is almost like elections in Russia. I mean, this guys telling you 'Feel free to build your own game! Your choice is important and all, but in the end we show you how it must be, regardless of your opinion'. Btw, the whole series is just superb, I never had such a nice gaming experience since old good Arcanum back in the days. But see it crash like this... And because I love BioWare so much made it even worse.… Expand
  51. someasianguy
    Mar 9, 2012
    3
    I do not blame Bioware for the insult that is ME3 - I blame EA, for they have obviously leaned on Bioware to push this out way before it was truly ready, and the ending is where that rushedness is most obvious.

    The storyline gets you going at places, and the cinematic scenes can be quite attractive at times, but you can just feel the DLC spam waiting to pounce. When it comes to sci-fi    I do not blame Bioware for the insult that is ME3 - I blame EA, for they have obviously leaned on Bioware to push this out way before it was truly ready, and the ending is where that rushedness is most obvious.

    The storyline gets you going at places, and the cinematic scenes can be quite attractive at times, but you can just feel the DLC spam waiting to pounce. When it comes to sci-fi games, the original KOTOR and ME1 trumps this anyday, hell, the KOTOR gfx arn't that far off ME3.    … Expand
  52. Adain
    Mar 9, 2012
    3
    Its an amazing game all the way up till the last 5 mins. I didn't think it was possible but we have an ending so bad that it ruins the entire series. I can't even think about playing any of the other ME games after watching this ending.

    So in short its a 9 up til the last 5 mins The last 5 mins are so incredibly bad that it pushes the game down to a 4. The fact its origin exclusive    Its an amazing game all the way up till the last 5 mins. I didn't think it was possible but we have an ending so bad that it ruins the entire series. I can't even think about playing any of the other ME games after watching this ending.

    So in short its a 9 up til the last 5 mins

    The last 5 mins are so incredibly bad that it pushes the game down to a 4.

    The fact its origin exclusive knocks off another point.    … Expand
  53. Anomaly88
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    I was disappointed with the treatment this once great game received. First of all, I'm not a homophob but including gay relationships in a game is unnecessary. Stop trying to appeal to everyone, this is not COD this is not WOW, but I guess now it's becoming just like them. Corporate greed is the main force that ruins great titles today, it can literally turn a creative idea into completeI was disappointed with the treatment this once great game received. First of all, I'm not a homophob but including gay relationships in a game is unnecessary. Stop trying to appeal to everyone, this is not COD this is not WOW, but I guess now it's becoming just like them. Corporate greed is the main force that ruins great titles today, it can literally turn a creative idea into complete watered down mass appeal piece of **** Plus making your customers get out of their way to use Origin just to "prevent piracy" is just a fatal mistake. This excuse for a game is not even worth pirating. Every great business model is based on great customer service and customer satisfaction, which EA completely lacks. Maybe you should look at the way Valve does their business and then figure out why they are becoming more loved by the fans every coming year.… Expand
  54. Fuzi0n
    Mar 9, 2012
    5
    1. The gameplay (shooting, etc.) is pretty good.
    2. The story just drags on and on. It's mostly just a bunch of worthless chit chat.
    3. Loads of stupid and worthless Errand-Boy Quests. 4. Whatever choices you make, either in this game or in the past mass effect games HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO EFFECT ON THE 3 (!!) possible endings. 5. The 3 Endings SUCK. The writers obviously had their heads up    1. The gameplay (shooting, etc.) is pretty good.
    2. The story just drags on and on. It's mostly just a bunch of worthless chit chat.
    3. Loads of stupid and worthless Errand-Boy Quests.
    4. Whatever choices you make, either in this game or in the past mass effect games HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO EFFECT ON THE 3 (!!) possible endings.
    5. The 3 Endings SUCK. The writers obviously had their heads up their asses.
    6. And most importantly, Bioware (i'm sorry, I meant EA) have officially killed the Mass Effect Series with this terrible, terrible, TERRIBLE Ending. It is so bad, I would rather be forced to watch Transformers all Night.    … Expand
  55. noobcannon
    Mar 9, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. i've had some time to reflect and punch a few holes in the wall to get my frustration out and i think i'm ready to put into words how i feel 24 hours after the "good" ending in mass effect 3

    to start, my RI was Tali. once i killed the reaper on ranoch i opted to upload the reaper code to the geth via legion. despite tali not wanting me to, i felt this was the best course of action for her, her people, the galaxy, and even the geth. i was able to talk the fleet out of counter attacking the geth while the code was being uploaded and tali still loves me. whew. this got me thinking however, what if my paragon was too low and the quarians did attack the geth. what would happen? i pulled up youtube to find out.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvATTDgDIqU

    this was the most moving and emotional punch in the gut i've ever seen in a video game. assuming this had happened in my playthrough, i'd have been devastated. moments earlier tali told me she loved me and i have just wiped out her entire people. heartbroken, she jumps over the edge. thought i was going to cry.

    where the hell was this level of emotion and effort in the ****ing end game bioware? as far as voice acting/ performance go, the quarians being wiped out and tali dying was so difficult to watch, yet so well done, i was completely blown away. that level of devastation and pain should've been put into the endgame and i don't know if i can ever forgive bioware for it. they took maybe the greatest game ever made, at least for me, and complelty half assed the last 5 minutes.

    now, i'll be clear, i wanted a happy ending, but if that's not how it was going to be then fine. i'll get over it. but to do it the way that they did, i, just, uuuuughhh. ......    … Expand
  56. naomha
    Mar 9, 2012
    10
    Overall, great story. Some minor annoyances in plot, some minor twists that make you scratch your head, but all in all, very well done. Gameplay mechanics are good, AI is still mostly dumb. Using powers is still a boatload of fun to be had. Adding vertical elements to the gameplay is a nice touch. Jumping into Cmdr. Shepherds shoes again is always a blast. Not sure what all the naysayersOverall, great story. Some minor annoyances in plot, some minor twists that make you scratch your head, but all in all, very well done. Gameplay mechanics are good, AI is still mostly dumb. Using powers is still a boatload of fun to be had. Adding vertical elements to the gameplay is a nice touch. Jumping into Cmdr. Shepherds shoes again is always a blast. Not sure what all the naysayers are complaining about. Seriously. Gaping holes in the plot? Really? In case you didn't know, DLC is not included in main plot arcs because a lot of people may not have bought the DLC. Anyway, the world is pretty enough, runs great and hasn't crashed once. Some minor clipping issues and framerate dips, but, for the most part, a solid game. I still appreciate the hybrid gameplay, although I wish it had stayed true to the ME1 formula, but that is just personal opinion and doesn't take anything away from the game at all. Solid voice work by everyone in the game. Even Jessica does ok. Lots and lots of guns and mods and armor to choose from. Makes things worth investing in to see the outcome of what you can come up with. The ending DOESN'T SUCK! Seriously. The ending, while not being what the majority of people seem to have wanted, does not spoil the game at all. In my personal opinion, all those 0's and 1's are definitely not earned justly. The story is not "dumb downed", the gameplay in certain parts certainly has been "amped" up and overall, this is a fantastic game. DON'T LISTEN TO THE HATERS. Just don't do it. This is a quality game deserving of your playtime and you won't be disappointed. Looking forward to playing through again in a different class and on the "hard" setting. I'm giving it a 10 to try to negate these ridiculous low scores that are undeserving and just downright nasty.… Expand
  57. motazturk
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    screw you bioware!!! I KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN!!! this is even worse than what you did with dragon age 2!!! Mass effect was supposed to be the best TRILOGY of our time but in the end you ruined it with your **** ending!! i wish i didnt get this game!!! the ending of ME2 would have been fine by me!!
  58. Tudor
    Mar 9, 2012
    8
    Before playing Mass Effect 3 , i went through the first two installments once more with a completley new character in order to have the "Mass Effect" expirience fresh in my mind and for better or worse i could judge ME 3 better comparing it to the previous games so here are my 2 cents : This game confuses the hell out of me in terms of quality , there where plenty of moments where my jawBefore playing Mass Effect 3 , i went through the first two installments once more with a completley new character in order to have the "Mass Effect" expirience fresh in my mind and for better or worse i could judge ME 3 better comparing it to the previous games so here are my 2 cents : This game confuses the hell out of me in terms of quality , there where plenty of moments where my jaw dropped as the story progressed , and there others that felt out of place , forced upon me (but the bad ones weren't that many in my opinion).While the quality of the story is good , it feels like i've taken more of a backseat in this 3rd game because it is more streamlined (a thing that i do not understand , this was the chance for BW to go all out on decision making since its the last game , and didn't have to worry about the hellish writing that would have entailed into making a 4th installment) .I could go on for some time about the pro's and cons but to make it short : The story is fantastic , the score that accompanies it is marvellous , there are a few plotholes that will annoy fans of the series , don't think will bother those who just want to play this last one. The gameplay mechanics are decent , but ME was never supposed to be about the shooting part , they've put in some more rpg elements (not that much really) but its still better then ME2 in that area. The graphics are good , definetly not ugly taking into consideration its based on a 7 year old engine. The score as i said previously , is fantastic the voice acting is what you would expect from the previous games ( Great) but seems less of it . To be fair , i knew that Bioware had a tough job in front of them in wrapping up this trilogy , they set the bar high with the quality of the previous games and an ever harder job pleasing the fans (myself included) regarding the end of the trilogy . While the game indeed wraps up this fantastic series , and answers many questions it also raised new ones , leaving me longing for more , as such i believe this game should have a place in your collection because it definetly deserves it , but at the same time it does leave you "hanging"… Expand
  59. wm746
    Mar 9, 2012
    2
    This is very sad... Better go with Deus Ex: HR, Skyrim or the witcher 2 - A great franchise ruined by greed and ignorance to the buyers. I'm very dissapointed :-/ I hate you EA/BW!!! ME1>ME2>ME3 :-( I have no desire to support companies that don't want my support.
  60. WhyRat
    Mar 9, 2012
    10
    â
  61. BlueReckloose
    Mar 9, 2012
    9
    The game is a very good step up on the story telling from Mass Effect 2, there is just more to the telling this particularly go around, lots of dialogue. It's definitely better on story telling than the first, where you get snippits and bits constantly, instead of running up to characters only to have them drop an encyclopedia out of there mouth like what happened in the first one.

    I'm    The game is a very good step up on the story telling from Mass Effect 2, there is just more to the telling this particularly go around, lots of dialogue. It's definitely better on story telling than the first, where you get snippits and bits constantly, instead of running up to characters only to have them drop an encyclopedia out of there mouth like what happened in the first one.

    I'm also really liking that the whole encyclopedia effect has been relegated to being more optional, as it does sometimes pop up, but after the important conversation. So, you end up getting back story after actually meeting a character, and you don't feel some prescient need to roll through it all.

    The way items works feels a great deal more in depth than ME2. There just seem to be more options, which is good. I still preferred the item system from the first, but ME3's items are superior to the seemingly non existent options of ME2.

    The expanded romance options from the first two games are really nice. I always felt left out and somewhat prudish playing the first two with having so few options. And for all the people complaining about "gay romance" ruining the game, it's low key, fitted incredibly well to the game and story. Nothing feels out of place, it's just part of the world. I really liked randomly running into a few NPC's that would briefly touch on their own relationships as well. It makes the world feel more alive than the previous two titles.    … Expand
  62. Mdhneo007
    Mar 9, 2012
    4
    SPOILERS!

    As an avid Mass Effect fan, I was really looking forward to this game. I even did the Origin predownload so I could start playing at midnight exactly. I loaded it up and at 12:03am started playing. 14.5hrs and like 20 rockstars later I sat facing my computer with tears running down my face. Hey maybe I am emotional, but when 71hrs of my life (ME1 +2 +3) goes down the drain, I    SPOILERS!

    As an avid Mass Effect fan, I was really looking forward to this game. I even did the Origin predownload so I could start playing at midnight exactly. I loaded it up and at 12:03am started playing. 14.5hrs and like 20 rockstars later I sat facing my computer with tears running down my face. Hey maybe I am emotional, but when 71hrs of my life (ME1 +2 +3) goes down the drain, I have a right to cry.

    Honestly, I didn't mind the ending I got, in as much as it was an "epic conclusion to an epic MOVIE". Yep, Bioware took a great video game series and converted it into a movie blockbuster where the hero sacrifices all to save the galaxy. Well guess what, a video game isn't supposed to play like a movie! The ending should work in accordance with the actions the players have taken to ensure the final outcome while providing an emotionally (for an RPG like this) enthralling story. Not move inescapably to an inevitably gut wrenching conclusion. Additionally, the game has reduced the replay value of the entire trilogy to virtually nill. Why should I replay ME1-ME3 when I know that regardless of my "numerous and poignant choices" the end is depressingly the same? Moreover, the addition of "gameplay types" (or whatever its called) is nothing but an excuse to cover an irritating reduction of player control over dialogue, another irritating movie-like feature of the game. Furthermore, Bioware's attempt to give players more 'sexual freedom of choice' is just downright disgusting! Introducing male homosexuality this late in the series as a casual (and awkward) fling is demeaning to the community, especially when lesbian romance has been a choice since ME1! If Bioware wished to make a statement about gender homosexual equality, put it in a news release or do it with some respect at least. Finally, when the face importing issues are included in the tally, I can only give this game a 4/10. If it had been a $9 movie ticket and not an $80 game, I would have given it a 12/10.

    Oh well, maybe I should have realized the tone that was set in the opening minutes when the child Bioware didn't allow me to rescue was killed by a machine Bioware made nearly invincible while I stood upon a retreating ship listening to an irritatinally opressive score would have been carried through to the end of the game. So its my own fault for playing the game hoping that what I KNEW was going to happen wouldn't. (As a side note, didn't a thresher maw take down one of them and I took down a thresher maw on Tuchanka, right? So if A beats B and I beat A, shouldn't I beat B?) P.S. The multiplayer aspect of the game is quite enjoyable has been the redeeming aspect of the game in my opinion.    … Expand
  63. gvision
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    Until now, I really wouldn't have thought any game would ever deserve a 0. Bioware spent a series built on personal decisions endearing us to our characters as the Mass Effect universe only to destroy it with a Deus Ex ending and the destruction of everything we cared about. I can't go into specifics because of spoilers, but there is absolutely NO CLOSURE of anything in the game. TheUntil now, I really wouldn't have thought any game would ever deserve a 0. Bioware spent a series built on personal decisions endearing us to our characters as the Mass Effect universe only to destroy it with a Deus Ex ending and the destruction of everything we cared about. I can't go into specifics because of spoilers, but there is absolutely NO CLOSURE of anything in the game. The entire series lost it's replayability because the ending will always be the same 3 choices (none of which have much variation) that do not take into account anything you've done in the series up to that point. It was all a waste of time, you may as well have let everyone die, been a total prick the whole time and not given a damn about anyone but yourself and you would still have the exact same outcome as someone who did the exact opposite.

    Couple that with the increasingly simplified gameplay, the jittery animations, the complete removal of exploration and dimming RPG features, the tacked on Multiplayer, etc., etc., etc...I will never play another Bioware game again. I'm even going a step further, and will be warning any gamer I meet that playing Bioware's games are not worth the price of admission.

    I have no doubt the obviously rushed ending is due to EA pushing Bioware to release ME3 long before it was ready, in effort to recoup losses over the tragedy that was Dragon Age 2 and the ridiculous amount of money spent on that Wow-clone SWTOR. Someone PLEASE save Bioware, buy them out, hire them away from EA, SOMETHING. I fear my once favorite game developer will never be even a fraction of what it used to be until they're pulled away from the EA turds.    … Expand
  64. Turix
    Mar 9, 2012
    4
    I played through the game, and generally enjoyed the content - most of the game felt like a significant improvement over Mass Effect 2.... however, the game has several aspects that completely ruin immersion and just feel like a company grabbing for profit rather than wanting to build a good games or supporting their fan base - which is seriously upsetting. The main gripes are theI played through the game, and generally enjoyed the content - most of the game felt like a significant improvement over Mass Effect 2.... however, the game has several aspects that completely ruin immersion and just feel like a company grabbing for profit rather than wanting to build a good games or supporting their fan base - which is seriously upsetting. The main gripes are the graphical quality, which hasn't improved at all over ME2 on PC, the controls feel even more like a console port than before with your character going off and doing entire actions without you even asking. Parts of the game feel very rushed, specifically the beginning and end - the beginning just kind of drops you in without letting the game get going, or providing any setting. And the ending.... well I don't know where to start... all of the options are simply appalling, lazy cop outs - I was getting very involved in the story for a good part of the game and then the ending just ruins that completely. In the end I don't mind that I've spent money on the game, I can deal with that, but that I feel betrayed that Bioware doesn't seem to care about their IP beyond how much money it can make... its just plain sad.… Expand
  65. RonaldOVOXO
    Mar 9, 2012
    1
    Awful game. Adding Multiplayer to a great Singer player game was so stupid of them the graphic has too much issues and the animation is disappointing..
  66. ploomf
    Mar 9, 2012
    4
    I had to sign up just to review this game. This was such a huge disappointment. I love Mass Effect and have put countless hours into the first 2 games and I was so excited for Mass Effect 3. I had multiple Shepards ready to go but after the terrible ending I doubt I'll be importing them. I don't even want to replay the first two games anymore. The game was wonderful right up till the end,I had to sign up just to review this game. This was such a huge disappointment. I love Mass Effect and have put countless hours into the first 2 games and I was so excited for Mass Effect 3. I had multiple Shepards ready to go but after the terrible ending I doubt I'll be importing them. I don't even want to replay the first two games anymore. The game was wonderful right up till the end, if it hadn't been for those horrible endings I would have given this game a much higher score. The combat was great, the story up till then was great, the relationship between Shepard and squadmates was great, it was a terrific game. Then the endings ruined it and made you feel like all the choices you made really didn't matter after all. They were bleak and depressing, didn't really even make sense, and left many more questions than answers. And everyone gets to choose from the same three terrible endings no matter what choices you made throughout the three games. It was just depressing. Shepards story deserved a much better ending than this.… Expand
  67. DerFurst
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    This review is coming from someone who was a true fan of Mass Effect since its first installment. Mass Effect from the beginning was an excellently crafted game, providing intriguing dialogue, decent gameplay, and an excellent universe in which an even better story was set. The ending of the first Mass Effect was one that reflected all of your actions, and defined your character as aThis review is coming from someone who was a true fan of Mass Effect since its first installment. Mass Effect from the beginning was an excellently crafted game, providing intriguing dialogue, decent gameplay, and an excellent universe in which an even better story was set. The ending of the first Mass Effect was one that reflected all of your actions, and defined your character as a person, setting the stage for a sequel and presumably having actions that would echo throughout the upcoming trilogy.

    Mass Effect 2 streamlined most of the RPG fighting mechanics, but was entirely forgivable by the updated graphics and most certainly superior character development and storybuilding. Everything had been done right for me in ME2, but I saw that it was largely a transitional game. Something that acted as both a satisfying piece of work and visibly a transitional story piece. Ultimately, Mass Effect 2 was made as a buffer between 1 and 3 so that 3 could be the greatest installment yet. Bioware had been marketing Mass Effect 3 as the game that would be "The epic conclusion of the Mass Effect saga", which would "tie up all loose ends" and "be influenced considerably by the choices you've made in the previous games". As one can see, Mass Effect 3 strays so far from these expectations that they've marketed their fans to believe. If the user score isn't evidence enough, I don't know what is. After all, the users of this website are the consumers of the game, not the companies paid to write soulless reviews about a topic that they've only half heard about since its release. They aren't the ones that matter. The people matter, and I'll be exact on every problem that ME3 faced so that hopefully Bioware is listening.

    Mass Effect 3 starts out as everything that I could have ever hoped for. The dramatic introductions of the Reapers unto Earth is exactly what I wanted. Earth is in ruins, and Shepard is the only one who has the influence and the ability to step outside the realm of politics to deal with the threat he had warned everyone about. He begins to gather resources from planet to planet, forming alliances with previously warring factions, and solving galaxy wide problems centuries in the making. This is the Mass Effect 3 I had expected, and I thought it was perfect, until I realized later on what had been happening. My major decisions from ME1 and 2 weren't showing up, and some breaches in continuity via retcon were blatantly obvious, like the human council I worked towards getting being replaced by wax museum automatons in the mirror image of the council I had killed. Then, I noticed a couple of references to previous choices in the game, which I accepted as amusing references, but realized that they were nothing beyond references. Decisions like killing the council, putting Udina on top as the chairman, killing the Rachni queen, making Liara the Shadow Broker, Destroying Maelon's data, killing the Geth on the Heretic Station, continuing work on Project Overlord, etc, had all been reduced to nothing but a few additional pieces of dialogue. All the work I put in to the previous games in decision making had turned into nothing but 4 minutes total of additional dialogue. A sucker punch like that can be accepted grudgingly, but it doesn't end there.

    Paragon and Renegade choices don't change the outcome of the game like they did in the previous games. Paragon and Renegade are basically two ways of saying the same thing now, which completely defeats the purpose of moral choices, safe for a few well done instances which I will take into consideration. On a whole, alignment has been dumbed down to mean nothing this time around. All the hard work anyone has done becoming a virtuous paragon or a scheming xenophobic renegade will be put to waste. This comes full circle in the ending, which accounts for more than half of the reviews.

    The ending of a trilogy makes or breaks all 3 episodes. Imagine Darth Vader at the end of RotJ taking off his helmet to reveal that he's no Luke's father, but Jar Jar Binks. Would you be able to accept an ending like that? No, you wouldn't. Mass Effect 3's ending works to the same effect. The reason the Reapers exist is to save organic life from synthetics by killing organics with synthetics. Not only does this take a complete 180 turn from the entire story thusfar, it doesn't make any sense considering the previous information in the story. EDI successfully integrates into a synthetic body and actually falls in love with Joker. Then, the Geth finally become at peace with the Quarians, and show that they can live together harmoniously. This shows that synthetics can live with organics, thus creating a huge plot hole. And here comes the worst part. Your decisions in the past games do not effect the ending. No plot details, and no alignment choices. Everything you have done is void. This is why Mass Effect 3 has failed us.    … Expand
  68. Gladio77
    Mar 9, 2012
    7
    I liked the first two very much. Although this is not a bad game it again is a dissapointment.
    I think because Bioware was such a good company in the past we all expected them to continue this forever.

    I conclude that after dragon age 2, knights of the new republic and this that they have lost their touch. Luckily enough with games as skyrim we have other options. A 7 for effort.
  69. 4110
    Mar 9, 2012
    9
    Seriously? The hate surprises if it's legitimate. Yes the choices weren't so rewarding as they should be, but the story was epic and the game play was quite awesome. By far the best in the series. My only major gripe was the companions weren't as colorful as previously, but I seriously enjoyed the big levels and more relentless game play. There is greater amount of action, more variety,Seriously? The hate surprises if it's legitimate. Yes the choices weren't so rewarding as they should be, but the story was epic and the game play was quite awesome. By far the best in the series. My only major gripe was the companions weren't as colorful as previously, but I seriously enjoyed the big levels and more relentless game play. There is greater amount of action, more variety, the narrative of the characters tied in nicely with huge story. Tons of guns. The negative feedback feels like a bandwagon jump and an exaggeration of the let down of the choices, but purely on a game point standpoint there was a great deal of dynamic content that I'm definitely looking forward to replaying.… Expand
  70. Beldamon
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. To say I am disappointed with the ending to an otherwise excellent series would be the understatement of the year. I honestly feel like I was stabbed in the back.

    We were led along with themes of hope and free will, and in the end neither one exist in the spectrum of endings available.

    If I was into the combat, I might have enjoyed that. I'm more of a story kind of guy -- one reason I've repeatedly returned to Bioware as my favourite gaming studio.

    Now I am considering terminating my SWTOR subscription, in spite of the fact that I'm genuinely enjoying that game. I cannot justify any studio of Bioware getting any more of my money after promising a satsfying conclusion and failing to deliver.

    I realize there are people who appreciated the endings available, and I say more power to you, but I found it soul crushing.

    And it's not even that the ending required the death or stranding of my character. Several of my characters friends and squad-mates died along the way and each one, while heart rending, had an undercurrent of satisfaction and purpose to it.

    The endings as they exist are meaningless.    … Expand
  71. RPGMaestro
    Mar 9, 2012
    1
    Very poor dialogue, and is a clear move towards FPS arena. Safe to say, I will not be purchasing any of the DLC packs, nor buying any more in this franchise, game was trying to be politically correct with gay lord scenes, on top of the poor RPG elements.
  72. JohnMaynardK
    Mar 9, 2012
    2
    Well basically, I play Mass Effect games for the exceptionally deep dating and relationship mechanics. Well, OK, they're not perhaps as deep as in some other games, but there are few other mainstream games that give me quite such a wide choice of subsurfaced polygonal ass to seduce, and do so within the context of a 60 hour campaign. Some people call me a "neckbeard" or even moreWell basically, I play Mass Effect games for the exceptionally deep dating and relationship mechanics. Well, OK, they're not perhaps as deep as in some other games, but there are few other mainstream games that give me quite such a wide choice of subsurfaced polygonal ass to seduce, and do so within the context of a 60 hour campaign. Some people call me a "neckbeard" or even more insultingly and prejudicially, a "faggot" (verbatim quote), but I don't care. I have a perfectly healthy sex life, I just find games that can deal with seduction and relationships so much more mature than other games. Anyway, this is basically where ME3 falls down so hard. In the first installment of this franchise, there were only two female companions to choose from: Liara and Ashley. Now, two might be a small number for a romantic partner selection, but don't mistake ME1 for being a dumbed-down game: the two women were completely different. Ashley was a sexy space-marine (beautifully subverting genre stereotypes), and Liara was a sensitive and kind Asari. Both girls were kick-ass, and the decisions one made about about who to sleep with could be really difficult. This was further complicated by the choice of having to sacrifice either Ashley (potential waifu) or Kaidan (absolute bro). This is why I love this series: deep choices. Now, Mass Effect 2 actually extended this further: there were now not only a vastly greater selection of team-members to romance, but they now also had their own loyalty missions, conflicting with the other members of the cast in a beautiful panoply of enmeshed storylines. Want to romance character A? Well, get ready to piss off B and C in the process! In seducing Miranda, I found the game to be incredibly immersive (I felt just like I was seducing a real girl!), and I was truly brought into the game. This, kids, is good game design. Sadly, ME3 has none of this. It portrays its female, romanceable characters in a frankly sexist and stereotyped way. The whole game blatantly views these females as nothing more than sex objects, and it really shows. Just look at the Ashley redesign! Frankly, I no longer find her attractive, with her Barbie hair and boobtastic outfit. Disgusting. Worse, when I tried to bring this up on the Bioware forums, I was told to stop criticising Bioware and given a cautionary infraction. If you value the depth of romantic interaction usually found in Bioware games, steer well clear of this stinker. I give it a 2/10. Wouldn't bang.… Expand
  73. TinyestTim
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    As a gay man, I find this game incredibly insulting (and not just for the abysmal writing and gameplay). Guess what Bioware, shoehorning in a bunch of homosexual caricatures does not make you "progressive. To think that people like myself are being used a cheap tool to add controversy to game makes me feel sick. If people are ever going to think that being gay isn't a big deal, MAKING AAs a gay man, I find this game incredibly insulting (and not just for the abysmal writing and gameplay). Guess what Bioware, shoehorning in a bunch of homosexual caricatures does not make you "progressive. To think that people like myself are being used a cheap tool to add controversy to game makes me feel sick. If people are ever going to think that being gay isn't a big deal, MAKING A HUGE DEAL OUT OF IT in video games is not going to help. All of the supposedly "deep" gay romance options in this game are nothing but a cynical attempt to give review shills something to talk about other than the god-awful gameplay and story. Bioware ought to take a look at how Obsidian handled writing gay characters in Fallout: New Vegas, so they can see how to write a gay character who has an actual personality beyond their sexuality. This game is simply offensive, and that coupled with the terrible watered down "RPG" gameplay earns it a big fat zero out of ten from me.… Expand
  74. alexhellnight
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    If you really are a Mass Effect fan, don't do the mistake I did! Don't play the game, or at least don't finish the game. It's sad, now I am glad I didn't pre-ordered the game and that I played a pirated version. I bought Mass Effect 1 , Mass Effect 2 and all the DLC content for them. Now I am happy the game was released 3 days late in Europe, otherwise I would have bought it!
  75. TekFox
    Mar 9, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game was great. I started out smiling, excited to get back into the universe of Mass Effect and the armored shoes of Commander Shepard. I continued smiling and grinning the whole game, everything was well written and made more or less sense, sure there were some McGuffins in the writing, but whatever, it's hard to write everything perfectly . Then the ending rolled around, we get a some sort of Deus Ex Machina, Shepard looses all of his character. The worst is that none of your choices matter, doesn't matter whether you went full-on renegade or paragon, whether you made sure every side quest was complete, whether you did everything right or everything wrong throughout the rest of the game and the other games, you get the same option of three endings that everyone else got. Congrats Bioware, you used to be my favorite game developer (You've held that spot since VALVe fell from grace). Guess I'll look for shelter in the arms of Bethesda now.… Expand
  76. Dickie
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    Before ending 95/100
    After ending 0/100

    No replay value whatsoever since I played these games for the actual story.

    I would have been willing to wait longer and pay extra for a garanteed gem. Right now i feel like i wasted both money and time.
  77. shnelle
    Mar 9, 2012
    3
    I very much enjoyed playing Mass Effect 3. The story was was well fleshed out. I had a good amount of time spent with my teammates and mostly everyone I knew from the last two games. The gameplay was stellar. I have loved the Multiplayer and I'm one of the ones who thought "Bioware is on Crack" when I first heard about it. My LI (who was Garrus) had a great story. I'm very happy withI very much enjoyed playing Mass Effect 3. The story was was well fleshed out. I had a good amount of time spent with my teammates and mostly everyone I knew from the last two games. The gameplay was stellar. I have loved the Multiplayer and I'm one of the ones who thought "Bioware is on Crack" when I first heard about it. My LI (who was Garrus) had a great story. I'm very happy with the romance, it was so much more then I was expecting. The Narrative gave you a great feeling of "OMG can I do this" which is what I think they were going for. I did feel closer to my Shepard then in the first two games. I loved the updated character models compared to the last two games. I loved the new Default Femshep. Not including the ending I cried when my old teammates died. But they died in a way that their death was worth it, they had closure and I was proud of them. I thought the game was made so much more Epic this time around. I really did enjoy every facet of the game, until the end of course.

    No matter how much I enjoyed it and how good it was the endings completely ruined my Mass Effecet 3 experience. The rest of the game was awesome. If the endings had made me feel just a little like a hero/savior, something to make me smile at the end then this would probably have been one of the best games I've ever played. If you ignore the endings ME3 really is a great accomplishment. When I finish a game I should have a great feeling of acomplishment. I should feel on top of the world. Even if there is a tragic ending with sacrifice I should feel that everything is going to be better. When I was finished with Mass Effect 3 I was hit with such a huge whammy of depression and unhappy that I still haven't recovered from it hours later. A game should never make you feel this way. I don't mind crying because something is sad. But if I cry it should be with the feeling of hope or "they did good". There was none of that when I finished Mass Effect 3.

    1) I would have exposition explaining what happens with the citadel, relays, crew galaxy, races, etc. If Shep lives I would show he gets reunited with his/her LI. If he doesn't I would show Shep getting mourned. I would show the Normandy getting repaired and being picked up by the Alliance and Shep reuniting with his/her crew and LI.

    2) I would have the Blue Ending be destorying the reapers ONLY along with the Citadel and the relays because a main paragon theme of Mass Effect series has been not using the reaper tech as a short cut. The galaxy has to develop on its own.

    3) I would have the Red ending being controlling the reapers. Because one of the main renegade themes of the Mass Effect series has been about gaining power you cannot control. I would show that Shep becomes either the catalist, or some kind of Reaper AI. The Citadel and relays are damaged but they are still around. Maybe he uses the reapers to help the galaxy or mankind only

    4) I like the idea of the green ending, its imaginative. I would like to keep it. I would still blow up the citadel and the relays with the green ending

    5) I would give Shep a chance to live on each ending depending on your assets and reputation.

    I think the endings are imaginative. I also think they go against the main themes of Mass Effect (controlling Reapers gaining unlimited power with the Reaper tech is a Renegade theme) (Destroying Reapers only and all their Tech to allow the galaxy to live on its own and develop on its own is a Paragon theme) and suddenly its switched at the end. I like the synthesis theme.

    I can't stand the feeling that my crew, all the people I was fighting for that are still alive are doomed. Thats what I don't like. Yes the galaxy will recover in thousands of years, thats a given. But I want to know that the people, my crew, people I fought for that survived have hope of making a better life. The lack of exposition and the way things were presented leaves you with a sour feeling of despair. It is the lack of exposition for me. Also the stand off against TIM is so Saren 2.0. Please give us something different.

    I would rather have the choice (since choice has always been a serious theme of Bioware) that if I work hard enough to make a perfect perfect ending then my Shepard gets a happy ending with their LI. Cause they have put some awesome work into making us fall in love with these characters. It gives me a reason to play a new game+.    … Expand
  78. rmezatang
    Mar 9, 2012
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. What I liked: Weapons and Armor choices were good, but no real details on the weapon upgrades before buying and limited to 2 mods didn't make any sense.
    Graphics and Combat improved but overuse of spacebar still a problem, got killed too often for standing when I wanted to crouch
    Squad members have better powers but combat AI is still limited, they can often stand right next to you as you get shot in the back and not do a thing to help - attack/guard commands would be helpful at a bare minimum
    What I really didn't like: (Spoiler Alert)
    Couple of glaring oversights and poor storyline choices: Romanced Tali in ME2 and 3, she was hesitant but ultimately accepted Legion, yet as a respected Quarian Admiral, when faced with the freeing of the Geth, resorts to complete cowardice and suicide? Even with decently high Paragon score, unable to convince anyone otherwise. OK, Geth Alliance, Quarian mass extinction - BUT, later before the final battle, Tali joins me in the Captains Cabin for a last interlude?, or was she a GHOST? but she's dead I'm telling myself... In the end, I chose to detroy Reapers, and with it go all the Mass Relays AND Synthetic life such as the Geth whom I had previously allied. Final movie shows Mass Relays exploding, and sending the Normandy crashing - presumably from all the Tech being destroyed - My argument is this, with All the Synthetic life destroyed, with the Normandy effectively destroyed, WTF is Edi doing walking off the Normandy - what is she if not Synthetic life? With her main systems on the Normandy trashed, she should be non-functional.
    Limited Romance Choices, really wanted to go for the reporter...

    P.S. ME1 was great if a little tiring with all the walking... ME2 was near perfection...    … Expand
  79. grandhammer
    Mar 9, 2012
    1
    Ending ruins the game for me. The game itself plays well but the ending is horrible, worst ending to a game I have played and ruins not just 3 but 1 and 2. Save yourself the cash and just stop at 2. Im a huge BW fanboy but they messed this one up BIG. Check out they're forums and see its not just a few of us.
  80. Lessi
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    Too little ammo, global cooldown on all abilities defeating use of them in place of fireaarms. Removal of barrier and biotics only having thier full effect on weak enemies.

    The ending didn't tie in with the rest of the game at all.

    Frankly I advise everyone to play Mass Effect 1 and then write their own ending. The spin off on the story that began in Mass Effect 2 isn't worthy of it.
  81. Whyowhy23
    Mar 9, 2012
    3
    I will say that this game has some amazing content, that being said, most characters are cameo appearances if not just a footnote in a message. The last 20 minutes of the game will literally shock and awe those who have been giving Bioware and EA the benefit of the doubt, it is really that bad. It was a horrible ending. There are some that will try to say some nice things, but reallyI will say that this game has some amazing content, that being said, most characters are cameo appearances if not just a footnote in a message. The last 20 minutes of the game will literally shock and awe those who have been giving Bioware and EA the benefit of the doubt, it is really that bad. It was a horrible ending. There are some that will try to say some nice things, but really Bioware needs to damage control the ending if it hopes to save the franchise with spinoffs or its name. I used to be a Bioware/EA fan like I was a Colts fan, not anymore. I will not buy anymore content from them, and finally put the controller away, and no longer take the 3 day break when the new game of the year comes out.… Expand
  82. Mekah
    Mar 9, 2012
    1
    And series goes out with a whimper. Like the second game we get an extremely pared-down experience with a near total focus on Gears of War-esque shooter gameplay. Linear level design, no exploration, once again a very limited and disappointing Citadel, still not enough skills especially for team members, and just an awful narrative that culminates in one of the most absurdly shortchangedAnd series goes out with a whimper. Like the second game we get an extremely pared-down experience with a near total focus on Gears of War-esque shooter gameplay. Linear level design, no exploration, once again a very limited and disappointing Citadel, still not enough skills especially for team members, and just an awful narrative that culminates in one of the most absurdly shortchanged endings I've ever seen. Manipulated stock photo for one of the big reveals, barely functional journal, broken face import. Feels like a game rushed to completion yet somehow they had the time and budget to provide a multiplayer mode.

    I think I'll go play Mass Effect 1 again and lament that the series will never live up to the potential it had thanks to Bioware.    … Expand
  83. nn123
    Mar 9, 2012
    7
    Signed up just to review this one. It's important to me since I loved the first two, apparently one of the only ones that liked the second better than the first but I digress. Simply put, this game is good but not great. It fails at importing the character face used in game two, so right off the bat there's no way it can be a 10. The dialogue system has also been over-simplified,Signed up just to review this one. It's important to me since I loved the first two, apparently one of the only ones that liked the second better than the first but I digress. Simply put, this game is good but not great. It fails at importing the character face used in game two, so right off the bat there's no way it can be a 10. The dialogue system has also been over-simplified, probably to make space for the multiplayer... which I don't plan on using. I have encountered bugs that have made missions unplayable. The graphics are good, although perhaps Skyrim has spoiled me since I really did expect more. Extremely skeptical of all the 'pro' reviewers giving high scores, guess that's what money gets you.… Expand
  84. brown47million
    Mar 9, 2012
    9
    I really think the vast plethora of negative reviews of this game comes from some deep-seated bias, anger that Bioware did not topple WoW in the MMO dept., or maybe some dissatisfaction that the "finale" of this series didn't blow their minds to the unrealistic degree they expected. So here's a nice passionless review. This game is a clear upgrade to ME2, gameplay-wise, graphics-wise andI really think the vast plethora of negative reviews of this game comes from some deep-seated bias, anger that Bioware did not topple WoW in the MMO dept., or maybe some dissatisfaction that the "finale" of this series didn't blow their minds to the unrealistic degree they expected. So here's a nice passionless review. This game is a clear upgrade to ME2, gameplay-wise, graphics-wise and even immersion-wise. You'll notice that negative reviews don't have specific game design elements they have problems with (just sweeping grievances, like "Dev. time wasted on multiplayer"). This is because every game element that was added or removed was done so with painstaking care. Personally, I believe Bioware's core competency is their ability to immerse the player in a story/universe. This is done exceptionally well in this game-- emotions run high. I was genuinely distraught when the little boy is take out in the beginning which set me on a fiery revenge path on the reapers. That being said, Bioware works their butts off to make a fun single-player gameplay experience and it pays off. While I would never compare actual gameplay steez to a Developer like Blizzard, Valve and Stunlock Studios--companies of which gameplay is most important-- I have to say Bioware has created a uniquely engaging combat system. Of the "open-world" complaints, I do not quite understand. There are clearly more options at any given time in this game then in any of the previous Mass Effects. At any time there are approximately 4-6 planets (each with 1-3 missions) that I can go to; some of these are central to the story line and many are "side-line." Personally, I don't really care about this element of gameplay (I'm in the, GTA-->overrated boat--not that I haven't dumped days into each since GTA2), I plan on playing all of the content so being able to "choose" the order really doesn't seem important to me. Overall, this game is a 9.4 in my book. The long developed "KOTOR" style of RPG is my current favorite in the single-player category. A worthy distraction from real gaming (SC2 break!) for a few weeks :D.… Expand
  85. Ansatsu83
    Mar 9, 2012
    2
    My review is based on the game as a whole. It is poorly planned, buggy, storyline left many unanswered gaps. The multiplayer is mediocre at best, the whole game is an extreme disappointment to the franchise. Bioware should have stopped focusing on that failure of a game known as "The Old Republic" and planned this one and given it their soul.

    The storyline just did not seem intriging, the    My review is based on the game as a whole. It is poorly planned, buggy, storyline left many unanswered gaps. The multiplayer is mediocre at best, the whole game is an extreme disappointment to the franchise. Bioware should have stopped focusing on that failure of a game known as "The Old Republic" and planned this one and given it their soul.

    The storyline just did not seem intriging, the multiplayer has bugs where you can lose unlocked characters and equipment that you buy, sometimes for real money. A lot of players have lost a lot and are pretty angry at bioware.

    I encountered a bug when importing a character from me1, to 2, to 3. I romanced liara in 1, but it said I romanced ashley, which is false. I have never romanced Ashley in any of my play throughs. I loaded the same me2 file into me2 and played the storyline, it was definitely Liara as well.

    On top of this the game has horrible controls. I have no idea which moron decided to put the action button the same as the roll and take cover button but all I tend to do is barrel roll all over the place or stick into cover I don't want to while I try to activate a door or revive a team mate who was in cover.

    I recently lost every bit of gear I had unlocked on multiplayer, a level 4 pistol, a quarian engineer, a salarian engineer, multiple level 3 sniper rifles and assault rifles with multiple level 2 mods, a turian character, an asari vanguard, etc. I am done with mass effect 3 and I highly recommend every gamer stay away from this.

    The only reasons I am giving this a two out of ten, the graphics are still not bad, the worlds seem well constructed despite the controls being terrible. And you get to see Tali's face for once.

    I am sorry Bioware, you have failed us a second time in a couple of months, you have lost your edge just like Bill Roper and his constant failure of game development after Diablo 2. Some advise to bioware, leave your industry...    … Expand
  86. Afterforever
    Mar 9, 2012
    3
    Cover system isn't nearly as bad as ME1 but worse then ME2. Jennifer Hale voice acting is brilliant. Visually ME2 beats ME3. My imported Shepard looked like almost completely different person. In the end all those choices you made over 120 hours of gameplay (3 games) don't really matter. It all boils down to the decision you make in last 15 minutes of the game and no matter what you do, itCover system isn't nearly as bad as ME1 but worse then ME2. Jennifer Hale voice acting is brilliant. Visually ME2 beats ME3. My imported Shepard looked like almost completely different person. In the end all those choices you made over 120 hours of gameplay (3 games) don't really matter. It all boils down to the decision you make in last 15 minutes of the game and no matter what you do, it leaves a lot of unanswered questions about what happens to Shepard friends and brothers-in-arms. Bleh.… Expand
  87. Nakano37
    Mar 9, 2012
    10
    The best parts of the gameplay from the 1st and 2nd combined with a gripping story. The galaxy at war stuff is awesome and Jennifer Hale's voice acting is top notch. Even the multiplayer is far better than I expected.
  88. Sandzu
    Mar 9, 2012
    1
    Really disappointed in this game, played both ME1 and ME2...they were great. But this one is just bad, day 1 dlc really badly wrote ending
    overall emptyness of the game..just feels hollow... choices u made previous game make hardly any visible impact in this game. They had good series going on, feels like they just wanted to finish it fast and move to other projects.
  89. Scyrenus
    Mar 9, 2012
    10
    This game is amazing, the best game i ever played. I must say its the most emotional game ever with a great finish. I also admit that i cried once or twice feeling sorry for the characters from the older games and i really left there sadness and fear. This game is a masterpieace.
  90. antiver
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    Awful. EA makes me feel like a criminal. Origin is a PoS. DLC is an obnoxious cash grab. Immersion is ruined by broken game mechanics.

    Looking forward to the remake/redux in 15-20 years.
  91. HL2EPThree
    Mar 9, 2012
    10
    Incredible game. Filled with excitement. Great graphics, incredible story. People shouldn't play Mass Effect 3. They should live it. It's incredible, more than we could have hoped for.
  92. vaultboy26
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    I've register there to say: I'm finished ME1 and 2 several times and I still a big fan of them but this game is really sucks. Ending messed up everything. I just finished a game and I'm in shock... For me - this game equals to Dragon Age 2. both of them - **** Bioware, what's happening to you!?
  93. CsendesMark
    Mar 9, 2012
    2
    This is *Gears of War* not Mass Effect, only an action game
    bad story, big gaps
    They went too much to the bad direction :(
    This game isn't give too much to the Mass Effect universe... only that silly ending.
  94. huah27
    Mar 9, 2012
    3
    I don't know how those who gave good review can be satisfied with ME3. I think either they are newbies who only played ME3 or paid by Bioware/EA. First of all, all the choices I have made in ME1 and ME2 seemed not to have impact at all in ME3. Saving or killing queen rachni didn't affect so much in ME3. Saving or destroying Maelon data at ME2 didn't really help in making genophage cure.I don't know how those who gave good review can be satisfied with ME3. I think either they are newbies who only played ME3 or paid by Bioware/EA. First of all, all the choices I have made in ME1 and ME2 seemed not to have impact at all in ME3. Saving or killing queen rachni didn't affect so much in ME3. Saving or destroying Maelon data at ME2 didn't really help in making genophage cure. And the thing that disappointed me so much is the ENDING. I have spent many hours for all these 3 series to make sure I have the best ending (and had most of the alliances, and was "forced" to play MP to get 100% galactic readiness in ME3). However, the ending is just horrible, HORRIBLE! My effort seemed like nothing when I saw the ending. I was so sad bcoz ME series could have been the best sci-fi story ever. But, I am quite satisfied with side mission where I can meet my old friends in ME2.… Expand
  95. Sloan47
    Mar 9, 2012
    9
    I pre-ordered and I played ME3 on day one. Then I saw the low user score on Metacritic and I have only one question to the people who gave it a low score... are we playing the same game? In my humble opinion, it's a fantastic game. Is it perfect? No. There are a few things that bug me. Adding side quests are now activated by overhearing conversations. That stinks. You can't holster yourI pre-ordered and I played ME3 on day one. Then I saw the low user score on Metacritic and I have only one question to the people who gave it a low score... are we playing the same game? In my humble opinion, it's a fantastic game. Is it perfect? No. There are a few things that bug me. Adding side quests are now activated by overhearing conversations. That stinks. You can't holster your weapon... minor annoyance. Besides that though? It's a good game. The story does draw to a close and there are a few story plots that make your heart drop... but I expected that given the plot. I'd also like to know how many of the negative reviews are *really* about the same sex relationship options in the game. If your negative review is solely about there being a gay romance option in Mass Effect 3 I have a very simple solution for you: Don't choose the gay romance option.… Expand
  96. Dean_Demon
    Mar 9, 2012
    10
    Have to say this is a nice and dark sequel to me2,lower system specs than before a big plus,superbly updated character graphics and all round graphics updates,new sfx as well as existing sfx from me2,wonderful voice acting as before,gaming area has been expanded somewhat so feels much larger and it shows,those complaining of not being able to import your old saves well i can tell you thatHave to say this is a nice and dark sequel to me2,lower system specs than before a big plus,superbly updated character graphics and all round graphics updates,new sfx as well as existing sfx from me2,wonderful voice acting as before,gaming area has been expanded somewhat so feels much larger and it shows,those complaining of not being able to import your old saves well i can tell you that they do work but it's your portrait that doesn't import so you have to re do that ingame but the other info from your me 1 and 2 remains intact. A lot of detail has been put into the design of the characters and put in some very strong emotional content for the story and makes for a very good story by doing this,can't believe the scores of 0 and 1 here and should be removed or even banned,this is a perfect ending to the series and what we all knew would happen as the reapers arrived,top class.… Expand
  97. drivard
    Mar 9, 2012
    10
    A well done conclusion to an excellent series. The ending was clearly not something thought up at the last minute but planned for a long time in advance.
  98. Aldeide
    Mar 9, 2012
    1
    I'll pass on the utterly disgusting textures because that's not why I'm playing Mass Effect for. I couldn't care less. I play it for the choices you can make. I replay it because I'm curious as how my choices change the events. I took the time to have a savegame prepared for ME3. The game had its moment and I actually enjoyed it until the last 15 minutes that wasted countless hours on theI'll pass on the utterly disgusting textures because that's not why I'm playing Mass Effect for. I couldn't care less. I play it for the choices you can make. I replay it because I'm curious as how my choices change the events. I took the time to have a savegame prepared for ME3. The game had its moment and I actually enjoyed it until the last 15 minutes that wasted countless hours on the previous instalments. I did take the time to look at the different endings and felt like looking at some sort of freaky mix between Deus Ex:HR and Battlestar Galactica endings'. Now go and make some more money with an alternate ending DLC that will actually deserve the name of a "choice-driven" game.… Expand
  99. Debosy
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Well I finished Mass Effect 3, and also I'm very disappointed. I feel like I was reading a good book and the last page someone smeared ****

    Why?

    I do not feel rewarded for the effort I put myself in that stupid save the galaxy. Treatment **** peace between the Geth and quarians, the entire structure of the catalyst, the improvement of relations between turians and krogans, save Raknii.

    I wonder why I did it, after which the entire efforts of mine by the whole trilogy? I feel after the game that had no impact as a shepard nothing has been changed or anything not affected, everything worked out the trail went.

    I saved geths, why then it asks me to kill them otherwise he would not beat the reaper. I feel as a player by BioWare even punished and not rewarded with the end, and because of this I am very sorry.
    Unfortunately, the truth is that for me Mass Effect was over before the last battle.

    I'm not saying that the end is bad because they are ok, but after what happened in the game introduces a system of galactic ready if it does not give it an opportunity to save an existing life in the galaxy as I expected.

    If it gets such a system forces the player to many hours of gameplay in multiplayer, making the game at 100% of all secondary missions, exploration of the galaxy is clearly visible that which is to be playing it all comes from, doing absolutely everything to ensure the safety of themselves and their crew and to save what he can, and in the end the end of your story practically does not differ much from the end of someone who has been playing for so-called "hurray" is something is not right.

    As I wrote feel very cheated, because it turns out that everything I did, and as they say, "Oh your ass break down."

    Explain to me why the game at 17 Endings, there is no single "Good ending".

    I hope that BioWare is still understood and patch gets even short and simple happy ending
    Hah ... I'm even willing to pay for them ...

    Bioware give us a proper ending, or go the hell and never come back.    … Expand
  100. SpudJunk
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80BqVpmuGiw
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80BqVpmuGiw
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80BqVpmuGiw
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80BqVpmuGiw
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80BqVpmuGiw    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews

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