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
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Invader-Nik
    Jul 18, 2012
    9
    Mass Effect 3 is the brilliant conclusion to the popular series. Do not listen to these bad reviews, the game was brilliant. I found the endings really good, they fitted the 'Mass Effect' spirit and made a stunning conclusion. I think a lot of people wanted a 'Shepard defeats the reapers and lives happily ever after" kind of ending. But then they would force Bioware for a Mass Effect 4Mass Effect 3 is the brilliant conclusion to the popular series. Do not listen to these bad reviews, the game was brilliant. I found the endings really good, they fitted the 'Mass Effect' spirit and made a stunning conclusion. I think a lot of people wanted a 'Shepard defeats the reapers and lives happily ever after" kind of ending. But then they would force Bioware for a Mass Effect 4 (something Bioware didn't want to do)

    Brilliant game, brilliant ending. 9/10    … Expand
  2. JahnUlrik
    Jul 18, 2012
    0
    Truly a greater loads of garbage has never been made. I can't even bother to finish the game. 59$ my arse. I would never buy any product from Bioware again.
  3. Kyrgsh
    Jul 17, 2012
    4
    Possibly the most disappointing release I've ever played. I will, in all honesty, never forgive the developer for taking narrative control away from a character I'd spent _years_ with and forcing her to engage in the least satisfying ending- and least in-character actions- imaginable. I haven't even logged into multiplayer in months. Regardless of how many new "cool" weapons andPossibly the most disappointing release I've ever played. I will, in all honesty, never forgive the developer for taking narrative control away from a character I'd spent _years_ with and forcing her to engage in the least satisfying ending- and least in-character actions- imaginable. I haven't even logged into multiplayer in months. Regardless of how many new "cool" weapons and commendation packs they throw at me, the game is dead to me. I paid for it and have no interest in ever going back. And all those "critics" who gave the game a 10/10...I doubt I'll be trusting your opinions from here on out.… Expand
  4. tazock
    Jul 16, 2012
    0
    After DA2 Bioware succeded in completely destroy another franchise, after the first 2 ME games this one is really a let down; with and ending cutted and pasted from deux ex macchina and defended by bioware as an artistic choice,artistic my ass is a scam.
    Your past decisions doesnt affect the end of the game, you cant have an happy ending.
    All the game is more or less like this: enter a    After DA2 Bioware succeded in completely destroy another franchise, after the first 2 ME games this one is really a let down; with and ending cutted and pasted from deux ex macchina and defended by bioware as an artistic choice,artistic my ass is a scam.
    Your past decisions doesnt affect the end of the game, you cant have an happy ending.
    All the game is more or less like this:
    enter a room kill the 3/5 enemies waves, go to next room...i so miss old bioware    … Expand
  5. davoid15
    Jul 15, 2012
    9
    Despite an anemic ending (mostly corrected by free DLC), still very worth a purchase. The story is still strong, characters well written, and multiplayer very fun. Definitely worth a pick up.
  6. Unblinking_Eye
    Jul 14, 2012
    0
    Its sad to watch something with a great beginning slowly turn into one of the most disappointing experiences. The Mass Effect series went from a great RPG with great fluff in Mass 1 to a cliched cover based shooter with the **** ending in Mass 3.

    If you have to play this game, borrow a copy. Not worth purchasing.
  7. purtusufu
    Jul 14, 2012
    1
    It's been three hoursI've been trying to install the game. Origin is complete **** I'm getting all sorts of errors which I'm managing to solve not through EA but through third party forums. This is the last time I'm buying anything that has to do with the Origin crap. They should have stuck with steam.
  8. krkbomb
    Jul 14, 2012
    3
    I'm not really sure what happened here but this is not a Mass Effect game...

    Mass Effect games had smartly written stories and let you make decisions.

    This game is not that AT ALL.

    It does have some nice music, though not as good as ME2. I will give 3 points for that.
  9. MidnightOutlaw
    Jul 13, 2012
    7
    As an honest gamer, I will keep this short and sweet: Mass Effect 3 was an exciting start to the "beginning of the end" for the series. While a lot of problems originated mostly from the ending and a few problems upon launch, the game itself is a remarkable experience. It does what it set out to do: And that was entertain as a cover-based, third-person RPG-shooter. While I disagree withAs an honest gamer, I will keep this short and sweet: Mass Effect 3 was an exciting start to the "beginning of the end" for the series. While a lot of problems originated mostly from the ending and a few problems upon launch, the game itself is a remarkable experience. It does what it set out to do: And that was entertain as a cover-based, third-person RPG-shooter. While I disagree with some of the choices made to the story, the game itself was the ending players wanted to Shepards story. And with the multiplayer experience shaping up to be an unforgettable experience (albeit some of the weapons are being fiddled with for no reason) as more and more content is being released free of charge. And to top it off, the Extended Cut is free DLC, allowing everyone to choose which endings they liked best. All in all, I'd say Mass Effect 3 earned it's place in history.… Expand
  10. johann1978
    Jul 13, 2012
    9
    Its a gread Game and with the EE worthy of financial statements of the Story. I have cried at the Ending, because it was aware thats now over with my Shepard, 4 Years long i have playes she... Thank your Bioware vor the great Serie, ich love it and i hope you make a good Mass Effect 4.
  11. Smaug
    Jul 13, 2012
    0
    I have played Mass Effect from the first one, It had a marvelous and original setting that no much rpg's could mach.Still aside from the story combat was creative but often frustrating. In second one story got a lot blander with all that Cerberus nonsense but at least combat was better and game more refined.
    But third one is just terrible, the new writer who overtook the scene is awful,    I have played Mass Effect from the first one, It had a marvelous and original setting that no much rpg's could mach.Still aside from the story combat was creative but often frustrating. In second one story got a lot blander with all that Cerberus nonsense but at least combat was better and game more refined.
    But third one is just terrible, the new writer who overtook the scene is awful, knowing nothing of previous games, overall game quality is bad, an ugly copy-paste ripped from previous games, low-res textures, logic errors in quests, unasked multiplayer component in a singleplayer game, day-1 DLC, broken promises, brought out reviews, defiling of the scene with "human master race" storyline.

    Worst game I ever brought truly shocked and angered beyond reason for destruction of my favorite trilogy, whoever in EA is responsible for this atrocity should be hanged for his crimes against the fanbase, I now need some strong alcohol to forget what I saw. oh poor Tali what have they done to you.(sob) :(    … Expand
  12. intruder313
    Jul 13, 2012
    8
    Bought it cheap but still did not touch the game until the Extended Cut appeared so my review is only of that version - I don't even know what was added to be honest.

    It takes a while to get going but I was rewarded with an occasionally epic midgame and a reasonable ending to the whole saga. The combat scenes are far, far too easy though so I recommend pumping it above normal    Bought it cheap but still did not touch the game until the Extended Cut appeared so my review is only of that version - I don't even know what was added to be honest.

    It takes a while to get going but I was rewarded with an occasionally epic midgame and a reasonable ending to the whole saga. The combat scenes are far, far too easy though so I recommend pumping it above normal difficulty. It's also about the quietest game I've ever played so I had to drive my volume settings to about double what I normally use.

    Also I got the distinct impression that most of my travels were completely pointless since you fairly quickly reach the "Minimum" Force level to complete the game - I doubt greater values matter.

    The galactic readiness map is of course entirely meaningless in the Single Player game but that's not something I recall being made aware of. Just ignore it.    … Expand
  13. athleos
    Jul 12, 2012
    6
    I purchased ME1&ME2; but, while I like the game play of ME3 I am protesting it, by not buying it. They got rid of the original story writer, they crapped on the graphics, ruined the game ending and put homosexuals on my ship. Gamers are not defined by gay ideologies or self-righteous straights, for crying out! we are just gamers. Fun games should not be used as devise where staff writersI purchased ME1&ME2; but, while I like the game play of ME3 I am protesting it, by not buying it. They got rid of the original story writer, they crapped on the graphics, ruined the game ending and put homosexuals on my ship. Gamers are not defined by gay ideologies or self-righteous straights, for crying out! we are just gamers. Fun games should not be used as devise where staff writers bow to the political right or left. So, with these three negatives I will not buy this game. If the graphics and the game ending were really amazing, I would still not buy it - unless - the ME3 configuration utility allowed me to decide/change the gay/straight themes for my personal game preferences. It is when game developers force you to play their way instead of allowing the gamer to make their own personal choice, then I say **** you Bioware and EA, I will start downloading free games from torrent sites from now on, until you stop nailing gamers up the ass with your nickel and dime DLC and politicking ideology crap. Please stop doing this to gamers.… Expand
  14. Aralakh
    Jul 11, 2012
    8
    The only reason Mass Effect 3 doesn't get a perfect 10 from me is the ending, plain and simple. Even since the release of the extended cut, I can't help but feel that BioWare didn't give this series the conclusion it deserves. That said, the game is absolutely fantastic, and by far the greatest sci-fi RPG to be released in a long, long time.
  15. Mojo_Spriggs
    Jul 10, 2012
    0
    I'll be going over various aspects of Mass Effect 3. However, for people trolling this game on Metacritic for the ending, this is not the place to cry. Don't give the game a bad rating because you ended up with the worst ending. Moving on to the graphics:
    Graphics: DirectX 9, runs very smoothly on most GPUs. An improvement from Mass Effect 2, but it cannot match the new DX11 games    I'll be going over various aspects of Mass Effect 3. However, for people trolling this game on Metacritic for the ending, this is not the place to cry. Don't give the game a bad rating because you ended up with the worst ending. Moving on to the graphics:
    Graphics: DirectX 9, runs very smoothly on most GPUs. An improvement from Mass Effect 2, but it cannot match the new DX11 games obviously.
    Story: I was very disappointed in the story. It was just "Okay". The storyline got boring after the second time playing it. It was also very short compared to Mass Effect 2's.
    Combat: Combat was improved dramatically from Mass Effect 2. Multiplayer: This topic is a hot one. In my opinion, i enjoy Multiplayer. It can entertain me for hours. Characters: There are very few characters from Mass Effect 1 & 2, and very few new characters that are introduced. This should give you an idea on how quick the campaign goes.
    Anamation Effects: By this, i mean "Character Animations". These improved a little from Mass Effect 2, but not by much.
    Issues I Found: The big difference between Mass Effect 2 & 3 is the combat. ME2 was about the 'Story', while ME3 focuses on 'Combat'. ME3's story get shortened compared to ME2, but it compensates by indroducing Multiplayer. I think Mass Effect is turning more into a Halo-like game. In the next Mass Effect, i'd like to see a deeper story that was more like ME2, however, i'd also like to keep the combat from ME3. I want to see a Co-op option and the MP taken out. I'm also hoping for DX11 graphics. Overall, the game gets an 86. It's a great game to snag 'On Sale'.    … Expand
  16. gambit1892
    Jul 9, 2012
    6
    I' ve played all 3 mass effect games, I believe the first one had the best scenario, the second was also interesting and improved as far as game play is concerned. The third installment left me with mixed emotions, I enjoyed the gameplay which is much more realistic and fun, you have more freedom on the battlefield and a larger variety of moves and enemies. The quest system where youI' ve played all 3 mass effect games, I believe the first one had the best scenario, the second was also interesting and improved as far as game play is concerned. The third installment left me with mixed emotions, I enjoyed the gameplay which is much more realistic and fun, you have more freedom on the battlefield and a larger variety of moves and enemies. The quest system where you search for Assets on planets is similar to the one M.E. 2 had, I think it is a quite boring, I would prefer to search for Assets with the Mako like in M.E. 1., but I guess that is subjective because others believe you could easily get lost with the Mako in M.E.1 resulting in frustration. Anyway, the weakest element in M.E. 3 is, in my opinion, its scenario and particularly the ending. I do not wish to write in detail about it, somethings are better left for others to judge on their own. However I must point out that it seemed sloppy and hasty, almost like fast food, quickly rushed off the grill and on a plate. I played the normal edition and the extended cut, which was slightly improved but still it just went from hot-dog to burger. I strongly believe EA rushed Bio-ware to launch the game in order to start generating income and unfortunately the end depicted that. I remember some years ago I played and finished Star Wars:Knights of the old Republic, also by Bioware, a great game by my standards mainly for the scenario. But.... KOTOR2 was a different story... published by Lucas Arts and developed by Obsidian because Bioware refused to succumb to the pressure of an early release, anyway that's not the point, the important thing is that when I finished KOTOR2 I realized I didn't understand anything, not just the ending..... So I' ve seen worse cases than M.E. 3, but unfortunately I've also seen better work from Bioware. If only they delayed one more month the game release, M.E. 3 would have had a different, more solid ending I believe, besides, it took them one month to release the extended cut dlc, and it probably cost them more, perhaps not financially, but ethicly and in terms of brand name, I don't think many people will pre order Bioware games from now on.......when glass breaks, it can't be glued, same goes for trust.… Expand
  17. jigme
    Jul 9, 2012
    9
    Played the whole series. Loved it. I played through Mass Effect 3 one time, using the extended cut, so I did not get traumatized, it seems. Combat is fun, writing is top-notch. My only complaints: too short, too linear, not enough replay value (also, that Asian villain was REALLY cheesy. REALLY). I forgive it all because I like the Mass Effect universe, and I like Liara too much. I wish itPlayed the whole series. Loved it. I played through Mass Effect 3 one time, using the extended cut, so I did not get traumatized, it seems. Combat is fun, writing is top-notch. My only complaints: too short, too linear, not enough replay value (also, that Asian villain was REALLY cheesy. REALLY). I forgive it all because I like the Mass Effect universe, and I like Liara too much. I wish it was designed in a way that I could keep playing.… Expand
  18. dragonxrage55
    Jul 9, 2012
    5
    I waited for the Extended Cut before submitting a review because I felt that was the most fair way to rate the game. As a stand-alone game, I think ME3 would have been pretty good. I enjoyed the combat system and a good portion of the plot. The characters are written in such a way that they truly become human to you, and you come to care about them. However, I feel this game was onlyI waited for the Extended Cut before submitting a review because I felt that was the most fair way to rate the game. As a stand-alone game, I think ME3 would have been pretty good. I enjoyed the combat system and a good portion of the plot. The characters are written in such a way that they truly become human to you, and you come to care about them. However, I feel this game was only average because I followed all the developer updates and advertisements on it, and I played the first two games in the series. I do not agree with the people who are giving this game a 0, because that certainly isn't fair, although I do understand that some people feel betrayed by Bioware with this game. I also feel that a perfect or ridiculously high score for this game isn't fair because it does not take into account that so much more was promised for this game. I will detail this as best I can without spoilers.

    The first thing I have to talk about it the multiplayer. Time and again, Bioware said that it was completely optional and that it was an alternative way to get the best ending. However, it turned out not to be true- mulitplayer was required to get the best possible ending. The Extended Cut changes this, and so that problem is rectified. However, I feel it is worth noting that Bioware claimed time and again that multiplayer was optional, and yet the only thing that caused them to fix this problem was the fan outcry.

    Something amazing that I have to say about this game is that the soundtrack is the best I have heard in a game in a long time. I wish they had this kind of soundtrack for the previous two games, because it is just that good.

    The bulk of the plot includes a pretty good story and side stories, as I said, but in the scope of the trilogy there are some problems. Many of the choices from previous games have little to no consequences. While I understand that it would not be possible to incorporate every little choice into this game, the game was advertised to show the consequences of the player's actions. Some choices were even stated by the developers to have "huge consequences" only for such statements to turn out not to be true. There are minor variations in the plot to account for player decisions, but at no point in the game are there "huge consequences."

    Another good thing about the game I found was the improved combat system. Combat is much more tactical and fun than the previous games. Even the multiplayer is a lot of fun. As stated previously, my only issue with the multiplayer was that it was forced initially. The combat system is fun, regardless of whether it is single or multi player.

    Finally, there is the controversial ending. If I could submit a review solely on the ending, that would be a 0. However, if I could review the entire game except for the ending it would be a 6 or 7. The initial ending would have been mediocre if it were the end of a standalone game. As the ending of a trilogy the prided itself on choice, the original ending was downright insulting, given that despite the player's final choice the endings were almost entirely the same. The Extended Cut keeps the endings thematically the same while essentially making them look different. It provides a significant improvement, and for many (including myself) it adds replay value to the game and the series. I have to say though, as someone who has been a fan since the original Mass Effect, that ending was not the ending that Mass Effect deserved. To people who have followed the trilogy, the ending was a massive disappointment. I am not letting that fact influence the score I give the game, because I do not think that is fair. The majority of the game is pretty good, and if it were not for the couple of other problems, the score I gave would be a few points higher, but the emotional part of me wanted to give this game a much lower score. Again, that isn't fair, and that is why I didn't, but to anyone who was a hardcore fan of this series, the ending, which essentially leaves what happens up to the player's imagination, is ridiculously disappointing.    … Expand
  19. Yazour
    Jul 8, 2012
    9
    After looking at all the red scores this game has received I have been compelled to speak out. I don't think most users have given this game a fair go. It has received this negative criticism for many reasons. Some of the criticism is fair, but most of it is drivel written by petulant children that didn't get their cookie.

    Firstly there had been unrealistic expectations placed upon    After looking at all the red scores this game has received I have been compelled to speak out. I don't think most users have given this game a fair go. It has received this negative criticism for many reasons. Some of the criticism is fair, but most of it is drivel written by petulant children that didn't get their cookie.

    Firstly there had been unrealistic expectations placed upon it. It is the third of an epic trilogy. Not only did it have three times the attention that an original release would have done, but it also carried with it two games worth of changeable back-story that needed working into the plot. That is a serious amount of baggage for any development team to work with. Pleasing everyone was never going to happen if the game was ever going to be released. I am amazed however how smoothly the game plays out having played through it now with three different save game imports. Bioware have done a superlative job in simply getting a coherent story out of two games worth (70 hours worth) of loose threads, and should be commended for their efforts.

    Secondly plot has developed in line with the popular hero trend. If you want your hero    … Expand
  20. wisetaner
    Jul 8, 2012
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I just finished playing ME3 with all the available DLC's including the extended cut...so far I played through the "Refusing to choice", Synthesis" and "Destruction" options. The first two while bitter sweet, were rather good. Where as the destruction option, just left me feeling frustrated. Due to where it shows Shepard suddenly taking a breath as though having been out cold. But then the credits begin rolling.

    It just made it seem like more of a teaser to see Shepard's suddenly breath in and then nothing else. I can understand Bioware wanting to leave it up to the gamers imagination...but that teaser, is like torture.

    I just wanted to mention that. But again the other two ending options I played through, those were rather good and while I don't know what the original shorter endings were like, I did appreciate the extended cut version. I just would have liked to have more certainty of Shepard's fate after that breath.

    Heck I really would have enjoyed seeing an option where Shepard rejoins his friends upon the Normandy. But what can be told, aside from just appreciating the fact that at least his friends survived and the she/he got to breath again.

    At any rate, the game overall was amazing...and perhaps I feel that way because I waited until the extended cut DLC became available.    … Expand
  21. thugmuffin
    Jul 8, 2012
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It is not often that the last game in a series manages to effectively ruin the work of its predecessors and their replay values, along with its own. But Mass Effect 3 does exactly that. The extended cut does nothing to alleviate the problems introduced by the original ending, just as patching a few holes in the hull of the Titanic wouldn't stop it from sinking because of the ginormous hole created by the impact with the iceberg.

    What is Mass Effect 3's iceberg? Why does it ruin the first two games in the trilogy for me? Because of what the ending does to the reapers, and how it invalidates 3 games worth of work. The reapers in the first two games were a mysterious, godlike force that were, as Sovereign told us, beyond our comprehension. Mass Effect 1 was shrouded with an ominous enigma; we had no idea what motivated the reapers or what their true purpose was. All we knew is that they wanted to end sentient life in the galaxy, and that this wasn't the first time they had done it. Mass Effect 2 kept this up. Even before the ending in Mass Effect 3, the reaper on Rannoch tells Shepard that the reason for the mass genocide is "not something you can comprehend". But I noticed something was amiss in the proceeding dialogue. The reaper continues to say, "Without our intervention, organics are doomed. We are your salvation." This was just a hint at the **** that would occur in the last 5 minutes of the game. As it turns out, according to the Star-kid-god-deus-ex-machina, the reapers are merely puppets; he controls them. They are well within our comprehension. They aren't mysterious at all. Now when I play the first 2 games, I know that Sovereign and Harbinger are talking out their asses when they say that we cannot imagine their realm of existence. It's just sad how they effectively made two badass bad guys in the first 2 games into stupid little dolls. It makes the first two games hardly bearable.

    The Starkid tells us that they were his solution to the problem of how organics inevitably create synthetic life, which inevitably kills organic life. So his solution is to kill all organic life before this really happens. Are you kidding me? First of all, that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Why not just let organics get themselves killed instead of forcibly doing it? Second, why did I just spend the last 3 games repairing the relations between the Geth and Quarians? Does it mean nothing at all that I manufactured a peace between them? Oh, you're telling me it happens in every cycle? ****. Third, why all of a sudden is the core theme of the game synthetics vs. organics? I thought it was about making my own decisions, crafting my own destiny, and uniting all species under a common goal, organic or not? Now, all of a sudden, oh it turns out the Geth will eventually kill you, so we'll kill you before that happens. Simply unacceptable. Honestly, a third grader could write a better ending. And I'm forced into making a stupid decision at the end of the game that doesn't really incorporate any previous decisions, like the developers promised. Saved the Rachni queen? Cured the genophage? Created peace between the Geth and the Quarians? LOL DOESN'T MATTER. Pick a color.

    Now when I try to replay the series, I know I will be forced into this awful ending, none of my decisions matter, the bad guys are just tools, the Geth will kill everyone if unchecked, and Ashley/Kaiden will still not trust me despite everything I've done for the galaxy.

    Also, what was the point of Mass Effect 1? If the Starkid is a part of the Citadel, why didn't he just open the relay instead of letting stupid Sovereign fumble around like a fool? He can apparently generate a blinding light that merges synthetic life and organic life, which is far more complicated than anything that's ever existed ever, so I'm sure he's capable of pressing a damn button. And even if he couldn't, it apparently only takes 6 months for reapers to get from dark space to the galaxy, so why didn't they just do that in the first place?

    The only reason I'm so upset is because how much I loved the first 2.9 games. I saw the Mass Effect trilogy as this generation's Star Wars, a space opera of epic proportions that has a meticulous and interesting universe. But Mass Effect 3 really just makes me.. sad. Because its ending did not do the series justice. The Rannoch, Tuchanka, Mordin, and Thane scenes all brought me to tears. The entire series was astounding up until the last few minutes. Bioware had the chance to define the Mass Effect trilogy as the new standard for story driven games. But now? It's just.. bleh. I will probably never buy a Bioware game again. First Dragon Age 2, then SWTOR, and now this. They have fumbled 3 great franchises. Oh well.    … Expand
  22. scifi_lover
    Jul 7, 2012
    2
    As a stand alone game, it was mediocre at best. As the 3rd installment in a trilogy, if failed in almost every way possible.
    Your character is no longer yours but a forced character by BW.
    Autodialog forces conversations in directions that go against the players choices. Boring, uninspired fetch quests inundate the game. Exceptionally linear in design, unlike the pseudo-free style of    As a stand alone game, it was mediocre at best. As the 3rd installment in a trilogy, if failed in almost every way possible.
    Your character is no longer yours but a forced character by BW.
    Autodialog forces conversations in directions that go against the players choices.
    Boring, uninspired fetch quests inundate the game.
    Exceptionally linear in design, unlike the pseudo-free style of the previous games.
    Endings that nothing to smile about and everything to hate. Infused with massive, game breaking, space magic.
    Overall, a childish attempt at ending a trilogy. Not worth the purchase price.    … Expand
  23. Ardara
    Jul 7, 2012
    5
    This game feels completely different to his predecessors. Bad writing, plotholes and inconsistencies, a forced storyline, "stagnant" characters and autodialogue really prevented me from enjoying this chapter. It just felt.. wrong. Even without addressing the endings issue. Since ME1 (which I loved) it's been a way down.
  24. Dralium
    Jul 7, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I gave 0 last time. now the ending makes it less worst. I won't write a new review since I think like everyone else. Don't buy, rent. and stop when you kill the illusive man. no point going further.… Expand
  25. AidanByrne
    Jul 6, 2012
    3
    The entire game focuses on a story which doesn't relate to Me and ME2 very well. Most missions you do come across as tacked in just to add gameplay hours, at least 3 Deus Ex Machina plot points (We don't have a cure for the genophage....wait...yes we do now; How can we know what the catalyst is? Hey, there's prothean beacon over there! Reapers cannot be defeated. There's a thing calledThe entire game focuses on a story which doesn't relate to Me and ME2 very well. Most missions you do come across as tacked in just to add gameplay hours, at least 3 Deus Ex Machina plot points (We don't have a cure for the genophage....wait...yes we do now; How can we know what the catalyst is? Hey, there's prothean beacon over there! Reapers cannot be defeated. There's a thing called crucible, no one knows what it is or what it does, but hey, it's big! Must work!), and many more senseless things happening.
    Also, using cerberus as villains was simply a retarded cop out for enemies, and they ruined TIM in the process, turning the "ultimate renegade" into a deranged power hungry maniac.
    It's just sad how they handled ME2 characters, especially when romanced.
    The gameplay flows a bit soother than ME2, but it still has rather stupid cover mechanics. Also in the gameplay, the auto-dialog... Probably the worst idea they could have!
    Now, to the endings... Well, it is said that if a part of the story feels completely out of place, it can be disregarded from the plot so logically, the game ends before the companions are picked up by the Normandy during harby's nap time, therefore, I'm still waiting for the endings.    … Expand
  26. flexasaurus
    Jul 5, 2012
    3
    The main problem of this game has to be the fact that they left out Drew Karpishyn, the guy who wrote the first two games, I knew right from the beginning, that it didn't feel right, wen I figured out EA put their dirty little hands on everything mass effect, That was the end of it. I invested to much time and money on the series, only for it to be sabotaged by EA and their minions. IThe main problem of this game has to be the fact that they left out Drew Karpishyn, the guy who wrote the first two games, I knew right from the beginning, that it didn't feel right, wen I figured out EA put their dirty little hands on everything mass effect, That was the end of it. I invested to much time and money on the series, only for it to be sabotaged by EA and their minions. I loved the mass effect universe, it got me through tough times, it meant a lot to me, I know that sounds gay but its true, The first two games hit the right buttons for me.

    But now I feel worse. The extended cut was the nail on the coffin, and now some **** is already laying out the plans for a mass effect MMO. Extended cut.... More like extended disappointment.. Thats my two cents anyways...    … Expand
  27. Vangriffeth
    Jul 5, 2012
    5
    While I enjoyed the game play on its own, it most definitely was not the Mass Effect I remember. This game is to Mass Effect what a personal plane is to a personal jet, good on its own, but not what you wanted.
  28. ackka
    Jul 4, 2012
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I would give this game a 8 for the gameplay and a 3 for the overall story line, which resulted in a 5. The combat system is fun, the weapons feel real and the environments are awesome. Only downside is the covert system feels a bit clunky at times, especially moving from cover to cover.

    The plot and the direction they decided to go were so bad as to be almost laughable for a company like Bioware. Without going into too many details you pretty much spend 95% of the game fixing plot elements from mass effect 1 + 2 and then 5% of the game finding all your work meant absolutely nothing.

    There were so many different ways they could have done this, why they decided to kill off this franchise, I don    … Expand
  29. roboticsun
    Jul 4, 2012
    8
    Mass Effect 3 is a well made experience to say the least. The overall combat action is very fast and fluid though there are quite a few animation glitches here and there but aren't serious enough to ruin things. The six basic classes are played differently, so the combat itself had replay values. The enemy AI are improved a bit but still feels weak most time. The pause function reallyMass Effect 3 is a well made experience to say the least. The overall combat action is very fast and fluid though there are quite a few animation glitches here and there but aren't serious enough to ruin things. The six basic classes are played differently, so the combat itself had replay values. The enemy AI are improved a bit but still feels weak most time. The pause function really ruined this game imo which made this single player game rather easy. The story is epic in scope compare to the previous two entries but some new plots are not well explained. I wont put spoilers here, but the game indeed will confuse you if you ever played the first two mass effect games. the newly released extended cut added more explanations, though I do not feel it helped much.The playable characters are significantly reduced compare to mass effect 2 which leads to a shorter story line. the playable contents in single player part are noticeably less than those in mass effect 2. you should be able to finish most single player contents in 30~35 hours. However, the game did add a quite fun multilayer portion to compensate the shorter single player game. there are lots of unlockables in multilayer, so it should keep you busy for one or two months. despite the flaws, I still would say mass effect 3 is a very solid game combining fun combat, epic storyline and interactive cinema. It's still a memorable adventure and a must play for people who loved storytelling in video games.… Expand
  30. virgilivs
    Jul 4, 2012
    7
    Ok, there are some plot holes and some strange decision were took about ending cinematics, almost identical no matter the choice you pick at the end. But I really don't get why everyone is arguing about the final: that was an epic, perfect epilogue for this marvelous saga. Almost perfect game.
  31. EmperorDisaster
    Jul 3, 2012
    0
    I'm going to try reviewing this without talking about the disgrace to gaming known as "EA"... But what the hell, EA deliver minimal gaming to the public, expecting them to survive on a half-done game, and deliver their wallets for the next 5000 DLC's. I cannot understand why EA take companies such as Bioware, who have been immensely successful in the past, and absolutely rip the creativityI'm going to try reviewing this without talking about the disgrace to gaming known as "EA"... But what the hell, EA deliver minimal gaming to the public, expecting them to survive on a half-done game, and deliver their wallets for the next 5000 DLC's. I cannot understand why EA take companies such as Bioware, who have been immensely successful in the past, and absolutely rip the creativity from them. The ending is disgustingly inaccurate to the rest of the series (no surprise thanks to the 1 million writer changes), and gameplay seems to be a child's interpretation of the previous games, the graphics seem half done thanks to all the cartoony looks on humans, and the game in genral, ABSOLUTE FILTH. EA is the disgrace in gaming that likes to place it in the shower and choke it to death. The END.… Expand
  32. FemShep
    Jul 1, 2012
    10
    The problems that everyone had with the ending have been fixed with the Extended Cut and additional closure and clarification was added making this game the ideal choice for purchase if you haven't already. :)
  33. Deadgraphics
    Jul 1, 2012
    2
    As a fan of the two previous mass effects I have to say this was a let down, some gameplay issues, story is decent to a point, but what hurt most was the ending. Bioware not think that throwing there own lore out the window would hurt the fans really took me aback. Since the extended cut was released it fixed some issues but still leaves a bad taste in your mouth, plus a few new plotAs a fan of the two previous mass effects I have to say this was a let down, some gameplay issues, story is decent to a point, but what hurt most was the ending. Bioware not think that throwing there own lore out the window would hurt the fans really took me aback. Since the extended cut was released it fixed some issues but still leaves a bad taste in your mouth, plus a few new plot holes. An unfortunate ending to what was a good series.… Expand
  34. GRANIT_Salvo
    Jun 30, 2012
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Promises broken. The entire experience of the 3 games is destroyed by the end. It feels as if EA forced them to remove the true ending and put this ending in to force-fit a 4th game. I predict a Mass Effect 4. . .and I will not buy it.… Expand
  35. Mortensus
    Jun 29, 2012
    3
    After the release i gave this game a score of 1 because in my feeling not only the end was rushed/ full of nonsense, most of the game was way behind the 1st and 2nd, and none of what they promised (i mean, the things that make good rpg, and that made the 2nd and especially the 1st very good and enjoyable games), none of theses promises were kept.
    So the end was the cherry on the cake.    After the release i gave this game a score of 1 because in my feeling not only the end was rushed/ full of nonsense, most of the game was way behind the 1st and 2nd, and none of what they promised (i mean, the things that make good rpg, and that made the 2nd and especially the 1st very good and enjoyable games), none of theses promises were kept.
    So the end was the cherry on the cake.
    After so much time and a so huge dlc (almost 2 gigs) they somewhat 'fixed' things, well, they think they did. Not for me, but i have to admit they did something.
    But that doesn't make of me3 a good game, just a less bad game (bad for the price and announcements, it would be amazing for a game 5 years in the past and 20    … Expand
  36. Jagdpanther
    Jun 29, 2012
    1
    Horrible scenario, horrible missons, horrible teammates, horrible endings, horrible controlling, horrible and very long dialogs and War Assests... Mass Effect 3 is horrible. Mass Effect 2 is the best.
  37. Swisspease
    Jun 29, 2012
    9
    I am re-reviewing this game due to the Extended Cut release. I had originally given this a 4 due to the horrible ending with the Extended Cut I feel Bioware did well in trying to wrap up a difficult story. Bioware can't make everyone happy but I am satisfied with the Extended Cut and look forward to replaying this game over and over now.
  38. NinerJonny
    Jun 28, 2012
    10
    Do not believe the negative trolls that have taken over this review site. This is one of the best sci-fi games ever produced and comes to an excellent conclusion. The new extended cut makes it that much better. If you pass this game up because of the negative idiots, you have no one to blame but yourself. Try the game and come to your own conclusion...
  39. AndrewGL
    Jun 27, 2012
    9
    With the new Extended CUT DLC, while the endings could be better, it brings this game back up to its deserved 10/10 (it still gets 9 because... I had to wait 4 months to get this ending, but if it shipped like this, it would have been a 10). It provides closure, has some really touching scenes, and overall just allows the player to sit back think "my work here is finished". Before we knewWith the new Extended CUT DLC, while the endings could be better, it brings this game back up to its deserved 10/10 (it still gets 9 because... I had to wait 4 months to get this ending, but if it shipped like this, it would have been a 10). It provides closure, has some really touching scenes, and overall just allows the player to sit back think "my work here is finished". Before we knew nothing, and it felt like a slap in the face. All I have to say is Bioware, I knew you had it in you! Next time just do this from the get-go =(… Expand
  40. DukeGrimm
    Jun 27, 2012
    9
    Bioware stepped up and made the changes that bring the game to what it should have been. The game is not complete. As such my rating is what I feel the product should be alloted based on its story, gameplay, and functionality.
  41. Gonzi
    Jun 27, 2012
    10
    I loved almost everything about Mass Effect 2 and yet Mass Effect 3 delivers even better game. Action parts are perfect, flanking works flawlessly and I really like different types of enemies. I like the plotline and while I must say, that potential from previous saves is rather underused, it still feels like "mine" universe and whole story of all three games works with it rather nicely.I loved almost everything about Mass Effect 2 and yet Mass Effect 3 delivers even better game. Action parts are perfect, flanking works flawlessly and I really like different types of enemies. I like the plotline and while I must say, that potential from previous saves is rather underused, it still feels like "mine" universe and whole story of all three games works with it rather nicely.
    PS: DON'T PLAY IT WITHOUT EXTENDED ENDING DLC    … Expand
  42. Dheu
    Jun 25, 2012
    7
    So, I share the same gripe that everyone else has with ME3: it only has 3 endings. And by 3 endings I mean 1 ending with 3 different color overlays. Red, green and blue. Now the 1 ending is fine, but I was expecting no less than 6 distinct endings and frankly I was hoping for more like 9 or 12 given all the hype over how our choices would impact the end. But no, all those choicesSo, I share the same gripe that everyone else has with ME3: it only has 3 endings. And by 3 endings I mean 1 ending with 3 different color overlays. Red, green and blue. Now the 1 ending is fine, but I was expecting no less than 6 distinct endings and frankly I was hoping for more like 9 or 12 given all the hype over how our choices would impact the end. But no, all those choices culminate in 1 ending with 3 color overlays...

    That said, ME3 is a great game. Graphics are great, story is great, the soundtrack is excellent. It has in depth character development and ties up all the loose ends. You will meet all the (surviving) characters from the first two episodes and help them out at least one more time. It will make you smile, laugh and cry... or at least look really solemn. The game does NOT deserve a score less than 5 from anyone. It is a shining example of the kind of games the industry should be producing and deserves your vote and purchase. How the user score on this is lower than the likes of Alan Wake or Duke Nukem Forever is beyond me. But yeah, I have to dock it some points for having no visually distinct endings.    … Expand
  43. RangerGxi
    Jun 24, 2012
    9
    This game was amazing! The character was deep and the final conclusion made my boner rip through my pants. The gameplay was solid, with great innovation from EA but the game still holding to it's roots. I really don't understand all the hatred this game receives. If you read into the indoctrination theory and follow the correct ending you will probably see the ending as one of the greatestThis game was amazing! The character was deep and the final conclusion made my boner rip through my pants. The gameplay was solid, with great innovation from EA but the game still holding to it's roots. I really don't understand all the hatred this game receives. If you read into the indoctrination theory and follow the correct ending you will probably see the ending as one of the greatest ending's of all time. The ending ranks high on my favorite endings, among Fallout 3, Bioshock, etc.

    People who hate this ending are self-entitled brats giant expectations that are unrealistic. Each ending PERFECTLY reflected your decisions throughout the game. lol    … Expand
  44. lordythegreat
    Jun 23, 2012
    6
    The main problem with mass effect three compared to the last two is that all these decisions, all those player deaths, all those events and consequences that you have caused to happen in the lead up to this game, most of them seem to have very little final impact on the finale (which was rubbish btw). some plot lines just plain dont make sense (The reapers, a killing race of machines, wereThe main problem with mass effect three compared to the last two is that all these decisions, all those player deaths, all those events and consequences that you have caused to happen in the lead up to this game, most of them seem to have very little final impact on the finale (which was rubbish btw). some plot lines just plain dont make sense (The reapers, a killing race of machines, were sent to destroy us because in the future we would create a race of machines that would end mankind. um wtf?!?!) the build up to the last few battles was nigh on brilliant, all the characthers you fall in love (or hate) with have their fitting stories and some fitting conclusions, but then the final battles and final outcome takes all of those stories, completely discards and disregards them and gives you a supposedly "artistic" end sequence. again i call bs, its a cop out, its like the script writers went on strike for the last month of development so they called in a college psych student to finish it off. I wasnt angry the night i finished it, but sleeping on it i woke up really p-off.

    the combat is improved from number two, and the multiplayer is a nice touch if lacking any real depth, i would say it feels like an experiment rather than a key part of the game. You will find yourself in some explosive chaotic moments that hold you on the edge of your seat, which is great, but the final pay off is just a big nothing, could be the worst ending to a game since metal gear solid 2. In conclusion, its a great end to the series BUT it sacrifices great rpg elements for third person shooting elements that gears of war did better. To add insult to injury bioware is now making dlc to change the ending. So... is that an admittance of failure on your part Bioware? cheers bro    … Expand
  45. AgeofLeon
    Jun 22, 2012
    9
    Mass effect as a trilogy is by far one of the better action RPGs out there. Mass effect 3 is an excellent addition to it, though its ending may leave you feeling unsatisfied. You play as Commander Shepard, on a quest to save the galaxy from the Reapers, who are these ancient synthetic aliens hell bent on wiping out all organic life. It's a shooter RPG, and while the gameplay is quite niceMass effect as a trilogy is by far one of the better action RPGs out there. Mass effect 3 is an excellent addition to it, though its ending may leave you feeling unsatisfied. You play as Commander Shepard, on a quest to save the galaxy from the Reapers, who are these ancient synthetic aliens hell bent on wiping out all organic life. It's a shooter RPG, and while the gameplay is quite nice especially compared to earlier mass effect editions, the heart and soul of this game is not in its gameplay but in its story and characterization. You'll care about your squad members in a way you wouldn't in other games. You'll actually want to know what happens to them. This is bioware's strength: creating games with characters you actually like and want to know more about. For most of the game and especially the Tuchanka mission, the game is an absolute blast. It is more challenging than Mass effect 1 and 2 in a good way, and they've removed the distracting mini games. There has been much written about Mass effect 3's ending and for good reason, if you are like the majority you will wonder what the hell happened. Its ending is not its strength, but don't let that dissuade you. It's mostly a really great game. To get the most out of it, I highly recommend playing mass effect 1 and 2 first, as your choices will carry over into 3 and make it that much more meaningful.… Expand
  46. TheTypeOfGuy
    Jun 21, 2012
    9
    Mass Effect 3 was the worst game in the series. While Multiplayer was a nice addition, i think that the singleplayer suffered a lot. Most time there are only two choices (the middle option is missing, except in some parts), the journal system got worse from me2 to 3 (how can that happen?), no vehicle exploration or little mini games and to much Auto-Dialog (Story- and RPG-Mode). Now letsMass Effect 3 was the worst game in the series. While Multiplayer was a nice addition, i think that the singleplayer suffered a lot. Most time there are only two choices (the middle option is missing, except in some parts), the journal system got worse from me2 to 3 (how can that happen?), no vehicle exploration or little mini games and to much Auto-Dialog (Story- and RPG-Mode). Now lets go to the multiplayer. The matchmaking is the worst I have ever seen and the anti-cheating system is overly sensitive (Everyone can report someone and he gets banned even he didnt do anything. Happend to me 2 times already. Had to report these mistakes and got to play multiplayer again). The good Aspects of the Game are that the dialog with your squadmates are unique and funny. You could have though BioWare looked directly into the souls of the fans. Some Missions were so unique and awesome (Tuchanka for example) that it could have redeemed BioWare for all those bad aspects. But the one thing that is the worst piece of yeah i think you know what i mean are these super intelligence-insulting endings. With that ending and the bad aspect of the game bioware not only ruined its reputation but lost a lot of (good) fans. I'd rate this game minus (over)9000 but because of some awesome moments i rate it with good will a 2 out of 10. BioWare please take these critism to heart and change while you still can! I still have faith in you.… Expand
  47. Duratan
    Jun 19, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Mass effect is a game that tries to appease old fans and be a natural starting point for new fans sadly it fails at both new fans will feel overwhelmed by the situations while old fans will feel betrayed by the lack of differences in choices, i will elaborate on both but i would like this time to say the there will be spoilers

    spoiler alert

    new fans wont understand the gravity of the geth quarian conflict and wont feel the much passion when the shepard (the protagonist) talks about the sacrifice of a squad-mate that occurred in the first game, its also a bit overwhelming to be dumped in to this world with a lack of understanding of the different races

    older fans will play a much more dumbed down version of the game, as the organization that you may have helped in previous game will be your enemy no matter what you did before, the game is also much more linear then previous games, and your a pigeon-holed in the the ending no matter what happens

    if your new to the series, you will still be taken on an emotional roller coaster that you may enjoy and this game should be rated a 6/10

    however if your a new fan the ending (at least for me) actually makes the two previous games worse meaning that this game should be given a negative score, as i am a fan of the previous games i will give it the lowest possible score of "0", as im not allowed to give the game a negative 20 for ruining the other two 10/10 games in the series    … Expand
  48. Amig
    Jun 19, 2012
    5
    A weak ending to a promising series. It had it's moments, but the absurd finale and overall low budget feel of the game kill it completely. Gameplay-wise it's still a linear third person shooter with subtle cRPG elements like exp, skill points and minor dialogue choices. The combat isn't as dull as it was in the previous game, but it's still not enough to keep you from falling asleepA weak ending to a promising series. It had it's moments, but the absurd finale and overall low budget feel of the game kill it completely. Gameplay-wise it's still a linear third person shooter with subtle cRPG elements like exp, skill points and minor dialogue choices. The combat isn't as dull as it was in the previous game, but it's still not enough to keep you from falling asleep during some of the longer firefights. The new teammates we recieved were rather uninteresting too, especially when compared to the weirdos we had to put up with in ME2 (Jack, Legion, Mordin, Thane...). On the other hand, Shepard himself seems a little more human and less BA, which is an improvement. Still, in the end the only thing that keeps this game alive is the multiplayer mode, which doesn't get boring quite as soon as one would think. Overall, ME3 is a disappointment, although it could have been worse. Probably.… Expand
  49. BlueB52
    Jun 17, 2012
    3
    The ending honestly just brought anger and depression. It literally ruined the series it was quite terrible. Bioware let down it's fans on this one.
  50. mikefromsaskato
    Jun 16, 2012
    10
    This series is an epic masterpiece, like what Star Wars should have been.

    Ignore the haters -- the ending is odd and disappointing, but these people are just freaking out. Probably the same people who do the hate-fest with the whole COD vs BF3 idiocy.
  51. ukwn
    Jun 14, 2012
    0
    How bring any positive opinion about Mass Effect III if we confront the two episodes already out ?
    The first episode is a monument, the second is nice continuation in spite of the game is made of a largest public support.
    the 3th is not a full game, there is no consistent ending, RPG components are missing and the game resume itself being an insipid 3rd person shooter. How pretend to    How bring any positive opinion about Mass Effect III if we confront the two episodes already out ?
    The first episode is a monument, the second is nice continuation in spite of the game is made of a largest public support.
    the 3th is not a full game, there is no consistent ending, RPG components are missing and the game resume itself being an insipid 3rd person shooter.
    How pretend to close like that a mythic triology, it's a real fail. Profit is the leitmotiv.    … Expand
  52. naznomarn
    Jun 13, 2012
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Brilliant game.
    I honestly can't really see why people are complaining so much. I've managed to get 45 hours of play out of this game, and I've not even played the multiplayer yet.
    The story is fantastic, the decisions you make DO affect the game and story.
    But yes, the ending was a little lacking, but what did everyone expect? A 20 minute film? It's a game, people. You play games... for the game. Not the cinematics. If you wanted a cinematic, go to the cinema or play Final Fantasy. Oh wait. You slated that for being too cinematic. Make up your minds already.

    Honestly, I didn't find these plot holes everyone's been banging on about. The biggest one they talk about is "how come the Normandy and crew got out of there alive!? D:" But it's kind of obvious. They did what they do on every mission in the entire game so far - escape just before everything goes kaboom.
    The crew's just seen Shepard blown to smithereens in a giant death ray. Personally, I'd be running the heck out of there too.
    And when a ginormous space station is about to blow up, Joker does exactly what Shepard told him to do - run the heck out of there instead of trying to go down with the ship.
    So plot hole? Not really. It's just people expecting to have everything spoon-fed to them.

    Now on to the "multi-player affects single player" gripe. Personally, I think it's a good thing if multiplayer affects the ending. Otherwise you completely separate the game in multiplayer and single player.

    Next, the "Deus Ex Machina" problem people mention, it's not there. Right from the first game they established that the Citadel summoned the Reapers. Which part of that don't people get?
    And then the "but if the justification is to stop the robots rising up... why're the Reapers robots!? D:" well... because they're machines without AI. Seeing as the Geth missions were all compulsory, and explained this plot point, and went through it several times over saying "but what if they rise up and destroy us!?" I'd've hoped people who played the game and didn't just read someone's ill-informed rant would have noticed that that's what the Citadel was trying to stop. And that the Reapers were 1. Organic / synthetics like Shepard, 2. Under the control of the Citadel, and 3. Didn't have an AI to rise up against the Citadel.
    People are also complaining about the day-one DLC that explains "major plot points". For the record - I've played it. Twice. And it doesn't. The character in it essentially says "I'm a soldier, not a scientist. What did you expect me to know? Moron." Everything else in it is already covered elsewhere in the game.

    But anyhow. The game has a few problems in it. The mission tracker thing doesn't update which can be really annoying, and the pre-rendered cinematics are of low quality. On the other hand, there are hundreds of side-quests, each with their own micro-story. At the end it would have been nice to have a quick montage of how the final choice affected the galaxy, but otherwise - no need for all the negative reviews. Yes, it's disappointing that there are only really three ways the game can end, and none of them have distinct cinematics at the end, but I played this game for the story and the game play. Not the cinematics.
    The end's half-baked, but does that really warrant 2,000 negative reviews that say "I loved the game. Until the end. Have a 0 Bioware. The game was worse than any I've ever played".

    Oh, and the graphics were great. I played ME2 and ME3 back-to-back. There was an improvement. If they weren't good enough for you, buy a proper graphics card and put it on full.    … Expand
  53. Miltan
    Jun 13, 2012
    8
    it' really cool games, however i agree that some faults are there, but not considerable too much.
    actually i found a discount code for the game, so i thought of a trial. i found its good for the price.
    i purchased this game with twenty dollars discount code found at topincoupons coupon website to use on new egg store.
  54. mondieu12
    Jun 12, 2012
    9
    IT WASN'T THAT BAD. The majority of the game is excellent, with certain character deaths really adding to the overall experience of the series (two in particular). The combat is exciting and fluid, the dialogue well written and well voice acted, and some of the choices are deep, and philosophically challenging. Yes, the ending wasn't what we expected, and I'm as annoyed as everyone else,IT WASN'T THAT BAD. The majority of the game is excellent, with certain character deaths really adding to the overall experience of the series (two in particular). The combat is exciting and fluid, the dialogue well written and well voice acted, and some of the choices are deep, and philosophically challenging. Yes, the ending wasn't what we expected, and I'm as annoyed as everyone else, but we can't let 10 minutes ruin a trilogy which we have passed countless well-spent hours playing!… Expand
  55. Darahas
    Jun 11, 2012
    7
    This game is a very good game, don't get me wrong. I'm not giving this a 7 out of 10 because of the ending, because I actually liked the ending (but that's because I believe in the Indoctrination theory; if you don't know what the Indoctrination theory is, it's a very plausible theory for the ending of the game), and I enjoyed everything else. The reason why is I'm giving this a 7 isThis game is a very good game, don't get me wrong. I'm not giving this a 7 out of 10 because of the ending, because I actually liked the ending (but that's because I believe in the Indoctrination theory; if you don't know what the Indoctrination theory is, it's a very plausible theory for the ending of the game), and I enjoyed everything else. The reason why is I'm giving this a 7 is because Mass Effect 3 didn't grip me like the others. It didn't suck me into this mass expansive world like Mass Effect 1 did, which I loved. This universe is well put together and I enjoy a good story. Like I've said before, Mass Effect 3 is a extremely well-made game, with enjoyable multiplayer and other elements that make it combine together. It just didn't grip me like the first and second. So I give this a 7 out of 10.… Expand
  56. GoodDevilTr
    Jun 11, 2012
    0
    The ending is ridiculously bad. Don't even start if you are a Mass Effect fan.. So disappointing.. This game is not RPG, its Action. Do not buy it. once great series, ruined by a once great company. Now both are garbage. Don't buy this. Don't give bioware any money, don't support what they are doing to gaming.
  57. rwh1
    Jun 10, 2012
    10
    I have played both versions 1 and 2 to the end several times over and while I'm only starting chapter 2 on the 3rd game I very much like what I'm seen so far. Based on the huge numbers of negative reviews I came very close to passing this game by, but I'm glad I gave it a try. It is a whole lot better than people have been saying. Good graphics, good crisp game action along with wellI have played both versions 1 and 2 to the end several times over and while I'm only starting chapter 2 on the 3rd game I very much like what I'm seen so far. Based on the huge numbers of negative reviews I came very close to passing this game by, but I'm glad I gave it a try. It is a whole lot better than people have been saying. Good graphics, good crisp game action along with well developed characters and story. The game allows you to import saves from of the prior verisons and the decisions you made in those games play important parts in this game. Over all this is a hybrid action shooter coupled with RPG elements. The Biotic and powers have the role of magic systems in similar games. I've been reading that many folks have had problems with the ending, but I believe the most important thing is if the game is fun to play and does it drag you into the story so you care about the characters, your decisions and the outcome of the war. In fact, the decisions and consequences in this game are much more difficult and far reaching than in the other two, a fact that has caused me to replay missions I'd already won because I couldn't get comfortable with the moral decisions I'd made. Anyway, don't pass this game by you will be sorry. If I had one nit, it is there is not as much DLC for this version, but I hope EA works to put a little more content into the single player instead of focusing most of their work on the MPlayer verision.… Expand
  58. ZaPaAl
    Jun 10, 2012
    9
    I have not been a fan of Bioware since the Dragon Age 2 disaster or the ME series. Especially ME 2 with it's nerve wrecking harvesting, story unlikeliness and blank environments had me building up high levels of denial against it.

    But i just had to see the ending in ME 3, and i'm glad i did. I regard ME 3 as the best part of the series, it's good enough to compensate for all the flaws and    I have not been a fan of Bioware since the Dragon Age 2 disaster or the ME series. Especially ME 2 with it's nerve wrecking harvesting, story unlikeliness and blank environments had me building up high levels of denial against it.

    But i just had to see the ending in ME 3, and i'm glad i did.
    I regard ME 3 as the best part of the series, it's good enough to compensate for all the flaws and drags in the previous 2 parts.
    Few Games today have such high quality and enjoable amount of content. To some minor extent i can even understand the weak last minute DLC ripping.

    POSITIVE:
    Believable Story that makes you play along, interesting Dialogs, strong Atmosphere, Gameplay is fun (played as Vanguard), nice and smooth visuals. Good difficulty on normal (being careless get's you killed).

    NEUTRAL:
    It does need a few tweaks to get it in shape, check the ME wiki on how to. 6x speed for scenes and walking really can make a difference.
    It's not an RPG and shouldn't be marketed as one.
    Weapons are interesting, but most of the them are pretty much alike. Personally i found myself always coming back to the particle rifle.
    Nothing overly new, just a perfect wrapping up of the universe they created. Some low textures now and then, but nothing really disturbing.

    NEGATIVE:
    A few more customization options for armor would have been nice, currently I'd regard them as mainly cosmetic.
    Character relation's were a bit of focus this time.
    It had to end, and i would have preferred a stronger and more personal ending, but honestly i'm ok with it. Large scale problems do call for uncompromising solutions.    … Expand
  59. HrtBrk1
    Jun 9, 2012
    2
    Gameplay was decent, but overall; this game did not feel as if it was "complete." In the second Mass Effect, there was so much to do and you could TELL Bioware put their hearts and souls into it! But in this game, I don't get that feeling, there was just no depth and the interaction with the characters was disappointing, to say the least, Bioware seems to have forgotten that Liara, GarrusGameplay was decent, but overall; this game did not feel as if it was "complete." In the second Mass Effect, there was so much to do and you could TELL Bioware put their hearts and souls into it! But in this game, I don't get that feeling, there was just no depth and the interaction with the characters was disappointing, to say the least, Bioware seems to have forgotten that Liara, Garrus and Tali aren't the only characters in the game. This game seemed to be around 65% complete and the lack of detail is unacceptable for a Bioware game.… Expand
  60. Enerla
    Jun 8, 2012
    6
    There is nothing wrong with creative freedom, as long as you don't get "creative" when you describe a product. After all false statements in advertisements used to deceive the customers and generate more sales isn't considered artistic integrity, it is called fraud. Bioware spent months to explain that in Mass Effect 3 our choices will shape the world, and as they don't plan to continueThere is nothing wrong with creative freedom, as long as you don't get "creative" when you describe a product. After all false statements in advertisements used to deceive the customers and generate more sales isn't considered artistic integrity, it is called fraud. Bioware spent months to explain that in Mass Effect 3 our choices will shape the world, and as they don't plan to continue the story, we can get very different endings. The world can be very very different based on our choices. In the end, our choices didn't matter.

    Lack of choice and strange ending alone wouldn't be a problem. After all we know stories of games can't be perfect and the last 3 minutes aren't that important. We are free to imagine any different ending as the story won't continue. Who cares? And the game was fun until that point. The problem is: The game was a let down, because Bioware lied to us, deceived us. And after a huge let down, players can be disappointed and it can turn the gameplay experience sour and can remove any replay value. This feeling isn't here for 5 minutes at end, it is here the whole time we try to replay the game, would try our luck in multiplayer, etc. As long as EA doesn't understand that we buy games because we want to have fun, and being angry at a publisher and feeling anger whenever you see an EA game can ruin the fun. If you ignore what Bioware has promised, buy the game now, it won't be a disappointment. But otherwise even good graphics, entertianing gameplay, etc. wouldn't redeem the issue about ending and forced multiplayer farming. So the game doesn't deserve a "Better than mixed" rating. Because even if I would love graphics, character customization, gameplay, story, etc. the let down at the end can sour it all.    … Expand
  61. vlado_work
    Jun 7, 2012
    10
    Before I started ME3, I had finished both ME and ME2 a few times, including DLCs. Based on rather negative comments, I was worried that ME3 will be a big disappointment... but it's not! If you liked ME and ME2, you'll surely like ME3 too. Amazing story and adventure continues and it is not true that the end doesn't make sense, as many complain. It does. It may just require a bit moreBefore I started ME3, I had finished both ME and ME2 a few times, including DLCs. Based on rather negative comments, I was worried that ME3 will be a big disappointment... but it's not! If you liked ME and ME2, you'll surely like ME3 too. Amazing story and adventure continues and it is not true that the end doesn't make sense, as many complain. It does. It may just require a bit more thinking. I recommend the game!… Expand
  62. ArcticBlue
    Jun 7, 2012
    4
    This game was supposed to be the pinnacle of the Mass Effect series, a glorious conclusion to a great story line. In the end you feel cheated, like nothing even mattered. Don't get me wrong, the game is fun to play, until you end up watching the last 10 minutes being thunder struck at the lack of originality and closure. I've heard that the team's "artistic integrity" has to be preserved,This game was supposed to be the pinnacle of the Mass Effect series, a glorious conclusion to a great story line. In the end you feel cheated, like nothing even mattered. Don't get me wrong, the game is fun to play, until you end up watching the last 10 minutes being thunder struck at the lack of originality and closure. I've heard that the team's "artistic integrity" has to be preserved, so they won't change the ending, although I did expect a new DLC. There are different problems with this game, starting from its movement away from ME 1 and its RPG style and ending with the numbers to signify your military strength. It just seems boring, Gears of War in space would be a better description. And promising 16 wildly different endings, but only providing 3 with MINOR DIFFERENCES is a goddamn blasphemy. I give it a 4 because it was interesting, but that **** ending about a Jesus space child is so out of context and random that I seriously considered giving this game a 1 and burning my copy of it.… Expand
  63. Greyfeather
    Jun 6, 2012
    1
    There was some great moments, but overall it was a disastrous end to a great series. All of the choices you made in the first 2 games didnt really have any impact on the course of the last game. The game has changed from a rpg'ish actiongame to a pure actiongame.

    On top of that the ending is the worst ending ever. I had way more enjoyment watching a video-rant on youtube which listed    There was some great moments, but overall it was a disastrous end to a great series. All of the choices you made in the first 2 games didnt really have any impact on the course of the last game. The game has changed from a rpg'ish actiongame to a pure actiongame.

    On top of that the ending is the worst ending ever. I had way more enjoyment watching a video-rant on youtube which listed all the reasons why the ending sucked.    … Expand
  64. JohnnyBeGood
    Jun 5, 2012
    5
    As far as combat goes, this is the best, cleanest, most fluid Mass Effect yet. I would say that it is the best 3rd person game I've ever played, combat and control wise. Story wise, it is easily the worst. The game lacks the bonding with the characters that Mass Effect 2 contained. The dialogue is mostly poor. We have all heard the gripes about the ending. To have an "A, B, and C" choiceAs far as combat goes, this is the best, cleanest, most fluid Mass Effect yet. I would say that it is the best 3rd person game I've ever played, combat and control wise. Story wise, it is easily the worst. The game lacks the bonding with the characters that Mass Effect 2 contained. The dialogue is mostly poor. We have all heard the gripes about the ending. To have an "A, B, and C" choice to end a game based on countless Paragon and Renegade endings is offensive. It's clear to me Bioware wanted to wrap up the series. It seems like they really rished it, even though they had a huge amount of time to work on it. The multiplayer is surprisingly enjoyable, and t made even better when played with friends. The countless unlockables are a nice touch, and free map packs are quite amazing. However, smooth gameplay and captivating multiplayer are not enough to save the game from its deplorable story. This is made worse when you remember that the reason you play a Mass Effect game is for the story. There's even a "narrative" difficulty setting for the campaign that tones the enemies' difficulty down to as though they are being controlled by toddlers. Overall, the game is worth a buy for die hard fans, but you'll end up trading it in after a few weeks. Don't expect the hundred of hours you put into Mass Effect 2 for this game.… Expand
  65. DarthKate8215
    Jun 5, 2012
    0
    The professional reviews of this game are so ridiculously similar that I'm not completely convinced that there isn't some kind of conspiracy in the gaming industry. It is dishonest and unethical not to mention the **** ending to this game, if only for it's extreme polarization.
  66. anilanar
    Jun 5, 2012
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game has one of the best endings ever. Bioware is going to release an Epilogue DLC soon. I can't believe this game is criticized so much for its ending. For those who didn't like it, watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ythY_GkEBck… Expand
  67. azefir1
    Jun 5, 2012
    9
    Very dissapointing ending but.... This game is just pure awesomeness. Way better than me2, and as good as me1. Me3 would be perfect if not the ending...
  68. Welterweight426
    Jun 4, 2012
    9
    People really need to stop bashing this game. Though the ending is rather bad, the rest of the game is fantastic. The story telling, the gameplay, the writing, its all fantastic. My only complaint to the game, besides the ending, is the lack of content in the multiplayer. Otherwise, this game is a must buy.
  69. elhive
    Jun 4, 2012
    9
    The way people are talking about Mass effect 3 seems harsh. I believe the game was just as good as the second,while the first being more of a classic then it's sequals. The dialog was excellent and on the same level with the second game, I would say. The moral choices are also very appealing and varied, and it feels like the stakes are higher with each choice you make because,well, theThe way people are talking about Mass effect 3 seems harsh. I believe the game was just as good as the second,while the first being more of a classic then it's sequals. The dialog was excellent and on the same level with the second game, I would say. The moral choices are also very appealing and varied, and it feels like the stakes are higher with each choice you make because,well, the entire living galactic population is on the verge of annihilation. The gameplay elements are mostly identical to mass effect 2's which means the game plays very intense and spactacular. People might complain that the characters don't offer as much variety and quality in the dialoge but I dissagree. Most of these characters have already made their full appearance in the last games, so you can't really expand too much on more then established characters(like Garrus, for example). The plot is very cinematic and the game feels like a giant dramatic Sci-fi movie that always keeps you on your toes. The major problem people have with this game is the ending. At first I felt the same;I thought this ending is ridiculous, but as I looked in the internet, I saw a brilliant explenation to that odd and unfulfilling ending. I won't give out spoilers but I think the entire game seems a lot more clear when you see it in the right angle. This game is fantastic, it truly is. I can understand the angry fans who wanted a closure, but to me the game made sense and I hope it will for you as well.… Expand
  70. Thaeonblade
    Jun 3, 2012
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Right off the bat, I'm going to tell you that Mass Effect 3 was an excellent game and a great culmination of the Mass Effect series.

    But I'm going to give it an 8/10, though it's game quality should make it a 9. This is sad, because most of the main problems in this game have to do with things that weren't in the game.

    1) The Ending, everyone has talked about it so I'm not going to beat a dead horse. But let's just say that all of your war assets and decisions don't amount to anything meaningful in the game's conclusion.

    2) Multi-player requirement, the multiplayer component was actually fun and addictive. I really like the teamwork aspect that gets incorporated into gameplay, rewarding players for working together to take down tough enemies.

    The problem is that the game forces you to play this mode. If you don't play it enough, then a low readiness rating will shave off a portion of your war assets. Effectively, you're being punished and sabotaged for not playing multiplayer. Not to mention that the readiness meter drops independent of your actions anyway!

    3) The Day-One DLC requirement for Javik, a prothean squadmate! Why isn't he in the game?

    4) A needleesly smaller rooster with disproportionately arranged screen-time for each member and romance. You'll only have 6 members + Javik with all of the ME 2 squadmates being sidelined for one reason or another. Some have memorable cameos and roles, but the rest were simply put to the side. In addition, you may end up with a minimum of 3 members depending on what you did in previous games or what you do in this one. We could have easily used another squadmate like that british soldier in the trailer, Aria, the "biotic god", or a ME 2 squadmate of our choice.

    But no, you only have a max total of 7 squadmates, 1 of which is day one dlc and the you can't even get two as full-time squadmates until halfway through the game!

    On this note of disproportionate screentime, of your many love interests, only the ME 1 love interests have an actual romance scene. Female shepard gets screwed over on the love interest chart because the only romance that carries over from ME2 is Garrus. Jacob cheats on you even though that's very similar to what his own father did, Kelly can die too easily and Thane dies with no way of saving him.

    5) The Quest system is terrible, it will never update even when you find what you were looking for. So you have to keep careful track or else you'll end up going to the system where the item was and risk detection by the reapers only to find out that you already had it!

    6) High increase in auto-dialogue

    "Breathes"

    Okay...now let's move on to the positive thing in this game because there are a lot despite the major contention points that I started with.

    1) Squad moments: Despite a needlessly smaller rooster, your party does feel more alive and dynamic. They move around on the ship and can even have conversations with each other and you can choice who to support. I do miss the traditional conversations in ME 2 and ME 1, but this change is welcome.

    2) Combat is strongly improved from ME 2 and allows for the return of customization options from ME 1. There's also a lot of variation on how to order abilities to really become effective against even the most heavily armored foe.

    3) The Story is pretty solid, the reapers have finally come and Shepard has to get the people of the galaxy together to fight them. Conventional warfare won't work in the long run, so Shepard is also tasked with gathering resources and information about a device known as the Crucible. A weapon that promises a way to defeat the reapers before they destroy the galaxy.

    Along the way, Shepard will be faced with irrevocable choices. Entire races can be wiped out or screwed over if Shepard makes the wrong move. For instance, if you sabotage the Genophage cure with Wrex in charge, he'll attempt to murder you and call off Krogan support. If you fail to make peace between Geth and Quarians, one will wipe out the other and Tali can commit suicide if you side with the geth.

    Up until the final mission, I was emotionally engaged in saving this diverse galaxy.

    4) Multiplayer is actually really fun. It may not have been needed, but it is a really fun mode to play. You really feel like you're part of a special forces squad when you join three other players. It also forces you to think carefully about the player that you deploy as.

    5) While annoying to keep track of, the war asset function is pretty unique. If only the ending didn't invalidate it!

    6) Great soundtrack

    7) Excellent voicework

    8) Choices made in previous games will carry over into this one. Including minor side missions like bring down the sky.

    So there you have it. The bad things will tick you off and the good things will make you enjoy it. It's kind of a mixed-bag in that sense, but still a really good game. I recommend buying this one, just be aware of its flaws    … Expand
  71. Travasourus
    Jun 3, 2012
    0
    This game is filled with boring auto-dialogue and by the end of the game, the story makes no sense. Bottom Line: Mass Effect 3 effectively killed the trilogy.
  72. zagorec92
    Jun 3, 2012
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Ahh, the ending...THE ending...IMHO the "destroy" ending was the best to choose. But after I decided to go with it, I expected some sort of animation-closure fiesta if you know what i mean. Despite all of the negative comments and review regarding the end, I just couldn't believe that is true, so the hope existed. So, let's go with recap - Earth was saved, soldiers were celebrating + ; Normandy crew ended up on some world, we don't know how far from Earth and could they return to the homeworld - ; Were all of our team aboard the Normandy? If not, what happened to them? - ; Mass relays destroyed (ok, we have been warned), but what happens with other races? - ; Guy breathing, people are convinced that's Shepard...so am I + ; Did the people rebuilt the Earth? Or are they somewhere else (next part of ending)? - ; After the credits, there is a kid with his grandfather on unknown world and the grandfather talks about Shepard and what happened while mentioning that was a long time ago. Well, how long has it been? Are the people again unaware of other life forms (actually, I think he mentions something like that), can the people travel throughout the universe (Solar system and beyond, but not far)? - ; Buzz Aldrin's voice (Stargazer) + ; Ending recap conclusion -> +(3), -(4) = - = unacceptable

    But this is game review. The entire game, except the ending, was breathtaking and definitely worth all the playing time invested throughout the series. Mixture of dramatic, bad ass, serious and humorous moment in this game is something all the other games want and hope to achieve. I would give the game 9, maybe 10, but if we account the weak ending, I must decrease my score. I seriously hope the "ending DLC" will bring more info about the aftermath of the game.    … Expand
  73. moifoi
    Jun 3, 2012
    2
    Sigh, the ending was far to short and being paragon or renegade meant nothing in the end. The endings didn't reflect your play style. I didn't have any probs with the style of ending, the mist is one of the best ever and heaps of people vote it down furious over it but it still maintains a high ranking proof the movie was good.

    It's quite funny, bioware have made the following since EA    Sigh, the ending was far to short and being paragon or renegade meant nothing in the end. The endings didn't reflect your play style. I didn't have any probs with the style of ending, the mist is one of the best ever and heaps of people vote it down furious over it but it still maintains a high ranking proof the movie was good.

    It's quite funny, bioware have made the following since EA took over. mass effect 2 and 3 dumbed down, dragon age 2 the worst dumbed down rpg, SW the old republic complete junk. Oh well sell outs.    … Expand
  74. MonkofMajere
    Jun 2, 2012
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Having played Mass Effect from the first game on, I had high expectations going into Mass Effect 3. Being the conclusion of a trilogy that can only be described as "epic", Mass Effect 3 needed to be a fantastic game to live up to the previous games. In my opinion, Bioware succeeded. There are very few games that keep my attention for long, especially games that are so single player oriented. Mass Effect 3 is one of those few. Probably the best thing about most Bioware games are the characters. The writers at Bioware are excellent at crafting characters that the player cares about, characters that you will not forget. Mass Effect 3 does not deviate from this trend. Even Shepard, the main character of the Mass Effect trilogy, seems to have finally picked up more of a personality. Probably the most defining part of Mass Effect 3 is the music, though. From scene to scene, the music drives the player's emotions, inciting the feeling of sadness or triumph whenever the tone would fit. As for the games newly introduced multiplayer, I admit I was not expecting much when the feature was first introduced. After playing for the first time, I was surprised to find a well crafted mode that requires teamwork in order to survive (especially while playing gold, the modes highest difficulty. Even after a couple of months, I am still very much enjoying the multiplayer. The addition to two free map packs has certainly helped as well. All in all, I have very much enjoyed the final chapter in the Mass Effect trilogy, and would very much recommend this game to anyone who enjoys a well developed sci fi universe with well developed characters and an outstanding story.… Expand
  75. Xehlwan
    Jun 1, 2012
    1
    On the surface, Mass Effect 3 is a worthy sequel to a great trilogy. It has amazing cinematic scenes, while still letting you control the action. It brought back a good amount of customization and upgrades for your party. It even tells some really good - if somewhat overly dramatic - stories.

    After the amazement over the brilliant touches of returning characters and story-progression from    On the surface, Mass Effect 3 is a worthy sequel to a great trilogy. It has amazing cinematic scenes, while still letting you control the action. It brought back a good amount of customization and upgrades for your party. It even tells some really good - if somewhat overly dramatic - stories.

    After the amazement over the brilliant touches of returning characters and story-progression from the previous games calms down, some problems start to show. First, you will start to realize that the game is even more linear than ever. Sure, some missions are "optional" - that is if you don't mind getting worse endings for your story arcs. Side-quests have been reduced to small text pop-ups when you survey the correct planet, and side-stories are almost exclusively put in chunks of text in your log.

    The grand main campaign has obviously forced the developers to cut corners on other content, but the main story is presented beautifully. Until the last moments of the game. Some 10-15 minutes before the game ends, all semblance of a coherent story is thrown out the window. What remains is a convoluted mess of a "final revelation", with plot-holes the size of Alaska, and forced choices you have no interest in making. All of which ends in a final movie, which at the core doesn't care about your choices - or even about making any sort of sense.

    You may enjoy the ride, but the ending to this epic trilogy will leave you with a sour taste.    … Expand
  76. Etrute
    Jun 1, 2012
    9
    Tight controls, beautiful environments, and fluent combat all make ME3 what it is today, a success. The storyline too makes it a beautifully written book. The largest issue to the "mob" seems to be a lackluster ending, an increadibly small price to play considering the 30 hours i'v put into each game in the series (plus the 60 extra hours from playing two other characters on varyingTight controls, beautiful environments, and fluent combat all make ME3 what it is today, a success. The storyline too makes it a beautifully written book. The largest issue to the "mob" seems to be a lackluster ending, an increadibly small price to play considering the 30 hours i'v put into each game in the series (plus the 60 extra hours from playing two other characters on varying difficulties). Considering all the choices made throughout four games, what the hell did people expect? Turian Strippers and Quarian supremecy? For those of you not stuck up on the Single Player, the multiplayer too has lots of fun to be had. Like short war stories one holds the line and moves forward with valid team combat. The idea that Bioware didn't innovate or expand on the original two is amusing, If they had picked any ending beside the one in now, it would be flamed. If They had everyone wear special hats, it would be flamed. The biggest issue i have with the game is the lack of a Mako, it made the game a bit more interesting, stumbling around in the universe in your own casket-box and being quite suprised when you see your first Maw.… Expand
  77. Rastrelly
    May 31, 2012
    0
    Disappointing and internal law breaking product, that lowers the plank raised by previous games. Uninteresting and not original waste of time and money.
  78. lucienpyrus
    May 30, 2012
    9
    I haven't played the single player (though i did watch my roomate play it), but I have played the mulitplayer so much. I love the mulitplayer and it deserves at least an 8 for that. I watched the ending and I thought it wasn't that bad.
  79. OhTheDerp
    May 29, 2012
    8
    Best game in the whole Mass Effect franchise. I don't give a single **** about the "horrible" ending; the game was perfectly entertaining and impressive in almost every aspect. The only thing I can complain about is how it was not similar to the leveling system of the first game, and I'm not fond at all of having to find clips (There Mass Effect 1 was better and more fun).
  80. evildeathbloody
    May 29, 2012
    0
    Mass Effect 1 is my greatest video game experience ever. Mass Effect 2 kick my ass, in the good way. Mass Effect 3 let me sick and sad; like I was stupid to ever trust video game can be more than just none-stop none-sensical action. The intro is bad, Bioware promise us the trial of Shepard for the Arrival event, and itâ
  81. wildmandan
    May 29, 2012
    6
    If you've enjoyed this series the last 5 minutes of this game may infuriate you. As a capstone to a great franchise this game fails to deliver in the most important area: The end. This is the game that is supposed to bring the Mass Effect story to a close and leave us wanting more. It fails abysmally to deliver on this account.

    The rest of the game however is epic, enjoyable and a    If you've enjoyed this series the last 5 minutes of this game may infuriate you. As a capstone to a great franchise this game fails to deliver in the most important area: The end. This is the game that is supposed to bring the Mass Effect story to a close and leave us wanting more. It fails abysmally to deliver on this account.

    The rest of the game however is epic, enjoyable and a testament to what made this series so great, which further compounds the failure of the final chapter. Somehow in the entire series the worst writing has come at the end. Breaking basic tenets of storytelling in the last act is a sure way of losing the admiration of your fans.    … Expand
  82. Darkmark
    May 29, 2012
    8
    Besides from the poor class balance and the bad ending, this a great game. And with the epic story and nice gameplay i would say that it's still worth buying.
  83. JJackson87
    May 28, 2012
    8
    I think this was a great third game is the best video-game series of this generation. I was disappointed by the ending and hope they can wrap things up better with the coming DLC. Still recommend the game though!
  84. ty1er
    May 28, 2012
    10
    Most fulfilling gaming experience since ages. In my opinion, also the best part of the triology. while the ending ist debatable, the amount of emotion (i even had to shed a tear once or twice) this game could create amongst the community can speak for itself.
  85. Gil8ert
    May 28, 2012
    7
    Feels more like an expansion than a standalone game which is why I'm giving it a 7. However, I very much enjoyed it, just as I enjoyed Mass Effect 2. It reminds me very much of He-man the cartoon I watched as I was growing up because you do get a lot of morality spat in your face which, whilst at the time can come across as patronising and vomit inducing, actually fleshes out theFeels more like an expansion than a standalone game which is why I'm giving it a 7. However, I very much enjoyed it, just as I enjoyed Mass Effect 2. It reminds me very much of He-man the cartoon I watched as I was growing up because you do get a lot of morality spat in your face which, whilst at the time can come across as patronising and vomit inducing, actually fleshes out the experience. For the most part you are asked to make decisions which generally don't affect how the game will play, but everynow and then you are faced with making a hum-dinger of a choice which is where Mass Effect always excels. Most games require a simple choice of this or that which doesn't affect the outcome all that much, but here you are faced with choices between entire races which feel like big decisions to make and you might be thinking about the choice for a couple of minutes. And if a game can cause you to pause and think about the consequences of what you're doing for more than a nano-second then it has done good! The game itself is really more about living the story than it is being technically proficient, and I don't remember dying at any point - although I probably did. But if I did then it was only once or twice so it wasn't particulalry challenging. It did feel a little dumbed down from ME2. But for me it was a fine ending to the franchise. Not great, but fine. I would still recommend the whole lot to any gamer out there as an excellent example of an immersive experience.… Expand
  86. opensauce
    May 28, 2012
    5
    ATW - Another Time Waster..... AMW - Another Money Waster..... I got so excited when I heard the 3rd installment for Mass Effect 3 was coming to town.... My wife even pre-ordered a copy for me for the same date release and play...... BUT.... I was sadly dissapointed. I was so impressed with Mass effect 2's dynamic play, control, featres and RPG type feel to your players, I was certainATW - Another Time Waster..... AMW - Another Money Waster..... I got so excited when I heard the 3rd installment for Mass Effect 3 was coming to town.... My wife even pre-ordered a copy for me for the same date release and play...... BUT.... I was sadly dissapointed. I was so impressed with Mass effect 2's dynamic play, control, featres and RPG type feel to your players, I was certain that ME3 would be that much better....but its not. ME2 you could mine minerals off various planets and solar systems, giving you a feel of control and power, but now, you need to dogde aliens from destroying whilest you basically collect 1 item, if you are lucky from some random planet. The gameplay is very much the same as ME2, altough not a bad thing, it was not enhanced, just the same with slightly different damages.... The story feels more scripted then before too. ME2 I could not put down, had to finish, played it day and night till I did..... ME3, I may have played about 8 hours.... and is not currently installed..... Feel that my money was a waste this time round....... Boo....… Expand
  87. joem282
    May 27, 2012
    2
    I am sorely disappointed by this game. For the past five years, I have enjoyed shaping one of the most engrossing, and exceptionally written Sci-Fi franchise of all time. Not only were each of the individual Mass Effect games exceptional in their own unique ways in terms of gameplay, but they also had an extraordinary storyline that held true to canon even as the player's choices shapedI am sorely disappointed by this game. For the past five years, I have enjoyed shaping one of the most engrossing, and exceptionally written Sci-Fi franchise of all time. Not only were each of the individual Mass Effect games exceptional in their own unique ways in terms of gameplay, but they also had an extraordinary storyline that held true to canon even as the player's choices shaped them. This made for an extremely immersive gameplay experience that can be rivaled by few others. This also applies to 99% of the third entry to the Mass Effect series. While I find the first Mass Effect unique because of the sense of discovery and mysteries of the galaxy (much like Star Trek) and the second Mass Effect had a unique focus on the development of your crew and pretty good action; the third Mass Effect was unique because it was a story, an emotional and inspiring story that had been crafted personally to you based off of your actions in the third game. The over-the-top action that would make most third person shooters titles weep was a nice bonus, as well (this is in an RPG to top it off). But, to be honest, I am going to skip past the majority of the details of the game and get right to the part that affected this review's rating the most- the terrible ending. When I heard the game's ending was bad, I could have never imagined as terrible of an ending to a game, let alone the ending of an entire series, especially the Mass Effect series. To avoid spoilers, I won't go into too much detail as to the ending, but it was bad! Plot holes, circular logic, explanations pulled out of thin air and a horrific WTF moment destroy what would have been one of the best games of all times and inadvertently destroy the entire Mass Effect series. The ending doesn't even reflect a single choice you made throughout the series, NOT A SINGLE CHOICE. One could even say that the ending make the events of the first game entirely moot. I didn't want this ending, I wanted closure based off of my decisions throughout the series, you know, like the last two games. In summary, the game was epic, including the final battles. Sure there were flaws here and there, but most of them could be overlooked, up till the last 10-15 minutes of the game of course. I never thought that 15 minutes could dismantle over a hundred hours of gameplay spanning three games, not until I played Mass Effect 3… Expand
  88. Lukecki
    May 27, 2012
    0
    Mass Effect 3 is the biggest crap in the entire series, this game is a disappointment this game has become the call of duty no more rpg elements.This game is really horrible first constantly shooting and always the same.
  89. Maias227
    May 27, 2012
    10
    If you liked the two previous game you're likely going to like this game as well. It wraps up a lot of story lines and its a marvel to watch the very fate of races being decided but whatever you feel like doing. The production values are high all across the board, brilliant musical score and typical bioware style writting. The graphics does take a bit getting used to as they differ a lotIf you liked the two previous game you're likely going to like this game as well. It wraps up a lot of story lines and its a marvel to watch the very fate of races being decided but whatever you feel like doing. The production values are high all across the board, brilliant musical score and typical bioware style writting. The graphics does take a bit getting used to as they differ a lot from the previous games. Yes yes the ending is maybe not the best part of the game but definitely not some that make this game deserve a 4.0 it easily beats what otherwise on market right now.… Expand
  90. hypertension
    May 27, 2012
    4
    While I enjoyed playing the first two Mass Effect games this one left me with a disappointing experience. It just wasn't fun anymore. The most this game has to offer is the voice acting but it feels like I've heard it all before. I believe that to get a slightly "richer" experience you'll need all Mass Effect games which I have but also all the downloadable content which is something i'mWhile I enjoyed playing the first two Mass Effect games this one left me with a disappointing experience. It just wasn't fun anymore. The most this game has to offer is the voice acting but it feels like I've heard it all before. I believe that to get a slightly "richer" experience you'll need all Mass Effect games which I have but also all the downloadable content which is something i'm not willing to pay for.… Expand
  91. Lokiador
    May 26, 2012
    0
    Extremely disappointing. The RPG elements have almost vanished, the plot is nonexistent, the ending is an outrage, the plot holes are pervasive. This game is proof that good graphics and effort on so-called "gameplay" (read : introduce gears of war like combat system) do not make a game.

    Such a shame, the legacy of the two previous installments deserved better than that !
  92. ScrewBF3
    May 26, 2012
    0
    Everything up there is a pile of **** I decided to write 'cause i could.
    i am actually a nice guy. Here is my top ten movie list:
    1o. The Shining. It is absolutely classic. 9. Alien. The first time I saw it i was scared ****less. 8. The Children of the Corn. It is almost as messed up as 'IT'. 7. Shaun of the Dead. Funny. Funny. Funny. 6. Hellraiser. It has a nice plot and Pinhead is    Everything up there is a pile of **** I decided to write 'cause i could.
    i am actually a nice guy. Here is my top ten movie list:
    1o. The Shining. It is absolutely classic.
    9. Alien. The first time I saw it i was scared ****less.
    8. The Children of the Corn. It is almost as messed up as 'IT'.
    7. Shaun of the Dead. Funny. Funny. Funny.
    6. Hellraiser. It has a nice plot and Pinhead is awesome.
    5. Sleepaway Camp. Nobody remembers this movie but I reckon it was KICKASS.
    4. Nightmare on Elm Street. Also classic.
    3. Friday the 13th. Jason is almost too KICKASS.
    2. Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Pretty messed up but it kept me on the edge of my seat.
    (Drumrolls)
    1. Halloween. Myers is slightly KICKASS and the movie was brilliant.    … Expand
  93. aleyas
    May 25, 2012
    3
    For those new to series, ME3 as a stand alone game is probably not bad, though without playing ME1-2 it's rather difficult to understand multiple references to earlier series events. But again, if to play with pressing SPACE all the time to skip dialogues to short cut to action - then neither story no its end matter and you have only to worry about some bugs and your characterFor those new to series, ME3 as a stand alone game is probably not bad, though without playing ME1-2 it's rather difficult to understand multiple references to earlier series events. But again, if to play with pressing SPACE all the time to skip dialogues to short cut to action - then neither story no its end matter and you have only to worry about some bugs and your character refusing to move properly according to your commands from time to time.
    But I used to be a ME series fan and I was playing and paying for entertainment I was getting. I have started with ME2 and soon dropped it for a while to play ME1 first and then returned to replay ME2 for better ending. And I was ready to replay ME3 to get desired outcome. And here comes not only ingame issue with linear plot and bad joke devastating ending - but also an ethical issue with Bioware managers publically lying to users, encouraging them to play and replay by assuring them that it's possible to achieve higher scores necessary for a secret ending without myltiplayer. Which is not true. But people believed, why should not have they - it worked like this in ME2. And purchased and played and replayed.
    And then the stupid ending itself, promised to be variable, not a display of RGB colour model. Amazing how Boiware been building its loyal userbase for 5 years managed to ruin the best RPG franchise in one go acting as if there was no tomorrow and the only thing important was to make people buy the copy of the game regardless. No apologises, no explanation, quite the contrary...Looks like Bioware regards its users as a cattle which exists only to be soothen with **** if necessry and milked.    … Expand
  94. Gr33nF00t
    May 24, 2012
    8
    I will begin with this: Mass Effect 3 had so much potential. All throughout the game, there are moments of beauty and brilliance, such as the "Leaving Earth" sequence. I heard how this game was terrible; a huge let down; a major blow to video games as a narrative medium. And for 96% of the game I thought to myself "What are these people talking about?" I really liked it; I felt like II will begin with this: Mass Effect 3 had so much potential. All throughout the game, there are moments of beauty and brilliance, such as the "Leaving Earth" sequence. I heard how this game was terrible; a huge let down; a major blow to video games as a narrative medium. And for 96% of the game I thought to myself "What are these people talking about?" I really liked it; I felt like I was steam-rolling towards the proper conclusion of my Shep.

    Then the ending happened. It was like watching the U.S. theatrical cut of Blade Runner. Roy gives the "Tears in rain" speech, releases the dove, and dies; and right when you are reaching cerebral climax, Deckard's clumsy voice-over enters your ear-holes to completely ruin your moment like a drunken man-child. ME3's ending by and large completely ignores all the choices you made throughout the previous games. On top of that, all the endings are the EXACT SAME. Sure, there are some very minor differences, but there is no meaningful variation among endings. There is no closure, no denouement.

    I could go on, but I will instead end with this: Were it not for the terribly handled ending this game would be a 10 in my book.    … Expand
  95. aburnstorm
    May 24, 2012
    10
    This is a truly superb computer game. I admit that I am often very critical of story-telling, character arcs, plots, game-play. I don't have much free time and have to spend it wisely. In addition, I'm not particularly intrigued by Sci-Fi. For all of these reason (and especially after reading the reviews here), I thought I'd better not play this game. I did finally purchase it,This is a truly superb computer game. I admit that I am often very critical of story-telling, character arcs, plots, game-play. I don't have much free time and have to spend it wisely. In addition, I'm not particularly intrigued by Sci-Fi. For all of these reason (and especially after reading the reviews here), I thought I'd better not play this game. I did finally purchase it, however, and have to say that this game was in quite a few ways superior to either Mass Effect 1 or 2 (which I also played recently). I think the philosophy of the ending options are sound and faithful to the overall story arch. It is in fact better thought out than countless other Sci-Fi story endings. The characters are superb, their motivations are typically clear, their dialogue is often hilarious. In short, if more pulp Sci-Fi novels were as good as this game, I'd probably read more of them. I have never spent the time to review a game before on this or really any site, but I am reviewing this game based on the fact that so many people wrote such hate for this game. I cannot account for it and thought I'd add my two cents of response. Buy this game and enjoy it. It deserves a much higher rating than it has received.… Expand
  96. yrogerg123
    May 24, 2012
    9
    I actually find it pretty absurd that ME3 gets as much hate as it does. It's different from the first two games, but in no way is it worse. There is less emphasis on inventory, less emphasis on fetch quests, and those are not bad things. I certainly don't miss hacking minigames, and I definitely don't miss mining. ME3 cuts out the stuff that was unnecessary, improves on the core elements,I actually find it pretty absurd that ME3 gets as much hate as it does. It's different from the first two games, but in no way is it worse. There is less emphasis on inventory, less emphasis on fetch quests, and those are not bad things. I certainly don't miss hacking minigames, and I definitely don't miss mining. ME3 cuts out the stuff that was unnecessary, improves on the core elements, and the result is a very good installment to a great series.

    The story is focused but creative and you are moving towards the ultimate goal at all times. As with all ME games, the scale of the game is impressive. In ME3 there is much less emphasis on sidequests, which is good because I always got the feeling I was up against the clock and didn't need to be running around doing favors for people you barely know. You constantly feel like what you are doing is important, like it needs to be done and you're the only one who can do it. "Do this so my species' army will stand beside you" just makes a lot more sense than do this so you can have some credits/move one step closer to 100% completion. And the gameplay: it's awesome. Vast improvement over any other installment. It plays not just like a shooter, but like a very good shooter. It stands alone as one of the best FPS games I've ever played. Coupled with the elements that make ME great, like the character interactions and the story, and you have a near flawless game.

    Of course, the ending is horrendous, but I played through the game in 25 hours and the last twenty minutes doesn't undo everything that came before it. This is a great, great game, and I find it sort of baffling that the general consensus is that it's not a great game. It deserves to be thought of in the same ways as the first two. The series evolved as it went along, but again, that's not a bad thing. As much as I enjoy being able to wander around aimlessly looking for things to do, sometimes a game benefits from cutting out the time wasters and sticking to the core story that it is trying to tell. That is exactly what ME3 did, and it did it well.    … Expand
  97. skarekrow24
    May 24, 2012
    0
    The series is totally undone by its nonsensical ending. The low scores reflected in user reviews reflect the huge disappointment from fans. What could be have potentially been a fantastic game to end the best series ever was let down by a rushed and totally unsatisfying ending.
  98. Meldron
    May 22, 2012
    8
    Just finished the game and can't understand this strong complaints about the ending/game. Well, it lost a lot of its RPG roots which is surely sad, but I was very well entertained. The story is really great (at least for me), the presentation is wonderful too, and the shooter part does its work. The ending is definitely not the best I ever saw, but by far not as bad as I expected afterJust finished the game and can't understand this strong complaints about the ending/game. Well, it lost a lot of its RPG roots which is surely sad, but I was very well entertained. The story is really great (at least for me), the presentation is wonderful too, and the shooter part does its work. The ending is definitely not the best I ever saw, but by far not as bad as I expected after all that comments. It's OK - not more and not less.… Expand
  99. Monsieur_Croque
    May 22, 2012
    10
    One of the best games I've ever played. It 's more of an interactive story than a mindless shooter and the compelling story line and strong voice acting really make this a memorable experience. My only beef is that it seemed shorter than MEII with fewer supporting missions leading up to the central mission but other than that this was a real gem.
  100. Lulgrim
    May 22, 2012
    3
    A good action title with gameplay massively polished since ME and ME2 and similar cheesy epicness, this time the scale is a bit larger so even more epic, really. Until you reach the ending, which leaves a sour taste in your mouth and basically makes you never touch a ME title again. Not the new one with the smoother gameplay and not even the previous ones, since they are now also ruinedA good action title with gameplay massively polished since ME and ME2 and similar cheesy epicness, this time the scale is a bit larger so even more epic, really. Until you reach the ending, which leaves a sour taste in your mouth and basically makes you never touch a ME title again. Not the new one with the smoother gameplay and not even the previous ones, since they are now also ruined for you story-wise. Replay value is actually *negative* since there is no reason to replay ME3 but you won't replay 1 or 2 anymore either. Yes, I also didn't believe it can be so bad as people complain but it IS. What utter garbage.… Expand
Page:

Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews

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