Mass Effect 3

 PC
User Score
6.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 7228 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3,703 out of 7228
  2. Mixed: 1,119 out of 7228
  3. Negative: 2,406 out of 7228
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  1. SkilgannonPT
    Mar 31, 2012
    2
    Loved all the mass effect games, why would they destroy such a wonderfull series with such a blatantly illogical LAST 5 MIN... I justify my score with the following articles and videos:

    1- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6M0Cf864P7E
    2-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MlatxLP-xs


    Fix this ending plz.
  2. tekken7
    Mar 31, 2012
    3
    Mass Effect 3 was a major disappointment. I have purchased and played the entire Mass Effect 1-3 series; beginning in 2007 with ME1. Job well done to Bioware for creating such a fun and entertaining product. Unfortunately, EA/Bioware failed to deliver on what it promised customers (per the company's own prior marketing & press release) for Mass Effect 3. Many reviewers of ME3 who areMass Effect 3 was a major disappointment. I have purchased and played the entire Mass Effect 1-3 series; beginning in 2007 with ME1. Job well done to Bioware for creating such a fun and entertaining product. Unfortunately, EA/Bioware failed to deliver on what it promised customers (per the company's own prior marketing & press release) for Mass Effect 3. Many reviewers of ME3 who are critical of the game list many, if not the same problems. Here is my list: (1) players are provided with nothing remotely close to the unique, personal experience they were promised by Bioware; (2) I was left with a sense that all of my carefully weighed choices were really illusory and accounted for nothing; (3) lore errors and plot holes; (4) based on the prior themes, story telling style the ending is out-of-character, confusing & underdeveloped. Such a creative and talented Bioware team could have -- AND SHOULD HAVE -- delivered a more in-depth series of true, multiple endings with a better sense of lucidity and closure to conclude the wonderful Mass Effect series. Let us all remember that EA/Bioware is running a business -- an enterprise to make money to produce shareholder value and employ many, many people in North America, Europe and Asia. The golden rule in business (that is if you wish to stay in business) is to produce products that consumers want to buy. Regardless of your feeling concerning "whiny fans", "artistic integrity", etc... Isnâ… Expand
  3. Sirithariel
    Mar 31, 2012
    10
    The haters are idiots, if the indoctrination theory is true then the ending is pure genius and not just rubbish, everyone buy this game! Don't believe the stupid 0 and 1 star ratings people who don't understand the ending are giving it.
  4. JR13
    Mar 31, 2012
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Game ends with "Whatever decisions you've made up to this point are irrelevant now. BOOM! Joker flees in panic! Everybody else dies!" None of the questions are answered.… Expand
  5. TmDevice
    Mar 31, 2012
    0
    I loved this game and couldn't find anything wrong with the ending but every nerd here says it's horrible so I'll just vote 0 so the Internet won't think I'm stupid or anything
  6. Poebeer
    Mar 31, 2012
    2
    NO SPOILERS:
    THE GOOD: - lots of weapons, powers and customisation. Interesting dialogues and story. Good voice acting.
    THE BAD: - Journal doesn't update/ keeps track. - It became more like watching a movie. - The camera didn't go to "talk mode" like it did in ME1 and2. - There isn't mutch to explore in the cidadel, - plot holes, Some stuff in the ending is not believable. - bugged    NO SPOILERS:
    THE GOOD: - lots of weapons, powers and customisation. Interesting dialogues and story. Good voice acting.

    THE BAD: - Journal doesn't update/ keeps track.
    - It became more like watching a movie. - The camera didn't go to "talk mode" like it did in ME1 and2. - There isn't mutch to explore in the cidadel,
    - plot holes, Some stuff in the ending is not believable.
    - bugged quests
    - Contrast between very good and very bad/ uninished graphics is very very noticable in some missions. - Doesn't feel like an RPG at all.    … Expand
  7. HunterZolomon
    Mar 31, 2012
    9
    ME3 is a SPECTACULAR GAME with a HORRIBLY AWFUL ENDING. Everything up to the end is superb. The ME trilogy is the best rpg experience I've ever had. However, I do understand the massive disappointment displayed here. It just goes to show just how deeply people care about this franchise, and especially the characters in the game. I can't bring myself to give it less than a 9. It would haveME3 is a SPECTACULAR GAME with a HORRIBLY AWFUL ENDING. Everything up to the end is superb. The ME trilogy is the best rpg experience I've ever had. However, I do understand the massive disappointment displayed here. It just goes to show just how deeply people care about this franchise, and especially the characters in the game. I can't bring myself to give it less than a 9. It would have been f**king 11 if the ending had rocked.… Expand
  8. Youjutsusha
    Mar 31, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The Plot Hole Ridden Ending ruins the series. The Dissappointment face when finally getting to the End is incredible. The Cerberus base was fun then at the end of that mission it was all down hill. The Deus Ex 3 choice ending rip off
    The Deus Ex Machina StarChild which seems to come from Wintersun - StarChild reminds me of the idiocy they pulled in the Matrix with the Architect same thing "God out of the Machine" its totally ridiculous
    Harbinger says nothing the main enemy for ME2 had more lines in the Arrival than the whole of ME3. The Arrival wasn't particularly good either. The Normandy running away from the fight. The last shooting/fight area is just a horde of monsters no end game Boss just Harbinger frying which is when full dissappointment sets in. Its absolutely heart breaking that the ending was allowed to be released like this you'd have to be a complete moron to like it and completely irrational to think that others who don't only do so because they don't understand it. Its not clever its a cop out its a load of cheap tricks to appear complicated, but its just convoluted and a mess.    … Expand
  9. MemoryCrow
    Mar 31, 2012
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Mass Effect 3: A truly wonderful and terrible game.

    "Why?" you may ask me. Now before you jump to the conclusion that this is a rant about the fiasco concerning ME 3's (Mass Effect 3's) ending i would like to tell you it isn't, not entirely. this is actually a rant (yes... a rant) partly concerning ME 3, Bioware and EA. So, with that said, lets continue.

    Why do i dislike this amazing game? was it because the ending was terrible? that you need an online pass to even touch the multiplayer? that the multiplayer has the potential to be (so far beyond) astronomically better than it actually is? or perhaps you may guess that it's because i'm just generally PO'd at this game. All of these are correct.

    But lets get a little more into the details, shall we?

    Reason #1 "YES, we know! the ending was awful!" okay, okay, i'll keep this one short. yeah, it's pretty bad, horrible actually. it's just there, in your face like pile of elephant crap in your livingroom. you simply can't ignore it because no one else will let you and it gnaws at the back of your mind after you see it, like some kind of parasitic insect.

    Reason #2 the online pass... Really? Seriously? Bioware isn't trying to win a popularity contest, that's for damn sure. maybe you guys are okay with this but Bioware isn't wining points in my book for this one. but who does the blame really go to here? shall i blame Bioware for this? for cowing down to EA or should i blame EA themselves and their disgusting lust for profit at the expense of all else? i choose both. why? because i can. AND before you say i'm angry because i had to pay for the online pass, you are wrong sir/madam. i bought an unused copy of ME3 and had to pay for no such thing. this pisses me off purely out of principle. it's simply >wrong    … Expand
  10. Bulldozer
    Mar 30, 2012
    0
    This game could have been a masterpiece but the final result is only a forgettable mix of bugs, holes in a childish plot with the "wish" to be serious, a ton of shadows and emphasis everywhere, no exploration, no puzzles, flat dialogues and the worst ending in videogame history. In certain things it could deserve a 11 but in others not more than a -20 so my balance is 0. Nothing more thanThis game could have been a masterpiece but the final result is only a forgettable mix of bugs, holes in a childish plot with the "wish" to be serious, a ton of shadows and emphasis everywhere, no exploration, no puzzles, flat dialogues and the worst ending in videogame history. In certain things it could deserve a 11 but in others not more than a -20 so my balance is 0. Nothing more than a "project" of a game, an interesting project never terminated and poorly done, or at least that's not good to be released like this.… Expand
  11. DigitalVeil
    Mar 30, 2012
    2
    This game is a major disappointment. Incredibly repetitive combat and missions. Go from point A to point B, taking wave after wave of enemies on. Missions do not stray from this formula. Dialogue is simplified with less options and less renegade/paragon actions. Game is also more linear with less side missions and exploration. Also has one of the worst quest tracking systems I have everThis game is a major disappointment. Incredibly repetitive combat and missions. Go from point A to point B, taking wave after wave of enemies on. Missions do not stray from this formula. Dialogue is simplified with less options and less renegade/paragon actions. Game is also more linear with less side missions and exploration. Also has one of the worst quest tracking systems I have ever experienced in any game. Dialogue and combat animations are horrible as well. Multi-player is awful, just a horde mode tacked on to the game. Gets tiresome after a couple matches. Entire game feels like it was rushed and the ending is absolutely trash. Such a shame what has happened to Bioware. Will be the last dime I spend on their games, as they've fallen victim to the almighty EA… Expand
  12. Timson
    Mar 30, 2012
    1
    Total disappointment. This game is not even remotely as good as second one and of course . Graphics and design are pretty impressive, but that's not not an excuse for ruined gameplay, story and character development.
  13. Panther117
    Mar 30, 2012
    9
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  14. Maximo
    Mar 30, 2012
    4
    Somehow, everything good about Mass Effect left with the writer that was responsible for the opening part of the trilogy. I cant think of any positive thing about ME3, none, only the terrible things remain. Suddenly, I realized how poor of a sci-fi ME is, things that didnt matter suddenly became game-breaking for me. For example, the animations, the "every species speaks english", theSomehow, everything good about Mass Effect left with the writer that was responsible for the opening part of the trilogy. I cant think of any positive thing about ME3, none, only the terrible things remain. Suddenly, I realized how poor of a sci-fi ME is, things that didnt matter suddenly became game-breaking for me. For example, the animations, the "every species speaks english", the sci-fi clichés, the bisexuality, etc. All in all, the story is just plain boring, not to mention it has many plot holes. Dialogues were terrible and the ending was a colosal dissapointment, something for people to gloat about for decades to come.… Expand
  15. six30two
    Mar 30, 2012
    6
    The gameplay on this was fantastic, and very similar to Mass Effect 2. However, none of the sidequests or final mission choices have any affect on the endings. Remember in ME2 if you didn't get that upgrade for the ship, it'd kill your engineers? Or how if you didn't send the right guys on the suicide mission, they would die? Yeah, none of that happens. It doesn't matter who you pick orThe gameplay on this was fantastic, and very similar to Mass Effect 2. However, none of the sidequests or final mission choices have any affect on the endings. Remember in ME2 if you didn't get that upgrade for the ship, it'd kill your engineers? Or how if you didn't send the right guys on the suicide mission, they would die? Yeah, none of that happens. It doesn't matter who you pick or what you do, the game ends the same 3 ways. Total Deus Ex: Human Revolution style copout. Gameplay was fun, ending was crap.… Expand
  16. ravenblade
    Mar 30, 2012
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I enjoyed the main game for what it is. They addressed many major criticisms encountered over the last years. Combat is significantly more entertaining and challenging. The pace is higher, there is less chore. Great characters and side stories, even though side missions could have been a bit more varying in nature. Graphically it's a bit outdated and more adequate for consoles - wouldn't have minded a higher texture resolution. On audio side it is much better as well, I wasn't a particular fan of meowing cars in the citadel of ME2, it is pleasing and well done.
    However what the game made up in consistency over the years has been almost entirely undone in the final moments of the game. I am usually not the guy who demands absolutely perfect canon lore but Bioware left me stumbled here. It is as if they mixed up the game they made the ending for and once you are kicked back to the Shepard on the Normandy you are left asking yourself whether you should ever bother to play this game again in the same manner you did with ME2. If you liked the main game and are capable of enduring approx. 15-20 minutes of pure non-sequitur in the hope that Bioware themselves realize what they have done then you should do so, otherwise it's worth playing one time at least for the sake of it.    … Expand
  17. sovereign007
    Mar 30, 2012
    6
    Mass Effect 3 is one of the best, if not the best, game play experiences in the history of gaming. There isn't a single game that comes close to the quality of storytelling and presentation out there. The problem is that the last 15 minutes of the game throws out the window over 100 hours of game play leading to that point. The ending is a mess. It is horrible, it makes no sense, it isMass Effect 3 is one of the best, if not the best, game play experiences in the history of gaming. There isn't a single game that comes close to the quality of storytelling and presentation out there. The problem is that the last 15 minutes of the game throws out the window over 100 hours of game play leading to that point. The ending is a mess. It is horrible, it makes no sense, it is full of plot holes, it introduces what is effectively and deus ex machina, it resolves nothing of your choices and it provides you with no closure. It is a hideous ending to one of the best sci-fi epics of all time.

    The game itself is amazing, emotional, touching, scary, funny, sometimes all at once. The ending is a bitter, bitter disappointment. Is it worth playing through once? Yes. Is it the ending Mass Effect deserved? Definitely not.    … Expand
  18. EzraIngram
    Mar 29, 2012
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. My only real beef with the ending is that it doesn't matter what you do, your crew still ends up on a planet and when it is all over you get back on the Normandy like nothing happened and the galaxy is full of Reapers again. Drives me up the wall, there were two very distinct sets of animations made detailing different consequences depending on the choice you made, but I don't think the choice was inherently bad. Look, you want to be the king you have to face those, NOT 'cake or death' choices. You know the ones where it sucks no matter what you do, and you knew it was coming, but you slug on because that's "who you are" type choices. Yeah, that;s what you have to make, and yeah I like that you die, I think it is good. What did you want it to go on forever. Oh and anyone who can seriously look at me with a straight face and say: "Well there was no way that we possibly could have forseen a super AI or ghost in the machine coming, I mean how could that have been an option even?" To you I say, "You sir are an idiot, if you didn't notice the whole sapient AI theme going on in Mass Effect" The combat system is ok. Could you do better? Probably not, I know I have been trying and it takes a lot of work so... probably not. Still, the whole alive after I died thing and no explanation, drives me nuts guys, just a little explanation and I would have suspended my disbelief entirely. "Hey I'm a Shepard Synthetic construct created by the Shepard controlling the machines!" "Hey a freakin' rift opened when the citadel was destroyed and I fell through on my but smack dab in the Normandy and here is an animation to prove it, I swear!" Anything, really, I would have been happy, So you are not getting full credit. But mostly full.… Expand
  19. Pandor
    Mar 29, 2012
    0
    I can't say I enjoyed this game much at all. From the addition of multiplayer (which is required to get the best ending, unless you're willing to pay extra for iphone/android apps) which is uninspired at best, to the plot hole-ridden story, to the day 1 dlc fiasco, right up to the absolutely horrible ending, I can't say I could recommend this game to anyone.

    Worst of all is that, for a    I can't say I enjoyed this game much at all. From the addition of multiplayer (which is required to get the best ending, unless you're willing to pay extra for iphone/android apps) which is uninspired at best, to the plot hole-ridden story, to the day 1 dlc fiasco, right up to the absolutely horrible ending, I can't say I could recommend this game to anyone.

    Worst of all is that, for a game series that markets itself as being all about how your choices affect the storyline, the game does an excellent job of ignoring all of the choices you made in the previous two games. Then there's the aforementioned matter of the ending, which is one choice dressed up as three choices. Bearing in mind that right up to a week before the game was released, it was marketed as having something on the order of 17 different endings, this game is completely disappointing.

    It's not even a matter of liking really good games. If you like only halfway decent games, this still isn't up to your standards.    … Expand
  20. Nexus2132
    Mar 29, 2012
    8
    I can't and will never understand how other fans of Mass Effect series found this game to be a let down. Bioware is changing the endings with a DLS/Patch in april, but regardless of that fact I still found the endings satisfying. Yes the various endings to this game weren't led up to by previous decisions within the game series, that being said they weren't "Bad". I Loved this game just asI can't and will never understand how other fans of Mass Effect series found this game to be a let down. Bioware is changing the endings with a DLS/Patch in april, but regardless of that fact I still found the endings satisfying. Yes the various endings to this game weren't led up to by previous decisions within the game series, that being said they weren't "Bad". I Loved this game just as much as the previous ones in the series. Sure its my opinion but enjoy the experience people, Bioware has taken one of the top 5 spots on my favourite game developer company's, and I respect and loved them and their work. Also another note that people seem to not understand, the multiplayer is NOT REQUIRED to get the best endings, You can unlock the others threw longer and better play threw out the singleplayer campaign. Please people before you storm off and call this masterpiece crap do some research.… Expand
  21. Varnor
    Mar 29, 2012
    9
    I have characters that I have imported from ME1 and 2 and have truly enjoyed ever minute of the game, having spent almost 50 hours so far in the single player mode alone. It's not perfect, it doesn't deserve a 10, no game ever does but to see emails and have things mentioned in the game that span back to the 1st and second games, even extremely minor things is fun to see, as is theI have characters that I have imported from ME1 and 2 and have truly enjoyed ever minute of the game, having spent almost 50 hours so far in the single player mode alone. It's not perfect, it doesn't deserve a 10, no game ever does but to see emails and have things mentioned in the game that span back to the 1st and second games, even extremely minor things is fun to see, as is the abundance of text background, found everywhere from the Journal to datapads during missions, to Broker and Spectre emails that flesh out the background. The game also references at least one of the Mass Effect books (Retribution) and introduces a character from it

    How your character behaves towards others and during missions alters what you can eventually use against the Reapers is great, the fact that there is now no Mako or Mineral scanning is more of a plus really, it was only ever a time filler to make the game last longer anyway. There are brief planet scanning jobs to look for War Assets but these take little more than around 10 seconds to complete, work the same way that searching for an anomaly on a planet did in ME2, and are not compulsory

    The graphics are as excellent as ever (although I've seen a few minor clipping issues and once Garrus "vanished" during a conversation, lol) as is the sound and voice acting

    I was very skeptical about the Multi Player side of ME3, the previous 2 being completely Single Player, but have to admit I have enjoyed it greatly! Currently it's up to 4 player co-op against Cerberus, Geth or Reapers. Your characters level up, allowing you to put points into Biotic / Tech / etc skills, you earn in-game money which can be spent on Packs that provide everything from medi-gel and spare ammo to disposable missile launchers, new main weapons, attachments, etc

    In a market where high street stores sting the developer by reselling their games at pure profit, I can't blame them for releasing DLC and having Online Passes. I always buy brand new copies anyway and don't mind paying for DLC so that doesn't affect the scoring at all to me

    I don't place much faith in Metacritic User reviews, and the pure volume of release date scores of 0/10 speak volumes to me. If I spent 35+ hours on the game the first time round, then Day 1 reviewers have missed at least 65% of content, and that's without DLC    … Expand
  22. Khaos25
    Mar 29, 2012
    10
    Unlike most people here, I took my time with the game. I have only just finished my first play-through of the game and have thought really long and hard before writing this review. Mass Effect 3 is brilliant, I'll say. The scale is massive and I really felt the pressure of having to save the galaxy being overrun by the Reapers. It was a blast to see old characters again and the storyUnlike most people here, I took my time with the game. I have only just finished my first play-through of the game and have thought really long and hard before writing this review. Mass Effect 3 is brilliant, I'll say. The scale is massive and I really felt the pressure of having to save the galaxy being overrun by the Reapers. It was a blast to see old characters again and the story is very well written even though I'll admit the dialogue is rather cheesy in most parts. Combat in the game is fun, a little bit repetitive but fun. Nothing better than pulling out the omni-blade and jamming it into an enemy (very satisfying). But the heavy melee could have been implemented better, it looked cheap and lame if compared to other games like Deus Ex Human Revolution. Not only that, the sidequests in this game was horrible!!! Not only are they vague, they are more a pain than actual reasons to explore the galaxy. You just go around scanning for lost items and such. Only good thing, no more tedious scanning like in the second game. Multiplayer is fun but it gets old after a while, Mass Effect is not really meant to be a multiplayer game and the controls obviously show that. And yes, the endings. The endings are exactly what everyone is complaining about. Not only is it inconsistent to the plot, its abrupt!!! Its like: BOOM, finish, thank you, goodbye. Feels like all your time you put out out into all three games was wasted the effort. Outside the game, the **** Origin client system was also a pain for me, took me 4 hours just to get the game up and running although I have not had any problems for the past few weeks. So, why give an 8? ME3 is not going to win Game of the Year nor will it gain legacy as one of the best sequels ever. It is however, just plain fun to play ME3. Its fun to be on one last adventure with your favourite characters even though by now you know, it will end in huge disappointment. But, now Bioware is making an attempt to address the issue and as for me, I will be replaying the game with a vastly different Shepard of mine. Did I waste my money buying this game? I don't think so, I am keeping this game. As for you guys, I say either you take a chance buying this game or you find somewhere willing to give you a refund or exchange in case you really don't like the game. This game is one I think all ME fans should get regardless of the ending, just steel your hearts when you see the ending, that is all.… Expand
  23. vDevilEnd
    Mar 29, 2012
    10
    The game-play is vastly improved and combined from the previous 2 games, it's very fluid & fast paced with the action. The dialogue, characters, writing, and story is/are some of the best in gaming. The voice acting is also some of the very best ever heard. You might want to bring some tissues because the end of the trilogy is one of the most emotional games of all time. If it's you'reThe game-play is vastly improved and combined from the previous 2 games, it's very fluid & fast paced with the action. The dialogue, characters, writing, and story is/are some of the best in gaming. The voice acting is also some of the very best ever heard. You might want to bring some tissues because the end of the trilogy is one of the most emotional games of all time. If it's you're first time stepping into Mass Effect 3 I would highly suggest picking up the other first two games as well. Multiplayer does not feel tacked on to this game at all, it meshes well with the story, and very fun which was unexpected by many. About the ending, I will touch on it very briefly because everyone here seems to down vote this game into oblivion because of that only. The ending can be confusing, and possibly not offer any true closure but it is open for discussion or speculation, which in my opinion is alright because you can sort of make you're own ending, this is good because I feel nobody will ever really be fully satisfied with what Bioware will put for the ending of this trilogy. In closing the game is worth the money, and keeping as you will want to spend many hours playing Mass Effect 3 and it's 2 previous games which gets better with each game. I highly doubt anybody who isn't trolling will find very few flaws with this game, it's damn near perfect and one of the best games of all time.… Expand
  24. Andrew_RU
    Mar 29, 2012
    0
    Ending of this epic game is EPIC FAIL! Graphics, animations... all this is **** Bioware, you spit in my face with this ending, I will not buy your games anymore.
  25. impedido10
    Mar 29, 2012
    1
    I have played the demo.And it was a big disappointment ,it had good graphics but the mechanic sucks , it becomes boring,melee sucks,I can only give 110
  26. Balazs31
    Mar 29, 2012
    7
    I really like this game but it is very far away from perfect. The story is touching and characters are amazing, but the combat is very frustrating sometimes and gets boring and absolutely not realistic. The atmosphere is a bit plastic. I haven`t finished it yet but it`s starting to get boring. In the beginning I was amazed. Again an over hyped game.
  27. Lspeyer
    Mar 29, 2012
    0
    I have been a fan of the series for half a decade, and I was really looking forward to the third installment of Mass Effect 3. As a result the game managed to disappoint me beyond what I thought was possible. Bioware has created something so awful that retroactively makes the whole series pointless, and I doubt I will ever bother with this series again. Add in the lack of PC customizationI have been a fan of the series for half a decade, and I was really looking forward to the third installment of Mass Effect 3. As a result the game managed to disappoint me beyond what I thought was possible. Bioware has created something so awful that retroactively makes the whole series pointless, and I doubt I will ever bother with this series again. Add in the lack of PC customization options and PC controller support, together with day 1 DLC, which clearly was an important part of the game to begin with, and you have one of the worst sequels in RPG history.… Expand
  28. deamonhunter
    Mar 29, 2012
    10
    Love this game the biggest problem with the pc-version is that if you use mouse and keyboard than the gameplay will lose some of its greatness but still awesome. Its maybe a little underscoring than the first two but its done a great job as the third part.
  29. ThePalacePlayer
    Mar 29, 2012
    10
    I do not understand why everybody apparently hate this game. Apart from Journey, this is without a doubt the best game of 2012 so far, and I don't see any game in the horizon to top it (maybe Bioshock Infinite). The story is great, the gameplay mechanics is improved from ME 2, and the voice acting is just as great as you would expect from a BioWare game. Even though I doesn't playI do not understand why everybody apparently hate this game. Apart from Journey, this is without a doubt the best game of 2012 so far, and I don't see any game in the horizon to top it (maybe Bioshock Infinite). The story is great, the gameplay mechanics is improved from ME 2, and the voice acting is just as great as you would expect from a BioWare game. Even though I doesn't play multiplayer and had really low expectations to the multiplayer in a ME title, the multiplayer is actually great and something that will make me come back to the game every so often. A worthy conclusion to the best game trilogy ever made. Ever!!… Expand
  30. Gamecrafter
    Mar 28, 2012
    9
    Enough already! Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but that doesn't mean you get to act like a child and call yourself valid. Ok, you don't like the ending - it wasn't what you expected or wanted. That's fine, and I can somewhat understand. But you know what that means? You played this somewhat lengthy adventure game to its completion, hell you probably completed the entire trilogy.Enough already! Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but that doesn't mean you get to act like a child and call yourself valid. Ok, you don't like the ending - it wasn't what you expected or wanted. That's fine, and I can somewhat understand. But you know what that means? You played this somewhat lengthy adventure game to its completion, hell you probably completed the entire trilogy. SUCKY GAMES DON'T GET COMPLETED. You play them for ten minutes and then you're out. So I'm calling on you crybabies to man up and admit that the game is GREAT ENTERTAINMENT which is why you got to the ending. It's awesome in fact. So you can't turn around and give it a sucky score simply because you have a problem only with the creative decisions of its ending. What you're doing is literally like ordering a meal at a restaurant, finishing it through dessert, and then saying - "I wanted ice cream not cake, I'm not paying for any of this! This meal sucks!" Ridiculous! The journey was the value. And I loved it, and I know many that do. Don't be a whiney hater, admit that Mass Effect was awesome soup to nuts. MP alone is worth the price of admission. I for one thank Bioware and EA for it. One of the best gaming franchises ever.… Expand
  31. Windswept7
    Mar 28, 2012
    10
    Amazing game. Voice acting superb. Fairly realistic depiction of what the future may hold. The game play is heaps of fun. Choice between different game modes offers a tailored experience for every taste and the diversity of character customization offered by Bioware is commendable. You will want to replay this game after completion.
  32. Theral
    Mar 28, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game was a great game in my opinion, well in line with the previous two; but I had a few issues.

    In places, the battles are seemingly just a time-sink; lots of husks slowly pop out no matter how fast you kill them - head-shot each one, and it still takes over a minute to clear some areas that wouldn't take very long if they came fast or all at once.

    The biggest problem, however? The ending is terrible. It has no real closure to the story; and worst of all the three endings are essentially the same piece of crap.    … Expand
  33. AlexanderVallin
    Mar 28, 2012
    10
    Aside from the endings, I found this to be a great experience. I really love the storyline, the voice acting, the graphics. I appreciated the romance / friendship development with the cast. This is presently my favorite game and I am generally not a fan of Sci Fi or Shooters.
  34. FIGIOT
    Mar 28, 2012
    9
    Awesome game. Choices made in the previous games still have some impact later on. Even in some small conversation details. Though the ending should be better I still had a blast playing this game.
  35. Bossk-Office
    Mar 28, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I am a big fan of Mass Effect who loved the first two games. And this game certainly delivered, just the way I had hoped â… Expand
  36. stb97
    Mar 28, 2012
    5
    I have to say, I loved Mass Effect 3, or at least I thought I did. The combat is definitely greatly improved, it is now much more fluid, and shooter fans will have an easy transition to this game, as the combat is rewarding and the abilities are much more fun and necessary to be effective on the higher difficulties. On the other hand, for people playing for the story, the combat can beI have to say, I loved Mass Effect 3, or at least I thought I did. The combat is definitely greatly improved, it is now much more fluid, and shooter fans will have an easy transition to this game, as the combat is rewarding and the abilities are much more fun and necessary to be effective on the higher difficulties. On the other hand, for people playing for the story, the combat can be tuned down so that it is still the same shooty-killy action sequence, but it takes significantly less time so you can easily get through to the story driven sections of the game. However, the one part they seemed to have skipped on is exploration, in Mass Effect one, we had the Mako, which provided a plethora of opportunities for exploration and side missions, in Mass Effect 2, we could scan planets, this provided an alternate currency system for upgrading your ship as well as still providing an avenue for side missions. However, in Mass Effect 3, there's really no exploration elements, which takes a sizable chunk of gameplay out of the game, as well as limiting us to the hub stations and the one time mission areas, making the game feel increasingly confined. But the problem with appealing to both the story and combat players, is that neither field seems that amazing, the story was quite frankly shallow with very few side plots or twists, and the combat alone was no where near good enough to carry the entire game. The ending was bad, but it wasn't enough to ruin the game for me, and the multiplayer was just, while enjoyable, a ploy to draw in more customers.… Expand
  37. DKN
    Mar 28, 2012
    4
    *Spoilers Ahead*
    99% of the game were very good, gameplay wise I think its the best game in trilogy, it also has a great main story. There were some concerns, about the game, for example some decisions from previous parts were not transferred to this game as well as i'd hoped, some side quests were boring, your quest log is a disaster, some bugs etc., but nothing game braking... up until    *Spoilers Ahead*
    99% of the game were very good, gameplay wise I think its the best game in trilogy, it also has a great main story. There were some concerns, about the game, for example some decisions from previous parts were not transferred to this game as well as i'd hoped, some side quests were boring, your quest log is a disaster, some bugs etc., but nothing game braking... up until last 10 minutes.

    The ending was just awful. when i first seen it I thought i did something wrong, i was literally stunned. At the end you are given 3 choices DeusEx:HR style. The endings do not take in to consideration any of your decisions you made during your journey as Shepard. It gives you three choices, but in the end your choice comes down to the color of explosion that will probably destroy all civilizations as we know them, no matter what you do.

    The ending did not just didnt give you any choices or didn't provide closer, and it was completely out of place. It felt like in the last ten minutes developers decided to change the trilogy story and values.

    For me ending completely destroyed the experience from otherwise great game.    … Expand
  38. FallJono
    Mar 28, 2012
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This opinion is mine and does contain spoilers. Mass effect 3 is one of the best games I have played start to finish, they took what they learned in mass effect 1 and 2 meshed it together into an awesome game. It will be hard for any game to live up to it. everything from the last DLC for ME 2 "arrival" where you have to make the hard choice of whether or not to destroy the Batarian colony to buy time for everyone on the reaper invasion. To the first hard choice let Wrex know the plan to sabotage the cure for genophage and letting Moridin the Salarina scientist who developed the modified version for the plague. Now the most debated part the ending. Some people absolutely hated it. I loved it, they teased that this choice was coming up 3 times during the game the debate of sacrifice 10 million to save 20 million. The choice sacrifice 1 to save trillions some find this choice hard me the math adds up it is for the greater good 1 person must die but will save the galaxy. Some people want the game to play a certain way but I like those endings that you know is the only way it will end. The only debate I have is to start a second play through right away or wait till the DLC comes out and see what changes… Expand
  39. jvward
    Mar 28, 2012
    0
    Mass effect 3 is a pretty nice looking game, and the mechanics are great. That being said this game has to be reviewed also on its overall story as a culmination of a trilogy which thus far had received critical acclaim for its story telling assisted through player choice. Keeping this in mind, the game can be compared to "getting a hand job from a supermodel who just before your aboutMass effect 3 is a pretty nice looking game, and the mechanics are great. That being said this game has to be reviewed also on its overall story as a culmination of a trilogy which thus far had received critical acclaim for its story telling assisted through player choice. Keeping this in mind, the game can be compared to "getting a hand job from a supermodel who just before your about to finish gets up walks in the other room, leaves you hanging there, grabs lighter fluid tosses it on you and then sets you a blaze". Not the ended you expected or were the least bit satisfied with.

    Whats most upsetting is that Bioware and EA most likely intended this hoping to corner game owners into purchasing some sort of DLC to give them the satisfying ending they wanted. When this happens I will buy it, however I will never buy another Bioware game again.

    Oh besides the utterly horrible main story ending the multilayer is pretty fun.    … Expand
  40. Biss
    Mar 28, 2012
    0
    What a sh**y ending. No chance of a good ending, even if you have make only correct choices over all 3 games. Bioware has lost all his skills. First gameplay and now storytelling. Nothing more is left of a once great development studio.
  41. sushimpp
    Mar 28, 2012
    2
    Bioware replaced quality content, intelligent dialogues with plenty of options and a great overall RPG experience with more guns, more explosions, bigger **** fine asses and high heels. Feels like playing Resident Evil 5 except you get to say something every now and then. You can't speak to anyone on the citadel unless it's somehow mission related. Side missions appear and disappear fromBioware replaced quality content, intelligent dialogues with plenty of options and a great overall RPG experience with more guns, more explosions, bigger **** fine asses and high heels. Feels like playing Resident Evil 5 except you get to say something every now and then. You can't speak to anyone on the citadel unless it's somehow mission related. Side missions appear and disappear from your journal by themselves. The whole experience feels like the shell of what it could have been, but it is not. To conclude, the game would deserve a 5 but considering how much of a let down it was, it's getting a 2. Haters gonna hate.… Expand
  42. ZootMan
    Mar 27, 2012
    10
    Y'all are a bunch of babies. The combat, dialogue and gargantuan set-pieces in this game easily carries it far beyond the useless complaints of the last 30 seconds. I played through renegade style in 14 hours, keeping closely to the meaty content of the game. I was not let down, as some were, who I suspect obsessed over every spec of backtracking the game litters itself with. For all theY'all are a bunch of babies. The combat, dialogue and gargantuan set-pieces in this game easily carries it far beyond the useless complaints of the last 30 seconds. I played through renegade style in 14 hours, keeping closely to the meaty content of the game. I was not let down, as some were, who I suspect obsessed over every spec of backtracking the game litters itself with. For all the upset completion-ists out there- NEWS FLASH! THERE'S NO PLEASING YOU!!! YOU'RE THE PROBLEM! IT'S A PIECE OF GODDAMN ENTERTAINMENT! FIND SOME REAL WORLD PROBLEMS TO **** ABOUT!!! Worth your time, this game tape is. Play it, you should. Sigh.… Expand
  43. Kenmei
    Mar 27, 2012
    6
    I feel like the biggest problem with this game was the blatant disregard for the consumer when they put together the story for this final piece. While I didn't think it was the worst ending to a Sci-Fi trilogy (Hello Matrix), I do think there were a few things that they could have done differently. The biggest problems I had with this game though were alot of the things they missed. TheI feel like the biggest problem with this game was the blatant disregard for the consumer when they put together the story for this final piece. While I didn't think it was the worst ending to a Sci-Fi trilogy (Hello Matrix), I do think there were a few things that they could have done differently. The biggest problems I had with this game though were alot of the things they missed. The lack of side missions, the lack of places to explore, and the fact that Bioware thinks we are all idiots with the issue with the DLC really puts a stain on this otherwise great gaming trilogy. I am glad that they are going back to address the issue of the ending but, with everything else that accompanied this game, the series really took a step back from ME 2, which I still think is one of the best sequels of all time. Bioware really lost touch with their consumers with this game and I do believe that is the EA influence doing the devil's work. The issue with the DLC will forever taint this game, no matter what they do with the ending. Still the ending of this series can be salvaged and the fans can be appeased somewhat with an ending they might like. However, in it's current form and even if the ending somehow changes everyone's mind about this game, this is still the worst game in the Mass Effect series and it's truly disappointing for me to write that. The utter disrespect shown to us players by Bioware with the DLC is the worst thing about this game and that will never go away no matter what they do with the ending. Still, if you've gone this far with the series, I would advise you to give it a chance just to see what you think. Just know that this definitely doesn't live up to the first two games in the slightest.… Expand
  44. Powderkeg40
    Mar 27, 2012
    3
    If I had turned the game off instead of playing the last 5 minutes it may have earned a 5. They took an amazing series and ruined it. I lost track of how many times I played ME1 and ME2 all the way through. With ME3 there doesn't seem to be any point at all. I'm not sure if it was hurried out too fast or the designers got lazy. None of the choices you've made in the previous gamesIf I had turned the game off instead of playing the last 5 minutes it may have earned a 5. They took an amazing series and ruined it. I lost track of how many times I played ME1 and ME2 all the way through. With ME3 there doesn't seem to be any point at all. I'm not sure if it was hurried out too fast or the designers got lazy. None of the choices you've made in the previous games really matter at all. Fine myself wishing it hadn't been released yet so I could still be anxiously awaiting what I believed would be a great game.… Expand
  45. mineda
    Mar 27, 2012
    7
    Let me start by saying that Mass Effect 3 is a good game. Story is not as deep as previous titles of the franchise but you have really good moments. Unfortunately the ending is generic, short and fails to deliver any closure. It's a game that you don't feel like playing again once you finish it, because there's just one ending.
    Graphics are ok most of the time. There are some graphical    Let me start by saying that Mass Effect 3 is a good game. Story is not as deep as previous titles of the franchise but you have really good moments. Unfortunately the ending is generic, short and fails to deliver any closure. It's a game that you don't feel like playing again once you finish it, because there's just one ending.
    Graphics are ok most of the time. There are some graphical glitches (like people looking to the roof while speaking to each other), but they are not game breaking.
    ME3 has the worst quest system of the franchise. The quest journal is annoying and quests are just variations of "retrieve artifact X from the Y system". The Reapers mini game is not cool at all and the scanning system from ME2 was dumbed down.
    Combat is really entertaining. There's some flaws (like using the spacebar to do a lot of different things), but the overall experience is really good.
    Multiplayer is a lot of fun. The only problem being the lack of maps to play.

    Overall Mass Effect 3 is a really good game. Not a masterpiece but something worth playing.    … Expand
  46. phantomlord91
    Mar 27, 2012
    4
    A series with great potential ruined by a terrible ending that makes you wonder how was it approved to be in a game. It truly baffles me why the writers gave us this ending which is full of plot holes and has no closure whatsoever. It also offers no choice other than choosing the colour of the big explosion in the end, even though the developers promised before the game's release that theA series with great potential ruined by a terrible ending that makes you wonder how was it approved to be in a game. It truly baffles me why the writers gave us this ending which is full of plot holes and has no closure whatsoever. It also offers no choice other than choosing the colour of the big explosion in the end, even though the developers promised before the game's release that the game would offer many different and distinct endings. It's truly a shame to see a great company like bioware become nothing but liars and incompetent of creating a decent video game in years. Dragon Age 2, Star Wars The Old Republic and now Mass Effect 3. It's sad to say but the old good bioware is dead, gone forever.… Expand
  47. inverted720
    Mar 26, 2012
    0
    Zero because the game was broken out of the box. I can't save the game period! So I have replayed the intro/up to the mars stage of the game 4 times now, and it is awful. Terrible unskippable cinematics. I can't even start playing the game further to rate it. So it gets a zero. The action so far is terrible, and the story is again lame and unskippable. I just have to sit there banging theZero because the game was broken out of the box. I can't save the game period! So I have replayed the intro/up to the mars stage of the game 4 times now, and it is awful. Terrible unskippable cinematics. I can't even start playing the game further to rate it. So it gets a zero. The action so far is terrible, and the story is again lame and unskippable. I just have to sit there banging the keyboard hoping to find a way to skip, so I can see if my latest troubleshoot to make the save games work is working. 5 tries over 4 hours and no luck yet. Thanks for the headache Origin. Having to use Origin the wannabe steam, is the final nail in the coffin. Bye bye $60 i'll never see you again, all I can do is leave this nasty review. Saaaaaad. Way to end the series Bioware. Some conclusion. The conclusion is the Devs and EA skulking away with my money on a product that never worked. Now off to Amazon to warn the others...… Expand
  48. Raynulf
    Mar 26, 2012
    4
    The Mass Effect series as a whole is an amazing piece of storytelling, backed by enjoyable and interesting gameplay and a cast of well crafted characters. The rating given reflects the complete experience of Mass Effect 3. Had the game concluded with the themes and narrative quality of the majority of the game, it would rate 8/10.

    The game is immersive, reasonably well paced and takes    The Mass Effect series as a whole is an amazing piece of storytelling, backed by enjoyable and interesting gameplay and a cast of well crafted characters. The rating given reflects the complete experience of Mass Effect 3. Had the game concluded with the themes and narrative quality of the majority of the game, it would rate 8/10.

    The game is immersive, reasonably well paced and takes pains to reintroduce the majority of 'fan favourite' characters at least for a cameo and is thoroughly enjoyable, if by no means 'perfect'.

    In terms of gameplay, the combat is much improved, with the protagonist being far more mobile on the battlefield - however linking all movement commands to a single button which is interpreted situationally can be immensely frustrating - and the enemies are tactically more varied and force rapid shifts in player tactics. Unfortunately, the opponents are far from varied: Throughout the game there are essentially two factions you fight against in almost every encounter. Despite the focus on one-squad-vs-the-horde throughout the game, it does introduce a little variety in the form of shooting-gallery turret sections and a section in virtual reality.

    As a roleplay game (RPG), Mass Effect 3 is far more restricted than its predecessors, with fewer dialogue options and ultimately less choices, however the immersiveness of the first two acts will cause most players to generally forgive this, at least on their first play-through.

    If there is a complaint to be had (excluding the ending), it is in the fact that little of the prior decisions made in the series are actually taken into account within the Mass Effect 3 storyline: Species the player rendered extinct can be found throughout the game, artifacts the player destroyed utterly can be found on display, and so forth. While it is by no means uncommon or even unusual for sequential games to make assumptions and establish a 'cannon' series of events, the fact that Mass Effect 3 was specifically marketed as this not being the case causes it not to live up to expectations in that regard.

    Additionally, regardless of player choice, Mass Effect 3 will force feed the protagonist with a lot of previously nonpresent anguish over certain events, which is very much out of keeping with the concept of player-determination.

    Still, despite these flaws, it easily rates 8/10 for the first two acts, when viewed on its own merits. And for these first two acts, I would recommend this game to any fan of the Mass Effect series, with the caveat they immediately stop playing the game afterwards, and do not complete it.

    And then, theres the ending.

    On the chance that somehow, someone is not aware of this fact: A lot of customers are not happy with the ending (to put it mildly), and frankly, their dissatisfaction is perfectly justified.

    The final act of the game dismisses the overall game theme of player choice and consequences thereof, railroading the player along a series of events - some agreeable, many not - until the point the game ends. Specifically the game, not the story.

    In the final hour of one of the greatest epics told in the computer game medium, Mass Effect 3 utterly fails to deliver, from a narrative, psychological and philosophical perspective. Themes established from the beginning are discarded, new and inexplicable characters are introduced the very end, illogical and circular 'exposition' contradicts established story and background and last but not least, established characters are forced to act completely against their nature as the player is shoe-horned into an A/B/C choice, regardless of their prior actions through the series. Even the very narrative style is switched in the very last minute.

    To make matters worse: The ending also, for no reason, destroys the entire premise of the game universe with utterly inexplicable and near-identical, emotionless CGI animations.

    So sadly, despite 5 years of excellence in the series, 15 minutes of cutscenes (with no player control) quickly and thoroughly ruin the overall experience, and the game must be rated with that in mind.


    As a disclaimer: Bioware are, and hopefully will continue to be, an excellent developer, who have produced some of the most enjoyable stories in the gaming media, which is one of the reasons the terribly written ending to ME3 is so surprising.

    I would recommend people do NOT boycott the brand, or anything equally extreme, but instead avoid pre-ordering their products or relying on pre-release reviews, and instead wait for peer reviews, such as these here on Metacritic.    … Expand
  49. LeBronaldReagan
    Mar 26, 2012
    0
    Bioware screwed up so masterfully at the end of this game that it not only ruins the game, it ruins the first two Mass Effect games as well. The only positive side of the ending is that it doesn't also ruin Dragon Age: Origins. I would only suggest buying this game if you are the type of person who skips through all the dialog scenes and cutscenes. If you enjoy dialog, story, and makingBioware screwed up so masterfully at the end of this game that it not only ruins the game, it ruins the first two Mass Effect games as well. The only positive side of the ending is that it doesn't also ruin Dragon Age: Origins. I would only suggest buying this game if you are the type of person who skips through all the dialog scenes and cutscenes. If you enjoy dialog, story, and making choices that impact the rest of the game DO NOT BUY this game.

    The one major problem with this game is the ending. It is a fun enjoyable game similar to its predecessors up until the finale. How this ending seemed like a good idea to the studio is mind-boggling. It is bad storytelling in addition to other factors which leaves the player frustrated and unfulfilled. Forget replay value, you will have no motivation or desire to replay this game or Mass Effect 1 and 2.

    Save your money. Don't buy this abomination. If anything, wait and see if Bioware will release a fixed ending. The price of this game should be falling quickly anyway due to poor reception.    … Expand
  50. Ananisapta
    Mar 26, 2012
    8
    I don't understand the negative user reviews for ME III. I think the professional critics are correct to rate it highly. I'm an experienced gamer for RPGs and MMORPGs, and I consider ME III to rate among the highest in emotional impact. The weaknesses I would cite are minor. I would certainly recommend playing the first two episodes in the series because that facilitates understanding theI don't understand the negative user reviews for ME III. I think the professional critics are correct to rate it highly. I'm an experienced gamer for RPGs and MMORPGs, and I consider ME III to rate among the highest in emotional impact. The weaknesses I would cite are minor. I would certainly recommend playing the first two episodes in the series because that facilitates understanding the story and developing an emotional attachment to certain NPCs. Episode III has a complex plot in which individual missions can have enough emotional impact that I need to rest between them. It's not primarily a shooter, more an extended drama in which you control the plot dynamics to a respectable degree. I strongly recommend this to grownup gamers who are attracted to space opera. I will agree that the ending was the weakest part of the series. Part of my disappointment relates to the passivity... if I wanted to watch TV I would do that; gaming is better than TV because it makes you active in shaping the dramatic experience. I gather EA is working on improving the ending and I hope they'll find ways to make it snappier!… Expand
  51. schweinhundert
    Mar 26, 2012
    0
    Well, I enjoyed the first two games, dunno why this one felt so cheesy and horrible right off the bat to me. Veryconsoley feeling.
    I always found the series a little cheesy, stiff, and b-movie grade, but this one, I couldn't even stomach for more than an hour.
    So there's my uninformative text to allow me to give it a lousy score of one.
    :)
  52. valorien
    Mar 26, 2012
    0
    I've heard about the outrage this game has caused amongst fans, and I actually thought this was nothing but an artistic argument - but I couldn't be more wrong.
    After finishing the game I can honestly say: DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS.
    This game's ending completely disgraces the Mass Effect franchise. I can't even begin to describe how utterly disappointed and ripped off I feel. I    I've heard about the outrage this game has caused amongst fans, and I actually thought this was nothing but an artistic argument - but I couldn't be more wrong.
    After finishing the game I can honestly say: DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS.
    This game's ending completely disgraces the Mass Effect franchise. I can't even begin to describe how utterly disappointed and ripped off I feel. I actually paid money for this? I must be an idiot.
    If you liked the first two games, keep away from this one and pretend it never happened.
    I myself will not purchase another Bioware title ever again. Absolutely terrible Bioware! TERRIBLE!    … Expand
  53. Dethstar
    Mar 26, 2012
    5
    More of the same nonsense. I never was a fan of the series finding the camera angles and character control system very annoying. It is pretty I will give it that but there its another one for the big fans of the ME series. Nothing to recommend it to someone who never thought it was anything but a good game if forced to play console games for a week. Did not meet my expectations.
  54. Simpatico
    Mar 26, 2012
    10
    I highly enjoyed all the games in this series and Mass Effect 3 is no different. The ending may not bring closure for some, but for me, the ending provided satisfaction on a galactic scale. I love this series, I love BioWare, and I love this game. I'm eager to play the altered ending, and anywhere else BioWare chooses to go in the Mass Effect universe.
  55. backfromearth
    Mar 26, 2012
    10
    You like Doom Unreal or similar FPS shooter games merged with Hollywood Sci-Fi films ? Then this game is for you.But if you like real RPG games with encounters making sense and lot of planets to explore, and the feeling that YOU decide where you want to go and what place to explorer, then go back playing Mass effect 1
    I suppose you get sci-fi like scenes after each combat episode because    You like Doom Unreal or similar FPS shooter games merged with Hollywood Sci-Fi films ? Then this game is for you.But if you like real RPG games with encounters making sense and lot of planets to explore, and the feeling that YOU decide where you want to go and what place to explorer, then go back playing Mass effect 1
    I suppose you get sci-fi like scenes after each combat episode because it's too boring spending your time only on killing monsters ?    … Expand
  56. Aepervius
    Mar 26, 2012
    7
    Mass effect is a great ending to the trilogy , albeit with a sever flaw. The graphic are great , but there is no way to change the setting, and console limitation are forcing some design decision. For one you can't change FoV, you can't change graphic setting much, and you are forced to watch the back of a shepard taking 1/5 of the screen the whole time (Typical console trick to avoidMass effect is a great ending to the trilogy , albeit with a sever flaw. The graphic are great , but there is no way to change the setting, and console limitation are forcing some design decision. For one you can't change FoV, you can't change graphic setting much, and you are forced to watch the back of a shepard taking 1/5 of the screen the whole time (Typical console trick to avoid calculating world geometry in a part of the screen). Often I found myself unconsciously using the mouse wheel to zoom out or in to go into FP , and sadly this is not possible. Graphic option include anti aliasing, screen resolution, brightness, and shadow, that's it. Still the graphic are great, only it is a bit sad to be saddled with console limitation. Sound wise , It is relatively good. Music is good. Sound effect sound stock or did not leave me with a strong impression. Dialogs OTOH are good sounding, and the sound of the reaper still leaves me a chill in the back. Plot : I found the story fitting. The ending was OKish. On its own I found it OK, what I was sorely missing was to know what happens to the various folk/species taking part into the battle. I won't spoil it for you for the content of the ending, but I had been hoping for a little bit more, like the diagshow at the end of fallout saying you what happens afterward. It does not happen. Nonetheless the ending were satisfying enough for me, just lacking a tad bit. Big big big bad things : the screen at the end telling you to wait for DLC. They could have sparred that, or made it more discreet, as if the main menu "downloadable content checking" was not enough. That blue screen with DLC at the end was .... Over the top. Multiplayer is OK, consist in you and 4 trying to fight off waves, with XP reward and a store to buy items. but is problematic due to 2 things : they tied part of the game (effective military rating force) to the multiplayer. Now some people are playing it so finding coop player is easy. But what in 2 month ? What in 6 month ? If you find nobody you WILL be stuck at 50% rating, thus making it harder for you to get certain ending. This is definitively a BAD BAD BAD decision. Overall, I enjoyed Mass Effect 3 very much, but I think it has been clearly bracked by financial decision, and attempting to cash in, by having day 0 DLC (a clever marketing and salesman would have made it a week 1 or week 2 DLC) the shop/multiplayer influence on single player and the problem described as above, and the endings, which looks actually as if they had to make them on the quick due to financial reason. All in all, the lasting appeal of this game is IMHO lower than for ME1 and ME2 and the console influence has make it much more evident the lowering of the RPG element in favor of FPS element. I would still recommend it to anybody having played ME1 and 2 , but as a stand alone I cannot recommend it too much. Final verdict : 7. Would be a 8 if not for multiplayer undue influence on single player Military rating, and would be a 9 if only they had added , even a few still picture telling us what happens afterward as in fallout or other game did. This is after all the END of the trilogy.… Expand
  57. Darkeffect777
    Mar 25, 2012
    9
    Mass Effect 3 - great game, but not this brilliant, as Mass Effect 2. Gameplay great, hard battle and tactical with good level. But dialogue low and bad story, which doesn't line with Mass Effect 2 kill nice story. End Mass Effect 3 and first six hours me don't nice. Mass Effect 1-3 great series in our day, but 3 part kill this name "great series". I want new end, because I have epicMass Effect 3 - great game, but not this brilliant, as Mass Effect 2. Gameplay great, hard battle and tactical with good level. But dialogue low and bad story, which doesn't line with Mass Effect 2 kill nice story. End Mass Effect 3 and first six hours me don't nice. Mass Effect 1-3 great series in our day, but 3 part kill this name "great series". I want new end, because I have epic final of Mass Effect. If Bioware submit "DLC End" money, I don't love Bioware.… Expand
  58. mmadbzfan
    Mar 25, 2012
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. First of all I like this games single player and love the multiplayer and glad they added it. Making Shepard die is bs and day one dlc just makes me rage. If there was a good ending and no dlc this game is a 10 but EA's greed has made it to a 6.… Expand
  59. kofelovr
    Mar 25, 2012
    1
    I originally gave this game a 6, but I'm reducing that to a 1 because of all the BS public relations rhetoric BiowarEA is putting out there to defend that travesty of an ending instead of acknowledging it was flawed. Falling back on the old "artistic vision" crap just isn't going to quell the outrage of an, arguably, good percentage of the people who have finished playing the game.I originally gave this game a 6, but I'm reducing that to a 1 because of all the BS public relations rhetoric BiowarEA is putting out there to defend that travesty of an ending instead of acknowledging it was flawed. Falling back on the old "artistic vision" crap just isn't going to quell the outrage of an, arguably, good percentage of the people who have finished playing the game. "Artistic vision", my a$$. People had those kind of visions back in the 60's when they: "Turned on, tuned in, and dropped out". That coupled with the "we'll have more information for you in April" crap which is a painfully obvious stall tactic to not tank sales even more -- it couldn't be more transparent and it's insulting to the player's intelligence. It's dismissive in tone and nature. Way to go -- alienate even more of your core fan base.… Expand
  60. Lew
    Mar 25, 2012
    4
    The introduction to the game was poorly done and pointless. The first act was somewhat fun but eventually I was just grind thru missions to accumulate items that in the end where meaningless. The next act was more of the same. And finally the end was a huge disappointment nothing in the rest of the series or in the game really impact how it ends.

    The game play was OK but I did not    The introduction to the game was poorly done and pointless. The first act was somewhat fun but eventually I was just grind thru missions to accumulate items that in the end where meaningless. The next act was more of the same. And finally the end was a huge disappointment nothing in the rest of the series or in the game really impact how it ends.

    The game play was OK but I did not enjoy the addition of hand to hand combat. Also, I missed the heavy weapons of ME2.

    The character development was also pointless. I never felt like anything I gave my character was really important.

    So mostly the game was unfun and pointless. A terrible way to end 2 previously good games.    … Expand
  61. Hurzt
    Mar 25, 2012
    6
    Looking back, I enjoyed playing Mass Effect 2 the most; to me the story, gameplay and atmosphere rocked big time, giving me a cineastic experience and a feeling of immersion only few games have given me so far. Although ME2 was mostly linear, the sheer variety of satisfying setpieces and well-done scripts/dialogues made "collecting" character for character (your team/allies) and theLooking back, I enjoyed playing Mass Effect 2 the most; to me the story, gameplay and atmosphere rocked big time, giving me a cineastic experience and a feeling of immersion only few games have given me so far. Although ME2 was mostly linear, the sheer variety of satisfying setpieces and well-done scripts/dialogues made "collecting" character for character (your team/allies) and the over-arcing story much fun. I went to every location and even scanned most of the planets for resources, although it was quite tedious. After a few hours in Mass Effect 3 and some satisfying hours in the multiplayer mode (never played 'Gears') I began to realize there was "something missing". And then I started to feel like "please let me just get through this and don't annoy me too much". Kudos to Bioware for creating a great SF-lore/galaxy with many great characters, but in ME3, the whole recipe felt sooo "been there, done that". I went to earth (in order to finish the game) as soon as I could. There were some great moments and some sparks flying on the way to the ending, too, but most of them had to do with already well established characters. "On the way to the ending" kind of expresses it, too. It should feel like "the end is closing in, but I don't want it to end!". All in all, I enjoyed this game but can only repeat there's "something missing". It could have been so much more... Oh, and all the military stuff with Hackett, war map, soldier talk etc.? Boooooooring -.- Of course it's also difficult so begin a story with an invasion which seems to erase a whole planet's population within hours, just to then start flying through a whole galaxy for weeks(?) in order to be able to "fight back"...… Expand
  62. Ristul
    Mar 25, 2012
    0
    Bioware is not the company it once were, Mass Effect 3 is less of everything compared to the previous games. Thanks for nothing Bioware, now go make another crappy Dragon Age sequel.
  63. Tridus
    Mar 25, 2012
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is a glorious middle bookended by a lame opening and a weak ending plagued by plot holes. People who say there's nothing wrong with the ending must not have been paying attention, because there's continuity errors you can fly Sovereign through. How did EDI go from being *in my party* on Earth onto the Normandy in the middle of the last battle? How did the Normandy get into the Mass Relay network to be ahead of the blast, during the last battle when they had no idea what the Crucible would do? It makes no sense. The ending itself is basically the same no matter what you did in the rest of the game at all, provided the green millitary bar was filled up enough. It turns out there's a God AI that's really doing all this, but didn't think of how to fix it until you showed up and is willing to let you doom all organic life to extinction if you want to. Why would it let you do that when it's been protecting organics for so long with the Reapers (protecting by destroying, yay!)? Makes no sense. It's a real shame because there's great stuff elsewhere in the game. The missions around Rannoch are awesome and some of the best in the franchise. That makes it hard to rate this game. Do you ignore the problems with the ending like the critics mostly did? Do you rate it into the ground like most of the users are doing? I'm trying to balance it off because I had 33 hours of fun along with the bad at the end, so I'm docking 2 points for that and another one for the lame opening with a kid that was thrown in as a ham-fisted attempt to add impact.… Expand
  64. Sperkowitz
    Mar 25, 2012
    7
    I honestly cannot understand the huge dissatisfaction with the game here. Sure, it's not perfect nor groundbreaking, but nowhere deserving of of a zero or even a 1. However, it may be due to the fact that I am not a hardcore fan of the series so plot holes and other abnormalities are missed by me. I believe there is a lot of passion for the franchise that when it doesn't go in a particularI honestly cannot understand the huge dissatisfaction with the game here. Sure, it's not perfect nor groundbreaking, but nowhere deserving of of a zero or even a 1. However, it may be due to the fact that I am not a hardcore fan of the series so plot holes and other abnormalities are missed by me. I believe there is a lot of passion for the franchise that when it doesn't go in a particular way it is completely dismissed. It is suppose to be the last installment of the series, and it seems many were expecting more. I know I was expecting a better and more grand ending, but I wasn't going to let it completely destroy the other experiences I had. (And, I almost forgot, there was a lot of controversy on the first-day release of DLC. That move by EA caused a lot of anger and probably another reason for the very low scores.)

    The one flaw I felt with this game is that I felt like I wasn't playing anything new. Just a continuation of the last game. The graphics and the game play felt exactly the same. The only difference is the story is continuing. That being said, I still enjoyed the story and what was going on in the Mass Effect universe. That in itself made the game difficult to put down, and it was the only game I played for the week I purchased it.

    To easily summarize: if you've played the first and second game, you will know what to expect with the third installment, with the exception of the boring exploring or scanning on the planets.    … Expand
  65. dorko1
    Mar 24, 2012
    2
    Bioware managed to ruin my favorite game series ever in less than 10 minutes. Don't play this game if you want some sort of satisfaction with your story.
  66. sethman75
    Mar 24, 2012
    2
    Terrible end to what should have been the best franchise in the past 10 years and it has nothing to do with the ending. Below are my reasons why it is such a poor game.

    - Single player RPG game forcing players into a multiplayer GoW style game. The worst thing about BW being taken over by EA is that EA are forcing multiplayer into every game which takes away vital resources from the SP    Terrible end to what should have been the best franchise in the past 10 years and it has nothing to do with the ending. Below are my reasons why it is such a poor game.

    - Single player RPG game forcing players into a multiplayer GoW style game. The worst thing about BW being taken over by EA is that EA are forcing multiplayer into every game which takes away vital resources from the SP portion of the experience which in ME was it's heart and soul.
    - Terrible 5 year old graphics, with little customisation and horrible anti-aliasing/textures
    - Story was laughable, such a shame they killed off some of the most interesting chars in gaming
    - Day 1 DLC which takes players for fools and also takes away one of the best lore/chars in the game
    - Clunky and very stiff animations which look like they are 6 months of polish away from finished.
    - Side quests are frustrating as they tell you a random planet you have to find but what they don't tell is that the cluster doesn't even show up on your map until a later pre-requisite has been done. Bad design.
    - VERY poor quest tracking and info updates. You get so many quests to do at once but if you finish the goal, you have to remember where you got it from and who gave it to you. This is not 1993 BW?!?
    - Ridiculous mechanic with scanning the solar systems and reaper awareness which discourages players from exploring which was one of ME best qualities in the last 2 games.
    - Forced gayness. I'm all for choice in game but to have so many gay chars throwing in your face about this or that becomes tiresome VERY quickly and makes you start to think that BW had an agenda.
    - FOV for the combat is far too close. ME has never been a GoW/COD clone. It has always been more tactical which goes against the decision to be so close as you never feel in control of the situation.
    - Small thing but the needed the option to remove your helmet. Some of the best helmet's look horrible and you can't take them off as you need the stats. Destroys immersion and connection with the player.
    - I am disturbed on how critically acclaimed this game is by the so called experts. It really goes to show how little their opinion really means and what an ass-kissing industry video games really is.    … Expand
  67. Biokiipper
    Mar 24, 2012
    10
    One of the best games I have ever played. There is nothing wrong with the ending of this game... Unless you like cliche happy or dark endings. They managed to make a great game. Its end is more like those we find in books, instead those from comercial movies.
  68. GenuineOpinion
    Mar 24, 2012
    10
    Definitely not worth anything below a 6, those people are exaggerating out of rage for the ending, which is very much like Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Game play is sturdy, and in fact improved on everything from the first two games. It was fun.
  69. Mecha_Adam
    Mar 24, 2012
    10
    This is game a 9, but I feel that a 10 is required to counter act all the people giving it very low ratings due to the ending. This was an excellent final chapter to the series. The ending was in keeping with the themes of the series' story arc and ambiguous enough to satisfy your imagination.
    I think that many people were expecting ~30 different ending cutscenes corresponding to choices    This is game a 9, but I feel that a 10 is required to counter act all the people giving it very low ratings due to the ending. This was an excellent final chapter to the series. The ending was in keeping with the themes of the series' story arc and ambiguous enough to satisfy your imagination.
    I think that many people were expecting ~30 different ending cutscenes corresponding to choices you made throughout the series. But the fact is that ME3 is drastically different in itself, depending on what you did or didn't do in the other 2 games.
    Strong contender for GOTY in my humble opinion.    … Expand
  70. IwanaBEvergreen
    Mar 24, 2012
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Mass Effect 3 was a game that had such great potential, and in fact the majority of the game lived up to the expectations that I had for it. There were so many scenes that I was utterly amazed when watching. In the introduction when the reapers finally reach earth, and you stand by, helplessly watching earth decimated by these creatures that you worked so hard to warn the galaxy of. I literally felt devastated. But after playing through the whole game, and the whole series, slowly building up the anticipation of the final moment, possibly the final battle, you are shocked to find out that the ending falls completely flat of anything you had ever anticipated or hoped for. All those choices you made, ones that you had worked so hard for, were gone. Most of them were chalked up to raising your galactic readiness rating. Not only that, but a few of the choices that you made in the first and second games, you were forced into making them over again a second time, as if the choices you made in those games really didn't count. For instance, saving the rachni queen in the first game made little difference, because later you had to make the choice all over again. Another instance can be seen with the geth. In the second one, you are forced to decide to kill or save the geth, which ultimately made no difference (except for the galactic readiness rating), because again you were force to make the same choice a second time. This is not the only area where the decisions fall short. In the final moments of the third game you find that all those decisions combined had little to no effect on the actual ending of the game. There were a total of six endings possible, three for paragon, and three for renegade, but the difference in these endings were so minute, it was as if the choice was already made for you. It is hard to explain what I am feeling after watching the ending, I can only say that it just was not what I expected or had hoped for. It just did not fit with the game, and left me feeling unfulfilled. I find myself thinking back the ending of Lord of the Rings. You spend countless hours watching through the three movies, and when you reach the ending, it left you fulfilled, you felt happy, and at the same time, you felt that all was right with the world. The ending wrapped up all the loose ends. You saw what happened to the characters after the ring was destroyed, and when it was finally over, you knew that middle earth was finally at peace again. In short, the ending was epic; this was the kind of ending that I had hoped for in Mass Effect 3. A good fifteen to twenty to thirty minute ending, where all the characters are seen, and you know how things turn out for them, where the world is saved or destroyed, according to the decisions and actions you had made. Unfortunately this was not even close to what we got. There were a few other graphical problems/glitches that got annoying. Every time you go into the **** you had to be very careful, or the game would glitch out and you would be forced to reload to a previous save. Some of the dialogue was glitch. I remember having a conversation with Admiral Hackett at the end of the game, and he started to say something, but the game glitched and it skipped over that sentence entirely. Another thing that I had a problem with was the character Steve. I do not like how his issue with homosexuality was forced onto you; it was quite frankly rude, unnecessary, and annoying. Every time you talked to him, he had something to say about his boyfriend. It got to the point where I just did not want to talk to him anymore, because I didn't want to hear it. I felt alienated; like Bioware or EA was trying to make a statement, and make you believe that homosexuality is ok. Why? I don't want to be completely negative, because the game was amazing. It filled in a lot of the history of previous wars and whatnot, the customization and weapon selection was amazing (except for not having a heavy weapon). A majority of the cut scenes were phenomenal. The action and rpg/level up for the game exceeded that of the first and second game, and a majority of the conversations that you had with crew members were meaningful and informative. But the ending, along with some other problems, marred my image of the game, and the entire series as a whole. I just hope that Bioware gets it right the second time around.… Expand
  71. ProNada
    Mar 24, 2012
    10
    THE BEST OF THE SERIES! I'm 90% completed with the game, and didn't want to play through the ending before writing my review. Reason being, I don't want to change the overall game score (which is damn near perfect) based on what happens with the end of the story line. Basically... this game balances the best of the first two and adds a ton of choices on top to change the way the gameTHE BEST OF THE SERIES! I'm 90% completed with the game, and didn't want to play through the ending before writing my review. Reason being, I don't want to change the overall game score (which is damn near perfect) based on what happens with the end of the story line. Basically... this game balances the best of the first two and adds a ton of choices on top to change the way the game plays out. Each decision weighs heavily on the outcome... not merely for kicks, it actually affects your ability to fight the reapers! I am playing through as an Adept and have played the same class since ME1... the new abilities are tweaked perfectly and with armor customization, I'm able to achieve the exact build type I wanted (pure Biotic). The game makes it easy to jump in with no backstory at all, if someone wanted to start playing the series in this last adventure, however it's recommended that you at least play through ME2 so you have an understanding as to what major events pre-curse the scene you're entering. I do have a Gripe though.. the cover system isn't perfect by any stretch. I've gotten caught between covering between two objects involunteerily... just trying to come out of cover on one and jumping right behind the next. The aiming is tightened, the battles themselves are very exciting, and many times it forces you to be strategic on your placement of the squad to avoid flanking. It's impossible to play this game and not have fun in the combat. Of course the story line is amazing... the characters and dialogue continue to be the heart of this game, whether it be Joker falling for EDI (the artificial intelligence that takes on a hot robot form), or Anderson talking about how hard the reapers are hitting Earth... it all blends together so well and becomes immersive! Amazing game. Don't hesitate buying it based on these user reviews complaining about the ending... BAH, you'll miss out on an amazing experience. Two thumbs up!… Expand
  72. exliontamer
    Mar 24, 2012
    5
    Setting aside the ending (which has been covered to death), there are too many flaws in this game to give it anything higher than a 6. The journal, for example, which defaults to the middle or bottom every time you open it, rather than the latest quest you've received; the dozens of "find my long lost doohicky on some random planet" quests which amount to simply scanning a planet toSetting aside the ending (which has been covered to death), there are too many flaws in this game to give it anything higher than a 6. The journal, for example, which defaults to the middle or bottom every time you open it, rather than the latest quest you've received; the dozens of "find my long lost doohicky on some random planet" quests which amount to simply scanning a planet to resolve; and ultimately the fact that most of your efforts to save the galaxy boil down to adding 50 points to some vague number which you're trying to get as high as possible before the final battle. And this arbitrary number results in minor little changes to the cutscene you watch at the end -- and none of it really matters. It feels incredibly empty -- wow, sure glad I saved that guy back in ME1 so I could end up with a higher Military Readiness number at the end of ME3 so I could... um what exactly did it change? Oh yeah, Big Ben didn't get vaporized in the cutscene at the end! Yay! That and the fact that every decision you made didn't really matter: let the big bug queen live in ME1? Great! She's back and happy to help you! Killed her? Great! A cyborg version of her is back and happy to help you (or not... but does it really matter?).

    None of this would matter all that much if Bioware promoted ME3 as Gears of War in Space, but they piled on the hype about every one of your decisions meaning something BIG, about all your questions being answered in the end, etc.    … Expand
  73. spikie1011
    Mar 24, 2012
    2
    Love all the game but the end is a joke, sorry bioware i love u , but seriously this end kill all ur game ... The 3 choices are just a joke, and if this ' end ' is just a ' dream ' for waiting the real end in DLC , it's a joke too.
  74. EastonReviews
    Mar 24, 2012
    0
    What is the problem with Mass Effect 3? Simple - not to mention it's poor gameplay, bioware did a terrible job making a halo rip off actually work. You probably have heard the story was terrible - you were right. The makers' storywriting skills caused the ending to be utterly dissapointing. But who knows if this WILL be the last Mass Effect game, the develepors may want to make more moneyWhat is the problem with Mass Effect 3? Simple - not to mention it's poor gameplay, bioware did a terrible job making a halo rip off actually work. You probably have heard the story was terrible - you were right. The makers' storywriting skills caused the ending to be utterly dissapointing. But who knows if this WILL be the last Mass Effect game, the develepors may want to make more money (like they did with this) and make a whole new 50 sequels.… Expand
  75. Jhereg
    Mar 24, 2012
    3
    Mass Effect 3 is a great game with a few minor quibbles like the "one key to rule them all" binding and requiring Multi-Player to increase your EMS. Truly well done....until the end! All the endings are functionally identical and there are only three of them. The ending mechanics diverge violently from the accepted process of the Mass Effect Universe both canonically and play mechanicsMass Effect 3 is a great game with a few minor quibbles like the "one key to rule them all" binding and requiring Multi-Player to increase your EMS. Truly well done....until the end! All the endings are functionally identical and there are only three of them. The ending mechanics diverge violently from the accepted process of the Mass Effect Universe both canonically and play mechanics wise.
    I fail to see how they think I am going to buy any DLC when in the end nothing I do changes anything and the work towards the endings is pointless. Why Bioware...Why?    … Expand
  76. Sir_Recon
    Mar 24, 2012
    8
    Played several times ME1 and ME2, to get a varied experience and it worked in those games, even if I knew how the game played out, ME3 not so much, Game play is very familiar and improved with the combat rolls and powerful imported characters(you get EXP bonuses for imported characters, a nice reward), conversations seem less trite and can be very humorous or candid, but the charactersPlayed several times ME1 and ME2, to get a varied experience and it worked in those games, even if I knew how the game played out, ME3 not so much, Game play is very familiar and improved with the combat rolls and powerful imported characters(you get EXP bonuses for imported characters, a nice reward), conversations seem less trite and can be very humorous or candid, but the characters themselves seemed boring even my old friends seemed boring this time. The pacing is good, but the Citidel "Go Fetch" sidequests are really silly, but you want to do them for money and EXP of course but they aren't fun, and for some reason you can miss the conversation completely as there is no cursor it appears in your Journal after you ran by that person, quirky, Story progress under the Reaper darkness gathering forces for the end, Normandy is completely overhauled in Alliance spartan them, gone is the bright clean Cerberus Normandy, although its the same ship. Sound is incredible, Gameplay very good, Story Above Average, Graphics on PC nice but need more settings, Input controls, you know the PC has more than 5 buttons right? apparently BIOWARE forgot, no vehicles to drive around, was hoping to get a MAKO, not that hovercraft tho, DAY 1 DLC for an important story crewmember, not cool at all, RPG elements like building your powers, weapons and armor are very good and I like how the loadout affects your power charging times, but still can't equip other members or your squad how you like, they still specialize in two weapons. Some great new Characters, Loved James, big musclehead Marine, great battlebuddy. ENDING>>>>>>>>>>>>OMG>>>>>>>what your hearing is true, the ending is truly Bazaar, its hard to explain, doesn't matter what choices you make or have made, its Bazaar. Leaves you feeling empty at the end. I love ME series but gotta score it how it made me feel at the end, 90% of the game is pretty good, although Cerberus totally whacking out was hard to swallow too. buy it if your a Sheperd Fan but you too will be singing the Sheperd blues in the end.… Expand
  77. Panjandrum
    Mar 24, 2012
    9
    Despite the final ten to fifteen minutes being something of a mess, this is an excellent, engaging game that manages to live up to the high standards set by the previous two entries in the Mass Effect series. Steven Spielberg famously stated that he would consider games as art "when somebody confesses that they cried at Level 17," which is something that Mass Effect 3 certainly achieves. IDespite the final ten to fifteen minutes being something of a mess, this is an excellent, engaging game that manages to live up to the high standards set by the previous two entries in the Mass Effect series. Steven Spielberg famously stated that he would consider games as art "when somebody confesses that they cried at Level 17," which is something that Mass Effect 3 certainly achieves. I know that I cannot be the only player to shed a tear on Tuchanka, or at a particular scene in a Citadel hospital. For that matter, I cannot be the only one to have laughed like a madman during many of the private talks with squadmates on board the Normandy. The reason for such emotional engagement shows how this game lives up to its predecessors - the interesting and well-explored characters at Shepard's side have always been a strength in the Mass Effect series, and number 3 does not disappoint on that front. On top of that, the settings are pretty, gameplay is varied and interesting (who needs cover based shooting when you can rain down biotic destruction on your enemies' heads?) and many of the set pieces are nothing short of breathtaking.

    In summary then, this game leads you on an adventure across the galaxy, gives you a range of interesting characters and really shows that your decisions matter in shaping the future of life, the universe and everything for 39 hours and 45 minutes, before going what is technically referred to as "balls-out crazy" in the final quarter of an hour. However, the good far outweighs the bad, and I would thoroughly recommend Mass Effect 3 to anyone.    … Expand
  78. Elo441
    Mar 24, 2012
    0
    Great series...until the ending. The ending is so terrible, it not only ruined this game for me but also ME1 and ME2. Over 100 hours of gameplay and you're forced into one of three very similar "endings" that bear little resemblance to the thematic and gameplay elements that made the rest of the series so good.
  79. Feldane
    Mar 23, 2012
    1
    I want to state I personally started a metacritic account to rate this game. The game is not unplayable it just has some horrible flaws that ruin it as a whole. The good is as follows : The story it quite good, the voice acting is great ,it is a very emotional story, it really sucks you in and there is a lot more rpg elements(such as modifiable powers and weapons). The bad and it is reallyI want to state I personally started a metacritic account to rate this game. The game is not unplayable it just has some horrible flaws that ruin it as a whole. The good is as follows : The story it quite good, the voice acting is great ,it is a very emotional story, it really sucks you in and there is a lot more rpg elements(such as modifiable powers and weapons). The bad and it is really bad is as follows: The whole premise of the Mass Effect series is that chose matter, this is totally taken away from you in the ending(s). Even if you made the best chose in every three games import your character over all three, it doesn't matter. The thing that makes it incredibly frustrating is that you lose many character over the course of the games and you make friends and even lovers, and to be given an ending where in that all that sacrifice, all that character development means nothing, especially over the course of three game, is simply not acceptable. The ending honestly ruined the entire gaming experience for me. Other things that bad is decision you made in Mass Effect 2 dlc's & Mass Effect 1 general story are invalidated. Examples, You kill Wrex in ME1, he is back in ME3, you rekindled your relationship with Liara in ME2 Shadow broker dlc, she acts like she has seen you but for the brief time in ME3, You made Anderson a Counselor in ME1, Udena is the Counselor in ME3. A lot of fan favorites are also not playable character in ME3. Wrex is not playable, All of the added cast in ME2 are not playable, though they do make appearances, it is honestly really sad to see them take a back seat in ME3. There is also the day one on disc dlc, which I personally got the N7 special edition of ME3 so i got it for "free", it is actually quite vital to the story and should have been free in all additions.
    In conclusion i tried really hard to like this game. I loved it for the most part, but literally the last 10 minutes of the game ruin it. I know Bioware was aiming for a bitter sweet/deeper meaning ending. It honestly feels poorly executed at best and at worst a big slap in the face to the customer base that made this game so successful. I would not recommend this game to anyone. If you insist on playing it stop after you have your big chat with all your crew and friends, before the final battle, because the ending will ruin it for you. Just tell yourself you won and everyone lives happily ever after, because even the "best" ending is a sad one. So yourself a favor and pass on Mass Effect 3.    … Expand
  80. wombatman10
    Mar 23, 2012
    6
    Good combat and fresh characters are sadly ruined by the lack of meaning for long term fans. Major decisions from the first two games are made so meaningless they are expressed with single dialogues and some (rachni and Councillor) are completely ignored and explained with an unsatisfactory explanation. Possibly a good standalone game but fans of the Mass Effect series can only be leftGood combat and fresh characters are sadly ruined by the lack of meaning for long term fans. Major decisions from the first two games are made so meaningless they are expressed with single dialogues and some (rachni and Councillor) are completely ignored and explained with an unsatisfactory explanation. Possibly a good standalone game but fans of the Mass Effect series can only be left feeling disappointed and wanting more.… Expand
  81. cwmpro
    Mar 23, 2012
    0
    I was really excited to play this installment of the mass effect series, the idea that the choices and decisions a player can make will create a unique story-line is a great one. That said Bioware has done the unthinkable and ruined what was a great series, one that in my opinion could have gone down as one of the best known generational games. The graphics are sloppy and areas are justI was really excited to play this installment of the mass effect series, the idea that the choices and decisions a player can make will create a unique story-line is a great one. That said Bioware has done the unthinkable and ruined what was a great series, one that in my opinion could have gone down as one of the best known generational games. The graphics are sloppy and areas are just covered with shadows, choices from previous games are meaningless, what a waste of time to go and play mass effect 1 and 2 to import a cool custom character, what happened, well none of the choices effect anything in the end. Characters that may have been killed are brought back, no dialog circle half the time, and don't even get me started on the ending which should have been highly developed and unique based on character decisions made throughout the series. Instead we get an ending that is 95% the same in/on every choice with 5% slight but insignificant modifications to represent crucial decisions. Another aspect that the developers messed up on was the blatantly obvious plot holes in the game left in the ending.Furthermore on PC at least this game is incredibly buggy. Glitches occur and you have to reload your game because your character will get stuck on/in a wall. It is sickening that a game you pay 60$ for is not smoothed out, properly tested and not properly developed with regards to the story-line. My overall recommendation of this game is that you should not buy it because it is a waste of money, just look up the plot online or rent it as a last resort; this game has been nothing but wasted opportunity and disappointment both to me and many other mass effect fans out there. It is also nice to know that the critics for this game either didn't know what happened in previous games, did not know the intent and founding principles mass effect was built on or just didn't finish that game before rating it. While the critic rating is one of the most high games out there, I feel along with others that have posted that the games leaves a heck of a lot to be desired. If I had the option to return this game I would. It was incredibly ridiculousness that one the day 1 release that there was DLC content available as well, and it doesn't matter what EA or Bioware says the content is highly relevant to the story-line and would change game play if not purchased.
    In conclusion this games don't not have a good plot, has poor writing, poorly developed game play and graphics, is full of glitches, has day one DLC and one of the worst endings of all time. For a dedicated fan it is equivalent to being spat on. As a loyal mass effect fan I will always love the idea of what could have been my favorite game series of all time. I am not happy with Bioware or EA for ruining this idea and because of my unhappiness they will not be reviving anymore money from me for further purchases. Beware of this game and do not buy it.    … Expand
  82. Brodesmus
    Mar 23, 2012
    0
    This game is excellent...until the last 15 minutes or so. The ending (there is only one with different colors) destroyed one of my favorite video game franchises. Mass Effect appealed to me because the choices that you made had weight, they affected the story in a tangible way, but no matter what you did in any of the games you always get the same choice of endings. Red, blue, or green.
  83. CiaranPM
    Mar 23, 2012
    9
    Frankly, I don't see why everybody is giving this game 0 ratings because of the ending. Yes, I agree, it was odd, and I didn't really like it, but the ending shouldn't determine the game or the series. Every aspect of this game is remarkably well done - the characters are believable, the voice acting is good, the sound effects are good, the graphics are good, the combat flows very well.Frankly, I don't see why everybody is giving this game 0 ratings because of the ending. Yes, I agree, it was odd, and I didn't really like it, but the ending shouldn't determine the game or the series. Every aspect of this game is remarkably well done - the characters are believable, the voice acting is good, the sound effects are good, the graphics are good, the combat flows very well. The only downside with this game is the exploration. It was overdone in Mass Effect 1, but in Mass Effect 2, visiting three major cities made the game feel more expansive. While Mass Effect 3 is substantial, only being able to visit one major city made the non-combat aspect of the game feel somewhat small. This, of course, is only a personal preference. All in all, aside from the odd ending (which Bioware claims to be fixing), Mass Effect 3 is a very solid game.… Expand
  84. Dragoic
    Mar 23, 2012
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The time is 3:41 and I've just completed Mass Effect 3.

    So. What do I think about the game?. Strange enough and with all the down talk and spoilers I've heard and the massive red negative score it has been given. I would say it deserve 9. It entertained me for 4 days (Without too many off quests) and the ending (I chose the good side) was.... well, sadden, but somehow I found both my choice and the way to end it to my liking. Even if the choice were quite hard.

    Now down to the Positive and the negative

    Positive Story: Acceptable. I would highly recommend playing both ME1 and ME 2 and use the same character all the way, it gives it a little more touch and characters just means a lot more to the way you want to end thing. Instead of just throwing the nearest character into the pit of fire while just raising your shoulders while saying â    … Expand
  85. maik_kel
    Mar 23, 2012
    10
    Why does everyone hate the Ending so much? To me it felt just right! I don't care if they're not that different from each other. For me it really is the journey there that counts. And what a journey that was. This is clearly the best game series i've ever played. Nothing else got me so emotionally connected to the story and characters. I don't easily give 10s, but this one deserves it inWhy does everyone hate the Ending so much? To me it felt just right! I don't care if they're not that different from each other. For me it really is the journey there that counts. And what a journey that was. This is clearly the best game series i've ever played. Nothing else got me so emotionally connected to the story and characters. I don't easily give 10s, but this one deserves it in my opinion. Its one of the rare cases where the game got better with each iteration (after Dragon Age 2 I didn't have much hope left for ME3, but was proven wrong)… Expand
  86. holdtheline
    Mar 23, 2012
    1
    Bioware releases a game that contains 95% goodness and a 5% utter, soul-crushing, promise-cutting, canon-killing conclusion. This game is the least entertaining of the entire series and certainly the saddest.
  87. mzROnin
    Mar 23, 2012
    9
    I played all the previous Mass Effect games as well and enjoyed them all. True the ending is not great ( the more i think about it - it actually kind of sucks) But it is nevertheless one of the best games i´ve ever played. Such a great story, such great characters, such fun gameplay - awesome. **** the last 10 minutes, you´ll have easily 30h of high quality fun.
  88. PosMatic
    Mar 23, 2012
    6
    Let's start by saying that Mass Effect is an amazing franchise! A game that TRULY let you feel that you are a part of it. that you decide who and what you will be. And here it is, the so-called the "end" of it... I've finished every game in the series more then 5 times , making sure that every decision stands to my needs and was hoping that normally, the third part of this amazing gameLet's start by saying that Mass Effect is an amazing franchise! A game that TRULY let you feel that you are a part of it. that you decide who and what you will be. And here it is, the so-called the "end" of it... I've finished every game in the series more then 5 times , making sure that every decision stands to my needs and was hoping that normally, the third part of this amazing game will give me peace as a TRUE dedicated ME played, a closure no matter what will happen - And now, That i've finished the game, i feel nausea. i stared at the screen for 5 minutes, while the credits were rolling, and i kept asking myself "But why? why to end like that?" Well, just look at all this hatred for the third game... It is not just a coincidence that so many people hate it. And don't even look at the critics, i personally could smell the BS even before i bought the game. Beside the ending, the game offers a lot. The fighting in game are really fun, dodging attacks by jumping from side to side, forward and backwards, adjusting your weapon by adding 2 attachments to it that will have a certain effect. improving the weapon itself in a certain terminal in the ship. Character improvements that reminds me of ME 1. Cut scenes and plot development are REALLY good during the game. Lots of emotions that touched me. really. I find the side missions pretty fun, they are not that complicated - "Search this planet, look at this planet. check this planet", But still, i this that BioWare could do better. The weapons and the gear in game had lots of improvements! You have a lot of armors to chose so you can make adjustments just to fill your needs, and so do weapons. And all this REALLY fun, i am not going to "Kill" a game because its last 10 minutes BUT, you prepare ~30 hours, making the right adjustments, the right gear, decisions that you feel whole with them, and then, nothing. That is right, nothing. You need to understand that i am not some FanBoy that hate right away because a little thing in-game did not satisfy me, i try to be mature and make a sence out of things, but this is not case in the ending of Mass Effect 3. From one side, though, i can understand WHY to make this ending, But from other side, i feel nausea. Betrayed. Even though i understand and try to accept.… Expand
  89. mas223
    Mar 23, 2012
    8
    I just finished Mass Effect 3 tonight. I have no idea what all the drama is about. I thought the endings were fine. What i did have a massive problem with thought was the lack of character subplots for your crew. Sort of made the typical experience just a bit more shallow. I also cannot and will not forgive Bioware for including FAFFING NINJA'S in Mass Effect. I like Ninjas just as much asI just finished Mass Effect 3 tonight. I have no idea what all the drama is about. I thought the endings were fine. What i did have a massive problem with thought was the lack of character subplots for your crew. Sort of made the typical experience just a bit more shallow. I also cannot and will not forgive Bioware for including FAFFING NINJA'S in Mass Effect. I like Ninjas just as much as everyone else. But not in mass effect. Oh and theres too many sexual innuendos in the opening parts of the game, that dont really fit into the story, to make it totally clear bioware are pandering to gay people. There is so much gayness until the middle of the game. Still. they did manage to improve on the graphics, sound and surprisingly gameplay. The closing experience also left a positive note, so an 8. Ps. I'm not fan of bioware (quite dislike them at the moment actually) or mass effect, just wanted to see the close the trilogy, so my expectations could have been lower than many people here. Lucky me then??… Expand
  90. DaneMetchnikov
    Mar 23, 2012
    10
    Simply the one best sci-fi games I've ever played (I can only think of HL2 as better one), I must give it a 10. Great, emotionally involving conclusion, with lots of heroic moments. The interactions/relationships between the main characters are even better than those designed for the previous game (including the same sex romance option, which I think adds even more realism to the universeSimply the one best sci-fi games I've ever played (I can only think of HL2 as better one), I must give it a 10. Great, emotionally involving conclusion, with lots of heroic moments. The interactions/relationships between the main characters are even better than those designed for the previous game (including the same sex romance option, which I think adds even more realism to the universe created here). The combat system was simply great: fast, easy to use, effective. The graphics were amazing, from the scenarios to the facial expressions. The moral options really forced me to think carefully what I was doing and most of them were in a grey area that was difficult to sort out. I cannot believe how many people are giving this amazing game a 0, just because they didn't like one aspect of it (even if it's the story's conclusion); especially considering they claim to be huge fans of ME1 and ME2. How can they not see that ME3 is better than its predecessors almost in every aspect (RPG, combat system, graphics, relationships, moral options, action). I'm really glad that critics reviews are so favorable and I really hope that user score and reviews improve over the weeks.… Expand
  91. ChaosSS
    Mar 23, 2012
    3
    We were promised an epic battle for Earth ... The sophisticated dialogues and the consequences of choice. As a result, none of these promises, in the ME3 is not satisfied. The game drags in the first half. And the second is simply FAIL. I will never buy a single BioWare game (
  92. Zoso
    Mar 23, 2012
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The MISSING ending(!) is definitly the greatest story-telling/marketing/... twist in the history of gaming. I think Indocrination Theory nails it, and the negative fan feedback has been anticipated by BioWare in order to gain general media attention. Marlk my words, I'm 100% sure the ending DLC is ready and is soon going to be released.

    That alone would be worth 10+, even hough there are some minor issues with the game like: * the cover/run/look-aound-the-corner functionality getting mixed up at times * coop matches where you suddenly can't reload or do damage any more
    * some formerm team mates just being ticked off (i.e. there's no real story for some of them)
    * combat is too easy even on insanity * most of the missions are too short (shorter than ME2 missions)

    But ME3 is also the first game ever to make me cry (Mordin humming his song...), and all the bigger parts of the story (Tuchanka, Geth/Quarians, AND THE ENDING) work really really well.    … Expand
  93. yellowpride
    Mar 23, 2012
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. While some elements of the game were less than great, I think the game as a whole was one of the best that I've played in a while. My biggest complaint is probably the changes to the dialogue system. There are almost no neutral options for conversations and each dialogue option you choose accounts for a longer part of the conversation, whereas it was usually only one or two lines in the previous two games. To compensate for it, they seem to have put in a lot more paragon and renegade interrupts, which are nice in that they give you a bit more control over what your Shepard says and does.

    Another drawback, for me, was the system for gauging your military strength. Unlike in Mass Effect 2, where each loyalty or upgrade you got was used for a specific purpose, this game just gives you a gross total that doesn't factor in either the source or the type of the resource. You also don't really see how it affects the ending of the game, beyond you, as the player, knowing that you got a certain total which allowed you to have certain possibilities.

    Without going into detail, I'll just say that the ending, to me, was pretty disappointing. As someone who's played both Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 several times, I was unhappy with the way they chose to conclude the final chapter of the trilogy. That being said, I still think the positive elements of this game far outweigh the negative.

    One of the first things I noticed about this game was the improved look. They took a lot of what was great about Mass Effect 2 (the vibrant scenery, the dynamic cut-scenes) and added more of the texture detail from the first game and a nice grittiness that seemed fitting for the tone of this game. While a few of the scenes (especially on the Normandy) were poorly lit, that was more the exception than the rule.

    Probably the biggest improvement, in my mind, was the change to the weapons system. Much like in Mass Effect 2, there is no working inventory, so when you find a certain gun, it's then available for the whole squad. However, unlike Mass Effect 2, the different weapons aren't direct upgrades of each other. Instead, each one has a specific feel and is suited to a different style of play. Once you figure out which one will work best for you, you can upgrade and customize it to further fit your needs. Beyond that, the combat system is pretty similar to Mass Effect 2, with a few small improvements, so if you liked it in Mass Effect 2, you'll like it here. The multiplayer campaign is also a nice addition to the experience as a whole, even if it's more of a side dish than a meal on its own.

    Also, I would probably consider this game the strongest of the series as far as use of time. Whereas the first game had a lot of random side quests to make the game longer and the second game sometimes lost the urgency of the main quest between all the loyalty and recruitment missions, Mass Effect 3 is much more clearly focused on gathering resources to use against the Reapers. While the game as a whole was at least a few hours shorter than the other two, a lot more of that time was spent on the main mission. Overall, while there were a few things that I was less than happy about, this game is still definitely worth playing.    … Expand
  94. me3endingsucks
    Mar 23, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Well I just completed Mass Effect 3. Like 10 minutes ago. Needless to say I am severely disappointed with the ending, because the mass effect games are one of my favorite games ever(along with hl, sonic 2 and silver(1999)). The end itself is totally inconsistent with the rest of the game, it's like if Frodo at the end of LOTR decided to give the ring to Snape (yes Snape from Harry Potter **** you that's why), and then the whole world turns to lava and everyone dies except Boromir and he mates with himself and creates a race of boromirs on Uranus. Also all the choices I made in the game didn't matter whatsoever. It was just brutal to see the awesome universe of mass effect end this way... I expected more. And I bought the collectors edition with the dlc and all that crap, makes me want to puke.… Expand
  95. andraip
    Mar 23, 2012
    10
    It's a good game, the endings suck but I don't understand how people can give a game a 0 if they love it but just hate one thing... sad.

    And it did many things better then ME and ME2
  96. romanser
    Mar 23, 2012
    0
    You heard it was bad but its worse. Much worse, there are bad games and then there is what EA did to bioware just releasing garbage. Dragonage2 was garbage SWTOR was garbage and ME3 is complete garbage.
  97. Soulgraph
    Mar 23, 2012
    6
    With better combat (fighting Cerberus), some animation & overall graphic improvements over the 1st two games and writing that seemed to salvage the plot from ME2s' I honestly thought this was going to be an end worthy of my love for the franchise. Sadly it seems more like the dev team ran flat out of good ideas or time about 3/4 of the way through. While the artwork, effects and generalWith better combat (fighting Cerberus), some animation & overall graphic improvements over the 1st two games and writing that seemed to salvage the plot from ME2s' I honestly thought this was going to be an end worthy of my love for the franchise. Sadly it seems more like the dev team ran flat out of good ideas or time about 3/4 of the way through. While the artwork, effects and general aesthetics were better than the first two games, it looked as if the same textures were used from console versions of Mass Effect 3. The multi-player should not have even made it in to the game & the day one DLC (which I did purchase) felt like a ten dollar soak. Add to this the gruelling last couple of hours playing up to a non-sense ending and I felt as if I would have been better off waiting to play till I could buy "the real ending"… Expand
  98. butternut86
    Mar 22, 2012
    5
    Bioware should be ashamed of themselves. This ending was inexcusable. The Deus ex machina explanation for the Reapers and how the Catalyst justified their desruction as a way to save organic's from their own tendencies of destroying themselves was nothing short of ridiculous. Its circular writing, logic and reasoning wrapped into one.

    Let me be clear. 99% of this game is an absolute    Bioware should be ashamed of themselves. This ending was inexcusable. The Deus ex machina explanation for the Reapers and how the Catalyst justified their desruction as a way to save organic's from their own tendencies of destroying themselves was nothing short of ridiculous. Its circular writing, logic and reasoning wrapped into one.

    Let me be clear. 99% of this game is an absolute masterpiece. But the end was so god awful that it actually undermined the brilliance of the entire series. Two things pissed me off in Mass Effect 3, the non-existant closure of the ending, and non-reveal of Tali's face (there was a photo.. but come on) .

    Both are inexcusable, and the ending is pathetic. Personally, Bioware, and its Reaper puppeteer should give its consumers FREE ENDING DLC to try and redeem themselves. I already paid around $200 for all three Mass Effect games including numerous dlc packages. Bioware and EA owe their consumers a decent ending with some closure to the characters, planets and races I've come into contact these past 5 years. Bioware should ashamed. TO SHAME!!!!    … Expand
  99. Nerfrose
    Mar 22, 2012
    10
    i love game because Mass Effect 3 is a good romance and game, sometime it made you feel bad because ur a loyal characters die, ur a loyal friends die.. i hate it, i miss tali/legion but yeah good game
  100. kriskizlyk
    Mar 22, 2012
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The only thing that ruined my gaming experience of Mass Effect 3 was checking Metacritic and seeing everyone reviews. I actually really enjoyed the game all the way through. It seems no one really has any imagination anymore to figure out an ending because all people are used to is I kill...I win.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews

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