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. Templar19
    Mar 22, 2012
    8
    Overall this was an amazing and emotional game. It is a lot different from 1 and 2, the graphics are beautiful and the game play and combat are more fun, however it seems really dumbed down compared to the other games, more like a gears of war style adventure game. Had there been more rpg elements, better quests, and a better ending i would give it a 10/10, the ending did ruin the entireOverall this was an amazing and emotional game. It is a lot different from 1 and 2, the graphics are beautiful and the game play and combat are more fun, however it seems really dumbed down compared to the other games, more like a gears of war style adventure game. Had there been more rpg elements, better quests, and a better ending i would give it a 10/10, the ending did ruin the entire series for me though...… Expand
  2. makemenuconfig
    Mar 22, 2012
    0
    OK, I really loved ME1 and 2. I anxiously waited for the 3rd game and see how is it going to end, what is going to happen to the characters and the galaxy. Up until the last 5 minutes of the game, it was completely blown!

    But, suddenly, the game took a U turn and started going downhill fast.It betrayed not only me for insulting my intelligence, but it insulted the game itself. It ended    OK, I really loved ME1 and 2. I anxiously waited for the 3rd game and see how is it going to end, what is going to happen to the characters and the galaxy. Up until the last 5 minutes of the game, it was completely blown!

    But, suddenly, the game took a U turn and started going downhill fast.It betrayed not only me for insulting my intelligence, but it insulted the game itself. It ended without explaining anything or giving any kind of closure. And on top of it, it doesn't make any sense, not even for fiction standards.

    The reason I am giving a score of 0 is the ending. If I were to score the game prior to seeing the ending I would have given it a 8 or 9.    … Expand
  3. Jobles
    Mar 22, 2012
    9
    The beginning starts with that which you have been fighting to keep away from your world, the Reapers have come to Earth. Shepard has been grounded and stripped of his status because of what he did during the event of Arrival (ME2 DLC) The combat system has been improved slightly, making it easier to go from cover to cover, as well as easier running, unlike ME2, where running was nearThe beginning starts with that which you have been fighting to keep away from your world, the Reapers have come to Earth. Shepard has been grounded and stripped of his status because of what he did during the event of Arrival (ME2 DLC) The combat system has been improved slightly, making it easier to go from cover to cover, as well as easier running, unlike ME2, where running was near impossible if you're avoiding something or trying to run around corners. ME 3 allows faster, unlimited running, and you can run around corners easily, which helps if you're trying to run to much better cover. The weapons are customizable this time, as well as there being more weapons, not as many as ME1, but you receive plenty to choose from, especially if you're a PC user. The modifications are back as well, but these are limited compared to its ME1 predecessors. Story is just as good as it was before. There's certain points where, if you've played the games in succession, you will cry. On a bad note, there's some things that are not good. While throughout the game you gather Alliance strength for the final battle, it seems like gathering a lot doesn't matter. As you're fighting, you don't see the Rachni Queen's people on the ground (if you saved her). You don't see Turians, Asari, Batarians, Krogan(if you saved Wrex in the first game, and helped Wrex and the Turians become allies this game). Which is a huge let-down. I wanted to see everyone on the line with me. I wanted to go through the battles, and see these people, and creatures, fighting with me while we assaulted the ground units of the Reapers. Another bad thing is the day one DLC. Paying 10 dollars for the content locked on disc. It's a horrible business practice which companies need to STOP. The character is worth it, though, because unlike Kasumi and Zaeed, the DLC character has a story. He's interactive inside and outside the ship. You talk to him, you have choices. Your shipmates talk to him, NPCs on the Citadel talk to him at one point. If those two are worth 5 bucks, and you don't even interact with them aside from they spout something, without a conversation wheel popping up to interact with them. The DLC character for 3, has all that, and he's a great fighter. All in all, this game was great. It was almost perfect, however I do understand why people are giving this game a terrible rating. The ending(s) are why. However, almost every question is answered thanks to what is fan-researched: The Indoctrination Theory. When you finish this game, if you have questions still, go to YouTube, look up the 22 minute video Mass Effect 3 - Shepard's Indoctrination by ACAVYOS. This will explain SO MUCH. It ties into the endings easily, and it helps explain them as well. Again, this is a great game, and well worth every cent.… Expand
  4. slackrabbit
    Mar 22, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Wow - what can I say about Mass Effect 3? Well simply as the late stand up comedian George Carlin said ' you have to marvel at that level of Bull ****
    This review will take this from a business point of view. I did my MBA in turning around failing software companies back in 2002.
    In 5 minutes Bioware / EA completely destroyed the intellectual property of Mass Effect.....you have to marvel at a feat like that!
    All those 8 years building it up, millions of dollars research, creating, developing and marketing that game.
    For those that don't know, marketing games cost even more than the development itself.....and that's when you're not buying off the critics. Yep; if I was a shareholder I would be really pissed right about now.
    As an investor I would be wondering how to short their share price.
    This game fails on so many levels. All I can say is "Decide what your product is and completely rule out what your product is not". If Mass Effect 3 is a Role Playing Game, then it must by nature involve choice right up till the end.
    This game does not.
    I have heard people speck of the 'indoctrination theory'; frankly, that doesn't matter. Whether or not you are fighting indoctrination or not is irrelevant. The question is, does the game give you choice when it counts? The answer is no.
    Therefore customers, who purchase this game under the illusion that there is choice WHEN IT COUNTS! The customer does not get that choice.
    Choosing what tropical fish to buy is not a real choice; itâ    … Expand
  5. DeGinner
    Mar 22, 2012
    7
    While this game is way off the mark from ME1 and ME2 this is still a good game. The story can be a bit forced and it's clear were you are going, but I still enjoyed the journey, and the same can be said for the ending, poor ending but I enjoyed the journey to get to it. This Mass Effect is not more of a Action Shooter with RPG elements but it is competent (if not spectacular) at both.
  6. drewhoover
    Mar 22, 2012
    0
    The game is beautiful and polished, but in no meaningful way do Shepard's actions in previous games impact this game. The only difference between the three endings is the color of an explosion. Yes. You heard me. THE COLOR OF AN EXPLOSION is the fruit of your labor. There is no epilogue. I am angry that I wasted $70 on this game. ME1 and ME2 are still outstanding games, and I do not regretThe game is beautiful and polished, but in no meaningful way do Shepard's actions in previous games impact this game. The only difference between the three endings is the color of an explosion. Yes. You heard me. THE COLOR OF AN EXPLOSION is the fruit of your labor. There is no epilogue. I am angry that I wasted $70 on this game. ME1 and ME2 are still outstanding games, and I do not regret playing them, but I would be happier imagining the ending than being disappointed by the meaninglessness of my actions in ME3.… Expand
  7. ArminW
    Mar 22, 2012
    4
    The game itself is mostly a 9, with great, emotional moments, good fights, some RPG moments from part 1 brought back and overall only a few minor flaws (boring fetch quests, confusing useless journal, and one insufferable enemy with script immunity).
    But the ending is such an monumental, epic fail, that I actually have to rate that a -1. Yes, it DOES have to be negative, because, honestly,    The game itself is mostly a 9, with great, emotional moments, good fights, some RPG moments from part 1 brought back and overall only a few minor flaws (boring fetch quests, confusing useless journal, and one insufferable enemy with script immunity).
    But the ending is such an monumental, epic fail, that I actually have to rate that a -1. Yes, it DOES have to be negative, because, honestly, it not only spoils ME3, it manages to somehow spoil the entire series.
    It is way to short, badly written, shamelessly stolen from Deus Ex, makes NO sense whatsoever, it negates EVERYTHING you have done over 3 games, ignores al your choices and basically offers the same lame end sequence video with 3 different colored explosions. Unbelievably bad, and even worse if this is just a ploy to sell some kind of "epilogue DLC" later.
    So, the average between a 9 and a -1 is what I have to rate this.    … Expand
  8. kache
    Mar 22, 2012
    6
    Very nice game overall, but, as others have said, the ending is incomplete, and there are too many missing pieces that have been thought for DLC (see Javik). Enjoyable, from the beginning to the transport laser, but not even close to what it could have been, and what it should have been.
    So sad that EA ruins everything they put their hands on...
  9. Slva911
    Mar 22, 2012
    10
    Nothing less then perfection. I managed to get a copy a few days early and I never thought the story and game could top what the last two games have delivered, but this keeps getting better and better! You really do feel the weight of those decisions you made. Its great to finally see the outcome of these shaping after waiting for 5 years in curiosity as to what would happen.
  10. Triggerhappy
    Mar 22, 2012
    5
    I´d just recommend to wait with your purchase until the current controversy subsides. If you´re a fan of the series and want to play now, DO yourself a favour and look up how the game ends, spoilers or no, because you might face serious disappointment. There are polls up within Bioware´s social community that show anywhere between 80-90 percent ofI´d just recommend to wait with your purchase until the current controversy subsides. If you´re a fan of the series and want to play now, DO yourself a favour and look up how the game ends, spoilers or no, because you might face serious disappointment. There are polls up within Bioware´s social community that show anywhere between 80-90 percent of players disappointed with the ending. Just... wait. At the very least, you´ll get the game much, much cheaper one month from now. The user score is so low it´s scary, by the way, I think the game by itself still reaches a decent 5.… Expand
  11. dinombre
    Mar 22, 2012
    0
    Buen juego destrozado por el final.
    Nada importa, ni decisiones ni nada, una estafa, vamos...

    Solo se salva por que al menos la narrativa es amena y la jugabilidad buena, pero ese final... MAAAL
  12. doomleika
    Mar 22, 2012
    0
    I would give this game 9.0+ score, if Bioware did a proper ending.

    Yes, the ending, the ultimate insult to Mass Effect series and the fan. To keep it spoiler free: your choice don't matter a single bit.
  13. SignorRossi
    Mar 22, 2012
    0
    I just can't believe that this should be the ending the developers thought about all the years since part one. What I really think is that BioWare was unable to finish the game in time and was forced by EA to somehow end it for a scheduled release. It feels like all the ends we saw were originally one of multiple endings and that BioWare was forced to split it up by changing colors to fakeI just can't believe that this should be the ending the developers thought about all the years since part one. What I really think is that BioWare was unable to finish the game in time and was forced by EA to somehow end it for a scheduled release. It feels like all the ends we saw were originally one of multiple endings and that BioWare was forced to split it up by changing colors to fake a "you have the choice" situation. I blame EA for all what happened with the end of the game and it seems that this is just another proof for that this company has a greedy "quantity over quality" policy and just doesn't care about art but a lot about cash-flow. Origin, dlc on release day etc etc. I shouldn't wonder if someone at EA is crying right now that thousands of dollars from Mass Effect fans are going to a children-found and not in their pockets.… Expand
  14. JimmyWhistles
    Mar 21, 2012
    9
    I was seriously enjoying this game for 95% of the time I played it. In fact, if I could have, I would have given it an 11 out of 10. But then I reached the end. Don't worry, no spoilers, but let's just say the ending seriously leaves something to be desired. The gameplay aspect is just as good as that of Mass Effect 2, and the story itself (except the end) is nearly flawless. Mass Effect 2I was seriously enjoying this game for 95% of the time I played it. In fact, if I could have, I would have given it an 11 out of 10. But then I reached the end. Don't worry, no spoilers, but let's just say the ending seriously leaves something to be desired. The gameplay aspect is just as good as that of Mass Effect 2, and the story itself (except the end) is nearly flawless. Mass Effect 2 is absolutely my favorite game ever played, and Mass Effect 3 (Singleplayer) is a great game with a flawed ending. What bumps this game from the 8/10 I would have given it to the 9/10 I am giving it is the multiplayer. While it isn't the main focus of the game (not for me anyway), I foresee it entertaining me for a while while I rank up all the various classes. In summation, it would be a 10 from me, but the ending was flawed at best, so it's a 9.… Expand
  15. Raupao
    Mar 21, 2012
    0
    This game is great, except the Day 1 DLC AND THE LAST 20 MINUTES!
    Dumbed down EVERYTHING too, less dialogue options, less squad members, less type of missions, less interaction with characters, almost no answers, FILLED WITH PLOT HOLES. Don't buy this game, do ANYTHING but buy this game. Really, we have to let EA know we wont pup up with incomplete ridiculous endings and DAY 1 DLC.
    They    This game is great, except the Day 1 DLC AND THE LAST 20 MINUTES!
    Dumbed down EVERYTHING too, less dialogue options, less squad members, less type of missions, less interaction with characters, almost no answers, FILLED WITH PLOT HOLES. Don't buy this game, do ANYTHING but buy this game. Really, we have to let EA know we wont pup up with incomplete ridiculous endings and DAY 1 DLC.
    They lied about everything, this game is a fail, on EVERY SINGLE LEVEL.    … Expand
  16. IAmSovereign
    Mar 21, 2012
    0
  17. ninjamanppp
    Mar 21, 2012
    0
    Before ending 95/100 After ending 0/100 No replay value whatsoever since I played these games for the actual story. I would have been willing to wait longer and pay extra for a garanteed gem. Right now i feel like i wasted both money and time.
  18. Spoy
    Mar 21, 2012
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I am deeply dissapointed with all the other reviews on this site, most of them focus on one thing. or 2

    First off you don't give your rating to a game because of it's ending and it's ending only. Don't do that, nor day 1 DLC that does not matter of the quality of the game only the price.

    A good review focuses on 3 Main things

    -Graphics
    -Story
    And most importantly
    - The gameplay.

    They give all the Pros and Cons of all 3 main things.
    Now what's with the people bashing on CoD on a Mass Effect 3 Review? seriously? you can mention a game on a review only IF the game has something to do about it. But i'm afraid that Mass Effect 3 has NOTHING to do with Call Of Duty. So enough

    Now for my Review: (I will only review the singleplayer for now)

    Part 1-

    The Graphics

    The Graphics got some detail improvements that you can't really notice untill you look at it. The textures on the character resolutions are better, the shadows are crisper than mass effect 2. The level designs are sound way less linear, it gives you some space to move around in many different places, and they look good

    However, there are some 2D pictures you can see at the beggining of the game that really dissapoints you. Apparently Bioware haven't spent much time improving the background details that they should have.
    The running animation doesn't look natural, it looks more like "Creature-ish". However the Cutscene animations are better than the in-game ones.

    Summing the Graphics up

    + Higher resolution character detail
    +Better shadowing +Better level design
    - Bad Background
    - Bad In-game animations

    Lets go to the Story Part

    The Space Opera is back with another good story, but let's not jump to the ending now ok?

    Mass Effect 3 Story overall gives ou a bunch of hard decisions that may change your game ending forever, the story may develop differently along the choices you make along the game.
    Yes not all things that you did on ME2 or ME1 matter on the final game. but some REALLY do per example some Things related to legion might bring you peace between the Quarians and the Geth.

    Giving you 2 powerfull allies for the battle of the Earth.
    The most thrilling and exciting parts of the game are the quiet ones, they actually make you feel like if you were commander Shepard. The cutscenes are very well made and match with the soundtrack that gives it it's proper feel.

    Now the ending was a major Dissapointment to everyone who played it, there are multiple plotholes and the lack of choices in it.

    Story Overall

    +Variety of decisions (before the ending)
    +Good cutscenes.
    +Good Quiet parts of the game with excelent Combination of soundtrack
    - Bad Endings
    - Only a few of the decisions you make on the previous games matter a bunch Gameplay: The gameplay is the same as mass effect 2 with some improvements Like a better melee combat, Variety of modifiable weapons and armor. Letting you customize your shepard as you want. and a better level geometry, not so linear anymore. But the AI is dumb as always +Better melee combat +Modifying weapons and armor +Better levels -Bad AI I'll give Mass Effect 3 an 8 out of 10 because that's what i think it deserves because selling DLC on day 1 SHOULDN'T involve on reviews    … Expand
  19. textor44
    Mar 21, 2012
    7
    I've been playing Mass Effect since the first game came out. Before even playing Mass Effect 3, I went through the trouble of replaying the first and second game just so that I could remind myself of the story in full, as well as ensure that all the choices I wanted to have imported were made properly by the character I was bringing into the game.

    So, did I enjoy Mass Effect 3? Yes. The    I've been playing Mass Effect since the first game came out. Before even playing Mass Effect 3, I went through the trouble of replaying the first and second game just so that I could remind myself of the story in full, as well as ensure that all the choices I wanted to have imported were made properly by the character I was bringing into the game.

    So, did I enjoy Mass Effect 3? Yes. The game had decent writing (with an exception that I will elaborate on later in the review) and the tone of urgency was present throughout the entire game. The voice acting was superb, as usual, and there were even some moments that had me laughing hysterically, and other parts that caused me to really feel a sadness as events occurred involving characters I had grown quite fond of.

    Multiplayer was added into the game this time around, and I'm not sure I really agree with that decision. Mass Effect was always a single-player experience, and the multiplayer seems almost as if it was simply a way for EA to make more money, as you would have to purchase new equipment packs from them with a "Customizable Card Game" expansion feel to it-- a bunch of "common" items in the pack, with a chance for some rare ones. Playing with other players is a bit fun, however, but with the matching system giving me matches where I'm fighting along side level 18 characters, and dying horribly, it can get old rather fast. In addition, making this a "requirement" to increase your galactic readiness rating is also very annoying, as you have to invest a massive amount of effort to increase and maintain the rating. Alternatively, you can get the games they released for the iOS platform to assist in this, but without having the android versions available on the day of release, it gives an advantage to those who can afford Apple's products to play the games with their equipment.

    Finally, we come to the ending. This is the exact reason why the game did not get a higher rating from me, other than my issues with the multiplayer and "galaxy at war" systems:

    The ending was an insult. As long as you bothered to invest the time into getting the numbers for the war as high as you can, you will have three options, of which I will not go into the details in order to keep spoilers out of the review, instead referring to them by colors, since those who have played the game will know what I refer to without revealing anything.

    The blue ending, to me, stood against what my character fought for in the three games, so I didn't feel that would work properly. The red ending would have destroyed some of the things that I had worked very long and hard to achieve, starting all the way back in the second game, and also violating the principles that my character had fought long and hard to achieve. This left the green ending for me, which was, essentially, the least of three evils for me.

    After my choice, I had looked up the other two endings, to see what they were like... and I was appalled. Essentially the same footage was used for each one, with just the colors I mentioned being more prominent in each, and which characters you see changing a bit. To me, this was the height of laziness and an insult to myself. When I looked up the other options, I expected to see vastly divergent videos, instead of "choose which color you like best." In addition NONE of the three endings really showed an epilogue of what happened. Ok, you saved the galaxy! Now what? We won't tell you!

    So, was the game worth playing? I'd say yes. The gameplay itself was enjoyable, and with a few exceptions, it was a satisfying experience overall. They did wrap up the storyline of several characters, and answered a few questions that had been lingering, and at one point even gave a very satisfying historical lesson on the Morning War (the first war between the robotic Geth race and their creators, the Quarians), and the results of some of your earliest choices in the first game do come back to have some nice effects. In addition, they also took a subtle approach to addressing some complaints caused by bugs in Mass Effect 2 (your super-fan referencing an import bug preventing him from responding properly to what you did in the first game, for instance).

    Bioware has released a statement saying they would take the fan backlash on the endings seriously, and attempt to address them. If they do this, and create a new ending that allows players that were fans of the game since the beginning to feel as if their choices really mattered in the end, then I believe that Mass Effect 3 has the potential to be the best in the series. If these concerns are not addressed, however, Bioware's historically positive list of games will forever have a dissatisfying footnote next to what should have been the pinnacle of one of their most ambitious properties.    … Expand
  20. MrFistr
    Mar 21, 2012
    1
    I'm really sad with what BioWare/EA have done to the Mass Effect franchise. After playing the first ME, I was totally into the series - and I'm NOT a single-player RPG type of gamer. I anxiously awaited ME2 - which I personally thought was a pretty damn good sequel to the first. It was more polished, with the use of Spacebar functions for movement, cover, etc. Unfortunately, ME3 was aI'm really sad with what BioWare/EA have done to the Mass Effect franchise. After playing the first ME, I was totally into the series - and I'm NOT a single-player RPG type of gamer. I anxiously awaited ME2 - which I personally thought was a pretty damn good sequel to the first. It was more polished, with the use of Spacebar functions for movement, cover, etc. Unfortunately, ME3 was a total disaster; It looked rushed, animations looked clunky (which I immediately noticed as soon as I started playing the beta) and the writing was just terrible. A big disappointment !… Expand
  21. Mcmod
    Mar 21, 2012
    10
    I really enjoyed this game! Nice graphic Awesome Effects and wonderful soundtrack! This is a very good game but it has got some bugs... But the gameplay is better than Mass Effect 2...
  22. Kenathon
    Mar 21, 2012
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game is good, don't get me wrong. Compared to its predecessors ME3 has an improved and enjoyable interface, the shooting fells good, the story is amazing and the dramatic moments in the game are touching. Everything is well done, except the endings. I will try not to spoil too much, but let's say that every ending is basic the same thing, just in different colors. It's like Bioware didn't give a damn about the ending, not a damn about how much you work to gather an army to get better chances of survival! No matter what you do, the endings are the same!
    *SPOILER* : In every ending, the Mass Relays are destroyed and your Shepard dies(except for one ending which you can get after you play the game again with an ME3 import, also known as the plus mode for the game, or so it is called by the people I know). Some people think that Shepard should have lived, I would have been happy to but I was already prepared to suffer the pain caused by his death, so that wasn't a problem for me and it shouldn't be a problem for anyone else. Shepard is sacrificing himself for the sake of the galaxy, that isn't something wrong to do. The problem is this:

    Every ending is refusing to answer the questions everyone is having:

    1. What happened to my companions?
    2. What happened to the galaxy?
    3. What happened with the armies stuck on Earth?
    4. Did the destruction of the Mass Relays killed everyone on the planets near them like it did with the batarians?
    6. How did that old man in the end knew what I did in the citadel?

    And many more questions. So after what I said here, I have to ask you:
    Why would Bioware do something like this to the game and series everyone loves? Why did Bioware worked so much on the story if the current endings apparently do not need one? Is it because they want to launch a Mass Effect 4? Is it because they want to launch a DLC to clarify everything? Is it because they don't care anymore? No matter the answer, the game in its current state does not deserve to be bought because it is going to be a huge disappointment to everyone who looked for the end of the story and answers. If you just want a good 3rd. person shooter then it will satisfy your expectations.

    I really hope Bioware fixes the endings.    … Expand
  23. cullaxthefirst
    Mar 21, 2012
    0
    what the hell? Does this website not believe in paragraphs? I just seperated everything I wrote and it was still all jammed together. Too long didn't read, is the main reason no one reads user reviews.
  24. IronGuy410
    Mar 21, 2012
    9
    It's embarrassing that so many people just looking for something to hate in a game this good are willing to go on websites and give 0 scores just because the games ending isn't the one they specifically would have wanted. The truth is, while the game is somewhat streamlined even when compared to the last one, the combat is just right, the graphics are actually quite jaw-dropping, the storyIt's embarrassing that so many people just looking for something to hate in a game this good are willing to go on websites and give 0 scores just because the games ending isn't the one they specifically would have wanted. The truth is, while the game is somewhat streamlined even when compared to the last one, the combat is just right, the graphics are actually quite jaw-dropping, the story throughout the entire game is thrilling, extremely emotional and more epic than ever before, the voice acting is as great as the previous games, the co-op is surprisingly good and ties in well with the story, the whole game itself is 30 hours long and very replayable and the ending, which is where most of the hate seems to be directed , in my opinion does a great job of closing this incredible sci-fi trilogy.… Expand
  25. Robbie1982
    Mar 21, 2012
    10
    I gave this game 10/10 on the Xbox review, and reading some comments. The galactic readiness meter needs to be patched. I have realised it is pointless. U work really hard to get everyone into the fight, making important decisions and completing sidequests. And the readiness meter stays at 50% !! Till u go kill some stuff in multiplayer, where u can conviiently spend lots of Bioware (EAI gave this game 10/10 on the Xbox review, and reading some comments. The galactic readiness meter needs to be patched. I have realised it is pointless. U work really hard to get everyone into the fight, making important decisions and completing sidequests. And the readiness meter stays at 50% !! Till u go kill some stuff in multiplayer, where u can conviiently spend lots of Bioware (EA Points) on weapons packs. That is a huge fault with this game. That can be patched tomorrow in a flash (although I ran into a few bugs so maybe that is this ?)Despite this, and my last mission having a depressing casualty count. I Would still score this game 8. The more I think about it - what a huge flaw. But it is so incredibly easy to patch. Just make it possible to get single player readiness to 90% and politely tell us when that is reached to go play some multiplayer.… Expand
  26. johnson5
    Mar 21, 2012
    0
    I rarely review anything, I prefer to enjoy things myself (after paying such a large amount of money, for my income). But Mass Effect 3, just destroyed many things I was proud of about the whole series.

    First of all, beware of buying the game because of Origin. A blunt attempt to battle Valve, a bad one at that. Secondly, connecting the multiplayer portion of the game to your personal    I rarely review anything, I prefer to enjoy things myself (after paying such a large amount of money, for my income). But Mass Effect 3, just destroyed many things I was proud of about the whole series.

    First of all, beware of buying the game because of Origin. A blunt attempt to battle Valve, a bad one at that.

    Secondly, connecting the multiplayer portion of the game to your personal single-player experience and directly influencing your final score (thus the endings you can get), is just an awful way to promote the multiplayer part. And it's not even a small addition to the score...

    That doesn't mean much though, because as thousands have said before me, the ending is just despicable. Plot holes, no personal influence, not making much sense, seriously rushed and totally disappointing to anyone who has actually connected with the game. People are actually thinking of alternative theories, just to fool themselves that the ending was logical.

    This really feels like Dragon Age 2 (which had 5 dungeons in total and they were recycled in every way), Bioware having disappointed once again.    … Expand
  27. Lacsapix
    Mar 21, 2012
    9
    A great game with an amazing story. The feeling you get when you interact with these huge decisions is unlike anything I've experienced in a game. The reason this game isn't earning a 10 is the ending but that subject has been discussed by many other reviewers.
    The ending is just a dent in a sphere with a very solid core underneath.
  28. LEGION3000
    Mar 21, 2012
    1
    What happened to Bioware? Where did you go wrong? The once proud creators of 3 of the best RPGs in all of gaming (KOTOR, ME1, DA:O) have become the peddlers of mindless garbage like Mass Effect 3 and DA2. The whole idea of Mass Effect was the 'EFFECT' part. Your actions are supposed to effect the outcome of the game, and the series. This game literally takes every decision you haveWhat happened to Bioware? Where did you go wrong? The once proud creators of 3 of the best RPGs in all of gaming (KOTOR, ME1, DA:O) have become the peddlers of mindless garbage like Mass Effect 3 and DA2. The whole idea of Mass Effect was the 'EFFECT' part. Your actions are supposed to effect the outcome of the game, and the series. This game literally takes every decision you have made in the previous games, laughs at them and then flushes them down the toilet. Sometimes just strait up telling you, "no you didn't choose to kill that guy last time because we feel he is important to the story we are trying to cram down your gullet! But you can choose which one of your companions you want to boink, even the gay one! LOOK HOW EDGY AND COOL WE ARE!"

    This game is an insult and a travesty to anyone that played the games before. At least Bioware had the decency to change main characters before ruining Dragon Age. The graphics look good some of the time, and the song in the purgatory club has a good Daft Punk beat. Otherwise play Mass Effect 1 and 2 again and just imagine the end of ME2 is the ending of the series, you will be far far happier than the choose your death ending of ME3    … Expand
  29. devil_92
    Mar 21, 2012
    9
    i will simply say that it is an awesome game,Bioware listend to the feedback from mass effect 2 and highly improved the general gameplay,and added many customisation options that was lacking in mass effect 2 there is just 1 negative thing i can say about mass effect 3 and that is the bad ending,other then that it was great,multiplayer great,series great, totally worth the money i put downi will simply say that it is an awesome game,Bioware listend to the feedback from mass effect 2 and highly improved the general gameplay,and added many customisation options that was lacking in mass effect 2 there is just 1 negative thing i can say about mass effect 3 and that is the bad ending,other then that it was great,multiplayer great,series great, totally worth the money i put down on the digital deluxe edition :)… Expand
  30. Redwing2b
    Mar 21, 2012
    7
    I will not deny the fact that the game is a great game and so is the series, but with one major issue. I don't remember any of all the great moments of the series or the 3rd game. Why? All I remember is the last 20 minutes and the ending and how I was left feeling like something was seriously wrong. I wont spoil it, but the choices we all made shaping our characters all boil down to justI will not deny the fact that the game is a great game and so is the series, but with one major issue. I don't remember any of all the great moments of the series or the 3rd game. Why? All I remember is the last 20 minutes and the ending and how I was left feeling like something was seriously wrong. I wont spoil it, but the choices we all made shaping our characters all boil down to just three possible ending choices. Each choice is literally identical to each other save for the color. I mean literally the only difference is the color. For those who have not played yet you will see exactly what I mean when you get there and see the ending. Save for a few very slight differences. I will not say that the endings are totally bad, but that only works if the theories running around out there end up being true. The plot holes are too many to just be written off as this is the ending deal with it. Things do not make any sense, and we the players are left feeling totally put out by the series we love so much. All the choices, all the customization, all the freedom we had through the entire series are all thrown away in the ending. What we are left with is a hollow shell of what the Mass Effect series really has been. The signs are there that something is wrong with the ending. The tone, the feel, the way it pushes the player into literally a corner and says here make a choice that ultimately doesn't take into account all the choices and hard work you did over the course of three games. I was left searching for clues, much like everyone else, I was talking, searching, and sharing my thoughts on the game and the ending. So I must give props to Bioware and EA, if you wanted us all talking about the ending and the game long after it was over, you did it, but not in a positive way I'm sad to say. Sure the reviews on Metacritic can be flooded with BS bad reviews, but the real reviews I think are easy to spot. I loved the Mass Effect series and I recommend people play the 3rd game, its amazing and really makes the player feel part of the entire situation. It's just lost right at the end and it makes me sad to say that honestly. I rated it a 7 because the ending took so much away from the experience it literally made me upset. All the fun, all the deep enriching choices, all the torment over making hard choices, it all was leading to a final battle that ultimately was a let down, with little to no closure. I wanted to see the forces I worked to bring into the fight actually kicking some butt. I wanted to see the entire race of beings come in and unleash fury on the reapers, but I say none of that, instead I get a great space building to a battle that just sorta fades away. The ending for me was not bad per say but it clearly was wrong in how it feels. Something is missing, something is wrong, something more is coming. This can't be the end, it just feels so terribly wrong. When I look back on the experience I say it was worth it, but I struggle now to remember all the great and tough moments all because the ending clouds it all up. Makes me sad, and I pray that I am right in that there is something more the developers intended that is coming, I pray.… 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

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Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews

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