Mass Effect 3

 PC
User Score
6.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 7228 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3,703 out of 7228
  2. Mixed: 1,119 out of 7228
  3. Negative: 2,406 out of 7228
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  1. Luck1N
    Mar 10, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I loved Mass Effect series. I played first and second game so many times. It was my favorite game series, I bought every possible DLC, even those **** "Appearence customizations", just to have the feeling I support BioWare in it's great work.

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

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

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

    3. more more more more more dialogue options.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Absolutely not. Find me a game that is.

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

    Was it worth my money? Yes.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    The DLC. My god what on earth was EA thinking. The prothean DLC should have been free day one DLC. And it really fills in at least some of the caps and is rather good. But really 10$ for making the game what it should have been?    … Expand
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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]
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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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