Mass Effect 3

 PC
User Score
6.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 7228 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3,703 out of 7228
  2. Mixed: 1,119 out of 7228
  3. Negative: 2,406 out of 7228
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Whity
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    Does not let me import my legal character of ME2 (it was also my character on ME1). It force me to install Steam like software with nearly no content. I've unsintalled both and lost 80$. Thx EA, next time I'll try to pirate your game before buying it.
  2. WJS6495
    Mar 9, 2012
    9
    Awesome game, Bioware did it again. Updated graphics, updated sound FX, weapon mods, voice-overs, etc. Just wish the game was longer. Seemed a bit shorter than the first 2.
  3. Lord_Dorkon
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    What happened to Mass Effect? This was supposed to be the thrilling conclusion to a wonderful space epic. Instead we are given a game which feels like it was written by two different groups. The first 90% of the game (story wise) is compelling and exciting. However the ending and the last hour or so leading up to feel like they were written by someone with no understanding of how to trulyWhat happened to Mass Effect? This was supposed to be the thrilling conclusion to a wonderful space epic. Instead we are given a game which feels like it was written by two different groups. The first 90% of the game (story wise) is compelling and exciting. However the ending and the last hour or so leading up to feel like they were written by someone with no understanding of how to truly write at all. Plot holes opening up all around you and with the endings ripped off from Deus Ex makes me wonder what exactly Bioware/EA were thinking when the final script was approved. The endings completely go against the spirit of the series and more than that they are all essentially the same my making every other choice up to that point completely null. I find it even more offensive that almost all of the RPG elements have become so watered down as to be unrecognisable. The conversation wheel which longtime fans of the series such as myself have come to know and love rarely shows up now. And even when it does all it offers is two ways to say the same thing. Even worse, your choices in the previous two make no really substantial difference in this entry either. Even the illusion of choice is gone. You almost don't get to converse with your crew at all. Instead your interaction is mostly limited to selecting them like you do with Zaeed Massani in ME2 and they talk a little bit while you just stand there. This becomes a big problem because ME3 throws in with no real introduction or background characters who are completely new or have only been featured in the Expanded Universe. I like the voice acting and appreciate that the world feels more alive now with background characters talking to one another when you walk by, that is when the sound doesn't drop out. It's unfortunate that the coders haven't learned anything, all the cut scene glitches are back in full force. Including the one where everyone uses the same assault rifle during the cut scene, regardless of whether or not they can even use one. It's nice to see all characters from the first two one last time, a little family reunion if you will. It's a shame that almost none of them will be joining your squad again. I do like the direction ground combat has taken though the removal of heavy weapons is another negative in my book. The day one DLC feels more like game content that was cut out rather than an actual add on. And having this nearly story essential DLC on day one is just plain greedy.

    Mostly though I just can't get around the endings. It feels like a punch in the gut to those of us who were big fans of the first two. It's so out of left field that I almost expect M. Night Shyamalan to be responsible for this travesty. It's almost like ending The Lord of the Rings with Frodo riding a nuke into Barad-dûr with a cowboy hat on. I almost wish it would have been a Dallas-"It was all a dream" ending.    … Expand
  4. Ashleydenee
    Mar 9, 2012
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The Mass Effect series had been my favorite video games, bar none. As someone playing it from the beginning, I was an avid supporter and introduced the game to numerous friends and family but the ending has ruined the game for me. Taking my time, I picked every perfect choice and at the end I was left with 3 endings all of which made the character I had developed worthless. Was I able to save the galaxy? Yes. However, it was at the cost of a character and relationships which I had become deeply entwined in for the previous 4 years. Though the content pre-ending was good, the terrible ending which Bioware forced on the players makes me wish I had never played the game to begin with. Perhaps it's silly to care so much but I played an enriched game which allowed the players to really learn to love characters who, at the end of my game, were dead, stranded, or abandoned. Thanks for nothing Bioware...… Expand
  5. wiski
    Mar 9, 2012
    7
    It's a fun game, with some pretty glaring problems. : PROS : -- fun gameplay -- seeing the finish of the story with the characters you've played with in the previous games -- cool guns and armor : CONS : -- buggy gameplay -- outdated graphics (at times worse than ME2) -- buggy visuals (invisible characters, constant clipping, bad animations, etc...) -- lack of content (2 explorableIt's a fun game, with some pretty glaring problems. : PROS : -- fun gameplay -- seeing the finish of the story with the characters you've played with in the previous games -- cool guns and armor : CONS : -- buggy gameplay -- outdated graphics (at times worse than ME2) -- buggy visuals (invisible characters, constant clipping, bad animations, etc...) -- lack of content (2 explorable locations instead of multiple worlds and stations, most missions are short and to the point, less stuff to do outside of missions than either ME1/2, etc...) -- railroaded through the story without even the illusion that it's an open world game -- dialogue doesn't give you much option beyond BAD GUY/GOOD GUY -- every character in the game is presented to you on a platter, in the way that it might as well say "Do you want to sleep with this person? YES/NO" -- lack of mission depth (select mission, loading screen, kill stuff, loading screen, done) -- story important DLC provided on the first day -- Your decisions from previous games, and even this one, don't seem like they will matter, because most of the people that could have died in previous games aren't usable in this one and there are new characters anyway. It seems like they made the script for the game and decided how everything will end, and then looked at your past save to see how they could shoehorn any previous surviving characters into the game without disrupting the story. : : It's a good game, but not nearly as good as the previous two, and definitely not as good at the professional reviewers scores might lead you to believe it to be. The main reason to play this game is to see how it ends.… Expand
  6. zenoxis11
    Mar 9, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I made a metacritic account for the sole purpose of reviewing this game which was an abysmal letdown. I would have given it at least an 8/10 but there are so many problems it's not even funny. The story while being highly immersive and making you invested in your character and your teammates doesn't make up for it's absurd amount of flaws. Graphical glitches abound, pointless pauses in conversation, mission glitches that get stuck preventing you from continuing forward.

    But the biggest were the endings or should I say ending. The purpose of an ending is to give closure not raise more questions. Ignoring the fact that the ending has plot holes everywhere, it's still so poorly written that it's incredible anyone at Bioware thought it was acceptable. Is that to say the game is poorly written? Of course not, it's very well written, but the end that's supposed to explain the series is so badly executed it detracts from the experience as a whole. As a player, we should have to ask questions like, why isn't the normandy fighting the reapers on earth in the end, or why are the squadmates on the ground suddenly on board the normandy, or why are the mass relays always destroyed regardless of the choices made? To anyone playing this game currently, do not play past the conversation on board the citadel with anderson and he illusive man, everything afterwards gives no closure whatsoever and in fact forces the player to follow Bioware in the hopes that they'll achieve the closure they want. This is simply terrible decision making on the part of Bioware. I would have easily given this game an 8/10 if I ignored the glitches and absurdly bad ending, and while it can be argued that the game should be viewed as a whole, the ending's negative impact was strong enough to suck any joy I had in the experience getting there. So NO, 3/10 is the best I can do    … Expand
  7. zsec
    Mar 9, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. When the mass relays were destroyed, Mass Effect was destroyed.

    Mass Effect isn't Shepard, it's not the Reapers, it's not a single galactic species. Mass Effect is the connection of the galactic species, it's their bickering, their politics, waring, and friendship; with the mass relays gone that connection is severed.    … Expand
  8. Alienfreak
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    Metacritic started to remove User Reviews. Not only gaming magazines and sites are nowadays bought with EA advertising money but also User Review pages delete User Reviews to please the great EA overlord. This is really poor. So I'm gonna repost my review and lower the rating from 2/10 to 0/10 due to the influence EA obviously tries to take on the consumer's opinion:Metacritic started to remove User Reviews. Not only gaming magazines and sites are nowadays bought with EA advertising money but also User Review pages delete User Reviews to please the great EA overlord. This is really poor. So I'm gonna repost my review and lower the rating from 2/10 to 0/10 due to the influence EA obviously tries to take on the consumer's opinion: ----------------------------------------------> First things first: NOTHING YOU DO DURING THE ADVENTURE CHANGES THE ENDING!!!!111111 The end videos are static and you do not even get the text boxes Dragon Age had. Even if you spend your money on DLCs it changes nothing. Also no matter who you had a romance with in ME2 its not gonna change anything. If you had a romance with Tali in ME2 don't count on her being nice to you in ME3. ---- This game is really a letdown. --- HAMMERHEAD LEFT OUT AGAIN TO BE PAID DLC!!!!1111 --- HUUUUUGE PLOTHOLES EVERYWHERE!!! Seriously. Whoever that writer guy is should take a serious break and start all over again with trying to make a good plot that makes sense and somehow manages to draw the player into it --- End sequence picture and Tali's face are just random pictures Bioware stole/licensed off the internet (google has them) --- A lot fewer People you have as squadmates to save money for EA --- Less than half the playtime of ME2 to save money for EA --- Really bad graphics when compared to many titles that come out nowadays. Not even any graphics settings on PC. Bad Frame Rates --- Repetitive gameplay from minute one. --- Repetitive enemies --- Bad AI --- Badly designed dialogues and options not telling you what you gonna say. --- Fewer places to visit so it saves a lot of money for EA! You can only buy stuff in the citadel. --- No character special missions so it saves EA a lot of money but less stuff for you to do --- Really bad presentation. Like the Normandy coming in like a WW2 bomber and dropping a bomb? Srsly!? A whole fleet opening fire and it looks more like 80mm mortars hitting something!? --- The endings are just lol. If you think you've seen bad endings try the ones from ME3. Biggest let down for a triology ever --- Bad Voice Acting --- Many bugs --- Uninteresting Characters Collapse… Expand
  9. Techstepper
    Mar 9, 2012
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'll try to be objective
    Positive moments of the game:
    - Cool story. I played ME from part 1 just because of storyline
    - They finaly showed Tali's face :D
    - Epic soundtrack
    - - Graphics are good enough

    Negative moments of the game:
    - Day 1 DLC
    - BOOOORIIIING gameplay. There's and opinion that gameplay was made for CoD fanboys.
    - Role-play system - epic fail. Actually, it failed in ME 2. ME 1 had good one.
    - Gathering of war assets is so dull. Scan=>Gather=> FLEE FROM REAPERS (Repeat this over 9000 times)
    - The main hope of trillions of people, veteran soldier, the Savior of Galaxy can be a gay and sleep with his own shuttle's pilot. THIS IS RIDICULOUS!
    - And of course it's MOTHER****ING ENDING. All your choices in previous parts are TOTALLY USELESS. I guided Shepard through all of ME like my own son or friend just to watch him dying? All technologies was wiped out with destruction of Mass Relays?? Normandy crashed in the middle of **** nowhere??? This is **** I will never fogive BioWare. God, let them make DLC with normal ending

    This could be a great game, but ending ruins everything for me    … Expand
  10. exuwarshow
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. One of the worst game I have ever played. Biggest let down in my gaming career. There was no happy ending, only **** If you watched BSG you know what I mean: an epic scifi tale with huge moral crises and battles and epic confrontations, ruined because some writers thought that they should get all existential at the end. I'll sum it up: there are 3 endings, all of which involve Shepard and Anderson dieing and the Mass Relay network being destroyed, resulting in organic life being sent back to the stone age. 1 is the reapers leave the galaxy forever, but an EMP destroys all electronics and the mass relays are gone, so there is basically no point in intelligent life. 2 is the reapers leave, but humans and geth are fused to make a new race of reapers for when the cycle begins again. And 3 is nuke everything, geth, reapers, humans, relays.

    There is no victory over the reapers, and a new age of galactic peace and cooperation, prosperity, etc. Only dead Shepard and dead dreams.    … Expand
  11. timriley
    Mar 8, 2012
    10
    Just awesome. Fantastic story line, characters. Graphics are top notch. That BioWare gives players the option to choose the sexual orientation of their character is both refreshing and open-minded.
  12. Gene
    Mar 8, 2012
    7
    I'll leave the moaning to others, here are the basics: Running, dodging, and hugging a wall are all handled by the spacebar, which means if you try running from an enemy close to a wall, you are just as likely to crouch behind it and have your face eaten, combat is way more twitchy and less tactical than either of the two previous games. Quick time events with no prompts, I went throughI'll leave the moaning to others, here are the basics: Running, dodging, and hugging a wall are all handled by the spacebar, which means if you try running from an enemy close to a wall, you are just as likely to crouch behind it and have your face eaten, combat is way more twitchy and less tactical than either of the two previous games. Quick time events with no prompts, I went through half the game before realizing that those overlong death animations are actually quicktime events where I had to mash the F key. Story was very solid, I loved it up until the just before the end, and then was massively enraged. The writers spent way too much effort making s*** epic and mystical, and as a long time fan I felt robbed, although I don't think new players will feel effected. I just wanted an end to a war 5 years in the making and finding out what happened to all my friends, the loopy nonesense they gave for an ending just completely broke the flow of the entire series.… Expand
  13. kishe
    Mar 8, 2012
    2
    Dumped down gameplay, dumped down story and dumped down everything. The bioware we used to know and love is dead, replaced by this EA/Bioware abomination that is only interested in profit.
  14. Taciter2000
    Mar 8, 2012
    0
    I keep messing up my score so let's try again. I can't speak for anyone else but personally, I thought this final episode in the Mass Effect franchise was a colossal betrayal. I have spent a considerable amount of time and money procuring and experiencing every bit of available content for both prior episodes. I have spent countless hours meticulously refining my Shep and his backstoryI keep messing up my score so let's try again. I can't speak for anyone else but personally, I thought this final episode in the Mass Effect franchise was a colossal betrayal. I have spent a considerable amount of time and money procuring and experiencing every bit of available content for both prior episodes. I have spent countless hours meticulously refining my Shep and his backstory only to see my efforts frittered away by a unscrupulous EA board and their erstwhile stooges in BW, both of which are now beyond redemption in my eyes. I was savvy enough to avoid the travesty that is SW:TOR but I surrendered my judgement went I decided to give BW the benefit of the doubt this time round - more fool me. Oh and why are all the the fanbois attacking other posters? It's not their place judge others' critiques.… Expand
  15. Lifewhacker
    Mar 8, 2012
    2
    After putting in nearly 100+ hours in the first two Mass Effect games and loving every second of it, Mass Effect 3 left me more than disappointed. The story feels really dumbed down, filled with plot holes and for lack of words, just really bad. There have been tons of technical glitches so far, including issues installing with Origin. (LOTS of texture pop-in, etc on a GTX 260- more thanAfter putting in nearly 100+ hours in the first two Mass Effect games and loving every second of it, Mass Effect 3 left me more than disappointed. The story feels really dumbed down, filled with plot holes and for lack of words, just really bad. There have been tons of technical glitches so far, including issues installing with Origin. (LOTS of texture pop-in, etc on a GTX 260- more than enough to run the game) Bioware has been on a decline lately, and Mass Effect 3 officially lost them an otherwise loyal fan.… Expand
  16. KerrJMF
    Mar 8, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game itself was, by far, the best of the series. However, it was absolutely ruined by a slate of unbelievably sour endings. None of your previous choices matter in the end. The last twenty minutes are depressing and bleak, even with the "good" ending. If your are emotionally invested in your squadmates or LI, proceed with caution and expect the worst; for the worst manifests. The Bioware writing crew seemed to go the extra mile, complete with introducing inexplicable plot holes to make the endings extra dour. The ending will ruin it for you. Promise.… Expand
  17. ittarter
    Mar 8, 2012
    8
    I've only been playing for five hours and I'm hooked. SP is fantastic -- the plot, dialogue, visual effects, leveling, fighting -- and MP looks promising too. All the meaningless 0 scores this game suffers on Metacritic -- just ignore them. I played around 200 hours between ME and ME2, I've played KOTOR, I've played DAO and DA2, I'm a lover of the FPS of Crysis and the legendary RPGI've only been playing for five hours and I'm hooked. SP is fantastic -- the plot, dialogue, visual effects, leveling, fighting -- and MP looks promising too. All the meaningless 0 scores this game suffers on Metacritic -- just ignore them. I played around 200 hours between ME and ME2, I've played KOTOR, I've played DAO and DA2, I'm a lover of the FPS of Crysis and the legendary RPG series, Diablo 2. This game easily trumps them all. Especially if you're a lover of the lore because you've played through the earlier games in the series. Don't cheat yourself. Buy the first one and play it through, then the second, then the third. They're all excellent and I can't think of a more compelling universe ever made -- Star Wars only gets props because it was first (and Middle Earth too, of course). And ME3 will still be around 100 hours of gameplay afterward when you've properly prepared yourself for it, to enjoy it for all it's worth.… Expand
  18. soniamdisappoin
    Mar 8, 2012
    0
    I did not realize it at the time but when I watched gurenn lagann last year I had already watched the plot to this game months before it came out, i loved the series for having a unique story but the fact that the bioware ripped their story leaves me heartbroken, i want to give them a second chance with the dlcs, hopefully this wont be too much to ask for
  19. ThomasBerg
    Mar 8, 2012
    7
    After reading most of these user reviews while playing the game i couldnt belive what i was seeing. I thought the sheer production value and epicness of the game/scope and how promising the end was stunning to say the least and while i missed most of the exploration and RPG elements from ME1 and ME2 i understood why they were dumbed down since you have more pressing matters to attend toAfter reading most of these user reviews while playing the game i couldnt belive what i was seeing. I thought the sheer production value and epicness of the game/scope and how promising the end was stunning to say the least and while i missed most of the exploration and RPG elements from ME1 and ME2 i understood why they were dumbed down since you have more pressing matters to attend to and running around wasting time would break my immersion. I wasnt suprised when i saw that the from ashes dlc would be an extra feature, i am a bit puzzled as to why they chose a prothean for this DLC, while not critical to the plot, it does answer a lot of the main questions i had about the epos. Since they made such a huge deal around the protheans and its mysticism, the more i talked with my prothean squadmate and got immersed into his story i was more and more suprised why this wasnt part of the main game.
    Ive been a fan of the mass effect genre since the first game came out, ive read all the comics, books studied the lore and i even loved mass effect 2, perhaps not for the dumbed down RPG elements, but the game was genuinly challenging and fun, characters and storytelling and voice acting was stellar.

    When i looked at my time played how it felt and how my war asset bar was nearly full, thats when i first started to worry.
    After a certain cuscene with tali i was so moved i nearly broke a tear, thats how immersive the game was.

    As i progressed feeling soon my long pondered, unanswered questions would or would not come to a close, i got more and more worried since the last hours felt somewhat rushed but was put to a rest when i got the grand epic feeling when the fleets arrived at earth. I was nearly standing in my chair, awed at the greatness of the moment.

    Then came the final assault on earth. This was also grand in scale. Ive wanted to see earth in mass effect ever since i glared at its magnifisence on the lunar base mission in ME1. The war torn earth looked grim and desperate and upheld my expectations. Then came the ending. Not since the conclusion to the ace seeries, sopranos have i felt such a black hole in my stomache. I felt betrayed at first waiting til after the credits. I searched all the forums i could about what i did wrong how i could get this abysmal ending and how i could fix it, seeing as i had nearly 100% completion and full paragon. Was this a bug? A mistake on my part on an important desicion? I pondered this for many hours until i was forced to accept, that was it. This was the ending to the biggest sci-fi epos in gaming history.    … Expand
  20. MSTA
    Mar 8, 2012
    0
    I played the first 2 games and was told that the ending would be really bad so not to have high expectations going in. I lowered my expectations to the floor and really enjoyed the gameplay. Then, at the end I totally regretted ever playing this series. The ending is by far the worst ever and then on top of that, the post credit cut scene is an even bigger slap in the face. Never againI played the first 2 games and was told that the ending would be really bad so not to have high expectations going in. I lowered my expectations to the floor and really enjoyed the gameplay. Then, at the end I totally regretted ever playing this series. The ending is by far the worst ever and then on top of that, the post credit cut scene is an even bigger slap in the face. Never again Bioware. Never again.… Expand
  21. Pitt90
    Mar 8, 2012
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I could've forgiven a lot about ME3 ... after all, I love the franchise. ME1 was amazing; ME2 I liked despite being railroaded into working for an organization I did my best to hinder at every turn during ME1, and having my Spectre status be meaningless; and despite ME3 having graphics that looked like they came from the 90s and introducing a completely unnecessary multiplayer aspect to a single-player RPG.

    I could've forgiven them for all that ... but then I played til the end. Bioware's lead writer Mac Walters said the last in the series would be about our choices having impact ... but it didn't. No matter how good we were; how hard we worked; what choices we made, the galaxy is boned and there's nothing we can do to have *any* semblance of a happy ending. Does it happen in real life? Sure ... but we play video games to escape the hopelessness of real life and to have a chance, just a chance, to make a better world. I expected sacrifices, I expected tough choices, I didn't expect a deus ex machina.    … Expand
  22. legislacerator
    Mar 8, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. As an individual who has been a huge fan of Mass Effect since the launch of the first game, I was disappointed with how Mass Effect 3 played out. Actually, I believe disappointed is not a strong enough term- I was utterly devastated. To have the story built up beautifully over five years and to come to care about the characters and the outcome of your decisions was a huge emotional investment for many players; it was an investment on which we received no returns. The ending(s) of the game left something to be desired. They were incredibly clichéd and felt tacked-on, almost as an afterthought, and with no consideration to any of the events of the previous two games. The worst part, personally, was that Mass Effect 3 lived up to even my expectations- until the last twenty minutes or so of the game. Those last twenty minutes (or what is known in-game as Citadel: The Return) soured the entire narrative experience, including the years of story that came before.… Expand
  23. Gunny_IIDTA
    Mar 8, 2012
    4
    Got to say i am very disappointed with this game, i dont know if its just me but the graphics have got worse the game mechanics are still clunky and unwieldy (despite that i still love ME2) the character writing has gotten extremely chicle... What the hell happened to Kotor/Jade empire bio ware that's what i want to know. Also this game being clearly developed for consoles has not helpedGot to say i am very disappointed with this game, i dont know if its just me but the graphics have got worse the game mechanics are still clunky and unwieldy (despite that i still love ME2) the character writing has gotten extremely chicle... What the hell happened to Kotor/Jade empire bio ware that's what i want to know. Also this game being clearly developed for consoles has not helped it in the slightest… Expand
  24. Almin
    Mar 8, 2012
    5
    The games doesn't make much difference of the choices made in the previous games, and plot holes are there, gaped with duct tape writing.
    There is some minor bugs (like getting stuck in the Normandy **** near joker), a useless quest journal (seriously).
    The endings are disappointing, same animations, different colors. Having a high galactic readiness score barely changes the endings    The games doesn't make much difference of the choices made in the previous games, and plot holes are there, gaped with duct tape writing.
    There is some minor bugs (like getting stuck in the Normandy **** near joker), a useless quest journal (seriously).
    The endings are disappointing, same animations, different colors. Having a high galactic readiness score barely changes the endings (actually, just one).
    Overall it's not a bad game, it has some enjoyable moment and dialogues, but it could have been much better.
    PS: I personally find that the DLC character to be pretty important, give really nice insight of the protean and all, and I really feel that he has been cut from the game (were he blends a little to well for a DLC) to be a juicy $$$ DLC.    … Expand
  25. Zireael_Ua
    Mar 8, 2012
    1
    This game was great, interesting, brilliant, before...This is MOST STUPID end ever!!!1 I cant believe this **** is end Mass Effect 3. Hate ME series now.
  26. Hippari
    Mar 8, 2012
    3
    This doesn't feel like it cost 50 million dollars to make. I'm wishing it didn't cost me 80 dollars to buy.

    Before all that, I never really got into any Bioware games beyond Mass Effect, but the first one really snagged me. I bought it on a Steam sale for 5 dollars because it was so highly praised. I saw why! Its combat was moderately challenging, had a great story, cool characters and    This doesn't feel like it cost 50 million dollars to make. I'm wishing it didn't cost me 80 dollars to buy.

    Before all that, I never really got into any Bioware games beyond Mass Effect, but the first one really snagged me. I bought it on a Steam sale for 5 dollars because it was so highly praised. I saw why! Its combat was moderately challenging, had a great story, cool characters and I enjoyed their interactions with each other and the universe they lived in. It was a living breathing environment that I was simply enraptured by. As soon as Mass Effect 2 was announced, I preordered the Collector's edition because I had no idea that things were going to get cheesey. Still, the game didn't disappoint me. It looked better, put me in some great new environments while cutting out a lot of the generic copy paste elements from the first and best of all, introduced some more great characters with genuinely cool interactions between them. Sure the classic combat got thrown under the bus in favor of the tried and true bootleg Gears of War system, but it wasn't broken by any means. It still left me with a good enough taste in my mouth to preorder the CE of ME3. Besides, I was this invested in the series, I had to see it end.

    Oh boy. Too put it simply, Mass Effect 3 is lazy. The characters look, move and sound terribly. On the design front, I could take or leave most to f the new outfits and the textures are also hit or miss, but some character's faces look positively simian (Ashley). Margaret Cho bot makes a cameo in the game for whatever reason that is, taking the place of Kelly Wong's established character. From a quick google search, she is actually pretty, but you wouldn't think so from the way she's rendered in game with her ginormous squirrel face and mouth that moves independent from the rest of her features. I heard that a lot of the development was put into voice acting ,which is believable because there are loooots of it, but the volume normalization is really off and on to the point of me wonderig where the money went. Margaret Chobot in particular has a bad habit of leaning away from the mic every now and then. If she were saying anything important I'd doubtlessly be more irritated.

    The game's animations are also sloppy; there are LOTS of poorly thought out loops mixed with awkward general movements. I giggle everytime I knock an enemy down and they break dance windmill flare there way back to their feet, but I can't help being disappointed with the stupid looking running animations.

    Oh, the breakdance comment reminds me of the developers decision to make the spacebar do everything. Sometimes it works! Really! On tuchanka I found myself just holding spacebar and marvelled at how my character ran and jumped over the stuff I wanted to jump over, and slid and rolled everywhere I inted them to. Theeeeeen... there are cases where I'm trying to pick up an item on the ground and my Shepard instead chooses to do kumbi rolls around it for 45 seconds before sliding into cover behind a chest-high wall, not having picked up the item I tried telling them to. Nobody's perfect.

    One thing that really broke my heart though was the fact that all my Saved character faces were imported poorly. I could recreate them, sure, but that's just pathetic. I don't understand why it's like that. If they added more options to the character creation bits, yeah sure, but they didn't. Why couldn't my sheps be imported properly?

    Of course, aside from character continuity, none of these previously mentioned issues were the thing that made me enjoy this series. After all if I want good and fluid combat I'll play Gears of War. If I want great animations I'll play GTA4. I wanted to see what became of these characters that I'm so invested in, of their universe that fascinates me so. I don't want to spoil anything, but God, this is where the ball was dropped. A lot of characters are cameos and after thoughts, like an old friend who stops by to give a quick hello in the middle of a roadtrip. The story has also drowned in nacho cheese to the point that it has simply become predictable when not outrageous and kinda generic where it used to be something special. It almost makes me feel as if Mass Effect 2 was a completely pointless existence. I have a sneaking suspicion that they knew the old players would come back no matter what and they had to focus on roping in new ones.

    The multiplayer's cool though, I guess. If you're into that. I'm not.

    I thought it would be funny if I ended this review on an after thought. Get it?    … Expand
  27. Haartian
    Mar 8, 2012
    10
    The game itself - in terms of graphics, narrative, combat, general atmosphere and gameplay - is close to perfect. There are incredible moments in the story arc, and the game delivers a truly cinematic experience.

    I'd risk saying it's the best space opera cRPG ever, beating even the previous two to the title. Well, there's just one 'but'. ME3 *would* be the best space opera cRPG ever, if    The game itself - in terms of graphics, narrative, combat, general atmosphere and gameplay - is close to perfect. There are incredible moments in the story arc, and the game delivers a truly cinematic experience.

    I'd risk saying it's the best space opera cRPG ever, beating even the previous two to the title. Well, there's just one 'but'.

    ME3 *would* be the best space opera cRPG ever, if not for its ending.
    WIthout spoiling too much - the three possible endings of Mass Effect 3 are more than just bad. They are atrocious. Even though Bioware claims that there are 16 possible endgame options, the difference between them comes down to... colour change. That's it.

    The ending of ME3 ruins the whole saga experience. It will leave you dry and dispassionate, and drain all joy from re-playing ME 1&2 and ME3 itself.

    If you're a fan of the series, DON'T BUY THIS. At least until Bioware changes the endings.    … Expand
  28. EasilyAnnoyed
    Mar 8, 2012
    0
    Oh my. Where to start? As badly burned as I was by SW:TOR, my wife bought this for me anyway. I think it was a mistake. Day one, I install the thing just because I love Mass Effect and decide to give EAWare one more chance. As soon as I load my save carried over from ME and ME2, my Shepard's face DOESN'T EVEN PORT OVER CORRECTLY! Are you kidding me? The cornerstone of the ME series, yourOh my. Where to start? As badly burned as I was by SW:TOR, my wife bought this for me anyway. I think it was a mistake. Day one, I install the thing just because I love Mass Effect and decide to give EAWare one more chance. As soon as I load my save carried over from ME and ME2, my Shepard's face DOESN'T EVEN PORT OVER CORRECTLY! Are you kidding me? The cornerstone of the ME series, your choices carry over doesn't even get past the freaking FIRST TIME I see my Shepard? WTF? Yeah, your choices come across but we haven't tested jack s***.

    Day one DLC for $10 featuring something pivotal to the series...yeah, no thanks.

    Bioware's actions in the last few months are the biggest letdown in my long history of gaming. Good riddance, and I hope your company dies a very rapid and painful death.    … Expand
  29. zoozooboo
    Mar 8, 2012
    4
    The only thing surprising about the negative reaction to this game is that took you all so long to realize these overpaid basement-dwellers have been making hackneyed, nerd-baiting snoozefests since the overrated Knights of the Old Republic (a game with one of the all-time stupidest twists in any medium). It speaks multitudes of Bioware's lack of creativity that the second they break freeThe only thing surprising about the negative reaction to this game is that took you all so long to realize these overpaid basement-dwellers have been making hackneyed, nerd-baiting snoozefests since the overrated Knights of the Old Republic (a game with one of the all-time stupidest twists in any medium). It speaks multitudes of Bioware's lack of creativity that the second they break free of their D&D and Star Wars licenses (disregarding Jade Empire, which I admittedly haven't played), they jump immediately into creating aesthetically bland space operas and high fantasy romps because the 'spergers can't have their pinned-on mittens ruffled by change or new ideas. Compare the openings of games like Bioshock or Skyrim - games that give you a sense of true mystery and dread, games that prelude to their greater themes and ideas in the first few minutes - to Bioware's uninspired openings: You're standing around as you're totally personal and unique and awesome character (let's just call him/her "M. Sue" for argument's sake) whose super-unique jawline just gives him LOADS of personality, I'm sure, then someone talks your ear off for twenty minutes about PURELY EXPOSITORY BUNK and then whatever they're talking about attacks you in your vanilla spaceship/Game of Thrones field. Sure, you can't judge a game entirely by its opening, but this really illustrates how little Bioware understands about storytelling, tone, or personal expression in art. Their obsession with being "cinematic" is laughable as well, because, 1.) D&D campaigning (the only sort of story structure Bioware seems able to create) is in no way "cinematic," 2.) gaming has reached a level of artistry that most people who take the medium seriously are past trying to just be film's little brother (a reason why the actual gameplay in this developer's titles is so often maligned), and 3.) if this unholy mix of Uncanny Valley Barbie dolls and outdated space opera chic somehow stumbled into the multiplexes, it would tank faster than you could say "The Spirits Within." I'm not one to say you can't make an engrossing game based on going around talking to people... hell, I love the LucasArts adventure games of yesterday. But the difference is those games had style in spades - from the whimsical noir of Grim Fandango to the truly creepy mystery of The Dig - whereas Bioware is simply content to milk easy characterizations and plots (if I ever have to help another space-slut track down her deadbeat space-dad because he owes her space-money or WHATEVER, may I be forced to have sex with a Krogan for the rest of my days), knowing they're working in a field where, until recently, the bar was low enough to get away with it. (It is also interesting to note Dragon Age II, despite its numerous gameplay flaws, was the only Bioware game that comes close to being more than the sum of hastily borrowed parts. And of course it was the start of the internet backlash; nerds don't like it when you slip some beef into their pink slime.) It genuinely makes me angry that the writers try to pass off their totally exploitative (and cringe-worthily awkward) sex scenes as promotions of sexual equality, because they didn't just include hot lesbian action to turn on the fanboys then realize they needed to include some male homosexuality as to not look entirely pandering. The company is skilled at creating an immersive experience, I will give them that, and not every moment spent in their universes is entirely unpleasant. But with schlock writing, unoriginal concepts, and often shoddy gameplay, why do they get a pass for creating a world that's cool to hang out in for a couple hours? That is the bare minimum you're expected to do when creating a piece of narrative entertainment! If you honestly think these games are the pinnacle of any sort of storytelling or characterization, by God, read more books, watch more films, play more games, live more life. Then, come back and see how your Shepard (OMG, does YOUR Shepard Renegade Interrupt people because MY Shepard totally does lololol) and all his dead-eyed and dull-voiced pals relate to things made by people who have seen sunlight in the last ten years. My theory is, they won't.… Expand
  30. Sigvatr
    Mar 8, 2012
    0
    Synopsis review: Mass Effect 3 sure looks great (Models look nice, both characters and levels, and no visible textures problems on the main characters/levels.), yet it has many deep flaws that cannot be forgiven, these flaws are: The ending was horrible, a lot of issues story wise, very weak animations, the level design is mediocre (I said it looked nice, but design of a level does notSynopsis review: Mass Effect 3 sure looks great (Models look nice, both characters and levels, and no visible textures problems on the main characters/levels.), yet it has many deep flaws that cannot be forgiven, these flaws are: The ending was horrible, a lot of issues story wise, very weak animations, the level design is mediocre (I said it looked nice, but design of a level does not equal the quality of the models/textures/UVs.) and to round this list off; There are some issues cornering the gameplay. While being a resident of the Netherlands, I was obliged to actual download this new, and fresh game from Bioware: Through the Piratebay. (Your jimmy can remain unrustled, it is legal here to do so.) Yes, really the Dutch law allows for downloading of everything. Look into our Wetboek van Strafrecht if you don not believe it, Biodrones. Warning: Spoilers. Anyway, time for the main review: After the start-up the menu looked clean and normal, and even for a console-port it had many options within the options menu. I could actually change AA-options, any many other things to! (Poly amount of the characters and levels, resolution of the textures, etc.) I applaud the people who designed the menu, I consider this menu one of the better things of the game. And after playing the game itself I noticed that the animations are very weak, the NPC's walk and run like any random Bethesda character. (For the scrubs, this means that when a NPC decides to run his upper body doesn't show any sign of the running that is going on, it's horrible.) The level design is also pretty bad, while not as bad as the animations, it's still weak. The potential of the nice models/textures isn't fully used in the design of many levels. This might be because of the CoD approach, yet it feels more like a corridor shooter then a game where a full blown assault is launched against the ENTIRE universe. (The last levels really show this off.) For instance take the level where you join up with the Turians: There is a very tiny space where you can walk and find/talk with NPC's. One reaper walking somewhere near the base, and a small vista here and there. It should be: A big and well designed fighter base. This is not the case. That's a bit sucky, Bioware, sucky indeed. Story and gameplay then: The two most important thing in games ever. Story wise everything comes to an end. This is ok, yet it feels cheap: Tali jumping of a cliff, Miranda dying, that doctor alien dying, these NPC's survived almost two games, and now they all die by jumping off a cliff. Blergh. Also some other NPCs are poorly written, from characters that are really stereotypical gay (In a game that takes itself very serious this feels strange and awkward, it's just as bad a stereotypical straight character.) and two NPCs that keep making talking gestures yet they do not speak. And I found this couple of mime players throughout the game, perfect for movies, weak for games. Toke me out of the immersion. My final note is on the very low rating, while Bioware/EA deserves this. ME 3 would get a 5 maybe a 6 out of 10. Yet this very low grade it due to a few events, first off all: Dear Bioware, hiring people who do not like to play video games will get you a 3.2 for your 20+ $ million game. For sure. And going after the CoD audience is even worse, the average gamer is 32 years old, Caucasian, semi-Atheist/christian, that raises the question: Was this game created for the average gamer? In my opinion: Nope. Leave this game be, and if you see it in the shop, place another game in front off it so people don't throw away their money. Sigvatr out.


    Edit: After playing the game some more I have seen a lot of sprites. Lowering the score to a zero because of that. Sprites in a 3D game? Almost in front of the player, Bioware please! Shameful Display!    … Expand
Page:

Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews

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