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. Invader-Nik
    Jul 18, 2012
    9
    Mass Effect 3 is the brilliant conclusion to the popular series. Do not listen to these bad reviews, the game was brilliant. I found the endings really good, they fitted the 'Mass Effect' spirit and made a stunning conclusion. I think a lot of people wanted a 'Shepard defeats the reapers and lives happily ever after" kind of ending. But then they would force Bioware for a Mass Effect 4Mass Effect 3 is the brilliant conclusion to the popular series. Do not listen to these bad reviews, the game was brilliant. I found the endings really good, they fitted the 'Mass Effect' spirit and made a stunning conclusion. I think a lot of people wanted a 'Shepard defeats the reapers and lives happily ever after" kind of ending. But then they would force Bioware for a Mass Effect 4 (something Bioware didn't want to do)

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

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

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

    This game is not that AT ALL.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    There were so many different ways they could have done this, why they decided to kill off this franchise, I don    … Expand
  29. roboticsun
    Jul 4, 2012
    8
    Mass Effect 3 is a well made experience to say the least. The overall combat action is very fast and fluid though there are quite a few animation glitches here and there but aren't serious enough to ruin things. The six basic classes are played differently, so the combat itself had replay values. The enemy AI are improved a bit but still feels weak most time. The pause function reallyMass Effect 3 is a well made experience to say the least. The overall combat action is very fast and fluid though there are quite a few animation glitches here and there but aren't serious enough to ruin things. The six basic classes are played differently, so the combat itself had replay values. The enemy AI are improved a bit but still feels weak most time. The pause function really ruined this game imo which made this single player game rather easy. The story is epic in scope compare to the previous two entries but some new plots are not well explained. I wont put spoilers here, but the game indeed will confuse you if you ever played the first two mass effect games. the newly released extended cut added more explanations, though I do not feel it helped much.The playable characters are significantly reduced compare to mass effect 2 which leads to a shorter story line. the playable contents in single player part are noticeably less than those in mass effect 2. you should be able to finish most single player contents in 30~35 hours. However, the game did add a quite fun multilayer portion to compensate the shorter single player game. there are lots of unlockables in multilayer, so it should keep you busy for one or two months. despite the flaws, I still would say mass effect 3 is a very solid game combining fun combat, epic storyline and interactive cinema. It's still a memorable adventure and a must play for people who loved storytelling in video games.… Expand
  30. virgilivs
    Jul 4, 2012
    7
    Ok, there are some plot holes and some strange decision were took about ending cinematics, almost identical no matter the choice you pick at the end. But I really don't get why everyone is arguing about the final: that was an epic, perfect epilogue for this marvelous saga. Almost perfect game.
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews

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