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. 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
  2. Staph
    Mar 11, 2012
    3
    I'm really sorry to give this game such a low score, but I found the way it rounded up the trilogy outright offensive. The first ME got me hooked by the level of writing that is uncharacteristic of most video games and some of other mediaâ
  3. OverwatchUK
    Mar 11, 2012
    4
    Mass Effect 3 overall is a fantastic game that I thoroughly enjoyed. Putting the past 4/5 years of effort into multiple play-throughs of both previous games I had high expectations of ME3 which were (mostly) fully met and realised. That is; until the last 15 minutes of the game. The finale takes absolutely no notice of any choices you have made in the previous games and boils down toMass Effect 3 overall is a fantastic game that I thoroughly enjoyed. Putting the past 4/5 years of effort into multiple play-throughs of both previous games I had high expectations of ME3 which were (mostly) fully met and realised. That is; until the last 15 minutes of the game. The finale takes absolutely no notice of any choices you have made in the previous games and boils down to "Press Red, Green or Blue to finish the game".

    As a new-comer to Mass Effect this won't matter and will overall be a great game - But to those players who have invested time and effort into the franchise, the ending scenes will feel like a crushing blow.
    As a huge Mass Effect fan, I felt dirty upon finishing it - Like I'd been sucker-punched and then spat on. Wrapping up 3 games, Over 80+ hours of gameplay with a Red, Blue or Green decision... Gutted. Disappointed. Pissed off.    … Expand
  4. mat193
    Mar 12, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. COME ON, please stop posting reviews before you finished the game! If I were to review mass effect before I got to the ending i would probably at least give it a 9 however that is not the case. The ending simply kills everything there is to the game making everything completely pointless. I have absolutely no problem with Shepard dying in the end I actually think its a quite fitting end for the series to go. However the lack of aftermath to the universe is just sad. You spend hours upon hours crafting the universe for the way you want it to be after all this is done only to get Shepard's death and a light show. All I was asking for is to show us what we did in the game mattered show us how even though he sacrificed himself in the end that what he did mattered and changed the universe besides the destruction/control/synthesis with the reapers. What happened with the geth/quarians, the krogan, asari, turians, salarians, your crew who you developed a relationship along the 3 games and your love interest. The choices you made in all 3 games mean absolutely nothing in the end you basically just choose the color you want the explosion to be in. The war assets which is basically the main drive of the game have little impact in the final battle besides unlocking the final 3 endings which frankly why would you care if you only get a different explosion and a greenish EDI as an extra in the end.… Expand
  5. Tomo21
    Mar 13, 2012
    1
    Main problem with me 3 was absence of any deep and engaging story and to simplified rpg element.
    In me1 we where detectives discovering secrets, which shed new light on stuff we where thinking that we allready got figured out.
    And there was those little things like talking to survivors and then deciding to punch or calm down guy that is having nervous break down.And there was lots of    Main problem with me 3 was absence of any deep and engaging story and to simplified rpg element.
    In me1 we where detectives discovering secrets, which shed new light on stuff we where thinking that we allready got figured out.
    And there was those little things like talking to survivors and then deciding to punch or calm down guy that is having nervous break down.And there was lots of those fun little stuff that make you live me1 story.
    In me3 there is no multiple quest hubs like there was on planets in me1, like Noveria, Feros and so on...
    Those quest hubs had side quests that allowed us to get know stuff and people around us in much more depth.
    Like making repairs of equipment for feros survivors, it was wellcome change of pace for the game, like calm before the storm.Me3 feels like shooter, and everything fill so rushed.Get from point A to B , kill that many wawes of enemy.

    Another thing that i miss is mako and fighting through great enviroments like Virmire or ilos.
    And in general there was much more diversity of enviroments in me1.

    Me3 should have been all about discovering weaknesses, origin and reason behind reapers, even if we had to venture beyond previously inactive relays to alien and forgotten worlds.
    We should have been pioneers and detectives once again.

    We should have get that "Whoow" effect once again which me3 failed to deliver.    … Expand
  6. gotthammer
    Mar 16, 2012
    3
    Mass Effect was a great game, the only complaints I can recall being performance (optimization?) issues and the rather clunky inventory.
    Mass Effect 2, counting the DLCs (esp. Lair of the Shadow Broker), was also a great game. It wasn't perfect : some aspects felt over-simplified when compared to the first game, and the resolution of the main story could have used more choices. Still, a    Mass Effect was a great game, the only complaints I can recall being performance (optimization?) issues and the rather clunky inventory.
    Mass Effect 2, counting the DLCs (esp. Lair of the Shadow Broker), was also a great game. It wasn't perfect : some aspects felt over-simplified when compared to the first game, and the resolution of the main story could have used more choices. Still, a great game.
    Mass Effect 3, the finale of a trilogy, was also a great game, for the most part. Decent graphics. Great looking locations/environments. Pretty cinematics/FMVs. Dramatic (if a bit overly so, at times) sequences. Superb score/soundtrack. The dialogue, like the previous game, was mostly solid (ok, there were some cheesy/seeming forced/heavy-handed bits, like a few speeches). The plot was 'ok', but could use some beefing up/more work, but it was, for the most part, 'ok' (not counting the ending). Almost everything was great. Almost.
    The ending, IMHO, ruins, not just the game, but, as it is the ending of a trilogy, the franchise as well.
    The ending doesn't feel to be 'in character' with the setting or even the overall feel of the game and the franchise. The ending seemingly negates any choice and also disregards (or doesn't reward) the efforts of the player throughout the game. It is very, very disappointing.
    The ending alone makes me unable to, in good conscience, recommend the game to anyone I know. Unless Bioware were to 'fix' the endings by providing more options/choices, as well as clarifying the mess that is the current set of endings, I won't recommend the game, nor will I purchase any downloadable content for Mass Effect 3.

    Pros: Visuals, environment, soundtrack, dialogue/voice acting/humor, cinematics/FMVs, quantity of weapons

    Cons: Ending, fewer squad mates, graphics options too limited, lack of inventory/over-simplification of RPG elements, some dialogue, quantity of armor choices, lack of other 'hubs' (there's only the Citadel), some aspects feel rushed (example: under utilization of some characters, the ending, etc.)    … Expand
  7. OddSuperFuture
    Mar 16, 2012
    0
    The game is absolutely top notch until the ending is reached and you're presented with 3 choices. 3 choices which completely dismiss any decisions you've made prior in any of the 3 games. There are 3 ending scenes with no closure and a convoluted, out of character plot which disregard the franchises key themes. This destroys any motivation you may have to replay this game-or any of theThe game is absolutely top notch until the ending is reached and you're presented with 3 choices. 3 choices which completely dismiss any decisions you've made prior in any of the 3 games. There are 3 ending scenes with no closure and a convoluted, out of character plot which disregard the franchises key themes. This destroys any motivation you may have to replay this game-or any of the other ME games.… Expand
  8. North
    Mar 18, 2012
    3
    I can't believe you Bioware! How dare you insult your fanbase with such dimwitted story progression, and worst of all, with an idiotic ending that pissed off everyone as hellfire !! Do you guys have any idea how many people are invested in this game, to see their stories achieve a more fulfilling end? What a logically insulting end, with loads of plot-holes?

    The only positive thing about    I can't believe you Bioware! How dare you insult your fanbase with such dimwitted story progression, and worst of all, with an idiotic ending that pissed off everyone as hellfire !! Do you guys have any idea how many people are invested in this game, to see their stories achieve a more fulfilling end? What a logically insulting end, with loads of plot-holes?

    The only positive thing about this game was the entire process of rallying allies. Because I am a more RPG oriented player, rather than bang bang, pow pow... Yet even at that, I couldn't see any satisfying plot writing. The whole marketing hype, day one DLC, and Xbox kinnect components were already indications that something was off about this game. And yet you were so sure that this would be the best game in the series. EPIC FAIL, by literal definition! You probably can't fall deeper than this. Nonetheless, I gave you 3 for your blood and sweat poured into the making of the game. Please get a grip and revitalize yourselves before the shame becomes too unbearable. But first, get rid of that EA leech! There are a lot better publishers out there, smaller, yes, but treat their developers with respect. My suggestion: strike a deal with Valve or create your own publishing company. The Bioware I have known is capable of doing this.    … Expand
  9. linksmaster
    Mar 18, 2012
    0
    After completing the game one has to wonder whether Bioware diverted all their resources to Star Wars - The Old Republic. One can only hope that is the excuse for this ending to the series. Regardless of the excuses or, perish the thought these "endings" were actually planned out, the Nihilistic ending made me regret having spent time even bothering to develop a character. Perhaps it's aAfter completing the game one has to wonder whether Bioware diverted all their resources to Star Wars - The Old Republic. One can only hope that is the excuse for this ending to the series. Regardless of the excuses or, perish the thought these "endings" were actually planned out, the Nihilistic ending made me regret having spent time even bothering to develop a character. Perhaps it's a joke. Or a calculated business move to offer DLC that lets you have an ending where you actually have some impact. As such this mess is such a shame for what had been such a promising series. In my humble opinion it is that bad. And it's sad. Not the sadness of any ending but the saddest thing in the world: Wasted potential. The wasted potential from a sloppy meaningless ending to an otherwise previously well executed series. I have lost the will to replay Mass Effect due to the ending. If that was Bioware's (and/or EA's) intentions, then well played EA/Bioware. I won't bother to return. If this is the same attention they plan for other games then I wish them well. I will not be playing them.… Expand
  10. 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!
  11. Pekotski
    Mar 15, 2012
    0
    Bioware disappointed again. This time - the last time. I dont understand where the high score from critics come from - its a proof of how deeply this industry is corrupted. The list of critics who support this **** is simply a pay list.
  12. 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
  13. Bronston
    Mar 10, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Hey Shep, can you grab that medigel please. Shep!? No, what are you doing, planning on competing in the Olympics? If you're done somersaulting around go ahead and come back over here and grab that medigel. Hey Shep, you bored? It's just that you're speaking with Admiral Hackett and staring off into space with a goofy look on your face, probably ought to pay attention, wait maybe I accidentally fired up Garry's Mod. Shep, did you see that? I think it was Tyler Durden, or am I just seeing random flashes of people for no reason again. Hey Shep I like Joker and Edi too but you really need to get back to work, seriously you can't just stand here forever, Shep, HEY SHEP JUST MOVE WHAT"S WRONG WITH YOU.

    Ok, seriously I just finished this game, Man I am not in a real great mood now. Let me start by saying Mass Effect 1 and Mass Effect 2 were some of the best examples of video games of all time. This game made me want to smash things so many times as I played it I probably shaved a couple years off my life from the rage. If it had been any other game I would have stopped playing and uninstalled it, unfortunately this was supposed to be Mass Effect so I did not give up cause that's what you do in Mass Effect. From a technical stand point I am unimpressed. I've read that it is a visual improvement over 2, I think I missed that part of the game, maybe it was on Jack's mission cause I missed that one. The controls are terrible. Why does shift do so many things? I have a keyboard in front of me, it has a ton of keys can I use them please? So many times I tried to pick something up just to go flying through the air, other times I was in a hurry cause, you know, impending galactic destruction, and I'd slam straight into a door while mashing the E key, didn't work. At one point I decided it was a stupid irritation to have to find the M key in the dark with my not that side of the keyboard hand so I said hey tab doesn't do anything so I went to the options menu and looked, hmm can't change the Map key huh? That's pretty much idiotic. Of course there's the whole thing where in combat I'd be in cover and try to move to different cover and instead jump over the cover straight into the line of fire, or I'd be shooting things and all that and then just stand up and get my head blown off. All that really increased the overall experience for me. Then there's the screwy behavior during conversations. People teleporting from place to place, or being just plain invisible. Then there's the constant flashes of characters during conversation where they just randomly appear for a split second. Now none of these dialogue are game breakers, just things that completely break your disbelief suspension. No the game breaker is how, as many people have already said, this is not my Shep, this guy says random crap that I don't understand and often doesn't even mean the same thing as what I picked, of course usually that's not much of a problem because I'm usually not given any options.

    I did think most of the voice acting was good, except that reporter chick, I'm sure they'll get it in editing. Oh yeah and that whole DLC thing, that's pretty ridiculous, gluttons.
    Now, on to the real problems. Mostly of course revolving around the ending. My God, you people don't deserve a nickle you made as a result of your initial fan base. I can see uninvested new comers being alright with this, with me however, that was my Shepard you destroyed, and was my hours upon hours of work you disregarded in that two minute waste of space ending cut scene. This was without a doubt the best part of the whole experience for me. So I get there, I talk to the stupid kid that tells me that absolutely moronic story I assume he made up on the spot and attempt to figure out which options the directions represent, so I walk up to the power conduit, first option I looked at and bam the **** bug apparently works here to, my feet are nailed to the floor I guess, so even though this is not the option I want I'm forced to shoot the conduit cause I can't walk around anymore, maybe there's a limit to the number of steps you can take throughout the game. Fortunetly turns out all three endings are the same thing anyway so who cares, I'm not playing it again was a waste 90+ hours anyway, 90 cause the ending negates all three games.

    So here's the short and sweet, this got a four because I suspended my bias and the crushing blow this game was to a former fanboy, I wanted to put a zero. If you're a fan of this series, pirate this one, they don't deserve any money for it. Hope Bioware goes down in flames.

    Verdict
    Piece of Crap

    P.S. Not revising this, it's way too long to read.    … Expand
  14. Praedor
    Mar 15, 2012
    1
    I have been a huge fan of the series since it began with Mass Effect 1. I played ME 1 six time and then played ME 2 eight times and was anticipating playing ME 3 a similar number of times. I had 4 different Shepards I was looking forward to importing and playing through. I played it once. One time. That was more than enough. The game is actually fantastic, with a great score, someI have been a huge fan of the series since it began with Mass Effect 1. I played ME 1 six time and then played ME 2 eight times and was anticipating playing ME 3 a similar number of times. I had 4 different Shepards I was looking forward to importing and playing through. I played it once. One time. That was more than enough. The game is actually fantastic, with a great score, some pretty good interactions and dialog, some of it quite moving. It works well until the last 15 to 20 minutes then it goes to hell in a handcart. A game that was touting as being all about player choice affecting the outcome, a game where the developers promised that your decisions in ME1, 2, and earlier in game 3 would impact the final outcome was a COMPLETE lie. There is ONE ending. One. It is identical in all ways no matter what you do in all the previous games, no matter how you play, what decisions you make, it ends the same but with different colored terminal explosions. Woohoo. ALL the time you spend on side missions, doing good or bad deeds, making peace treaties, ending conflict, uniting alien civilizations, collecting allies and materiel is all for naught. No matter how you do it you get the exact same nonsensical, blatantly illogical (in game and in real life) ending. It only takes ONE playthrough to the end to lose all enthusiasm for the series and lose any interest in ever playing any of the previous excellent titles ever again. If I could I would return my digital copy. So terribly depressing.… Expand
  15. Magniir
    Mar 18, 2012
    4
    My rating's slightly higher than the average and that's simply because I played the game knowing the ending was horrible but went in with an open-mind anyway.

    Frankly, Day 1 DLC doesn't bother me. It's going to come out anyway, I don't think it really matters when it comes out. Sure, it being on the disc might suck, but nobody has actually proven that every piece of data included in the    My rating's slightly higher than the average and that's simply because I played the game knowing the ending was horrible but went in with an open-mind anyway.

    Frankly, Day 1 DLC doesn't bother me. It's going to come out anyway, I don't think it really matters when it comes out. Sure, it being on the disc might suck, but nobody has actually proven that every piece of data included in the DLC is on the disc as well.

    As for the game itself? Some of the best 20+ hours I've spent in a game. No really, it is. That 28 hours I spent on my first run-through wasn't bad, much of it felt really good. The environments were a bit repetitive from the second game but the character writing was absolutely fantastic, and much of the plot was fine until the last 10 minutes of the game.

    That's honestly the deal breaker for me. I give the game a 4 because the gameplay and character design were sold extremely well for me, but everything else was just plain crud. From the whole gimmicky "War Readiness" metagame to the absolute horrible ending. Those last 10-15 minutes are some of the worst minutes I've ever spent on any video game.

    It's not that it's bad that's the problem, it's that the ending doesn't really change that drastically from each option. Not only that, but your actions leading up to that point might as well not have happened, because doing the side-missions in the game doesn't really do much more than alter your "War Readiness" level, which doesn't change the endings as much as you'd expect. Other than these points, many of the ending scene is just absolutely confusing, non-sensical and it leaves you with much more questions than answers.

    That last one's really important. If I finish a story and I've got more questions than answers, and there is no sequel planned, then I really hate that story. Essentially it ends the story on a sort of cliff-hanger that you know you'll probably never get to see the bottom of, and that's just disappointing and somewhat cruel.    … Expand
  16. stb97
    Mar 28, 2012
    5
    I have to say, I loved Mass Effect 3, or at least I thought I did. The combat is definitely greatly improved, it is now much more fluid, and shooter fans will have an easy transition to this game, as the combat is rewarding and the abilities are much more fun and necessary to be effective on the higher difficulties. On the other hand, for people playing for the story, the combat can beI have to say, I loved Mass Effect 3, or at least I thought I did. The combat is definitely greatly improved, it is now much more fluid, and shooter fans will have an easy transition to this game, as the combat is rewarding and the abilities are much more fun and necessary to be effective on the higher difficulties. On the other hand, for people playing for the story, the combat can be tuned down so that it is still the same shooty-killy action sequence, but it takes significantly less time so you can easily get through to the story driven sections of the game. However, the one part they seemed to have skipped on is exploration, in Mass Effect one, we had the Mako, which provided a plethora of opportunities for exploration and side missions, in Mass Effect 2, we could scan planets, this provided an alternate currency system for upgrading your ship as well as still providing an avenue for side missions. However, in Mass Effect 3, there's really no exploration elements, which takes a sizable chunk of gameplay out of the game, as well as limiting us to the hub stations and the one time mission areas, making the game feel increasingly confined. But the problem with appealing to both the story and combat players, is that neither field seems that amazing, the story was quite frankly shallow with very few side plots or twists, and the combat alone was no where near good enough to carry the entire game. The ending was bad, but it wasn't enough to ruin the game for me, and the multiplayer was just, while enjoyable, a ploy to draw in more customers.… Expand
  17. lliam
    May 6, 2012
    1
    If you have Mass Effect 1 or 2 you have better games than this one. Average game not worth the money. Since Origin took over DRM spyware all over your P.C so it is up to you if you want this. No customer support at all. The multiplayer has massive issues with people not getting the stuff they paid for and no means of getting any resolution from customer service you just get your accountIf you have Mass Effect 1 or 2 you have better games than this one. Average game not worth the money. Since Origin took over DRM spyware all over your P.C so it is up to you if you want this. No customer support at all. The multiplayer has massive issues with people not getting the stuff they paid for and no means of getting any resolution from customer service you just get your account banned saves them needing a customer service department and with a banned account you have no access to the game you paid for. IMO very similar game to 1+2 and not worth more than $5. Hyped beyond belief in Expert reviews. A very linear game save your cash I wish I did.… Expand
  18. 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.
  19. Rakshall
    Mar 20, 2012
    6
    To be honest 98% of the game is very good and personally i would place ME3 somewhere between first and second installment of the series. However the last 2% is simply terrible . I don't say ending is bad (I could accept it!) - it simply doesn't fit to the ME universe. It really made me think that i wasted more than 100 hours with trilogy for nothing.
  20. talonius
    Mar 12, 2012
    2
    The Good: * The game has the classic Mass Effect play style and combat.

    The Bad: * They shoe horned multiplayer in and created a reason to make it pertinent. * The equipment (and hair) of the player models is constantly poking through. * 90% of the conversations you have do not offer choices of replies - they don't even bring up the conversation wheel. * Day one DLC which requires one    The Good: * The game has the classic Mass Effect play style and combat.

    The Bad: * They shoe horned multiplayer in and created a reason to make it pertinent.
    * The equipment (and hair) of the player models is constantly poking through.
    * 90% of the conversations you have do not offer choices of replies - they don't even bring up the conversation wheel.
    * Day one DLC which requires one line of code change in order to make it appear and which should have been part of the overall game as it was the one thing that managed to add some depth.
    * Failure to take into account player choices (from ME1, ME2, or ME3) with the ending.
    * Endings which appear to provide a choice, but don't. (What color would you like your universe destroying beam to be in?)
    * No sex scenes, demonstrating EA's editorial control over Bioware productions despite Bioware's claims to the contrary.
    * None of the side quests you complete appears to have any impact other than increasing your forces' strength for the final battle. The narrative that one might expect from Mass Effect for the individual units brought into play is not there.

    As a single game, it's a shallow and fun romp until the very last portion of the game. When you and Anderson are side by side with each other, chatting, stop. Right there is the best ending you can hope for - do NOT continue. Walk away and imagine your ending. You will be happier.

    As a series finale this game does NOT suffice. I don't care what theory you take to - that they wanted to show predestination, that Shepard was indoctrinated, that they're holding the series open for DLC. None of that matters. What matters is that the ending to the game - and the series - brings no closure for the player. NONE.

    People are claiming that those of us who are complaining about the ending are overreacting. I don't think we can overreact. I have spent hundreds of hours of my life playing this game, I overrode my ban on EA games in order to purchase it, I hoped as a property of Bioware that they would treat the series finale properly. All of those hopes were dashed, destroyed, thrown down, stepped on, and ground into tiny pieces.

    Don't buy this game. It's not worth your money. When it's a $5.00 special, it might be worth it. If Bioware rewrites the ending, it might be worth it. Right now? I spent $80.00 on the collector's edition and I wish I could get a refund - of my money, and my play time.

    Between this and Dragon Age 2... well, I'm glad the indie games are ramping up because it's obvious I need to find my Western RPG fix somewhere else.    … Expand
  21. velimrius
    Mar 12, 2012
    3
    Im glad i didnt spent cent on this, go to hell bioware with ur employed game designers whom hates gaming and want option to skip combat....

    First ME was awesome to me, second was good too, but this is disgrace!
  22. Maelphaedor
    Mar 14, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Right up to the end sequence, ME3 was on track to be the BEST GAME SERIES I've ever played from a story perspective. Then the final cutscene played and every single choice made in the game boiled down to 3 identical endings (other than explosion color). Seriously, they really, REALLY screwed the pooch on this one. Now as said, right up to the end sequence, this is the best game story EVER, which makes the FUBAR ending all the more painful.… Expand
  23. butternut86
    Mar 22, 2012
    5
    Bioware should be ashamed of themselves. This ending was inexcusable. The Deus ex machina explanation for the Reapers and how the Catalyst justified their desruction as a way to save organic's from their own tendencies of destroying themselves was nothing short of ridiculous. Its circular writing, logic and reasoning wrapped into one.

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

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

    Both are inexcusable, and the ending is pathetic. Personally, Bioware, and its Reaper puppeteer should give its consumers FREE ENDING DLC to try and redeem themselves. I already paid around $200 for all three Mass Effect games including numerous dlc packages. Bioware and EA owe their consumers a decent ending with some closure to the characters, planets and races I've come into contact these past 5 years. Bioware should ashamed. TO SHAME!!!!    … Expand
  24. 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
  25. Bulldozer
    Mar 30, 2012
    0
    This game could have been a masterpiece but the final result is only a forgettable mix of bugs, holes in a childish plot with the "wish" to be serious, a ton of shadows and emphasis everywhere, no exploration, no puzzles, flat dialogues and the worst ending in videogame history. In certain things it could deserve a 11 but in others not more than a -20 so my balance is 0. Nothing more thanThis game could have been a masterpiece but the final result is only a forgettable mix of bugs, holes in a childish plot with the "wish" to be serious, a ton of shadows and emphasis everywhere, no exploration, no puzzles, flat dialogues and the worst ending in videogame history. In certain things it could deserve a 11 but in others not more than a -20 so my balance is 0. Nothing more than a "project" of a game, an interesting project never terminated and poorly done, or at least that's not good to be released like this.… Expand
  26. SilentMobius
    Mar 12, 2012
    2
    This game should be a 9, I cared about the characters, the sense of drama was palpable. The action was furious without devolving into a pure shooter, even the side missions didn't feel as forced as they have in the previous games, for the most part it was fantastic.

    However, I have to knock off a point for general inexcusable QA failures (LI's not responding to actions in the previous    This game should be a 9, I cared about the characters, the sense of drama was palpable. The action was furious without devolving into a pure shooter, even the side missions didn't feel as forced as they have in the previous games, for the most part it was fantastic.

    However, I have to knock off a point for general inexcusable QA failures (LI's not responding to actions in the previous games) another point for some horrific animation glitches (characters not facing each other when they talk eyes rolling back into heads, necks twisting 180 degrees), a point for the poor integration of the From Ashes DLC (Seriously, a Prothean? much more content was needed for such and important character, I'd have been happy to pay more for it), another point off for the multi-player which is good but the matchmaking is horribly unstable (On PC at least) making it a frustrating process, And finally a massive 4 points off for absolutely horrific and poorly thought out ending that has soured the whole series for me, and obliterated any replay value. Hence we go from a "near-perfect" 9 to an "Oh goddess what have you done" 2    … Expand
  27. WindWalker
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    They did it again, they mad an awesome game with Mass Effect 1, a little while later they made a good game, a little dumped down but still a game that was true to its roots in the RPG genre. And now they made this.... It was, for me, the only game i have been looking insanely forward to, iv have spent so many hours with my 2 characters that they feel like a part of me. But in this game,They did it again, they mad an awesome game with Mass Effect 1, a little while later they made a good game, a little dumped down but still a game that was true to its roots in the RPG genre. And now they made this.... It was, for me, the only game i have been looking insanely forward to, iv have spent so many hours with my 2 characters that they feel like a part of me. But in this game, they don't!!!
    The RP elements is all gone, this is more off elaborate cut-scenes that feels like any time a quirk time event could pop up.... And don't even get me started on the endings, I just don't feel "involved" in every 8 off them....
    The multi-player system is ok, but feels "detached", you cant even text chat with the other players?!?!?
    The companion ai is soo bad... default: they will run off and get them self killed, and if you try to control them they just stand around and can't find the way... or ignores the order... The animations and sound feels rushed, the side quest tracking system simply don't exists, you have next to none communication with the quest giver (they have no idea you are about to go around the galaxy to find something) These are for me just the top off the iceberg. All in all, Bioware has ruined the Mass Effect ending for me.    … Expand
  28. ceppi
    Mar 14, 2012
    4
    After DA2 and SWTOR, I was really scared that Mass Effect 3 would be really bad, and oh boy, was I right... First of all, you are forced to play multiplayer or most probably you get the bad ending. This is a problem now, but in 3-4 months, when people stop playing multiplayer, its going to be an even worse situation. Second of all, the goddamn first day DLC, when its already present of theAfter DA2 and SWTOR, I was really scared that Mass Effect 3 would be really bad, and oh boy, was I right... First of all, you are forced to play multiplayer or most probably you get the bad ending. This is a problem now, but in 3-4 months, when people stop playing multiplayer, its going to be an even worse situation. Second of all, the goddamn first day DLC, when its already present of the disc I goddamn buyed few days ago, and Bioware lying about it just makes things worse. Overall I am just disappointed, I will most likely will not check the next Bioware game even tho it was one my favorite gaming companies... RIP Bioware that delivered us Baldurs Gate, Neverwinter Nights, KOTOR...… Expand
  29. Distruttore
    Mar 14, 2012
    0
    I'm not saying the ending should be changed, nor should there be a DLC... this game is dead and done with. I hope it rots in hell with an ending like that.
  30. paxbanana
    Mar 19, 2012
    3
    For some reason, Bioware decided to make ME3 a third-person shooter game with pretty cut-scenes. The RP element that made the Mass Effect series so unique was largely missing from the game, along with side-quests. I can't say I understand that, given there's a 'combat-only' game option. And, for pretending to be a shooter, there was actually no ending boss fight. I probably would forgiveFor some reason, Bioware decided to make ME3 a third-person shooter game with pretty cut-scenes. The RP element that made the Mass Effect series so unique was largely missing from the game, along with side-quests. I can't say I understand that, given there's a 'combat-only' game option. And, for pretending to be a shooter, there was actually no ending boss fight. I probably would forgive some of the dialogue shortage if the ending had actually been worth the tediousness of playing through the game. I was insulted by the ending that was played off as "16 wildly different endings". Bioware didn't even have the respect for their fans to make ONE different cut-scene and instead recycled the same one for every ending. If they had actually delivered, I probably would have forgiven the fact they dropped the RPG element from the game. As it stands, I can't bring myself to play through the game again. It says something when you'd rather read a book than watch a cut-scene again. In ME1 and 2, at least you could vary the dialogue. 30 hours of mediocre game play (riddled with graphics and sound issues that do not do the excellent VA cast and OST justice) is not worth $80.… 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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