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. Chafilao
    Mar 18, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Experience the beginning, middle, and end of an emotional story unlike any other, where the decisions you make have absolutly no influence in your final experience and outcome.

    Probably the worst ending of a videogame I ever seem, and totally against the spirit of the Mass Effect series. It will stop you from replaying it, because no matter your actions, the end will remain almost the same.    … Expand
  2. ROGUE-BOLO
    Mar 18, 2012
    0
    I was a huge fan of the Mass Effect franchise (and Bioware games in general). Honestly, I even really like SWtOR. But Mass Effect 3 was a huge disappointment! What I hated most: 3. Meaningful interactions with most of your love interests from ME1 & ME2 reduced to unsatisfying cameos, 2. New movement options for Shepard in combat that can be horribly frustrating because they all shareI was a huge fan of the Mass Effect franchise (and Bioware games in general). Honestly, I even really like SWtOR. But Mass Effect 3 was a huge disappointment! What I hated most: 3. Meaningful interactions with most of your love interests from ME1 & ME2 reduced to unsatisfying cameos, 2. New movement options for Shepard in combat that can be horribly frustrating because they all share the same key as the one used to enter cover (i.e.: I have several times tried to sprint through a door only to find myself rolling back and forth between one side of the door and another, or attempting to leap over cover to flee attackers only to have the game decide I would rather "go into cover" on the wrong side, etc.) and worst of all 1. Three almost identical but horrible endings that totally ignored all of my choices made in the saga up to that point. In my opinion, they not only removed 100% of ME3's replay value (I played ME1 & ME2 dozens to times) but tainted the rest of the saga for me. As far as I am concerned, Jar Jar Binks did less to ruin Star Wars... After all, I did not sink 100+ hours into playing Star Wars after being told my choices would carry through and they would matter! And putting further salt in our wounds, these endings were abrupt, incongruous with the pace and story of the games up to that point, and glaringly inconsistent with established canon (For instance: If one Mass Relay detonating in The Arrival took out an entire star system what does losing ALL of them mean to the survivors in the galaxy?!!! How about a little QA, guys?) If EA/Bioware have any hope of painting themselves out of this corner, I would suggest they look on the Internet for all of the threads discussing "Indoctrination Theory" and deliver us a DLC to 'fix" the endings along those lines ASAP. I know, it is your "art" and your "artistic vision", blah, blah, blah... But you sold the whole ME franchise with the promise of "Real choices that make a difference. Honestly, guys, for ME3 it is time to live up to that.… Expand
  3. krotznapopulov
    Mar 19, 2012
    2
    Though a great game, the last few moment ruin the entire experience of the entire ME series. Like so many other players, I really enjoyed Mass Effect 3. If not for the last 15 minutes, I would give this game a 9 or more. However, the ending is so abysmal (plot holes, inconsistencies, unsatisfying explanations, not to mention exactly the same whatever you do throughout all three games...)Though a great game, the last few moment ruin the entire experience of the entire ME series. Like so many other players, I really enjoyed Mass Effect 3. If not for the last 15 minutes, I would give this game a 9 or more. However, the ending is so abysmal (plot holes, inconsistencies, unsatisfying explanations, not to mention exactly the same whatever you do throughout all three games...) that I can't give this game any more than a 2.… Expand
  4. Spoons
    Mar 19, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. From a purely game mechanics perspective I felt that this is the best of the Mass Effect games. Sure the journal and quest tracking system for minor quests was unusable, but the increased variety of weapons and modifications available adding something that was lost in the transition from 1 to 2.

    The main plot was extremely strong for the most part. It was a bit more linear then in 2 but it had to be given what we were trying to do this time. However now to address the elephant in the room. The final 10 minutes of game. Now I was fine with the game until right after I went up the beamto the citadel. Sure it was odd that the Citadel had been taken over entirely off screen but I can't get everything. Heck I even was ok with the assumption that my squad mates at the time, EDI and Liara, had died in the Reaper blast. The Anderson/Illusive man stuff was strong if incredibly full of plot holes. The star child crap though was ridiculous. I already suspended my disbelief enough to allow the use of a McGuffin as the driver of the main plot, but now you use a literal deus ex Machina that's spouts offcrap that we directly refute during the course of the game (EDI, and saving the Geth/Quarians). Then what happens is the worst game of "Let's Make A Deal" I've ever seen since the same dam thing is behind every door. Then the weird ending where my whole squad turned tail and ran inexplicably with at least one of the people who were fighting with me on earth.

    Also without mass effect drives I realized A)Quarian fleet likely to starve B)Krogans likely to die out due to loss of Wrex and it is now impossible to import food C)my apparently cowardly crew is likely going to die of starvation and or exposure at some point on some deserted planet in the middle of nowhere.

    Somehow Bioware you snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. You basically ruined all replay value for this game and its predecessors. Awesome job.

    P.S. I have a terrible sinking feeling this was done on purpose so you could at a later date sell us a less bad ending and epilouges. You probably weren't expecting sush a viceral reaction from the vast majority of fans so nice job.    … Expand
  5. wasawsolos
    Mar 19, 2012
    2
    **SPOILER ALERT**
    For the past 5 or so years, I have been a huge mass effect fan. I loved the idea that my choices mattered from game to game. In fact, this game would have gotten a 9.5 from me (not a 10 because I got stuck because of a glitch that caused me to have to restart a mission) but the ending of ME3 is the most plot hole ripping, out of context, jacked up thing I have ever seen    **SPOILER ALERT**
    For the past 5 or so years, I have been a huge mass effect fan. I loved the idea that my choices mattered from game to game. In fact, this game would have gotten a 9.5 from me (not a 10 because I got stuck because of a glitch that caused me to have to restart a mission) but the ending of ME3 is the most plot hole ripping, out of context, jacked up thing I have ever seen in a story. It is like watching the last of a super awesome trilogy movie, that has been hyped to the moon, then the film stops in the last 10 minutes, the screen goes dark, and the theater catches on fire. BioWare has essentially destroyed their entire universe that they have created because without the mass relays staying intact, the stories of mass effect cant happen. They somehow managed to kill their entire franchise within 10 minutes. Up until the last 10 minutes, the game is great. After that 10 minutes though, ME3 goes from great to crap. Don't buy until BioWare does something to change the ending.    … Expand
  6. Jute
    Mar 20, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. SPOILER ALERT*** This game played fairly well, was interesting enough, and seemed to be fulfilling the 3 story arch's conclusion nicely. Not cutting edge or even inspired graphics at times, but great voice acting and pretty good cut scenes. Sure, the cut scenes got to be a bit much sometimes, making the game feel way too cinematic and not enough like an RPG, but we all knew the payout would be the resolution of the Reaper threat based on all the things we had done before. Then the developers got lazy, rushed, or both, and put out an ending which has been discussed extensively and yes, sucks every bit as much as the other reviewers said. It is a complete ripoff of the Battlestar Galactica ending as well - only done very poorly on what seemed to suddenly be a shoestring budget. Other things that will annoy you: You HAVE to download Origin, EA's game portal and online management system, in order to play. If this is the wave of the future for PC gaming, count me out. Steam worked just fine for the other 25 games I have, why make me switch to Origin for their 3rd installment? Also, finding resources on planets is so boring that you'll wish it was automated. Each planet has 1 location, which you mouse around to and fire a probe at. That's it. But really, it is the ending that will have you wishing you had never bought into the hype 3 games ago. They are all substantially the same, and all completely dumb. Seriously, the best explanation is that the producers were out of time, had just watched Battlestar Galactica, and said, "Let's force the players into an ending like that! They'll love feeling like they've been shoehorned into the end of such a great series. What? This is supposed to be at least slightly based on their decisions and input over 3 games? Bull! We're the creators and we get to decide what the ending is that we force upon them." Also note, many people think that we as gamers are just whining. (See the comments of some guy from WEDBUSH Securities, Michael Pachter, in this article: http://www.technewsworld.com/story/74668.html)
    Wrong. We paid a bunch of money and spent a bunch of time on this game because they made an explicit representation of it as a game where the ending would be based on your decisions. It wasn't. At all. Period. We're not whining. We're pissed and we want our money and our time back. And no, EA, charging me more money for a DLC that abates some of the colossal suckiness of this game is not a fix. Having great plans for the future of the game and stringing me along while you suck up my hard earned cash is also not a solution. How about releasing a game that resolves the plot based on our input, like you said you would when we started this journey, and I started handing over my cash, 5 years ago?    … Expand
  7. cullaxthefirst
    Mar 21, 2012
    0
    what the hell? Does this website not believe in paragraphs? I just seperated everything I wrote and it was still all jammed together. Too long didn't read, is the main reason no one reads user reviews.
  8. ArminW
    Mar 22, 2012
    4
    The game itself is mostly a 9, with great, emotional moments, good fights, some RPG moments from part 1 brought back and overall only a few minor flaws (boring fetch quests, confusing useless journal, and one insufferable enemy with script immunity).
    But the ending is such an monumental, epic fail, that I actually have to rate that a -1. Yes, it DOES have to be negative, because, honestly,    The game itself is mostly a 9, with great, emotional moments, good fights, some RPG moments from part 1 brought back and overall only a few minor flaws (boring fetch quests, confusing useless journal, and one insufferable enemy with script immunity).
    But the ending is such an monumental, epic fail, that I actually have to rate that a -1. Yes, it DOES have to be negative, because, honestly, it not only spoils ME3, it manages to somehow spoil the entire series.
    It is way to short, badly written, shamelessly stolen from Deus Ex, makes NO sense whatsoever, it negates EVERYTHING you have done over 3 games, ignores al your choices and basically offers the same lame end sequence video with 3 different colored explosions. Unbelievably bad, and even worse if this is just a ploy to sell some kind of "epilogue DLC" later.
    So, the average between a 9 and a -1 is what I have to rate this.    … Expand
  9. holdtheline
    Mar 23, 2012
    1
    Bioware releases a game that contains 95% goodness and a 5% utter, soul-crushing, promise-cutting, canon-killing conclusion. This game is the least entertaining of the entire series and certainly the saddest.
  10. wombatman10
    Mar 23, 2012
    6
    Good combat and fresh characters are sadly ruined by the lack of meaning for long term fans. Major decisions from the first two games are made so meaningless they are expressed with single dialogues and some (rachni and Councillor) are completely ignored and explained with an unsatisfactory explanation. Possibly a good standalone game but fans of the Mass Effect series can only be leftGood combat and fresh characters are sadly ruined by the lack of meaning for long term fans. Major decisions from the first two games are made so meaningless they are expressed with single dialogues and some (rachni and Councillor) are completely ignored and explained with an unsatisfactory explanation. Possibly a good standalone game but fans of the Mass Effect series can only be left feeling disappointed and wanting more.… Expand
  11. Stylus
    Mar 10, 2012
    4
    This game is not good and certainly doesn't deserve the praise it's been getting from the gaming press. A lot of the poor user reviews on this site are in protest of how awfully Bioware has been treating their fanbase of late although that doesn't mean that they don't have valid criticisms, and Bioware would be foolish to claim otherwise. If you've already played the first two games youThis game is not good and certainly doesn't deserve the praise it's been getting from the gaming press. A lot of the poor user reviews on this site are in protest of how awfully Bioware has been treating their fanbase of late although that doesn't mean that they don't have valid criticisms, and Bioware would be foolish to claim otherwise. If you've already played the first two games you may as well get this over and done with, but I would strongly advise against picking up the series here.… Expand
  12. NightLurker
    Mar 10, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Truly the disappointment of the year! Bioware, what have you done? You took all that i cared for in the game, ripped everything valuable off and made tons of crappy drama endings. What for? You promised, that my decisions will be counted. This is what they counted for? Epic drama with killing everyone? I truly enjoyed the first two games, but the third one is a disgrace. Sincerely not your fan anymore.… Expand
  13. laughing_man
    Mar 13, 2012
    1
    Being the best gaming series I have played it is a sad day when you reach the finishing line and it is as horrible as it is. I love the Mass Effect games, heart and soul and I've played them through countless times. This rating is purely to voice my utter dissatisfaction with how the game ends.
    I'm not one of those that want a good happy ending and it is not because of some gay sexscene    Being the best gaming series I have played it is a sad day when you reach the finishing line and it is as horrible as it is. I love the Mass Effect games, heart and soul and I've played them through countless times. This rating is purely to voice my utter dissatisfaction with how the game ends.
    I'm not one of those that want a good happy ending and it is not because of some gay sexscene (seriously, do journalists actually believe the crap they are putting out??). It is simply because the current ending (NOT endingS, mind you) makes absolutely no sense. Why is there no difference between the endings? WHY doesn't my choices make any difference what so ever. In a stroke of sheer genious BW implements transfer of savegames which all amounts to a **** nothing come the absurd end.
    I never write reviews but I love this game to damn much to not make my voice heard.    … Expand
  14. tortellini
    Mar 13, 2012
    1
    Gameplay is ok and fun, even if nothing really changed since 2. There are 3 groups of enemies which is all you ever fight, and they get repetitive fast.The biggest issue is that the resolution of the story is the worst let-down. For people who liked the Mass Effect series as an PRG, or simply for its story, this is such a let-down that it spoils the entire series. The ending is poorlyGameplay is ok and fun, even if nothing really changed since 2. There are 3 groups of enemies which is all you ever fight, and they get repetitive fast.The biggest issue is that the resolution of the story is the worst let-down. For people who liked the Mass Effect series as an PRG, or simply for its story, this is such a let-down that it spoils the entire series. The ending is poorly implemented - plot holes, people appear in places they aren't, one person suddenly has powers that make no sense and are never explained - but the most frustrating thing is that for a series defined by making choices, there is essentially only one ending, meaning the choices made along several games are in the end almost completely irrelevant. That has spoiled the whole thing for me, and I haven't touched the game since. I would not recommend the game due to the dissapointing conclusion.… Expand
  15. JosieRevisited
    Mar 13, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I haven't played through to the very end yet, but I'm close. Like heading after the reapers close... And I'm not sure I want to see what happens.

    I had high hopes for this game. They confirmed we were getting Liara back, our old friends would be making appearances, and everything would get some closure. Instead, we got a sort of mish-mash of short stories with the occasional ParaRene choice to make us feel like we had an impact. Right. I regret going strictly Paragon now because in the end, it didn't make a difference.

    There are no side quests (every quest ties into the main quest whether it is priority or not. Given the circumstances I understand, but they could have done soooo much more with an apocalyptic epic like this *could* have been). I was expecting Fallout 3NV levels of exploration on some of the planets, you know, saving refugees, rescuing civilians, taking down the occasional reaper... The closest thing we got was hopping from Cerberus base to Cerberus base, watching a thresher maw eat a machine, and try to slowly roll out of the way of a laser.

    But, there is no exploration. At all. None. I scanned every planet in every cluster and they even dumbed that down to an obscene amount.

    Stories that we BEGGED them to continue (or start) they barely even acknowledged (Samara anyone? Joker? Other past romances that stop in their tracks? Inequality between Manshep's level of choices and Femshep's? They can give him two homosexual options but unless you saved Kaidan, Femshep gets no heterosexual ones? It doesn't make sense.)

    Overall, I see why they delayed the release. This could not have competed with Skyrim for GoTY. It's too short a game, even on 'normal' mode, and I found myself looking at the quest log at one point and realizing that I finished twenty or so of them just from my lackluster one probe sweep per planet and asteroids-style Reaper avoidance. Truly epic entertainment....

    Honestly, it's a decent game as far as your "rally your allies and fight the evil overlord" sort of piece goes, but it's not what I was expecting from the Mass Effect finale. This is something I would have expected over on FanFiction.net.

    And that's my only consolation - we writers will be able to weave our own tales now that it's over. Shame they didn't give us much to work with.

    I'm looking forward to the next BioWare title, but I don't think that ME3 is going to get the amount replays that the first two did.    … Expand
  16. bronzerev
    Mar 17, 2012
    6
    On the whole, this is a fantastic game with a clear improvement in combat mechanics, conversation structure and graphics. Clint Mansell (Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain) and Sam Hulick (Mass Effect 1 & 2, Red Orchestra 2) provide a powerful and emotive soundtrack; however Jack Wallâ
  17. silvs
    Mar 18, 2012
    3
    An amazing series, and for the most part a great game. But the ending is so unbelievably poor that it ruins the ENTIRE SERIES. It's like the rest of the game they spent years working on, and the ending they put together in 5 minutes. Seriously, it will destroy your appreciation for the franchise.
  18. thedoctor
    Mar 19, 2012
    0
    Until about the last 15 minutes of ME3, it wasn't just a 10 - it was a 100. But the last 15 minutes are so awful that if I could give the game a negative score, I would. It completely invalidates everything you worked so hard to accomplish not only in this game, but in ME1 and 2 as well. I have zero desire to play any of the ME games ever again as there is no point. Nothing you do, theUntil about the last 15 minutes of ME3, it wasn't just a 10 - it was a 100. But the last 15 minutes are so awful that if I could give the game a negative score, I would. It completely invalidates everything you worked so hard to accomplish not only in this game, but in ME1 and 2 as well. I have zero desire to play any of the ME games ever again as there is no point. Nothing you do, the choices you make, or the relationships you build make any difference whatsoever in the outcome of ME3. The entire series now might as well never existed to begin with! AGH!… Expand
  19. CLUTCH
    Nov 21, 2012
    5
    In some respects I enjoyed this game. In others, I absolutely loathed it. I'll start with what I enjoyed. I enjoyed the multiplayer...Weirdly, I enjoyed it more than the game. It's quite addictive...and then I enjoyed...Damn...Catching up with characters from the series I guess...That's about it.

    The SP campaign felt like a real chore to me. The textures were pathetic in places. Pretty    In some respects I enjoyed this game. In others, I absolutely loathed it. I'll start with what I enjoyed. I enjoyed the multiplayer...Weirdly, I enjoyed it more than the game. It's quite addictive...and then I enjoyed...Damn...Catching up with characters from the series I guess...That's about it.

    The SP campaign felt like a real chore to me. The textures were pathetic in places. Pretty much no graphical options on the PC. The animations are laughable sometimes. Lots of clipping. There are a ton of bugs and glitches that I encountered and a few random freezes/crashes. The cover system is a completely broken mess. The writing was half-assed. Getting through the game to see the conclusion was a massive chore and not really fun at all. Regardless of any of your choices, there are only 3 endings with very slight variations. None of them are satifiying, and if you want to see a different one from the one you chose the first time, you have to sit through about half an hour of unskippable cutscenes and painfully...Really painfully slow 'gameplay'. I am not kidding, I actually put a weight on my keyboard, on the 'w' , went and made a cup of coffee and came back and I had only just arrived at where I needed to get to...Really, REALLY poor design, story and gameplay decisions...It just feels incredibly unpolished and unrefined, and generally a step back from the 2nd game. My guess is that they had nearly everyone in Bioware working on their Star Wars title and ME3 was pretty much thrown together.    … Expand
  20. Gamtu
    Aug 20, 2012
    5
    The length of the game is acceptable. The graphics quality is poor. Including aliasing and lack of realism and no way for high end pc's to significantly adjust for it (likely because of monetary greed with no other focus in mind). The game play quality has been reduced from previous releases (likely because of monetary greed with no other focus in mind). For instance planet scanningThe length of the game is acceptable. The graphics quality is poor. Including aliasing and lack of realism and no way for high end pc's to significantly adjust for it (likely because of monetary greed with no other focus in mind). The game play quality has been reduced from previous releases (likely because of monetary greed with no other focus in mind). For instance planet scanning has been all but removed. When you find a planet that can be scanned any items from the planet are recovered with probes only. You never actually fight for the scanned items you simply live or die. Living through it is quite easy to do. A lot of adventure was removed from the game because of this. I thought it felt like an easter egg hunt in a big hotel, all the rooms are identical and so are the eggs. The eggs are just hidden in different places in each room. This game is not an RPG it is an action game with a sprinkle of role play. I thought the ending fit in well with the rest of the game. I didn't like the ending or dislike it. I'm glad I didn't pay release day price for this game. These days those of us PC gamers really have to be cautious of paying release day price. I've found that the pain of disappointment is significantly reduced by waiting for price drops. Still I probably should've waited a bit longer.… Expand
  21. KingMJE
    Mar 14, 2012
    0
    The game was OK, There was some interesting story decisions to make and the action was pretty nice. multiplayer is pretty fun, all the classes are very different from eachother but adept can solo everything. all of the endings are terrible, i am no longer supporting, EA, Bioware, or origin.
  22. vash1053
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    The gameplay: Pretty decent. Makes some much needed improvements to weapon and armor customization. The need for a workbench was a little stifling, and you couldn't customize your armor pieces-- only which pieces you wear. Dialogue was decent, but there was almost NEVER a middle "neutral option". Too much auto-dialogue as well. Paragon/Renegade choices didn't really come into playThe gameplay: Pretty decent. Makes some much needed improvements to weapon and armor customization. The need for a workbench was a little stifling, and you couldn't customize your armor pieces-- only which pieces you wear. Dialogue was decent, but there was almost NEVER a middle "neutral option". Too much auto-dialogue as well. Paragon/Renegade choices didn't really come into play until well past the middle of the game.

    The graphics: Good looking game. Animations, however, seemed robotic at times and lip synch was often painfully maligned. I'd say this was a step backward from ME2.

    The story: This is where things get really dicey. Older characters from ME2 only make quasi-cameo appearances, which irked a lot of people. The choices you made in the past two games mattered to some extent-- some more than others. For instance, I know that your choice on whether or not to save the Rachni queen or not was supposed to have a decently large impact on the game. As it turned out, it really doesn't. The Rachni under her control simply contribute to your military strength score and are never seen again. Okayyyy.....

    Character development is decently well done. There are some gut-wrenching choices you can make that can result in characters dying in very emotionally striking ways.

    So what's wrong? It's hard to explain just how sour things turn around the last hour of the game. Imagine if at the end of Return of the Jedi, Luke woke up in his bed on Tattoine only to realize the entire series had been a dream. Granted, that's not exactly what happens in ME3-- but it's the same sort of self-destructive ending. The ending is so nihilistic that it essentially invalidates everything that you've done in ME1 and ME2. It does this while creating EGREGIOUS plot holes and trampling over everything that had been established in the prior games and even lolBooks.

    Bioware claims that there are 16 endings, including several hidden ones. This is fallacious. All of the endings are based on the same 3 main "endings", which are all VERY similar in the first place. I could rant for hours about just how poorly this ending was carried out, but I digress.

    Check out this poll to see the general consensus regarding the endings and take solace in knowing you are NOT alone:

    http://social.bioware.com/633606/polls/28989

    Overall, the game was probably a 7/10 overall until the ending. The carelessness of the ending, the way that it comes out of left field and creates massive plot holes, and the complete and unavoidable destruction of the ME universe's unique attributes essentially invalidate the entire series. With no point in resisting, why replay the game at all? With that in mind, the game earns a 0/10 for me.    … Expand
  23. xminus
    Apr 15, 2012
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I have thought about what could be said about Mass Effect 3. I really wanted to like this game, I believe Mass Effect 1 was and still is the greatest Sci-Fi Rpg ever made. The second Mass Effect improved the fighting system and neutered the Rpg side of the game into oblivion. Mass Effect 2 was an adventure game that was just a fair game. But Bioware made it a lot better with dlc I played it again before the release of Mass Effect 3, it was long, the story made more sense. All in all it turned out to be a good game even though it was not the Rpg Masterpiece Mass Effect 1 was. Mass Effect 3, where does it fit into this? The problem is it does not. Seeing all the characters from the previous games was cool regardless of where the story took us. But the story only took us to the end. The big deal that everyone has made about the end? Silly you say? Bioware started it, the whole game is about the end, even when it is not being said, you feel it this is the end of the story. My seven year old daughter has that figured out. This is Bioware fault for making such a big thing about the end. With every step you know you are closer, with every familiar face you realize this is the last time you are going to see them. That is the story they choose to tell. They choose to shortcut any real story about what was going on, and made it about the journey to the end. If this game was the first in the series you would not see the inflated gamer scores on some of the web sites out there. You know who you are! ( Now Hang Your Head in Shame) this game is the first game that should be scored differently even though the story was bad, really bad. Even though the plot mechanics were bad, like talking to someone turning away and walking away only to find them sitting in the other room. Sliding down the ladder only to see you team at the bottom waiting for you, why did I have to deal with the ladder? And did not get to use magic like my team members? But seriously the art in this game is fantastic, it makes it a must own just for the art and environments the level designers created. The artist and level designers should start there own company. And hire some good writers to showcase their awesome work. They were truly trying to make a great game, this is where the artist integrity was, in the art, not in the lame story or half baked ending. That Bioware is still claiming that was in the writing of the end of a great story that spanned two Mass Effect games and was totally absent in the third one. Can Bioware fix the story, only if they can face the story and plot problems they created. But last I heard they just plan to explain the out of character bad ending just a little better, what ever that means. I am giving Mass Effect 3 a 6 score. I apologize to the artist's for the low score. I apologize to the writers for the high score, twice what you deserved. I really hope the writers can redeem themselves for plot holes that you could drive a truck through. But only time will tell.… Expand
  24. ChrisCat378
    Mar 11, 2012
    3
    I was a huge fan of Mass Effect 1 and 2. Not to the point of having Shepard posters in my room or wearing N7 hoodies, but I really enjoyed the Mass Effect story and more importantly the characters I have come to know and love. I was loving Mass Effect 3 and everything in it. How stories where wrapping up, seeing familiar faces triumph, and watching some choices unfold in the last chapter.I was a huge fan of Mass Effect 1 and 2. Not to the point of having Shepard posters in my room or wearing N7 hoodies, but I really enjoyed the Mass Effect story and more importantly the characters I have come to know and love. I was loving Mass Effect 3 and everything in it. How stories where wrapping up, seeing familiar faces triumph, and watching some choices unfold in the last chapter. That was up until the last 10 minutes. Nothing I had done mattered, no resolution, nothing even close to being satisfying. What happened to the divergent story lines? What happened to the characters I have invested so much time getting to know? How can a game franchise built on choice and decisions boil the last and most important 10 minutes down to a few outcomes that are largely the same? I was planning on playing this game over and over like I have with ME1 and ME2 but now.... I dont even feel like starting it up. The ending has sucked so much enjoyment I had in this series its amazing. I wasnt expecting miracles or a story book ending... but certainly not this. I have no motivation to play again or any of the previous games. I didnt think it was possible to rob so much enjoyment out of the series with the last 10 minutes.. but they did. It would take a lot of effort to think of a worse way to end it. As a player you should want to finish the game, you want to see the outcome, and you want to see the repercussions of you actions from the 100+ hours of gameplay before. We get none of that and its why I am very disappointed in this final chapter.… Expand
  25. Silvermoon
    Mar 14, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. My verdict is; Avoid this game at all costs. Do not buy it. Do not play it. Stop at ME2 and make up a happy ending.

    On the PC, the game runs smooth and never crashed. It is also possible to finally have a Same Gender Romance Arc in ME 3, sadly, this is where the game's pros end.

    The story was one of repeated loss. The player is constantly seeing old friends sacrifice themselves so that Shepard can complete the current mission objective. Twice, there are two very poignant sacrifices that emotionally cut deep Mordin Solas and Eve and then later Tali vas Normandy. The finale is emotionally devoid because of the repeated numbing the player has taken by that point and after waiting 2 years, the ending is extremely frustrating and a cause of great indignation.

    My verdict is; Avoid this game at all costs. Do not buy it. Do not play it. Stop at ME2 and make up a happy ending.    … Expand
  26. Letonator
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game was a travesty on the series. The heroes journey that the game should have been was ruined by a convoluted plot and too much sci-fi trying to be shoved in what should have been an epic battle for the galaxy, sector by sector and relay by relay. We should have seen our choices and decisions we made through all three games bear fruit, for good or ill, and we should have seen epic conclusions to all of the character's stories. We also should not have gotten screwed over with Tali's face, the DLC debacle, and multiple save game issues to list a few of the major complaints. Bioware was supposed to be better than this, but this is just a blight, and I will never trust anything from them again.… Expand
  27. GrizzleFist
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    this is probably one of the worst endings to a trilogy I have ever seen. Its not that the ending is sad or not what I "wanted" I could deal with that. Its the fact the the whole last 15 minutes is full of dozens of plot holes that make no sense and gives us absolutely no closure or clue what the hell happened, it just goes straight to the credits when you would expect some more info. Ifthis is probably one of the worst endings to a trilogy I have ever seen. Its not that the ending is sad or not what I "wanted" I could deal with that. Its the fact the the whole last 15 minutes is full of dozens of plot holes that make no sense and gives us absolutely no closure or clue what the hell happened, it just goes straight to the credits when you would expect some more info. If you bought the game already, then your like me and pissed off and out of 60 bucks. ( if its the PC version)

    If you haven't bought the game, either play a friends copy or wait 3 months until game stop is so stocked up on returned copies that you''ll get a 80% discount on it. Graphics - 9/10 - Great Graphics
    Sounds 7/10 - Voices for most part are great, music is horrible Story 7.5/10 until last 15 minutes then it goes to a 0/10    … Expand
  28. michael998877
    Mar 16, 2012
    2
    Great series ruined by a bad ending. I wasn't expecting everything to be ponies and rainbows at the end, but a lot more choice and a more fulfilling, coherent ending was what I expected and was promised from these master storytellers, who have let me down.

    The game was also plagued with bugs: first it wouldn't install from the disk (tried to download the whole game from Origin even though    Great series ruined by a bad ending. I wasn't expecting everything to be ponies and rainbows at the end, but a lot more choice and a more fulfilling, coherent ending was what I expected and was promised from these master storytellers, who have let me down.

    The game was also plagued with bugs: first it wouldn't install from the disk (tried to download the whole game from Origin even though I had a physical copy in the drive) so I had to find a workaround for that. Then it refused to import Shepard's head, so I had to go online to find a workaround for that. Then there were constant bugs and issues, and the game would often freeze unless I turned sound off in the config setting - meaning I had to watch most cutscenes twice - once in silent mode in-game, and again on Youtube walkthroughs to hear what was going on.

    Nice combat system and very emotional, but the ending really did overshadow things for me, hence the score. I will go back to playing ME1 and 2 for now. My advice is stay away until the bugs are fixed and (hopefully) the devs wake up and add some more endings - decent ones. Play ME1 and 2 and enjoy very successful story arcs which manage to be interesting and emotionally involving whilst retaining coherence and choice and not being excessively bleak.    … Expand
  29. jat
    Mar 17, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. the game retroactively ruins the entire mass effect franchise. You will not want to play the games again, you will not want to buy dlc, you will not want to read the books, and you will want to punch bioware in the nuts.

    The endings boil down to basically 1 ending where none of your choices matter, and you get 0 closure. Everyone dies, and the implications for the rest of the universe are just depressing. Of the endings you get, its basically the same 1, with 3 colors (6 slight variations, but not really) of the promised 16 different endings.

    Gameplay and multiplayer are entertaining, and the campaign has some well written dialogue, up until the final few minutes.    … Expand
  30. Jedah
    Mar 17, 2012
    0
    Mass Effect 3 is a very entertaining game that follows closely the formula of ME2, but there are several MASSIVE PROBLEMS with it. I would recommend you do NOT purchase it at this time.

    If you consider yourself a loyal fan of the series, and appreciated the direction of the stories in the previous games, there is an excellent chance you will find the endings deeply unsatisfying. There    Mass Effect 3 is a very entertaining game that follows closely the formula of ME2, but there are several MASSIVE PROBLEMS with it. I would recommend you do NOT purchase it at this time.

    If you consider yourself a loyal fan of the series, and appreciated the direction of the stories in the previous games, there is an excellent chance you will find the endings deeply unsatisfying. There is currently a campaign underway to convince Bioware to add an alternative to the current endings. You can find out more by searching for Retake Mass Effect. Multiplayer is a component Bioware decided to include with this game. Normally this wouldn't be a concern for single player focused players, but a player's participation in MP has a direct effect on your SP experience, specifically the ending. Even if you are a completionist type of player who carefully goes through the game checking everything, you may not have enough of a certain score to achieve the "best" ending if you do not play multiplayer. For those without a reliable internet connection, this is a serious problem.

    The day one DLC is a sore point for many gamers. While I would not call the content "necessary" for full enjoyment of the game, your squad would seem fairly bare without the inclusion of the character in this dlc, and considering the free squadmate offered very soon after Mass Effect 2's release, there is no reason this couldn't have been free as well (aside from corporate greed, which is exactly what this is).

    Finally, a smaller complaint, but one I suspect many fans will be upset about. A certain character's true appearance is revealed in this game. If you are a long time fan you will know exactly who I speak of. Let's just say the reveal is quite disappointing, and it involves photoshop. All these issues (minus the MP) are based on my own opinions. I have been a big fan of the series since the beginning, and 99% of the trilogy has been an absolute blast. I don't expect Bioware to remove or change the offenses I have listed above, but I would sincerely appreciate an alternative. If you share my opinion on some of these missteps, I would again ask that you do not purchase the game at this time. Affecting Bioware and EA's profits is the best way to voice your opinion.    … 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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