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. Neu-ro-man-cer
    May 9, 2012
    10
    Game of my Life!!!
    I just finished it.
    NO SPOILERS, don't worry :) I invested around 50+ hours in the game, done every side-quest, had nearly all the dialogs = I tried to extract as much as possible from the game. I was playing an imported character from ME2, which was imported from ME1. People, listen!!! There is no problem with the story or the ending!! It is consistent, it is even    Game of my Life!!!
    I just finished it.
    NO SPOILERS, don't worry :)
    I invested around 50+ hours in the game, done every side-quest, had nearly all the dialogs = I tried to extract as much as possible from the game.
    I was playing an imported character from ME2, which was imported from ME1.
    People, listen!!! There is no problem with the story or the ending!! It is consistent, it is even logical, and it has a huge moral and emotional impact (as does the story).
    My decisions from ME1 and ME2 were reflected in ME3. I wouldn't say that they completely changed the flow of the game, but they Had An Effect. A Mass Effect:))
    The game is brilliant!! It is better and bigger in every sense than ME1 or ME2.
    The story is larger, the game is more focused on essence, better graphics, good acting / voice acting, LOTS OF CHOICES and ways to play, and even the combat system and the multiplayer is enjoyable.
    About the ending (WITHOUT SPOILERS): you need to have a LOT of War Assets, and a correct Galactic Readiness level. Thats it. ...for the latter you need a legal copy of the game to be able to play online multiplayer, to increase the Galactic Readiness level from 50% to 100%.
    BUT: I could finish the game with a logical, and effectively POSITIVE ENDING with only 53% Galactic Readiness. ...but for that I needed to collect almost all War Assets throughout the game. ...so if you find less, then increase you Galactic Readiness, and then the end of the game won't be a guaranteed defeat, then you may have a POSITIVE ENDING!!!
    ...but you need to invest energy into it.
    This game has TONS to offer. The story is wonderful in my opinion. There are great thoughts scattered all around the plot. ...without spoilers it would be hard to mention any, so I need to stay silent about that now, but, hell it was a FANTASTIC GAME, and I am soooo sorry, that it was over yesterday night. ...it was long, very long (especially doing every possible side-quest, talking to everyone, etc.), but I could play it for even longer.
    So, considering this, the sheer size of the game, all the content, all the value (which is also Artistic value = Art), I would say that it was absolutely easy for me to forget about the small glitches here-and-there. See: the game was stable like a rock. BUT: here-and-there there were small animation glitches, and even minimal (far from game-breaking) quest-glitches, one or two at most from the latter.
    At the beginning the game is like a tutorial. A bit linear. For newcomers. OK. ...but then, be patient, and it will expand!! 3rd, 4th, 5th mission, and you'll see!! Just give it time. ...if you put this investment into this game, it will reward you with even more!! ...if you like science fiction, RPG and FPS, and all that.
    For me this was one of the best games of my life.
    It is TRULY MAGNIFICENT!!!
    ...but to be able to get that all, I'd strongly suggest you to play ME1 and ME2 __WITH ALL DLCs__!!!
    The game is constantly referring to ME1 and ME2 with all the DLCs (until "The Arrival" for ME2).
    But they are also great, so I'd suggest you to play it all BEFORE starting ME3.
    THEN all your investment will be rewarded. Money, time and energy - I promise.
    For me it did it.
    I wish if only BioWare (or any other company) would take the time and energy and ambition to make such GRAND GAMES in the future!!!
    Mass Effect 3 is SIMPLY EPIC.
    Nothing more to say.
    Shepard out.
    :))))))
    P.S.: About myself shortly: I am 34 years old, playing computer games for the last 30 years, even now, as a university teacher (I teach informatics and AI at my University).    … Expand
  2. MusicaX79
    Mar 18, 2012
    6
    I'm going to say from the beginning the story sucks there was basically no writing involved especially with the endings being as bad as they were. However if you are like me and gave up on Bioware writing a good story like I did years ago. Then you will at least enjoy the gameplay of this game. The game is FUN. the story sucks but it's funny and I'm glad that Bioware had some of theI'm going to say from the beginning the story sucks there was basically no writing involved especially with the endings being as bad as they were. However if you are like me and gave up on Bioware writing a good story like I did years ago. Then you will at least enjoy the gameplay of this game. The game is FUN. the story sucks but it's funny and I'm glad that Bioware had some of the funniest dialogue I've heard in a game. But like I said the game is fun story sucks.… Expand
  3. roland008
    Mar 12, 2012
    1
    I have to give this game a low score. In almost all the ways that matter it was a great game. The elephant in the room though is that the whole trilogy was about choice and in the end it didn't really matter. All the hours you spent scanning and fight and making alliances mean nothing. You could just do the minimum for the whole series of games and get the same conclusion. ThereI have to give this game a low score. In almost all the ways that matter it was a great game. The elephant in the room though is that the whole trilogy was about choice and in the end it didn't really matter. All the hours you spent scanning and fight and making alliances mean nothing. You could just do the minimum for the whole series of games and get the same conclusion. There should be a good ending a neutral ending and bad ending if your into those kind of stories. The whole point of Mass Effect was that it was our story to tell and we didn't get to tell it.… Expand
  4. Ratherdashing2
    Mar 15, 2012
    0
    I'm disappointed in you bioware. I'd have given your game a 10/10, really, it was fantastic seeing the drawing together of so many different plot points. Until you broke it at the end.
  5. ravenblade
    Mar 30, 2012
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I enjoyed the main game for what it is. They addressed many major criticisms encountered over the last years. Combat is significantly more entertaining and challenging. The pace is higher, there is less chore. Great characters and side stories, even though side missions could have been a bit more varying in nature. Graphically it's a bit outdated and more adequate for consoles - wouldn't have minded a higher texture resolution. On audio side it is much better as well, I wasn't a particular fan of meowing cars in the citadel of ME2, it is pleasing and well done.
    However what the game made up in consistency over the years has been almost entirely undone in the final moments of the game. I am usually not the guy who demands absolutely perfect canon lore but Bioware left me stumbled here. It is as if they mixed up the game they made the ending for and once you are kicked back to the Shepard on the Normandy you are left asking yourself whether you should ever bother to play this game again in the same manner you did with ME2. If you liked the main game and are capable of enduring approx. 15-20 minutes of pure non-sequitur in the hope that Bioware themselves realize what they have done then you should do so, otherwise it's worth playing one time at least for the sake of it.    … Expand
  6. Jinchuuriki
    Mar 13, 2012
    6
    The game is very good even if most of the dialog choice options are cut off. Missions are exciting and I really loved the game.... until last 10 minutes of the game. What a disastrous ending for an epic game! It's full of plotholes and inconsistencies. I can't believe the end of it!
  7. panzer
    Mar 19, 2012
    5
    Mass Effect 3 was advertised, and promised in press releases and interviews, that the decisions we made throughout the series would create a unique ending for every player, that the amount of possible endings would be countless.

    Instead we got 1 ending for everyone to experience. The same ending for everyone. Before the ending the game is 9/10, with the current ending they basically    Mass Effect 3 was advertised, and promised in press releases and interviews, that the decisions we made throughout the series would create a unique ending for every player, that the amount of possible endings would be countless.

    Instead we got 1 ending for everyone to experience. The same ending for everyone.

    Before the ending the game is 9/10, with the current ending they basically stole my $80.    … Expand
  8. John117
    May 20, 2012
    0
    This game was a huge disappointment. The combat was boring, the story was terrible, and the ending essentially ruined the previous two games for me. Mass effect 2 was dumbed down from ME1, but it was still a pretty good game. This one takes it ten steps further. "Action mode" says it all. The graphics are worse as well, many of the landscapes look blocky, the water looks awful...theThis game was a huge disappointment. The combat was boring, the story was terrible, and the ending essentially ruined the previous two games for me. Mass effect 2 was dumbed down from ME1, but it was still a pretty good game. This one takes it ten steps further. "Action mode" says it all. The graphics are worse as well, many of the landscapes look blocky, the water looks awful...the list goes on. I don't know what happened, if some of the better writers left between games, but the story in this one is cringe-worthy at every turn with few exceptions. I'd have rather this game had not even came out, which is saying a lot since I'd been looking forward to this conclusion of commander Shepard's story for the past 5 years or so. Don't buy this game.… Expand
  9. BuuGz
    Mar 12, 2012
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Well let me start by saying the game feels rushed out in every aspect of the game.

    Now moving on with the story portion, there are so many things that just kick you out of the immersion, like for instance when you see legion in the battle for earth even tho he "died" back in the Quarian home world , then there is the Rachni queen lol she is so angry at the Reapers and tell you shes gonna beat em up or w/e and then you find out she just helps with the Device, etc... To be honest i think the director had to cut corners to put the game out faster, i mean it just feels so cramped, so much story for potentially 1 or 2 more ME games put into 1, I got to say though i enjoyed interaction among the characters and with Shepard.

    Now something about the combat well first off yes its buggy but nothing game breaking although i gotta say even since ME1 the squad commands and its AI are just plain bad yes in ME3 is better than ME1 but almost the same as in ME2, i really never liked controlling where to position the team members the only control i want is tell them what to focus and what power to use and when i tell them to use a Flipping shotgun i want them to go up close and make use of it cuz shotguns ain't snipers and vice verse and also there is so little combat for my liking i mean its supposed to be the huge frigging war and i barely see any of it, also fights with the reapers are a joke to say the least and i won't bother with that. So all in all the combat should have been present a but more considering the scale of the war, squad commands are painful and not needed.

    Some words about the graphics, Well let me start by saying that consoles have ruined PC gaming and i really would appreciate if developers would try and separate PC games and treat it a tad differently from their Console counterpart because i think PC gamers would be grateful because pc games have different requirements to be enjoyable. Anyway the graphics in the game are very good, animations are just ok one that i really hate is the running animation on Sheppard its just plain stupid and i hate it wish they did a better job on it but hell its nothing game breaking....
    About the sound, well can't say anything bad because since the first ME voice acting , sound effects and the music are just amazing, The only thing bad about the sound is in ME games in general is the balance between all those 3 things, i tried tinkering a bit with dialogue/sound effect/music but its always screwed up its either to laud or to low, in the Overlord mission in ME2 my ears bleed and i had to turn on the subs so i wouldn't be deaf for the rest of my life.
    Ok now let me finish by saying its not a bad game at all i really had fun with it but i got to say that I'm really disappointed how could BioWare screw up such a amazing Game, i don't know if EA pushed them so hard to finish this game that they did so much wrong that it made me sad, i really think ME3 should have been just the preparation faze and gathering allies and all that other cool stuff between the races and then on ME4 a full on plain combat 90% and story 10% for an epic end game and not some half ass ending that we got in ME3, i mean I cured the Krogan from the genophage and made them help the Turians, also brought peace between The Geth and Quarians after 3000 years of war between them and all i get is 3-5 min vid vid when they enter earth's orbit telling you who arrived rofl. And don't get me started on the ending god dammit 3 different choices that apparently only change the color of the beam. I really don't know if EA is to blame for this or what but screw you whoever did it for ruining a beautiful game that has an amazing universe, to bad it was in the hands of the wrong people it seems, I really admired you BioWare but not anymore.


    Off topic a bit, The thing i never understood why BioWare made me choose just 2 team members for each mission is beyond me. I'm pretty sure technology allows more than 10 characters onscreen, i kinda loved what they did in the ME2's final mission but still it makes no sense to make me find those ppl and doing so much so i can gain their trust and then when i go to a mission only 2 come with me the rest jerks off in the Normandy rofl. just saying
    So ye i could write the whole day about the game because it really pisses me off seeing such an amazing game being torn to peaces by EA.    … Expand
  10. EvilMayorofTown
    Mar 19, 2012
    2
    Sadly, the ending of this game severely detracts from the otherwise positive feelings I had playing Mass Effect 3. What has always been the greatest strength of this series - compelling and emotional storytelling - failed completely.
  11. JohnnyBeGood
    Jun 5, 2012
    5
    As far as combat goes, this is the best, cleanest, most fluid Mass Effect yet. I would say that it is the best 3rd person game I've ever played, combat and control wise. Story wise, it is easily the worst. The game lacks the bonding with the characters that Mass Effect 2 contained. The dialogue is mostly poor. We have all heard the gripes about the ending. To have an "A, B, and C" choiceAs far as combat goes, this is the best, cleanest, most fluid Mass Effect yet. I would say that it is the best 3rd person game I've ever played, combat and control wise. Story wise, it is easily the worst. The game lacks the bonding with the characters that Mass Effect 2 contained. The dialogue is mostly poor. We have all heard the gripes about the ending. To have an "A, B, and C" choice to end a game based on countless Paragon and Renegade endings is offensive. It's clear to me Bioware wanted to wrap up the series. It seems like they really rished it, even though they had a huge amount of time to work on it. The multiplayer is surprisingly enjoyable, and t made even better when played with friends. The countless unlockables are a nice touch, and free map packs are quite amazing. However, smooth gameplay and captivating multiplayer are not enough to save the game from its deplorable story. This is made worse when you remember that the reason you play a Mass Effect game is for the story. There's even a "narrative" difficulty setting for the campaign that tones the enemies' difficulty down to as though they are being controlled by toddlers. Overall, the game is worth a buy for die hard fans, but you'll end up trading it in after a few weeks. Don't expect the hundred of hours you put into Mass Effect 2 for this game.… Expand
  12. StevenD
    Aug 27, 2018
    0
    Came back to this after a couple of years thinking that the ending is what ruined the game for me the first time around. After going through the end this time around I can honestly say that this game got it's correct score in the initial user review and not in the critic review.
    Nothing about this game would have made me keep playing it until the end were it not for how good the first two    Came back to this after a couple of years thinking that the ending is what ruined the game for me the first time around. After going through the end this time around I can honestly say that this game got it's correct score in the initial user review and not in the critic review.
    Nothing about this game would have made me keep playing it until the end were it not for how good the first two were and my wishful thinking that maybe it will get better.    … Expand
  13. HomeCritic
    Dec 30, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Mass Effect 3 has probably the most convoluted, lore destructive, narrative disaster of story telling I've seen in recent years. Despite few good episodes involving geth and the krogan it really isn't anything good. Introduction was confusing and not following the lore and events after the Arrival DLC, it's not the best decision if Bioware wanted to market this more towards the masses. Secondly, what was the point of ME2 if only in ME3 we are introduced with probably the most narrative breaking Deus Ex Machina device I have ever seen - the Crucible. No one knows what it does or what its for, except the hope, that this big clunk of metal can defeat antagonists - the Reapers. Shouldn't the trilogy had gone like this:
    ME1 - introducing the threat
    ME2 - learning how to stop a threat
    ME3 - stopping the threat Again, ME2 serves no purpose.
    Cerberus and their motives are as confusing as the whole TIM indoctrination by the reapers. What was the point of reapers letting to play with their mind game toys if they later on they destroyed the whole facility?
    The whole lore is utterly destroyed. Alliance are idiots, Cerberus are idiots, Reapers are idiots and Shepard is an idiot. ME1 epic was changed into ME2 space opera.
    And now the ending... Ugh.. Do I even have to start? It was the worst thing I've ever seen in story telling. The Extended Cut DLC, believe it or not, made it even worse. The ending single hand destroyed the ME1 lore, let me question Alliance strategies how to take down Reapers, and finally made antagonists into complete an utter morons. Not only the main theme was destroyed, but the fact that reapers wants to save us from ourselves by committing mass genocide of entire galaxy is the most logic breaking nonsense I've ever heard. I see what writers tried to do here, showing as much ideas and philosophies in to the main narrative, but they just didn't work, because of poor writing. So what we got is a third person RPG shooter with refined shooter elements, but extremely poor execution of RPG elements. The Quest system is probably the second worst thing in the game, it is completely broken, so is the customization. Multiplayer inclusion wasn't necessary at all.
    Overall its a convoluted package of nonsense. 2/10    … Expand
  14. domak
    Jan 16, 2013
    4
    Anyone who played the previous Mass Effect game and still thinks that this one is good in comparison is just a delusional liar, this sad excuse of a game isn't even HALF of what the previous one was and the conclusion of the story is just unbelievably bad I wonder how is it possible to utterly destroy such a promising franchise.
  15. ScottReid
    Sep 26, 2012
    10
    A few months ago I had never played a Mass Effect game before. To this date, right now, I have finished all of the games in the series. I'm seeing a lot of bad comments about Mass Effect 3, but personally I thought Mass Effect 3 was brilliant. The internet clouded my own judgement before I bought Mass Effect 3 a couple of days ago. The internet classed Mass Effect 3 as poor. All those badA few months ago I had never played a Mass Effect game before. To this date, right now, I have finished all of the games in the series. I'm seeing a lot of bad comments about Mass Effect 3, but personally I thought Mass Effect 3 was brilliant. The internet clouded my own judgement before I bought Mass Effect 3 a couple of days ago. The internet classed Mass Effect 3 as poor. All those bad comments made me think Mass Effect 3 would be poor. I wanted to see for myself. Now I can firmly say - the internet is filled with idiots. Mass Effect 3 is the best game I've played this year. Mass Effect 3 is an emotional adventure filled with shocks and excitement. Commander Shepard would be dissapointed with these people giving Mass Effect 3 a bad score.… Expand
  16. Suits
    May 7, 2012
    8
    Every person should have been taught at one point that you don't make promises you can't keep. But the moneygrubbing at it's finest gives you an imcomplete story and experience
  17. kabbi
    Apr 3, 2012
    0
    Terrible game, ridiculously mind-numbingly BORING...the last squeeze from a exhausted cash cow who's moments are long past the ole' family farm. You'll ask yourself while playing "wow? are people actually buying this slop?" The answer is EA games...they don't make games, they make deadlines! and they **** over everyone else in the moneygrubbing process. Too many business degrees who neverTerrible game, ridiculously mind-numbingly BORING...the last squeeze from a exhausted cash cow who's moments are long past the ole' family farm. You'll ask yourself while playing "wow? are people actually buying this slop?" The answer is EA games...they don't make games, they make deadlines! and they **** over everyone else in the moneygrubbing process. Too many business degrees who never played games now trying to sell them.... I don't even recommend the pirated version of this game ...it's that bad.… Expand
  18. MarqsS
    Mar 11, 2012
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I finished the game twice. First time with standard Bioware settings and it felt empty and lacking. It just wasn't 'it'. But when I loaded my save from Mass Effect 2 game changed a lot. There was more meaning to what I did, some random NPC-s were changed to my old squad mates and game became suddenly very, emotional and entertaining.

    It was very enjoyable experience until ending came... Then I just realised how would it feel to be punched in the... well, you know where by Mike Tyson... three times...

    Three nearly identical endings, every one of them equally terrible. There was no meaning to your choices, no consequences, nothing! And then lack of epilogue hit me in the face. Not even some text like in Dragon Age, just small pop-up "Yay! You have become a legend! Now go and buy our DLC-s!"... Worst ending I ever experienced in my 10 years of gaming... So to sum it up, 9/10 for the game, 1/10 for the ending... Just play the game, it;s great... but just before the end turn it off, you won't be heartbroken as I was...    … Expand
  19. Sealance
    Mar 12, 2012
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. As a sci-fi fan and lover of the Mass Effect series and universe I found myself just contemplating what to say about the game.

    I personally like the graphics and it feels much more detailed than the previous games. Animations didn't bother me much. There were however a few annoying bugs. The one that mainly pissed me off was the inability to import my custom face from ME1 and 2. There were also issues with squad members becoming stuck and "blocked".

    Combat is much more intense and although the multiplayer is kind of weak, it is something that I enjoy. I personally don't think it's worthy of being called co-op. Co-op for me is playing through a story campaign (such as Left 4 Dead, Dead Island and Aliens - Colonial Marines)

    *SPOILERS*

    The story in Mass Effect 3 is brutal and the Normandy retrofit gives it a dark and foreboding feeling. Since my custom face wouldn't import properly I tried to re-create it, but I ended up with someone looking like a cross between Dominic Purcell (from Prison Break) and Jason Statham. It is clear that the events of Arrival took a heavy emotional toll on Shepherd and the early parts of the game does leave emotional scars. For me, his haunted look shines through when looking at Tali's photo frame in the cabin. It was nice to see Tali's face but the manner of which they showed her face was very disappointing, and to top it off it was a photoshopped "free license" photo from the internet. I had a vague recollection of seeing it before, until someone posted an actual link.

    Looking at the story up until the ending, I think it is actually well-written and very tense. It is too bad that it has been streamlined. The dialogs and voice acting are very good and I like the character interactions. I laughed when Tali got drunk and complained about the "induction tube".. "Tali.. it's a straw!"

    Mass Effect 3 is a beautiful game, and I have very mixed feelings about the ending. I got the "best" ending where Shepherd apparantly survived.

    It's difficult to see how they would make a sequel when every relay gets destroyed.. How they would make an MMO out of this mess is beyond me, unless some clever writer comes up with something clever.

    Liara mentioned something about multiple effects in parallell universes (or something like that.. i don't remember exactly) so perhaps that is a faint clue of what's to come (if anything).

    Perhaps they could discover some abandoned Cerberus project relating to FTL travel without the need of relays, such as an obsolete cruiser with a prototype FTL drive that was inactive during the events that destroyed the relays.

    The "aftermath" storyline could be something relating to this and trying to rebuild and reconnect the galaxy again.

    Speculations.. thoughts.. hopes.

    For now, with the ending that ME3 got, I can't give it more than a 5-6 ish on the scale. It MAY deserve an alteration if Bioware does something about it. I understand why alot of people are unhappy with the game. It's like uncovering a Mona Lisa only to have someone spill a bucket of paint on it.    … Expand
  20. Muchomexicano
    Oct 8, 2012
    9
    Mass effect 3 has his flaws but overall it's a great game. Bioware has exceeded as always with their story telling till the end. If you ever think that is a unfair assumption then consider the fact that their biggest selling point of the game since day one is that your actions matter. This is completely taken away in my opinion by the progress bar instead of adding as many upgrades orMass effect 3 has his flaws but overall it's a great game. Bioware has exceeded as always with their story telling till the end. If you ever think that is a unfair assumption then consider the fact that their biggest selling point of the game since day one is that your actions matter. This is completely taken away in my opinion by the progress bar instead of adding as many upgrades or doing hero missions and hoping for the best. Also in accordance to the ending I would've preferred a sequence of screen-caps and text like fallout did which would go over your choices and their consequences in more detail instead of being rewarded your choice of 3 different colors. Ignoring the dismal ending the story and universe in my opinion is more realized and alive then any other game or even movie for that matter, I'm a Star Wars fanboy and I enjoy the mass effect universe better. The game play through the games have gotten simpler and more casual per sequel but the gameplay is still as strong as ever. That's why I give this game a 9 of 10… Expand
  21. ilkeryuceler
    May 19, 2012
    0
    why would we be bothered to play whole 3 games at all while we could chose 3 identically same choice at the end . just color of lights are changing..seriously ??
  22. IdiotTroll
    May 20, 2012
    0
    I am soooo mad! Why did the writers write such a dumb ending? Us fans are so mad! They should make a mass effect 3: part ii so they can write a better ending! I am so sad why would they do such a thing! I wanna cry! Mommy!!!
  23. Duratan
    Jun 19, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Mass effect is a game that tries to appease old fans and be a natural starting point for new fans sadly it fails at both new fans will feel overwhelmed by the situations while old fans will feel betrayed by the lack of differences in choices, i will elaborate on both but i would like this time to say the there will be spoilers

    spoiler alert

    new fans wont understand the gravity of the geth quarian conflict and wont feel the much passion when the shepard (the protagonist) talks about the sacrifice of a squad-mate that occurred in the first game, its also a bit overwhelming to be dumped in to this world with a lack of understanding of the different races

    older fans will play a much more dumbed down version of the game, as the organization that you may have helped in previous game will be your enemy no matter what you did before, the game is also much more linear then previous games, and your a pigeon-holed in the the ending no matter what happens

    if your new to the series, you will still be taken on an emotional roller coaster that you may enjoy and this game should be rated a 6/10

    however if your a new fan the ending (at least for me) actually makes the two previous games worse meaning that this game should be given a negative score, as i am a fan of the previous games i will give it the lowest possible score of "0", as im not allowed to give the game a negative 20 for ruining the other two 10/10 games in the series    … Expand
  24. Deadgraphics
    Jul 1, 2012
    2
    As a fan of the two previous mass effects I have to say this was a let down, some gameplay issues, story is decent to a point, but what hurt most was the ending. Bioware not think that throwing there own lore out the window would hurt the fans really took me aback. Since the extended cut was released it fixed some issues but still leaves a bad taste in your mouth, plus a few new plotAs a fan of the two previous mass effects I have to say this was a let down, some gameplay issues, story is decent to a point, but what hurt most was the ending. Bioware not think that throwing there own lore out the window would hurt the fans really took me aback. Since the extended cut was released it fixed some issues but still leaves a bad taste in your mouth, plus a few new plot holes. An unfortunate ending to what was a good series.… Expand
  25. 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.
  26. Isaac_adhd
    Jul 28, 2012
    6
    besides the much complained about ending ME3 lacks a lot of good rpg gameplay that ME2 did have. In ME3 there are too many cutscenjes although the graphics are awesome. Another miss is that you cannot see if you have completed your quest correctly. This is only possible when you search for the person who gave you the quest.That and many more little off things make this a pale releasebesides the much complained about ending ME3 lacks a lot of good rpg gameplay that ME2 did have. In ME3 there are too many cutscenjes although the graphics are awesome. Another miss is that you cannot see if you have completed your quest correctly. This is only possible when you search for the person who gave you the quest.That and many more little off things make this a pale release when compared to it's predecessor who was already receievd as an alltime classic but maybe part 3 stole that status from it again...… Expand
  27. Nataraja
    Oct 2, 2012
    9
    I have enjoyed the ME franchise as it progressed and liked each one a bit more than its predecessor. The game, if you play it to its fullest, is as long and complex as its predecessors and the story is well written. I know that there were a lot of people who felt let down by the ending but I found it to be not only appropriate but tense and meaningful. I have yet to play the revisedI have enjoyed the ME franchise as it progressed and liked each one a bit more than its predecessor. The game, if you play it to its fullest, is as long and complex as its predecessors and the story is well written. I know that there were a lot of people who felt let down by the ending but I found it to be not only appropriate but tense and meaningful. I have yet to play the revised ending and have picked up the DLCs but not played those yet either. The multiplayer is an interesting addition and quite fun as an addition to the game. I guess, given the visceral negative reviews, that the mere presence of EA has given rise to instant dismissal of what I think is a well done game.… Expand
  28. Klewer
    Apr 3, 2016
    8
    A marvelous game in it's own right, it has been it's own worst enemy in becoming so popular and the focus on the monetization of the game. A decent end to the series, but it just falls short of being perfect.
  29. behastie
    Mar 5, 2013
    1
    I'm not going to take some kind of moral stance on this game. The gameplay was fun, the ending ruined it for me. I was genuinely very unhappy when I stopped playing the game. That shouldn't happen.
  30. Alsvha
    Mar 7, 2013
    6
    It could have been so good, but it fell short.

    Mass Effect 3 is a decent game, scared by some bad design decisions and an awful, inconsistent ending. The combat in the game is more fluent than the predecessors, the graphics is generally crisp despite Shepard still feel sluggish when running around and navigating the (static) world. The writing is decent in this game, however it does    It could have been so good, but it fell short.

    Mass Effect 3 is a decent game, scared by some bad design decisions and an awful, inconsistent ending.
    The combat in the game is more fluent than the predecessors, the graphics is generally crisp despite Shepard still feel sluggish when running around and navigating the (static) world. The writing is decent in this game, however it does occasionally feel very 'soap'-television. Some of the characters are also very under represented in this game (especially characters like Jack, Miranda and so on). Even Ashley feels tacked on.
    Bioware's attempt at trying to set a dark atmosphere of doom and despair falls short in the game and it feels like many of the games 'sad' moments are so obvious that it's like trying to force an emotion more than build an emotion. Save perhaps for 'Mordin Solus' which is as brilliant a character in this as 'he' was in ME2.

    Weapon modifications are back (yah). Although you quickly learn to just pick the best weapon and use. The most redeeming part of ME3 is the music. Brilliant music. I can even listen to that while not playing the game that's how good some of the pieces are. However the quest system in this game is bad, very bad. Basically you have some main quests which drive the story forth. These are mostly gotten via the main characters. Then there's some side quests which is gotten via the mail terminal. Not much different than ME2.
    However then there's quests gotten from listening in on random people which pops up and requires you to 'scan' planets, and then pick up the item via the scan.
    However the journal system and lack of inventory works very much against this type of quests. The 'escape reapers' type-mini game or what it is, is just awful. And I don't know what they thought of bringing that into the game.

    And of course, the over shadowing ending, which invalidates and contradict much of the storyline from ME1 and ME2 (really obvious if playing all 3 in sequence). Makes most all of your choices throughout the previous game irrelevant. It did feel like leaving the game without an actual conclusion. The extended cut ending did not make matters much better, except as an insult to the fan groups which were disappointed.

    The DLCs for the game are decent, but no where near the quality of Lair of the Shadow Broker for ME2. Omega is very combat orientated, which is okay in itself, but it's not really Mass Effect.
    Leviathan felt tacked on and much more like an attempt to build an in-game foundation for the ending more than anything. Citadel fun, but eventually irrelevant as it feels strange to put that into the middle of an all out war for the survival of the universe as 'we' know it. But well it's a farewell and a last money grab by Bioware.

    Mass Effect 3 is a decent game. It's not an action-roleplaying as ME1 was. It's a better shooter than ME2, but it's properly too much shooter for many RPG fans, and not enough for the shooter fans. Bioware tried to grab both, but for what it could have been it falls tragically short of the target. Potential but lack of implementation.
    Bioware basically dropped the ball. It's worth a playthrough from the bargain bin, but knowing what I know now, I would not have bought it at release.    … Expand
  31. Stormcloud72
    May 15, 2015
    0
    The game play felt more like a action game than a Epic Space Role Playing Game this time around. They dumbed everything down massively, why I have no ideal. I kept playing and playing, to get to the end which, you simply should not even do. Once I did get to the end, even with the extended ending, it makes you feel as though all the hundreds of hours you spent with Mass Effect 1 and 2 wereThe game play felt more like a action game than a Epic Space Role Playing Game this time around. They dumbed everything down massively, why I have no ideal. I kept playing and playing, to get to the end which, you simply should not even do. Once I did get to the end, even with the extended ending, it makes you feel as though all the hundreds of hours you spent with Mass Effect 1 and 2 were a complete waste of time. The ending of the game destroys the entire series, and makes you feel as though the entire series was a waste of time. For some bizarre reason, the makers of the game defend this ending, even though it ruins the entire franchise.… Expand
  32. davidpiksi
    May 11, 2013
    4
    I don't understand why critics are giving this game good reviews. The story the gameplay and every other mechanic that could be dumbed down was. I was disappointed at the ending because one of my all time favourite RPG games was turned into a third person shooter and not an RPG.
  33. Type4101
    Sep 14, 2013
    2
    Still a letdown, years later. ME3 is a reminder that the world needs a real RPG revival. The age of dumbing down must end. Unfortunately, EA has announced that it has no intention of supporting future RPGs that don't involve micro-transactions, so there may be more dark days ahead. ME3 is, however, a decent cover-based shooter. It certainly has more characterization than mostStill a letdown, years later. ME3 is a reminder that the world needs a real RPG revival. The age of dumbing down must end. Unfortunately, EA has announced that it has no intention of supporting future RPGs that don't involve micro-transactions, so there may be more dark days ahead. ME3 is, however, a decent cover-based shooter. It certainly has more characterization than most shooters, which is nice. That is small consolation for RPG fans, who have plenty of options in the over-saturated shooter market, if that is what they wanted to play (it isn't). Don't support ME3, even if it is on sale in the bargain bin.… Expand
  34. amorphousblob
    Jan 25, 2014
    3
    The good and bad of Mass Effect 3:

    Good: 1. Vastly improved levelling system that gives a noticeable upgrade with every skill point added. 2. Much more weapon variety. 3. Good weapon modding. Bad: 1. Terrible controls which rely on one button for virtually every action. Attempting to use an object while moving often results in the character launching themselves across the room or    The good and bad of Mass Effect 3:

    Good:
    1. Vastly improved levelling system that gives a noticeable upgrade with every skill point added.
    2. Much more weapon variety.
    3. Good weapon modding.

    Bad:
    1. Terrible controls which rely on one button for virtually every action. Attempting to use an object while moving often results in the character launching themselves across the room or getting out of cover, also no crouch button means the character sometimes stands up in the middle of fire-fights.
    2. Stupid ally AI. Allies are happy to stand out of cover while getting shot at, disappear in the middle of fights or refuse to shoot at enemies.
    3. Levelling is way too fast. In the first mission for example I increased my level three times.
    4. Side missions are boring. The majority of side missions involve jumping to a sector and right clicking a few times. These are necessary for game completion and a real chore.
    5. Player interaction is limited. Much crew interaction does not occur in cut-scenes and player has no control over their own responses. Dialog during missions is within cut-scenes but player still does not get to choose as many responses as in previous games. A Cynical person might assume this problem is due to laziness on the writers/animators part.
    6. Non player characters are boring. Character development appears to have taken a back seat in this game as both new and returning characters have little to say. The only interesting development I caught was jokers relationship but I managed to miss its resolution.
    7. Decisions in previous games appear to have little impact.
    8. Terrible level design. Levels are designed in a boxy arena style and clearly just recycled multiplayer maps, recycled so lazily as to have loads of ammo caches everywhere.
    9. Mandatory multiplayer. In order to get a good ending player is required to play multiplayer battles. This effectively precludes players with poor internet from experiencing some of the single player content.
    10. Dull, dull, dull combat. Most of the interesting enemies appear to have been removed: In combat I have mostly just faced a load of dudes with progressively bigger guns.
    11. Plot points from previous games are ignored. Shepard appears to answer to the alliance now when he was a spectre in the previous game for example.

    There are tonne more issues but really it all boils down to this: In attempting to broaden their customer base Bioware have turned the most exciting and deep RPG/FPS ever into a complete mess with little appeal to lovers of either genre. Both of the prequels I have played many times, including all the DLC, but ME3 was only good enough to get me to play until about five minutes into the final mission once.

    A huge disappointment.

    (also my characters run animation makes her look like she has sh** her pants)    … Expand
  35. marelus
    Feb 24, 2014
    2
    This game is only for the series fans I guess.

    I felt like it had unbearably long, and boring cutscenes every 5 minutes, and horribly linear gameplay with an illusion of a choice. Annoyingly consolish controls for not demanding players, operated basically by one button to cover/use did not help either. Graphics were pretty good so not a complete zero. But this game was so seriously    This game is only for the series fans I guess.

    I felt like it had unbearably long, and boring cutscenes every 5 minutes, and horribly linear gameplay with an illusion of a choice. Annoyingly consolish controls for not demanding players, operated basically by one button to cover/use did not help either.

    Graphics were pretty good so not a complete zero. But this game was so seriously story oriented that in my case was just unplayable. I would rather spend that time watching good movie, than playing it as a video game.    … Expand
  36. Charlemagne
    Jun 2, 2014
    0
    It's mediocre as a movie but complete fails as a game. It's the kind of game where I would rather the game just play itself and I watch (twice - once good guy, once bad guy). There is no real freedom, you are on a railroad, and now and then there is a fork (a choice)... but usually the game designer has decided that some choices are less valid than others and will punish you for makingIt's mediocre as a movie but complete fails as a game. It's the kind of game where I would rather the game just play itself and I watch (twice - once good guy, once bad guy). There is no real freedom, you are on a railroad, and now and then there is a fork (a choice)... but usually the game designer has decided that some choices are less valid than others and will punish you for making them, basically forcing their moral world view on you. And the rhyme and reason of it is quite irrational - the game rewards you for picking fights with strangers doing things the designers expect you to disapprove of, but punishes you for not committing genocide of the last of some ant creature. It's fitting that it has such a bad ending, because the entire thing was bad. Most levels offer no freedom of movement, you are funneled by invisible walls, and have fixed objections that you must complete. Which might be right for a racing car game, but not in what is suppose to be an 'adventure' game... an 'adventure' game where you are not free to actually adventure. It fails as an adventure game because of the lack of freedom, and it fails as an action game because of the lack of depth to the combat... leaving the player with nothing rewarding except a mediocre story that the game demands you jump through hoops to see. I didn't play it through, I watched what I missed on YouTube.… Expand
  37. GAGMR
    May 20, 2016
    0
    An insult & slap in the face to anyone who played the first two games in the series. It takes everything that made the first two games great & throws it out the window for some stupid multiplayer cover shooter Gears of War clone. And the ending is the absolute most disgusting thing I've ever seen in any modern video game to date. Even with the so called "Remastered Ending" that stainAn insult & slap in the face to anyone who played the first two games in the series. It takes everything that made the first two games great & throws it out the window for some stupid multiplayer cover shooter Gears of War clone. And the ending is the absolute most disgusting thing I've ever seen in any modern video game to date. Even with the so called "Remastered Ending" that stain will never be wiped from anyone's mind who experienced it. Every time I think "Mass Effect" now, all I can see is that Go Buy DLC message. Never buying another Bioware or EA game again.… Expand
  38. tonycmac
    Oct 16, 2015
    0
    I rate this game at a zero out of ten. I loved ME 1 and 2. I loved the character interactions, the choices, the worlds they made. ME1 had amazing words and vistas to see, and lots of them. ME2 had better game-play and amazing voice acting. Both games filled me with suspense and trepidation concerning the Reapers and the all out battle to come. ME3 did not deliver for this all out, beI rate this game at a zero out of ten. I loved ME 1 and 2. I loved the character interactions, the choices, the worlds they made. ME1 had amazing words and vistas to see, and lots of them. ME2 had better game-play and amazing voice acting. Both games filled me with suspense and trepidation concerning the Reapers and the all out battle to come. ME3 did not deliver for this all out, be all- end all battle with the Sentient machines. The ending(s) were the biggest letdown I have ever experienced. My recommendation: Do not get this game.

    For all of the hype, the writing was appalling, thanks to the lead writer Mac Walters. The entire mood of the game, the characters and interactions, even the ending was nothing but pathetic doom and gloom. There is no "win", merely completion of the game (which has absolutely zero replay value). What could have been the best game in history turned out to be a massive let down that leaves you wondering if you messed something up to get such a disgraceful ending.

    BioWare has lost the spark. Sadly, the talent that made wonderful and fun games have all left. While the visual artists did a good job (with the exception of 8-bit running models and worse graphics than ME2) the stories that brought us joy and fun and the feeling of fresh and new worlds are simply not there in ME3. The overall arc/plot of this game is horrendous - clearly indicating a lack of skill and / or talent from the writing leads.    … Expand
  39. Vastgirth
    May 14, 2012
    2
    Most of the game was pretty good, certainly an improvement on the risable second game. The ending ruined it all. At best it was imcomplete, at worst a complete runiation of everything you had done in the game. A true shame such a great series ends on such a damp squib..
  40. Crusader793
    Apr 18, 2012
    7
    I don't think its fair to give Mass Effect 3 a rating purely based on the ending. The first 95% of the game was fantastic, very engaging and fun, I did have issues however with how the player characters voice acting was handled the amount of auto dialogue really took away any feeling that Shepard was actually my character rather than Biowares. Multiplayer is actually surprisingly funI don't think its fair to give Mass Effect 3 a rating purely based on the ending. The first 95% of the game was fantastic, very engaging and fun, I did have issues however with how the player characters voice acting was handled the amount of auto dialogue really took away any feeling that Shepard was actually my character rather than Biowares. Multiplayer is actually surprisingly fun although does have a tenancy to get repetitive. The last 10% of the game about from Priority: Cerberus onwards was a really big let down for me, they didn't do a good job for the finale of the series and this is especially disappointing given how good other sections of the game where. A good game but does not live up to its predecessors.… Expand
  41. Octoowl42
    Apr 1, 2012
    6
    I have to say a lot of the game was great. The mix of Mass Effect 1 and 2 as far as gameplay was concerned was great, combat has never been as fun and the environments were dynamic and interesting for the most part. Team interactions were good, although a bit sparse for my liking (character interactions were what drew me to the series) However there are many major flaws. Yes the ending isI have to say a lot of the game was great. The mix of Mass Effect 1 and 2 as far as gameplay was concerned was great, combat has never been as fun and the environments were dynamic and interesting for the most part. Team interactions were good, although a bit sparse for my liking (character interactions were what drew me to the series) However there are many major flaws. Yes the ending is pretty weak for a lot a of reasons. A lack of catharsis with your teammates, it's too open ended with far too few questions answered. Another problem with it that irks me, but doesn't seem to have come up in other reviews is how little the choices I made in the game seemed to effect the ending. I worked my butt off scraping together every little resource I could find and every ally and army I could muster and for the most part it seemed to have no impact on the end fight at all. There was a 5 second extra cutscene of two of the armadas I put together but that was it? Why did I bother? Why did I only see Turrians, Humans and Krogans and Assari at the end? Why did I have a lame human strike force when I worked so hard at making allies with various alien races? The Journey was great but the end seemed... well pointless. The series offered so many choices I feel like bioware thought they couldn't wrap everything up... so they didn't… Expand
  42. Logiwonk
    Apr 28, 2013
    4
    This game is a fistula. What is a fistula? In anatomic terms it's an abnormal hole connecting two things that should not be connected. One of the most problematic is obstetric fistula which connects the vagina (awesome) with the bowels (super not-awesome). This game connects amazing writing, good gameplay with a ending.

    You can't fix this game's ending but you can help women world-wide    This game is a fistula. What is a fistula? In anatomic terms it's an abnormal hole connecting two things that should not be connected. One of the most problematic is obstetric fistula which connects the vagina (awesome) with the bowels (super not-awesome). This game connects amazing writing, good gameplay with a ending.

    You can't fix this game's ending but you can help women world-wide suffering from obstetric fistula. Go to http://www.fistulafoundation.org/ and donate today!    … Expand
  43. MelonPan
    Jul 24, 2012
    6
    the removal of neutral dialogue options was a huge disappointment for me, as I enjoy playing these games as a mixed paragon/renegade as opposed to going 100% for one or the other. What I loved about the previous games was that you could go full renegade, get an ending that was totally suited to your decisions, and it was a perfectly acceptable way to play. Being renegade wasn't "bad", itthe removal of neutral dialogue options was a huge disappointment for me, as I enjoy playing these games as a mixed paragon/renegade as opposed to going 100% for one or the other. What I loved about the previous games was that you could go full renegade, get an ending that was totally suited to your decisions, and it was a perfectly acceptable way to play. Being renegade wasn't "bad", it was just a different way to get things done. Neutral and paragon were simply other, equally viable ways to finish a game and experience it differently.

    But in mass effect 3, that all changes. Renegade becomes very much an option that the developers punish you for choosing, while paragon becomes the obvious "correct choice" option, and neither of the better outcomes to major situations are available if you mix paragon and renegade. You will also be punished for playing the game as a neutral character; you either go 100% renegade or 100% paragon.

    But in the end all of that is meaningless, because no matter what paths you chose earlier in the game, you will be shunted into the same 3 choices of endings    … Expand
  44. wigglybacon
    Apr 4, 2012
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Gameplay - The Good: The combat is much faster paced, being able to use any weapon but balanced by the weight factor is a nice improvement, being able to dive/roll is a nice improvement. The enemy variety, particularly the Cerberus troops with their deployable turrets and shield generators, as well as high priority targets and dangerous melee opponents forces much more tactical and engaging combat. The mounted turret combat and the mech you can pilot are nice breaks from the cover shooter gameplay. Powers are also a bit more responsive and easy to use. The Bad: still the annoying problem of 1 button does about 6 different things. and now roll is added to the list making it even more annoying when your Shepard doesn't do what you want because everything is the same button. The quest log is an absolute disaster, every single stage of every quest is static text for that quest. there is no way to tell if you have an item for a fetch quest or not. you may end up flying around systems dodging reapers looking for something only to realize you already have it, and then you have to go and find the person that needs it, and the quest tracking is sketchy at best, and non-existent most of the rest of the time. There are also about half the squad members as the previous game. Squad AI is still pretty dumb. Also. the multiplayer is required to get the best ending for singleplayer... this is absolute garbage, I don't intend to ever play multiplayer and trying to force me to play it so you can try to milk more cash with the "buy the mystery box" thing? seriously? f*** you. disconnect singlplayer and multiplayer and I would have no problems with it, despite the obvious money grab. Graphics, atmosphere and technical - The Good: Facial Textures are improved, and the game runs a lot cooler on my system, so an optimization improvement only a couple crashes in around 45 hours. the music may be composed by someone else but its still very good and captures moods well. The voice acting is top notch as always, and the characters are as good as ever. The Bad: some blocky shadows and some really low res textures every now and then particularly distant textures with a bit of texture pop-in but nothing terrible. The Story- The Good: 98% of the game is just as brilliant as the other 2 games in the series, you can see all the effects of your choices from the previous 2 games, characters may help you out if you saved them in a previous game ect... the war assets system is quite good as it gives an additional bonus to just fetching something, it adds the number, and a little flavor text making it feel like everything you do is helping the war effort. and the entire tone and pace of the game are very desperate, as it should be for a war against super machines of doom. The Bad: THE ENDING... omfg the ending is appalling. suffice it to say, all the negativity about the ending is well founded. full of plot holes, ignores all choices made and comes down to choose a color, but it doesn't even matter they're all the same. Other than the ending, the rest of the game is brilliant and well made. Another complaint I have is the complete removal of the neutral option from the conversation wheel, its only paragon or renegade now and there seem to be fewer conversation choices during cut scenes overall. kind of annoying but not game breaking, and it doesn't take much away from the story. Also, why is Shepard being so bothered by some little kid's death after all the s*** hes seen? Also, Tali's Face... wtf is that Bioware? couldn't be bothered to make a 3d model? Now you may be wondering, why the 6/10? 5 reasons. 1. the ending is a steaming sack of s*** -1 2. After the crap ending there is a screen telling me to buy DLC... rubs salt in a fresh wound -.5 3. forcing multiplayer that effects singleplayer -1 4. Have to deal with that pile of crap called origin to play it. -.5 5. Day one DLC on the Disc, just to be greedy and milk consumers with corrupt business practices. -1 The only serious issues with the game itself is the ending and the forced multiplayer. But I can't stand by and deal with such horrid business practices, part of the product being reviewed is the purchasing options and service, and these should be included in the rating ihmo. I blame EA for these failings of service, Bioware made a great sequel to a great series (minus the ending) and EA mired the whole thing with their greedy corruption. EA, gtfo, and bioware, fix the damn ending, and disconnect multiplayer and singleplayer please… Expand
  45. rturtzer
    Apr 4, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I have played Mass Effect 1 and Mass Effect 2. I loved this story.

    Before Mass Effect 3 I had utter confidence in Bioware's mantra of "interactive storytelling." It was true. Stepping into the game was like my own imagination had come to life.

    Gameplay wise, this game is fun. Nothing that hasn't been done before, but compared to the previous two games the combat is significantly improved.

    All issues come down to design. From war assets being just text to multiplayer being necessary for the "best" ending, not to mention rampant DLC advertising, many elements feel unfinished, bugs feel unpolished, and the 4th wall is repeatedly and shamelessly broken.

    But worst of all is the ending. Not only is it littered full of plot holes, it makes no sense as to what an "epic" is. Not the word used as slang, but a readily definable genre with rules of decorum that only great writers are able to break.

    Mac Walters is not a great writer. Hell, the quality of the conversations this time around means the writing team has gotten pretty lousy. SSSTEEEEEVVVEEEE!

    But imagine if Return of the Jedi had ended with the Death Star exploding and then finishing with the end sequence of 2001: A Space Odyssey. It's kind of like that.

    Which makes this unforgivable. You can't screw up the story when your company's greatest pride is "interactive storytelling" and then botch both aspects.    … Expand
  46. nyrdl90
    Apr 15, 2012
    5
    All those who don't live in caves in North Africa subsisting entirely on raw meat and the supply of family head lice will know the format of this review. Bluntly expressed: the majority of the game was superb if slightly lacking in narrative depth, while the ending was the biggest pile of tripe since mass seppuku on a japanese poultry farm. The fact that this view has been repeated andAll those who don't live in caves in North Africa subsisting entirely on raw meat and the supply of family head lice will know the format of this review. Bluntly expressed: the majority of the game was superb if slightly lacking in narrative depth, while the ending was the biggest pile of tripe since mass seppuku on a japanese poultry farm. The fact that this view has been repeated and reaffirmed in every civilised country with a stable entertainment economy and a workable internet connection is convincing proof of its validity. Around the world, captivated fans connected with the games' characters and narrative on an unprecedented emotional level, only to receive an ending so irreconcilable with what precedes it as to leave the series effectively unfinished. So many holes are opened in the overarching plot that what finality remains is unfulfilling and unsatisfying. As a series, Mass Effect is established on a set of fundamental points, all of which have come to be both cherished and expected by the gaming community at large: good writing, player choice, and a compelling continuity and flow of narrative. The promised "epic conclusion" of the series consequently shocked and angered players for bluntly denying them these three things; the writing made no sense, what choice players were given had little to no relation to previous events, and the final cinematic left the back-story as devoid of stimulation and open-ended as a limbless corpse. This total reversal of quality is, in many ways, what makes the ending so shockingly and overwhelmingly **** Had the ending been the culmination of "Back Street Tokyo Hand Job Queen 7", the audience feedback would not have been nearly as unanimously negative. Despite making no contextual sense in this scenario, and the illiteracy of any prospective audience, the ending's qualitative relativity would have been a lot less stark. However, arguably more frustrating for hordes of belligerent gamers is the absolute lack of official recognition for this obvious shortcoming. Such critical giants as IGN and Gamespot completely ignore the existence of the game's final sequence in many of their respective reviews, instead brushing over the problem with arbitrary and periphrastic adjectives. Worse still, the developers of the game themselves hide behind the age-old excuse of artistic licence, with the catastrophic final sequence being described as integral to "the team's artistic vision". Certainly, Bioware's errant artistic wankery is evident in their unsubtle use of clichéd visual metaphors and symbols; children representing innocence, naivety, and spiritual purity are possibly only superseded in terms of frequency in Western literature by the colour-coding of blue for good, red for bad. Gamers went in to Mass Effect 3 expecting an ending to which they could play Flight of the Valkyries or the Dies Irae from Vivaldi's Requiem. Instead, they received an ending barely worthy of Messiaen at his most arrhythmic and atonal. In the end, any reviewer's rating is a tip of the scales: to what subjective extent did the final ten minutes outweigh three games' worth of fantastic content? In my personal view, Bioware has unwittingly pushed its three greatest children off a bridge. We can only pray that they follow Conan-Doyle, pull Mass Effect out of the mud, and give it the bad-ass and well-written funeral it deserves.… Expand
  47. Iger
    Apr 20, 2012
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is a fair game. I loved ME1, was not disappointed by ME2 and, generally, considered myself quite a fan of the series. The gameplay basically stays the same as in ME2, with the main exception being planet scanning, which was drastically improved. Still, the main cons go like this: - Some central plot point choices are illogical and, actually, hard to believe.
    - Animations are average - the cutscenes have huge pauses in the dialogues which is quite strange for a game so heavily reliant on these
    - Quest journal is technically inadequate. Although the side quests are not central to the game you have no idea what state of the quest are you in.
    - Some storylines are uninvolving and feel like these were only implemented to formally check off some loose ends.
    - Multiplayer necessary for the "better" endings. (I wonder if my memory fails me - I was sure I read somewhere, that it won't...)

    Still, the gameplay is quite adequate (if not new). The setting quite often drives you forward and the involving pieces of the scenario are scattered here and there. And the best part (for me) of the series - the characters are, for the most part, still very good. Unfortunately, the whole experience is kinda let down by the ending. After reading a lot of opinions and hearing Bioware's promises on "improving the experience" in a free DLC I must say, that although the steps promised is the only acceptable course of action these are still not enough to bind me back to the series. Someone compared the current state of affairs with pulling off a plaster - this describes my feelings quite well.    … Expand
  48. Skalinos
    May 1, 2012
    8
    Mass Effect 3 is a great game, but the unsuitable ending ruined it. And yes, games is an art-form, but Bioware promised 16 Different endings. 16! Not 3 (1 to be exact) with different colors. 7 out of 10.
  49. Rangerage
    May 15, 2012
    2
    What a pathetic excuse for a game in comparison to its predecessors and the game we were promised.
    The gameplay is still as bad as the previous two, but the character, writing, choices and atmosphere from the previous two have been stripped as much as possible to appeal to the Call of Duty audience.
    What a shame.
  50. Enerla
    Jun 8, 2012
    6
    There is nothing wrong with creative freedom, as long as you don't get "creative" when you describe a product. After all false statements in advertisements used to deceive the customers and generate more sales isn't considered artistic integrity, it is called fraud. Bioware spent months to explain that in Mass Effect 3 our choices will shape the world, and as they don't plan to continueThere is nothing wrong with creative freedom, as long as you don't get "creative" when you describe a product. After all false statements in advertisements used to deceive the customers and generate more sales isn't considered artistic integrity, it is called fraud. Bioware spent months to explain that in Mass Effect 3 our choices will shape the world, and as they don't plan to continue the story, we can get very different endings. The world can be very very different based on our choices. In the end, our choices didn't matter.

    Lack of choice and strange ending alone wouldn't be a problem. After all we know stories of games can't be perfect and the last 3 minutes aren't that important. We are free to imagine any different ending as the story won't continue. Who cares? And the game was fun until that point. The problem is: The game was a let down, because Bioware lied to us, deceived us. And after a huge let down, players can be disappointed and it can turn the gameplay experience sour and can remove any replay value. This feeling isn't here for 5 minutes at end, it is here the whole time we try to replay the game, would try our luck in multiplayer, etc. As long as EA doesn't understand that we buy games because we want to have fun, and being angry at a publisher and feeling anger whenever you see an EA game can ruin the fun. If you ignore what Bioware has promised, buy the game now, it won't be a disappointment. But otherwise even good graphics, entertianing gameplay, etc. wouldn't redeem the issue about ending and forced multiplayer farming. So the game doesn't deserve a "Better than mixed" rating. Because even if I would love graphics, character customization, gameplay, story, etc. the let down at the end can sour it all.    … Expand
  51. lbtaylor1984
    May 22, 2012
    7
    I'm a little late to the party, but I wished to give a unbiased view of the last instalment of one the best series in modern gaming.

    I played through ME1, ME2 and pulled my saves over before beginning ME3 Mass Effect 3 suffers from some over sights and issues surrounding its storytelling. There are now time based missions which your never informed of how long you've got, but with    I'm a little late to the party, but I wished to give a unbiased view of the last instalment of one the best series in modern gaming.

    I played through ME1, ME2 and pulled my saves over before beginning ME3

    Mass Effect 3 suffers from some over sights and issues surrounding its storytelling. There are now time based missions which your never informed of how long you've got, but with fairness to Bioware while annoying probably more accurately represents the galaxy this time round as the Reapers have returned so worlds are falling on a daily basis so missions disappear as the reapers strike, or world situations change. On the subject of worlds scanning planets has changed to a radar pulse from the ship which attracts Reaper attention, while the side missions of merc bases, crash ships etc from ME1 and ME2 have almost completely disappeared, exploration this time has been severely reduced, un fortunately this was one of the merits of Mass Effect that is was a RPG shooter with exploration, your railroaded into following the story with very little room to manoeuvre in the traditional role of exploration, while i'd like to do this with the current state of the Galaxy you'd be hard pressed to be wasting time exploring. The combat system is improved but the streamlined controls seemed to have made setup of hotbars impossible, this i found frustrating in heavy combat as the hotbar layout isn't how i'd have it setup, a minor point but another change to the series. other than that it plays better than previous games, and your loadout of weapons affects your ability cooldown timers, interesting idea as it makes you think about the weapons you need, upposed to taking everything, you also rely on squad mates taking the weapons you don't (you can take everything but your cooldown as twice as long.)

    Story wise Bioware have yet again told a interesting, compelling, and in some respects a very emotional story. My first playthrough I lost friends along the way, and the Voice acting in my opinion was some of the best in the series, those familiar with the series know of the romance options and the romance I had between Shepard and Ashley was truely believable, from the dilogue to the way it was read by the actor, when you loose friends you felt the loss rather than just seeing it, some made me question my decisions. However this brings up one of the flaws that bothered me probably the most in ME3. the dialogue options in alot of situations seemed a little short and didn't cover the questions properly while other times the options simply wouldn't be what I as shepard would have said, there is a particular area of the game, I won't mention that is quite pivotal in the plot and you can mention it to your Love Interest, but they response with one line in a dismissive response, bearing in mind it's relation to the plot it just feels rushed and not fleshed out as needed, infact it would partially explain the end.. Don't let this put you off though the gameplay is good and the commentary is excellent between you and the crew, it just feels some points weren't fully realised by Bioware, or simply pushed through by EA Games.

    Choice from previous Games DO MATTER. Regardless of what people have posted, many things you have done in previous games effect the current game, did you keep the Genophage data from Maelon in ME2? that changes things, did you Romance Ashley in ME1 but someone in ME2 as well? it changes things, does it totally rewrite the story? No. but with this game closing the story on Mass Effect and Shepard it's hard to follow all paths as the ending simply wouldn't be the ending they wrote in fact you'd need about 40 endings to cover it. and you can't really conclude Mass Effect with that regardless of how we feel, if you had 40 endings.

    The Ending;

    I'm not going to ruin it for you, play it youself make your own decision, but it is the opinion on most that when you finally get to the white light into the sky (vague enough) you should shut the game down, and just agree you won and the Reapers lost. The end gameplay is in serious question from long time fans including myself, with a few theories on what actually happened. Bioware have promised free DLC to explain the ending but that should give you a sign of how poorly put together it is. The last 5 minutes ruins probably one of the best gaming series to have been created.

    I give a 7/10 as the exploration and dialogue options has diminished the Mass Effect universe in this release, while the Story (up til the white light into the sky) and the emotional bond with your team are truly the best of the series, combat is the best of the three as is the graphics.    … Expand
  52. ukwn
    Jun 14, 2012
    0
    How bring any positive opinion about Mass Effect III if we confront the two episodes already out ?
    The first episode is a monument, the second is nice continuation in spite of the game is made of a largest public support.
    the 3th is not a full game, there is no consistent ending, RPG components are missing and the game resume itself being an insipid 3rd person shooter. How pretend to    How bring any positive opinion about Mass Effect III if we confront the two episodes already out ?
    The first episode is a monument, the second is nice continuation in spite of the game is made of a largest public support.
    the 3th is not a full game, there is no consistent ending, RPG components are missing and the game resume itself being an insipid 3rd person shooter.
    How pretend to close like that a mythic triology, it's a real fail. Profit is the leitmotiv.    … Expand
  53. Darahas
    Jun 11, 2012
    7
    This game is a very good game, don't get me wrong. I'm not giving this a 7 out of 10 because of the ending, because I actually liked the ending (but that's because I believe in the Indoctrination theory; if you don't know what the Indoctrination theory is, it's a very plausible theory for the ending of the game), and I enjoyed everything else. The reason why is I'm giving this a 7 isThis game is a very good game, don't get me wrong. I'm not giving this a 7 out of 10 because of the ending, because I actually liked the ending (but that's because I believe in the Indoctrination theory; if you don't know what the Indoctrination theory is, it's a very plausible theory for the ending of the game), and I enjoyed everything else. The reason why is I'm giving this a 7 is because Mass Effect 3 didn't grip me like the others. It didn't suck me into this mass expansive world like Mass Effect 1 did, which I loved. This universe is well put together and I enjoy a good story. Like I've said before, Mass Effect 3 is a extremely well-made game, with enjoyable multiplayer and other elements that make it combine together. It just didn't grip me like the first and second. So I give this a 7 out of 10.… Expand
  54. 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
  55. gustarivrag
    Aug 13, 2013
    9
    Time will only tell how great this game actually is. I don't understand the bias of some people here, you can't just low-grade spam reviews for a game just cause you don't like the ending. There is at least 4-5 factors when you judge something, so even if the ending is the worst possible, it can't seriously lower the grade for more than 1-2 points. And ME 3 is great in every possibleTime will only tell how great this game actually is. I don't understand the bias of some people here, you can't just low-grade spam reviews for a game just cause you don't like the ending. There is at least 4-5 factors when you judge something, so even if the ending is the worst possible, it can't seriously lower the grade for more than 1-2 points. And ME 3 is great in every possible aspect, let's get that clear for start. It is improved compared to ME 2 in a lot of ways, gameplay, graphics, you name it. There is lot more diversity between classes, when you play a class it actually feels like your playing that certain class, unlike ME1, where every class was just a different mix of same abilities. As for the ending issue, it has been updated and made downloadable for free. I can understand that you are not very sympathetic towards greediness of EA company, or that the ending made your efforts while progressing trough this really fun game kind of useless, but you wouldn't even get there if it wasn't well worth it.… Expand
  56. effataigus
    Nov 15, 2014
    8
    I recommend doing two things:
    1. reading all of those negative reviews,
    2. and playing the game anyway. I expected such an awful game after that that I was actually pleasantly surprised. Also, it's now being sold for ~$10 instead of ~$60, sooo... Oh, and the game is pretty annoying if you did play ME1 and 2 and don't have the "saves" for them. I kinda think they should just let you    I recommend doing two things:
    1. reading all of those negative reviews,
    2. and playing the game anyway.
    I expected such an awful game after that that I was actually pleasantly surprised. Also, it's now being sold for ~$10 instead of ~$60, sooo...

    Oh, and the game is pretty annoying if you did play ME1 and 2 and don't have the "saves" for them. I kinda think they should just let you answer a multiple choice quiz about what ya did in the last games.    … Expand
  57. raulacho
    Oct 30, 2013
    10
    Amazing Game, a great ending to a great trilogy, extremely polished, and full of detail, incredible combat and excellent story telling, its a must have for this generation of gaming.
  58. McCrichierich
    Jan 2, 2013
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I really enjoyed Mass Effect 3 when it wasn't forcing me to watch an unskippable cut-scene that went on for 50,000 years! I wouldn't mind a few unskippable cut-scenes that are short and don't contain dialogue that is so melodramatic and cheesy that I actually had to turn the game off once or twice. I felt the game tried too hard to be like a film and tried really hard to make me care about the characters, something which they had achieved moderately in the previous 2, but fell so far short this time because of atrocious writing. I found it really difficult to become attached to Shephard at all because he had as much personality as a piece of plain paper with the word "nice" on it. Or he was Satan incarnate whom Cerberus for some reason decided to install a naughty or nice detection chip in his face. (A clear theft from Fable. Although it's acceptable in Fable because it's more cartoony and like a fairytale where witches have hooked noses and good guys are disturbingly aryan.) They also copped out of it as well by putting a heal all scars option in med-bay. Why bother having it in if you can just erase it in a heart beat? Either do it or don't. It just seemed a bit flaky for a game based so tightly on the consequences of actions to literally have an opt out button. I did really like the way the previous choices affected the game. I also liked how they tried to tie up the loose ends with the characters from ME2. Although, it seemed to me that by the end of the game someone points out "Jesus we forgot Jack! Quickly someone put her in!" So their solution was to just have her leap at Shephard and die within 10 seconds and a quick remark from Shephard and team mate to let you know that it really was her. The encounter was actually so brief and dissatisfying that I genuinely thought that it wasn't her and I was about to find out that the Illusive Man had caught her and found a way to make clones of her to fight for him. Then I would have to fight through waves of Jack look-a-likes and find her trapped in a machine being cloned and in need of rescue. Then once rescued she joins the cause or has to sacrifice herself to destroy the station like Mordin and Miranda or something. But no she just leaped at you and died. I thought that the fighting gameplay was very good and got my adrenaline going. Although the going into cover and sprinting was often irritating. I would press A to go into cover nothing would happen so I press it again and he pops into cover then out again so he got shot in the face a lot. I did think that the powers were too strong. You can decimate huge hordes of enemies quite easily without going into cover. All you need to do is use adrenaline rush with 1 power enabled and have EDI and Liara with you to use incinerate and singularity. The galaxy map was well done and I liked the idea of the reapers detecting your scanner if you entered reaper occupied space. The first time I heard the loud buzz indicating their presence I was genuinely intimidated and rushed like hell to get out of there. But after finding out that I could outrun them for ages and that the only consequence of being caught was an "oh no you got caught! Now start again from 20 seconds earlier." There was no real threat and I wound up feeling that their presence was more of a minor inconvenience than a real hazard to be avoided. Now to get to my biggest complaint about the game. It all starts with one little boy who from the second I saw him playing outside I started a stop watch in my head for when he was going to die. It was shamelessly and clumsily trying to make me feel for this boy. I felt nothing but contempt for that flimsy attempt to make me feel emotionally invested. Then they expanded this dung heap of an idea into an agonisingly bad dream sequence which you can't skip and, as far as I can tell, has no relevance to anything whatsoever. It doesn't advance the plot. It didn't make me care about the boy. It didn't make me think Shephard was deep or more relatable. It was irritating, it slowed the game down and I couldn't help shouting at the screen "Hurry up you pretentious idiots!" Overall, I think I would give the game a 2/10 for dialogue. 7 or 8/10 for the story (good idea let down by enamel peelingly bad dialogue) 8 or 9/10 for combat. Martin Sheen as ever gave a 10/10 performance and expertly depicted a man trying to make the right decisions but losing sight of what is right because of his penchant for solitude. Usually I wouldn't score a game for its dialogue because people don't really play games for it. However, since I felt ME3 was trying so hard to be a film it seemed right to include the dialogue in an overall score. This score would be much higher if the game wasn't trying to be a game/film with appalling dialogue.… Expand
  59. ssenginss
    Jan 5, 2014
    9
    I did not played this before extended cut expansion DLC so i don't know old ending. The game is a fair Mass effect game its content may not be as rich as ME2 but it is fun to play as a continuation.
  60. Isengrim
    Sep 28, 2013
    2
    Disappointment, is the word I would sum this game up with. Mass Effect 3, being a last game in a ME trilogy abandons most of the things that made Mass Effect 1 or 2 so successful.
    The story of this game, revolving around a mysterious alien device nobody knows anything about is full of plotholes and irrationalities. The gameplay is an improved version of Mass Effect 2, which still abandons    Disappointment, is the word I would sum this game up with. Mass Effect 3, being a last game in a ME trilogy abandons most of the things that made Mass Effect 1 or 2 so successful.
    The story of this game, revolving around a mysterious alien device nobody knows anything about is full of plotholes and irrationalities. The gameplay is an improved version of Mass Effect 2, which still abandons most of RPG qualities as it's predecessor did. If that wasn't bad enough, Bioware decided to strip the player out of choices and if there is any they consequences are very similar making the choice itself meaningless. The characters and the world respond to every dialogue option in a very similar way making the whole Paragon/Renegade morality system totally worthless.
    While a player can import a save from the Mass Effect 2, he/she have to be aware that it doesn't make much of a difference, as possibly dead characters from Mass Effect 2 are replaced on the spot with another new/old character without any noteworthy consequence.
    There is no choice which mission you want to do, unlike in Mass Effect 1/2, here you just jump from one main mission to the other, linearly going forward to maybe the most disappointing ending in history of videogames.
    Bad writing, lack of logic, lack of choices and consequences means that this game isn't what it is advertised to be. Add annoying control scheme on PC and you have one of the worst game I have ever played and certainly the most disappointing one.
    Only redeeming quality of this game is it's soundtrack.
    Overall, 2/10 stay away.    … Expand
  61. CaptainCornhole
    May 16, 2013
    10
    No way this should be a 4.7 all the cheep need to get a life and stop being butt hurt over the ending. ME3's ending was absolutely brilliant in terms of semantics and the games overall tone, it is depressing that the majority of asswipes cannot see nor do they care to appreciate that. Bioware fans a truly the scum of the earth.
  62. NestLols
    Jul 25, 2013
    10
    Mass effect 3 is a fitting conclusion to the mass effect saga. It boasts significantly improved gameplay fluidity and mechanics, as well as a more varied campaign. The story is emotional, hard hitting, and diverse. The games visuals have been improved a lot, and the pc version looks quite spectacular despite and aging core engine, and runs smoother than the previous games to boot. In termsMass effect 3 is a fitting conclusion to the mass effect saga. It boasts significantly improved gameplay fluidity and mechanics, as well as a more varied campaign. The story is emotional, hard hitting, and diverse. The games visuals have been improved a lot, and the pc version looks quite spectacular despite and aging core engine, and runs smoother than the previous games to boot. In terms of streamlining which I hate the game is in between mass effect 1 and 2, the major disappointment in the game is the planet exploring, which has been stripped down. Imported save games determine a lot, from entire characters no longer existing in the story to conflicts that play out entirely different.Multiplayer is fun, and is not required to get the best ending in the game. In the end, mass effect 3 is special. As good as mass effect 2 in storytelling, and almost as good as mass effect 1 in rpg-like skill/item medications and exp distribution. My favorite in an acclaimed series.… Expand
  63. KingShree
    Jul 25, 2013
    8
    Strange ending and the fact that its basically just Mass Effect 2 v2.0 prevents this game from being bombastic ending of the saga. Final battle is also very dull and the extra linearity of the game can be disturbing. Very good game, but not as good as ME2 or ME1.
  64. tyrael9027
    Oct 17, 2013
    10
    A good RPG is not without its drawbacks, of course, but it turned out very well. Upset a lot of DLS, which did not at first suspect. If you set the DLS Free Extended cut, then the game (depending on the position of the player) will end well. I was glad to play in the trilogy, and to share money with the developers
  65. SneezeJunky
    Nov 7, 2013
    10
    Without a doubt the best series i've ever come to play! So much replay value! Its insane and I can't describe it enough. THIS IS A MUST BUY AND PLAY EXPERIENCE. Trust me on this!
    I don't understand why people are complaining about the endings. Do not be scared of the low user score. trust me when I tell you. This game is awesome and you wohn't regret playing it
    Pros: Just... wow    Without a doubt the best series i've ever come to play! So much replay value! Its insane and I can't describe it enough. THIS IS A MUST BUY AND PLAY EXPERIENCE. Trust me on this!
    I don't understand why people are complaining about the endings. Do not be scared of the low user score. trust me when I tell you. This game is awesome and you wohn't regret playing it

    Pros:
    Just... wow (useless pros. I know :v)
    Story and characters are so well done!

    Cons:
    Combat can get a little linear
    No coop :/
    End of the series     … Expand
  66. pjmeyer22
    Mar 31, 2014
    2
    Let's call this game what it is, a POS game. From the the word go Shepard's fate is sealed. Bioware spit in my face and kicked me in the groin. All my choices were rendered meaningless. In ME 2 an Arsai told me the rachni " Would burn clean the sky." I thought this meant they would come save me when things seemed hopeless. In other words they were the key to defeating the Reapers. BiowareLet's call this game what it is, a POS game. From the the word go Shepard's fate is sealed. Bioware spit in my face and kicked me in the groin. All my choices were rendered meaningless. In ME 2 an Arsai told me the rachni " Would burn clean the sky." I thought this meant they would come save me when things seemed hopeless. In other words they were the key to defeating the Reapers. Bioware "fixed the problem" when they killed most of them off by the Reapers.

    When I first read about Mass Effect Bioware had just finished Knights of the Old Republic. They were making a trilogy where your actions in all three games would affect the ending in third one. Bioware lied to me to the tune of 160 bucks. They only gave one ending with four options. In order to have your actions truly affect the ending, a happy ending has to be possible. The extended cut DLC is nothing more then damage control and selling Mass Effect 4. For me though, Bioware has noway to correct the mess they made. I can only hope they pissed off enough people so there is no Mass Effect 5.    … Expand
  67. HenriqueV
    Nov 12, 2014
    8
    Of course those bad reviews from gamers are out of place. The end was indeed bad, but it was still a pretty solid game.

    The gameplay is easily the best one in the series, and the game is really successful in creating an atmosphere where you get the feeling that the world is falling apart and there is little hope left. It wasn't a game that would suit a happy ending. I believe even if    Of course those bad reviews from gamers are out of place. The end was indeed bad, but it was still a pretty solid game.

    The gameplay is easily the best one in the series, and the game is really successful in creating an atmosphere where you get the feeling that the world is falling apart and there is little hope left. It wasn't a game that would suit a happy ending. I believe even if the ending wasn't rushed and incomplete, lots of fans would still believe it was bad because it was not a typical "Star Wars everybody is happy and the world is in peace again" ending.

    The big problem with the game for me was the lack of characters interaction. You never get the same depth you did in previous games, specially Mass Effect 2. If one character is not a love interest, then probably you only will get some random lines while you are on Normandy.

    Another big issue is that, after playing the game, turns out that your decisions during your journey made zero to none impact in the final outcome.

    ME3 deserved to be the best one of the trilogy, but at the end of the day it was easily the less enjoyable one, perhaps because the game could not fulfill the amount of expectation created by the previous games. But it was also a memorable game and easily one of the best of its generation.    … Expand
  68. Ajneb97
    Jun 4, 2015
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A pesar de que el final fue confuso y algo inesperado para los fans de Mass Effect, creo que este juego supera a los anteriores en cuanto a jugabilidad e historia. Hay momentos en los que disfrutaba mucho mas ver las cinematicas de Mass Effect 3 que una pelicula. Momentos de tristeza y felicidad que me mantuvieron DENTRO del juego y sentia que vivia dentro de la Normandia. Pero lo que simplemente me dejo sin palabras son las acciones heroicas que Shepard pudo lograr realizar, tales como la cura de la **** la solucion al conflicto quarianos - geth, todos los problemas que se habian presentado en los anteriores Mass Effects.

    Mass Effect 3 no se merece un 5, se merece mucho mas, creo que hay personas que estan exagerando un poco, solo siguen a la "masa" y realizan criticas negativas. Uno de los mejores juegos que he jugado, 10/10    … Expand
  69. GAMER01
    Jun 16, 2015
    10
    The only bad thing in that game was that THAT ! ENDING !!!!!! WHY ?!?! EA WHYYYYY!!!!! Everything in this game was amazing . Anyway i will rate 10/10 because it is amazing. :-)
  70. Inheritance92
    Nov 23, 2018
    4
    The game is one big, unskippable cutscene. Most sidequests deal with your former party members, the space exploration is ruined, and it feels like a big nostalgia train.
    Many mechanics from ME1 are back, there are climbable ladders, and the Sheppard can (finally) move between covers and jump over the obstacles.
    It is a specimen of technical mastery combined with creative impotence.
  71. Nojbee
    Nov 29, 2015
    8
    I don't understand the bad critics. This is a good game. Maybe the ending is not the best, but not as bad as they say. Sure I will play with it some times.
  72. 19bufordcarl
    Feb 14, 2016
    10
    The weapon customization isn't perfect, neither is the fighting, it is all third person cover based, and the original ending was a little confusing. I know that this is not a generally agreed on opinion, but I think that after all of the free dlc fixing some of the plot points I actually quite like ME3 and thought it was satisfying and very fun and I have played through it multiple timesThe weapon customization isn't perfect, neither is the fighting, it is all third person cover based, and the original ending was a little confusing. I know that this is not a generally agreed on opinion, but I think that after all of the free dlc fixing some of the plot points I actually quite like ME3 and thought it was satisfying and very fun and I have played through it multiple times and it always provides at least a somewhat new experience. I know many still dislike the "Extended wrist cut ending" but I thought it was pretty good.… Expand
  73. Maragdus
    Mar 7, 2017
    0
    Extremely disappointing ending to an otherwise great game series in which the developers spend more time and effort in shoving marxist propaganda in their game then staying true to the lore and the universe.
  74. 7ShadesOfEffort
    Apr 18, 2017
    0
    The day BioWare just stopped trying. Sometimes I think that every single person from Electronic Arts hates me personally. Why else would they brutally murder two of my favorite game developing companies?

    1 out of 7: zero effort.
  75. Orlandu84
    Dec 31, 2012
    7
    It wasn't bad, and it wasn't superb either. I cannot comment upon the original ending because I played it with the extended ending. Having said that my complaints with the game have to do more with character interactions, scope, and pacing than anything else. First, unlike Mass Effect 2, Mass Effect 3 never made me care about the characters all that much. The magnitude of the Reaper WarIt wasn't bad, and it wasn't superb either. I cannot comment upon the original ending because I played it with the extended ending. Having said that my complaints with the game have to do more with character interactions, scope, and pacing than anything else. First, unlike Mass Effect 2, Mass Effect 3 never made me care about the characters all that much. The magnitude of the Reaper War made characters and their own personal problems quite trivial. This point begs the question of scope. The game attempts to achieve an epic feel while maintaining familiar with the main characters. Unfortunately, it fails in this respect. Despite its giant space battles, the game never created an atmosphere that conveyed the gravity of the situation the characters found themselves. Then again, this could equally be my failing as much as it is the game's. For after two previous installments of Shepherd saving the cosmos, I am kind of used to the stakes being very high. Lastly, the pacing just felt off to me. The final battles did not seem to build all that much dramatic tension. Also, we learned too many important facts too quickly at the end for their significance to be comprehended. Having said that, the game is still good. The plot does make sense. The voice acting is really good. The action is engaging. I had fun. Unfortunately, it was not the masterpiece most of us were hoping it would be.… Expand
  76. Wessen
    Dec 29, 2012
    9
    Come one people! i don't normally write reviews, but i felt compelled to, because the game was really enjoyable, no idea why so many are complaining about the ending, it wasn't that bad, i enjoyed the game and found myself captivated throughout my playtime, there's no reason to trash the game if the story line didn't meet your expectations, its a phenomenal experience. i had very littleCome one people! i don't normally write reviews, but i felt compelled to, because the game was really enjoyable, no idea why so many are complaining about the ending, it wasn't that bad, i enjoyed the game and found myself captivated throughout my playtime, there's no reason to trash the game if the story line didn't meet your expectations, its a phenomenal experience. i had very little performance issues, and i highly recommend this if you enjoyed the other two titles, don't let the user reviewed put you off trying this out, for once the game critics got it right.… Expand
  77. obscurus166
    May 11, 2013
    6
    Mass Effect 3 is a basically decent game which is irretrievably spoiled by oversimplification and lack of dramatic direction.

    The game looks marvellous, but, as with many Bioware games, the locations are Potemkin villages: Shepard and her squadmates are restricted in their movements, hemmed in on all sides in small arenas with convenient chest-high walls, with no potential for    Mass Effect 3 is a basically decent game which is irretrievably spoiled by oversimplification and lack of dramatic direction.

    The game looks marvellous, but, as with many Bioware games, the locations are Potemkin villages: Shepard and her squadmates are restricted in their movements, hemmed in on all sides in small arenas with convenient chest-high walls, with no potential for interaction with the scenery.

    Combat largely handles well, but never strays from the mould of "cover-based shooter." The lack of any real challenge from the enemies discourages tactical thinking and the awkward use of the "F" key as a melee button makes the use of melee an unrealistic option on the PC.

    What is particularly frustrating about this game is how the stripped-down interface divests the gamer's experience of any verve or life. So many of the side missions are no more sophisticated than a text-based DOS game. When exploring a planet to find resources for the war, a player is simply told that he had recovered something of use, but there is no game-driven, interactive imperative to treat those text notifications with anything other than apathy. The "Citadel" DLC adds some welcome opportunity for character interaction and development, but really ought to have been part of the original game I can only imagine how shallow and unsatisfying ME3 would have been without it.

    The ending of Mass Effect 3 has attracted opprobrium quite rightly. Labouring hard over the course of three games to save squadmates, or entire species, has little or no dramatic payoff. The destinies of squad-mates and their unusual pairings are left ignored and untold. The narrative justification of the final denouement is weak and unsatisfactory, and somewhat contradicts established canon. This is particularly disappointing when the stripped-down, simplified gameplay mechanic runs the player on rails towards the choice of four such unsatisfying conclusions.

    For all those gripes, there is some fun to be had here, but ME3 deserves to be remembered most for squandered opportunities.    … Expand
  78. Riot
    Dec 13, 2012
    2
    Lowest critic score is 75 and it's coming from a bunch of **** in Romania. ARE YOU **** ME? 22 positives? For this piece of **** sequel? My grandma can write a better script than these clowns. And Clint Mansel? Probably there for the name, couldn't hear anything new, same recycled sounds and tracks. Graphics are better in no budget indie games and RPG is down the toilet.

    **** YOU    Lowest critic score is 75 and it's coming from a bunch of **** in Romania. ARE YOU **** ME? 22 positives? For this piece of **** sequel? My grandma can write a better script than these clowns. And Clint Mansel? Probably there for the name, couldn't hear anything new, same recycled sounds and tracks. Graphics are better in no budget indie games and RPG is down the toilet.

    **** YOU BIOWARE **** YOU EA **** YOU ORIGIN

    AND MOST IMPORTANT **** YOU STUPID PEOPLE WHO PAY FOR DAY 1 DLC    … Expand
  79. Ziamboni
    Jan 28, 2013
    8
    Could be perfect, but is only great.
    Positives:
    Main plot is just epic, great and awesome Gameplay is finally refined, making this a fun shooter Emotionally impacting story AMAZING soundtrack As always great voice-acting (especially Mark Meer, Brendan Keener (sp?), Keith David) Javik! Quite good multiplayer, even if lacking Negatives: Scrapping of old characters (most of the    Could be perfect, but is only great.
    Positives:
    Main plot is just epic, great and awesome
    Gameplay is finally refined, making this a fun shooter
    Emotionally impacting story
    AMAZING soundtrack
    As always great voice-acting (especially Mark Meer, Brendan Keener (sp?), Keith David)
    Javik!

    Quite good multiplayer, even if lacking

    Negatives:
    Scrapping of old characters (most of the characters from ME2 are only featured in cameos
    Side-quests aren't as good as they were in ME2 (still better than ME1)
    DAT ENDING, really WTF.
    Some plot points were left hanging (dark energy, proto-reaper from collector base, actually whole collector base decision is nonexistant)
    Handling of MAJOR decisions leaves much to be desired (Rachni queen, already mentioned collector base, rewriting/destroying geth etc)
    Aside from the main ENDING cutscenes, the last mission (priority: earth) which was advertised to DEATH is the worst, most boring missions in whole trilogy. I highly recommend the game, even in its flaws it's an amazing conclusion to epic trilogy.

    TBH, if the last mission (Priority:Earth) wasn't so lack-luster, noone would mind the retarded endings. Here's hoping for Priority:Earth DLC    … Expand
  80. Agrajagg
    Jan 27, 2013
    7
    I am sick and tired of the whiny user reviews about the endings. THEY FIXED IT. and if you are still upset about the endings not being that different from each other, then you have not been paying attention to the other endings to the Mass Effect series. These ending are in the same type as the first 2 games. To give the review a 0 just because of the ending is stupid. Here is why, if theI am sick and tired of the whiny user reviews about the endings. THEY FIXED IT. and if you are still upset about the endings not being that different from each other, then you have not been paying attention to the other endings to the Mass Effect series. These ending are in the same type as the first 2 games. To give the review a 0 just because of the ending is stupid. Here is why, if the game was so bad to earn a 0, then you would never finish it to see the endings! The rating is base on and OVERALL experience. The game was a very fun play. I enjoyed the experience and hope that they keep going in the Mass Effect universe.… Expand
  81. terbas
    Mar 29, 2013
    9
    I don't know what the people who poorly rated this game were thinking but this is one legendary game. It immersed me in the first couple of hours and I can't leave ME3 for long hours once I start to play it. Despite a few flaws (especially the same button used for cover, running and jumping over obstacles), this game is pure FUN and it surely deserves my score of "9".
  82. runeron
    Dec 23, 2012
    8
    I bought this game since I've played through both ME1 and ME2. After reading a lot of bad reviews, I didn't play it until recently. I have to say, after finishing it I don't understand why it has gotten so many bad user reviews. Sure, it could have been a lot better in many ways, but the game is fun to play and offers many hours of entertainment. I'm also positively surprised as to how funI bought this game since I've played through both ME1 and ME2. After reading a lot of bad reviews, I didn't play it until recently. I have to say, after finishing it I don't understand why it has gotten so many bad user reviews. Sure, it could have been a lot better in many ways, but the game is fun to play and offers many hours of entertainment. I'm also positively surprised as to how fun the multiplayer is. If you haven't bought the game already, it's well worth the money. Don't rush through the game, and I'm sure you'll enjoy it as well; It's not all about how good/bad the ending is (the way it is done was actually a bit disappointing). Don't forget to try out multiplayer.… Expand
  83. skeith
    Apr 5, 2013
    9
    I do not think the story is as bad as most people think it is. I also think it its always up to the developers how to end the story. The overall gameplay is good, it is getting better since ME1 and ME2. Many of the scenes are touching and sad. It is a shame I did not play it on release. Thanks Bioware, for this epic journey.
  84. alanbessa
    Feb 24, 2018
    8
    Recommended.

    Kinda clunky, and yes, could have a better ending, but still is a good game.
  85. randylin26
    Nov 1, 2013
    5
    Great game, ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE ENDING. It is your same old Mass Effect with crap ending. Giving it 5/10 cause its Mass Effect but the ending just killed it.
  86. idohaker
    Dec 12, 2012
    10
    this is mass effect the best game ever and mass effect 3 is out its a great game for the frenchise its batter then mass effect 1 but not mass effect 2,a year after the events of mass effect 2 commender sheperd is retired from is gob and after the reapers are invading for earth he is back you get to play a returning character from mass effect 1 and 2 the story is amazing if you have the 2this is mass effect the best game ever and mass effect 3 is out its a great game for the frenchise its batter then mass effect 1 but not mass effect 2,a year after the events of mass effect 2 commender sheperd is retired from is gob and after the reapers are invading for earth he is back you get to play a returning character from mass effect 1 and 2 the story is amazing if you have the 2 first game you can import your character from mass effect 2 and then the story is amzing without it the story will be fine but no so great.multoplayer is not so intersting but the gameplay is improved so becuase i dont care about the multiplayer i will give it 10/10 and say its in the second place on the best game for the frenchise the first is mass effect 2.so buy it… Expand
  87. Efferkongen
    Jul 7, 2015
    9
    I am a HUGE Mass Effect fan, and I got so say that the third is the best. It's combat system has been improved a lot, it's amount of dialogues are numerous, it's humor is great, and it's story awesome!

    However, a few mentions about it's flaws: It's a shame that it doesn't give you the chance to involve any of your previous party members from the second game. Even if some of them has    I am a HUGE Mass Effect fan, and I got so say that the third is the best. It's combat system has been improved a lot, it's amount of dialogues are numerous, it's humor is great, and it's story awesome!

    However, a few mentions about it's flaws:

    It's a shame that it doesn't give you the chance to involve any of your previous party members from the second game. Even if some of them has good reasons, it should still be an option to include them, and take the consequences of them joining you.
    The ending which a lot of people are mad about are worth mentioning as well. I personally love the explanation of why the reapers do the cycles, it makes sense, especially from a machines cold couculations. However, what disappointed me the most, what the unresolved matter with the Illusive man. Everything in 2 and 3 points to that he has a plan with the reapers that could be useful and effective, but morally screwed, but he is just indoctrinated for no reason, which is a huge letdown for me.

    Those are the two main reasons that I don't give this game a 10/10, because it just remove some of the best things in Mass Effect that could have made it completely epic.    … Expand
  88. mbelle_1983
    Dec 23, 2012
    10
    Mass Effect 3 shows us an intense ending of an epic story with good graphics and characters. You have to know part one and two. For all others: It`s a mix of a science fiction action role playing game.
  89. Toffenuff
    Jun 19, 2013
    6
    I cannot, in good conscience, give this game any lower than a 6 because up until the ending the game was superb and truly enjoyable for me. It's epic to gather the fleets of the universe together and to warp into battle like they do in the ending portion of the game. It builds upon the (in my opinion) great and enjoyable gameplay of ME2, and as usual the graphics are beautiful. SplendidI cannot, in good conscience, give this game any lower than a 6 because up until the ending the game was superb and truly enjoyable for me. It's epic to gather the fleets of the universe together and to warp into battle like they do in the ending portion of the game. It builds upon the (in my opinion) great and enjoyable gameplay of ME2, and as usual the graphics are beautiful. Splendid voice acting bring each character to life and the relationships and character development are all there.

    One of the best things about the ME series and Bioware is their whole, "what you did in the previous game impacts this game" and while there's still a cop out in some aspects that some of the things you did only are acknowledged or shown in a minor way, I think that's still impressive enough that it makes you feel you have truly impacted this universe beyond simply completing the missions. You've made choices, and those choices have had consequences.

    One thing I wish they had added was the ability to control real control of the Normandy and have some space maneuvering (as in simulation, not the Galaxy Map) and more importantly, space battles!

    Amazing game, but horrendous ending that was only partial fixed by the DLC. Would've given this game a 9 were it not for the ending. After dozens of hours of gameplay through various replays of each game to test different combinations of choices... how could you end the game like that? It was just... devastatingly disappointing.    … Expand
  90. Tecco
    Jul 3, 2013
    10
    Best Game series out there, great story and better and better gameplay for each game that tops in Mass Effect 3

    Abilities on different carracters that can be used in combination with each others, gameplay that makes you want to play just to play. A awesome story with characters you build a great personal relationship to, great laughs and great sorrows, that makes you go 35-45hours    Best Game series out there, great story and better and better gameplay for each game that tops in Mass Effect 3

    Abilities on different carracters that can be used in combination with each others, gameplay that makes you want to play just to play. A awesome story with characters you build a great personal relationship to, great laughs and great sorrows, that makes you go 35-45hours straight skipping work/school and forgetting to eat and sleep.

    Sadly people cant seem to review the game as a whole and focus on the ending that could be better, but even with the endings there is very little to put a finger on as a whole.
    Still it not even that bad a ending, just not how people want it to end making them butthurt, that they dont get a sugar sweet ending.

    I read trough afew critics in the "red" and alot of the stuff i just cant reconize from my playtroughs.
    Some state the exact opposite(Lies? but why?) of how the game works, some state the character acting and story is bad, even though i think both tops even the top end movies we have on the market today.

    This game made me play the ME1 and ME2 several times over to get the different coices and i have 5-7 playtroughs of the ME3 game itself, and besides that the surprisingly good Multiplayer i used a good 1000hours om itself.

    This game has been worth every penny!    … Expand
  91. THIJAKA
    Dec 16, 2012
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Mass Effect 3 is an incredibly controversial game, it has seen a lot of hate for all the flaws it has, these include a lack of dialogue options compared to the original two, more action oriented gameplay and a unsatisfying ending, for the most part these criticisms are valid, but even though there are many problems with the game I have no trouble in saying that Mass Effect 3 is a masterpiece.

    The Characters: Mass Effect 3 for all the things it did wrong, it did many things oozing with greatness, first of the greatest thing about the game is the characters, Garrus, Liara, Mordin, Legion, Thane, Anderson and my personal favourite character in the third installment ; EDI. They all have masterful moments, these moments range from being incredibly sad and emotional to moments which put a massive smile on your face.

    The Story: Mass Effect 3 has a damn good story (for the most part), and even though the story is a far worse RPG than 2, and especially Mass Effect 1, this doesn't mean that the story is any worse, people complain about the game compared to the previous two, but fail to realize that Mass Effect 3 is its own game, and is just as good, but in many different areas. The story is about taking down the reapers and gathering alliances to stop them, this will take you on an incredible journey full of beautifully executed moments, some of these moments I'd dare say are some of the greatest moments in media history.

    Gameplay and Presentation: Mass Effect 3 has once again greatly improved the gameplay for the series, the shooting mechanics have been tweaked and are better than ever, which still not masterful by any means, with a few bugs here and there, they controls are still pretty damn good. The Presentation hasn't improved so much from Mass Effect 2, but then again Mass Effect 2's feel and artistic style was near perfect, so there's no complaints here. Unlike Mass Effect 1, where you would land on a planet, which where always the same planet, just re textured , with the same facilities and artistic design, Mass Effect 3's location all feel diverse and wonderfully crafted.

    The Ending: The original ending was a highly disappointing conclusion, the extended cut made things a lot better, and despite the plot holes gave me a sense of closure

    Conclusion: Mass Effect 3 is a wonderful game, with great characters, great stories and great artistic design, and despite its flaws, and Casey Hudson's artistic integrity, Mass Effect 3 is a tremendous game and deserves to be played.    … Expand
  92. The_Blackmoore
    Jan 4, 2013
    8
    So the holydays are soon to be over. Every xmas I end up playing old games or trying out titles I skipped when released, sometimes I return to old mmo's or fire up battlefield or COD. This year I ended up buying (among others) the Mass Effect series on the cheap. I played ME1 a couple of years ago, but being a hardcore mmo player the streamlined gameplay somehow left me disappointed backSo the holydays are soon to be over. Every xmas I end up playing old games or trying out titles I skipped when released, sometimes I return to old mmo's or fire up battlefield or COD. This year I ended up buying (among others) the Mass Effect series on the cheap. I played ME1 a couple of years ago, but being a hardcore mmo player the streamlined gameplay somehow left me disappointed back then. Treat it like a interactive book or a movie instead To be honest the problem was, I misunderstood the whole concept and compared it to computer games and mmo gameplay I general. When I returned this winter I choose to treat it as a interactive book or a movie instead - and boy was I in for a ride. I played thru ME1 and ME2 and finally in ME3.

    For the first time I have actually cried during certain moments in a computer game.
    As an interactive movie or book the Mass Effect trilogy is one of the greatest games/stories of our generation. It's a trilogy and should be experienced like one straight up. Gameplay is pretty streamlined, but Bioware leaves you with a ton of hard moral choices within the story itself making the game taking some really different turns depending on how you decide play it. There at least three different endings - each of them depending on the decisions you made during the game(s). The replayability is not all that great, the core of the story will always be the same, but the relations with your comrades, alliances with other races could change dramatically. It's the little things that stand out and stay with you. The deep comradeship with Garrus or the fact that there at least two crewmembers being openly gay. The different romantic relations you can pursue. Or the moments when you have to sacrifice one of you teammates. In my case one who had been with me from ME1

    If you're looking for cheap games on Steam or Origin the Mass Effect series is a great choice if you likes me missed out earlier. It's breath taking.

    The Mass Effect trilogy is one of the greatest games of our generation, and you would be a fool to miss it.    … Expand
  93. vazait
    Jan 5, 2013
    2
    This game is not good as an RPG, it's not good as a cover-based shooter, and it's certainly not good as a hybrid of any sort. This game is atrocious, it truly is. And this comes from someone who liked ME2, despite its flaws. But anyways, what's wrong with the game? Well, I think the ridicilous ending has been covered well enough by a lot of other reviewers, so I won't go into detail on howThis game is not good as an RPG, it's not good as a cover-based shooter, and it's certainly not good as a hybrid of any sort. This game is atrocious, it truly is. And this comes from someone who liked ME2, despite its flaws. But anyways, what's wrong with the game? Well, I think the ridicilous ending has been covered well enough by a lot of other reviewers, so I won't go into detail on how stupid it was. Let's talk about the dumbed down dialogue instead. BioWare and EA apparently thought three choices as a standard was a bit overwhelming when playing ME1&2, so they had to remove the middleground. What is left is the **** and "Good Guy" options, and the occasional Renegade and Paragon option. The Renegade & Paragon system is also pretty stupid. 'If you aren't nice to people, you can't make rational choices'... The **** kind of sense does that make?
    And with the removal of dialogue options, comes the removal of dialogue too. Which I can see makes all kinds of sense. Why would you shift the focus from shooting endless hordes of Cerberus troops, over on the thoughts and psyche of the interesting and beloved crew. We all know thats why we loved the original games, right? It was the neverending cover-based shooting that attracted us all... ... right?
    With all irony aside, I find it pretty annoying that the crew is even less talkable in the third installment, than in the second. In like 19 hours, I had the total of THREE, unique dialogues with Liara (whom I had romanced in the previous games), whereas only TWO of them were private and on the Normandy. That kinda sucks, especially since she's one of my favourite characters in the entire series.
    Also: what's up with the character design? How come everyone dresses in the sexiest "armor" in the entire universe? Don't get me wrong, I am in fact a fan of the female body. But, why did Ashley throw away her giant power armor from ME1, in favor of the sleek, sexy outfit in the third? It looks stupid, and it doesn't make sense. But if she hadn't changed the armor, it would be significantly less time to show of her enlarged bazoongas. I'm not **** you when I say that the size of her **** have been increased from the first game. The entire game is so sexualized it just becomes silly. And to top it all off, they had to make EDI sexy too. I'm actually surprised she isn't a romance option. It would go along with the rest of this **** of a game perfectly. And while we're at EDI: what's her deal? Why does she act so out of character? She's not an AI, but she acts like one. When I think about, practically everyone acts out of character. The only one who doesn't do so, is Harbinger. He does the best job of sticking to his... 'personality' and agenda in the entirety of the game. Even Shepard acts out of character. What's the deal with the homosex-romance? I don't dislike homosexuals in any way, but the sudden change of sexuality is just weird.
    So, is there ANYTHING good about the game, you may ask. Well, kind of. The skill system is decent, better than ME2's (worse than ME1's). The weapons and attachments are pretty good, I prefer it over both the first and second installments' take on it. The armor and armor customization is vastly superior to both 1&2, so there are some good things about the game. One could say it looks pretty too - and I somewhat agree, but you feel like you don't always belong there. The game shows off what it can do and how beautiful it is, and sometimes, one ends up just as a watcher.
    My final complaint is in regards to Cerberus. Why did the story shift the focus away from the Reapers, and onto Cerberus? I don't feel like I'm saving the galaxy most of the time when I'm playing. Battling wave after wave of Cerberus-troops isn't fun, it doesn't make you feel like you're saving the galaxy, and it only makes you wonder why you are bothering with it. Feels kinda like busywork.

    All in all, this is one of the most disappointing games I have ever encountered. Mass Effect was one of my favorite games, and together with sequel one of my favourite game series. But now I can't even thoroughly enjoy the first installments, because I know it will all be in "vain", as this game is so butt****ingly stupid. This game is abominable. Steer clear away from this thing. The only reason this game isn't getting 1/10, is because it has Liara, Tali and Garrus in it (even though none of them want to speak with me).    … Expand
  94. SympathyChan
    Jan 7, 2013
    7
    My favorite color is red. I like orange too. Choices, choices, choices. Why does life have to be so complicated? Why, Lord? Why? Hristos se rodi, D
  95. AlanComek
    Jan 8, 2013
    8
    If you just take the ending out of this, this is another beautiful addition to the Mass Effect series, and (in my opinion), the most refined in terms of gameplay and overall design. Please disregard the hundreds of thousands of babies whining about the ending, which, by the way, is only 15 minutes of your 20-something hour experience.
  96. Minigun
    Mar 29, 2013
    8
    Here's a different kind of review: I actually liked the ending!

    Ok, so I started my Mass Effect journey with a bargain purchase of the first game in 2010, followed by a bargain purchase of the second part of series in late 2011 and now the final part in 2013. I still clearly remember the whole story and the feelings I had while playing it, so I can speak both for ME3 and the trilogy as    Here's a different kind of review: I actually liked the ending!

    Ok, so I started my Mass Effect journey with a bargain purchase of the first game in 2010, followed by a bargain purchase of the second part of series in late 2011 and now the final part in 2013. I still clearly remember the whole story and the feelings I had while playing it, so I can speak both for ME3 and the trilogy as a whole.

    Technically speaking, ME3 had superb audio and nice graphics. Very satisfying and enjoyable audiovisually. Game never crashed, I did not encounter any bugs either. Game felt very solid all around. The Origin requirement is a downer, but a small one. The atmosphere of the game (ie. the despair of the war) was a bit forced at times, but in the end held quite nicely. In ME1 I liked the feeling of vastness, how the plot spanned a lot of places on a huge scale. ME2 had perhaps did not have as epic a feel to it, for most of the game you spent hiring squad members from not-so-epic places and fights. I think ME3 went back to the roots in the epicness of scale.

    In ME1 I liked the fighting system and finding and upgrading new weapons. ME2 kind of streamlined the combat, but also removed all those micro-management details such as weapon mods. ME3 took somewhat a middle road in that regard: weapon mods return, but the weapon arsenal is quite limited. The biggest problem in fighting I had was Shepard getting stuck in cover when trying to run, resulting in a couple of unnecessary deaths in some of the harder fights. Other than that, gameplay felt pretty smooth.

    On terms of dialogue I think ME2 was the high point of the series. I really liked especially the female Shepards delivery of her lines. ME3 is not that good, but certainly not bad, either.

    The galaxy map mini-game this time was avoiding reapers, who were alerted by scanning the space for artifacts etc. I think ME1 had the best mini-game in that you actually landed on the planet and searched for stuff, even though it did get quite repetitive after while. In ME2 the mineral scanning was just dumb, as it did really not offer any challenge and there really was no big difference in the tactic you did it. The reaper mini-game in ME3 is again quite unnecessary, but at least you can apply some tactics to it, and it isn't really that much of an annoyance.

    And then there is the ending. I did play the extended cut, but also watched all the original ending videos from YouTube. I didn't really see the necessity of the extended endings, although they were perhaps a bit more satisfying. And the fourth ending type was indeed a smart move, which should have been in the original release also. On a side note, I also have played Eye of the Beholder, which threw you right back into DOS prompt after finishing the game, so I'm used to not having any fancy ending scenes. Anyway, most comments I've read about the ending being bad had two things in them: previous choices in the games had little to no effect, and not everything was explained. I think both are wrong accusitions.

    Choices in the previous games mainly affected your companions: who you were working with. At no point do I recall making any huge decisions directly regardin the forthcoming reaper invasion. Killed or saved the rachni queen in Noveria? Who cares, no one probably even knew she was there in the first place. Killed Wrex or was his best friends? Doesn't matter, there are plenty of krogans to be their leader, and plento of people on Normandy to be your wingmen. My point is, all the choices you made only affected the people around Shepard not things on a galactic scale. Therefore, I don't see how can someone expect so see any huge change in the outcome no matter what they did in the previous games. On the other hand, I still think they did a hell of a job with all the different combinations of who are alive and who you are with: dialogue changes according to the setting, and there are a huge number of different settings, which your previous choices _do_ affect.

    And the other thing, about leaving stuff open. I think the ending tied all the knots there were to be tied regarding galactic scale. Again, what happens to your mates is a different story, and left open. But that was not the point of the big picture. The point was the reaper invasion, and that was concluded in satisfying enough a way.

    The multiplayer requirement for the "better" endings was a stupid move, but I hear it was removed in the extended cut patch. I wouldn't know, as I ended up hacking my save game just to be sure I get the best ending: there were no multiplayer games anymore to boost your rating.

    All in all, a highly recommended game, and nowadays very good entertainment value for the cost: I only paid 9,95 in Origin store. I would give the game 8.5/10, which rounds to 8 just because of the multiplayer thing possibly affecting your single player campaign ending.    … Expand
  97. Xelion
    Jan 15, 2013
    8
    This was almost a great game, it's as good as ME2 with some enhancements. It has many epic missions and moments, yet.. in the end it doesn't even matter. That's why this is not a 10. It's an 8 but including the Extended Cut which really enhanced the game's last moments, though it could have been better.
    I have to admit it has a great optimization as I could fluidly play the game on an    This was almost a great game, it's as good as ME2 with some enhancements. It has many epic missions and moments, yet.. in the end it doesn't even matter. That's why this is not a 10. It's an 8 but including the Extended Cut which really enhanced the game's last moments, though it could have been better.
    I have to admit it has a great optimization as I could fluidly play the game on an old, lowend pc    … Expand
  98. DeadlyVeggie
    Jan 19, 2013
    9
    Spoilers on the ending:

    Look, moral choices are good, but having a 'Good' and 'Bad' scale to regulate them, is horrible. Thus, the paragon/renegade polarization is a terrible mechanic. HOWEVER, the ending to this series is its redeemer. Having absolutely everything burn is a way to hold up the small moral choices of the series as ultimately pointless. The binary morality of the    Spoilers on the ending:

    Look, moral choices are good, but having a 'Good' and 'Bad' scale to regulate them, is horrible.

    Thus, the paragon/renegade polarization is a terrible mechanic. HOWEVER, the ending to this series is its redeemer. Having absolutely everything burn is a way to hold up the small moral choices of the series as ultimately pointless. The binary morality of the series is therefore undermined.

    I imagine the one brain cell of EA got up on the wrong side of the bed and thought to reinvent Mass Effect at the end, and I for one commend it for its efforts.    … Expand
  99. mckw
    Apr 29, 2013
    8
    Apart from the ending, let us not forget that it is still a great experience, I may have many gripes but I still had a fun and enjoyable time with this game. It does hit the high tension mark at times but ultimately it is a step back or two from the previous game. With smaller team roster and less interesting back stories to them (except Legion's which was pretty BA). The quest system isApart from the ending, let us not forget that it is still a great experience, I may have many gripes but I still had a fun and enjoyable time with this game. It does hit the high tension mark at times but ultimately it is a step back or two from the previous game. With smaller team roster and less interesting back stories to them (except Legion's which was pretty BA). The quest system is just bad and was really overlooked by developers, though I do prefer the scanning in this game compared to searching for ores in the previous game. Overall the experience of this franchise is a 10/10, however the end leaves you wanting and very disappointing.… Expand
  100. BreakingBrad
    Jan 24, 2013
    10
    Mass Effect 3 is an epic and brilliant finale to a great trilogy of games. Let me just note, I am reviewing this game with the Extended Cut ending. The Mass Effect trilogy is the best series of games of all time, mainly because its choices are you choices and we do matters. Some may have found this to be disappointing, but not me.
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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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