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. AuldWolf
    Apr 30, 2013
    0
    I'd avoid it. If you want a really good RPG, try something by Larian Studios instead. It's mainstream mush... so you won't find any good stories here. BioWare hasn't made a good game in a long time, not since MDK2 or before.
  2. Brimsurfer
    Mar 8, 2012
    10
    This is the best game out there at the moment. Great combat mechanics, great story and a ton of choice. Multiplayer is also awesome, graphics and combat animations are amazing. The story has great twist and the game has 16 different endings, yes 16! This game is at least 10 times better than anyother modern RPG out there with the exception of Witcher 2. Definitely worth your time andThis is the best game out there at the moment. Great combat mechanics, great story and a ton of choice. Multiplayer is also awesome, graphics and combat animations are amazing. The story has great twist and the game has 16 different endings, yes 16! This game is at least 10 times better than anyother modern RPG out there with the exception of Witcher 2. Definitely worth your time and money. I am getting a huge kick out of multiplayer :D.… Expand
  3. mromih
    Mar 6, 2012
    9
    Great game. I hardly buy games on the first day, only on a rare exceptions, and this is one of them. The trilogy is one of the best (if not the best) in a Sci-Fi story driven video game. Intriguing story line, that gets deeper and deeper (the best way to experience the full effect , is by playing the games in sequence). You will feel the story and identify with the characters. Just playGreat game. I hardly buy games on the first day, only on a rare exceptions, and this is one of them. The trilogy is one of the best (if not the best) in a Sci-Fi story driven video game. Intriguing story line, that gets deeper and deeper (the best way to experience the full effect , is by playing the games in sequence). You will feel the story and identify with the characters. Just play them, you won't be dissaponted. To those haters having issues with the DLC in day one, well.... don't buy it, pretend it doesn't exists, and then...buy it in like..6 months? LOL… Expand
  4. Oliverbr
    Mar 7, 2012
    10
    Mass Effect 3 as the other games of the series is amazing in many ways, the soundtrack is good, the gameplay is very fluid,the graphics are great, and the game's storyline is not just good is huge.

    The aspect of RPG in Mass Effect is amazing, can not help but remember the classic RPG that you playd with your friends using books, you can develop the character as you want and your actions    Mass Effect 3 as the other games of the series is amazing in many ways, the soundtrack is good, the gameplay is very fluid,the graphics are great, and the game's storyline is not just good is huge.

    The aspect of RPG in Mass Effect is amazing, can not help but remember the classic RPG that you playd with your friends using books, you can develop the character as you want and your actions have a real effect in the game.
    Mass Effect not only brings an FPS game, but brings an RPG game where you have to make your own decisions, decisions that affect your character and the history of the game.    … Expand
  5. TwoGamingFellas
    Mar 7, 2012
    10
    So far, Mass Effect was the ONLY franchise that grabbed me. I love its story and how it evolved through the trilogy. The visuals are stellar, with a few minor graphical glitches. Its controls could've been better. Middle-mouse button is a real awkward control because of the way my mouse is set up. Its day one DLC deal was unfortunate, but won't stop me from enjoying the game.

    (Pro tip for    So far, Mass Effect was the ONLY franchise that grabbed me. I love its story and how it evolved through the trilogy. The visuals are stellar, with a few minor graphical glitches. Its controls could've been better. Middle-mouse button is a real awkward control because of the way my mouse is set up. Its day one DLC deal was unfortunate, but won't stop me from enjoying the game.

    (Pro tip for all the haters: Its nice to stand up for your principles, and I encourage to continue doing so, but don't shove it into other people's faces)    … Expand
  6. kalv
    Mar 7, 2012
    10
    The main issue with this game is the story and dialogue has been simplified and it looks exactly like ME2. The choices you make have little to no impact in the future. Although still a solid game and multiplayer is a fun addition.
  7. RegularNoodle
    Mar 14, 2012
    10
    While I do want to buff this games score up as much as possible I actually believe this game is a 10. I've not played a better game than this, making it the new high bar for me. Somehow this game was rated by hundreds of players within hours of release despite the fact that it's a 20 to 30 hour game. A note to Metacritic: please shut down abused user scores.
  8. BuggedJune
    Mar 14, 2012
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Let me begin by saying I LOVE the Mass Effect series. I have most of the comic books and the novels, (yes the ones with GAPING errors too) and I played the first two games in all the platforms. (though I only own a PC and a PS3 now) seeing as I could only get a complete experience in the PC version, this is the version I chose to play ME3 with. So here's my experience with it.


    The gameplay is absolutely beautiful. nicely balanced, the weapons and powers are very responsive, the sound effects for the guns have DEFINITELY improved. And the upgrade mechanic? It addressed one of my biggest problems with ME2, which was the lack of choices and customization - along with not knowing what the hell the actual weapon stats were. The graphics and have definitely improved, the HUD still clean as ever, and animation.. well, I'll get into that in a bit.

    But why do we even bother playing Bioware games in the beginning, what are they really known for. the story, oh the story. We fall in the world they create, immerse ourselves in the vast and endless universe, and live the life of a character we choose to create. we interact with characters that are deeper than some people we meet in the real world, and fall in love with a few of them. We take on missions upon missions that seems more ridiculous than the last and we come out of it with a stupid grin on our face knowing the next one's going to be even more ridiculous - and absolutely satisfying.
    So this was to be the finale to one of the biggest Sci-fi epic of our generation, and they did it. I wasn't the biggest fan of Mordin, but when he walked into that elevator, I let go of my mouse and keyboard, and sat back as I stared at my screen in utter sadness. When Thane jumped in to save me against Kai Leng at the Citadel, I cheered in excitement. I ended century long wars between species, saved and discovered new ones, and most importantly, united them all in a single force to be reckoned with. All of this for that final moment, when the battle that all 3 games have been leading up to was about to happen. And it all went to ****

    I'll talk about my problems with the ending in a second, but first, the bugs. After I took out reaper's AA cannon, there's a short period where I have to hold the ground until transport comes and picks me up. during which both my teammates froze in place, and stood there as if nothing was happening as Cannibals tore them a new one. I don't know how many times I used the Unity skill, and how many times I died, but it sure was frustrating. Then when I went to go talk to TIM, my paragon choices were grayed out. I did a full paragon playthrough and my meter was full. I thought, "maybe I missed something." so i just went with, and did some research later. Turns out, I wasn't the only one. your final morality choice in the game has a bug? This is truly unacceptable.

    So, the ending. There's a lot of talks about this being a "meta-game experience" and "it's just all a dream." And that bioware will sell extra ending as DLC. Now that's an interesting thought, "extra" endings for extra money. First of all, that makes it sound like there was an ending at all. Second of all, no. When I pay 60 dollars for a game (or 80 for CE) I expect a full game with a full ending. Not "ending coming soon via DLC" screen.
    And if it truly is the real ending? I think that's even worse. What happened to all the choices I made. All the people I saved and united? Regardless of the plot holes (please do look them up, some are quite critical) if a game is over, I want to see the result of my actions, especially in a game where player choice matters so much.

    all in all. it's amazing: the story, the character, the gameplay, IF you leave out the ending. There had better be an explanation in the near future - NOT in a form of a paid DLC - otherwise I may never touch the series ever again.    … Expand
  9. Darkeffect777
    Mar 25, 2012
    9
    Mass Effect 3 - great game, but not this brilliant, as Mass Effect 2. Gameplay great, hard battle and tactical with good level. But dialogue low and bad story, which doesn't line with Mass Effect 2 kill nice story. End Mass Effect 3 and first six hours me don't nice. Mass Effect 1-3 great series in our day, but 3 part kill this name "great series". I want new end, because I have epicMass Effect 3 - great game, but not this brilliant, as Mass Effect 2. Gameplay great, hard battle and tactical with good level. But dialogue low and bad story, which doesn't line with Mass Effect 2 kill nice story. End Mass Effect 3 and first six hours me don't nice. Mass Effect 1-3 great series in our day, but 3 part kill this name "great series". I want new end, because I have epic final of Mass Effect. If Bioware submit "DLC End" money, I don't love Bioware.… Expand
  10. Gr33nF00t
    May 24, 2012
    8
    I will begin with this: Mass Effect 3 had so much potential. All throughout the game, there are moments of beauty and brilliance, such as the "Leaving Earth" sequence. I heard how this game was terrible; a huge let down; a major blow to video games as a narrative medium. And for 96% of the game I thought to myself "What are these people talking about?" I really liked it; I felt like II will begin with this: Mass Effect 3 had so much potential. All throughout the game, there are moments of beauty and brilliance, such as the "Leaving Earth" sequence. I heard how this game was terrible; a huge let down; a major blow to video games as a narrative medium. And for 96% of the game I thought to myself "What are these people talking about?" I really liked it; I felt like I was steam-rolling towards the proper conclusion of my Shep.

    Then the ending happened. It was like watching the U.S. theatrical cut of Blade Runner. Roy gives the "Tears in rain" speech, releases the dove, and dies; and right when you are reaching cerebral climax, Deckard's clumsy voice-over enters your ear-holes to completely ruin your moment like a drunken man-child. ME3's ending by and large completely ignores all the choices you made throughout the previous games. On top of that, all the endings are the EXACT SAME. Sure, there are some very minor differences, but there is no meaningful variation among endings. There is no closure, no denouement.

    I could go on, but I will instead end with this: Were it not for the terribly handled ending this game would be a 10 in my book.    … Expand
  11. Regal
    Aug 24, 2012
    9
    Mass Effect 3 is an amazing game. Unlike popular opinion. The only gripe i have is of course the ending, purely because it's slightly behind par compared to the endings of other bioware games. But for me I view the game as a series of endings that tie off all the loose threads throughout the series. Which is something most people seem to have difficulty understanding. The gameplay isMass Effect 3 is an amazing game. Unlike popular opinion. The only gripe i have is of course the ending, purely because it's slightly behind par compared to the endings of other bioware games. But for me I view the game as a series of endings that tie off all the loose threads throughout the series. Which is something most people seem to have difficulty understanding. The gameplay is thoroughly enjoyable and the visual's are usually pretty good as well. Even the multiplayer is surprisingly great. One of the few multiplayers of recent games that I've enjoyed.… Expand
  12. davoid15
    Jul 15, 2012
    9
    Despite an anemic ending (mostly corrected by free DLC), still very worth a purchase. The story is still strong, characters well written, and multiplayer very fun. Definitely worth a pick up.
  13. Gil8ert
    May 28, 2012
    7
    Feels more like an expansion than a standalone game which is why I'm giving it a 7. However, I very much enjoyed it, just as I enjoyed Mass Effect 2. It reminds me very much of He-man the cartoon I watched as I was growing up because you do get a lot of morality spat in your face which, whilst at the time can come across as patronising and vomit inducing, actually fleshes out theFeels more like an expansion than a standalone game which is why I'm giving it a 7. However, I very much enjoyed it, just as I enjoyed Mass Effect 2. It reminds me very much of He-man the cartoon I watched as I was growing up because you do get a lot of morality spat in your face which, whilst at the time can come across as patronising and vomit inducing, actually fleshes out the experience. For the most part you are asked to make decisions which generally don't affect how the game will play, but everynow and then you are faced with making a hum-dinger of a choice which is where Mass Effect always excels. Most games require a simple choice of this or that which doesn't affect the outcome all that much, but here you are faced with choices between entire races which feel like big decisions to make and you might be thinking about the choice for a couple of minutes. And if a game can cause you to pause and think about the consequences of what you're doing for more than a nano-second then it has done good! The game itself is really more about living the story than it is being technically proficient, and I don't remember dying at any point - although I probably did. But if I did then it was only once or twice so it wasn't particulalry challenging. It did feel a little dumbed down from ME2. But for me it was a fine ending to the franchise. Not great, but fine. I would still recommend the whole lot to any gamer out there as an excellent example of an immersive experience.… Expand
  14. sundog005
    Sep 10, 2012
    10
    i have NO idea why this got so many negative player reviews, from readind some of them you were all playing a differant game, i'm glad i didn't listen to the incessant whining and went ahead and bought this game anyway. From between the ranting and inexplicable rage i gleaned that most of the complaints are unfounded or just unfair and i think that these people wouldn't of been happy withi have NO idea why this got so many negative player reviews, from readind some of them you were all playing a differant game, i'm glad i didn't listen to the incessant whining and went ahead and bought this game anyway. From between the ranting and inexplicable rage i gleaned that most of the complaints are unfounded or just unfair and i think that these people wouldn't of been happy with ANYTHING Bioware did.

    Great effing game a classic and worthy as a finale its better than a damn movie guys...eat your heart out B5 and Star Trek...even Star Wars, Mass Effect once the movies are released will be up there with them mark my words. (I didn't say better i said *up there with them* btw)    … Expand
  15. hunboy
    Nov 28, 2013
    10
    Why the hell is this game so underrated? I enjoyed it so much! It was even better then the ME2! The plot is interesting, the comrades are awesome as usually, the combat system is fascinating, the music is simply perfect. 10/10 for me.
  16. Avoidedknave
    Jan 9, 2019
    0
    Great game, horrible ending, but it is at least nice in the beginning and the middle, I still will never forgive what the had done to the ending
  17. OrbD
    Mar 7, 2012
    10
    I have not played this game, but I have read the user reviews posted over the past day and I am disgusted by them. Having only played the content found on the demo of this game I can comfortably say that it is an expertly crafted gameplay experience and that that alone deserves a 7, at the least, but aforementioned reviews do not care for the quality of gameplay, fantastic story, deeplyI have not played this game, but I have read the user reviews posted over the past day and I am disgusted by them. Having only played the content found on the demo of this game I can comfortably say that it is an expertly crafted gameplay experience and that that alone deserves a 7, at the least, but aforementioned reviews do not care for the quality of gameplay, fantastic story, deeply crafted world or fabulous musical score, no; they only care for the fact that it is not the same game as previous instalments.

    Not to mention they wrote reviews within 16 hours of the release of a game easily requiring at least 50+ hours of gameplay.    … Expand
  18. Petator
    Mar 7, 2012
    10
    Wow, there are so many low reviews here that I'm pretty sure some group is doing a troll raid.

    There are enough genuinely angry looking reviews here, though, that I registered just to give my opinion The Prothean has as much story involvement as Zaeed in ME2, no more. It's day 1 dlc, but it's got no involvement with the main story, just a little bit of interesting character banter. I    Wow, there are so many low reviews here that I'm pretty sure some group is doing a troll raid.

    There are enough genuinely angry looking reviews here, though, that I registered just to give my opinion

    The Prothean has as much story involvement as Zaeed in ME2, no more. It's day 1 dlc, but it's got no involvement with the main story, just a little bit of interesting character banter.

    I feel that this is the best game in the series. It's simplified, but not cut down to the point of ME2. The characters and story are really well done as always, and the combat and level design is better than it's ever been. My favorite thing, however, is how tough some of the choices are. Don't let the trolls here fool you, this is the best game I've played in a long time.    … Expand
  19. DrGulag
    Mar 7, 2012
    8
    This is to all those people who have major concerns regarding Mass Effect 3, especially after Dragon Age 2 since that abomination basically killed the whole series for me. So yes, I was also worried about auto-dialogue and lack of quality textures/animations. When you begin ME3 it's hard not to cringe when Anderson is running in Vancouver.

    +-But at the same time the storytelling feels    This is to all those people who have major concerns regarding Mass Effect 3, especially after Dragon Age 2 since that abomination basically killed the whole series for me. So yes, I was also worried about auto-dialogue and lack of quality textures/animations. When you begin ME3 it's hard not to cringe when Anderson is running in Vancouver.

    +-But at the same time the storytelling feels more fluid and immersive. I have to admit that I'm only in the Citadel at this point but no "mission completed" screens so far. Yes, there are less dialogue options but it doesn't really take away from the experience during the opening act. Conversation wheel isn't the most important thing when things are exploding and you are trying to take down enemies but if it continues like this inside hubs...well then it will be really annoying.

    ++I also have to say that ME3 is by no means a cakewalk. I'm playing on insanity at the moment and so far the fights have been more challenging than in ME2. The AI has clearly improved.

    ++You also have weapon customization so that's an improvement from ME2.

    -I do dislike how you perform so many actions with only one button (spacebar). Sometimes I'm accidently rolling around like an idiot eventhough I just want to perform a simple action.

    In a nutshell : Gameplay is better and visuals are not great by todays standards (I miss the film grain effect).

    At this point it's a solid 7.5-8 and definitely worth a buy. :)    … Expand
  20. Juicepants
    Mar 7, 2012
    9
    This game might be the best game I've ever played. I have no idea why so many people feel the need to give it a 1 the day it came out. The one button for cover/sprint/action can be obnoxious, but the dialogue is amazing and it's the culmination of one of the best video game stories. Ignore all the haters If you liked ME1 and ME2 this game will be the icing on the cake.
  21. BobTheSpy
    Mar 7, 2012
    9
    Quality game. I don't know what these other reviews are talking about - it hasn't been "dumbed down" - if anything, the game has gotten more complicated! Leveling has more branches, and you can now upgrade your weapons with a wide variety of attachments. Armor has statistics - there's numbers everywhere.

    The graphics are definitely improved, and the gameplay has as well. Combat is    Quality game. I don't know what these other reviews are talking about - it hasn't been "dumbed down" - if anything, the game has gotten more complicated! Leveling has more branches, and you can now upgrade your weapons with a wide variety of attachments. Armor has statistics - there's numbers everywhere.

    The graphics are definitely improved, and the gameplay has as well. Combat is intense, the controls are smooth, and the powers actually feel *powerful* - it's a lot of fun. The multiplayer only adds to the experience and is a ton of fun with friends.

    Ignore all the 1's and 0's reviews - 90% of them haven't even played the game. From someone who HAS played the game, let me tell you - ME3 is a quality game.    … Expand
  22. raeting
    Mar 7, 2012
    10
    Mass Effect 3 is a great game. I'm 25 hours in.

    The negative reviews: I cannot reconcile my own playtime with what's written here. Mostly seems like people are sore over the Day 1 DLC, not getting what they wanted out of the narrative, or giving the game a 1 or 0 because it is 'dumbed down' or some other similarly vague reason. With a smattering of balance issues intermixed. DLC is just    Mass Effect 3 is a great game. I'm 25 hours in.

    The negative reviews:

    I cannot reconcile my own playtime with what's written here. Mostly seems like people are sore over the Day 1 DLC, not getting what they wanted out of the narrative, or giving the game a 1 or 0 because it is 'dumbed down' or some other similarly vague reason. With a smattering of balance issues intermixed.

    DLC is just how it is going to be going forward. I understand the anger, but a game isn't poor or unenjoyable because it has DLC. ME2 had a huge amount of DLC packs, of varying usefulness, many of which were far, far more important to the plot than From Ashes. It was generally regarded as a great game.

    The game isn't dumbed down. Combat is essentially on terms with ME2 in terms of complexity. Equipment is more complex (in a good way). The narrative is more mature, both in content and writing style.

    Finally, there is no major balance issue. In the many hours of multiplayer I've seen every class be a real asset to the team. Can things be improved? Yes. Is the game devoid of value because of the imperfect balancing? No.

    It is dishonest to give the game a 0 or 1 review. There's not enough different between ME1, 2, and 3 to justify such low scores.

    Story:

    Story is better than both of the sequels. There's nothing 'dumbed down' here, from how the squad mates interact to how Shepard changes as a character. It works. There are a fewer long, drawn out, conversations with your squad mates while on the Normandy, but that falls under less is more. There is a /lot/ more realism and casual banter. Everyone feels more like a real person.

    For the first 1/3 of the game, there is a bit of a sense that the galaxy isn't paying attention to what's going on. Earth has fallen, but the citadel is, well, the citadel. The reapers, however, continue their advance and everything changes. It is certainly one of the more dynamic single-player worlds I've seen.

    Your former squad mates return in varying capacities. Many have changed, mostly for the better, since you last saw them. Not all can join you, but that's ok. The choices in ME3 are galactic scale. Several times I've had to walk away at a fork in the road to think about it a bit.

    If I were to point out any big change in the way the game feels, it is a lack of formality. In ME1 and 2, both, there was a bit more of a sense of the ship being run military, so to speak. In ME3, everyone is more comfortable with each other. Shepard doesn't lay down the law quite so often -- it just isn't as frequently necessary. That's not to say there are not strong interpersonal conflicts, there are. Shepard, as well, needs more help this time. They are less of an unbreakable rock this go around, the fractures start to show, and the friendships Shepard has (presumably) cultivated helps take off some of the pressure.

    I'd like to gush more about the narrative, but I'll leave it at: if you enjoyed ME1 and 2's story, this will be a pleasant experience. You can't always get what you want, but that's the point. The reaper invasion isn't a picnic. People are going to die.

    Just as an aside, though, if you judge the narrative by the first few hours you are missing out. Gameplay: It is far improved from ME1 and 2. More of an evolution on what ME2 was, if anything. Combat is focused, fast, intense. Battles can turn on a dime if you aren't careful. Easier than ME2 on normal difficulty, I recommend turning it up if you want a challenge. The enemies and settings are far, far, faaar more varied in ME3. I have noticed that squad mates are a bit less useful without direction, though. Which can be an issue in the more difficult fights. Given orders, though, they are just fine.

    I played somewhere around 50 hours of the demo multiplayer in the couple weeks I could. So combat is fun for sure.

    Technical:

    Load times seem improved. No major technical issues I've run into on the PC. Textures are on par with ME2.

    Overall:

    Great game. I'm positive I'll end up replaying it 3-4 times.    … Expand
  23. Magebear
    Mar 7, 2012
    9
    About 6hrs in I'm enjoying this game. I'm even using a laptop at lower graphic settings and think the graphics are nice. I went for 9-or 10 because the damned spacebar is used for EVERYTHING. On a PC we have a whole keyboard... Couldn't we have different key bindings for cover and jump?

    As to all the user panning: Shooter fans won't like it because it's too RPG, RPG fans will **** because    About 6hrs in I'm enjoying this game. I'm even using a laptop at lower graphic settings and think the graphics are nice. I went for 9-or 10 because the damned spacebar is used for EVERYTHING. On a PC we have a whole keyboard... Couldn't we have different key bindings for cover and jump?

    As to all the user panning: Shooter fans won't like it because it's too RPG, RPG fans will **** because it's too shooter and all those with closet issues will balk at the options for gay/lesbian relationships. It's a hybrid so the first two are unavoidable, but with regards to the last one, unless you're twelve, it's time to grow up.    … Expand
  24. BlueReckloose
    Mar 9, 2012
    9
    The game is a very good step up on the story telling from Mass Effect 2, there is just more to the telling this particularly go around, lots of dialogue. It's definitely better on story telling than the first, where you get snippits and bits constantly, instead of running up to characters only to have them drop an encyclopedia out of there mouth like what happened in the first one.

    I'm    The game is a very good step up on the story telling from Mass Effect 2, there is just more to the telling this particularly go around, lots of dialogue. It's definitely better on story telling than the first, where you get snippits and bits constantly, instead of running up to characters only to have them drop an encyclopedia out of there mouth like what happened in the first one.

    I'm also really liking that the whole encyclopedia effect has been relegated to being more optional, as it does sometimes pop up, but after the important conversation. So, you end up getting back story after actually meeting a character, and you don't feel some prescient need to roll through it all.

    The way items works feels a great deal more in depth than ME2. There just seem to be more options, which is good. I still preferred the item system from the first, but ME3's items are superior to the seemingly non existent options of ME2.

    The expanded romance options from the first two games are really nice. I always felt left out and somewhat prudish playing the first two with having so few options. And for all the people complaining about "gay romance" ruining the game, it's low key, fitted incredibly well to the game and story. Nothing feels out of place, it's just part of the world. I really liked randomly running into a few NPC's that would briefly touch on their own relationships as well. It makes the world feel more alive than the previous two titles.    … Expand
  25. Afrolicious
    Mar 7, 2012
    10
    This is one of the greatest games I have ever played, all the "0" reviews are obviously trolls who have nothing better to do with their time. To give some reasons to why this games is greats is that not only is the game well written but it's fun to play as well!
  26. Spaceguy5
    Mar 8, 2012
    10
    (1) Yes the game has day 1 DLC, which sucks. Does that detract from it? Heck no.
    (2) Yes, the game requires Origin to play. Does that detract from it? Heck no.
    (3) Yes, some of the animations in the game aren't perfect. But overall, they're very good. It's no worse than the other games in the serious, I don't understand why people are whining about this so much. (4) The graphics and sound    (1) Yes the game has day 1 DLC, which sucks. Does that detract from it? Heck no.
    (2) Yes, the game requires Origin to play. Does that detract from it? Heck no.
    (3) Yes, some of the animations in the game aren't perfect. But overall, they're very good. It's no worse than the other games in the serious, I don't understand why people are whining about this so much.
    (4) The graphics and sound quality are very good, especially considering this is made on the Unreal 3 engine, which is ancient.
    (5) Yes, the ending is total crap. But that's only 10 minutes out of a muuch longer game. As much as I and a lot of people loathe the ending, it's still just a small part of the game.

    Overall, I loved it. Very enjoyable story, good graphics and sound quality, new gameplay mechanics (thank you for getting rid of that stupid hacking minigame, and for finally replacing the resource gathering minigame with something that isn't a total waste of time) and better weapon/character appearance customization and variety. I truly think it deserves a 10/10. It was pretty bug-free too, I encountered very very few bugs, I had worse bug trouble in ME and ME2.

    Ignore all the moronic trolls spamming extremely low scores. They're just butthurt sheep (I really wonder how many have even played the game) who don't like the Day 1 DLC and/or the ending (heck, I saw some complaining that BioWare used stock photos--a great deal of games/movies/books/ads/everything uses stock material. That's what stock material is made for, to be used in a big variety of projects.)    … Expand
  27. Esiasch
    Mar 8, 2012
    10
    I'm really confused by the user reviews here. I am quite a ways through the game and the only thing I have experienced is more of the same from Bioware (which is to say, more gaming greatness). The resolution of plots big and small throughout the series is incredibly satisfying. The combat was a little shaky at first but once I started to grasp the flow of the new combat system it becameI'm really confused by the user reviews here. I am quite a ways through the game and the only thing I have experienced is more of the same from Bioware (which is to say, more gaming greatness). The resolution of plots big and small throughout the series is incredibly satisfying. The combat was a little shaky at first but once I started to grasp the flow of the new combat system it became obvious that Mass Effect 3 would not only overpower its predecessors but my highest expectations as well. Great job Bioware!… Expand
  28. ittarter
    Mar 8, 2012
    8
    I've only been playing for five hours and I'm hooked. SP is fantastic -- the plot, dialogue, visual effects, leveling, fighting -- and MP looks promising too. All the meaningless 0 scores this game suffers on Metacritic -- just ignore them. I played around 200 hours between ME and ME2, I've played KOTOR, I've played DAO and DA2, I'm a lover of the FPS of Crysis and the legendary RPGI've only been playing for five hours and I'm hooked. SP is fantastic -- the plot, dialogue, visual effects, leveling, fighting -- and MP looks promising too. All the meaningless 0 scores this game suffers on Metacritic -- just ignore them. I played around 200 hours between ME and ME2, I've played KOTOR, I've played DAO and DA2, I'm a lover of the FPS of Crysis and the legendary RPG series, Diablo 2. This game easily trumps them all. Especially if you're a lover of the lore because you've played through the earlier games in the series. Don't cheat yourself. Buy the first one and play it through, then the second, then the third. They're all excellent and I can't think of a more compelling universe ever made -- Star Wars only gets props because it was first (and Middle Earth too, of course). And ME3 will still be around 100 hours of gameplay afterward when you've properly prepared yourself for it, to enjoy it for all it's worth.… Expand
  29. F_U_Wannabes
    Mar 6, 2012
    10
    since when its a reason to give bad score for dlc or origin? well Trolls thinks so, so ignore them.

    sure isn't mass effect 1 but if you liked mass effect 2 you'll like this one too, same mechanics if not even better, story isn't bad and since its triology we true ME fans we already knew how this triology would end and now this is the last chapter. mass effect 2 in a short version this was    since when its a reason to give bad score for dlc or origin? well Trolls thinks so, so ignore them.

    sure isn't mass effect 1 but if you liked mass effect 2 you'll like this one too, same mechanics if not even better, story isn't bad and since its triology we true ME fans we already knew how this triology would end and now this is the last chapter. mass effect 2 in a short version this was more a scounting mission and at end preemptive strike, but now this gets more weight and tension then ever before, its WAR .

    game is fluid, animations too, more weapons and costumization too (also weapon mods). story is good but it feels like you're racing against time (obviously its war of survival), fight on earth, mars and everywhere this is great. decisions more then ever effects the outcome on a much bigger scale, no longer they stay with you if you take the worst decisions or act like jackass-selffish human.

    multiplayer is great and very fluid and various classes, characters and weapon mods and unlocks and its co-op featurings 6 maps (for now). i reccomend this game and i give 10, sadly majority here gives 1 and 0's but based on something wich isn't the game itself "dlc, EA, origin, no sense" ........    … Expand
  30. Arona
    Mar 7, 2012
    10
    All these comments seem like a bad flash-mob and nothing more.
    I've played about 10 hours so far, but I've shed tears twice already. No other game affected me so much. Awful animations? Bad plot? Oh come on!!!
  31. Lucrious
    Mar 7, 2012
    8
    For longtime fans of the series the story doesn't disappoint, regardless of how 'dumbed down' the combat and user-interface has become since Mass Effect 1, for those invested in how there Commander Shepard's story ends, they will not be disappointed!
  32. Enigma_Syrus
    Mar 8, 2012
    7
    I'll get this out of the way, I was disappointed with Mass Effect 3. The graphics in ME3 are very hit and miss. During gameplay, its fast, responsive and it looks great. But cutscenes are terrible; the animations are atrocious and the shading it lackluster at best. I really do believe that Bioware took a step backwards by going with the Unreal3 or putting last time in the art assets of theI'll get this out of the way, I was disappointed with Mass Effect 3. The graphics in ME3 are very hit and miss. During gameplay, its fast, responsive and it looks great. But cutscenes are terrible; the animations are atrocious and the shading it lackluster at best. I really do believe that Bioware took a step backwards by going with the Unreal3 or putting last time in the art assets of the game. Now, a pleasant surprise was multiplayer. I didn't think it'd be good. I thought it'd be some side distraction, something to play once and toss away. But the multiplayer is actual good in its own right; just not worth $60. It does however give a really good example of what the core gameplay of the ME series is capable of. I would honestly like to see it expanded into an MMO or expanded multiplayer experience; so long as they leave the gameplay intact and perhaps allow more customization.

    As for the story, I can't tell you too terribly much. It definitely appears to be on rails, much more so than ME1 or ME2. I play as a FemShep and Jennifer Hale's acting is still great, too bad my custom face didn't import worth a damn. I won't even get started on the "default" FemShep. Terrible... if you compare male and female Sheperd, you can see where they spent their time.

    So in the end, is it worth getting? Right now, I'd have to say no. I was really looking forward to this game and it has ended up as a disappointment. But you should get it when the price lowers to around $30-$40. That's the price should've paid for closure (sorta) and the multiplayer experience.    … Expand
  33. hugamuga
    Mar 8, 2012
    8
    Just finished it, and it took me according to the game 19:10 which is roughly the same amount of time it took in the previous 2 games. While the game is great, and I really like the new combat system, it tends to get repetitive towards the end. Enemies are pretty limited in variety and missions all seem to have similar objectives. Its still worth playing although I would avoid paying fullJust finished it, and it took me according to the game 19:10 which is roughly the same amount of time it took in the previous 2 games. While the game is great, and I really like the new combat system, it tends to get repetitive towards the end. Enemies are pretty limited in variety and missions all seem to have similar objectives. Its still worth playing although I would avoid paying full price off Origin (in Australia) as it's a lot cheaper to just get it in store.

    I was mildly disappointed in the lack of squad mates, for most of the game i was limited to 5, and while this will vary with some players it did seems a bit of a small selection to choose from. I won't say anything about the story apart from that I enjoyed it, but not as much as the first installment, but it is still at the typical Bioware standard. While I haven't bought the DLC I really do not see it as being a major problem it really just like any other paid DLC in the mass effect series, while it adds new information and interesting things about the mass effect universe. It is in no way required to enjoy the story and you will not notice its missing presence.

    Overall a decent ending to a great series, well worth your time and money, but by no means perfect.    … Expand
  34. Liquid_Wolf
    Mar 7, 2012
    9
    It is on par with the rest of the series, and I'm finding that it appears to have quite a bit more in common in 1.

    Definitely a good game, and in no way a 0 or a 1. Hell, even at it's worst, this game would at least rate a 7 or 8. It might be a homophobia issue, or perhaps people just want to get after EA... but ME 3 is a solid game if you liked the first two.
  35. Abisco79
    Mar 7, 2012
    10
    So first off I would like to state my score is more of a 9.8/10, but since I can't do that, I guess I'll stick with a 10.

    So, let me also get out of the way that I am an avid mass effect fan... I've played mass effect 1 and 2 countless times, and love the games to death. They definitely had their flaws, but each had a gripping story and powerful characters. The biggest flaws for me was    So first off I would like to state my score is more of a 9.8/10, but since I can't do that, I guess I'll stick with a 10.

    So, let me also get out of the way that I am an avid mass effect fan... I've played mass effect 1 and 2 countless times, and love the games to death. They definitely had their flaws, but each had a gripping story and powerful characters. The biggest flaws for me was that ME1 had poor shooting mechanics, and ME2 had poor RPG mechanics.

    Mass effect 3 fixed both these issues.
    Now, please disregard all the 1 reviews, and many of the 10 reviews. These people are either trolling or have no idea what they are talking about. The game is NOT a 1/10 (which is the equivalent to a game you cannot play due to bugs such as the DS games that comes out for children based around barbie dolls). If anything, the shooting and RPG mechanics are at their finest, demonstrating a true synergy between the two. It's great fun, but you can definitely choose to focus on not shooting as much, or using abilities as much. The options are readily available to you.

    For me, the game really does ALMOST everything right. All the characters from the past are back, if you import your character choices do matter. Things get very exciting and there are loads of deaths. The soundtrack is awesome, same with the voice acting.

    Now for my two problems with the games (you can assume that everything else other then these points were so irrelevant to me that they fit in to the game well):
    - Auto dialogue: Now I have to say, at the beginning I was really annoyed, and am still kind of SLIGHTLY bummed about it, but when you get 3-5 hours into the game, the choices open up. You don't have as many choices as ME2, but that's because they cut the fat out. No longer do you have 2 choices that are basically the same thing. The illusion of choice has been removed. Maybe that annoys people, but its something you can get over quickly.

    -The endings: Now I won't ruin anything, but I just expected a bit more. I was ready to give the game 10/10 (rather then a 9.8/10), but the ending really detached me from the game... It made me stare at the screen for a bit and think... well... is that it? It slightly ruins the entire experience for me, though the journey was with it, my mind is still getting over whether the destination was worth it.

    Facts for reference:
    22 Hours
    Adept, Hardcore, Imported from ME1. Overall, I loved the game. If you can get past the fact that you don't have a choice about EVERYTHING shepard says, and are ready for endings that may leave something to be desired, then go ahead and buy the game. Its totally worth it and I loved every minute of it. Score: 9.8/10 (Rounded to a 10 for metacritic)    … Expand
  36. MattC
    Mar 7, 2012
    9
    It is day two and there are already 560 negative reviews. Agreed that this game has its flaws, but at LEAST play the game all the way through ONCE before completely trashing it. I have a feeling that 90% of these reviewers never even finished the game, or even got through the first act. I haven't finished either, but from I've played it deserves at least an 8. Oh and btw for youIt is day two and there are already 560 negative reviews. Agreed that this game has its flaws, but at LEAST play the game all the way through ONCE before completely trashing it. I have a feeling that 90% of these reviewers never even finished the game, or even got through the first act. I haven't finished either, but from I've played it deserves at least an 8. Oh and btw for you homophobes, bioware had homosexual relationships back in ME1, remember? So I don't know what the big deal is with this game. Next time you go to post here, please at least beat the game ONCE before destroying, because all you're doing by posting "reviews" on DAY 1 is making yourself look like a tool.… Expand
  37. Mrooo
    Mar 7, 2012
    10
    I'd like to review it, but since it came out 24 hours ago there's no way I could really do it.

    I'm actually writing this review to show how stupid it is to have user reviews open on MetaCritic the day the game is released. Not a single user review on this website, for or against the game, have played it all the way through. The legitimate critics obviously had copies ahead of time. The    I'd like to review it, but since it came out 24 hours ago there's no way I could really do it.

    I'm actually writing this review to show how stupid it is to have user reviews open on MetaCritic the day the game is released.

    Not a single user review on this website, for or against the game, have played it all the way through. The legitimate critics obviously had copies ahead of time. The users? Either people who are currently enjoying wherever they are in the game and trying to defend it from the people who are trolling this website so bad that it's lost its credibility. Neither of those camps have played this game through enough to give a solid review.

    With that said, I've played about 6 hours and I think it's a big-scale, epic adventure. Not perfect, but definitely groundbreaking. Animations are a bit shoddy, to be honest, but textures and shaders are very impressive as are the effects. Voice acting is good, not as good as SWTOR sadly, but still top-notch. The combat is the same as ME2 with some improved melee mechanics, which is entirely a good thing. The multiple playstyles (Action, RPG, Story) are a nice addition to give people a streamlined or drawn out way of playing the game - which is another example of how messed up the reviews are here, simply visiting all three options for a few hours of playtime each would have taken too long for these reviews we are seeing here.

    The lack of support for gamepads is definitely off-putting, but the controls for the KB/M are solid as expected.

    The story so far is compelling and emotional, even if it is rather cliche. Some people could be offended by being expected to have compassion for those getting slaughtered on earth but it's not surprising in the least, some people just want to play video games for superficial entertainment, whereas ME3 is more like playing a movie. If you don't want any story or emotional attachment, then this game is not for you.    … Expand
  38. OhTheDerp
    May 29, 2012
    8
    Best game in the whole Mass Effect franchise. I don't give a single **** about the "horrible" ending; the game was perfectly entertaining and impressive in almost every aspect. The only thing I can complain about is how it was not similar to the leveling system of the first game, and I'm not fond at all of having to find clips (There Mass Effect 1 was better and more fun).
  39. jerichoholic123
    May 19, 2012
    9
    The game is awesome until the ending, where... you know. The ending **** sucks. I also didn't like the fact that I couldn't explore homeworlds. And side missions are initiated by eavesdropping. Yeah, that sucked.
  40. Meldron
    May 22, 2012
    8
    Just finished the game and can't understand this strong complaints about the ending/game. Well, it lost a lot of its RPG roots which is surely sad, but I was very well entertained. The story is really great (at least for me), the presentation is wonderful too, and the shooter part does its work. The ending is definitely not the best I ever saw, but by far not as bad as I expected afterJust finished the game and can't understand this strong complaints about the ending/game. Well, it lost a lot of its RPG roots which is surely sad, but I was very well entertained. The story is really great (at least for me), the presentation is wonderful too, and the shooter part does its work. The ending is definitely not the best I ever saw, but by far not as bad as I expected after all that comments. It's OK - not more and not less.… Expand
  41. Etrute
    Jun 1, 2012
    9
    Tight controls, beautiful environments, and fluent combat all make ME3 what it is today, a success. The storyline too makes it a beautifully written book. The largest issue to the "mob" seems to be a lackluster ending, an increadibly small price to play considering the 30 hours i'v put into each game in the series (plus the 60 extra hours from playing two other characters on varyingTight controls, beautiful environments, and fluent combat all make ME3 what it is today, a success. The storyline too makes it a beautifully written book. The largest issue to the "mob" seems to be a lackluster ending, an increadibly small price to play considering the 30 hours i'v put into each game in the series (plus the 60 extra hours from playing two other characters on varying difficulties). Considering all the choices made throughout four games, what the hell did people expect? Turian Strippers and Quarian supremecy? For those of you not stuck up on the Single Player, the multiplayer too has lots of fun to be had. Like short war stories one holds the line and moves forward with valid team combat. The idea that Bioware didn't innovate or expand on the original two is amusing, If they had picked any ending beside the one in now, it would be flamed. If They had everyone wear special hats, it would be flamed. The biggest issue i have with the game is the lack of a Mako, it made the game a bit more interesting, stumbling around in the universe in your own casket-box and being quite suprised when you see your first Maw.… Expand
  42. magnetite
    Aug 15, 2012
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Mass Effect 3 is an outstanding game, worthy of Game of the Year. Story is excellent. Combat is very fluid. As for the ending, it's absolutely mind blowing. Although you might have to play the first two games in order to understand it. Not to mention read some of the codex entries, video logs, and other things found throughout the series. Your e-mail also may have some hints. At any rate, the ending may seem a bit off, because it's a dream or hallucination. Or as I like to put it an indoctrination induced nightmare. Given all the evidence provided to you during the course of the trilogy, it makes sense. However you need to look for it, whether that's out on missions or even in your codex (for each game)

    Some other things to note with the game. Now some people said there was a lack of side quests where you'd go exploring planets and such. The way I saw this personally, is that if I was to waste half the game doing side missions on planets, that's several trillion lives I could have saved. The Reapers aren't just some synthetic bad guy. They are billions of years more advanced than we are. It'd be like an ant taking on a giant. That is the kind of enemy you're dealing with. Some people were expecting this to be some sort of kick the Reapers into the black hole where they came from and ride off into the sunset. The ending we received is very fitting, given who the Reapers are. Galaxy in shambles, but gives hope to rebuild everything is a perfect way to end it. I'm personally not big on an ending where everyone lives happily ever after. Bioware tried to do something a little different. There was mention that you didn't get some of your old squadmates to fight with you. You didn't actually have them in your squad, but each of them had their own side mission, so it's kind of the same thing. Not to mention, they will join you when it comes to retake Earth.

    As for war assets not affecting the ending, I did notice some war assets that were used, however, they weren't on Earth. For example the war asset named "Armali Sniper Unit" is only available for Thessia, and you can actually see the snipers in the game. Just an example. The war assets aren't just for Earth. You're also getting them to defend the other planets in the galaxy as well. At any rate, Mass Effect 3 is a must play for anyone looking for intense action, as well as emotional story telling. It's one of the greatest sci-fi masterpieces ever created.    … Expand
  43. ArMoRofGOD
    Aug 6, 2012
    9
    There are a few honest reviews on here who are not trolling bioware for the ending of ME3. Heres my honest opinion. Mass effect 2 was a terrific game, it had great progression, great squad missions and an amazing long ending all leading to a pretty great boss fight. One of the best games Ive ever played. Mass effect 3 brought some terrific editions to the series, the best of which isThere are a few honest reviews on here who are not trolling bioware for the ending of ME3. Heres my honest opinion. Mass effect 2 was a terrific game, it had great progression, great squad missions and an amazing long ending all leading to a pretty great boss fight. One of the best games Ive ever played. Mass effect 3 brought some terrific editions to the series, the best of which is the mutiplayer. That aspect alone gives the game much more credibility but if you just into single player than your still in for a great game but not as great as ME2 but a long shot. The intro is epic, the art is amazing, the music is great, and its optimized so well it runs at an incredibly smooth framerate at 5760 x 1080 resolution which says a lot. The immersion was great during the midgame, missions are very fun and well thought out, the voice acting is great and beleivable, the characters make you care about the universe and saving it so all they needed to do was wrap up this great series with an equally great ending which isnt easy but weve come to expect it. Without spoiling the ending, it had one great moment that I loved and the rest of it fell very short. Nothing at all connected to the player from their choices and it feels very lazy and very non unique to me and left a sort of dissapointment in the end. Despite that though, it was a great experience and the multiplayer ahs kept me coming back fro more for almost 50 hours now. On top of that Bioware has been giving FREE updates with maps, characters, and weapons and they released a better ending for FREE. All this equates to a fair 8.5 or so but ill round up to a 9.… Expand
  44. Azurim
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    The game is simply great. I liked ME2 slightly better, so ME2 should get 11, but there is no 11, so both ME2 and ME3 get 10 :) Great graphics and effects, an epic story to remember, detailed character personalities... so many sad and wonderfull and amazing moments to experience. This game actually makes me sentimental
  45. timchandler
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    This game is simply awesome. While the story isn't quite as character focused as ME2, it's still quite good, and the mechanics are wonderful, and the multiplayer option is simply a surprise gift that keeps on giving. Add to that the support for mature relationships, previous game story tie-ins, and a willingness by Bioware to rework the ending to produce a more community pleasing result,This game is simply awesome. While the story isn't quite as character focused as ME2, it's still quite good, and the mechanics are wonderful, and the multiplayer option is simply a surprise gift that keeps on giving. Add to that the support for mature relationships, previous game story tie-ins, and a willingness by Bioware to rework the ending to produce a more community pleasing result, and you have a fantastic game. The variety of weapons, powers, races, and classes is simply beyond anything else being done these days.… Expand
  46. Timbrewulf
    Mar 6, 2012
    10
    So, apparently, someone is running some sort of campaign against EA/BioWare.

    I went through and checked 20-some of the zero ratings... ...and to my utter shock and amazement, the only game these people have reviewed is ME3 (...and some, on all three platforms). Admittedly, my history is much the same, but I'm not a legion of shills. It's a worthy successor to the franchise, to be    So, apparently, someone is running some sort of campaign against EA/BioWare.

    I went through and checked 20-some of the zero ratings... ...and to my utter shock and amazement, the only game these people have reviewed is ME3 (...and some, on all three platforms). Admittedly, my history is much the same, but I'm not a legion of shills. It's a worthy successor to the franchise, to be certain. I haven't played more than a couple hours, so I can't make any further intelligent and informed observations for content I have yet to experience.    … Expand
  47. Vakarians
    Mar 7, 2012
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Well, being a Yorkshire lass i canâ… Expand
  48. SehrEinsam
    Mar 7, 2012
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I can't give it a better score. So much went wrong. Biggest ****-up I see are the Canned Endings that all end in same thing(more or less). Really guys? You like Deus Ex so much you had to make a dumbed down ending for ME3 based off it? And really? Killing off a character you've progressed from start finish is just... well, Someone else here put it this way; "like a rollercoaster that ends in a brickwall." Dunno about ya'll but I didn't invest all the time in playing these games and developing my character just so I can watch you hit him/her with a "noble" death scene. If that's gonna happen, why keep up with the Romances? Speaking of Romances, not really my issue, but I'm willing to bet there's a massive horde of pissed off Talimancers who are up in arms over the "reveal". I was at least hoping they'd render the character but all you get a little picture next to your bed. So, Bioware artists should probably steer clear of the SciFi Conventions. But this all goes back to my beef with the ending. Why even have romances, friendships, ect, when you're gonna kill off the main character anyway? At least in the DA/KoTOR series' your character develops these and even in the end, they don't simply DIE(unless you're a suicidal Warden I guess.), they move on and even got a little post-plot story. In ME3 you're SOL. Nice Job Bioware. You really screwed the pooch on this one. Story is good, though it seems like someone was behind the writers with a pistol shouting "FASTER!" Everything is rushed and doesn't have the same depth as the first two. If you play for the story, Rent it. If you don't play for the story, don't bother buying it. Just go read the ending spoilers.
    Gameplay? Well, They introduced Easy Easy Easy mode. Last play through I never even lost my shields in the Narrative mode. Other than that it's Mass Effect 2 gunplay. Oh and there's Gears of War, I mean Multiplayer too. But you gotta have a Gold Live account! More money. Like Release DLC... I thought I was hearing things when they asked me if I wanted the DLC stuff when I picked up my copy.
    All together, the only redeeming factor is that I can, in fact, not feel guilty about going back and killing off everyone in ME2, since they all die anyway. There's no real way BioWare can make up for the Ending(s). At least I got to shoot the Irritating Man. Thanks BioWare, for that one little redeeming tidbit.    … Expand
  49. coldchaos
    Mar 7, 2012
    9
    Overall I've been impressed with the game, despite what some ignoramuses say below your choices DO matter; In the first two hours of the campaign there was no less then 20 references or games changes related to the DLC or choices I made in previous games, I was counting. The game handles well(albeit the cover system is a bit 'sticky'). The combat system is very similar to Mass Effect 2;Overall I've been impressed with the game, despite what some ignoramuses say below your choices DO matter; In the first two hours of the campaign there was no less then 20 references or games changes related to the DLC or choices I made in previous games, I was counting. The game handles well(albeit the cover system is a bit 'sticky'). The combat system is very similar to Mass Effect 2; load times are drastically shorter then the others, which was one of my biggest peeves about the previous games is you spent more time in a loading screen then playing half the time. Also the annoying(and pretty much required) mineral/element probe mining has been removed and replaced with something more relevant. The multiplayer is fun and seems to be coded fairly well and gives a decent advantage to the single player. Allowing a co-operative play-through of the campaign would be great for a future update.

    User submitted scores shouldn't even be allowed until one week after release. It's obvious most of the 0's and 1's haven't even played the game and are just complaining to complain. Frankly if you read this, you should be ashamed, even if you didn't like the game it's not '0' or '1' material. 'Super Columbine Massacre' got a 5.8 and you think this game is worse?    … Expand
  50. caraniente
    Mar 13, 2012
    7
    This should be a 10 out of 10 game, and for the most part is. It provided some of the most epic moments in the series. The characters we know and love are there - those who aren't permanent squadmates often have large roles to play. The major quests are set around resolving issues that the game has been building up to - namely, the genophage and the Quarian-Geth war - and are complexThis should be a 10 out of 10 game, and for the most part is. It provided some of the most epic moments in the series. The characters we know and love are there - those who aren't permanent squadmates often have large roles to play. The major quests are set around resolving issues that the game has been building up to - namely, the genophage and the Quarian-Geth war - and are complex multi-mission quests which leave you in awe. Most of the side missions, however, are repetitive drop-in-and-shoot-things quests - alright, but dull. There's also an inordinate amount of fetch quests consisting of walking past people talking, seeing a journal notification, and scanning a planet for something that you have no idea what it's for or why it's needed - which would matter less were the journal any good, but quests don't update to tell you you've found the item and a lot of the time I found myself wandering the citadel looking for an interaction marker to work out who I was supposed to give it to.

    My first major gripe - Bioware claim that "you don't have to do multiplayer to get the best ending". Apparently you need >5000 effective military strength to get the 'best' ending (with some caveats depending on choices). I completed every quest, scanned every system to completion, and can't even get over 4000 (I had 3500 at the ending and that wasn't sufficient for 'best'). Yes, I know there'll undoubtedly be DLC (this was done WITH 'From Ashes') but ME is at it's heart a single-player game, and I dislike being punished because I don't want to do multiplayer (I've never played the ME series for the fighting, after all!).

    Combat has been polished, however, and compared with the last couple of games is more difficult, though enemy progression does rapidly get predictable (oh look, husks, next it'll be cannibals/maruaders and then maybe a pair of beasts) or is 'a shedload of troops'. Enemy AI is much better, as was my squadmates - no more taking cover in open air and power usage was handled well.

    The dialogue system has changed slightly - no neutral options, which removes possibilities - though that's the way Bioware have been pushing this since ME2, so it wasn't surprising. Dialogue with your crew has been polished, but options removed - usually it's 'click and dialogue will play while Shep wanders around', but I do like the fact your companions talk to each other now, particularly when I walk in on Garrus and James hanging out in the kitchen swapping war stories or Joker asking Liara whether her head tentacles move.

    Shepard's character is also very well-developed in this - still the galactic superhero, but Bioware have managed to introduce signs of some of the stress our favourite protagonist is under by this game. Some people might not like it - I find it only makes it more real. Though one or two efforts at blatant emotional manipulation are a bit overdone.

    The game builds slowly but surely, so that by the time you complete the last priority mission and begin the endgame your heart is pounding and you have the feeling that this, this will be Shepard's crowning moment. You're invested on so many levels, and it's about more than just 'get these Reapers off my lawn' with a couple of subplots coming together in the endgame. And it's brilliant, until the last 10 minutes. In the last major scene and the resulting 'ending' there are over a dozen obvious, fatal errors. The ending is illogical, the reasoning behind it proven wrong in Shepard's own experience, and the ending cutscenes show things that couldn't possibly be real. I have no issue with the endings themselves, but it's disappointing to see that after the immense attention to detail in the rest of the game - and really, every little thing I'd done or dialogue option I'd picked seemed to be reflected throughout the game - all of that just fell apart in those last few minutes.

    With the current media attention and the 'change the ending' campaign, there's a lot of things being said about whining and people wanting a happy ending. I don't want a happy ending - actually, given that we're fighting an impossible foe and Earth is pretty much ravaged from the start, I'd be annoyed if I could make it through the game without sacrifices. Unfortunately, the ending quite simply doesn't make sense - it looks as though we're only seeing half the scenes we should. That is what brings this game down from a 9 or even 10 rating to a 7. Beyond that, I haven't been able to bring myself to play again. I played ME1 and 2, when I first got them, twice consecutively and did every side quest. In ME3, while I will play again, I don't see myself putting in the same amount of effort - and I will probably turn off the game before the final part of the ending. For a game like this to leave as its legacy something that makes you LESS likely to play through again - means something has gone wrong. And that's not the legacy ME deserves.    … Expand
  51. ZootMan
    Mar 27, 2012
    10
    Y'all are a bunch of babies. The combat, dialogue and gargantuan set-pieces in this game easily carries it far beyond the useless complaints of the last 30 seconds. I played through renegade style in 14 hours, keeping closely to the meaty content of the game. I was not let down, as some were, who I suspect obsessed over every spec of backtracking the game litters itself with. For all theY'all are a bunch of babies. The combat, dialogue and gargantuan set-pieces in this game easily carries it far beyond the useless complaints of the last 30 seconds. I played through renegade style in 14 hours, keeping closely to the meaty content of the game. I was not let down, as some were, who I suspect obsessed over every spec of backtracking the game litters itself with. For all the upset completion-ists out there- NEWS FLASH! THERE'S NO PLEASING YOU!!! YOU'RE THE PROBLEM! IT'S A PIECE OF GODDAMN ENTERTAINMENT! FIND SOME REAL WORLD PROBLEMS TO **** ABOUT!!! Worth your time, this game tape is. Play it, you should. Sigh.… Expand
  52. devil_92
    Mar 21, 2012
    9
    i will simply say that it is an awesome game,Bioware listend to the feedback from mass effect 2 and highly improved the general gameplay,and added many customisation options that was lacking in mass effect 2 there is just 1 negative thing i can say about mass effect 3 and that is the bad ending,other then that it was great,multiplayer great,series great, totally worth the money i put downi will simply say that it is an awesome game,Bioware listend to the feedback from mass effect 2 and highly improved the general gameplay,and added many customisation options that was lacking in mass effect 2 there is just 1 negative thing i can say about mass effect 3 and that is the bad ending,other then that it was great,multiplayer great,series great, totally worth the money i put down on the digital deluxe edition :)… Expand
  53. Panjandrum
    Mar 24, 2012
    9
    Despite the final ten to fifteen minutes being something of a mess, this is an excellent, engaging game that manages to live up to the high standards set by the previous two entries in the Mass Effect series. Steven Spielberg famously stated that he would consider games as art "when somebody confesses that they cried at Level 17," which is something that Mass Effect 3 certainly achieves. IDespite the final ten to fifteen minutes being something of a mess, this is an excellent, engaging game that manages to live up to the high standards set by the previous two entries in the Mass Effect series. Steven Spielberg famously stated that he would consider games as art "when somebody confesses that they cried at Level 17," which is something that Mass Effect 3 certainly achieves. I know that I cannot be the only player to shed a tear on Tuchanka, or at a particular scene in a Citadel hospital. For that matter, I cannot be the only one to have laughed like a madman during many of the private talks with squadmates on board the Normandy. The reason for such emotional engagement shows how this game lives up to its predecessors - the interesting and well-explored characters at Shepard's side have always been a strength in the Mass Effect series, and number 3 does not disappoint on that front. On top of that, the settings are pretty, gameplay is varied and interesting (who needs cover based shooting when you can rain down biotic destruction on your enemies' heads?) and many of the set pieces are nothing short of breathtaking.

    In summary then, this game leads you on an adventure across the galaxy, gives you a range of interesting characters and really shows that your decisions matter in shaping the future of life, the universe and everything for 39 hours and 45 minutes, before going what is technically referred to as "balls-out crazy" in the final quarter of an hour. However, the good far outweighs the bad, and I would thoroughly recommend Mass Effect 3 to anyone.    … Expand
  54. denilend
    Mar 7, 2012
    9
    My favourite francise is Mass Effect. This is a very good game, but pulled off a lot of trolls. The story is great, the graphics is nice, the sounds are good and the best thing is gameplay is fantastic
  55. Fedaykinn
    Mar 14, 2012
    9
    SO I finally finished the game. It is a GREAT game... I see many complains about little things people don't like... but I loved it. I won't spoil the ending, but all I have to say is that it does make a lot of sense and it is pretty good. Granted we would all like to see an ending tailored to every single decission we have made, but thats not the way things work. In ME3, as with life, youSO I finally finished the game. It is a GREAT game... I see many complains about little things people don't like... but I loved it. I won't spoil the ending, but all I have to say is that it does make a lot of sense and it is pretty good. Granted we would all like to see an ending tailored to every single decission we have made, but thats not the way things work. In ME3, as with life, you don't get to choose the ending you consider to be the perfect one... what you get to choose is how to get to that ending. It is a Journey and not a destination.
    The trilogy does progress into less RPG and more combat as it goes along, but it makes sense given the story. I can't help but feel a little sad that it is over.
    I fully recomend this game to anyone, but specially to those who have played the first two and loved them... and are also mature enough to realize that you can't always get what you want in life, but you must enjoy every minute of it. That is ME3.    … Expand
  56. DevastationInc
    Mar 6, 2012
    10
    Mass Effect 3 is an incredible game and ends the trilogy successfully. The gameplay and graphics are top notch, but as expected the storytelling is where the game truly shines. Bioware manages to keep improving the series right until the end and should be commended for it. Buy copies for yourself, your friends and all their friends as you won't be disappointed.
  57. Nicoskov
    Aug 9, 2012
    9
    I think it's absorlutly unfair, to give Mass Effect 3 a score under seven, simply based on the ending. Mass Effect 3 is like the other games in the series, an amazing game! Everything that leads up to the ending, is superb, every mission is fantastik, the graphics is fantastik, the characters, the environments, just superb. The ending was patched up by the extendet cut DLC, but yes .. itsI think it's absorlutly unfair, to give Mass Effect 3 a score under seven, simply based on the ending. Mass Effect 3 is like the other games in the series, an amazing game! Everything that leads up to the ending, is superb, every mission is fantastik, the graphics is fantastik, the characters, the environments, just superb. The ending was patched up by the extendet cut DLC, but yes .. its still not as great as i would have liked, but its definitely acceptable now. The multiplayer is also pretty good. I personatlly play Mass Effect for the single-player, but the multiplayer is a nice feature when you have completed the game, and just need some more Mass Effect.
    All in all, Mass effect 3 is a great game, which is absorlutly worth buying.    … Expand
  58. roboticsun
    Jul 4, 2012
    8
    Mass Effect 3 is a well made experience to say the least. The overall combat action is very fast and fluid though there are quite a few animation glitches here and there but aren't serious enough to ruin things. The six basic classes are played differently, so the combat itself had replay values. The enemy AI are improved a bit but still feels weak most time. The pause function reallyMass Effect 3 is a well made experience to say the least. The overall combat action is very fast and fluid though there are quite a few animation glitches here and there but aren't serious enough to ruin things. The six basic classes are played differently, so the combat itself had replay values. The enemy AI are improved a bit but still feels weak most time. The pause function really ruined this game imo which made this single player game rather easy. The story is epic in scope compare to the previous two entries but some new plots are not well explained. I wont put spoilers here, but the game indeed will confuse you if you ever played the first two mass effect games. the newly released extended cut added more explanations, though I do not feel it helped much.The playable characters are significantly reduced compare to mass effect 2 which leads to a shorter story line. the playable contents in single player part are noticeably less than those in mass effect 2. you should be able to finish most single player contents in 30~35 hours. However, the game did add a quite fun multilayer portion to compensate the shorter single player game. there are lots of unlockables in multilayer, so it should keep you busy for one or two months. despite the flaws, I still would say mass effect 3 is a very solid game combining fun combat, epic storyline and interactive cinema. It's still a memorable adventure and a must play for people who loved storytelling in video games.… Expand
  59. MonkofMajere
    Jun 2, 2012
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Having played Mass Effect from the first game on, I had high expectations going into Mass Effect 3. Being the conclusion of a trilogy that can only be described as "epic", Mass Effect 3 needed to be a fantastic game to live up to the previous games. In my opinion, Bioware succeeded. There are very few games that keep my attention for long, especially games that are so single player oriented. Mass Effect 3 is one of those few. Probably the best thing about most Bioware games are the characters. The writers at Bioware are excellent at crafting characters that the player cares about, characters that you will not forget. Mass Effect 3 does not deviate from this trend. Even Shepard, the main character of the Mass Effect trilogy, seems to have finally picked up more of a personality. Probably the most defining part of Mass Effect 3 is the music, though. From scene to scene, the music drives the player's emotions, inciting the feeling of sadness or triumph whenever the tone would fit. As for the games newly introduced multiplayer, I admit I was not expecting much when the feature was first introduced. After playing for the first time, I was surprised to find a well crafted mode that requires teamwork in order to survive (especially while playing gold, the modes highest difficulty. Even after a couple of months, I am still very much enjoying the multiplayer. The addition to two free map packs has certainly helped as well. All in all, I have very much enjoyed the final chapter in the Mass Effect trilogy, and would very much recommend this game to anyone who enjoys a well developed sci fi universe with well developed characters and an outstanding story.… Expand
  60. ShadowSaber
    Aug 12, 2012
    10
    One of the most exciting titles of this year, I thoroughly enjoyed every single minute of this game, and I simply DO NOT understand why so many people hated it and reviewed it badly. I guess it's just the "first one didn't like it, lets all spit on the game for no reason". Sure, the ending wasn't everyone's cup of tea, but seriously, rating an epic game like this so lowly?
    I recommend    One of the most exciting titles of this year, I thoroughly enjoyed every single minute of this game, and I simply DO NOT understand why so many people hated it and reviewed it badly. I guess it's just the "first one didn't like it, lets all spit on the game for no reason". Sure, the ending wasn't everyone's cup of tea, but seriously, rating an epic game like this so lowly?
    I recommend this game to all fans of the Mass Effect trilogy, as a great conclusion to the previous two games.    … Expand
  61. virgilivs
    Jul 4, 2012
    7
    Ok, there are some plot holes and some strange decision were took about ending cinematics, almost identical no matter the choice you pick at the end. But I really don't get why everyone is arguing about the final: that was an epic, perfect epilogue for this marvelous saga. Almost perfect game.
  62. Jouna92
    Jul 31, 2012
    8
    Amazing game! Amazing trilogy! This is story driven game and good one where you choose what is going to happen. This game have epic moments, characters, voice acting, music and more. Many people hates ME3 ending but I think that it aint that bad. Specially the extended cut dlc makes the ending way way MUCH better. It is great ending to the trilogy. One of the best game trilogys
  63. ImBigking
    Jul 28, 2012
    9
    The Mass Effect trilogy is just amazing and Mass Effect 3 is one of my favorite games ever. It shines in every single aspect but one: the ending. Sadly, this outstanding game was slightly ruined by an inconsistent ending. Anyways, the whole experience is really great, and everyone should give it a try.
  64. rabidmonkfish
    Jun 25, 2020
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. great game up until that ending.......so bad it was like eating a nice meal at a restaurant and then just as your finishing your told that all the ingredients had been stuck up the chefs bum before cooking it.

    this is the kind of ending i would make if my sole intent was to spoil the entire franchise. Touted as "your adventure where your choices matter" with hundreds of hours spent over 3 games only to get a selection of multiple colour endings....i honestly still think that the fan theories of indoctrination must be the real answer and i am still waiting 8 years later for bioware/EA to fess up and release the real ending. This game goes down in my memory of the worst F U ending in gaming history...    … Expand
  65. Aldos
    Mar 7, 2012
    5
    So far i've played 10 hours, and i'm really into the game. The battle system is good, a mix from ME1 and 2, graphics and sounds are lacking though.
    Romances are ok, i like the fact that Bioware has tried to reach a bigger audience and let everyone go according to their taste.
    The story so far is ok, but from what i've heard the ending is not original at all, which is kind of sad, because    So far i've played 10 hours, and i'm really into the game. The battle system is good, a mix from ME1 and 2, graphics and sounds are lacking though.
    Romances are ok, i like the fact that Bioware has tried to reach a bigger audience and let everyone go according to their taste.
    The story so far is ok, but from what i've heard the ending is not original at all, which is kind of sad, because this series had a lot of potential.    … Expand
  66. csomerville
    Mar 12, 2012
    10
    I have very much been enjoying Mass Effect 3. It is odd that there are so many negative reviews on here. The Mass Effect trilogy is epic and although I'm sad to see this final instalment arrive I'm glad to have gone for the ride.
  67. FemShep
    Jul 1, 2012
    10
    The problems that everyone had with the ending have been fixed with the Extended Cut and additional closure and clarification was added making this game the ideal choice for purchase if you haven't already. :)
  68. KaienShiba
    Sep 15, 2015
    0
    The storyline was epic, well until you had to make the choice, then it became an dramatically epic failure unless you had HEMEM dlc, no it wasn't that they made it an epic failure it was your team mates being utter morons like those who wrote the so called AI for them, good thing the experts aren't leading our soldiers in real life, bileware you might want to hire real experts in modernThe storyline was epic, well until you had to make the choice, then it became an dramatically epic failure unless you had HEMEM dlc, no it wasn't that they made it an epic failure it was your team mates being utter morons like those who wrote the so called AI for them, good thing the experts aren't leading our soldiers in real life, bileware you might want to hire real experts in modern combat techniques to write the programming or send the one's they have now to train ISIS fighters then at least they would be useful, since that way ISIS wouldn't be able to hit the broadside of the planet… Expand
  69. SyriusZ
    Apr 11, 2017
    0
    UNPLAYABLE on 1080p, 1440p or 4k. The HUD DOESN'T SCALES WITH THE RESOLUTION. On 4k it's soooo small i can't EVEN **** SEE IT. Also the worst ending in video game history.
  70. Ravenwoods
    Mar 13, 2012
    9
    I don't understand what people are talking about. Granted, it is a bit depressing but the best entry in the series. There is so much to it. And the ending isn't disappointing as people are pointing it out. In fact, it was a very suiting one! Don't listen to people, they are nuts!
  71. Satrack
    Mar 6, 2012
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I came here to clarify all those bad reviews. It's not because the game is darker and action-filled that it deserves a score under 5. The game is different in its own ways. The series matured and evolved, and personally, for the best. Now for the actual review.

    Mass Effect 3 is set to be the ultimate ending for Shepard and everything I've played so far supports this. There is more emotions than ever, more action and more customization. The different places we travel through our journey are beautiful and each of them have a different feel to them. We get to know about everything the other two games didn't say (For example, we finally see Palaven and Asari's homeworld). This definitively deserves a 9,5 in my opinion.    … Expand
  72. Simpatico
    Mar 26, 2012
    10
    I highly enjoyed all the games in this series and Mass Effect 3 is no different. The ending may not bring closure for some, but for me, the ending provided satisfaction on a galactic scale. I love this series, I love BioWare, and I love this game. I'm eager to play the altered ending, and anywhere else BioWare chooses to go in the Mass Effect universe.
  73. sickone111
    Mar 12, 2012
    10
    This game is fantastic from start to finish. The graphics are much better then Mass Effect 2. And don't believe reviews that say the game has been dumbed down from the first one. The first one was terrible. You have full control in this one and they give you those options to play with a more RPG style. It may not be the most traditional RPG but who wants to play Final Fantasy anymore?This game is fantastic from start to finish. The graphics are much better then Mass Effect 2. And don't believe reviews that say the game has been dumbed down from the first one. The first one was terrible. You have full control in this one and they give you those options to play with a more RPG style. It may not be the most traditional RPG but who wants to play Final Fantasy anymore? I mean really. This game is innovative, new, different. I have not found any plot holes. Please explain your self people. The plot is very straight forward if you don't understand it there is a good chance you are dumb. Just buy the game and don't listen to the haters on this forum. Angry nerds. OMG gay people in my game. Who cares? OMG I have to pay 10 bucks for an extra mission... Again who cares? Pay 10 bucks if you want it. If not don't the mission is not essential to the story like all these reviews are saying.… Expand
  74. Sperkowitz
    Mar 25, 2012
    7
    I honestly cannot understand the huge dissatisfaction with the game here. Sure, it's not perfect nor groundbreaking, but nowhere deserving of of a zero or even a 1. However, it may be due to the fact that I am not a hardcore fan of the series so plot holes and other abnormalities are missed by me. I believe there is a lot of passion for the franchise that when it doesn't go in a particularI honestly cannot understand the huge dissatisfaction with the game here. Sure, it's not perfect nor groundbreaking, but nowhere deserving of of a zero or even a 1. However, it may be due to the fact that I am not a hardcore fan of the series so plot holes and other abnormalities are missed by me. I believe there is a lot of passion for the franchise that when it doesn't go in a particular way it is completely dismissed. It is suppose to be the last installment of the series, and it seems many were expecting more. I know I was expecting a better and more grand ending, but I wasn't going to let it completely destroy the other experiences I had. (And, I almost forgot, there was a lot of controversy on the first-day release of DLC. That move by EA caused a lot of anger and probably another reason for the very low scores.)

    The one flaw I felt with this game is that I felt like I wasn't playing anything new. Just a continuation of the last game. The graphics and the game play felt exactly the same. The only difference is the story is continuing. That being said, I still enjoyed the story and what was going on in the Mass Effect universe. That in itself made the game difficult to put down, and it was the only game I played for the week I purchased it.

    To easily summarize: if you've played the first and second game, you will know what to expect with the third installment, with the exception of the boring exploring or scanning on the planets.    … Expand
  75. neck
    Mar 12, 2012
    9
    I'll make this quick: This game is just as amazing as the previous two. BioWare made some excellent gameplay-wise decisions, the action is fast-paced and intense, the story is intense, too. The soundtrack is awesome, as well. It's the first game since...well, Mass Effect 2 that I actually enjoyed playing. I know that the ending upsets many people BUT rating the game with 3 points or lessI'll make this quick: This game is just as amazing as the previous two. BioWare made some excellent gameplay-wise decisions, the action is fast-paced and intense, the story is intense, too. The soundtrack is awesome, as well. It's the first game since...well, Mass Effect 2 that I actually enjoyed playing. I know that the ending upsets many people BUT rating the game with 3 points or less because you don't like 5% of the game is just childish and, frankly, total BS. I can understand that you don't like the ending, I don't like it too much, either. But that doesn't change the fact that the remaining 95% of the game are simply awesome. Get your sh...stuff together, kids.… Expand
  76. AlexsanderL
    Sep 11, 2016
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is the most stupid story and bad graphics (technically).In the story there are inconsistencies:What boy?What kind of catalyst,like a boy?Why did you decide to kill Shepard?Why at the end of destruction,when Shepard survived the destruction of the reapers in the video Shepard (Fe)Male alive,the ending was not added in the Extended Cut DLC?As one of the passions I realized that he(She) still alive?Why are the eyes of Shepard in the Control ending and Synthesis lit?And why they made a new ending Failure?After all, they said they don't want to create a new ending?These questions are not answered.That strange in-game Shepard's dream of those who were lost, and even in the final at the shepherd appeared hallucinations,even the Extended Cut DLC,the developers have added that was justified by the "Theory of Indoctrination" from the fans.I don't understand the game made a profit of 1.85 million copies,but for some reason they decided to do the alternate ending,or they are too lazy to do that or they decided to do it to spite fans of the series.I don't care what Casey Hudson decided to kill the main character,in a few years ago,a person should be their choice and I'm glad that a fan of Mr.Fob to do the alternate ending MEHEM.Mass Effect 3 is one of the worst games of 2012.… Expand
  77. backfromearth
    Mar 26, 2012
    10
    You like Doom Unreal or similar FPS shooter games merged with Hollywood Sci-Fi films ? Then this game is for you.But if you like real RPG games with encounters making sense and lot of planets to explore, and the feeling that YOU decide where you want to go and what place to explorer, then go back playing Mass effect 1
    I suppose you get sci-fi like scenes after each combat episode because    You like Doom Unreal or similar FPS shooter games merged with Hollywood Sci-Fi films ? Then this game is for you.But if you like real RPG games with encounters making sense and lot of planets to explore, and the feeling that YOU decide where you want to go and what place to explorer, then go back playing Mass effect 1
    I suppose you get sci-fi like scenes after each combat episode because it's too boring spending your time only on killing monsters ?    … Expand
  78. AJ6432
    Mar 12, 2012
    9
    Mass Effect 3 is a fantastic game, despite a few flaws. Compared to Mass Effect 2, ME3 seems less polished. Graphically, the game looks fantastic, particularly the character animations and faces. However, there are some of the slow-loading textures that plagued the the first game, though not as abundant or drastic looking. I have also sparsely encountered this weird "glitch" whereMass Effect 3 is a fantastic game, despite a few flaws. Compared to Mass Effect 2, ME3 seems less polished. Graphically, the game looks fantastic, particularly the character animations and faces. However, there are some of the slow-loading textures that plagued the the first game, though not as abundant or drastic looking. I have also sparsely encountered this weird "glitch" where characters heads turn back and forth sporadically during conversations; there have even been one or two incidents where a character is fully glitched out of whole cut-scenes. Overall, though, the presentation is very well done. The sound is superb, from the voice-acting to the orchestral background music, living up to the Mass Effect name. However, the music doesn't stick out to me as well as the music from the second game. In terms of gameplay, the game is the best in the series, with solid shooting, squad, and cover mechanics; my only qualm with it is that the space bar, used for cover, is also used to roll (double-click) and interact with the environment, and when trying to perform one of these actions one may perform one of the others. The menus are more streamlined, except for the journal. Perhaps my biggest issue with ME3 is the journal. In the second game, your journal was separated into two categories: main missions and secondary missions. If you clicked on one of the missions, an outline would appear and display what you should do next in a mission. This is gone in ME3 and all of the mission appear under one category, and are not very organized. The codex is strangely also located under the journal, but this for me is not an issue. There is also the matter of obtaining secondary missions. In the second game, one had to engage in conversation with characters in an area to start sidequests. In ME3, one simply overhears conversations in an area and most of the secondary missions are automatically started. This feels less interactive and, simply, less engaging. My last issue with ME3 is searching the galaxy. While some (or more likely many) did not like the planet scanning/mining feature of the second game, I enjoy it, making me feel that I had to explore the whole galaxy and read all of the lore. In the third game, there a new system that involves avoiding Reapers in the galaxy; if they catch you while you are exploring a system and scanning objects, it's game over. While this system is fun, it also feels limiting. These issues aside, Mass Effect 3 is overall a wonderful game. It is definitely the most emotionally engaging game of the trilogy, and does not skimp on any story-telling quality. It is amazing to see how one's actions in the first two games culminates in the third game. While I do wish that your squad was larger than six options (downloadable content aside), the squadmates in combat and in conversation are seemingly flawless (graphical hitches aside). I highly recommend Mass Effect 3, but I even more highly recommend you play the first two games before this one for a truly emotional, interactive, and exciting experience!… Expand
  79. Aluanira
    Apr 6, 2014
    10
    I thought this game was quite epic. I had played Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 and loved both but only got around to playing ME3 recently. I thought the visuals were a nice step up from ME2 and the story was very emotional and gripping. The quest tracker, however, is pretty horrible and there were a few too many fetch quests but otherwise, thoroughly enjoyed it, even the ending which II thought this game was quite epic. I had played Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 and loved both but only got around to playing ME3 recently. I thought the visuals were a nice step up from ME2 and the story was very emotional and gripping. The quest tracker, however, is pretty horrible and there were a few too many fetch quests but otherwise, thoroughly enjoyed it, even the ending which I thought was a fitting conclusion to a superb trilogy.… Expand
  80. PresCthulhu
    Jul 7, 2014
    8
    I think this one is best out of the 3 games. The game play is refined and engaging, the combat is very good, I really like the multiplayer and played countless hours with it, the story is very nice, I see tons of cameos and my decisions reflecting back from the first game and they don't feel forced at all. The buildup, the tension, the writing, the voice acting, the graphics are allI think this one is best out of the 3 games. The game play is refined and engaging, the combat is very good, I really like the multiplayer and played countless hours with it, the story is very nice, I see tons of cameos and my decisions reflecting back from the first game and they don't feel forced at all. The buildup, the tension, the writing, the voice acting, the graphics are all brilliant. I deducted 2 points because: 1st obviously cash-grab DLCs that feel like cutout content (day 1 removed character, important story DLCs like Leviathan), 2nd the ending is a disgrace even with the extended cut. It was okay I mean, but the whole buildup for the final confrontation felt utterly pointless and I felt I was cheated in a way. I like how the company reflected on it (extended cut, free DLCs), but still there was no official apology.

    My conclusion: this is a really great game and extremely worth it, but be prepared for some letdown in the end...    … Expand
  81. Admiral_TSon
    Nov 21, 2014
    10
    Mass Effect 3 is a worthy conclusion to the Mass Effect trilogy and skillfully immerses the player in the hype and drama that the series has been building to. ME3 is the best written of all of the games in the trilogy, and the user is now able to see how past decisions will impact the expected climax of the series. The series also leaves the player with many choices to be made in thisMass Effect 3 is a worthy conclusion to the Mass Effect trilogy and skillfully immerses the player in the hype and drama that the series has been building to. ME3 is the best written of all of the games in the trilogy, and the user is now able to see how past decisions will impact the expected climax of the series. The series also leaves the player with many choices to be made in this installment too, however, with some of the best political/diplomatic story arcs of any RPG series. While the ending is much chided by fans, I believe it is a logical ending to the series as it resolves the fundamental question/conflict presented to us by the plot in ME1.

    Pros:

    -Combat system perfected with options for heavy melee/more combo options/more abilities/options for biotic Shep
    -Exceptionally well written plot with very dramatic and well-designed cutscenes
    -Excellent graphics (for 2012)
    -More fulfilling Romance options + ability to romance select same-sex characters
    -Interesting and engaging side-quests
    -Ending resolves fundamental question/conflict in series in a thought-provoking way, making the ME trilogy not just a combat RPG, but a true "video game novel"

    Cons:

    -While the ending is very well written in fundamentals, the frame by which it is prevented does come across as a somewhat contrived "Deus ex Machina"
    -While side quests are enjoyable, many can only be completed after a certain main mission is completed (but will appear in your journal before you can complete them!) or must be completed before a main mission is completed. This forces a completionist gamer to occasionally research side-quests to make sure they get it done by x or y mission.

    ME3 is a fitting end to the ME trilogy. With the extended cut DLC, the much-chided ending should be found by gamers who enjoy a good story as a fitting resolution to the questions/conflicts presented throughout the series.    … Expand
  82. ThE_MarD
    Mar 7, 2013
    6
    Heyyo, I can't believe the "checking downloadable content" bug is still in this game! I just bought it finally to finish the Mass Effect Trilogy... and I CAN'T EVEN GET PASSED THE MAIN MENU, IT JUST KEEPS SAYING "CHECKING DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT"!!! I looked on forums and everything and there's no fix other than "disconnect from the internet" which is annoying as heck JUST to play this gameHeyyo, I can't believe the "checking downloadable content" bug is still in this game! I just bought it finally to finish the Mass Effect Trilogy... and I CAN'T EVEN GET PASSED THE MAIN MENU, IT JUST KEEPS SAYING "CHECKING DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT"!!! I looked on forums and everything and there's no fix other than "disconnect from the internet" which is annoying as heck JUST to play this game so that's why it gets such a low review score. Fix your crap BioWare.. I'm an Albertan and I can't believe you guy's haven't fixed this bug still. If there's a problem? Bigger Hammer, Bigger Wrench. Get'r dun.

    The gameplay is once again an improvement over the last game. It seems every Mass Effect they fine tun the combat even more which is great. I still miss the unique weapon overheating method they used in ME1 and using skills to overheat weapons was a plus.. The way they did inventory is again another welcomed change cause now you can't just bulk up on everything and have no consequences. So far? I can tell I'll love this game... just fix that stupid bug and I'll give it the score it deserves.

    I'm going to play more of this game... excuse me as I unplug my network cable.     … Expand
  83. caralho
    Mar 16, 2014
    9
    I'll try to make this short: if you are into ME games, you must buy this one. Simply because the game is pretty great. I'd risk saying its the best one of the series but the ending kinda killed the joy of many players around the world. Could've been better, but crap happens. Some people might understand it, some won't. Still, a great game and deserves the respect of being a good ME game.I'll try to make this short: if you are into ME games, you must buy this one. Simply because the game is pretty great. I'd risk saying its the best one of the series but the ending kinda killed the joy of many players around the world. Could've been better, but crap happens. Some people might understand it, some won't. Still, a great game and deserves the respect of being a good ME game. Hopefully EA/Bioware will learn from their mistakes and not screw up their next installment. By that I mean, not making redundant, bleak endings and launching day 1 DLC's.… Expand
  84. Sunfire
    Apr 21, 2014
    10
    I played through the Mass Effect trilogy twice in two weeks,and all i can say is:WOW.
    Amazing player-driven story,interesting explorable universe,countless of adventures.
    This is the peak of the RPG genre. I don't think I'll ever be able to symphatize with,love,or hate characters like in the universe of Mass Effect. Thank you Bioware. For the 3rd episode,(played with all dlcs,no    I played through the Mass Effect trilogy twice in two weeks,and all i can say is:WOW.
    Amazing player-driven story,interesting explorable universe,countless of adventures.
    This is the peak of the RPG genre.
    I don't think I'll ever be able to symphatize with,love,or hate characters like in the universe of Mass Effect.
    Thank you Bioware.

    For the 3rd episode,(played with all dlcs,no multiplayer),it's has really something in it.
    I felt something after every big decision,i felt I'm in a hurry,it sucked me in.
    There won't be another game soon,which makes me feel guilty for decimating a whole race,or makes me play the whole trilogy again because of it.
    Proper ending to an amazing story,in an awesome universe.
    (I understand if some people had problems with the game after it came out,but i can't say a bad thing about it)    … Expand
  85. dumle
    Apr 30, 2013
    5
    Mass effect 3 disappoints in several important aspects. The writing in the game is extremely uneven which really drags a game like this down. Sure there are some cool moments here and there but the story is overall really weak and the game is full of awkward and cheaply written moments. And it doesnt help that the conversation wheel is dumbed down too the absurd.

    The dialogue options    Mass effect 3 disappoints in several important aspects. The writing in the game is extremely uneven which really drags a game like this down. Sure there are some cool moments here and there but the story is overall really weak and the game is full of awkward and cheaply written moments. And it doesnt help that the conversation wheel is dumbed down too the absurd.

    The dialogue options are extremely binary and quite often they lead to the same result. The only difference is whether you get some paragon or renegade points in the end. And when you do get to make an important choice then the dialogue wheels poorly explained choices in simply not enough. The renegade/paragon options in the cutscenes also feels really cheap since you have no idea what kind of choice you are making.

    Overall the game lacks the kind of interaction you would expect from a roleplaying game and the games mission-design feel extremely linear and more like an action game than a roleplaying game. Another thing worth mentioning is that this game is much more combat oriented than previous games in the series. There are very few hub-based areas in the game and you will spend the majority of your time in combat missions. Now the combat is quite good for a roleplaying game. For an action game however the combat is extremely average. The combat is a pretty basic cover-mechanic based shooter with the normal peak-shoot-duck and wait for the shield to recharge type of gameplay. It is by no means a catastrophe but it simply cant carry an entire long game like this. And chances are that you will get bored of the combat before beating this game which is a shame since that is what you are going to spend your time doing.

    The focus on combat sadly also mean that a lot of the environments you are in are nothing more than boring grey/brown ruins which is kind of sad since there is a lot of cool places to the explore in the universe. You do thankfully also get to visit some pretty neat places in the game which is nice. The exploration in the game do however leave a lot of things to be desired. The maps are often extremely linear and the lack of side quest and stuff to find leads to you not feeling the need to explore. I should also note that both the item and enemy variety is quite limited which i really thought hurt the game. I believe that the limited enemy variety is particularly sad since games like this can make up all kinds of cool faunas and cultures to fight. You are sadly forced to fight the same quite boring enemies over and over again which doesn't really help the combat.

    The visuals are for the most part alright but there are some low-res textures in the game here and there that just look awful by contrast. I also have issues with the weird camera angel they have chosen for the game. Something you cant fix in the extremely basic options menu.

    Now despite being quite critical of the game i must mention that the game is by no means so bad that some people make it out to be. I would say that its extremely average. The game have a long list of flaws but it also have a decent amount of alright content in it. I picked it up for a cheap price and i dont regret doing that despite the games flaws. if you however go into this game expecting a traditional bioware rpg or a worthy continuation of the mass effect saga then chances are that you will be disappointed. I should also mention that the were some quite shady dlc practices involved with this game. But you should try to make up your own mind regarding that.    … Expand
  86. Dalesworth
    Feb 27, 2014
    9
    It's not perfect, but Mass Effect 3 is a fantastic game. It improved on ME2 in several ways and took some steps back in others, but at its core, I feel like it's a slightly different kind of game. 2 had a very personal and intimate feel, assembling an elite team for a deadly mission. 3 is much more grand and sweeping in its scale and scope, and therefore has a less focused story.

    The    It's not perfect, but Mass Effect 3 is a fantastic game. It improved on ME2 in several ways and took some steps back in others, but at its core, I feel like it's a slightly different kind of game. 2 had a very personal and intimate feel, assembling an elite team for a deadly mission. 3 is much more grand and sweeping in its scale and scope, and therefore has a less focused story.

    The gameplay has seen a steady sense of improvement throughout the series (remember how awkward the first one was to actually play?) and the RPG elements make a more pronounced appearance in the third game, though it is still largely a shooter with some skill progression. The shooting mechanics are more fluid and the weapons and abilities more diverse. The sound design and voice acting are both fantastic (mostly), as is the art design.

    As for the writing, I feel like the writers manage the the more intimate and moment-to-moment writing more effectively than the large, overarching plot. the way the Normandy's crew interact with each other and move around on board makes the ship feel much more alive than ever before. There were plenty of nice touches, from meeting old friends to little in-jokes and fan service. Unfortunately it seems like the team wrote themselves into a corner with all of the branching decisions in past games, and not all of them paid off in meaningful ways.

    And finally, there's the ending. I didn't like it. I thought it was a cop-out and honestly it made next to no sense and was very thematically different from the rest of the story. It was unsatisfying and some of the fan-made theories that cropped up afterwards were much better. However, I respect the creative team's position and think that DEMANDING a new ending is childish and a sign of "gamer entitlement." The extended cut made the ending as good as it could have been without fundamentally changing it and in the end, it really is about the journey and not the destination. I had a blast playing though this game as well as the whole series. ten minutes of unsatisfying drivel at the end is a bummer, but this is still one of my favourite series of all time, and I wont let that ruin the hundreds of hours that I've poured into it.

    All in all, this is a Mass Effect game and I can look past awkward design choices and some poor writing to just enjoy the ride and hope for more in the future.    … Expand
  87. ubergeekzilla
    Nov 22, 2012
    10
    a fantastic game. with the new extended cut mass effect 3 ends the trilogy in a great way. its epic, exciting, dramatic, its equally as good as mass effect 2. the only negatives are the journal system sucks now...but the gamepaly, characters, graphics, everything is top notch. the best game of 2012 and one of the best games ever overall
  88. MeritCoba
    May 31, 2017
    5
    Is the Mass Effect trilogy as good as people make it out to be when criticizing Andromeda?
    I haven't played Andromeda, so I can't say from experience how good or bad it is, but to say that the Mass Effect Trilogy was better seems to me more an attempt to spite Andromeda rather than draw a fair comparison. Take ME 3 as an example.
    Rehash of Lord of the Rings. All the mass effect    Is the Mass Effect trilogy as good as people make it out to be when criticizing Andromeda?
    I haven't played Andromeda, so I can't say from experience how good or bad it is, but to say that the Mass Effect Trilogy was better seems to me more an attempt to spite Andromeda rather than draw a fair comparison. Take ME 3 as an example.

    Rehash of Lord of the Rings.
    All the mass effect episodes based on Lord of the Rings. There is a threat on an epic scale against which only you can do something special to defeat it(ME1: Conduit; ME2: IFF, ME3: Crucible). Nobody appreciates the seriousness of the threat, either because nobody believes you(ME1) or trusts you(ME2/3) or because of politics(ALL). You have to gather forces and support often against the odds(ALL). The enemy always has some very powerful fighters(Ringwraiths) and corrupts your allies(ALL). Every next episode you have lost your hero status and nobody believes you even though by ME3 you have thrown the damn ring into mount doom twice.
    The only difference is that ME1 has actually got an interesting adversary with a personal story(Saren) and an interesting arch nemesis(Sovereign), while ME3 has nobody(no the illusive man isn't interesting and has no personal story and Kai Leng is a misplaced character).

    Boring side missions and ambush tactics.
    ME3 basically follows two paths: the central story and side missions. The central story leads to situations which are at least interesting.
    It is, however, the side missions which are trite. They follow the same pattern almost every time. You enter an area that is clearly set up for multiplayer games, you have to pick up something or activate/deactivate something which will trigger an ambush, which consists of enemies appearing out of thin air and sometimes on top of you. Most of the time you can't setup for defense because they play a movie that takes you and your squad mates out of cover.
    This pattern of springing ambushes plagues the whole game and is the single most mechanism it uses, even in the main battles. I don't mind ambushes once in a while, but using it in almost every encounter is aggravating.
    To extend the often brief encounters, they have you look around for upgrades that are spread around over the area and which can't be bought. Imagine five minutes of battle followed by few more minutes of you roaming around to find stuff, then going to the next area doing five minutes of battle and searching that area again. If it wasn't for the need for upgrades, the money, and the experience, I would have skipped these boring missions altogether.
    What is even worse is that almost every side missions ends with Admiral Hackett telling you that they will send a special team to the place you just liberated or conquered to protect it against further enemy incursions.

    Exploration dud
    All three ME have you explore the galaxy. Which sounds great, but in practice are fetch quests of the most annoying kind. In ME 3 it comes down to having to find planets while dodging pursuit and battling fuel shortage to find war assets, credits, and items. There is not feel of exploration. Planets are just presented as a picture with a side story.

    Unskippable story sequences
    The game is beset with unskippable movies. Which is okay unless you want to try out classes or have to redo a battle. You can only try a class after having watched ten minutes of babble.

    Limited Squadmates
    ME 3 has the gall to offer you only four squadmates to pick from or possibly six depending on how you play out a certain encounter or decided on someone. All the others are from DLC's, temporary or dependent on your save game from ME2. Some DLC's are still not free up to this day!

    Boring Classes
    The classes in ME have a few effective powers and so you to do the same thing every time. The only other way of playing is to play a different class, which forces you through ten minutes of unskippable sequences.

    The ending
    I don't mind the ending itself, but to force a favorable ending by having you collect all war assets is downright bad, especially when you have to import a savegame from a previous game to have a better chance for a good end. This forces a player to do all the boring side missions and the trite exploration and play through another game. Endings should depend on story choices and, possible, strategic decisions.

    Kai Leng
    A special mention of badness is Kai Leng, which is a character dropped into the game from some Asian setting with Katana, who is so obviously scripted not to die and be awesome cool at your expense. You're expense because you are scripted to be stupid when faced with his awesomeness.

    ME3 is a mediocre game at best and hailing the whole trilogy as superior to Andromeda seems laughable: ME has always been mediocre. so it is no surprise if Andromeda is mediocre too. But then again I haven't played Andromeda so I can't judge.

    There is much more to tell, but I ran out of space.
    Re-evaluated in 2017    … Expand
  89. nkaduthod
    Apr 5, 2013
    6
    As a beloved fan of the Mass Effect series, I was without a doubt quite disappointed with this game. While the game play is good and offers a more fluid experience, I fell that they dumbed the combat down to much. They also took away most of the RPG aspect of the game I loved. The story I felt was really lacking compared to ME1 & ME2. The new characters like Diane and James were veryAs a beloved fan of the Mass Effect series, I was without a doubt quite disappointed with this game. While the game play is good and offers a more fluid experience, I fell that they dumbed the combat down to much. They also took away most of the RPG aspect of the game I loved. The story I felt was really lacking compared to ME1 & ME2. The new characters like Diane and James were very uninteresting and the graphics and animations have barely been touched since ME2. My decisions imported from the first two games didn't really impact the story and I feel like BioWare and EA were turning this game into a clone of Gears of War except in space. And what the is up with Day 1 DLC From Ashes? For a very important character relevant to the entire series and basically what it is based on? EA is obviously trying to pressure BioWare into making a more "mass-appealing game". No!

    Also, the quest system is complete and utter And what happened to my narrative structure. I sometime barely see the wheel in conversations anymore! Also, the score of this game was lackluster.

    Some good about the game. I thought most of the main missions were fine ad well-crafted although they ended anti-climatically and the weaponry was good. The main teammates and old puns and people from the old games appear and make the game more enjoyable. Combat is great. Checkpoints are forgiving. Powers are good. Multiplayer is fun.

    And then, theirs the end. The ending of the game was so outrageous, disgusting, unethical, the biggest hypocritical scene made by BioWare that it made me mad. Even with Extended Cut DLC, it was terrible. I could have picked a better ending from my mother****ing ass.

    All in all, Mass Effect 3 was hyped up to be an excellent, but failed to deliver on so many levels. However, I still enjoyed the game for what it was. But seriously, DLC in this game is pretty OK, but they make it so short for 15.00 im spending for it    … Expand
  90. creotine
    Apr 7, 2013
    5
    Simply put, its a fun 3rd person shooter with rpg elements and a bad ending. The only people who don't think the ending is bad are the fan-boys or those with ADD who didn't pay attention to the story. The choices you make in the game do not affect the outcome of your ending. You get to the end and are presented with A, B, or C choice for an ending like Deus Ex did. On top of it theSimply put, its a fun 3rd person shooter with rpg elements and a bad ending. The only people who don't think the ending is bad are the fan-boys or those with ADD who didn't pay attention to the story. The choices you make in the game do not affect the outcome of your ending. You get to the end and are presented with A, B, or C choice for an ending like Deus Ex did. On top of it the ending makes no sense, and contradicts itself. It's still a fun game but the story does dissapoint.… Expand
  91. voiders
    Apr 26, 2013
    5
    What to say? Im not a totally fan of Mass Effect fan, i bought the the trilogy at origin with a lot of expectations but i could not understand why this game are so famous. The entire series are so regular.
  92. Smartchoy
    Jun 24, 2013
    1
    Such a disappointing end to a series. The problem with the ending is simply that it such a waste of opportunity. If Bioware wanted whatever ending is their decision but they don't really go through it, no funeral, no wedding, no epilogue, just laziness, just nonsense. FFXII opens with a great wedding and a funeral in its opening animation, I don't care if its happy or sad, I just wish toSuch a disappointing end to a series. The problem with the ending is simply that it such a waste of opportunity. If Bioware wanted whatever ending is their decision but they don't really go through it, no funeral, no wedding, no epilogue, just laziness, just nonsense. FFXII opens with a great wedding and a funeral in its opening animation, I don't care if its happy or sad, I just wish to enjoy the feelings, I am paying for this. Mass effect 3 had the perfect opportunity to make you feel so much, you have been playing so long with this crew, a reunion, or funeral, or big closure would have made me feel so much, but is just a big "thank you for playing, but we wont say what happened, bye"… Expand
  93. cappugino
    Jul 3, 2013
    2
    Repetitive game! After 3-4 hours playing the game is going to get boring.
    Bad and boring K.I. and sometimes unfair difficulty.
    Only for fans! For people who never played such games its wasted money.
  94. WookieChestHair
    Jul 5, 2013
    7
    I can completely understand where people are coming from when they say they hated this game because of it's ending and whatnot, but what you can't ignore is the fact that until that point, the game was incredible. Seeing the characters from that past two games and even having a couple of them join your crew again brings great feelings of nostalgia and while I admit, the 'space bar to doI can completely understand where people are coming from when they say they hated this game because of it's ending and whatnot, but what you can't ignore is the fact that until that point, the game was incredible. Seeing the characters from that past two games and even having a couple of them join your crew again brings great feelings of nostalgia and while I admit, the 'space bar to do everything' concept was quite poor, the reason I play Mass Effect was for the intricate storyline and the lovable characters, not the gameplay. The basic cover shooting mechanics and the games ending stopped this from getting a 10, but, in my opinion, it's still one of the greatest gaming series of all time, and I can't wait to see what Bioware gives us with the next instalment.… Expand
  95. SourHyperion1
    Jul 12, 2013
    9
    After hearing a lot about how Mass Effect 3 fell short of Mass Effect 2, I came in expecting something totally different than it delivered and in the best way. Mass Effect 3 picks up a bit after the events of Mass Effect 2 concluded. Shepard has somehow got himself free from Cerberus and grounded on Earth by the Alliance. Mass Effect 3 shows how dark the series can get allowing for theAfter hearing a lot about how Mass Effect 3 fell short of Mass Effect 2, I came in expecting something totally different than it delivered and in the best way. Mass Effect 3 picks up a bit after the events of Mass Effect 2 concluded. Shepard has somehow got himself free from Cerberus and grounded on Earth by the Alliance. Mass Effect 3 shows how dark the series can get allowing for the series to end very strongly.

    Gameplay: The game has updated its style, mainly when on a mission. The cover system has dramatically improved and both armor variation and the number of weapons has dramatically increased. The AI does get caught up quite a bit and this can lead to wasting a lot of medigel, but you can at least run over and help them up without the use of it. Most of the other mechanics of the game are the same, but missions now impact how ready your forces are to fight the reapers, which I thought was an excellent addition similar to that of Fable 3's, but much much better. There is also the improved scanning system where you just scan from the galaxy map, but in some systems this will alert the reapers.

    Graphics: Mass Effect 3 has gotten a bit of a face lift allows for more detail in almost everything and it looks brilliant. While the graphics are not the best, I don't think I've seen such a beautiful Sci-fi RPG to date.

    Story: The campaign takes Shepard to the far reaches of the galaxy, but sadly not all of it. I went on quite a few side missions and I never felt that I went as far as I could have. However, this is made up with some of the incredibly painful decisions you are forced to make. Most of those decisions are toward the end, but they will make you second guess yourself and even regret them. Then comes the infamous ending, which I thought was probably one of the most dramatic and depressing endings to a trilogy I have experienced. No spoilers, but if you were expecting a happily ever after, you will be disappointed and or surprised.

    I'm not quite sure why this game has received such bad reviews, I have played the entire trilogy through and I feel that each game brought something new and exciting to the table and Mass Effect 3 was no exception. You will not find an experience equal to that of this trilogy and if you are on the fence as to whether or not to buy it, go buy it and enjoy the many hours of brilliance it will give you.    … Expand
  96. Mudgee
    Nov 24, 2014
    8
    Where my interest int the first two of the series weren't strong, ME3 seemed to have that draw, that feel of combat and consequential decision making that I love so much. Any game that promotes choice and consequence is a winner in my books, and ME3 does that very well on many occasions. Whilst i've never been a fan of the combat systems in ME3, It does bode better then the first two. IfWhere my interest int the first two of the series weren't strong, ME3 seemed to have that draw, that feel of combat and consequential decision making that I love so much. Any game that promotes choice and consequence is a winner in my books, and ME3 does that very well on many occasions. Whilst i've never been a fan of the combat systems in ME3, It does bode better then the first two. If you were only going to pick up one game in the series, this is the one. Luckily, you do not need an extensive history lesson on ME lore to understand what is going on.… Expand
  97. GamersUprising
    Jul 23, 2013
    3
    It's by no means a bad game, the game play is amazing, the dialogue is great, the characters are relatable and it has that emotional tone that the first two games carried. What brought it down from a positive rating is the ending which managed to piss SO many gamers off. The ending of this game is a total slap in the face to fans of the Mass Effect games. It was like the developersIt's by no means a bad game, the game play is amazing, the dialogue is great, the characters are relatable and it has that emotional tone that the first two games carried. What brought it down from a positive rating is the ending which managed to piss SO many gamers off. The ending of this game is a total slap in the face to fans of the Mass Effect games. It was like the developers completely forgot about the fact that all of the games are based around choice, but the ending betrays that fact. All three endings are incredibly similar, which made us feel as if our choices never mattered in the first place. I love the Mass Effect games but the ending of this game just brought it down. Never has a game ending developed so much controversy than the ending of Mass Effect 3, and that's a damn shame.… Expand
  98. kamaroff
    May 1, 2017
    7
    When i look at this game after DA: Inquisition and ME: Andromeda, i understand that it was pretty good. And even such level is now unattainable for Bioware.

    Changed my score from 5 to 7/
  99. boshi
    Feb 10, 2014
    10
    a wonderful game and great ending to the trilogy. the story follows you as you try to find support from the other races of the galaxy to try to fight the reapers. the story, as usual is great,however i disliked the lack of loyalty missions that were in mass effect 2, as well as the much smaller team you have at your disposal, limiting your choices of squadmates. the graphics are top notcha wonderful game and great ending to the trilogy. the story follows you as you try to find support from the other races of the galaxy to try to fight the reapers. the story, as usual is great,however i disliked the lack of loyalty missions that were in mass effect 2, as well as the much smaller team you have at your disposal, limiting your choices of squadmates. the graphics are top notch as well, as well as the game-play, aside from a few minor glitches i found. along with the single player, there is a surprisingly enjoyable co-op multiplayer mode, where you and up to 3 other people fight waves of enemies across various locations in the galaxy. the enemy faction variants are cerberus, geth, collector, and reaper. playing the co-op mode increases galactic readiness percentage, which in short, allows you to use more of your forces in the final push.… Expand
  100. Chr0m3
    Sep 24, 2014
    9
    Mass Effect 3 is a phenomenal experience, and a fitting end to the Mass Effect trilogy. The stakes have never been higher, the action never as intense, and by the end of the game, when you arrive back at Earth with every fleet you've gathered and finally bring the fight to the Reapers, it would be hard to not at least cheer for the Galaxy that you've known and loved for three games,Mass Effect 3 is a phenomenal experience, and a fitting end to the Mass Effect trilogy. The stakes have never been higher, the action never as intense, and by the end of the game, when you arrive back at Earth with every fleet you've gathered and finally bring the fight to the Reapers, it would be hard to not at least cheer for the Galaxy that you've known and loved for three games, finally putting aside old grudges and conflicts to work together as a united force. Bioware also hasn't held back in the emotional scenes of Mass Effect 3, from the opening scene where a Reapers destroyer mercilessly destroys a shuttle escaping with a child on board, to the deaths of many main characters and the nightmares that Shepard goes through, this game really pulled at my heartstrings. Of course, there is the ending, which caused much controversy for its abrupt end without providing resolution to long time fans of the series, however as I only played the game after the release of the Extended Cut DLC, I was satisfied with the ending, it was not the best way to end the series, but it was fine in my honest opinion, and overall, Mass Effect 3 was one of the most amazing and compelling games I have ever had the pleasure of playing.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

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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]
    Read full review
  3. Absolute Games
    Mar 31, 2012
    85
    Finishing a trilogy is always difficult. Tying off dozens of story threads which had been woven by players into many different tapestries is a daunting task. Mass Effect 3 is the first game that succeeded at this colossal undertaking.
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