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6.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 7228 Ratings

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  1. Mar 24, 2012
    2
    Love all the game but the end is a joke, sorry bioware i love u , but seriously this end kill all ur game ... The 3 choices are just a joke, and if this ' end ' is just a ' dream ' for waiting the real end in DLC , it's a joke too.
  2. iN7
    Mar 13, 2012
    4
    Epic..astonishing..breath-taking..classic - these could`ve been words describing Mass Effect 3. Yet different words come to mind after you see the final scene and start to read credits. Below you will learn why.
    1. Plot Weak at some points, strong in others, total failure by the end. It`s worst parts are these: the starting mission on Earth - Shepard`s totally confused by people running
    Epic..astonishing..breath-taking..classic - these could`ve been words describing Mass Effect 3. Yet different words come to mind after you see the final scene and start to read credits. Below you will learn why.
    1. Plot Weak at some points, strong in others, total failure by the end. It`s worst parts are these: the starting mission on Earth - Shepard`s totally confused by people running around and has no clue of what`s going on, yet seconds later is asked by the Commettee about "what`s going on" and "how do we stop them". Shepard`s been locked in his room, had limited contacts, but just one short look on an iPad - and he`s got the answer. Guess it was just written on the Pad`s screen - " The Rippers are here (tragic voice)". Second worst part of the plot - it`s ending. But let`s make it clear: bad ending when Shepard dies is Ok. It fits the situation. But three bad endings is just too much. Shepard deserves good ending too, he deserves to live. His adventures, his decisions, his relations with different persons - it wasn`t always about death and violence. It was also about love, passion, friendship and honor - things that so many people lack these days. And Bioware seems to ignore their value as well, there`s no reward for being good by the end of the game. 2. Graphics
    It`s worse that in ME2. Just install ME2 and you`ll notice the difference at once. ME3 uses the same engine, yet textures are low-res on most objects, except faces. Shadows are totally messed up, they look terrible and tend to disappear from time to time. There`s no "film-grain" effect which was the game`s feature before. Plus the animation..my eyes get red in pain every time I see Shepard charging, it`s the worst running animation I`ve seen in years. Face mimic became weaker too. But again, things were Ok in ME2, so God knows why Bioware ruined the animation part. Got bored with perfection ? 3. Sound/Music
    Sounds are there and are well-made, no doubt about it. Ambient sounds fit locations rather well. Music is on an average level, you will hardly remember most tracks, yet the one named "An end once and for all" is touching. This part of the game is mostly fine.

    4. Multiplayer
    One word - boring. It`s hardly a Mass Effect experience, just a tribute to modern tradition adding multiplayer wherever possible.Here it`s just a silly feature, which is supposed to give you certain benefits in the single-player part of the game. And it`s not interesting. Conclusion:
    The worst part of the trilogy both technically and story-wise. And it`s really hard for me as a fan to write such words. Mass Effect is the universe with GREAT potential. It may become "Star Wars" of the 21st century. Yet it may not.. Bioware must re-think its attitude to this franchise. And stop destroying its own great creation by bad scripts, bad visuals and predator marketing. Bioware must remember, that games are made for players and players have their voice. Some game journalists while protecting the quality of ME3 say, that " this is Bioware`s game, don`t tell them what and how to do". It may be their game, yet they want US to play it and pay OUR money. So we,as customers and fans, deserve quality product as a sign of respect and good will. Don`t we, Bioware?
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  3. Apr 1, 2012
    2
    I shall be succinct: Mass Effect 3 fails to do what was asked of it by the "hardcore" (old school RPG) fans. Bioware did not bring back any type of inventory, the Itemization is still too small and understanding of the mechanics does little to help one play better or lay out skills better. Even more disturbing is the horrendous way Bioware has concluded this game. I will not give anyI shall be succinct: Mass Effect 3 fails to do what was asked of it by the "hardcore" (old school RPG) fans. Bioware did not bring back any type of inventory, the Itemization is still too small and understanding of the mechanics does little to help one play better or lay out skills better. Even more disturbing is the horrendous way Bioware has concluded this game. I will not give any specifics but suffice to say the ending offers no real choice or closure. If given the opportunity, I would return my copy. Expand
  4. Apr 16, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I cannot tell you how excited I was for ME3. I pre-ordered it back in June (first pre-order ever), and replayed the past two games back-to-back up until release. There were some really good parts (the Krogan subplot and Quarian/Geth subplot,) but there are so many bad aspects I'm having a really hard time finishing my second play-though.

    First off, the journal system is broken. You get a quest, and it shows up, but it never updates. I could be in the middle of a quest, leave, come back, and totally forget where I was. This is the smallest problem I have.

    One of the biggest problems is the amount of automated dialogue. Shepard talks a lot by himself, and I mean A LOT. You have a lot less control over what he says, and when you do you you only get two choices: A - I BE GOOD MAN, and B - I EVIL AND RUTHLESS. There is no option to remain neutral in conversations. Auto-dialogue is also rampant among squad-mates. You rarely engage in conversations where you pick what to say. I'd guess 80% of squad-mate conversations are automated.

    My next problem is the story-flow. It's very linear. You're forced to do the "Priority" missions in a specific order. Allowing you to do the missions in a different order would make the game significantly less linear.

    My last, and biggest problem, with ME3 is of course the ending. You're given absurd logic by a "God Child," and you are unable to tell him to go to hell or shoot him in the face. You're forced to pick one ending that can have 1 of 3 colors: blue, green, or red. None of your choices matter, and nothing in the ending makes sense. The announced Extended Cut is just going to be polishing a giant pile of ****

    ME3 is unfinished. Everything from the ending quality, to the bad side-missions, to the horrible animations and textures just makes it evident EA rushed BioWare to meet a deadline. Again. Letting themselves be bought out was the worst choice BioWare ever made. Their products will continue to decline in quality, and soon all traces of the old BioWare will vanish.

    This is the last game I will buy from EA/BioWare. First DA2, then BF3, and now ME3. EA has totally ruined BioWare.
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  5. Jun 7, 2012
    4
    This game was supposed to be the pinnacle of the Mass Effect series, a glorious conclusion to a great story line. In the end you feel cheated, like nothing even mattered. Don't get me wrong, the game is fun to play, until you end up watching the last 10 minutes being thunder struck at the lack of originality and closure. I've heard that the team's "artistic integrity" has to be preserved,This game was supposed to be the pinnacle of the Mass Effect series, a glorious conclusion to a great story line. In the end you feel cheated, like nothing even mattered. Don't get me wrong, the game is fun to play, until you end up watching the last 10 minutes being thunder struck at the lack of originality and closure. I've heard that the team's "artistic integrity" has to be preserved, so they won't change the ending, although I did expect a new DLC. There are different problems with this game, starting from its movement away from ME 1 and its RPG style and ending with the numbers to signify your military strength. It just seems boring, Gears of War in space would be a better description. And promising 16 wildly different endings, but only providing 3 with MINOR DIFFERENCES is a goddamn blasphemy. I give it a 4 because it was interesting, but that **** ending about a Jesus space child is so out of context and random that I seriously considered giving this game a 1 and burning my copy of it. Expand
  6. Sep 13, 2012
    4
    ME2 was something of a downgrade to ME1 and ME3 even more so. A sorry attempt to conclude the narrative, gameplay is basically more of the same with a few redundant character developments. Character developments that do occur mean **** all, detracting much from the role play value. the redundant 3 choice system at the end also negates much of the games replayability. Recommend the gameME2 was something of a downgrade to ME1 and ME3 even more so. A sorry attempt to conclude the narrative, gameplay is basically more of the same with a few redundant character developments. Character developments that do occur mean **** all, detracting much from the role play value. the redundant 3 choice system at the end also negates much of the games replayability. Recommend the game only for ME nerds that feel the need to complete the franchise narrative for brovado's sake. Expand
  7. Mar 13, 2012
    0
    All I can honestly say is I am not impressed this feels rushed in story and graphics. This game takes risks where they didnt need to be taken. Af far as I see it a lot of their choices were for a quick money grab nothing more IE day one DLC etc. The seem to have pushed a whole lot of peoples wrong buttons and enraged/upset etc them I see why in many ways. I honestly loved part one andAll I can honestly say is I am not impressed this feels rushed in story and graphics. This game takes risks where they didnt need to be taken. Af far as I see it a lot of their choices were for a quick money grab nothing more IE day one DLC etc. The seem to have pushed a whole lot of peoples wrong buttons and enraged/upset etc them I see why in many ways. I honestly loved part one and enjoyed part 2...Part 3 is a disgrace and I cant even find enough of interest to finish it.. Expand
  8. Mar 13, 2012
    0
    It was the best game I'd ever played, since Pong, but frankly the ending boiled down to Choose Your Own Adventure "Pick a color. All rails lead to Page 37" ruined the game as well as killing the replayability of ME1 and 2 for me. Why bother making a new Shep, with new decisions, if it's all running to one of three railroad tracks? All the Twitter teases about "if you knew what wasIt was the best game I'd ever played, since Pong, but frankly the ending boiled down to Choose Your Own Adventure "Pick a color. All rails lead to Page 37" ruined the game as well as killing the replayability of ME1 and 2 for me. Why bother making a new Shep, with new decisions, if it's all running to one of three railroad tracks? All the Twitter teases about "if you knew what was coming you'd save your copy forever" don't mean much to me. I rate the game by what's on my computer, not what hypothetical DLC that might come later. Many players are also concerned that the 3 endings are a scam to leave players needing to "buy the rest of the ending" in a DLC. If a free DLC comes out that finishes the game logically and in a way that my choices and accomplishments matter again, then I'll change my review. Expand
  9. Lew
    Mar 25, 2012
    4
    The introduction to the game was poorly done and pointless. The first act was somewhat fun but eventually I was just grind thru missions to accumulate items that in the end where meaningless. The next act was more of the same. And finally the end was a huge disappointment nothing in the rest of the series or in the game really impact how it ends.

    The game play was OK but I did not
    The introduction to the game was poorly done and pointless. The first act was somewhat fun but eventually I was just grind thru missions to accumulate items that in the end where meaningless. The next act was more of the same. And finally the end was a huge disappointment nothing in the rest of the series or in the game really impact how it ends.

    The game play was OK but I did not enjoy the addition of hand to hand combat. Also, I missed the heavy weapons of ME2.

    The character development was also pointless. I never felt like anything I gave my character was really important.

    So mostly the game was unfun and pointless. A terrible way to end 2 previously good games.
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  10. Mar 26, 2012
    0
    Bioware screwed up so masterfully at the end of this game that it not only ruins the game, it ruins the first two Mass Effect games as well. The only positive side of the ending is that it doesn't also ruin Dragon Age: Origins. I would only suggest buying this game if you are the type of person who skips through all the dialog scenes and cutscenes. If you enjoy dialog, story, and makingBioware screwed up so masterfully at the end of this game that it not only ruins the game, it ruins the first two Mass Effect games as well. The only positive side of the ending is that it doesn't also ruin Dragon Age: Origins. I would only suggest buying this game if you are the type of person who skips through all the dialog scenes and cutscenes. If you enjoy dialog, story, and making choices that impact the rest of the game DO NOT BUY this game.

    The one major problem with this game is the ending. It is a fun enjoyable game similar to its predecessors up until the finale. How this ending seemed like a good idea to the studio is mind-boggling. It is bad storytelling in addition to other factors which leaves the player frustrated and unfulfilled. Forget replay value, you will have no motivation or desire to replay this game or Mass Effect 1 and 2.

    Save your money. Don't buy this abomination. If anything, wait and see if Bioware will release a fixed ending. The price of this game should be falling quickly anyway due to poor reception.
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  11. Mar 20, 2012
    4
    OK, ill try to write this as an impartial gamer who loved the ME series and view this as a stand alone game.

    ****SPOLIERS**** The game is good. Its not amazing but its damn good. I liked the improved customisation with weapons I liked the increase in typed of weapons etc. I liked the story (excluding the end) some of the characters who I had grown to care for and love had some
    OK, ill try to write this as an impartial gamer who loved the ME series and view this as a stand alone game.

    ****SPOLIERS****

    The game is good. Its not amazing but its damn good. I liked the improved customisation with weapons I liked the increase in typed of weapons etc. I liked the story (excluding the end) some of the characters who I had grown to care for and love had some amazing, emotional endings. I can live with the sacrifice theme running through the game and it suits the story.
    I dont really care about graphics if the story and gameplay is good so Im not gonna bother here. Problems I had with the game are I missed having 1 or 2 of the previous characters from ME2 on my team. But they featured in the game so I can live with that. I didnt really like JAMES or what ever he was called. Didnt get the character, and looking at all the great characters we already had, I think it was a waist to have him take up a slot. Just seemed pointless.

    I was dissapointed with the whole building up your fleets etc and thought it would be something like DA. Origins where you could choose to deploy them some how or even see them in different combat movies depending on what resources you collected. So this was again a bit of a waist.

    Finally, the ending. Its all been covered before. I could live with sad ending. Hell I could live with sacrificing Shep. But not in every ending! Not to mention all the other complaints about plot holes, (why was the Normandy running away?) Closure is the best way to describe what I need with this.

    I have devoured any information regarding the ending I could, but I think people are being too clever and giving too much credit to writers. I just think it was a lazy ending.

    until the ending this is an 8 or 9 out of 10 game. but the ending can not be ignored. unfortunately

    Play the game, by all means, you need to. But get it second hand, then maybe Bioware/EA will start to learn not to cut corners.
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  12. Mar 24, 2012
    0
    Great series...until the ending. The ending is so terrible, it not only ruined this game for me but also ME1 and ME2. Over 100 hours of gameplay and you're forced into one of three very similar "endings" that bear little resemblance to the thematic and gameplay elements that made the rest of the series so good.
  13. Apr 9, 2012
    0
    What a joke. Mass Effect 2 was easily my favorite game this gen and I couldn't have been more letdown playing through this game the first time. I'm working through my second play through and I just can't make it. I'm selling it back and never buying a Mass Effect game again. Easily the worst and most disappointing ending of a game I've ever seen and I refuse to pay EA for a better ending.What a joke. Mass Effect 2 was easily my favorite game this gen and I couldn't have been more letdown playing through this game the first time. I'm working through my second play through and I just can't make it. I'm selling it back and never buying a Mass Effect game again. Easily the worst and most disappointing ending of a game I've ever seen and I refuse to pay EA for a better ending. They ruined it for themselves and I'm not letting them get any more of my money. Expand
  14. Mar 14, 2012
    0
    It gets a zero from me. Bad ending, your choices do not matter, disappointing relationship . If you like the Mass Effect series do not play this third installation it negates the whole series.
  15. Mar 14, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Steaming pile of crap.
    I just played the Mission where you are forced to choose between Quarians and Geth. It's a lie. there is no choice. Either way is inconsistent with the choices made in the previous game. Hours of forced cinematics, no real game play based on choice. It's like a weekend of bad D&D with the worst power-tripping DM ever.
    This game sux all ass and I refuse to play to the end.
    DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY! Bioware is ****
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  16. Mar 14, 2012
    2
    The combat was pretty fun, the multiplayer started fun but got repetitive since it is entirely co-op horde mode and there was no competitive multiplayer. The story had a few strong moments. Never in my life did I think that just the ending of a piece of entertainment could retroactively destroy the positive experiences I had with that piece of entertainment. Mass Effect 3 managed to doThe combat was pretty fun, the multiplayer started fun but got repetitive since it is entirely co-op horde mode and there was no competitive multiplayer. The story had a few strong moments. Never in my life did I think that just the ending of a piece of entertainment could retroactively destroy the positive experiences I had with that piece of entertainment. Mass Effect 3 managed to do just that. I had heard the ending was bad before I even started the game, but I wrote this off as only a few people who were very vocal, and believed that I would enjoy the ending when I got to it. I was completely mistaken. The ending not only made no sense, but it took away any possibility for the player to make a significant choice, and made the player feel like all the choices made up until this point of the game were utterly worthless and had no impact on the game whatsoever. It left me feeling incomplete, as if the reapers were never defeated and the Mass Effect series never really got an end. It caused me to immediately uninstall the game and not even think about playing through the game again, which I was originally planning on doing. I didn't think it was possible, but this game single-handedly in the last 10 minutes or so, ruined my love for the Mass Effect series and Bioware. It was a disappointment and what could have been a terrific game was ruined because of it. Expand
  17. Mar 19, 2012
    2
    While the game is self is everything you expect ME to be - interesting, emotional and engaging all pleasure of playing it is destroyed by horribly done ending. Not one it invalidates all your efforts and choices, but it although renders replaying 2 older games differently pointless - no matter what you do or done you get the same 3 options and no variations around them to speak of. I canWhile the game is self is everything you expect ME to be - interesting, emotional and engaging all pleasure of playing it is destroyed by horribly done ending. Not one it invalidates all your efforts and choices, but it although renders replaying 2 older games differently pointless - no matter what you do or done you get the same 3 options and no variations around them to speak of. I can although say that emotionally speaking it is profoundly upsetting without any redeeming qualities or hope for the future, so if you like me play games to have good time and live with good mood afterwards tis is one game you should avoid. Expand
  18. Mar 20, 2012
    1
    The world of Mass Effect finally came to its end. As a commercial way to rip peoples money off. The game is only full of utter disappointment, besides a few drops of light that are far from saving the game. Good job, you tried to improve graphics that were already working, now the clips have bugs and the game is so huge it eats a lot of space from my laptop's hard drive. Combat had alreadyThe world of Mass Effect finally came to its end. As a commercial way to rip peoples money off. The game is only full of utter disappointment, besides a few drops of light that are far from saving the game. Good job, you tried to improve graphics that were already working, now the clips have bugs and the game is so huge it eats a lot of space from my laptop's hard drive. Combat had already got so boring I lowered the difficulty before I started multiplayer and story.

    Onto the multiplayer. Such golden promises, a lot of expectation from people and... ta-da! They "created" what's been created in numerous games before. Repetetive, dull multiplayer that's seen after you play a single round of it. It has no chat besides voice, and personally as a female gamer I'd hate to talk to strangers, knowing how it has ended up many times. And what about people that aren't really into shooters and come from the RPG side, or without a microphone? The only drive to keep playing it is unlocking new weapons and characters and the playing itself reminds me of a Disney made childrens game that at some point has a shooter mini-game. If I want to play a shooter game with no "goal" or purpose, I'd rather pick something like Left for Dead 2 or Bulletstorm, or hell even Call of Duty: MW. With real kick-ass weapons.

    What the ****, Bioware? I can't romance James Vega? I went to Mass Effect Wiki because I was curious about the romances. For my utter defeat, I found I cannot romance the (in my personal opinion) hottest character in the ME universe so far. I even signed a petition, a petition, to get a DLC for a possible romance. Which would also be the only DLC I'd ever consider buying for the game. Note, consider. I do not dig aliens. I do not dig whimps. Even though, I have to give it to Kaidan, he's manned up. Did I already mention I do not dig aliens? I wish I hadn't picked any romance in the game, but how was I supposed to know it'd just be 1 man, 1 alien and lesbians in the end. In my opinion the lesbians are there to sell the game more anyway. Personally I really don't like it that my assistant in both previous games has been after my character's bum.

    Besides that, I never finished the game. I played it for a good couple of hours and decided I'm not putting up with having to play multiplayer that murders my brain for a better ending. The story felt like an on-going drag that I just wanted to stop looking at even with my short play time. Much things didn't make any sense. And I was also disappointed I seriously cannot romance Mr.Vega.
    There's been a lot of complaints that the ending is very bad. I probably won't make it there, seeing that it was difficult to motivate myself to finish ME2 either. I shall be glad.

    I can very shortly analyze the reasons I would push myself to play it. 1) I could live in hope to beat Illusive Man, 2) Wrex is splendid, 3) James Vega.

    No expectations, no disappointment. I wasn't expecting the game unlike many people I know, which most likely makes me a lot less disappointed in Bioware and the stupid game. I was more disappointed in Dragon Age 2, which was a joke.
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  19. Apr 1, 2012
    2
    Im a big fan of the series and like other people i think the ending was incomplete however for me that wasnt the biggest problem. in ME and ME2 there was a connection in story and you can effectively see the actions you make changes galaxy and open up new path , sometimes you even have to sacrifice one path for other. However in ME 3 there are no connection between missons. Even worse atIm a big fan of the series and like other people i think the ending was incomplete however for me that wasnt the biggest problem. in ME and ME2 there was a connection in story and you can effectively see the actions you make changes galaxy and open up new path , sometimes you even have to sacrifice one path for other. However in ME 3 there are no connection between missons. Even worse at final misson you dont see the effects of your missions. I gathered entire galaxy to help world but no interaction with them ? That game seriously broke my faith in bioware. I think swtor was lousy too and now this. Funny thing is all the game sites say game is perfect, well it is NOT !!! i dont know how much they pay you to write this but i dont even look at game review pages anymore thanks to your inaccurate fanboy reviews. Games ending was only the part of the problem, this game has lost its soul... Expand
  20. Jun 6, 2012
    1
    There was some great moments, but overall it was a disastrous end to a great series. All of the choices you made in the first 2 games didnt really have any impact on the course of the last game. The game has changed from a rpg'ish actiongame to a pure actiongame.

    On top of that the ending is the worst ending ever. I had way more enjoyment watching a video-rant on youtube which listed
    There was some great moments, but overall it was a disastrous end to a great series. All of the choices you made in the first 2 games didnt really have any impact on the course of the last game. The game has changed from a rpg'ish actiongame to a pure actiongame.

    On top of that the ending is the worst ending ever. I had way more enjoyment watching a video-rant on youtube which listed all the reasons why the ending sucked.
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  21. Jun 17, 2012
    3
    The ending honestly just brought anger and depression. It literally ruined the series it was quite terrible. Bioware let down it's fans on this one.
  22. Aug 5, 2012
    4
    As a huge fan of previous games, especially Mass Effect 2, to say that I am disappointed would be a serious understatement. The ending of Mass Effect 3 is not only the conclusion for this game, it's for the entire franchise, so for it to be like this is an insult to the fans. But to forget about the ending for a second, and look at the entire product, it's not at all brilliant. Combat isAs a huge fan of previous games, especially Mass Effect 2, to say that I am disappointed would be a serious understatement. The ending of Mass Effect 3 is not only the conclusion for this game, it's for the entire franchise, so for it to be like this is an insult to the fans. But to forget about the ending for a second, and look at the entire product, it's not at all brilliant. Combat is faster and yes you can now climb. roll, etc. but it just feels awkward, especially on the pc version, where one button for all makes your head explode. Tons of auto dialogue, many of the previous choices don't matter at all, it's like you didn't have any choice in the previous games, side quests are not side quests, they are fetch quests, extremely boring and idiotic, and to make matters worse, journal is a complete mess, there is no information about any of the quests, have you collected anything, is it 75% complete, no, so you better prepare piece of paper and a pen and get working. Unacceptable, the entire game. I will give it 4/10 because there are still great moments because of the surrounding characters, but all in all, they should just forget about making this and start anew. Expand
  23. Aug 20, 2012
    1
    I would not recommend anyone who has played ME1. and ME2. The players own version of what will happen in this game is far superior to the content you will see. If you want to keep your sanity and your warm memories of the Mass effect story, do not get this game regardless how much money EA paid the big site reviewers.
  24. Nov 21, 2012
    1
    I hate ME3. I even destroyed the dvd pack. What a waste. I can mention many reasons. Main was incomplete story and game. I mean come on money looters! You develop a game and then keep many of its parts away to release them as dlc's (downloadable contents) later on just to make extra money. Why should someone buy an incomplete game and then spend extra money to buy ****ing dlc's just toI hate ME3. I even destroyed the dvd pack. What a waste. I can mention many reasons. Main was incomplete story and game. I mean come on money looters! You develop a game and then keep many of its parts away to release them as dlc's (downloadable contents) later on just to make extra money. Why should someone buy an incomplete game and then spend extra money to buy ****ing dlc's just to understand and enjoy the game. You know what I never even looked what dlc's you looters have released for this sh*t, buying is far away. This game could have been a master piece if released as whole not in game and dlc's manner but your money hungry and looting desire destroyed and disgusted it. All the dlc's released throughout the series were part of the whole story and yet were released in main games but as dlc's. What if some one has bought ME1, ME2, ME3 only. Why look and buy dlc's just to understand the whole story and enjoy it. But if you think this strategy of looting our hard earned money will work then you are wrong. We have other means to show you that this strategy is a big mistake and is going to loose customers and fans. BE AWARE.
    Other than that lets talk about main game i.e. ME3. You gather as many resources and armies in the game as possible for the final battle and what you get in the end 'a disgusting deception'. What a waste. I can go on but I have wasted too much on this total sh*t already.
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  25. Mar 13, 2012
    1
    This is what happens when craptronic arts takes over a good gamehouse; rushed product. This is what happens when a game house has too many projects on its plate and can't handle the load. The ending alone pretty much kills the entire franchise...and for what? Why end a franchise with such potential with such an anticlimactic ending? Downward trend since Dragon Age 2, then Star Wars online,This is what happens when craptronic arts takes over a good gamehouse; rushed product. This is what happens when a game house has too many projects on its plate and can't handle the load. The ending alone pretty much kills the entire franchise...and for what? Why end a franchise with such potential with such an anticlimactic ending? Downward trend since Dragon Age 2, then Star Wars online, and now this...sad, very sad indeed. Expand
  26. Mar 15, 2012
    1
    The games got progressively worse the first one was amazing. The second one was okay nothing special or earth shattering it's not something I would consider a waste of money, however the third is a complete waste of money and would suggest buying a used copy just to piss EA/Bioware off. They think they're cute by adding a boring garbage multiplayer add on to the game and requiring you toThe games got progressively worse the first one was amazing. The second one was okay nothing special or earth shattering it's not something I would consider a waste of money, however the third is a complete waste of money and would suggest buying a used copy just to piss EA/Bioware off. They think they're cute by adding a boring garbage multiplayer add on to the game and requiring you to have a code. So here's a summary of Mass Effect 3. Day one DLC crucial to the game CHECK, game chalk full of glitches CHECK, horrible multiplayer that is a waste of time CHECK, Arguably the worst ending I've ever experienced in any game I've played CHECK. DO NOT BUY THIS GAME FOR 64 DOLLARS!!!! Save your money I wish I did. Expand
  27. Mar 22, 2012
    0
    I just can't believe that this should be the ending the developers thought about all the years since part one. What I really think is that BioWare was unable to finish the game in time and was forced by EA to somehow end it for a scheduled release. It feels like all the ends we saw were originally one of multiple endings and that BioWare was forced to split it up by changing colors to fakeI just can't believe that this should be the ending the developers thought about all the years since part one. What I really think is that BioWare was unable to finish the game in time and was forced by EA to somehow end it for a scheduled release. It feels like all the ends we saw were originally one of multiple endings and that BioWare was forced to split it up by changing colors to fake a "you have the choice" situation. I blame EA for all what happened with the end of the game and it seems that this is just another proof for that this company has a greedy "quantity over quality" policy and just doesn't care about art but a lot about cash-flow. Origin, dlc on release day etc etc. I shouldn't wonder if someone at EA is crying right now that thousands of dollars from Mass Effect fans are going to a children-found and not in their pockets. Expand
  28. Apr 4, 2012
    2
    The first half of the game is quite enjoyable as you progress into the second half of the game it is clear that quite a few missions are missing. Developer interviews confirm this(from the Final Hours of ME3 iPad app).

    The most damning indictment about the quality of this title is saved for the ultimate conclusion of the game. The ending does not work, does not make sense, and feels
    The first half of the game is quite enjoyable as you progress into the second half of the game it is clear that quite a few missions are missing. Developer interviews confirm this(from the Final Hours of ME3 iPad app).

    The most damning indictment about the quality of this title is saved for the ultimate conclusion of the game. The ending does not work, does not make sense, and feels like its tacked on from a different universe. It certainly does not feel like it belongs in Mass Effect`s universe.

    Another 6-9 months of development time likely could have fixed the problems, unfortunately that didn`t happen so I would suggest unless this is fixed sometime during 2012 I would recommend skipping this game.

    Perhaps the best thing you can do is to is play Mass Effect 1 and just pretend the whole thing ends right there.
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  29. May 27, 2012
    4
    While I enjoyed playing the first two Mass Effect games this one left me with a disappointing experience. It just wasn't fun anymore. The most this game has to offer is the voice acting but it feels like I've heard it all before. I believe that to get a slightly "richer" experience you'll need all Mass Effect games which I have but also all the downloadable content which is something i'mWhile I enjoyed playing the first two Mass Effect games this one left me with a disappointing experience. It just wasn't fun anymore. The most this game has to offer is the voice acting but it feels like I've heard it all before. I believe that to get a slightly "richer" experience you'll need all Mass Effect games which I have but also all the downloadable content which is something i'm not willing to pay for. Expand
  30. Mar 18, 2012
    4
    Don't get me wrong, ME3 is an AMAZING GAME! It's just the ending that pisses me off. I've spent five years on this franchise working hard making all the right choices in order to have a closure that suits my expectations! However, the ending made me feel as if none of that mattered! I've lost interest in continuing the game or even replay it anywhere in the near future. I was alsoDon't get me wrong, ME3 is an AMAZING GAME! It's just the ending that pisses me off. I've spent five years on this franchise working hard making all the right choices in order to have a closure that suits my expectations! However, the ending made me feel as if none of that mattered! I've lost interest in continuing the game or even replay it anywhere in the near future. I was also frustrated by BW's Day-One DLC policy! It made me feel cheep! As if I'm nothing but money-milking machine for the Big Gaming Kahunas. THE ENDING MUST BE CORRECTED! BW is a great company that makes great RPG's. I'm confident that they won't disappoint their fans for long. Maybe! Expand
  31. Mar 19, 2012
    1
    An amazing game, and an amazing trilogy, ruined in 10 minutes by a terrible ending, that makes all of the players actions and choices meaningless. Lets hope the last 10 minutes were all in Shepard's head, and the secret clip is him awaking back on earth to kick some ass in the new DLC ending, only $9.99!
  32. Mar 29, 2012
    0
    I have been a fan of the series for half a decade, and I was really looking forward to the third installment of Mass Effect 3. As a result the game managed to disappoint me beyond what I thought was possible. Bioware has created something so awful that retroactively makes the whole series pointless, and I doubt I will ever bother with this series again. Add in the lack of PC customizationI have been a fan of the series for half a decade, and I was really looking forward to the third installment of Mass Effect 3. As a result the game managed to disappoint me beyond what I thought was possible. Bioware has created something so awful that retroactively makes the whole series pointless, and I doubt I will ever bother with this series again. Add in the lack of PC customization options and PC controller support, together with day 1 DLC, which clearly was an important part of the game to begin with, and you have one of the worst sequels in RPG history. Expand
  33. Jun 5, 2012
    0
    The professional reviews of this game are so ridiculously similar that I'm not completely convinced that there isn't some kind of conspiracy in the gaming industry. It is dishonest and unethical not to mention the **** ending to this game, if only for it's extreme polarization.
  34. Jul 8, 2012
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It is not often that the last game in a series manages to effectively ruin the work of its predecessors and their replay values, along with its own. But Mass Effect 3 does exactly that. The extended cut does nothing to alleviate the problems introduced by the original ending, just as patching a few holes in the hull of the Titanic wouldn't stop it from sinking because of the ginormous hole created by the impact with the iceberg.

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

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

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

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

    The only reason I'm so upset is because how much I loved the first 2.9 games. I saw the Mass Effect trilogy as this generation's Star Wars, a space opera of epic proportions that has a meticulous and interesting universe. But Mass Effect 3 really just makes me.. sad. Because its ending did not do the series justice. The Rannoch, Tuchanka, Mordin, and Thane scenes all brought me to tears. The entire series was astounding up until the last few minutes. Bioware had the chance to define the Mass Effect trilogy as the new standard for story driven games. But now? It's just.. bleh. I will probably never buy a Bioware game again. First Dragon Age 2, then SWTOR, and now this. They have fumbled 3 great franchises. Oh well.
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  35. Aug 3, 2012
    3
    Most people may concentrate on the ending, but there is so much more that this game got wrong, especially when comparing it with previous releases in the series. The writing in many parts of the game was absolutely terrible, and Shepard did not feel like Shepard in many scenes. The overusage of memes from previous games was cheesy, out of place, and down right irritating. TheMost people may concentrate on the ending, but there is so much more that this game got wrong, especially when comparing it with previous releases in the series. The writing in many parts of the game was absolutely terrible, and Shepard did not feel like Shepard in many scenes. The overusage of memes from previous games was cheesy, out of place, and down right irritating. The journal/quest system, which they nailed in the first and second games, is an absolute mess in Mass Effect 3. The people responsible for the new journal system in 3 should be shot in the face for their incompetence, when they had 2 examples to build off of in the previous games. The ending, even with the Extended Cut, is still very unsatisfying and breaks the flow of the entire trilogy.

    I will give it props on its combat system, which is an improvement over Mass Effect 2's system. Personally though, I would have preferred it to stay more like Mass Effect 1, since these games were intended to be rpgs and not shooters.

    Although the writing sucked most of the time, there were indeed some memorable moments and decent scenes. Overall, this game just needed more work. The game seemed rushed, and is not a typical Bioware release because the quality just isn't there. It's really disappointing to see this happen to such a great franchise and developer. Since DA2, Bioware just can't seem to do it anymore. First DA2, then SWTOR, and now ME3. Bioware is a developer to stay away from in the future as their quality has severely diminished, and I am sure this is largely due to EA's influence.

    If you have never played the Mass Effect series before, I would recommend staying away from it, as you are in for some disappoint in the 3rd installment. The first 2 are great games, but you will want to play this one too, which will ruin everything for you.
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  36. Mar 13, 2012
    4
    While the gameplay has improved since the first game in terms of combat mechanics, ME3 marks a distinctly unsatisfying story. Fans of the first two games who import their characters will be dissapointed in the endings especially compared with the previous two installments. This extremely illogical ending to a great IP is only made worse by the inclusion of an important character to theWhile the gameplay has improved since the first game in terms of combat mechanics, ME3 marks a distinctly unsatisfying story. Fans of the first two games who import their characters will be dissapointed in the endings especially compared with the previous two installments. This extremely illogical ending to a great IP is only made worse by the inclusion of an important character to the lore of the Mass Effect universe as a paid DLC when it is clear that the character was originally meant to be included with the standard game package. Expand
  37. Mar 24, 2012
    0
    What is the problem with Mass Effect 3? Simple - not to mention it's poor gameplay, bioware did a terrible job making a halo rip off actually work. You probably have heard the story was terrible - you were right. The makers' storywriting skills caused the ending to be utterly dissapointing. But who knows if this WILL be the last Mass Effect game, the develepors may want to make more moneyWhat is the problem with Mass Effect 3? Simple - not to mention it's poor gameplay, bioware did a terrible job making a halo rip off actually work. You probably have heard the story was terrible - you were right. The makers' storywriting skills caused the ending to be utterly dissapointing. But who knows if this WILL be the last Mass Effect game, the develepors may want to make more money (like they did with this) and make a whole new 50 sequels. Expand
  38. Mar 13, 2012
    1
    The game, if it stood on its own, would be at least an 8. Its an alright to good game. However, it does not stand on its own. It stands as the final installation of a series that has come to define a generation of games. The game absolutely fails to live up to the series' standards. If you are a fan of the games, you will not be a fan of this game. The way in which Bioware handle's yourThe game, if it stood on its own, would be at least an 8. Its an alright to good game. However, it does not stand on its own. It stands as the final installation of a series that has come to define a generation of games. The game absolutely fails to live up to the series' standards. If you are a fan of the games, you will not be a fan of this game. The way in which Bioware handle's your past experiences with the game is insulting. Without giving spoilers, I will say that absolutely nothing you do matters. What is worse, Bioware and its sponor IGN has been extremely insulting to its fan base to such a degree I cannot in good conscience give this game a good review. IGN, which sponsors having one of its reporters be a character in the game, calls gamers "entitled" for wanting a GOOD game that they paid for. IGN and Bioware are not entitled to a good review or a happy consumers when they insult them and release a poor product. Expand
  39. Mar 13, 2012
    1
    Mass Effect series is a story heavy game. The ending of the story of Mass Effect had so many things wrong with it that you will wish you never played it to begin with. If you are looking for a shooter, there are much more decent games out there than this anyway. The only reason to buy this, which is the story is unfortunately lacking in ME3. Couple this together with the fact thatMass Effect series is a story heavy game. The ending of the story of Mass Effect had so many things wrong with it that you will wish you never played it to begin with. If you are looking for a shooter, there are much more decent games out there than this anyway. The only reason to buy this, which is the story is unfortunately lacking in ME3. Couple this together with the fact that developers were selling day 1 DLC for $10 which apparently they worked on after the main game was finished. They should have spent that time making a logically coherent ending. As good as every other story element was in the game, all of it is unraveled by a bizarre ending that renders every choice made till then meaningless. You even receive the choice to be a Paragon or Renegade right before the end to just end up with the same variation of an 'ending'. Do yourself a favor and avoid this series. You will be disappointed otherwise. Expand
  40. Mar 14, 2012
    0
    First, I have to say that I have never been more disappointed in a video game. Honestly, after I beat the game to see that they all differed only by the color of the leaves, I regret wasting $60 on it. Unfortunately, I bought the PC version, and I couldn't even trade it back in.

    Mass Effect wasn't a mediocre game: it was legendary. It stressed choice and consequence, shaping a galaxy
    First, I have to say that I have never been more disappointed in a video game. Honestly, after I beat the game to see that they all differed only by the color of the leaves, I regret wasting $60 on it. Unfortunately, I bought the PC version, and I couldn't even trade it back in.

    Mass Effect wasn't a mediocre game: it was legendary. It stressed choice and consequence, shaping a galaxy through the choices you, as the player, made. I played the first two, and absolutely adored them. The storyline was unique, cutting-edge. The characters and the relationships formed between companions and crew members were realistic and brilliant. I recommended the games to everyone I knew. Now, I'm telling trying to tell everyone not to waste their money.

    The weak storyline of the third game could have probably been overlooked if it was followed by the truly epic endings everyone expected. Unfortunately, the endings were the complete opposite. Thinking about how much time I wasted on this game makes me sick.

    I completely agree with most of the reviewers here: the story in the third game was weak and completely lacking; character interactions were minimal and disappointing; there were HUGE plot holes, and even the cutscenes were bad. I'm sorry, but last time I checked this was Mass Effect, not a Battlestar Galactica rip off. And the shiny Reaper child made from The Force? Give me a break.

    I really, really regret buying this game and wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Play the first two and make up your own ending; it's sure to be LOADS better than Bioware's.
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  41. Apr 6, 2012
    1
    Since you won't make my choices matter, Bioware. Here's my choice then: You can shove that ending down wherever it came from. You lost another customer, trying to pander to those gaming sites.
  42. Apr 16, 2012
    4
    The Mass Effect series started out with Mass Effect 1 as an interactive science fiction epic, reached middle age with Mass Effect 2 as a solid action game with dialogue options, and with Mass Effect 3, develops Alzheimer's disease and becomes Gears of War + occasional purposeless choice.

    I loved this series; the first game's universe and narrative blew me away, and I had a soft spot for
    The Mass Effect series started out with Mass Effect 1 as an interactive science fiction epic, reached middle age with Mass Effect 2 as a solid action game with dialogue options, and with Mass Effect 3, develops Alzheimer's disease and becomes Gears of War + occasional purposeless choice.

    I loved this series; the first game's universe and narrative blew me away, and I had a soft spot for Mass Effect 2, even with it's lack of main plot, developed antagonist, or any real sense of purpose. At least Mass Effect 2 was distinguishable from its predecessor. At least Mass Effect 2 introduced and developed a cast of interesting characters. At least Mass Effect 2 didn't *completely* forget the aspects of exploration from Mass Effect 1. I cannot say this much for Mass Effect 3.

    The majority of "player" dialogue in Mass Effect 3 is automatic, and the dialogue wheel *never* has more than 2 options on it, maybe the occasional "inquisitive" option for the rare gamer who wants more than chest-high cover and a big gun. Maybe this would be admissible if the choices had any considerable difference, but typically both options just say the same things in different ways.

    The Citadel in ME3 is much improved over any city in ME2. This struck me as peculiar until I realized that it was literally the *only place* in the entire game where Shepard isn't constantly shooting things (other than the Normandy, of course). It's the only place with stores. The only place that gives nonessential quests, the last remnant of RPG in this series packed into one location.

    The nonessential quests are just insulting. I refuse to dignify them with the title "Side Mission." They are 3 lines of dialogue: (1) "Gee, I wish I had item X," (2) "Here you go," (3) "Thanks." I'm not even exaggerating. Literally 3 lines, every time. You don't even enter into a conversation.

    One impressive feat is that this game manages to find time for all of the immense Mass Effect 2 cast of characters, but these encounters are brief and generally don't provide much closure for the characters (with the notable exceptions of Thane, Mordin, and Legion).

    The combat is an improvement over ME2, that is to say, "it's slightly more like Gears of War." It feels a bit like clunky and you can roll around to your heart's desire. However, it has somehow found a way to be even *more* segregated from the story. You could replace all the combat situations with black screens saying: AND THEN SHEPARD SHOT THE THINGS, and the story would make complete sense. No decisions are made outside of the designated decision-making areas.

    This isn't even touching on the cliched story. After countless generic often-forced self-sacrifice scenes, generic space marine characters, and innumerable poor attempts at adding emotion, the game tries to save itself in the last 15 minutes with a forced twist ending. It'd take over 5000 characters to explain just how many different ways this ending is awful.

    Overall: Lazy game, what little that distinguishes from predecessor is negative, if you liked the previous installments just replay them. Had potential, but extremely poor execution.
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  43. gas
    Apr 19, 2012
    0
    Im very happy to see that Metacritic decided to delete my long and detailed negative review i wrote time ago about this game without even a message or something about it.
    Its the first time it happens to me and i am really curious to know the reason about it, besdie the suspect its just EA paying Metacritic to remove bad reviews (sorry EA you cant buy the entire internet).
    Thats btw should
    Im very happy to see that Metacritic decided to delete my long and detailed negative review i wrote time ago about this game without even a message or something about it.
    Its the first time it happens to me and i am really curious to know the reason about it, besdie the suspect its just EA paying Metacritic to remove bad reviews (sorry EA you cant buy the entire internet).
    Thats btw should be enough to boycott Metacritic too, but i prefer to write to let ppl know about this kind of abuse.
    My score for the game was 4, i update now with a zero cause this.
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  44. Apr 4, 2012
    0
    The whole game, except the last five minutes, is above average. It has some GREAT moments and some considerable shortcomings, The technical department is poor, the few improvements over the previous game are balanced by many flaws, which become obstacles during gameplay. Action could be a lot of fun, too bad you only have one button to crouch, run, and jump over obstacles. Most of theThe whole game, except the last five minutes, is above average. It has some GREAT moments and some considerable shortcomings, The technical department is poor, the few improvements over the previous game are balanced by many flaws, which become obstacles during gameplay. Action could be a lot of fun, too bad you only have one button to crouch, run, and jump over obstacles. Most of the times you'll die it's going to be because of this. Some good moments about the plot, but some errors and contradictions are very easy to notice. The soundtrack, that's probably the only thing that really went right. Given all this facts I'd give it a 7/10 BUT: the ending. The plot becomes meaningless, all your choices: discarded. The explanations are incredibly dumb at best, and even if you assume it was all just a dream, or an indoctrination induced vision, it keep not making sense. Even if it did, you still don't see what happens to the galaxy you learned to love in the course of three games. What you get is the same cutscene, with an explosion of a different color based on a choice you make in the last 30 seconds of gameplay. This is no hyperbole, it's actually what you get. The whole plot is based on something the devs explicitly said they would'n do: add a "kill reapers" button. They aren't even above adding the cliche child dying seeking some easy drama, and getting shepard out of character a bit more. I'd make it 4/10 then, even with no reasonable plot it's still a nice action game with some control issues and a few good moments with your old companions, right? No, because a game is not just the final product. Everything reeks of the scent of some money-craving horrible beast. You get day one DLC that is already on disk. That character was intended to be meaningful to the plot, and you can see why: it's a prothean. But they just accepted to sacrifice some of the plot meaningfulness so that it could be an optional you could sell. As you finish the game, a message appears: you are reset before you start the last mission, and you're invited to buy some DLCs to further shepard's adventures. This behaviour is unacceptable. Remember when DLCs were stuff they made months AFTER the game was released, and you got to play THE WHOLE GAME simply by paying its price? Maybe it's me, maybe I should't have standards. But I do, and so do many people. That's why after a second playtrough I'm modifying my review and giving this a zero. That's why this game has such a low score. I understand you may really want to play this, but DO NOT BUY. These people can only understand money. Expand
  45. Mar 13, 2012
    0
    It seems like we have another da2 situation in our hands... a game that has been ruined for the purpose of appealing to all the brainless people in the world, just to make more money. Congrats...
  46. Jul 14, 2012
    3
    I'm not really sure what happened here but this is not a Mass Effect game...

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

    This game is not that AT ALL.

    It does have some nice music, though not as good as ME2. I will give 3 points for that.
  47. Mar 13, 2012
    3
    The first day I got this game I was thinking "people is just nuts" while looking at the 3.5 it was rated by user at this very same web page. Now after watching the ending I just can't recommend it even to my worst enemy. The saddest thing about all this is that the game itself is a really good action/RPG, it's probably the best written game I've ever played down to the last minutes of gameThe first day I got this game I was thinking "people is just nuts" while looking at the 3.5 it was rated by user at this very same web page. Now after watching the ending I just can't recommend it even to my worst enemy. The saddest thing about all this is that the game itself is a really good action/RPG, it's probably the best written game I've ever played down to the last minutes of game play. The ending though is something else, unfitting, bad written, plot holed, ... The first day I started playing I would have given ME a 8 overall, second to last days I would have given it 9.5 overall, but after finishing it I can't give it more than 3 overall. As the song by Metallica says: "Sad but true". Expand
  48. Mar 15, 2012
    0
    An embarassment. Do not release an unfinished game, pure and simple. Extremely buggy multiplayer, and an incomplete story. The inevitable $10 DLC that will conclude the game's story is nothing short of a scam.
  49. Mar 18, 2012
    4
    An amazing game just like its predecessors, but the incredibly disappointing ending ruins the game. A recent review / article stated that fans should not be allowed the power to change a game's ending, since its tantamount to having da Vinci change Mona Lisa or Rembrandt's his Night Watch. I can see his/ her (whoever wrote it) point, but.. BUT you don't compare a Masterpiece, a MagnumAn amazing game just like its predecessors, but the incredibly disappointing ending ruins the game. A recent review / article stated that fans should not be allowed the power to change a game's ending, since its tantamount to having da Vinci change Mona Lisa or Rembrandt's his Night Watch. I can see his/ her (whoever wrote it) point, but.. BUT you don't compare a Masterpiece, a Magnum Opus, to a modern abstract art of the lowest quality. And mass effect's ending was exactly that. Expand
  50. Mar 19, 2012
    0
    The Good-
    -ME 3 i found to be a decent combination of the first 2 with adding back in slightly more rpg aspects from the first game such as more weapons and armor and the tighter gameplay of the second.
    The Bad- -Certain aspects of the game felt like several steps backwards, such as the animations which is absolutely atrocious, to removing the gun holstering so you can't view your
    The Good-
    -ME 3 i found to be a decent combination of the first 2 with adding back in slightly more rpg aspects from the first game such as more weapons and armor and the tighter gameplay of the second.

    The Bad-
    -Certain aspects of the game felt like several steps backwards, such as the animations which is absolutely atrocious, to removing the gun holstering so you can't view your surroundings even if no enemies are around.
    -If you have kept your saves from the first and second ME, like i have, and looking forward to to see how your choices will effect the end of the trilogy, don't bother. The end of ME 3 will hit you like a powerful kick to the nards when you realize you that your choices did not matter and the trilogy is ended with more questions then answers. Conclusion-
    -Its quite an accomplishment to pull of an ending so bad that it ruins the whole series. Its just that bad.
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  51. Mar 19, 2012
    0
    I love the previous games in the series but ME3 is a disappointment in so many ways. Firstly, I can not import my Shepard's face from ME1 and the game also has bugs all over. Also, the ending of the game is astronomically bad; it goes against everything Shepard has done in the previous games and what Mass Effect-series has really been about. Players choices do not matter at all in the end,I love the previous games in the series but ME3 is a disappointment in so many ways. Firstly, I can not import my Shepard's face from ME1 and the game also has bugs all over. Also, the ending of the game is astronomically bad; it goes against everything Shepard has done in the previous games and what Mass Effect-series has really been about. Players choices do not matter at all in the end, all you get is pretty much a one and only ending. An ending that has plot holes as big as black holes, no conclusion and just leaves you empty. I can't believe Bioware actually did this. It's so bad. Expand
  52. Mar 19, 2012
    1
    FEMSHEP PLAYERS: They got rid of all of the male romance options except for 2. So choose wisely or else you're in for a disappointing play through in the "romantic" department.

    STORY/DIALOG: I enjoyed the story up until the last 10 minutes of the game. The choices / societal ties you've been establishing over the course of 3 games don't amount to anything aside from numbers on your
    FEMSHEP PLAYERS: They got rid of all of the male romance options except for 2. So choose wisely or else you're in for a disappointing play through in the "romantic" department.

    STORY/DIALOG: I enjoyed the story up until the last 10 minutes of the game. The choices / societal ties you've been establishing over the course of 3 games don't amount to anything aside from numbers on your Estimated Military Strength meter. The "endgame" scene is terrible and full of retcons (not just small ones, but ones that quite literally destroy the past 3 games). Aside from that, the dialog is still witty and some of the character development improved many characters I didn't really care about in ME2. However, I felt Ashley's dialog was brief for players who didn't romance her. INTERFACE, MECHANICS, ETC: I actually LOVED what they did with the mechanics / gameplay. Powers recharge faster and they integrated a combo system for adepts that can cause biotic explosions and massive AOE. Multiplayer is surprisingly addicting. However, the quest interface is worse than ME2. There are no "flags" for side quests anymore. You have to constantly be checking your journal (oh and the codex + journal are now merged together so its even more user-unfriendly). I had to keep a sheet of paper on me while I was playing to keep track of side quests. Despite all the positive things I have written, I'm giving this game a 1 because, at its core, Mass Effect was about the story. Its why Mass Effect 1 was my favorite despite the terrible gameplay mechanics. I have spent money on the DLCs and the collectors editions. It has all amounted to nothing because I didn't get "an end" to my story. Their marketing campaign was "TAKE EARTH BACK". At no point do you do this in the game.
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  53. Mar 20, 2012
    0
    The game itself is pretty good, not great, not awesome, pretty good. That's it. But the ending. Oh my God the ending. If you have been playing Mass Effect DONT PLAY THIS ONE. The ending will utterly leave you in complete shock and dismay at the sheer level of laziness, stupidity, condescension, and incoherent plot holes that you will find in the ending. Literally EVERYTHING about theThe game itself is pretty good, not great, not awesome, pretty good. That's it. But the ending. Oh my God the ending. If you have been playing Mass Effect DONT PLAY THIS ONE. The ending will utterly leave you in complete shock and dismay at the sheer level of laziness, stupidity, condescension, and incoherent plot holes that you will find in the ending. Literally EVERYTHING about the ending is completely GOD AWFUL. Stay away from this piece of shi*. First they make us pay for "DLC" to have the prothean squadmate, that hackers reveal is already on the disc and no one needed to pay for it, and now this??? Just vote with your wallets and stay away from this horrible horrible middle finger to the fans. Expand
  54. Mar 23, 2012
    0
    This game is excellent...until the last 15 minutes or so. The ending (there is only one with different colors) destroyed one of my favorite video game franchises. Mass Effect appealed to me because the choices that you made had weight, they affected the story in a tangible way, but no matter what you did in any of the games you always get the same choice of endings. Red, blue, or green.
  55. Mar 23, 2012
    0
    I was really excited to play this installment of the mass effect series, the idea that the choices and decisions a player can make will create a unique story-line is a great one. That said Bioware has done the unthinkable and ruined what was a great series, one that in my opinion could have gone down as one of the best known generational games. The graphics are sloppy and areas are justI was really excited to play this installment of the mass effect series, the idea that the choices and decisions a player can make will create a unique story-line is a great one. That said Bioware has done the unthinkable and ruined what was a great series, one that in my opinion could have gone down as one of the best known generational games. The graphics are sloppy and areas are just covered with shadows, choices from previous games are meaningless, what a waste of time to go and play mass effect 1 and 2 to import a cool custom character, what happened, well none of the choices effect anything in the end. Characters that may have been killed are brought back, no dialog circle half the time, and don't even get me started on the ending which should have been highly developed and unique based on character decisions made throughout the series. Instead we get an ending that is 95% the same in/on every choice with 5% slight but insignificant modifications to represent crucial decisions. Another aspect that the developers messed up on was the blatantly obvious plot holes in the game left in the ending.Furthermore on PC at least this game is incredibly buggy. Glitches occur and you have to reload your game because your character will get stuck on/in a wall. It is sickening that a game you pay 60$ for is not smoothed out, properly tested and not properly developed with regards to the story-line. My overall recommendation of this game is that you should not buy it because it is a waste of money, just look up the plot online or rent it as a last resort; this game has been nothing but wasted opportunity and disappointment both to me and many other mass effect fans out there. It is also nice to know that the critics for this game either didn't know what happened in previous games, did not know the intent and founding principles mass effect was built on or just didn't finish that game before rating it. While the critic rating is one of the most high games out there, I feel along with others that have posted that the games leaves a heck of a lot to be desired. If I had the option to return this game I would. It was incredibly ridiculousness that one the day 1 release that there was DLC content available as well, and it doesn't matter what EA or Bioware says the content is highly relevant to the story-line and would change game play if not purchased.
    In conclusion this games don't not have a good plot, has poor writing, poorly developed game play and graphics, is full of glitches, has day one DLC and one of the worst endings of all time. For a dedicated fan it is equivalent to being spat on. As a loyal mass effect fan I will always love the idea of what could have been my favorite game series of all time. I am not happy with Bioware or EA for ruining this idea and because of my unhappiness they will not be reviving anymore money from me for further purchases. Beware of this game and do not buy it.
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  56. Mar 24, 2012
    3
    Mass Effect 3 is a great game with a few minor quibbles like the "one key to rule them all" binding and requiring Multi-Player to increase your EMS. Truly well done....until the end! All the endings are functionally identical and there are only three of them. The ending mechanics diverge violently from the accepted process of the Mass Effect Universe both canonically and play mechanicsMass Effect 3 is a great game with a few minor quibbles like the "one key to rule them all" binding and requiring Multi-Player to increase your EMS. Truly well done....until the end! All the endings are functionally identical and there are only three of them. The ending mechanics diverge violently from the accepted process of the Mass Effect Universe both canonically and play mechanics wise.
    I fail to see how they think I am going to buy any DLC when in the end nothing I do changes anything and the work towards the endings is pointless. Why Bioware...Why?
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  57. Mar 25, 2012
    0
    Bioware is not the company it once were, Mass Effect 3 is less of everything compared to the previous games. Thanks for nothing Bioware, now go make another crappy Dragon Age sequel.
  58. Jun 3, 2012
    0
    This game is filled with boring auto-dialogue and by the end of the game, the story makes no sense. Bottom Line: Mass Effect 3 effectively killed the trilogy.
  59. Sep 6, 2012
    4
    This game is utter garbage compared to ME one and two. I seriously cannot understand why so many people propped this game as a wonderful experience when the ending was boring as could possibly be. The fact that NO new characters were available and that they wanted you to mix and match characters from the first two games who had no correlation to one another on most fronts didn't helpThis game is utter garbage compared to ME one and two. I seriously cannot understand why so many people propped this game as a wonderful experience when the ending was boring as could possibly be. The fact that NO new characters were available and that they wanted you to mix and match characters from the first two games who had no correlation to one another on most fronts didn't help either. The voice acting is terrible and overall it's a huge let down from two's ending let alone one which was rough around the edges yet ultra playable. This game made me want to chuck the install disk into the street. Don't waste your time. Sheppard isn't doing so well these days. Expand
  60. Jul 19, 2012
    2
    Forget the terrible, plot hole-ridden abomination Bioware calls an "ending". This game has far worse problems than that. An incredibly lazy deus ex machina plot involving super-mega-awesome reaper destruction device known as " The Crucible" to some of the most ridiculous scenes in the history of video gaming(Tali's possible death sequence, for example). The writing is atrocious and seemsForget the terrible, plot hole-ridden abomination Bioware calls an "ending". This game has far worse problems than that. An incredibly lazy deus ex machina plot involving super-mega-awesome reaper destruction device known as " The Crucible" to some of the most ridiculous scenes in the history of video gaming(Tali's possible death sequence, for example). The writing is atrocious and seems to be done by a seven-year-old fan-fiction writer. The "neutral" dialog response is now completely removed, so most of the time you have two illusionary choices in dialogs, which don't affect anything at all. That is,if dialog wheel even appears, as it has been mostly replaced by auto-dialog. The world of Mass Effect has shrunk from the quite large Citadel areas and dozen of huge,explorable (though empty) planets in Mass Effect to six crammed locations at the citadel with bland grey architecture and bleak Normandy in the third game. Not even four relatively small, but at least completely different hubs like in Mass Effect 2 .But the final nail in the coffin are "quests".The way it works is already anecdotal-you wonder around the Citadel, "overhear" two people talking about some stupid item, your journal will update, you go to that area, scan the planet via boring planet scanner, "retrieve" that item and give it back to those idiots at Citadel. That's it. No dialog wheel, not even a cutscene, nothing at all. There are other kind of RARE side-missions, where you go to a boxed area and kill everything on your way to... retrieve data or item. There is not a single side-mission, which even remotely looks like an RPG quest should, let alone being interesting. The combat is the same as the second game, a boring cover-based Gears of War like shooter with million enemies per level to kill. Weapon mods are almost completely useless, armor sets are literally copy/pasted from Mass Effect 2 DLC. Hell, most of the time you can't even talk to your teammates on Normandy. The only reason I don't give it a zero, is because some really good moments here and there. In all, a disaster of epic proportions, no doubt. Bioware managed to destroy an interesting and promising science fiction action-adventure game with RPG elements and that's not easy even if you work deliberately to do just that. Expand
  61. Jul 22, 2012
    0
    They ruined the whole goddamn series.

    How many countless hours it took playing through ME 1 and 2 probably 4 or 5 times each, and after playing ME 3 to the end I haven't touched any of them in months.
  62. Apr 5, 2012
    3
    Mass Effect was a great game. Mass Effect 2 was very simple but still a good game. Mass Effect 3 is just not very good. It seems like Bioware is on a crusade to address every social issue known to man and squeeze it into a 40 hour game. I play to have a good time and get away from real world crap. I wont comment on the terrible ending as thats been covered.
  63. Mar 27, 2012
    3
    If I had turned the game off instead of playing the last 5 minutes it may have earned a 5. They took an amazing series and ruined it. I lost track of how many times I played ME1 and ME2 all the way through. With ME3 there doesn't seem to be any point at all. I'm not sure if it was hurried out too fast or the designers got lazy. None of the choices you've made in the previous gamesIf I had turned the game off instead of playing the last 5 minutes it may have earned a 5. They took an amazing series and ruined it. I lost track of how many times I played ME1 and ME2 all the way through. With ME3 there doesn't seem to be any point at all. I'm not sure if it was hurried out too fast or the designers got lazy. None of the choices you've made in the previous games really matter at all. Fine myself wishing it hadn't been released yet so I could still be anxiously awaiting what I believed would be a great game. Expand
  64. Mar 26, 2012
    0
    Zero because the game was broken out of the box. I can't save the game period! So I have replayed the intro/up to the mars stage of the game 4 times now, and it is awful. Terrible unskippable cinematics. I can't even start playing the game further to rate it. So it gets a zero. The action so far is terrible, and the story is again lame and unskippable. I just have to sit there banging theZero because the game was broken out of the box. I can't save the game period! So I have replayed the intro/up to the mars stage of the game 4 times now, and it is awful. Terrible unskippable cinematics. I can't even start playing the game further to rate it. So it gets a zero. The action so far is terrible, and the story is again lame and unskippable. I just have to sit there banging the keyboard hoping to find a way to skip, so I can see if my latest troubleshoot to make the save games work is working. 5 tries over 4 hours and no luck yet. Thanks for the headache Origin. Having to use Origin the wannabe steam, is the final nail in the coffin. Bye bye $60 i'll never see you again, all I can do is leave this nasty review. Saaaaaad. Way to end the series Bioware. Some conclusion. The conclusion is the Devs and EA skulking away with my money on a product that never worked. Now off to Amazon to warn the others... Expand
  65. Mar 29, 2012
    0
    Ending of this epic game is EPIC FAIL! Graphics, animations... all this is **** Bioware, you spit in my face with this ending, I will not buy your games anymore.
  66. Mar 31, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The Plot Hole Ridden Ending ruins the series. The Dissappointment face when finally getting to the End is incredible. The Cerberus base was fun then at the end of that mission it was all down hill. The Deus Ex 3 choice ending rip off
    The Deus Ex Machina StarChild which seems to come from Wintersun - StarChild reminds me of the idiocy they pulled in the Matrix with the Architect same thing "God out of the Machine" its totally ridiculous
    Harbinger says nothing the main enemy for ME2 had more lines in the Arrival than the whole of ME3. The Arrival wasn't particularly good either. The Normandy running away from the fight. The last shooting/fight area is just a horde of monsters no end game Boss just Harbinger frying which is when full dissappointment sets in. Its absolutely heart breaking that the ending was allowed to be released like this you'd have to be a complete moron to like it and completely irrational to think that others who don't only do so because they don't understand it. Its not clever its a cop out its a load of cheap tricks to appear complicated, but its just convoluted and a mess.
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  67. Apr 4, 2012
    3
    Ending looks like was written by a 10 year old. Full of plot holes, just feels incomplete and full of nonsense. A dissapointment like I never had before in a video game.
    Dumbed down story line in comparison to the first mass effect.
    Again, ending removes all replay value. Combat is more dynamic and fun, but what made the previous games stand all (story, narrative, player engagement) in
    Ending looks like was written by a 10 year old. Full of plot holes, just feels incomplete and full of nonsense. A dissapointment like I never had before in a video game.
    Dumbed down story line in comparison to the first mass effect.
    Again, ending removes all replay value.
    Combat is more dynamic and fun, but what made the previous games stand all (story, narrative, player engagement) in this one only ruins the entire franchise.
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  68. Jul 14, 2012
    1
    It's been three hoursI've been trying to install the game. Origin is complete **** I'm getting all sorts of errors which I'm managing to solve not through EA but through third party forums. This is the last time I'm buying anything that has to do with the Origin crap. They should have stuck with steam.
  69. Aug 5, 2012
    4
    EA HAVE BOUGHT BIOWARE = BEGINNING OF THE END OF EXCELENT GAMES Too sad for me heard that bioware, "one of the best",is now in the hand of the money eater, you can cleary see this line of influence in simple things :
    ===ME1 before EA === 1- Exploration on every planet, searching for stuff 2- Buy armor for each member and race! in the market, and cool wepons. 3-Variety of skill points
    EA HAVE BOUGHT BIOWARE = BEGINNING OF THE END OF EXCELENT GAMES Too sad for me heard that bioware, "one of the best",is now in the hand of the money eater, you can cleary see this line of influence in simple things :
    ===ME1 before EA === 1- Exploration on every planet, searching for stuff 2- Buy armor for each member and race! in the market, and cool wepons. 3-Variety of skill points to add. 4-You can run- walk-kneel- change combat to pasive mode. 5-Good side quests ===ME2 Now EA=== 1-No more exploration "boring probes" 2-Can't change or buy armor for the teammates "empty markets?" 3-Skills "simplified" 4-No more Kneel, just run-walk-change combat to pasive mode. 5-Have side quests ===ME3 Now EA=== 1-All exploration is reduced to this arcade style flight the damm ship and right click 2-Items? Recicled armor from ME2, and yeah fish and spaceship to fill the empty shops. 3-Skills improved, true. 4-No more kneel or walk mode, just run yesss and shoot a horde of monsters, for every meter you make. 5-Side quests? What the hell is what they made in ME3.

    CONCLUSION: You can see this in simple things, Moving to the garbage game line step by step, and in the next game, just 1 teammate and 1 weapon, and then release 10 DLC For characters and items.
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  70. Aug 24, 2012
    1
    I will not lie to your face like many of the "Critics" have. This game is a total waste of time and a prime example of the end ruining the entire story. A pathetic attempt to push out a triple A game when in truth we are only given a sub par, (trying to be COD) waste of time. Bioware has long since abandoned their story and RPG roots. Another company beaten down by EA and staffed withI will not lie to your face like many of the "Critics" have. This game is a total waste of time and a prime example of the end ruining the entire story. A pathetic attempt to push out a triple A game when in truth we are only given a sub par, (trying to be COD) waste of time. Bioware has long since abandoned their story and RPG roots. Another company beaten down by EA and staffed with people who write worse then fan fictions. Making this game a ZERO out of Ten, from the Two I would have given it because of Biowares bad PR handling of the situation. Shame on you Bioware, you had real talent untill you pissed us all off, go away and make room for companies who diserve out money. Expand
  71. Dec 1, 2012
    1
    This was a null game with no plot. It feels rushed and much too repetitive. I couldn't bare to continue it, and actually returned it after playing it twelve hours. I kept saying "It'll get better, it'll get better" but it didn't.

    I suggest not getting this game and playing the first two games.
  72. Jan 8, 2014
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A stupid Deus Ex machina ending, that deviates from the history, that make you sad after playing. If you play since the first one, you will fell betrayed. Expand
  73. Mar 17, 2012
    0
    Would have been a solid 8 or 9 had the ending not succeeded in ruining the entire story that the trilogy had been building up to. Quite saddening to see the disappointments BioWare continues to churn out (Dragon Age 2, and now this), and I can't help but think EA is the culprit. I miss the days when BioWare actually meant quality roleplaying games.. Unfortunately, it seems those days areWould have been a solid 8 or 9 had the ending not succeeded in ruining the entire story that the trilogy had been building up to. Quite saddening to see the disappointments BioWare continues to churn out (Dragon Age 2, and now this), and I can't help but think EA is the culprit. I miss the days when BioWare actually meant quality roleplaying games.. Unfortunately, it seems those days are long over. Expand
  74. Mar 9, 2012
    0
    ME1 was the first game i genuinely bought, the game was so incredible it single-handedly pushed me into Steam. I really can't stress how much i liked the last two games, writers seemed like they gave a f*ck about what they did.

    This is the biggest letdown i've felt in a videogame, i wish i hadn't even thought of buying it. To all who still have faith on the plot (as in, haven't played
    ME1 was the first game i genuinely bought, the game was so incredible it single-handedly pushed me into Steam. I really can't stress how much i liked the last two games, writers seemed like they gave a f*ck about what they did.

    This is the biggest letdown i've felt in a videogame, i wish i hadn't even thought of buying it. To all who still have faith on the plot (as in, haven't played ME3) stay the hell away from ME3. Assume it ended on ME2. Please, really. I know the game starts awesomely but it gets terrible faster than you can expect it to.

    Please, don't play it. If you have that much curiosity, watch the 3 (yes 3) endings on youtube. Please, i'm trying to spare you. Please
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  75. Mar 14, 2012
    3
    Never has a game dropped the ball so INCREDIBLY; it is beautifully wrought and so well done that you will overlook many of the plot holes it does have and a lot of the laziness that went into the game; from BioWare's use of stock images to well over a hundred graphical and audio errors and various glitches that will sometimes even make your quest bug out and you can't finish it. ErrorsNever has a game dropped the ball so INCREDIBLY; it is beautifully wrought and so well done that you will overlook many of the plot holes it does have and a lot of the laziness that went into the game; from BioWare's use of stock images to well over a hundred graphical and audio errors and various glitches that will sometimes even make your quest bug out and you can't finish it. Errors with importing save games an inability to even transfer your custom faces over... so many things wrong, but the visceral gameplay and climactic build-up of the game, the choices and the story, well... you' be willing to overlook it... almost. You might have cringed at times and facepalmed at others but chances were, you'd still enjoy it and still had a good game.

    But the ending... dear GODS... BioWare lied on every front; nothing they promised for endings are there. The ultimate tale of Shepard concludes with you losing to the Reapers regardless of how well you fought, and having spent an entire game building a fleet you never get to see in action, ending on a note that essentially says, "Yeah, we're going to make more games because we're sure you'll pay for it."

    With content cut from the game so it could be sold at day one, them finishing the game early enough so you could actually download it before release (as I did) if you pre-ordered but STILL having a host of technical issues... and an ending that would have fit better in an obscure Japanese Anime (and has been known to make fans of that genre just as mad anyway; check out Neon Genesis Evangelion for a reference example) the game has literally dropped the ball on all marks and BioWare has fumbled their chance to make history (beyond being the butt of what will likely be a long standing joke). If you were looking for something to finally dethrone the CoD franchise or Halo or other gaming giants, this game is NOT your champion. And if you DO like those games? Better you stick to them and avoid ME3.
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  76. Mar 14, 2012
    0
    Played the whole series and each game multiple times. The series as a whole, defined gaming for me. But the ending ruined the franchise and what it stood for. Just read the link below.

    http://www.gamefront.com/mass-effect-3-ending-hatred-5-reasons-the-fans-are-right/2/
  77. Mar 14, 2012
    1
    the endings are really a big letdown, and what you did in the previous chapters does not matter at all contrary to what they advertized. Even importing old saves does not work regarding the decision you made. Also bioware is fraoudolent company selling a day 1 dlc with contents very important to understant the story for 10$. The game is subpar and the company behaviour horrible.
  78. Mar 14, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Mass Effect 3 undoes every decision made throughout the entire series in the last 15 minutes. The 3 endings are too similar and create plot holes larger than the Milky way. The only choice you have at the end is what color explosion do you want to send throughout the galaxy. The game engine hasn't made any significant improvements but I don't really mind that so much. The biggest problem is the ending. This is perhaps the largest letdown in gaming history. Expand
  79. Mar 14, 2012
    2
    This games ending was a major disappointment. Everything was great up until the all choice, freewill, and consequence were taken away from the player in the final moments. If it weren't for the ending I would easily give this game a 9/10. However, the ending was so terrible that I (almost) wish I could unplay all of the other games and never had wasted time on them. I felt similarly whenThis games ending was a major disappointment. Everything was great up until the all choice, freewill, and consequence were taken away from the player in the final moments. If it weren't for the ending I would easily give this game a 9/10. However, the ending was so terrible that I (almost) wish I could unplay all of the other games and never had wasted time on them. I felt similarly when lost ended but at least I could respect it was not my decision. In this case, Bioware led the players to believe the ending was our decision (through the choices we made in the game). Apparently, not... I sincerely hope that Bioware adds additional post-game content in upcoming DLCs to make sense of this pointless ending. Expand
  80. Mar 19, 2012
    0
    Bioware keeps ruining it's name again doing demands of EA . Another huge disappointment sequel to a wonderfull RPG . First KOTOR then DAO and at last ME . This is last time buying a bioware game before reading user's critics .
    ME is not a RPG it is just a FPS including a cheap tv movie story or reverse . Choices (including your choices from ME1 and ME2 ) do not effect anything major in
    Bioware keeps ruining it's name again doing demands of EA . Another huge disappointment sequel to a wonderfull RPG . First KOTOR then DAO and at last ME . This is last time buying a bioware game before reading user's critics .
    ME is not a RPG it is just a FPS including a cheap tv movie story or reverse . Choices (including your choices from ME1 and ME2 ) do not effect anything major in the game . They told about 14 different endings but all looked same to me , just colour difference ::)) .
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  81. Mar 19, 2012
    0
    unless something is seriously done to fix this game i will never buy from bioware again. they were my favorite company and now they are my most hated
  82. Mar 19, 2012
    0
    No point in avoiding the obvious...ME3 is really a good game on its own... except for the ending. Wich is simply what matters most if u are making a ending to a triology that envolved allot of emotional investment, letting the player create the story as it goes... The entire ME game was focussed around this feature, and made it so very compelling. Choose to do A resulted in B. Or choose C?No point in avoiding the obvious...ME3 is really a good game on its own... except for the ending. Wich is simply what matters most if u are making a ending to a triology that envolved allot of emotional investment, letting the player create the story as it goes... The entire ME game was focussed around this feature, and made it so very compelling. Choose to do A resulted in B. Or choose C? Everything u did needed some carefull thinking...made u invest in characters... In the end it felt like u were writing ur own epic Scifi Novela filled with plots - action - romance ... And what happened? Frodo came to mount Doom and was about to throw the ring into the lave, just as Sauron revealed he had a failsafe switch that teleports the ring back to him and voila!!! Sorta how this felt... no matter how i enjoyed the series, wich i did, and credit for that. The feeling i have now is one of total disappointment, flustered, sad... Of all the ways it could have gone i cant think of a worse conclusion to this epic tale. In wich i thought i made a difference. I am left with confussion, 'hate'... Only to be greeted with a grand message from BW/EA to buy more DLC when released... Shame on u... Expand
  83. Mar 19, 2012
    0
    Simply put, this game lived up to every expectation I had for the finale. It's everything I could've hoped for and more. Why such a low score then? Simple. The ending. As almost every other review says, the ending was such a colossal disappointment it ruined the series for me. It negated every other aspect of the past 2 games and simply was the worst ending to a video game I've ever seen.Simply put, this game lived up to every expectation I had for the finale. It's everything I could've hoped for and more. Why such a low score then? Simple. The ending. As almost every other review says, the ending was such a colossal disappointment it ruined the series for me. It negated every other aspect of the past 2 games and simply was the worst ending to a video game I've ever seen. If Bioware were to patch their ending with a DLC package it'd be fine. Just to be clear, the game does not have 16 different endings. It has 1 ending which varies in a few small details. In the end it's all the same. And it's all terrible. Don't get this game until they patch the ending.

    10 for the whole game. -9 for the ending. Leaving us with a score of 1.
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  84. Mar 19, 2012
    0
    The final 10 minutes of this...ugh,.. game?... is what I remember instantly when I think of Mass Effect 3.
    For the series to be one of the best space cRPG ever despite minor issues, for the ME3 for most of it's part living up to it's title, last moments of this game has redefined my entire perception of the series.
    I can't bring my self to start this game again, In fact I can't even
    The final 10 minutes of this...ugh,.. game?... is what I remember instantly when I think of Mass Effect 3.
    For the series to be one of the best space cRPG ever despite minor issues, for the ME3 for most of it's part living up to it's title, last moments of this game has redefined my entire perception of the series.
    I can't bring my self to start this game again, In fact I can't even think of replaying the whole trilogy as I intended. Animations have some issues, Quest Log is complete mess and some moments are disappointing. But the "great" finale ruins absolutely everything I loved about this series.
    It is first time ever something like this happened to me in 16 years of gaming. Mass Effect 3 left a very bad taste in my mouth and for that reason I give it ZERO score.
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  85. Mar 20, 2012
    1
    Shepherd lies disgraced

    Bad end ruined good story

    I am heartbroken

    I can't put my disappointment into words greatest game ever razed to the ground by it's own ending. If you enjoyed the other games avoid this one until they fix the end. Check out retake mass effect on facebook and twitter.
  86. Mar 21, 2012
    0
    I rarely review anything, I prefer to enjoy things myself (after paying such a large amount of money, for my income). But Mass Effect 3, just destroyed many things I was proud of about the whole series.

    First of all, beware of buying the game because of Origin. A blunt attempt to battle Valve, a bad one at that. Secondly, connecting the multiplayer portion of the game to your personal
    I rarely review anything, I prefer to enjoy things myself (after paying such a large amount of money, for my income). But Mass Effect 3, just destroyed many things I was proud of about the whole series.

    First of all, beware of buying the game because of Origin. A blunt attempt to battle Valve, a bad one at that.

    Secondly, connecting the multiplayer portion of the game to your personal single-player experience and directly influencing your final score (thus the endings you can get), is just an awful way to promote the multiplayer part. And it's not even a small addition to the score...

    That doesn't mean much though, because as thousands have said before me, the ending is just despicable. Plot holes, no personal influence, not making much sense, seriously rushed and totally disappointing to anyone who has actually connected with the game. People are actually thinking of alternative theories, just to fool themselves that the ending was logical.

    This really feels like Dragon Age 2 (which had 5 dungeons in total and they were recycled in every way), Bioware having disappointed once again.
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  87. Mar 23, 2012
    1
    I want to state I personally started a metacritic account to rate this game. The game is not unplayable it just has some horrible flaws that ruin it as a whole. The good is as follows : The story it quite good, the voice acting is great ,it is a very emotional story, it really sucks you in and there is a lot more rpg elements(such as modifiable powers and weapons). The bad and it is reallyI want to state I personally started a metacritic account to rate this game. The game is not unplayable it just has some horrible flaws that ruin it as a whole. The good is as follows : The story it quite good, the voice acting is great ,it is a very emotional story, it really sucks you in and there is a lot more rpg elements(such as modifiable powers and weapons). The bad and it is really bad is as follows: The whole premise of the Mass Effect series is that chose matter, this is totally taken away from you in the ending(s). Even if you made the best chose in every three games import your character over all three, it doesn't matter. The thing that makes it incredibly frustrating is that you lose many character over the course of the games and you make friends and even lovers, and to be given an ending where in that all that sacrifice, all that character development means nothing, especially over the course of three game, is simply not acceptable. The ending honestly ruined the entire gaming experience for me. Other things that bad is decision you made in Mass Effect 2 dlc's & Mass Effect 1 general story are invalidated. Examples, You kill Wrex in ME1, he is back in ME3, you rekindled your relationship with Liara in ME2 Shadow broker dlc, she acts like she has seen you but for the brief time in ME3, You made Anderson a Counselor in ME1, Udena is the Counselor in ME3. A lot of fan favorites are also not playable character in ME3. Wrex is not playable, All of the added cast in ME2 are not playable, though they do make appearances, it is honestly really sad to see them take a back seat in ME3. There is also the day one on disc dlc, which I personally got the N7 special edition of ME3 so i got it for "free", it is actually quite vital to the story and should have been free in all additions.
    In conclusion i tried really hard to like this game. I loved it for the most part, but literally the last 10 minutes of the game ruin it. I know Bioware was aiming for a bitter sweet/deeper meaning ending. It honestly feels poorly executed at best and at worst a big slap in the face to the customer base that made this game so successful. I would not recommend this game to anyone. If you insist on playing it stop after you have your big chat with all your crew and friends, before the final battle, because the ending will ruin it for you. Just tell yourself you won and everyone lives happily ever after, because even the "best" ending is a sad one. So yourself a favor and pass on Mass Effect 3.
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  88. Apr 7, 2012
    4
    This is probably one of the few times I've written my review of a game, and those other few times were games like the original Deus Ex and Red Alert 1 & 2. But this.....this....ending, even a week after finished the game; nay the trilogy, and I've still got a bad taste in my mouth.
    Here I was on Earth with my squad and we just handed another Reaper its ass. And we're hightailing it to that
    This is probably one of the few times I've written my review of a game, and those other few times were games like the original Deus Ex and Red Alert 1 & 2. But this.....this....ending, even a week after finished the game; nay the trilogy, and I've still got a bad taste in my mouth.
    Here I was on Earth with my squad and we just handed another Reaper its ass. And we're hightailing it to that transporter up to the Citadel. No clue what was going to be up there. And then one big laser blast from Harbinger......and it was the series finale to the Sopranos all over again.
    The first game was a great sci-fi RPG that introduced us to the universe and laid out the plot, problem, and all the tantalizing little bits and hints of what was to come. Mass Effect 2 was phenominal. I was so drawn into the story, I literally played all weekend until I finished.
    I was stoked for the third game, and while playing it; I was having a blast. I jumped into the multiplayer and had some fun there too. Remember the Reaper on Rinoch and all the choices you made right after that. My choice seriously **** things up and I ended up taking a mulligan! I never took a mulligan like that before; so understandably I was even further stoked as to what the end of the game was gonna entail.
    Yeah, um, Bill Lumburg style, um, yeeeahhh, that ending......
    It sucked. What happened to my squadmates? To Garrus? Tali? Liara? What a letdown. Not to mention that I read what was intended to be the ending that Drew Karpyshyn had drawn up for the series; that the use of the 'Mass Effect' fields was creating a large buildup of dark energy that was going to destroy the galaxy. And the Reapers were creatures that absorbed technologically advanced races and used their genetics in the hopes of finding an answer to stop the dark energy buildup.
    Now that would have been a cool frakking ending!!!!!!

    Not that Sopranos style series finale mess we were left with.
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  89. op8
    Mar 18, 2012
    0
    ADVICE (to ppl who have'nt finished the game): Stop playing 10 minutes before the end....seriously!! ...you will be happier. The ending will infect your brain with a malignant non-operable cancer that will then ruin the ENTIRE trilogy for you, meaning any replay of any of the games will feel utterly pointless.Mass Effect should deserve a 90% score for being one of the best action sci-fiADVICE (to ppl who have'nt finished the game): Stop playing 10 minutes before the end....seriously!! ...you will be happier. The ending will infect your brain with a malignant non-operable cancer that will then ruin the ENTIRE trilogy for you, meaning any replay of any of the games will feel utterly pointless.Mass Effect should deserve a 90% score for being one of the best action sci-fi trilogies we have available to us, but goddamnitt, why did they have to ruin it with such a ridiculously lazy ending!! Expand
  90. Mar 11, 2012
    1
    Take away the compelling story from the mass effect series and what are you left with? Most people would agree we're left with little more than a sub-par shooter. Bioware often gets a pass on this because the story elements are so strong and interesting. NOT THIS TIME OUT. The story and especially the incomprehensible nonsense ending make for a tale that sucks the awesome not only out ofTake away the compelling story from the mass effect series and what are you left with? Most people would agree we're left with little more than a sub-par shooter. Bioware often gets a pass on this because the story elements are so strong and interesting. NOT THIS TIME OUT. The story and especially the incomprehensible nonsense ending make for a tale that sucks the awesome not only out of this game, but also out of the rest of the franchise which have been building up to an epic ending, where literally NONE of your choices throughout the entire series make an impact. Not having this strong story to keep you going, be prepared to suffer through this sub-par shooter Expand
  91. Mar 13, 2012
    0
    Plot is very bad.Endings are epic fail.This is just First-person-shooter with a number of useless dialogs.
    This is worst game of this trilogy.0 from 10.
  92. Mar 13, 2012
    2
    well i liked me 1 and 2 but this is a huge disappointment. from the poor ai to the stop start nature of the story the game nver flows. but the thing that really disappoints is how different the official and user scores are. clearly this is a poor game and yet it sores so high. i feel that the days of impartial reviews are gone as is original game making.
  93. Mar 16, 2012
    0
    Publisher lied to the fans, there is no choice, nothing you do matters, worst ending to a series in gaming history. I have never been more disappointed in a game in my life, having spent over 100+ hours playing all 3 in the series only to be lied to like this. Do not buy any Bioware game.
  94. Mar 19, 2012
    0
    Not only did the ending ruin THIS game for me, but I cant even bring myself to play the previous games. It literally brought me to tears in places, but the last 5 minutes devolved into utter nonsense and bad logic. I'm ashamed that I actually paid for this travesty, I should have just let my imagination end the series.
  95. Mar 22, 2012
    0
    OK, I really loved ME1 and 2. I anxiously waited for the 3rd game and see how is it going to end, what is going to happen to the characters and the galaxy. Up until the last 5 minutes of the game, it was completely blown!

    But, suddenly, the game took a U turn and started going downhill fast.It betrayed not only me for insulting my intelligence, but it insulted the game itself. It ended
    OK, I really loved ME1 and 2. I anxiously waited for the 3rd game and see how is it going to end, what is going to happen to the characters and the galaxy. Up until the last 5 minutes of the game, it was completely blown!

    But, suddenly, the game took a U turn and started going downhill fast.It betrayed not only me for insulting my intelligence, but it insulted the game itself. It ended without explaining anything or giving any kind of closure. And on top of it, it doesn't make any sense, not even for fiction standards.

    The reason I am giving a score of 0 is the ending. If I were to score the game prior to seeing the ending I would have given it a 8 or 9.
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  96. Mar 17, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Good:
    1. Weapons upgrade system. 2. Getting squadmate's abilities.
    3. Umm, reaching here, but the war effort meter gave me some motivation to visit all the systems.

    Bad.
    1. Your choices in the previous games get retconned.
    2. The cover system is totally stupid and can get you killed if you just want to leap over an object.
    3, The space bar is the default interact button for everything (Blizzard is dumbing down their button schemes too to pander to casuals)
    4. The game will try and force you to go homosexual, freaking Garrus made a pass at me and wouldn't leave me alone! Cortez gets all emo on you and wants to hold hands with you every time you see him.
    5. More retcons: Ashley was a man? So where does that come out in the game? Oh it doesn't, it's just something a writer said in an interview later. 6. Stupid boss fights: Fight a giant Reaper dreadnought and blow it up solo when it takes a whole damn army and loads of missiles to blow one up in the final chapter. WTFPWN Leng in both both boss fight against him using shield drain and maxxed out inferno rounds.
    7. Stupid Ripped Off Ending: Instead of a stupid boss fight (which would have been preferable at this point) they give you a half an hour of UNSKIPPABLE CUTSCENES and then give you a choice of three endings which have no bearing on your progress in the game. Yeah, that was satisfying.
    8. DAY ONE DLC! Yeah, the greedy A-holes want to touch you up for another $10 after you already kickd them the $60. Good job EA.
    9. Stupid missions are all the same. Go in a base, kill a bunch of dudes that rush you. Collect data, mats, or some dude and get back to the ship. Timed missions have no timer. It doesn't matter, all of the missions are stupid easy.
    10. The exploration system got even more simplified so that 100% exploration can be achieved in about an hour.
    11. The War Resources Meter has no effect on the game. I freaking rescued the Volus Dreadnought, and I wanted to see it deployed in the final battle. It was no where to be seen. You liberate a bunch of viscous gangs for T'Lara for the war effort and it has absolutely no consequences. You also free T'Lara's murderous associate from jail and nothing negative happens after she swears to go on a killing spree. You don't even get in to any trouble with Bailey the head of C-Sec about it. Basically, nothing that isn't directly linked to the main story affects the game.
    12. I have a top of the line PC and the game graphics are crap. Artifacting and noise everywhere.
    13. The final encounter with the elusive man is a JOKE. Choose the renegade option or die and restart. LOL!!

    I played this game in order to complete the trilogy and make use of my game saves. The whole thing was a serious let down from the minute I saw the message about the day one DLC. All three endings that I had involved Shepard dying in some way and even though they attempted to give you some closure by talking to the characters on a vid screen before embarking on the last mission, it just felt empty and that the sacrifice was for nothing. If you are just learning about this series, just pass on it. It's not worth the investment as the experience degrades seriously as the game progresses from box to box.
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  97. Mar 16, 2012
    1
    ** SPOILERS ARE IN THIS REVIEW ** The game was amazing, every story felt tailored to my choices and I felt rewarded when I could chose things others could not due to my diligence in the end of the game. The sound, music, both amazing, and while the graphics seemed a little aged they still worked. (well, bar the random 2D sprites and textures that sometimes popped up which looked like they** SPOILERS ARE IN THIS REVIEW ** The game was amazing, every story felt tailored to my choices and I felt rewarded when I could chose things others could not due to my diligence in the end of the game. The sound, music, both amazing, and while the graphics seemed a little aged they still worked. (well, bar the random 2D sprites and textures that sometimes popped up which looked like they were done in paint. As of now, I would have put a rating up for 9, or 10 for this game, it was fun, loads of stuff to do, explore, listen to, learn about.. the multi-player is damn addictive and the pokemon trading cards TCG booster pack system is both annoying but addicting. Then comes the bad, the bad that is so bad I am forced to rate this amazing game so low. The bad that is so terrible that it not only ruined ME3 for me, but also made me less likely to ever replay ME1 and ME2. Im sure you all see where I am going, and that is the ending. The endings themselves were weakly explained in story, full of story cannon errors and worse.. but thats not what makes me hate them. The fact is, that no matter what you do, no matter how well you play, no matter if you saved the rachni, made the geth and quarians be at peace.. anything.. Nothing you have done in the past 3 games matters to the ending, you could be good, or evil, and still get the exact damn same choices. The differences between the ending movies are also minor, with a simple colour change being the only thing to stand between controlling them, joining them and destroying them. In all three endings the major transport hubs used by the galaxy are destroyed, meaning that burning civilizations are basically forever alone in the universe and unable to build, travel or anything. A huge fleet of ships is either destroyed, or remains in orbit around earth with no way to get home, and basically all your choices didn't matter since in the end you essentially destroy the universe. Plotholes like my LI who was presumably killed during the final run to the beam mysteriously showing up on the normandy after, the weird joker trying to escape the beam for no reason, The starchild's excuse not mentioning anything to do with the dark energy mentioned all through ME2, or Shepards apparent inability to even question his reasoning. So lets recap why ME3 is good/bad

    Good
    - Epic Soundtrack
    - Rewarding to Import Savegames (during game itself)
    - Fun gameplay/combat
    - Improved squad interactions

    Bad - Ending Scenes are identical. - Ending ignors 3 years of your choices, no epilogue or future games possible unless during/in past. - Plotholes all over - Getting 100%, doing everything correctly, still you get punished by dying in all but one ending.

    Overall. Bleh

    Game 10/10
    Sound 10/10
    Ending -20/10
    Total 0/30 :P Seriously, dont pass this game if you want to still love the franchise.
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  98. Mar 13, 2012
    3
    I was and still am a big fan of the first two episodes of the series and I've been waiting for the third one as if it was some sort of messiah - in vain. The graphics and the combat system are ok for me, however many elements of the story line - including the so-called "endings" themselves - are simple rip-offs of other games.

    One of the most annoying aspects of the game is, however, that
    I was and still am a big fan of the first two episodes of the series and I've been waiting for the third one as if it was some sort of messiah - in vain. The graphics and the combat system are ok for me, however many elements of the story line - including the so-called "endings" themselves - are simple rip-offs of other games.

    One of the most annoying aspects of the game is, however, that if you haven't had a save from ME2, then you can not really make good choices. I can not explain it further without revealing details from the story, but I can tell you that the game punishes players who did not play the previous episode(s), trying to motivate players to purchase those episodes as well.

    Summa summarum, the bad business model, the really... controversial ending and the constant feeling, that I have seen this before somewhere else makes me to advise everyone to avoid this game. I am, at least, seriously pissed because I spent money on this.
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  99. Mar 13, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. *spoilers*

    Last night I was so excited because I was at the final mission. I was thinking to myself, "This is the best game I have ever played." Tonight I feel saddened because I went from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. The ending was cheap. I am fine with the 3 choices provided at the end but the execution was miserable. You get 3 almost identical scenes with a lousy text message at the end asking you to buy more DLC. I know the only real way to effect change is to vote with your dollars so I will be boycotting all future bioware games. It's a sad day to be a gamer when it's clear the companies would rather try to exploit you to buy more DLC than provide a good ending to a series they put so much work into.
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  100. Mar 13, 2012
    3
    Seriously horrified by the ending. Horrified. This game went from a serious 9-10 to a 3. No joke - it's that infuriating. You play for 100+ hours being told that your choices matter and the game developer, after taking your cash, essentially says "well, sorry, we don't care about your decisions - here's the worst ending of all time. Enjoy." Buy this game used or rent. And you'll probablySeriously horrified by the ending. Horrified. This game went from a serious 9-10 to a 3. No joke - it's that infuriating. You play for 100+ hours being told that your choices matter and the game developer, after taking your cash, essentially says "well, sorry, we don't care about your decisions - here's the worst ending of all time. Enjoy." Buy this game used or rent. And you'll probably want to do the same when they release Dragon Age 3. I know I will. Expand
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. 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.
  2. 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]
  3. 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.