Mass Effect 3

 PC
User Score
6.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 7228 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3,703 out of 7228
  2. Mixed: 1,119 out of 7228
  3. Negative: 2,406 out of 7228
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  1. Chafilao
    Mar 18, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Experience the beginning, middle, and end of an emotional story unlike any other, where the decisions you make have absolutly no influence in your final experience and outcome.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Finally, a smaller complaint, but one I suspect many fans will be upset about. A certain character's true appearance is revealed in this game. If you are a long time fan you will know exactly who I speak of. Let's just say the reveal is quite disappointing, and it involves photoshop. All these issues (minus the MP) are based on my own opinions. I have been a big fan of the series since the beginning, and 99% of the trilogy has been an absolute blast. I don't expect Bioware to remove or change the offenses I have listed above, but I would sincerely appreciate an alternative. If you share my opinion on some of these missteps, I would again ask that you do not purchase the game at this time. Affecting Bioware and EA's profits is the best way to voice your opinion.    … Expand
  31. Serian
    Mar 19, 2012
    2
    I would have given it a 9 for gameplay alone, but I had to say 2 to represent how satisfied I was with this poor end of such an amazing series. The ball was dropped, and an entire story ruined by 10 minutes of plotholes and a failure to give Shepard the real chance to succeed as he/she would have if they had stayed true to the character. Mass Effect deserved better than this.
  32. dinombre
    Mar 22, 2012
    0
    Buen juego destrozado por el final.
    Nada importa, ni decisiones ni nada, una estafa, vamos...

    Solo se salva por que al menos la narrativa es amena y la jugabilidad buena, pero ese final... MAAAL
  33. ChaosSS
    Mar 23, 2012
    3
    We were promised an epic battle for Earth ... The sophisticated dialogues and the consequences of choice. As a result, none of these promises, in the ME3 is not satisfied. The game drags in the first half. And the second is simply FAIL. I will never buy a single BioWare game (
  34. Nauglamir
    Apr 5, 2012
    5
    I won't add to it any further. Some of the reviews down here do already get to the point of what was wrong with this game. To summarize it, the settings in the game along with the streamlined dialogues do lack any depths, while the graphics are blatantly dragged from the previous game, with no polishing whatsoever and at times performing low frame-rate levels. From the second half of theI won't add to it any further. Some of the reviews down here do already get to the point of what was wrong with this game. To summarize it, the settings in the game along with the streamlined dialogues do lack any depths, while the graphics are blatantly dragged from the previous game, with no polishing whatsoever and at times performing low frame-rate levels. From the second half of the game onward, the main plot rises to an acceptable level of narration, only to sink as it draws near to the end. The gameplay is nothing special either. It's mostly fine, but it's clunky and way too "shooterized". Basically, the game has been simplified in order to reach a wider console audience, while the end, sadly enough, encourage the players to buying new DLCs to get further information about the fate of the galaxy. As a result, i recommend purchasing it on budget in the next months to come, as it still delivers some good stories on the mass effect universe, though lacking a major consistency.… Expand
  35. Bruinbear
    Apr 7, 2012
    1
    The ending ruined this whole series for me. I have zero desire to replay any of the series ever. I will raise this score if they fix the ending. Until then, this game destroyed the ME universe for me. Ending had zero closure, gaping plot holes, and was literally an A B C choice. This game did not meet the promises that were made pre-release. Sadly, up until the end it was prettyThe ending ruined this whole series for me. I have zero desire to replay any of the series ever. I will raise this score if they fix the ending. Until then, this game destroyed the ME universe for me. Ending had zero closure, gaping plot holes, and was literally an A B C choice. This game did not meet the promises that were made pre-release. Sadly, up until the end it was pretty good. But since this was a story based game, the ending had to live up to at least some expectations. It did not. I will raise this score, if Bioware fixes the end.… Expand
  36. OneCoolMF
    Apr 11, 2012
    3
    There are plenty of very thorough and complete reviews out here now, so I'll just try to add some extra value for someone still trying to decide whether to buy this game. Like many other reviewers, I've been playing since ME1, and also as many other reviewers have said, I cared enough to take the time to get on Metacritic and throw in my 2 cents.

    BOTTOM LINE: I regret buying this game    There are plenty of very thorough and complete reviews out here now, so I'll just try to add some extra value for someone still trying to decide whether to buy this game. Like many other reviewers, I've been playing since ME1, and also as many other reviewers have said, I cared enough to take the time to get on Metacritic and throw in my 2 cents.

    BOTTOM LINE: I regret buying this game at full retail price. Wait until you can get it cheap, hopefully after they've fixed the bugs and added some worthy DLC.

    Here's why I feel this way: Much of the game feels rushed, dumbed-down, and simplified, and in the end, I just feel like it didn't work out like it should have. And I really mean it didn't work! Besides issues noted elsewhere, I had my own. I ignored the bad reviews here and got the game a couple of weeks ago. I held my nose and bought the Day 1 DLC. But my extra squadmate never showed up. I looked all over the galaxy. I looked at the online walkthroughs. I did what i was supposed to do (as near as I could tell) and searched where I was supposed to search. But I never hooked up with my would-be Prothean buddy. I got the extra duds for the rest of the squad, but that didn't justify the expense of the DLC. I still feel ripped off about this.

    There were also vital elements of the game that were just simply never explained. For example, how do you raise your war readiness? The game never tells you that you have to play the multiplayer to do this; I had to read that in another review tonight. Oh well, I've already completed my playthrough, and I won't be going back.

    HELLO ..... how about including a game manual; even a rudimentary, rinky-dink manual that covers the basic game elements? Also, as other reviewers have stated, dialogue choices seemed narrower and shallower. This specifically affected me in the romance part of the game. I flirted with a couple of characters, and then BAM I'd completed some sort of irreversible step which locked me into romance with a character I didn't even like (Ashley). So when it came time to bend her over in my cabin, I told her I was too busy for her. But the game still had my character telling her he loved her later. Oh well. In ME1 and 2, It was a lot more obvious that you were taking an irreversible step with any of the romance options.

    As an aside, I'll note that I wasn't very thrilled with my squad choices. More, please. All this time saving the galaxy and I only get 5 squad members? The only real new choice I had was indeed a novel addition and I brought her on lots of missions, but I still felt more choices would have been better. If only the DLC actually worked!

    On the positive side, they fixed the tedious scanning borefest with something much more workable. And I enjoyed the combat, for the most part. After I leveled up my Vanguard, I had plenty of fun charging into battle.

    But I got tired of all the melodrama, which seemed forced on my character. I felt like I was in a bad WWII shooter that served as thinly veiled propaganda. The dream sequences with the child were annoying and nonsensical at best, and the forced emotionalism of the child in the game just really seemed out of place.

    As for the ending ........ yeah it wasn't great. But the real issue I had was that the actual choice you have at the end isn't obvious. Heck, it just looked like two outcomes to me, and not three as I see reviewers here have mentioned. I literally flipped a coin and went up the right platform, not really clear as to what I was doing. When I got close enough to guess which outcome this would result in, I realized this was not the choice I wanted ..... but the game would not let me turn around and go the other direction. Not because of a door or barrier, nay, but just because the game wouldn't let me walk back the way I came once I got past a certain invisible point.

    Overall, I had some fun playing it and and I enjoyed the missions that tied up lose ends from ME1 and 2 around the galaxy. But in the end, this could not overcome my disappointment in the glaring faults I've discussed, nor the other issues that previous reviewers have noted.

    I feel bad for Bioware. I've been a fan for a long time and I think they genuinely care. But I can't say this was a good game when it has so many faults that should have been remedied before release. Guess I'll just blame it on EA. I don't really care to go back again even if they add DLC to fix things.    … Expand
  37. aleyas
    May 25, 2012
    3
    For those new to series, ME3 as a stand alone game is probably not bad, though without playing ME1-2 it's rather difficult to understand multiple references to earlier series events. But again, if to play with pressing SPACE all the time to skip dialogues to short cut to action - then neither story no its end matter and you have only to worry about some bugs and your characterFor those new to series, ME3 as a stand alone game is probably not bad, though without playing ME1-2 it's rather difficult to understand multiple references to earlier series events. But again, if to play with pressing SPACE all the time to skip dialogues to short cut to action - then neither story no its end matter and you have only to worry about some bugs and your character refusing to move properly according to your commands from time to time.
    But I used to be a ME series fan and I was playing and paying for entertainment I was getting. I have started with ME2 and soon dropped it for a while to play ME1 first and then returned to replay ME2 for better ending. And I was ready to replay ME3 to get desired outcome. And here comes not only ingame issue with linear plot and bad joke devastating ending - but also an ethical issue with Bioware managers publically lying to users, encouraging them to play and replay by assuring them that it's possible to achieve higher scores necessary for a secret ending without myltiplayer. Which is not true. But people believed, why should not have they - it worked like this in ME2. And purchased and played and replayed.
    And then the stupid ending itself, promised to be variable, not a display of RGB colour model. Amazing how Boiware been building its loyal userbase for 5 years managed to ruin the best RPG franchise in one go acting as if there was no tomorrow and the only thing important was to make people buy the copy of the game regardless. No apologises, no explanation, quite the contrary...Looks like Bioware regards its users as a cattle which exists only to be soothen with **** if necessry and milked.    … Expand
  38. evildeathbloody
    May 29, 2012
    0
    Mass Effect 1 is my greatest video game experience ever. Mass Effect 2 kick my ass, in the good way. Mass Effect 3 let me sick and sad; like I was stupid to ever trust video game can be more than just none-stop none-sensical action. The intro is bad, Bioware promise us the trial of Shepard for the Arrival event, and itâ
  39. AidanByrne
    Jul 6, 2012
    3
    The entire game focuses on a story which doesn't relate to Me and ME2 very well. Most missions you do come across as tacked in just to add gameplay hours, at least 3 Deus Ex Machina plot points (We don't have a cure for the genophage....wait...yes we do now; How can we know what the catalyst is? Hey, there's prothean beacon over there! Reapers cannot be defeated. There's a thing calledThe entire game focuses on a story which doesn't relate to Me and ME2 very well. Most missions you do come across as tacked in just to add gameplay hours, at least 3 Deus Ex Machina plot points (We don't have a cure for the genophage....wait...yes we do now; How can we know what the catalyst is? Hey, there's prothean beacon over there! Reapers cannot be defeated. There's a thing called crucible, no one knows what it is or what it does, but hey, it's big! Must work!), and many more senseless things happening.
    Also, using cerberus as villains was simply a retarded cop out for enemies, and they ruined TIM in the process, turning the "ultimate renegade" into a deranged power hungry maniac.
    It's just sad how they handled ME2 characters, especially when romanced.
    The gameplay flows a bit soother than ME2, but it still has rather stupid cover mechanics. Also in the gameplay, the auto-dialog... Probably the worst idea they could have!
    Now, to the endings... Well, it is said that if a part of the story feels completely out of place, it can be disregarded from the plot so logically, the game ends before the companions are picked up by the Normandy during harby's nap time, therefore, I'm still waiting for the endings.    … Expand
  40. Basem101
    Jun 25, 2013
    10
    Mass effect 3 is a pretty damn good game i loved this game so much and i was very attached to it until the ending if you check the indoctrination theory video about the ending you will understand it more in the end it is a great game. worth buying
  41. jadelith
    Mar 11, 2012
    3
    99% of the game is very well done and quite fun. Before the ending I was thoroughly enjoying myself (which is why it gets a 3 and not a 0) I even liked the multiplayer.

    Until the ending hit. I don't want to spoil anything, but no matter what you do in the 3 games, you lose, and the ending simply leaves you hanging. and that's absolutely unacceptable. Do yourself a favor, and don't play    99% of the game is very well done and quite fun. Before the ending I was thoroughly enjoying myself (which is why it gets a 3 and not a 0) I even liked the multiplayer.

    Until the ending hit. I don't want to spoil anything, but no matter what you do in the 3 games, you lose, and the ending simply leaves you hanging. and that's absolutely unacceptable.

    Do yourself a favor, and don't play this game - especially if you've played the first 2 games. It will ruin the series for you    … Expand
  42. Nautilus
    Nov 22, 2012
    0
    Very Stupid ending options! even with the dlc that is supposed to fix it. You suck Bioware. Graphics are trash, animations are low grade. Almost everything sucks in this game.
  43. JPLazyNinja
    Mar 10, 2012
    5
    On the Gameplay/Combat side this game holds its own when compared to Gears of Wars- the mother of all cover-based shooters. And there in lies a disturbing tendency- ME3 is feeling more like Gears of Wars and less like Mass Effect. The RPG and story aspects are much more marginalized in this installment to speak nothing of its conclusion to this series.
  44. mr_cupcake
    Apr 9, 2012
    2
    This game showed great promise for being GOTY 2012 but based on the fact that the whole ME series so closely copied other sci-fis the whole prothean device idea was figured out by me and my brother before the game was released. Despite this let down the game had some great features throughout which were suddenly pushed to one side by that horrific ending. Considering the how game was basedThis game showed great promise for being GOTY 2012 but based on the fact that the whole ME series so closely copied other sci-fis the whole prothean device idea was figured out by me and my brother before the game was released. Despite this let down the game had some great features throughout which were suddenly pushed to one side by that horrific ending. Considering the how game was based on the choices you make through out these had no effect on the three ghastly choices at the end which all end the game in exactly the same terrible way… Expand
  45. DerFurst
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    This review is coming from someone who was a true fan of Mass Effect since its first installment. Mass Effect from the beginning was an excellently crafted game, providing intriguing dialogue, decent gameplay, and an excellent universe in which an even better story was set. The ending of the first Mass Effect was one that reflected all of your actions, and defined your character as aThis review is coming from someone who was a true fan of Mass Effect since its first installment. Mass Effect from the beginning was an excellently crafted game, providing intriguing dialogue, decent gameplay, and an excellent universe in which an even better story was set. The ending of the first Mass Effect was one that reflected all of your actions, and defined your character as a person, setting the stage for a sequel and presumably having actions that would echo throughout the upcoming trilogy.

    Mass Effect 2 streamlined most of the RPG fighting mechanics, but was entirely forgivable by the updated graphics and most certainly superior character development and storybuilding. Everything had been done right for me in ME2, but I saw that it was largely a transitional game. Something that acted as both a satisfying piece of work and visibly a transitional story piece. Ultimately, Mass Effect 2 was made as a buffer between 1 and 3 so that 3 could be the greatest installment yet. Bioware had been marketing Mass Effect 3 as the game that would be "The epic conclusion of the Mass Effect saga", which would "tie up all loose ends" and "be influenced considerably by the choices you've made in the previous games". As one can see, Mass Effect 3 strays so far from these expectations that they've marketed their fans to believe. If the user score isn't evidence enough, I don't know what is. After all, the users of this website are the consumers of the game, not the companies paid to write soulless reviews about a topic that they've only half heard about since its release. They aren't the ones that matter. The people matter, and I'll be exact on every problem that ME3 faced so that hopefully Bioware is listening.

    Mass Effect 3 starts out as everything that I could have ever hoped for. The dramatic introductions of the Reapers unto Earth is exactly what I wanted. Earth is in ruins, and Shepard is the only one who has the influence and the ability to step outside the realm of politics to deal with the threat he had warned everyone about. He begins to gather resources from planet to planet, forming alliances with previously warring factions, and solving galaxy wide problems centuries in the making. This is the Mass Effect 3 I had expected, and I thought it was perfect, until I realized later on what had been happening. My major decisions from ME1 and 2 weren't showing up, and some breaches in continuity via retcon were blatantly obvious, like the human council I worked towards getting being replaced by wax museum automatons in the mirror image of the council I had killed. Then, I noticed a couple of references to previous choices in the game, which I accepted as amusing references, but realized that they were nothing beyond references. Decisions like killing the council, putting Udina on top as the chairman, killing the Rachni queen, making Liara the Shadow Broker, Destroying Maelon's data, killing the Geth on the Heretic Station, continuing work on Project Overlord, etc, had all been reduced to nothing but a few additional pieces of dialogue. All the work I put in to the previous games in decision making had turned into nothing but 4 minutes total of additional dialogue. A sucker punch like that can be accepted grudgingly, but it doesn't end there.

    Paragon and Renegade choices don't change the outcome of the game like they did in the previous games. Paragon and Renegade are basically two ways of saying the same thing now, which completely defeats the purpose of moral choices, safe for a few well done instances which I will take into consideration. On a whole, alignment has been dumbed down to mean nothing this time around. All the hard work anyone has done becoming a virtuous paragon or a scheming xenophobic renegade will be put to waste. This comes full circle in the ending, which accounts for more than half of the reviews.

    The ending of a trilogy makes or breaks all 3 episodes. Imagine Darth Vader at the end of RotJ taking off his helmet to reveal that he's no Luke's father, but Jar Jar Binks. Would you be able to accept an ending like that? No, you wouldn't. Mass Effect 3's ending works to the same effect. The reason the Reapers exist is to save organic life from synthetics by killing organics with synthetics. Not only does this take a complete 180 turn from the entire story thusfar, it doesn't make any sense considering the previous information in the story. EDI successfully integrates into a synthetic body and actually falls in love with Joker. Then, the Geth finally become at peace with the Quarians, and show that they can live together harmoniously. This shows that synthetics can live with organics, thus creating a huge plot hole. And here comes the worst part. Your decisions in the past games do not effect the ending. No plot details, and no alignment choices. Everything you have done is void. This is why Mass Effect 3 has failed us.    … Expand
  46. Beldamon
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. To say I am disappointed with the ending to an otherwise excellent series would be the understatement of the year. I honestly feel like I was stabbed in the back.

    We were led along with themes of hope and free will, and in the end neither one exist in the spectrum of endings available.

    If I was into the combat, I might have enjoyed that. I'm more of a story kind of guy -- one reason I've repeatedly returned to Bioware as my favourite gaming studio.

    Now I am considering terminating my SWTOR subscription, in spite of the fact that I'm genuinely enjoying that game. I cannot justify any studio of Bioware getting any more of my money after promising a satsfying conclusion and failing to deliver.

    I realize there are people who appreciated the endings available, and I say more power to you, but I found it soul crushing.

    And it's not even that the ending required the death or stranding of my character. Several of my characters friends and squad-mates died along the way and each one, while heart rending, had an undercurrent of satisfaction and purpose to it.

    The endings as they exist are meaningless.    … Expand
  47. DuncanIdahoTPF
    Mar 11, 2012
    0
    I am so sad they sold out. I know it makes sense for them financially to just bribe review sites and put tons of money in advertising, but you are estranging millions of fans.
  48. steveo9286
    Mar 12, 2012
    4
    First off I would just like to say that I am a HUGE man of the Mass Effect series, played the first 2 numerous times, and even read the first three books (I would have read the 4th, but since it was a different writer, and had overwhelmingly negative reviews due to glaring inconsistencies with the established history I seemed like it would be a waste)

    Now for Mass Effect 3 - I will try    First off I would just like to say that I am a HUGE man of the Mass Effect series, played the first 2 numerous times, and even read the first three books (I would have read the 4th, but since it was a different writer, and had overwhelmingly negative reviews due to glaring inconsistencies with the established history I seemed like it would be a waste)

    Now for Mass Effect 3 - I will try to keep this as spoiler free as possible, but some will probably make it in. You have been warned.

    The story continues about 6-8 months after the last DLC of Mass Effect 2 "Arrival" when the reapers invade Earth, as well as other planets throughout the galaxy. You escape the initial events in order to try and rally the other races of the galaxy to mobilize a massive counterattack to take back Earth, and ultimately the galaxy as a whole. Along the way you meet up with familiar faces from the first two games. Some only last little while, others will stick with you until the end, and you have the option to continue your romance with whomever you were going after (assuming they survived the first and/or second game). To me the character connections and development was the best in the series, and to my memory the best in any video game series to date. From having a friendly shooting competition with Garrus to Tali getting drunk using an "Emergency induction port" It just serves to bring a closeness with companion characters that no game has ever done before. It's not just sunshine, rainbows, and puppies though. Numerous characters end up making sacrifices so that you can succeed at your mission, which ultimately leads to my low review score but more on that later.

    Game play wise this game plays really similar to Mass Effect 2, combat is a bit more challenging and smooth. Weapons are now allow for much more customization through the use of extended barrels for damage increases, scopes for better accuracy, and ammo that allows to shoot people through cover, albeit with reduced damage. The cover system has also been improved quite a bit and plays more like Gears of War, though not quite as responsive while moving in cover, but it's still an improvement over ME2. Combat wise you see a decent variety with enemies, and in some cases it's better to target a specific enemy first as they can "buff" other enemies with armor, shields ect, but as mentioned earlier it's near identical to ME2. One last thing is that you now have a weight system that determines how often you can use your powers. For soldiers it's not as big of a deal since you have all 5 weapon slots used, and with the use of Ammo powers (ammo powers don't have cooldowns and weight does not effect them) it's not as big of a deal. For Classes with numerous Biotic/Tech powers It's more of a concern since you rely on weapon damage much less than the soldier, so it makes you think about what weapons (and how many) you want to load up with. The only notable thing missing are boss battles. Yes you do have certain enemies that you have to burn through multiple layers of defenses, but there is nothing like there was with Saren at the end of ME1 or the human reaper at the end of ME2. Now as many people across many sites have been saying the first 99% of the game is fantastic, it's the last 1%, or 10 minutes that completely ruin the game, and for some people the series. Without getting into specific spoilers it boils down to two main gripes I have with the ending. 1) Is that the plot device used to end the game came out of left field, there was no foreshadowing, evidence or anything else to prepare us for the emergence of this "Deus Ex Machina" and 2) The player loses any semblance of control or choice that they have had throughout the entire series, when it matters the most. The player is simply given options, that quite frankly feel disjointed from the overarching themes of the Mass Effect universe, and you have no way to argue or protest, it simply "is what it is." Add on top of that the "different choices" lead to what is ultimately a near identical result since you see ABSOLUTELY NO consequences of your decision. Heck you don't even know if most of your companions live or die! Ultimately all the choices and relationships you made, all the sacrifices you, your companions, and even the galaxy at large made end up seeming meaningless were unworthy of the ending they received. Graphics 9/10
    Gameplay 10/10
    Sound 10/10
    Story 1/10 (I was nice and rounded up to 1 since there was at least SOMETHING there) first 99% 10/10 last 1% -10/10
    Replay value 1/10    … Expand
  49. Arcadio21
    Mar 13, 2012
    0
    Quoting SacredJefe from ign comments:
    "Fans of the ME series are mad because there are GLARING plot-holes in the endings and because NONE of our decisions in the three games MATTERED in the end. No matter how you played the game, there were only three endings with slightly different variations that were only barely noticeable. Bioware promised us sophisticated endings, not this crap    Quoting SacredJefe from ign comments:
    "Fans of the ME series are mad because there are GLARING plot-holes in the endings and because NONE of our decisions in the three games MATTERED in the end. No matter how you played the game, there were only three endings with slightly different variations that were only barely noticeable. Bioware promised us sophisticated endings, not this crap where every ending is pretty much the same damn thing with different color lights. Ignore the people who say "we" deserve better, because the matter of the fact is MASS EFFECT deserves better."

    it sure deserves better.    … Expand
  50. Ezekiel_Frost
    Mar 13, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. First of all: The game doesn't deserve a "1" as rating. Nevertheless I'm rating this way as a warning to everyone thinking about buying.

    Have you ever read an awesome book, or watched an amazing movie that touched you emotionally on a level never experienced before. I have - with the with the Mass Effect series! Now imagine at the end you get the very worst ending you can think of where everything the characters did or stood for was rendered useless. I have - in the final minutes of Mass Effect 3.

    I consider myself mentally stable. To see an ending like that has left me devastated. I experience physical symptoms of a minor depression - lack of appetite, lack of motivation.

    I played Mass Effect since the first game. And Bioware games since the first Baldur's Gate. Despite being a grown man, waiting for this game made me feel like a seven year old again. Eagerly waiting for Christmas. Now I feel like my parents have pulled a cruel, cruel joke on me. For years hinting that I would get an amazing present. Bulding up my expectations. Then under the Christmas tree, the most amazing package, artfully wrapped. I unpack it, laughing, crying all the time. And then inside I find a weird looking remote control with three buttons (red, green, blue), I'm confused! Yet I press one of the buttons - still hoping - and all it does is annihilate everything around me. Now I sit in the ashes of the greatest game ever and cry bitter tears. All I can hope for is sparing others what I had to go though.    … Expand
  51. leonson
    Mar 15, 2012
    3
    The first 95% of the game is a 9. Solid gameplay improving in every way over ME2. Combat mechanics are tighter. There are more weapons and weapon mods. Classes make more sense. Load times are better. I mean, I really can't say enough positive about the first 95% of the game.

    But that all falls apart at the climax. The minute you head for the point of no return, the games plot and logic    The first 95% of the game is a 9. Solid gameplay improving in every way over ME2. Combat mechanics are tighter. There are more weapons and weapon mods. Classes make more sense. Load times are better. I mean, I really can't say enough positive about the first 95% of the game.

    But that all falls apart at the climax. The minute you head for the point of no return, the games plot and logic fall apart, culminating in a confusing nonsensical ending that resolves nothing.

    The ending of the game damages more than just this game, but the previous two titles as well. You are left with complete and utter disappointment that also ruins the replay value of these games. When one portion of a game not only ruins your enjoyment of the title you're playing, but also of two additional games that you can never bring yourself to play again, it's worth more than just a point or two off the total score.

    I've been a gamer my whole life. I can remember using a tape drive to load games on a C=64 at school. Never in my history as a gamer have I seen a company drop the ball this badly at the 1 yard line.

    If something is done that fixes the ending (doesn't have to make it happy, just make sense), I'll reconsider my score.    … Expand
  52. shepard73
    Mar 15, 2012
    4
    low score for the ending, shame bioware, shame
  53. miczall
    Mar 17, 2012
    0
    WE WILL HOLD THE LINE!!!
    As a sign of protest, I advise everyone to boycott reviews of ME3. If proper DLC is delivered our reviews can be changed to positive ones.
    RETAKE MASS EFFECT 3
  54. fjalke
    Mar 18, 2012
    3
    ME1 was a really, really good game, ME2 was amazing - ME3 is a huge letdown to its fans. ME3 is basically a dumbed down version of ME1 and ME2 with a poorly written story and disappointing ending.

    They have removed a lot of the RPG elements, converting the game to a FPS instead - there is no inventory and no selling of unused equipment. I actually liked the graphics, but, especially with    ME1 was a really, really good game, ME2 was amazing - ME3 is a huge letdown to its fans. ME3 is basically a dumbed down version of ME1 and ME2 with a poorly written story and disappointing ending.

    They have removed a lot of the RPG elements, converting the game to a FPS instead - there is no inventory and no selling of unused equipment. I actually liked the graphics, but, especially with female NPCs, many of them look alike and you get the feeling "hey, i already saved you before".

    The rich story and involvement in your crew mates from ME1 and ME2 have been reduced to meaningless chatter that can be boiled down to "Its all so hopeless, I don't know if I can handle it - but now that you are here Shepard, everything is going to be fine". In ME1 and ME2 there were some interesting game choices during the game, both for crew mates and story - none exist in ME3, it has been reduced to "Are you going for Paragon or Renegade?". There are no storyline attached to your crew mates which really hurts the game.
    The worst thing about ME3 is the ending - for fans it is a huge letdown. None of the choices during the game has any impact on the ending, and the ending doesn't really make any sense.
    If this game becomes a box-office hit, it is due to the success of ME1 and ME2.    … Expand
  55. MassExodus
    Mar 18, 2012
    0
    This game should be judged as two separate entities awkwardly conjoined rather than one whole individual entity. The first part consists of the first 99.9% of the game, of which the story telling, the build up to the climax and the tension were all very well done, as expected for the final title to this series, and would earn a maximum score. HOWEVER, the last 0.1%, also now known as theThis game should be judged as two separate entities awkwardly conjoined rather than one whole individual entity. The first part consists of the first 99.9% of the game, of which the story telling, the build up to the climax and the tension were all very well done, as expected for the final title to this series, and would earn a maximum score. HOWEVER, the last 0.1%, also now known as the infamous "last 10 minutes" was a very poorly executed of what is a brave and interesting concept, which had failed so catastrophically that the last part can get but zero score. Unfortunately, as the whole product is not whole without an ending, and the ending is but a fraction of the whole, the two scores must add up, however it must be "calibrated" for weight of importance. As the "definitive" end to the hitherto awesome series, the ending, despite its short length in this epic journey, has the heaviest weight, not only in the series concerning Commander Shepard, but also the entire franchise based on the story and trials of the Commander (as Bioware announced no future spinoffs will be based past the events of ME3), therefore its massive disappointment wiped away all the hard earned high score to bring the total down to 0, rounded down. This is not due to some petty tantrum but rather a summary of how that single misstep has probably destroyed the franchise's future, as already many have lost incentives for a second playthrough for ME3, let alone a replay of the first games, thus replayability has been thoroughly killed off. In addition, further spinoffs for the franchise in the future will suffer from similar disincentives due to them all inevitably based before the events of ME3, or at least before the last 10 minutes of it. Therefore, this franchise is lost, and lost because of this game, Mass Effect 3, or more precisely, the "last 10 minutes". I would like to take this space now to sincerely thank Bioware's staff for their time and effort to make these games, that it had been a wonderful journey, and that I really appreciated it. HOWEVER, that does not mean I will not deliver a scathing review on their products where and when it is needed.… Expand
  56. Alpha91
    Mar 18, 2012
    1
    Not only is ME3 the worst in the series but it's entire ad campaign was a blatant lie. Your choices in the previous games are not taking into account, and the ending is a gigantic mess of plot holes and nonsense.
    If you must play this game wait for the price to bottom out at 20 bucks
  57. Jamesyht
    Mar 19, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Great game until ending.....

    which color do u like? oh, doesn't matter, everybody screwed

    u take nothing back....

    It's only just a lie....

    what's more, they think this is a good idea....    … Expand
  58. drewhoover
    Mar 22, 2012
    0
    The game is beautiful and polished, but in no meaningful way do Shepard's actions in previous games impact this game. The only difference between the three endings is the color of an explosion. Yes. You heard me. THE COLOR OF AN EXPLOSION is the fruit of your labor. There is no epilogue. I am angry that I wasted $70 on this game. ME1 and ME2 are still outstanding games, and I do not regretThe game is beautiful and polished, but in no meaningful way do Shepard's actions in previous games impact this game. The only difference between the three endings is the color of an explosion. Yes. You heard me. THE COLOR OF AN EXPLOSION is the fruit of your labor. There is no epilogue. I am angry that I wasted $70 on this game. ME1 and ME2 are still outstanding games, and I do not regret playing them, but I would be happier imagining the ending than being disappointed by the meaninglessness of my actions in ME3.… Expand
  59. Rougan
    Apr 10, 2012
    3
    Im a game developer and i cant believe what i get on ending of ME3. This is clearly unchecked and against the previous experiences (and major fanbase expectations). The only way to repair [some of] this mess is move to indoctrination theory. But.. if indoc is true.. then the ME3 is INCOMPLETE: we dont retake Earth as advertised, not yet.. This is the major destruction of a fanbase inIm a game developer and i cant believe what i get on ending of ME3. This is clearly unchecked and against the previous experiences (and major fanbase expectations). The only way to repair [some of] this mess is move to indoctrination theory. But.. if indoc is true.. then the ME3 is INCOMPLETE: we dont retake Earth as advertised, not yet.. This is the major destruction of a fanbase in entire game history.… Expand
  60. Kubotory
    Apr 21, 2012
    4
    If the first and second episodes were not, I would have given a 6, may be a 7 for this game. Unfortunately, they exist. This episode has no scenario, no charisma, and the RPG side is dead. I'm very surprised by the scores that ME3 received. This game doesn't deserve 8 or 9 points compared to it predecessors.
  61. Plucx
    Apr 23, 2012
    0
    I never was a Huge fan, but I played the two first and had fun.

    However ME3 is BARELY a ME game! 1) First is Disregards for announced gameplay: a)Promised closure : -No closure depending on what you did in 3 games. No difference. -Cheap loophole, stuff made before is IRRELEVANT - PERIOD -Old crew is not to be part of new crew so, if they died or not have NO impact beyond some score    I never was a Huge fan, but I played the two first and had fun.

    However ME3 is BARELY a ME game!

    1) First is Disregards for announced gameplay:
    a)Promised closure :
    -No closure depending on what you did in 3 games. No difference.
    -Cheap loophole, stuff made before is IRRELEVANT - PERIOD
    -Old crew is not to be part of new crew so, if they died or not have NO impact beyond some score (20pts on 5000 total, yeah it's that cheap, Miranda is now some points ... )
    -Xenophage or not, end stat, no more
    -Saved council in first one or not ... who cares? Same with Anderson In Council, nope whatever you chose in any games i'ts Udina. Yep, in a way they tell us to shut up and swallow!

    2) Poor quality ending that disregard the working of it's own story mecanics.
    -Deux-Ex writing mecancis ... writer did an asspull in the end. CHEAP ONE TOO!
    -Reaper having circular logics, really they seems to be there because of a simple logic loophole ... but it's even worse than that in term of writng skill!
    -Illogical and inconsistent ... so much stuf going wrong here!

    3) Unacceptable answer from BOTH company. They ignored that we spent OUR money on stuf we THEY promised in their product but did not.

    4) Low quality pre-ordor edition that is NOT worth it!
    -Bad weapon mecanics. Special weapons are all broken. Who need a shotgun with medium damage and pinpoint precision! It got no range too ... jeez. All basic weapons are beter than the 'special' sones.
    -They cna't even be there for the show! You can only see them in single player!

    5) Day one DLC! Enough said

    6) Trough the whole ME3 experience, you feel like a cash cow. and up to the end game. Deep rooted impression that the publisher or makers are pushing too hard on their client wallet.
    -Day one DLC
    -Cheap end game pop up (yeah, they do a 3 line epilogue saying "Game over, shepard is hero and wait for more in DLC).
    -Pre-Order Art book is in fact a DEMO of the "real one". They also advertise it along the way (Do you really think that afther 80$ spend on DIGITAL i'm going to break another leg and buy a 80$ book from these guys?)
    -Their PR keep to the players not as customers but as "emotional fans". Oh, I'm getting emotionnal alright and I'm sure NOT a fan. I'm a human being and i'm spending my FXXXXXXX money on falsely advertised prodcuts! -These guys have NO respect for their clients. I wonder what we are in fact, I cows are at least well cared for so they can be milked for years. Yeah, it's THAT bad ... 7) EA and Bioware Refused to appologise that is/feels sincere. If you read between the lines it says : Shut up whiny kids. Hey i'm over 30 with two kids and i'm not that rich. If I spend 80$ on a product that is badly advertised I'm expecting at least a little respect from those who sold **** to me and called it gold!

    8) The interconnection inbetween game journalism and publisher is not to be dismissed. We all know it, we don't beleive the big review guys anymore. Especially thioses who gave a 10/10. And chowbot, com'on! A journalist should not be part of the story she's reviewing! Imagine if Lucas tell you phantom menace is great, will you beleive him?

    9) One of these mistake in itself would not be too bad. Actually there is a ton of games that have similar or bigger issues. However, it's when you put it ALL together that you get a pile of **** soooo smelly and soo disgusting that you don't want to go trough the ME3 experience. Play 1st and 2nd but don't ever play the THURD one!

    Do they think we are morons? Do they care calling 90% of their client idiots? WE, the hard working players, we don't seem to matter for these guys, In fact, we are less important than the lowest of corporate scumbag at EA.

    Why should I care anyway, i'm not here to help these company, i'm here to tell you guys:

    DO NOT BUY THIS GAME!!! IT'S NOT WORTH YOUR MONEY!

    And if you love ME, Please please , don't finish the game in ANY way. Get your character killed and call-it a day. Avoid the rage. Marauder-shield forever. He tried to warn us :(    … Expand
  62. Bengolly
    Apr 23, 2012
    1
    Mass Effect 3 is the third installment of an incredible sci-fi role-playing adventure game, where players can make choices that impact the storyline throughout the entire series (there are reportedly over 1000 possible story "paths"). ME3 does not disappoint for 99% of the game -- the graphics, sound, voice acting, game play, and sheer scope are all absolutely stunning.

    The problem is    Mass Effect 3 is the third installment of an incredible sci-fi role-playing adventure game, where players can make choices that impact the storyline throughout the entire series (there are reportedly over 1000 possible story "paths"). ME3 does not disappoint for 99% of the game -- the graphics, sound, voice acting, game play, and sheer scope are all absolutely stunning.

    The problem is that, in the end, it's all for nothing. I will not spoil it for you, except to say that the choices and reputation a player spends more than a hundred hours developing over three games have no real impact on the ending. The final choices are not only nonsensical (actually contradicting several points already established in the game) but you only get the option of up to three basically identical endings regardless of your efforts.

    The effect is much like watching the old show "Dallas" where, in the end, you find out that the entire show was just one long dream sequence. ME3 is a fun experience, but in the end it is just not a very fulfilling one.    … Expand
  63. oliver1h
    Feb 7, 2013
    5
    What to say that has not been said already? Importing your save files from the previous games is a must... Meeting old friends, and doing missions with them was the biggest fun for me. The story was decent, even some characters were total clichés (Kai Leng the Asian space ninja for example...). The combat was slightly improved compared to ME1 and ME2, but the cover system remained aWhat to say that has not been said already? Importing your save files from the previous games is a must... Meeting old friends, and doing missions with them was the biggest fun for me. The story was decent, even some characters were total clichés (Kai Leng the Asian space ninja for example...). The combat was slightly improved compared to ME1 and ME2, but the cover system remained a litttle crunchy. RPG elements felt a little less developed than in ME2 (Renegade options for example were pure evil...They could have balanced the reputation system a little more...). Everything else basically remained the same as it were in ME2. I think the developers stayed on a safe ground on purpose. The music and sound effect were really good. Now let's talk about the infamous ending. Well they really screwed this up, and the "Extended cut" did not really makes it much better (When I first finished the ME3 my gaming experience was ruined...They can not make that back anyways with some cheap slide show, sugar coating stuff!) About the indoctrination theory! I think the developers at one point (might ...not sure) wanted to implement it, but they did not....The theory is now refused by Bioware and EA so it is not part of the original Canon. Overall a decent game that stays in the safe path, with a bad ending. Could have been the best science fiction game trilogy ever, but they failed!… Expand
  64. dreamreaver
    Oct 29, 2012
    1
    I have one message to ppl who want to play ME3 and..;
    1) loved ME1 because: a) it developed believable world b) introduced to great characters c) had logical plot d) had many flaws, bugs, but beside this was sth you could love
    2) swallowed ME2: a) which had good character missions, tho it lacked true main plot b) which was a step in different path rather than repairing mistakes of    I have one message to ppl who want to play ME3 and..;
    1) loved ME1 because: a) it developed believable world b) introduced to great characters c) had logical plot d) had many flaws, bugs, but beside this was sth you could love
    2) swallowed ME2: a) which had good character missions, tho it lacked true main plot b) which was a step in different path rather than repairing mistakes of the first game c) which simplified many elements, tho took many aspects in favor
    The message is:
    ME3 has some (few) advantages to the second installment, still it isn't sth which ME1 fans were dreaming. The change of the franchise with ME2 has more depth now; acquiring side-quest by (only!) hearing some conversations would be nice if it was some fetch missions... but all?! Nerfing RPG elements is sth making me crazy remembering the past of BioWare. BUT, I know, you loved the universe made with ME1. Ok.. play the #3 but stop befor the final - whole game is a big pile of plot hoes for logic lovers... but the worst is that the ending makes you cry: "how could they do such thing, ruin the atmosphere, magic". I wasn't believing such warnings; now I feel raped by batarian slaver.    … Expand
  65. MadclownJack
    Mar 11, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I honestly did not get what all the fuss was about, until i took it upon myself to "dive" into the story and see for myself. And boy was it a shallow dive. First, the story. The story is so simple it verges on pointless. Hell, I'd go so far as to say this is the worst, blandest story of ANY game i have played so far. This is very, very bad. I won't go "spoiling" it for you, because frankly, i CAN'T. I don't remember what i did in this game, aside from amassing an army! I don't remember anything interesting about the missions, nor the side-quests. The Gameplay. Or in this case, the arduous art of playing a very boring game. I'd like to warn future players to finish EVERY side quest, before you take on a priority mission, because then you lose all the side quests you didn't finish, and with that vital characters. Read the manual. That is a **** move to keep you replaying the game and seeing how the gameplay is more of a unsatisfying chore as opposed to a fun experience, you'd do well to remember that if you wish to finish it. Pick your covers, because Shepard can't aim well and will get confused sometimes and get out of cover without your command. Also he's sluggish and badly centered so have in mind that shepard's shoulder or head can get in the way of your aim. The visual experience is the only thing that carries this game across. SOMETIMES. There was only one instance that i remember, while playing the game, that actually got me excited a bit. That's the Tresher Maw vs. Reaper on Tuchanka. It was a lovely sequence that kept me going, hoping there would be more such sequences. There weren't any. There was a mass of cliches and uninspiring story elements though. The graphics are just a little polished, nothing new. The animation is stiff and sluggish. Rent or Beware.

    Bioware, I **** on your honor. EA, I hope you lying, money grubbing bastards get your just deserts. And i hope you choke on it and rid us all of your blight upon this world.    … Expand
  66. WynnTTr
    Mar 11, 2012
    2
    Disappointing gameplay, atrocious ending. Day 1 DLC, Origin. I don't need to go on.
    What a let down. Won't be buying EA again - torrents here I come.
  67. Gayben
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    Holy mother of **** is this game bad. Did not live up to the hype at all. Leave it to EA to spend money on marketing that should go into the game. Story was bad, and interacting with characters was worse. I couldn't manage a second playthrough.
  68. Deacz
    Mar 21, 2012
    1
    yea its not worth a 1 but more like a 5 or soo but im still giving it a 1 to prove a point. Where to begin?, once again a **** console port, thats a lot bioware. On my way to the end i had 2 game stoping bugs, one with the dlc that wouldnt let me watch videos and another one with the main game that required a reboot. Also sound and video would bugg out at times, In the end this is a fairlyyea its not worth a 1 but more like a 5 or soo but im still giving it a 1 to prove a point. Where to begin?, once again a **** console port, thats a lot bioware. On my way to the end i had 2 game stoping bugs, one with the dlc that wouldnt let me watch videos and another one with the main game that required a reboot. Also sound and video would bugg out at times, In the end this is a fairly shallow rail shooter with a ok story, great production values, and a horrible ending.

    Thumbs up for the multi player tho, almost the best part of the game. short and shallow as it is.    … Expand
  69. Broseidon
    Mar 10, 2012
    0
    The 15 minute ending to this game destroyed not only what was, up until then, the best game I've ever played, it destroyed the entire franchise for me. The road was great, but the ending is unforgivable.
  70. Blapper
    Mar 10, 2012
    0
    Mass Effect 3 is the culmination of a sweeping trilogy of games that supposedly pay off the difficult choices you have had to make and the sacrifices you have has to carefully consider. Instead, it features the single worst ending i have ever seen in a game - be it shooter, RPG, what have you - while rendering your choices completely irrelevant, as you are railroaded into playing theMass Effect 3 is the culmination of a sweeping trilogy of games that supposedly pay off the difficult choices you have had to make and the sacrifices you have has to carefully consider. Instead, it features the single worst ending i have ever seen in a game - be it shooter, RPG, what have you - while rendering your choices completely irrelevant, as you are railroaded into playing the tacked on multiplayer to get the good endings. It's an unseemly, awful system, and whether at EA's behest or BioWare's, it is not under any circumstances acceptable. On the ending itself, whether you play multiplayer or not, it's terrible. To avoid spoilers, I will leave it at that, but I have never been so insulted to have invested myself in a game, only to be slapped in the face, like that before.… Expand
  71. BriceGMG
    Mar 11, 2012
    1
    Aprés un Mass effect 1 et un Mass effect 2 attachant et épiques. Bioware s'est moqué de tout le monde avec un Mass effect 3 attendu et gaché par une fin scandaleuse.

    After a Mass Effect 1 and Mass Effect 2 epic and endearing. Bioware made â
  72. Mnem0
    Mar 11, 2012
    1
    Mass effect 1 & 2 were my favorite story-driven RPG games. To provide a point of reference, I would give ME1 a 9.5, ME2 an 8.5, and I was ready to give ME3 a 10 up until the ending. In comparison to the previous games in the series, ME3 has improved combat mechanics, great animation, fantastic cut-scenes and very powerful and moving moments with characters from the previous games. Some ofMass effect 1 & 2 were my favorite story-driven RPG games. To provide a point of reference, I would give ME1 a 9.5, ME2 an 8.5, and I was ready to give ME3 a 10 up until the ending. In comparison to the previous games in the series, ME3 has improved combat mechanics, great animation, fantastic cut-scenes and very powerful and moving moments with characters from the previous games. Some of the later Tali scenes almost brought tears to my eyes. The team AI is even better - they don't needlessly wander off into fire and die anymore. With that said, I'm not sure I could imagine a worse ending. I use the singular "ending" because that's basically all there is. Renegade or Paragon, you do the same thing, and it doesn't make sense in either case. Because of the quality of the game leading up to the ending, it probably deserves a higher rating, but the "finale" makes me too angry to give it one. The loss of Drew Karpyshyn (writer of ME1 & 2) is strongly felt. Knowing EA, they'll probably see all our anguish as a way to make money and we'll get our ending, but have to pay for the DLC that provides it. I won't pretend like this will cause me to never buy another EA/Bioware game, but I sure will think hard before becoming invested in their games. This could have been the best game of the past 10 years, and instead I'm left feeling heartlessly gutted.… Expand
  73. Punya
    Mar 11, 2012
    0
    I loved ME1 and ME2, and ME2's ending set the perfect scenario for ME3... So, how did Bioware manage to mess up so badly with ME3? That's a real mystery.
    ME3 is simply boring: almost all rpg elements are gone, all that remains is a poor 3rd person shooter... Totally useless, considering there are tons of better shooters out there.
    Level design is bad: linear and repetitive (no need for a    I loved ME1 and ME2, and ME2's ending set the perfect scenario for ME3... So, how did Bioware manage to mess up so badly with ME3? That's a real mystery.
    ME3 is simply boring: almost all rpg elements are gone, all that remains is a poor 3rd person shooter... Totally useless, considering there are tons of better shooters out there.
    Level design is bad: linear and repetitive (no need for a map), with endless waves of the same enemies. Skill choices and progressions are too limited.
    Dialogue choices are sporadic and messy: the short selection sentences are often unrelated to the subsequent dialogues.
    Cutscenes are uninspired and flavorless, and even the voice actors are not at their best compared to previous games (direction's fault?).
    The plot is messy and insubstantial, loading one sequence after another without any real meaning between those. Even romances seem quite forced and amiss.
    There is no real feeling of a galactic war going on around Shepard, nor any impact on player's decisions. Previous choices from ME1 and ME2 are virtually neglectable: you simply get one NPC instead of another, but nothing changes.
    What else? The game is too short, animations are really poor, and PC porting is simply horrible.
    Not even worth pirating: stay away from ME3, and maybe EA/Bioware will finally understand users are not dumb as they think.    … Expand
  74. Menaus
    Mar 11, 2012
    0
    So, EA forces you to use Origin, a crappy, glitchy re-brand of EA download manager, puts day 1 DLC that's ON THE DISK out, and expects people to buy it?

    This is very disappointing.
  75. Travaligno
    Mar 19, 2012
    2
    Incredible production values with great combat design and customization, topnotch voice-acting, writing, art and music / sound-design can't hide that the conclusion to the ME trilogy was rushed. Cut-corners are visible everywhere but it isn't until the finale that the game falls apart. The level of failure here is spectacular and historic: game ends in a disappointing, disjointed,Incredible production values with great combat design and customization, topnotch voice-acting, writing, art and music / sound-design can't hide that the conclusion to the ME trilogy was rushed. Cut-corners are visible everywhere but it isn't until the finale that the game falls apart. The level of failure here is spectacular and historic: game ends in a disappointing, disjointed, contrived mess that betrays the trilogy's themes and your earlier choices. No matter what ending you play towards, the result is portrayed in the same cut scene with minor cuts and a different color scheme. The implications of the choice are so nihilistic, they sap your will to replay through the story again. The fan backlash is not about entitlement but about poor game design. Trust the hype: the end really is as bad as people say.… Expand
  76. mxfox408
    Mar 19, 2012
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This was an epic disappointment. Compared to the other two games in the trilogy, it is bland and lacks clarity. The story also has a lot of inconsistencies and plot holes that fail to match the actual series. There is issues with concluding the game as well.… Expand
  77. dorko1
    Mar 24, 2012
    2
    Bioware managed to ruin my favorite game series ever in less than 10 minutes. Don't play this game if you want some sort of satisfaction with your story.
  78. motazturk
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    screw you bioware!!! I KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN!!! this is even worse than what you did with dragon age 2!!! Mass effect was supposed to be the best TRILOGY of our time but in the end you ruined it with your **** ending!! i wish i didnt get this game!!! the ending of ME2 would have been fine by me!!
  79. zsec
    Mar 9, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. When the mass relays were destroyed, Mass Effect was destroyed.

    Mass Effect isn't Shepard, it's not the Reapers, it's not a single galactic species. Mass Effect is the connection of the galactic species, it's their bickering, their politics, waring, and friendship; with the mass relays gone that connection is severed.    … Expand
  80. Alvord12
    Mar 10, 2012
    0
    BioWare tends to think that all their players are retards and autistic 12 year old kids who cant into using a keyboard; which has lots of keys, so they map EVERY SINGLE ACTION to the Spacebar, not able to Holster weapons due to 'memory issues' on consoles.... really BioWare?

    This game sucked donkey balls and completely ruined the franchise for making the game 'more accessible' to    BioWare tends to think that all their players are retards and autistic 12 year old kids who cant into using a keyboard; which has lots of keys, so they map EVERY SINGLE ACTION to the Spacebar, not able to Holster weapons due to 'memory issues' on consoles.... really BioWare?

    This game sucked donkey balls and completely ruined the franchise for making the game 'more accessible' to mainstream audience, the Deus-Ex ending, **** graphics (PC), out of sync voice acting, blatantly ripping off Tali's face from a stock photo on Getty Images (http://tinyurl.com/6o96gar), modelling Ashley's face after a T-girl, Grandpa narrating to grandson ending, **** PLOTHOLES (Quarians have hair?). Yep it's a pretty ****ty way to end Shep's story.

    END OF RINE --------------------------------------------------------------------------<

    RINE ENDS HERE.    … Expand
  81. niqqa
    Mar 10, 2012
    0
    Turtle-paced game development, extremely shoddy combat, etc...

    This game is bad.    Turtle-paced game development, extremely shoddy combat, etc...

    This game is bad.                                                                                                                                                             … Expand
  82. Nikkolette
    Mar 15, 2012
    0
    Mass Effect 3 is a cemetary of hopes.
    1. They promised us to remove terrible mining system but gave us even more boring and annoying one.
    2. They promised that every our descicion will matter. No descision affects ANYTHING in the game. More to this - all your previous descicions from ME1 and ME2 are discarded and you are forced into almost linear storyline. 3. Your actions have no    Mass Effect 3 is a cemetary of hopes.
    1. They promised us to remove terrible mining system but gave us even more boring and annoying one.
    2. They promised that every our descicion will matter. No descision affects ANYTHING in the game. More to this - all your previous descicions from ME1 and ME2 are discarded and you are forced into almost linear storyline.
    3. Your actions have no result - should you cure genophage or decide to keep it - THAT DOES NOT AFFECT ANYTHING.
    4. Only your score matters, endings decided Deus Ex style - you just have 3 descicions that determine what ending you get, and your score determines your survivability.
    5. The endings is one of the most terrible in game history. To the point where people will gladly buy DLC with a single new ending.
    6. Renegade and Paragon scales are completely useless in the game.
    7. the game degraded from RPG-Shooter to Shooter with a bit of RPG elements.
    It is common for such projects to attract unrealistic expectations from fans but here we have a situation when even features, promised by developers were not fulfilled or implemented awfully.
    As Dragon Age 2 was a disappointment, Mass Effect 3 is a disappointlent of 2012. I only hope new Bioshock will not fail us.    … Expand
  83. huah27
    Mar 9, 2012
    3
    I don't know how those who gave good review can be satisfied with ME3. I think either they are newbies who only played ME3 or paid by Bioware/EA. First of all, all the choices I have made in ME1 and ME2 seemed not to have impact at all in ME3. Saving or killing queen rachni didn't affect so much in ME3. Saving or destroying Maelon data at ME2 didn't really help in making genophage cure.I don't know how those who gave good review can be satisfied with ME3. I think either they are newbies who only played ME3 or paid by Bioware/EA. First of all, all the choices I have made in ME1 and ME2 seemed not to have impact at all in ME3. Saving or killing queen rachni didn't affect so much in ME3. Saving or destroying Maelon data at ME2 didn't really help in making genophage cure. And the thing that disappointed me so much is the ENDING. I have spent many hours for all these 3 series to make sure I have the best ending (and had most of the alliances, and was "forced" to play MP to get 100% galactic readiness in ME3). However, the ending is just horrible, HORRIBLE! My effort seemed like nothing when I saw the ending. I was so sad bcoz ME series could have been the best sci-fi story ever. But, I am quite satisfied with side mission where I can meet my old friends in ME2.… Expand
  84. TinyestTim
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    As a gay man, I find this game incredibly insulting (and not just for the abysmal writing and gameplay). Guess what Bioware, shoehorning in a bunch of homosexual caricatures does not make you "progressive. To think that people like myself are being used a cheap tool to add controversy to game makes me feel sick. If people are ever going to think that being gay isn't a big deal, MAKING AAs a gay man, I find this game incredibly insulting (and not just for the abysmal writing and gameplay). Guess what Bioware, shoehorning in a bunch of homosexual caricatures does not make you "progressive. To think that people like myself are being used a cheap tool to add controversy to game makes me feel sick. If people are ever going to think that being gay isn't a big deal, MAKING A HUGE DEAL OUT OF IT in video games is not going to help. All of the supposedly "deep" gay romance options in this game are nothing but a cynical attempt to give review shills something to talk about other than the god-awful gameplay and story. Bioware ought to take a look at how Obsidian handled writing gay characters in Fallout: New Vegas, so they can see how to write a gay character who has an actual personality beyond their sexuality. This game is simply offensive, and that coupled with the terrible watered down "RPG" gameplay earns it a big fat zero out of ten from me.… Expand
  85. Adain
    Mar 9, 2012
    3
    Its an amazing game all the way up till the last 5 mins. I didn't think it was possible but we have an ending so bad that it ruins the entire series. I can't even think about playing any of the other ME games after watching this ending.

    So in short its a 9 up til the last 5 mins The last 5 mins are so incredibly bad that it pushes the game down to a 4. The fact its origin exclusive    Its an amazing game all the way up till the last 5 mins. I didn't think it was possible but we have an ending so bad that it ruins the entire series. I can't even think about playing any of the other ME games after watching this ending.

    So in short its a 9 up til the last 5 mins

    The last 5 mins are so incredibly bad that it pushes the game down to a 4.

    The fact its origin exclusive knocks off another point.    … Expand
  86. gnuuurff
    Mar 16, 2012
    0
    I love the series but the ending waste all of this. If a better ending falls soon and free in a dlc, i change my note, i hope so. Sorry for my english i'm french.
  87. Ochetazinco
    Mar 16, 2012
    0
    I am going to describe this game as accurately as I possibly can. First up I am going to say that this game is not an RPG anymore. They are describing it as an Action RPG, but you cannot roam around anymore (like around the Normandy, speaking to crew members, mining planets, commander Shepard's room ect ect). It is your standard third person shooter with upgrade elements from hoard gamesI am going to describe this game as accurately as I possibly can. First up I am going to say that this game is not an RPG anymore. They are describing it as an Action RPG, but you cannot roam around anymore (like around the Normandy, speaking to crew members, mining planets, commander Shepard's room ect ect). It is your standard third person shooter with upgrade elements from hoard games such as Bulletstorm or or The Darkness. I would in fact compare the game mechanics to The Darkness, because as you shoot and kill you gain points to upgrade. This game is more action adventure/third person shooter, and not an RPG by any scope of the imagination. You would not compare this game to something like The Witcher 2 or even Skyrim, as this game is more along the lines of Bulletstorm, I don't think it can even be considered a free roam game (like the Assasin's Creed ) This is a third person shooter with upgrade elements, such as, like I said, Bulletstorm or The Darkness II or even Red Faction Armageddon. Second of all the graphics look really bad. Mass Effect 2 looks better than this. The textures are all smeared and blury, and it runs so good on my computer that the characters look like and move as if they were made out of paper. Mass effect 1 probably looks better than this, probably, but most likely, I have all three games and can make a comparison. This is a really bad game and the reviewers did not give it a more just review because they were obviously paid off. This company just made it's money out of your impulse. What you bought ladies and gentlemen, was the mere illusion that this game was going to live up to it's predecessors. They fooled you by making you place pre orders with false advertising, and now you won't get back your money they technically stole. We commonly know ploys like this as "Scams."… Expand
  88. Halefire
    Nov 30, 2014
    9
    This is an update to my previous review, in which I gave this game a 5. That review was written in the week after release when the infamous ending controversy was just getting underway with more and more people finishing the game.

    Since then, Bioware has released a large, free patch called the Extended Cut DLC. This was controversial as well, with popular gaming entities like    This is an update to my previous review, in which I gave this game a 5. That review was written in the week after release when the infamous ending controversy was just getting underway with more and more people finishing the game.

    Since then, Bioware has released a large, free patch called the Extended Cut DLC. This was controversial as well, with popular gaming entities like TotalBiscuit still lampooning the game for the endings, but ultimately I feel this extended cut did what it needed to in order to rescue the game.

    To summarize the new endings rather pithily, while the overall endings haven't necessarily changed, both the final dialogue with a certain spoiler-y character and the actual endings themselves have been *greatly* expanded. Nearly every single issue I found fault with story-wise has been addressed in terms of loose plot threads. Better yet, you now get to see what happens to your companions post-ending, and the context of one or two of the endings has been *significantly* altered.

    Other DLC since then has also substantially improved my opinion on this game. This game is *by far* the best sci-fi RPG that we've had in a decade, maybe even several decades. It is absolutely beautiful, flows wonderfully, and features a multiplayer mode that initially everyone was apprehensive about but ended up being a wonderfully smooth, engaging experience.

    I'm re-writing this review again because in all my years of gaming, I think Mass Effect 3 is the one game I have not been able to replay after those first few months simply because I couldn't find enough time to set aside for the post-ME3 depression that inevitably sinks in. No other game has been able to hit me on such an emotional level, and I would argue games like ME3 and Bioshock Infinite (the latter less so perhaps) should be held up as prime examples of gaming as an extremely powerful storytelling medium. Those are the only two games I've ever played for which I need to remove the emotional songs when listening to the sound tracks because I don't need those feels out of the blue during the day. Honestly, were some in-game qualms fixed I would say that such an emotional effect would merit a 10/10. As it stands, what with the ending somewhat-retcon and the fact that Javik is a DLC character, I can only max it out at 9/10 (as much as I hate gaming scores)    … Expand
  89. Docjam
    Mar 7, 2012
    6
    I'm lukewarm for this game. While the gameplay is good and the story is passable as a stand alone game, it is wholly disappointing as the highly anticipated conclusion to the Mass Effect trilogy. The first game was very ambitious and had a lot of promise. It toted that decisions made in the game would affect the fate of the galaxy, and with the second game, it was much hyped that theseI'm lukewarm for this game. While the gameplay is good and the story is passable as a stand alone game, it is wholly disappointing as the highly anticipated conclusion to the Mass Effect trilogy. The first game was very ambitious and had a lot of promise. It toted that decisions made in the game would affect the fate of the galaxy, and with the second game, it was much hyped that these decisions would carry through multiple games and have meaningful consequences. One of the largest failings in this game is that once again, Bioware failed to deliver on those consequences of decisions. If someone had been killed off, someone who fills the same role just with a different name takes their place and does the exact same thing. Not to mention I am quite disappointed that despite my efforts to save my Mass Effect 2 squadmates that I found interesting and had grown attached to, none of them save the ones that were also in the first Mass Effect can become part of my squad. Several survive their missions and become "war assets" and yet, they cannot fight with me? Why? It feels so cheap and lazy of Bioware to have just pushed them aside in favor of some morose looking guido. The squadmate I romanced was reduced to cameos, Legion, who I had barely gotten to utilize in Mass Effect 2 due to the timing of his recruitment, yet had grown to like and was very excited to use again, "sacrifices" himself, just like Mordin, just like Thane, it gets old just killing off characters instead of rewarding people for having saved them in ME2 as optional squad members.

    On another note, I have no problem with homosexuality, that's your own choice.. but I think Bioware has gone TOO far with pushing it in your face in this installment. It doesn't feel natural to the characters. In Mass Effect, homosexuality was limited to just the Asari and it wasn't true homosexuality in that case anyway. Same in Mass Effect 2 though Aria makes a comment suggesting Shepard find a nice girl, or a nice boy, and Kelly is bi. Suddenly in Mass Effect 3 EVERYONE is now gay. I have a gay squadmate, I have a gay yeoman, I have a gay shuttle pilot, NPC's all over are talking about their same sex spouses, there's a gay female soldier in purgatory.. it's like there's some galaxy wide reaper indoctrination effect that makes everyone homosexual so all organics stop breeding and the reapers win no matter the outcome of the war (only the Krogans seem to be amped about breeding). In Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2, I commonly had female NPC's flirt with me, in Mass Effect 3, I have yet to have a woman flirt with my maleshep aside from my romance interest from Mass Effect 2 and the news reporter on my ship. I THOUGHT Trayner was an option, but she says she's a lesbian instead. Meanwhile I have men hitting on me left and right.

    Bioware tries way too hard for this demographic and it feels forced and detracts from the gameplay. Having Kaiden be potentially gay and a few other NPC's would have been enough. Bioware obviously hasn't learned their lesson on this from Dragon Age II. Same gender romance options should be available as OPTIONS, but never thrown in your face everywhere you look,. An entire character's background story should never revolve around their sexual orientation either (as it was with Cortez)    … Expand
  90. Korisana
    Mar 11, 2012
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Mass Effect 3 was meant to and succeeds in ending the Shepard storyline. While Bioware has fine-tuned aspects of the game, such as less time consuming planet exploration, other areas have not been as lucky. As of about a week after release, there are noticeable bugs and glitches which include randomly getting stuck in open areas and graphical glitches. None really detract from the game-play but they are fairly noticeable. An area in which Bioware succeeded with ME3 is storyline. The main plot is well done, for the most part, and does make you feel as if the galaxy really was coming to an end with the Reapers. Side quests, however, have suffered brutally in ME3. Gone are many ME 1/2 side quests which involve landing on a planet or ship for a small map-based mission. Instead, you pick up random side quests simply by over-hearing NPC's talking on the Citadel. you then head to a destination, scan a planet, launch a probe and head back. That's it. The biggest mistake Bioware has made in ME3 is the ending. The entire series as been fun and a wonderful "Space Opera" type of story. However, it all falls apart in the final few minutes. Specifically the choices you have to make. While the choices and Shepard's eventual fate is dark, fitting in with the overall theme of this third game, overall they don't make sense. Nothing is explained about what happens after your victory or defeat. There is also a distinct lack of continuity in the ending. In the final part of the game, all of your ME3 squad is on Earth, yet somehow several are see emerging from a crashed Normandy just before the credits roll.

    Overall the game is worth buying if you can deal with major story issues at the end.    … Expand
  91. Ashleydenee
    Mar 9, 2012
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The Mass Effect series had been my favorite video games, bar none. As someone playing it from the beginning, I was an avid supporter and introduced the game to numerous friends and family but the ending has ruined the game for me. Taking my time, I picked every perfect choice and at the end I was left with 3 endings all of which made the character I had developed worthless. Was I able to save the galaxy? Yes. However, it was at the cost of a character and relationships which I had become deeply entwined in for the previous 4 years. Though the content pre-ending was good, the terrible ending which Bioware forced on the players makes me wish I had never played the game to begin with. Perhaps it's silly to care so much but I played an enriched game which allowed the players to really learn to love characters who, at the end of my game, were dead, stranded, or abandoned. Thanks for nothing Bioware...… Expand
  92. Rockstorm
    Mar 7, 2012
    5
    After finishing the game I feel conflicted. On one hand I enjoyed the action and the storyline in this game a lot, even though the baddies seemed to have been de-clawed in this game. The choices I had to make also felt difficult at times, which is always a sign of a good role playing game. On the other hand I also had many issues with this game as well. The animation is sub-par at bestAfter finishing the game I feel conflicted. On one hand I enjoyed the action and the storyline in this game a lot, even though the baddies seemed to have been de-clawed in this game. The choices I had to make also felt difficult at times, which is always a sign of a good role playing game. On the other hand I also had many issues with this game as well. The animation is sub-par at best with many weird glitches, the textures are low-res and the ridiculously poorly executed and failed attempt at a Tear Jerker during the opening moments of the game felt way too forced. All this I can overlook...However, the number 1 reason I rate this game as a 5 instead of a 9 is how the game's ending(s) pretty much invalidates every choice you've made during the course of the series. There is no resolution for Shepard, not for his team, no answers for minor details like "WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT RACE BECAUSE OF MY GALAXY ALTERING DECISION?" and absolutely no sense of accomplishment after the ending but rather a dumbfounded feeling of "That's it?". Lackluster, Bioware.… Expand
  93. Avathar
    Mar 10, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A wonderful game, up until the ending (played through all of the possible endings, 6k+ EMS, max reputation, etc). I would have given this game a 10 up until about 90 percent of the way through when the overall feel switched from "We're going to defeat the Reapers and save the galaxy and live happily after" to "I'm a tragic figure and we probably won't be coming back from this". I knew they were trying to turn shepard into a tragic figure via all the foreshadowing, but did Bioware really think that after hundreds of hours playing a hero, we would be okay with having them suddenly switching paradigms on us? The whole Matrix thing about choice was just a sad, shameful ripoff and felt like some really lazy writing. I don't think Bioware realizes how invested their players are into Shepard at this point of the game - I'm now willing to just write him off. The last 2.8 games and hundreds of hours of playtime have been focused on saving the galaxy from the Reapers and suddenly at the end, it's not really about them anymore - the paradigm shift needed to occur way earlier than in the last 5 minutes. At the end of ME1 and ME2 I felt happy, like a hero - my character had saved the galaxy... at the end of this one I just feel... sad... Not how I wanted my Shepard's story to end.… Expand
  94. Suncaster
    Mar 10, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Don't waste your money on this, wait a few weeks, it'll be in the stores used for $9.99. Some people are saying that the ending was great because in real life you have tough choices. I say bull. They need to realize this is a game. It's fantasy, that's why we play it. If I want real life, I'll go ride my Harley, go sailing or argue with my wife. That's not what I want in a game. i'm trying to get away from real life for a while and pretend life is perfect. Bioware (or should I say EA) should have spent more time on multiple endings. that way everyone could have had what they wanted. I wanted the perfect ending after all the time i put in Mass 1 and 2. I was also unhappy about how easy it was to start losing everyone you had went through the first 2 games with. Halfway through i had already lost Mordin, Asley and Tali. no matter how many times I went back, i couldn't save them. they say it has sonething to do with the first 2 games, although I always saved everyone and had a relasionship with Tali.Of course that was over now, as she was now a pile of broken bones and flesh..I won't say much about the ending, as it has been covered pretty good already here. I really liked Dragon age Origins. Probably my favorite game of all time.(that was before EA got into the picture) Did dragons really exist in real life?, NO, Do happy endings exist in real life all the time, NO. But since this is a game and it's a fantasy world. I want my dragons and my happy ending. What were you thinking EA, Oh that's right, you weren't. I really feel the people giving this a 10 are either working for EA or are just so in love with EA, they have to give a great rating. Also, why are people so mad about the little gay scene. It's not like your being forced into any gay relationship. If ths bothers you, I would have to think your not sure about your sexuality. Me. I know i'm straight, so it doesn't bother me at all. Just say no. I like having relationships in the game, mine is with liara now, since Tali is smashed. why not let gays have their fun. I guess you just live in a world where everyone has to live to your standards or not at all.… Expand
  95. goblue22
    Mar 10, 2012
    0
    This game is absolutely AMAZING right up until the final 15 minutes or so. The end of the game is really a slap in the face to anyone who has stayed with the series from the beginning.

    I am not saying this because I did not get the end that I wanted. I would have been perfectly fine with an ending in which everyone died - because at the very least that would have been a clear and well    This game is absolutely AMAZING right up until the final 15 minutes or so. The end of the game is really a slap in the face to anyone who has stayed with the series from the beginning.

    I am not saying this because I did not get the end that I wanted. I would have been perfectly fine with an ending in which everyone died - because at the very least that would have been a clear and well defined end. This series has always been defined and advertised as character driven. The player is encouraged to get invested in and attached to the characters in the Mass Effect universe. And yet the way this game ends is simply unacceptable. The ending gives very little understanding of exactly what happened, and the player is given very little to go on in terms of the fates of the characters.

    I have never been one to write reviews or have strong opinions on games. I am not even one who typically gets attached to series the way I got attached to Mass Effect. But the way the end of the game seems like Bioware came up with it in maybe 10 minutes is, in my opinion, a betrayal of the fans.    … Expand
  96. Cottonswab
    Mar 11, 2012
    6
    Overall, not a bad game but that being said it's not a good game either. Game play is nearly identical to mass effect 2 which in and of itself is not bad as ME2 had great game play. Level design is more open than in ME2 where at times it felt like a series of narrow hallways. Where the game falls short is in the storyline especially the ending. There are numerous plot holes depending onOverall, not a bad game but that being said it's not a good game either. Game play is nearly identical to mass effect 2 which in and of itself is not bad as ME2 had great game play. Level design is more open than in ME2 where at times it felt like a series of narrow hallways. Where the game falls short is in the storyline especially the ending. There are numerous plot holes depending on the choices made in the earlier games. As for the endings, there are 3, but the choices made in game have no effect on which one you get, you simply choose one after the final mission. The end also has virtually no closure for your squad members or any of the other races involved in the war. Voice acting ranges from good to bad. A decent game but not what I've come to expect from the Mass Effect series.… Expand
  97. ziuty17
    Mar 13, 2012
    0
    I don't think that the ending of game is everything, but that one pissed me off. Game was nice, also big plus for dialogs. Most of characters was uniqe and outstanding. If BioWare create new ending, with pleasure i will play once more. But for now my rating is 1.
  98. scifi_lover
    Jul 7, 2012
    2
    As a stand alone game, it was mediocre at best. As the 3rd installment in a trilogy, if failed in almost every way possible.
    Your character is no longer yours but a forced character by BW.
    Autodialog forces conversations in directions that go against the players choices. Boring, uninspired fetch quests inundate the game. Exceptionally linear in design, unlike the pseudo-free style of    As a stand alone game, it was mediocre at best. As the 3rd installment in a trilogy, if failed in almost every way possible.
    Your character is no longer yours but a forced character by BW.
    Autodialog forces conversations in directions that go against the players choices.
    Boring, uninspired fetch quests inundate the game.
    Exceptionally linear in design, unlike the pseudo-free style of the previous games.
    Endings that nothing to smile about and everything to hate. Infused with massive, game breaking, space magic.
    Overall, a childish attempt at ending a trilogy. Not worth the purchase price.    … Expand
  99. Tweed
    Mar 12, 2012
    1
    I've really enjoyed the Mass Effect series, but this last one, the one that was suppose to be the big climax is one of the biggest letdowns of the year so far. It really seems like Bioware cut every corner that could be cut while trying to maximize the amount of revenue they could generate from their community, there's a heavy emphasis on the multiplayer aspect of the game which actuallyI've really enjoyed the Mass Effect series, but this last one, the one that was suppose to be the big climax is one of the biggest letdowns of the year so far. It really seems like Bioware cut every corner that could be cut while trying to maximize the amount of revenue they could generate from their community, there's a heavy emphasis on the multiplayer aspect of the game which actually does greatly hinder your effort to try and get a good ending out of this game. It really doesn't help that the entire multiplayer part is designed to be a complete grind short of spending actual money to buy packs to enhance their characters. Disregarding MP the single player is rife with issues, mostly related to the terrible attention to detail, characters are poorly animated and "pop" and "spring" about unrealistically during dialog so often it becomes impossible to ignore, on the central hub of the game npcs in the background run back and forth to nowhere if they're animated at all, actors in the distance are nothing more than distorted 2 dimensional sprites or unskinned models that look more like cardboard cutouts or paper mache figurines than people. Cutscenes and dialog cannot be skipped making replay a major task for anyone who wants to see the hidden ending that requires finishing the game at least once. Attempts at continuity on Bioware's part are admirable and one of the highlights of the game, but it becomes lost in the mess of a plot, the impossibility of Earth holding out while Shepard gathers the forces of the galaxy is handwaved away and one of the main antagonists of the game winds up being a carbon copy of Mass Effect 1's villain. It also really doesn't help that Bioware decided to shift the focus of the plot right at the very last moment of the game to steal Deus Ex: Human Revolution's plot line and ending style, then expect the player to merely accept this without question. The endings are vague and unsatisfying, leaving any fan who has followed this series right from the very beginning to be extremely disappointed.… Expand
  100. Trebek
    Mar 11, 2012
    0
    While I loved the first two ME games, I just can't get behind the third.

    It seems like for every positive change that has been made, 3 or 4 bad ones have been added as well. For example, while there is finally a good reason to play a soldier rather than an adept which in my opinion was by far the best class in the first two, there are now a few 'features' that I despise. Forced    While I loved the first two ME games, I just can't get behind the third.

    It seems like for every positive change that has been made, 3 or 4 bad ones have been added as well. For example, while there is finally a good reason to play a soldier rather than an adept which in my opinion was by far the best class in the first two, there are now a few 'features' that I despise. Forced multiplayer is a massive disappointment to me. I know it can be argued that it's not actually forced since the game can be played from start to finish is true, but multiplayer having *any* effect on gameplay or story is a big disappointment. This game had absolutely no need to shoehorn in multiplayer, but it's now being billed as a 'feature'.

    This leads nicely into my second complaint which is that this so called bonus in the form of multiplayer makes EA feel justified in charging for day one DLC in 'from ashes'. This makes me feel mugged that even after a preorder you can't get the whole darn game on launch day. I like how these days a preorder edition means you'll still need to buy an expansion pack on day one to have the whole game. My third gripe is this business with Origin being a requirement to play the game. The corporate shills at EA are setting up a competing service to steam, all right, fair enough but sleazy statements such as "We believe in absolute freedom of choice to allow customers to buy through whatever retail outlet... as long as they're buying an EA game, we're delighted," show they don't respect their customers when they turn around and pull their games from the most popular digital download services. EA claims they did this same thing with Crysis 2 because the DLC was not available for purchase on steam.... This ticks me off a lot since the DLC for ME2 was so well hidden I spent 45 minutes trying to buy 'the arrival' on their awful maze of websites that I *was glad* valve will now be forcing publishers to make DLC available through steam. I've had quite enough of EA's awful DLC distribution methods in the past and am not looking forward to finding out if this time will be any better.

    So in summary - an allright game, seriously marred by both technical own goals (forcing extra software to be installed), sleazy marketing, greedy day one DLC, and a general aura of disrespect to the community.

    I loved ME1 and ME2, but ME3 leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 23
  3. Negative: 0 out of 23
  1. CPUGamer
    Apr 11, 2012
    90
    BioWare captures the scale of the conflict well, but always focuses on the people involved in it. It's pretty amazing just how badly EA disregarded the heart of the game – the characters and the world – when they began their marking blitzkrieg, but don't worry, it's oh so definitely there – Day 1 DLC, controversial endings, and questionable use of resources be damned. This is a fine, lovingly crafted game with a clear vision despite the realities of corporations and damning business practices.
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  2. PC PowerPlay
    Apr 5, 2012
    80
    A game that's more shooter than role-playing, and a conclusion that's more spectacular than dramatic. [Apr 2012, p.47]
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  3. Absolute Games
    Mar 31, 2012
    85
    Finishing a trilogy is always difficult. Tying off dozens of story threads which had been woven by players into many different tapestries is a daunting task. Mass Effect 3 is the first game that succeeded at this colossal undertaking.
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