Mass Effect 3

 PlayStation 3
User Score
5.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 2029 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,067 out of 2029
  2. Mixed: 218 out of 2029
  3. Negative: 744 out of 2029
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Neoki
    Mar 8, 2012
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'm giving it a 5. In short, the game feels like it's building you up for the fight of a lifetime and the story ending of a ultra hero, instead at the end you are left with all the foreplay leaving you shorted and confused, and most of all, pissed off to know it was all only just a "Legend/Dream". The developers this time around followed a true example of "Lost" meets "Matrix Revolutions", which is what doomed this games story telling.

    The good:
    Awesome immersive gameplay
    Epic battles scenes NEAR the end

    The bad:
    So many story gaps from ME2 > ME3
    Cerberus?
    Random graphic glitches
    The "promised" romance with former ME1/ME2 partners is laughable.
    The ending, quite possibly the worst story ending I have ever experienced.    … Expand
  2. Snowsve
    Mar 8, 2012
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game built up so much epicness and I said multiple times before the last mission that this was the best SP-game I've EVER played. And it got destroyed under 10 minutes, by creating paradoxes (synthetic life who kills organic life so they don't get killed by synthetics LOOOL), Joker's getting some pstd and decides to run to a mass relay, and shepard is gone forever, putting the galaxy into a dark age and even if he survives he will NEVER see his LI, his friends or another nebula again. They tried to make a Deus Ex 1-ending, but they failed miserable and decided that a deus ex machina-ending would do the trick. I'm honestly depressed, it was my favourite game series of all time and Bioware gave me the finger.… Expand
  3. halo_on
    Mar 8, 2012
    2
    Mass Effect 3 suffers from two major mistakes made by Bioware's game directors and I'm starting to notice an unfortunate trend in their sequels. The first problem is that ME3 plays like Dragon Age 2. Both games were rushed to market and seem to ignore what the fans loved most about the first title. The second issue is the addition of a multiplayer component to the game. It obviouslyMass Effect 3 suffers from two major mistakes made by Bioware's game directors and I'm starting to notice an unfortunate trend in their sequels. The first problem is that ME3 plays like Dragon Age 2. Both games were rushed to market and seem to ignore what the fans loved most about the first title. The second issue is the addition of a multiplayer component to the game. It obviously detracted from time spent on the overall quality of the game. Todd Howard, game director for Skyrim put it beautifully when asked why Bethesda didn't include a cooperative feature in their latest Elder Scrolls game: "We always look into multiplayer, put lots of ideas on the whiteboard, and it always loses. It's not that we don't like it. I can think of ways it would be a lot of fun, but at the end of the day, that dev[eloper] time is going to take away from doing the best single-player game we can, and that's where our hearts are." Enough said.… Expand
  4. DarkFantasyLust
    Mar 9, 2012
    4
    I really wanted to like this game, but it didn't live up to my expectations at all. Knowing BioWare, i thought they could pull out a real big one here, especially considering the fact that the production for this game started before Mass Effect 2 even released. Here is a list of the game's Cons: 1) It really annoys me that Shepherd always walks around with his gun pointed in front.
    2)    I really wanted to like this game, but it didn't live up to my expectations at all. Knowing BioWare, i thought they could pull out a real big one here, especially considering the fact that the production for this game started before Mass Effect 2 even released. Here is a list of the game's Cons: 1) It really annoys me that Shepherd always walks around with his gun pointed in front.
    2) RPG, Story or Action? Seriously?
    3) Adding Multiplayer would have been quite good if the Single Player story lived up to the hype. But nooo, looks like money wins here.
    4) Without spoiling anything i can honestly say this game has the worst ending than any other game which i have ever played.

    The only Reason i'am giving this a 4 is because of the Tenney effort BioWare actually put into this game.    … Expand
  5. bkp360
    Mar 8, 2012
    3
    It appears the people at BioWare forgot that first and foremost they are making entertainment. Ugly choices, steady personal loss and grief, and an ending which is, to say the least, horrific; left me feeling awlful. Like most I've anticipated this game and a return the ME universe. I wish I hadn't. I'll never go back there again. I could list all kinds of petty gripes such asI wasIt appears the people at BioWare forgot that first and foremost they are making entertainment. Ugly choices, steady personal loss and grief, and an ending which is, to say the least, horrific; left me feeling awlful. Like most I've anticipated this game and a return the ME universe. I wish I hadn't. I'll never go back there again. I could list all kinds of petty gripes such asI was faithful to Tali through ME1, 2 and 3 and I never got to see her face direct. Just a picture which is fine as she's hot but never that personal experience of looking directly at her... You get the idea. But these could all be forgiven if the story was satisfying but it wasn't even close.

    And aside from a few references to prior games and a few side plots playing out there was little sense of ME1 or ME2 affecting this game much.

    I am not a spambot and I approved this Message.    … Expand
  6. rpbird
    Mar 9, 2012
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I am a big ME1/2 fan. ME3 was a terrible disappointment, a complete retread of stories from the first two games, plus a bad storyline, cliched characters (including a psycho killer right out of a bad Hollywood action movie), contrived plot elements, and a HUGE Deus Ex Machina plot hole. Linear gameplay. Forced choices. Deeply resembles a bad Hollywood sequel. Where are the cool ideas and great dialog from the 1st two games? Not here. I played as a no-romance paragon, so the romance controversy did not factor in my judgment of the game. I was not even aware of the controversy until a few minutes ago. One warning, the emotional balance of the first two games, with humor and other factors lifting the player's emotions, is missing here. There are unremitting scenes of personal loss, death of loved ones, failure, and wholesale destruction that will leave the player drained and depressed. It is possible to witness the deaths of multiple team mates, all in a row, plus attend a funeral, and a bit later witness the suicide of another character. ME3 is a uniquely negative event in gaming.… Expand
  7. Adain
    Mar 9, 2012
    4
    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.
  8. Direwolf18
    Mar 10, 2012
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game started great, the story, the characters, the scope. There were a few mechanical quirks and bugs but by far and away nothing noteworthy or that diminished my enjoyment in any way. The issue is the ending, the grand promises of vastly different endings turned into 3 separate endings that are differentiated by a slight recoloring. Red vs Blue vs Green ambient lighting. Really? It not only made little to no sense, but it spoiled the entire franchise for myself. Going into the game I expected to play and beat it at least 5 times closer to 10 for all the different Shepard's I had created. Instead, I put it down and will probably never pick up Mass Effect, any of the three, again. It ruined the series that much for me.… Expand
  9. Illanair
    Mar 10, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This was it - the big and long awaited conclusion to the Mass Effect trilogy. So did I enjoy it? Yes - Did I feel cheated after the final credits had rolled past? Most certainly yes.

    The combat felt pretty good for an RPG/FPS hybrid. They've learnt from their mistakes in ME2 and brought back a few fan favourites from ME1 such as being able to put modifies on weapons to make them feel/perform differently. The game still has that cinematic feel that Bioware is known for - though the "Paragon/Renegade" system has been taken even further, making most "conflicting" dialogue options moot. Want to get the "optimal" result of a dialogue scene? Just press either the blue or the red text - provided that you've either acted like a do gooder or a downright arse. The concept of "bad / good" choice has been completely removed in favour of this.

    The story was/is a mess. This big finale was supposed to tie up loose ends and have a conclusion that would be different depending on your choices in the earlier game - but all "we" are given are 2 (or 3 if you go for the extra curricular classes) endings that leave you with more questions than answers, and feel like a real cop out decision.

    Live or die, rescue or kill - all these small and big choices are supposed to shape your universe - but in the end most of these "consequences" will play out exactly the same no matter if you saved someone or killed them, since they all have to tie into the very "on rails" plot that Bioware went for with the game.

    The whole "kid who happens to look like the big end baddie" / nightmare sequence was pointless and added nothing to the game. And massive plotholes doesn't help the game either.

    Summary: Is ME3 a good game on its own? Yes - it is worth playing. Is it a worthy ending to a long running series of "deep" roleplaying? No, not in the slightest. In fact I feel a little insulted at the "This is how we want your story to end, and nothing you have chosen or done in the prequels matter in the least" road they've gone down.

    3 of 10 (Since I don't believe in giving "great" games a perfect 10 - The typical "GOTY" game would get a 7 or 8 at most in my book. 10s are reserved for the classic rare gems that only appear once every so often)    … Expand
  10. MerpanDerp
    Mar 7, 2012
    0
    Day 1 DLC aside, this game was quite possibly the biggest disappointment so far. The story and especially its end was an incredible let-down, driven by boring, static dialogue. All of the 'new' characters lack depth and character or end up being completely irritating due to bad writing. Gameplay is lacking, RPG elements almost completely removed and the oh so praised 'Cinematic Experience'Day 1 DLC aside, this game was quite possibly the biggest disappointment so far. The story and especially its end was an incredible let-down, driven by boring, static dialogue. All of the 'new' characters lack depth and character or end up being completely irritating due to bad writing. Gameplay is lacking, RPG elements almost completely removed and the oh so praised 'Cinematic Experience' destroyed by awkward animations.

    0/10
    Try again without EA, Bioware.    … Expand
  11. Lord_Dorkon
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    What happened to Mass Effect? This was supposed to be the thrilling conclusion to a wonderful space epic. Instead we are given a game which feels like it was written by two different groups. The first 90% of the game (story wise) is compelling and exciting. However the ending and the last hour or so leading up to feel like they were written by someone with no understanding of how to trulyWhat happened to Mass Effect? This was supposed to be the thrilling conclusion to a wonderful space epic. Instead we are given a game which feels like it was written by two different groups. The first 90% of the game (story wise) is compelling and exciting. However the ending and the last hour or so leading up to feel like they were written by someone with no understanding of how to truly write at all. Plot holes opening up all around you and with the endings ripped off from Deus Ex makes me wonder what exactly Bioware/EA were thinking when the final script was approved. The endings completely go against the spirit of the series and more than that they are all essentially the same my making every other choice up to that point completely null. I find it even more offensive that almost all of the RPG elements have become so watered down as to be unrecognisable. The conversation wheel which longtime fans of the series such as myself have come to know and love rarely shows up now. And even when it does all it offers is two ways to say the same thing. Even worse, your choices in the previous two make no really substantial difference in this entry either. Even the illusion of choice is gone. You almost don't get to converse with your crew at all. Instead your interaction is mostly limited to selecting them like you do with Zaeed Massani in ME2 and they talk a little bit while you just stand there. This becomes a big problem because ME3 throws in with no real introduction or background characters who are completely new or have only been featured in the Expanded Universe. I like the voice acting and appreciate that the world feels more alive now with background characters talking to one another when you walk by, that is when the sound doesn't drop out. It's unfortunate that the coders haven't learned anything, all the cut scene glitches are back in full force. Including the one where everyone uses the same assault rifle during the cut scene, regardless of whether or not they can even use one. It's nice to see all characters from the first two one last time, a little family reunion if you will. It's a shame that almost none of them will be joining your squad again. I do like the direction ground combat has taken though the removal of heavy weapons is another negative in my book. The day one DLC feels more like game content that was cut out rather than an actual add on. And having this nearly story essential DLC on day one is just plain greedy.

    Mostly though I just can't get around the endings. It feels like a punch in the gut to those of us who were big fans of the first two. It's so out of left field that I almost expect M. Night Shyamalan to be responsible for this travesty. It's almost like ending The Lord of the Rings with Frodo riding a nuke into Barad-dûr with a cowboy hat on. I almost wish it would have been a Dallas-"It was all a dream" ending.    … Expand
  12. HelpTheBurgers
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    Bioware made 2 fantastic games in Mass Effect and Mass Effec 2 where you controlled Commander Shepard. Your Shepard. In Mass Effect 3 Bioware has taken the commander back. Many choices from the first 2 games have minimal changes with some flat out retconned. The dialogue is gone, even with full decisions on it's like watching a movie instead of an interactive story. Add in mandatory DLCBioware made 2 fantastic games in Mass Effect and Mass Effec 2 where you controlled Commander Shepard. Your Shepard. In Mass Effect 3 Bioware has taken the commander back. Many choices from the first 2 games have minimal changes with some flat out retconned. The dialogue is gone, even with full decisions on it's like watching a movie instead of an interactive story. Add in mandatory DLC for the "best" possible on day 1 and what you get is a game that spits in the face of fans of the first 2 installments and ruins what should have been the best triology of games in the past decade… Expand
  13. Collymilad
    Mar 31, 2012
    10
    Do not listen to the people rating this game badly. Mass Effect 3 is utterly amazing and if you liked the first 2 this won't change that.

    Some of the people writing on here either had completely unrealistic expectations of what Bioware would pull off with the import stuff (although pretty much everything but the end is influenced quite a lot by what you do) or just weren't pleased because    Do not listen to the people rating this game badly. Mass Effect 3 is utterly amazing and if you liked the first 2 this won't change that.

    Some of the people writing on here either had completely unrealistic expectations of what Bioware would pull off with the import stuff (although pretty much everything but the end is influenced quite a lot by what you do) or just weren't pleased because the series didn't end exactly as they wanted.

    Get this game, and ignore the haters. They are the same kind of supergeeks that hate on Star Wars etc for tiny little things that really don't matter at all. Honestly. Get. A. Life.    … Expand
  14. oatzsquatz
    Mar 7, 2012
    3
    PROS:
    - Shiny new cutscenes
    - Wonderful Clint Mansell soundtrack - Better combat, particularly melee (plays like the melee in Dragon Age 2, one button does everything), improved powers - Smarter enemy AIs CONS: - One button does everything in combat - Ridiculously **** dialogue - Forces sexuality into everything (I could give concrete examples, but I may give away spoilers). I will say    PROS:
    - Shiny new cutscenes
    - Wonderful Clint Mansell soundtrack
    - Better combat, particularly melee (plays like the melee in Dragon Age 2, one button does everything), improved powers
    - Smarter enemy AIs

    CONS:
    - One button does everything in combat
    - Ridiculously **** dialogue
    - Forces sexuality into everything (I could give concrete examples, but I may give away spoilers). I will say this much: EDI, and, this small segment of dialogue:
    Shepherd: I hope you're alright, Kaiden
    Kaiden: Are you flirting with me, Commander? This is literal dialogue and not a joke
    - Rubbish, rubbish, dialogue. Cringe worthy. Nearly all the time. Some characters do save the ****show, like Garrus.
    - They actually used a voice changer (blatantly obvious) to use less voice actors (if you don't believe me, once you get to the Citadel you will be able to hear it)
    - Rehashed animations from the last game (lack of innovation)
    -Filters, filters everywhere
    -Cheap emotional pulls and attempts at emotional manipulation EVERYWHERE. It's like they used this to replace bad writing.
    - SEVERELY LIMITED DIALOGUE OPTIONS. If I wanted to play a shooter, I would have. Two dialogue options? Most dialogues with no options whatsoever? Poor show.
    -Totally retconns the lore established in the previous games

    Overall this game shows a shocking lack of attention to detail and blatantly ignores what the fans wanted (contrary to what the developers claim all the time. No one wanted this). The voice acting is stiff and so is the animation. Complete lack of innovation and the only thing they improved was the fighting - to add to this, they even used well-known stock images as some of their sources and the copies are glaring - look up "winter on mars" and you should see what I mean, if you've beaten the game. They force sexuality on the player, and if you reject it then the characters hate yours. This series has ended on a bad note. For fans of the series, it sucks majorly. For people who want a shooter, play Call of Duty or Gears of War instead.    … Expand
  15. Rubenh
    Mar 7, 2012
    1
    Painful. I loved the Mass Effect saga, but this installment utterly ruins it. It's an insult to gamers worldwide. Bioware approaches the story telling as if they are attempting to make a brain damaged turtle comprehend. Consequently, it is HIGHLY flawed, simplistic and lacking. An awful result. Addtionally, they have taken a break from anything that made the previous installmentsPainful. I loved the Mass Effect saga, but this installment utterly ruins it. It's an insult to gamers worldwide. Bioware approaches the story telling as if they are attempting to make a brain damaged turtle comprehend. Consequently, it is HIGHLY flawed, simplistic and lacking. An awful result. Addtionally, they have taken a break from anything that made the previous installments interesting and unique(choice-based storytelling; intriguing plot turns; emotional commitment) and replaced it with blatantly ostentatious cinematics that would only impress the aforementioned ''turtle-minded''. It's not just a shame, it's an insult. Bioware has gravely insulted and disappointed me by ruining what used to be such a great story. Don't go look for it and don't buy it. The only thing this game has to offer is a lesson in how blatant greed can ruin absolutely anything.… Expand
  16. KRHamilton
    Mar 9, 2012
    1
    I just wasted over 50 hours in completing every quest and collecting all the war assets in preparation for an epic conclusion to my beloved Mass Effect adventures. However, the endings in this game totally ruined the experience for me. I was willing to forgive the removal of the holster button, the lack of a quest journal hotkey, the glitched animations, and the significant reduction ofI just wasted over 50 hours in completing every quest and collecting all the war assets in preparation for an epic conclusion to my beloved Mass Effect adventures. However, the endings in this game totally ruined the experience for me. I was willing to forgive the removal of the holster button, the lack of a quest journal hotkey, the glitched animations, and the significant reduction of video logs (now most logs are just text). However, the ending has to be the most disappointing in the history of gaming for true fans of the series. I'm big on endings, they are crucial for my enjoyment of most forms of entertainment, games, movies, animated films, and novels. I don't expect every ending to be a happy one, but the endings in Mass Effect 3 has effectively killed this franchise.

    I'm a big fan of Mass Effect 1 and 2 (with the exception of planet scanning in part 2); I played through both games at least 5 times. Now I feel I also wasted hundreds of hours in those games to reach the disappointing conclusion in Mass Effect 3. I've already uninstalled Mass Effect 3 and will never play it again. It's sad to see how far Bioware has declined since they were purchased by EA in late 2007. EA is ruining every studio they acquire. If EA hadn't forced Bioware to add a multiplayer to Mass Effect 3 and if they had used a fraction of the money the spent on producing Hollywood blockbuster style trailers to improve the actual game, things would be very different. I also suspect that the Mass Effect series was terminated intentionally by EA Bioware to push fans of space operas to Star Wars Old Republic. However, I can't play that game because it is targeted at teenagers with its cartoonish graphics and combat. I'm in my late twenties, so I enjoy mature stories with realism; Mass Effect was one of the few science fiction game series that I enjoyed, but that is no longer the case. I will never buy another Bioware game until the breakway from EA. Unfortunately, I doubt that will happen. I'm also concerned with EA's anti-trust business practices and their threat to the game industry.

    In conclusion, I give this game a score of 1 for the parts of combat that were actually epic and for some the character dialogue that was enjoyable and not contrived. So I suggest you save your money; don't buy this game unless you don't care about endings.    … Expand
  17. mrrip
    Mar 7, 2012
    0
    Then ideas of things that you love changing into something really bad, you at first trying not to notice that or avoid it with hope that things will be better. Then I played ME 2 I thought that things will change and after developers review criticism of game develop a true masterpiece of game world. But then we saw a total failure of DA2 that become a fantasy clone of ME2. After that weThen ideas of things that you love changing into something really bad, you at first trying not to notice that or avoid it with hope that things will be better. Then I played ME 2 I thought that things will change and after developers review criticism of game develop a true masterpiece of game world. But then we saw a total failure of DA2 that become a fantasy clone of ME2. After that we got a clone of WoW in space (KoTOR) that is failure 2. And now ME3â… Expand
  18. thejackolantern
    Mar 7, 2012
    3
    I have been following 'Mass Effect' since the first game, and have been a supportive fan of the series. The game has corrected several of the animations and included multi-player, but has failed in so many other ways to sadden me to only be able to rate it a '3'.

    First and foremost, it seemed the MP content was more important than developing the story from the previous games, specifically    I have been following 'Mass Effect' since the first game, and have been a supportive fan of the series. The game has corrected several of the animations and included multi-player, but has failed in so many other ways to sadden me to only be able to rate it a '3'.

    First and foremost, it seemed the MP content was more important than developing the story from the previous games, specifically the completely glossing over of 'Mass Effect 2'. The strength of any trilogy is the ability to draw all the pieces of storyline together, which ME3 did not accomplish.

    Secondly, the entire genre is space opera, which means that even if developers felt the endings provided were necessary, they should have included additional alternatives. The endings I feel are a large part of my problem with game 3.

    Third, while the idea of creating a smaller squad may appeal from logistics, the fact is, many players like the characters that were introduced previously, and have great attachments to them. By limiting their roles, and in some cases eliminating them all-together except for 'walk-on' parts, the game effectively eliminates the level of characterization we've all enjoyed. The game is bleak, the endings are bleaker, and the real issue is the apparent lack of concern that EA/BioWare has with its player base, especially console players. I cannot stress this enough: 'Mass Effect 3' feels more like an solid attempt to garner MP rather than a successful sequel and ending to a series, and it falls short of that. In some ways, the feel of ME3 is very similar to Dragon Age 2, and that's not necessarily a good thing.

    Could DLC correct my rating? Certainly...but I'd have to pay for the mistakes made in storytelling, design, and glitches. I'm not sure that is appropriate from a game which has been eagerly anticipated by players and fans, myself included.

    I think for now however, I sadly must only rate ME3 a 3, good attempt, but by no means the game it needs to be.    … Expand
  19. aspentitan
    Mar 7, 2012
    5
    Why a 5 Rating? Let's talk about this logically. First off DLC on day one. What does this mean? This means EA is mad about something and they need to settle a debt with their players or customers who buy their games. This shows a complete lack of respect or EGO on EA's part. My translation is EA is mad at customers who buy second hand. Well I wonder why players do that when on day one youWhy a 5 Rating? Let's talk about this logically. First off DLC on day one. What does this mean? This means EA is mad about something and they need to settle a debt with their players or customers who buy their games. This shows a complete lack of respect or EGO on EA's part. My translation is EA is mad at customers who buy second hand. Well I wonder why players do that when on day one you cannot trust you bought a complete game without software bugs. I mean come on you expect gamers to trust you when you sell DLC on day one integral to the games plot? I give a cautionary 5 rating to the game because you broke the game with this. From here you can infer that in the future you will now release a GOTY edition with the downloadable content for $30 or less. Well I can wait making this day one release at full price a waste of money. EA, you will not win this battle if you want to claim $60 you have to be respectful of you fan/customer base and provide a solid product as with any company. You need our revenue or you will not exist. I do not need your games they are only entertainment and their are lots of games and companies products to choose from. EA look at all the zero scores and do some research on that you are making tons of people very angry. You provide broken or incomplete products then wonder why people buy used. Just have some respect, make a good game, test it, make it flawless, make it worth the money and people will buy it at full price. Make junk and of course no one wants to spend a lot of hard earned money on it. It this game good, probably yes but I'm not paying twice for one game. I'm waiting til the game implodes on you and you put out the DLC on one disc and you will get $30 from me, half the revenue you would have got for not playing your silly trickery with DLC on day one. Just bad business in my humble opinion. Don't forget on ps3 mass effect one does not exist and on DLC is only provided in PS3 mass effect 2. Why did you not provide the same on Xbox 360. Funny that both systems have lack of full game import leading up to mass effect 3. Well you choose to shaft your gamers, now their turn back, look at all the negative zero scores. Your company will slowly implode because of your poor respect for peoples hard earned money. Love is two ways and you need to be the leader in this area.… Expand
  20. MatDiF
    Mar 7, 2012
    5
    Mass Effect 3 is the latest installment of Biowareâ
  21. Jarec
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    Strike 1: Adding multiplayer (oh come on really?) to a beloved SINGLE player series of games. If I wanted a multiplayer shoot em up I would play Counterstrike (don't even get me started on MW3). Strike 2: From Ashes DLC fiasco . Seriously? you're charging for DAY 1 DLC because you gave us multiplayer that we didn't even want in the first place? Strike 3: Boy am I glad I saw the leakedStrike 1: Adding multiplayer (oh come on really?) to a beloved SINGLE player series of games. If I wanted a multiplayer shoot em up I would play Counterstrike (don't even get me started on MW3). Strike 2: From Ashes DLC fiasco . Seriously? you're charging for DAY 1 DLC because you gave us multiplayer that we didn't even want in the first place? Strike 3: Boy am I glad I saw the leaked script and videos. "Yo dawg we made synthetics to kill organics, so organics wouldn't create synthetics to kill organics!" It's painfully obvious that the writing talent that made the first game so compelling is no longer involved. Maybe Bioware should think about hiring writers who, ya know, actually enjoy playing the games too. EA/Bioware, you have broken my heart for the last time. Multiplayer and Day 1 DLC I could *just* about have lived with, but the lack of choices carried over, and the contrived, lazy endings are a step too far. I will not be giving my hard earned money to you ever again. Fortunately I played a friend's copy of ME3 on PC (it's still the same game as X360 and PS3 - arguably the "best" version.. lol) and can get my online version refunded (thanks Origin 14 day return policy!). Oh yeah, don't even bother pirating.… Expand
  22. chuckles87
    Mar 10, 2012
    0
    the game optimization is an utter garbage , there is certain points in the game where the fps drops so low that the sound stop working and yet there haven't been a single response from bioware regarding the terrible fps on ps3, while the game is running perfectly on xbox360
  23. Amelia001
    Mar 7, 2012
    0
    import backup problem at once oblige to wait for a patch, ridiculous character animations, graphics no improvement, I am disappointed, the dlc I'm sick, and a big update is needed
  24. Mynter
    Mar 7, 2012
    0
    The day-one DLC makes this a 0/10 title. Under NO circumstances should it be okay for developers to release day-one DLC unless itâ
  25. MarauderShields
    Mar 16, 2012
    1
    I did my best, knowing it was a confrontation I was not likely to survive. I was okay with that. I knew what the stakes were; my life was a worthy price to pay. That sacrifice was squandered. This story's ending is a crime against us all................Hold the Line.
  26. Yasuchika
    Mar 6, 2012
    4
    I feel awfully betrayed that the series went from and expansive sci-fi space opera with consequential choices; to a fairly streamlined action adventure with RPG elements. Its attempts at emotional manipulation are slightly hamfisted, not ineffective but very clumsily implemented and unrelated to my character's background - which I imagine Bioware has forgotten about at this point. TheI feel awfully betrayed that the series went from and expansive sci-fi space opera with consequential choices; to a fairly streamlined action adventure with RPG elements. Its attempts at emotional manipulation are slightly hamfisted, not ineffective but very clumsily implemented and unrelated to my character's background - which I imagine Bioware has forgotten about at this point. The writing and designs for some characters also seems out of place, Vega is expected to be a bulky man but not to the extent that he's a jersey Shore cast member, the addition of Jessica Chobot and redesign for Ashley also complement this lovely little tan-orange motif. My largest qualm is with the Day 1 DLC - which I strongly oppose - by all means create new characters that are not plot-integral. But when you create a squad member who is heaily tied to the universe's lore and mystique and then aim to charge an extra $10 for it on top of the game's already hefty pricetag you know you fit a stereotype.The romance system is fine, although I'd like to be able to talk to my companions without the intention of making out with them. I wonÃ… Expand
  27. PulsivePanda
    Mar 10, 2012
    0
    The game had potential, the series had potential. But then the ending happened, the recoloured ending. It's sickening, really. Because everybody knows that in a week or two, they're going to announce a alternate ending DLC for another sum of money. Which is completely wrong, and I do believe this is the end of BioWare.

    I followed the games since ME1, and I loved the series to BITS. As a    The game had potential, the series had potential. But then the ending happened, the recoloured ending. It's sickening, really. Because everybody knows that in a week or two, they're going to announce a alternate ending DLC for another sum of money. Which is completely wrong, and I do believe this is the end of BioWare.

    I followed the games since ME1, and I loved the series to BITS. As a game reviewer, and lover of games. I can't be biased towards a group of people, and I'm not trying to be. It's just- I can't see BioWare being a major power after this act. I cannot.

    The game itself has some pretty fancy action, but the characters seem so flat. There's no real depth to your squad mates, they're just there talking to you. The animation, and lip-synching is straight up horrible. And the writing is even worse.

    I can't see how any reviewer worth their own salt gave this a 100/100, unless of course they haven't even played the game, or were bought off. There is NO possible way.

    I'd like to see the DLC they come out with, with the "true" ending, but I really can't stand BioWare to buy anymore of their dribble.

    Do not buy the game, stay away from this one. If you're curious, there's Youtube for a reason, use it, instead. Save your money for a game, and a company that doesn't treat their fans like utter sheep.    … Expand
  28. Vee_Bass
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    DLC,DlC,DLC, what a complete failure, Bioware, I was incredibly dissapointed of this game, and dissapointed of you, what a tragedy, I hope everyone over there is ashamed of themselves, making us pay on the first day... What a load of bull, I hate everyone over there, Sincerely, Vee Bass
  29. ThirteenthOwl
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    Almost no content, one ending, bland dialog, repetitive and incredibly easy combat and animations that look like the game came out in 2007 make this game look rushed. Do not buy this for any reason other than to see what NOT to do when making a game.
  30. sparklesf
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    This game has been ruined by EA. The Bioware that made Mass Effect 1 and 2 is gone. Mass Effect 3 has been made to cater to the lowest common denominator. While the first one was a little rough around the edges, the second was perfect. Three however, is too far. In terms of visuals, they are too dark, made to look like the current CoD games. This is an RPG, not an seasonal shooter. PleaseThis game has been ruined by EA. The Bioware that made Mass Effect 1 and 2 is gone. Mass Effect 3 has been made to cater to the lowest common denominator. While the first one was a little rough around the edges, the second was perfect. Three however, is too far. In terms of visuals, they are too dark, made to look like the current CoD games. This is an RPG, not an seasonal shooter. Please EA, get your hands out of where they shouldn't be, and let game studios make games for their fans, not for your wallets.â… Expand
  31. matheushackmann
    Mar 7, 2012
    0
    I expected way more than just this. The story just looks like a TTGL ripoff, nothing like the first one was. The dialogues couldn't possibly be worse and the gameplay is the only thing that might save it but still, wasn't anything remarkable.

    I hope paid reviewers see their flaw there. Truly unbelievable. As a fan of the series I couldn't expect nothing worse.
  32. DemoniChris
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    This game is garbage, a massive disappointment, and a slap, no, a punch in the face to the Mass Effect series. Being a player of Mass Effect 1, this series has not progressed one bit since then, but actually took a step back in almost every aspect. The animations are pitiful, the choices lead you to the same end, and it desperately lacks originality. Do not buy, do not rent, and do notThis game is garbage, a massive disappointment, and a slap, no, a punch in the face to the Mass Effect series. Being a player of Mass Effect 1, this series has not progressed one bit since then, but actually took a step back in almost every aspect. The animations are pitiful, the choices lead you to the same end, and it desperately lacks originality. Do not buy, do not rent, and do not give this game any of your time, unless for mockery's sake.… Expand
  33. nuttex
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    Instead of an amazing finale to one of the best franchises in last 10 years, all we get is one big grim disappointment. Either way, endings can be described as "Life sucks then you die". Can't say this is what I was expecting. Ironically, it turned out to be that what Bioware was to Mass Effect is what Reapers were to the galaxy in game. You could say it's hard to believe that developersInstead of an amazing finale to one of the best franchises in last 10 years, all we get is one big grim disappointment. Either way, endings can be described as "Life sucks then you die". Can't say this is what I was expecting. Ironically, it turned out to be that what Bioware was to Mass Effect is what Reapers were to the galaxy in game. You could say it's hard to believe that developers have dropped their quality bars so much, but after Dragon Age 2 and Old Republic, it was more or less predictable.… Expand
  34. me-0815
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    Mass Effect 1 was an exciting, innovative new type of Action-RPG. It had an epic story in a unique, diverse universe, very good writing, great characters and real choices for the player. Little is left of that. In their desire to cater to the fans of shooters and casual games, BioWare has reduced the RPG elements, trivialized the dialogue and taken away much of the character developmentMass Effect 1 was an exciting, innovative new type of Action-RPG. It had an epic story in a unique, diverse universe, very good writing, great characters and real choices for the player. Little is left of that. In their desire to cater to the fans of shooters and casual games, BioWare has reduced the RPG elements, trivialized the dialogue and taken away much of the character development and choices that make a proper RPG. The story that started in Mass Effect 1 as an interesting and mystic space opera has been transformed into a predictable soap opera with mostly mediocre, sometimes outright terrible, writing. It might still be better than most of the other stories in video games these days, but that's of course not very difficult, and it's nowhere near the quality that BioWare used to deliver. Probably the worst example of the inability of the writers are the endings. On the other hand, perhaps they too were imposed by EA, to reduce the required work and costs. One complaint against Mass Effect 1 was the somewhat uninspired combat system. This had already been replaced in Mass Effect 2 with a clone of the usual cover-based shooters. Not very innovative and in my opinion still quite repetitive and not very challenging, but many players seemed to enjoy it. So in that regard, Mass Effect 3 certainly delivers the expected. But that's of course not nearly enough to make it a great game, and it's also not the reason why I play BioWare games or RPGs in general.… Expand
  35. BEEFLASER
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    EA claimed that free, day-one DLC for new owners and online passes were meant to reclaim revenue "lost" to used sales. I never really agreed with those tactics; if EA thinks used sales are a problem, they should persuade the consumer to buy their games new, not twist their arms. However, it was never about used sales, it was about control. Their enemy isn't just the aftermarket, it'sEA claimed that free, day-one DLC for new owners and online passes were meant to reclaim revenue "lost" to used sales. I never really agreed with those tactics; if EA thinks used sales are a problem, they should persuade the consumer to buy their games new, not twist their arms. However, it was never about used sales, it was about control. Their enemy isn't just the aftermarket, it's consumer choice, and the way they handle DLC for ME3 proves that. If you don't pay extra for the deluxe edition of Mass Effect 3, you have to shell out ten bucks ON DAY ONE for what seems like significant and interesting portion of single-player content for the game. New, used, doesn't matter, if you didn't spend extra up front, they'll juts try to squeeze it out of you later. EA are extremely anti-consumer, and as much as I love Mass Effect I'm glad they won't be able to use the series to bend me over a barrel any more. EA, you may make a little extra money now, but the customers you mistreat wish for you to fall apart and make way for better, more innovative publishers who will treat them right.… Expand
  36. Dude45
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    personally I have no problem with gays, my problem with this game mainly is writing, its a bad story, with bad dialogue, and overall bad gameplay and graphics
  37. DoctorBarber
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    If you look closely at Mass Effect 3 you will see the last tiny bit of Bioware's soul rot away, consumed by EA forever. As someone who has been a fan of their games from Baldur's Gate to Dragon Age: Origins, seeing how far they have fallen has been a painful experience. Writing has deteriorated to the most basic black and white, with most dialogues presenting only 2 options rather than 3.If you look closely at Mass Effect 3 you will see the last tiny bit of Bioware's soul rot away, consumed by EA forever. As someone who has been a fan of their games from Baldur's Gate to Dragon Age: Origins, seeing how far they have fallen has been a painful experience. Writing has deteriorated to the most basic black and white, with most dialogues presenting only 2 options rather than 3. As was feared the series ends with a Deus Ex Machina (quite literally as the ending was almost entirely stolen from the game Deus Ex). Further evidence plagiarism of a desktop wallpaper of all things in the game's FINAL SCENE does not help Bioware's case. The whole thing seems like it was rushed with little care about the game's quality, as if they expected people to buy it automatically no matter how bad it was (and I'm sure they do). Creativity seems truly dead from that studio at this point. Do not buy this game. No not rent it, do not waste the bandwidth of pirating it. Vote with your dollars in the slim hope that Bioware may someday return to its senses.… Expand
  38. QuiterRaga
    Mar 8, 2012
    0
    The game runs at 20 frames or less on the PS3.How is this in any shape or form acceptable? You make a have ass port and expect people to pay full price for it? Proof : http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-mass-effect-3-ps3-fps-issues
    It's 2012 and people still don't know how to work the PS3.Can't wait to be robbed with 15 dollar DLC!
  39. TheWheeel
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    Gameplay feels worse than before and they pretty much just ignored the previous lore. How they could mess it up so bad is anybody's guess. This game was made by EA for the sole purpose of making money off the Mass Effect name.
  40. MrBoBo1
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    The first thing that sticks out for me here upon purchasing it, it's suppose to be an emotionally driven game... yet EVERY character either sounds like a Vulcun or Data from star trek. The game has no emotion what so ever. I'm sorry, am I missing something here? I'm disgusted by the clearly paid off media acting as advertisements for the game rather than reviewers none of them evenThe first thing that sticks out for me here upon purchasing it, it's suppose to be an emotionally driven game... yet EVERY character either sounds like a Vulcun or Data from star trek. The game has no emotion what so ever. I'm sorry, am I missing something here? I'm disgusted by the clearly paid off media acting as advertisements for the game rather than reviewers none of them even attempted to pick this (obviose) problem up.â… Expand
  41. MajestyLOL
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    A slap in the face to the people who liked Mass Effect 1. The series has changed so much that it's sad. In stead of trying to make a good game for the RPG-fans, Bioware has lowered themselves to the level of Infinity Ward, and make sellout- and actionpacked games without no depth. Stupid dialogue, bad shooting, awful story, moronic characters and Day 1 DLC. Stay away from this game.
  42. nirax
    Mar 18, 2012
    1
    i wrote a review before finalizing the game. unfortunately the game ending as it stands ruins everything. dont play/buy it until it gets fixed. the writes somehow thought it would be cool to change a (Great) mainstream popcorn emotional decision driven action-rpg to a linear pace ending with three "pick your color" option endings (completely meaningless) trying to move to "art" and noti wrote a review before finalizing the game. unfortunately the game ending as it stands ruins everything. dont play/buy it until it gets fixed. the writes somehow thought it would be cool to change a (Great) mainstream popcorn emotional decision driven action-rpg to a linear pace ending with three "pick your color" option endings (completely meaningless) trying to move to "art" and not closing anything.
    its very unsatisfactory and dumb. AVOID.    … Expand
  43. vamos
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    From the timelimited quests that you get from walking around (and you can't see the actual time limit) to the numerous dumb deaths of characters. The gameplay is, of course, even further dumbed down yet again. The writing is like something out of fanfiction, and the Reapers get retconned to hell and back.
  44. Slaw
    Mar 6, 2012
    1
    At time of writing a major feature of this game(the ability to carry over your character from a previous game) does not function. The vast majority will play this game to continue the story with THEIR character making it arguably the most important feature in the game. How this made it through QA or was never tested is beyond rational thought. This is tantamount to selling something youAt time of writing a major feature of this game(the ability to carry over your character from a previous game) does not function. The vast majority will play this game to continue the story with THEIR character making it arguably the most important feature in the game. How this made it through QA or was never tested is beyond rational thought. This is tantamount to selling something you cannot deliver.… Expand
  45. Duncaaaaaan
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    Oh how the mighty have fallen. If you're one of the following, or a combination of all three: a newcomer to the series; someone who doesn't like roleplaying games; someone who prefers shooters like Gears of War or CoD; Go give this game a 9.5/10, it was made specifically for you. If you're someone who was a fan of the ME1 franchise since the first one, enjoyed the fantastic and wittyOh how the mighty have fallen. If you're one of the following, or a combination of all three: a newcomer to the series; someone who doesn't like roleplaying games; someone who prefers shooters like Gears of War or CoD; Go give this game a 9.5/10, it was made specifically for you. If you're someone who was a fan of the ME1 franchise since the first one, enjoyed the fantastic and witty writing, the dialogue choices and essentially what was a perfect hybrid of shooter and RPG mechanics, rate this game somewhere in the 1-3/10 region. There is also a huge lack of polish, animations are absolutely terrible and glitchy. voice acting is unbelievably bad, the lead writer, Mac Walters, is f*cking crap at his job and should be sacked. Graphics are very low quality. Skyboxes are a joke to look at, just a muddy pixelated mess Iooks more at home in the original Half-Life1, low res textures are buried under excessive amounts of shadow and poor contrast settings that can't be changed, space bar does EVERYTHING. Choices in the past game mean almost nothing, which is contrary to what was advertised. And now, the autodialog. Shepard just talks for ages on end, with absolutely no input from the player. This isn't YOUR Shep you play, it is something else. Shep often says dickish things I didn't want him to, so and there's only 2 choices of dialog now, not 3-4 from the previous games. One good and one bad. It's like we're being treated as retards, it's insulting. I give it a 2/10, and that's generous.

    There are also SEVERE frame rate issues on the PS3. The fps averages around 20 fps. Not kidding.    … Expand
  46. kavka3
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    I really liked mass effect 1 but Bioware decided to remove all real RPG aspects of the game and make a bad casual game catered to twilight and COD fans. The only people who like this game are sheeps who seek approval from t heir gurus and their gurus being mainstream reviewers like IGN and whatnot. And what's witht he pushing of gay sex on us in this game good lord bioware is so crappy.
  47. ImpureClient
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    Day 1 DLC..... Sorry $60 is plenty for a game, I don't need to fill anybody's wallet more than it needs to be. Shoving homosexuality down our throats is not going to happen on my game console. Maybe it works on the liberal/new age/hippy parents but not in my home. Glad I read the real reviews from actual people and not paid media. Every time the ratings are lopsided like this IDay 1 DLC..... Sorry $60 is plenty for a game, I don't need to fill anybody's wallet more than it needs to be. Shoving homosexuality down our throats is not going to happen on my game console. Maybe it works on the liberal/new age/hippy parents but not in my home. Glad I read the real reviews from actual people and not paid media. Every time the ratings are lopsided like this I wonder. Sometimes I still go ahead and buy some games out of excitement and it always results in the same thing. The User scores are the real deal in Metacritic.… Expand
  48. Axem1
    Mar 6, 2012
    1
    Terrible animations, graphics, and gameplay. All wrapped together in the first game that allows you to skip the game. The clear worst in the series, and everything wrong with modern videogames.
  49. alien5
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    The series has fallen downhill since the first. Everything has been continuously simplified, and the writing has fallen out of the realm of anything that could be considered acceptable. It's lazy, and one a person who has someone managed to enjoy the same game that Bioware has been recycling for the better part of the last decade will be able to enjoy this.
  50. GarryRyder
    Sep 27, 2013
    10
    How in earth could the user score for Mass Effect 3 could be mediocre which is only 5.0. Seriously, it should be way more around 8 to 8.8. This game offers great graphics, storyline and many more mindblowing stuff. The cutscenes are cool. Its the Game of The Year for 2012 for the PS3. Its metascore also should be around 94-96. Mass Effect 3 beats out Mass Effect 2. EA's best release. ItHow in earth could the user score for Mass Effect 3 could be mediocre which is only 5.0. Seriously, it should be way more around 8 to 8.8. This game offers great graphics, storyline and many more mindblowing stuff. The cutscenes are cool. Its the Game of The Year for 2012 for the PS3. Its metascore also should be around 94-96. Mass Effect 3 beats out Mass Effect 2. EA's best release. It mets up all the expectations set.Whoever gives it a low score should be haters of either EA or the Mass Effect series.… Expand
  51. RadThesis
    Mar 13, 2014
    10
    A brilliant game, with a truly excellent story. ME3 is perhaps the best example of 'video games as art'. Ignore 'the ending' haters, who had mass adolescent tantrum when the story took a dark turn. Play it and have the courage to form your own opinion.
  52. xdschuetz
    Jul 17, 2014
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game's theme is none other than “sacrifice”. But all this game did sacrifice was good storytelling and the somewhat modest RPG-elements that were left in Mass Effect 2. I, like everyone else who played Mass Effect 2, was eager to see how the story was going to evolve from the end of the thousands of Batarian lives that Shepard sacrificed (which is never brought up again) in order to delay the Reapers’ arrival. The beginning of the game is that Commander Shepard is grounded on Earth for the sixth month in a row (Isn't he a Spectre? How can he get grounded?). You are again telling the Council about the Reapers when – surprisingly – the Reapers attack. After being told how to run and shoot you get picked up by the Normandy and fly into space to gather enough forces so that you can save Earth. Yes! The Normandy is back! What about all the interesting crew members you bonded with through the course of the second game? Well forget most of them – from the 10 or 12 characters there are only 4 left. You see some of them for one story mission as NPCs - that’s it. What do we get instead? We are introduced to some uninteresting characters that should have been nothing more than one-time occurrences in the game (One of them is the famous Prothean from the day-1-DLC joke).
    Now for the villain – because we all know: A hero is only as good as his villain. The entire second game was basically building up the coming of the Reapers led by Harbinger. Harbinger is nothing more than a background in this game (I’m unfortunately not kidding). He has even lost the ability to speak - instead he makes the all-so-reoccurring trumpet-sound that is used in every movie nowadays. The villain in this game is instead the Illusive Man. No wait that’s not right - the actual villain you are going to fight is a space-ninja. And yes – if you now thought that a space-ninja doesn’t quite feel right in the Mass Effect universe you are absolutely right. But he is working for the Illusive Man – maybe through him we can learn more about the Illusive Man. I mean Cerberus has an interesting background – it was once a rogue Alliance BlackOps unit much like what Shepard and his team has become. Nope the Illusive Man appears to say three lines and disappears. You get that three times in game – that’s all you will ever know.
    Now, for the gameplay: It is pretty much the same as it was in Mass Effect 2 – you duck, you shoot and you do that until all the enemies are dead. Are the enemies smart? Well I wouldn’t call it smart if they just hide behind cover and spam you with grenades. Is there anything else to do? Well you have turret-sessions from time to time which are unfortunately as boring as they sound. Sure you can still fly around with the Normandy and they improved the mining system (You now don’t have to visit every planet. You just send out a ping and interesting objects in the perimeter show up – thus evading uninteresting space ), BUT there is NOTHING interesting to find in the galaxy – all side missions are just about scanning a planet and receiving some fleet power that DOESN’T MATTER in the end. There is a mini-game present in which you have to evade Reapers but it felt as a missed oportunity and in return the hacking mini-games were left out.
    If anyone wondered why I haven’t mentioned the RPG-elements yet, that’s because there are none. There are custom-weapons and more powers for each character, but RPG is more about what you do with the given characters story-wise. And this is the games biggest flaw - It is the most straightforward and linear of all the three games. One can argue that there is war which makes the games progress linear, but that is just an excuse people bring up to make the game better. Others argue that Mass Effect 2 also cut almost all of the RPG elements. Well that is true, but it did that in favor of character and choice. Despite the famous three-color-ending (and don't get me wrong: I hate this option) there is not much choice left that truly matters. Did you manage to save both Geth and Quarian (which is one of the highlights in this game)? Well it doesn’t matter because the only “good” ending is sacrificing them off-screen. And yes there is an option to turn off choice and skip all of the dialogue – wait I have to rephrase: the little dialogue that is left to choose from. In this game the options during conversations are almost taken away. And the side-quest don't even have talk-able NPCs. This should enhance the movie-esque feeling the developers were going for, but all it really did was taking away the player’s choice.
    Multiplayer - it is as slapped on as can be. All the other FPS that are built around that gimmick are all way better in that aspect. But who would buy Mass effect, a game famous for the character-driven-single-player, for multiplayer anyway?
    So is it bad? Sure it has bugs, but it's still a good game. Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that in comparison to its predecessors its a disappointment.    … Expand
  53. MrBimo
    Dec 9, 2012
    9
    Its nice to see how a game can make you care about how it ends. Ive played all mass effects and this game is a full ending which you never truly want to end, and when it does you get upset because you love the characters you love the story, and when it doesn't end the way you in-visioned it, it changes your perspective. Just because the game ends, doesn't mean your story didn't matter...Its nice to see how a game can make you care about how it ends. Ive played all mass effects and this game is a full ending which you never truly want to end, and when it does you get upset because you love the characters you love the story, and when it doesn't end the way you in-visioned it, it changes your perspective. Just because the game ends, doesn't mean your story didn't matter... this game is great, but i didn't want it to end at all if i must be honest. But in the end, the conclusion to the mass effect trilogy was done right.… Expand
  54. pwood
    May 16, 2013
    10
    An absolute masterpiece. You may have heard some people are upset at the ending, but nothing can ruin what an thrill it was to go through the game, catch up with old characters, and have some inspirational moments I will never forget. Don't just play Mass Effect 3, play ME1, ME2, AND ME3. It definitely the most impressive gaming experience I've ever had.
  55. diehard-gamer
    Mar 8, 2014
    10
    I'm playing the Mass Effect series quite a long time after release, but I've just completed the trilogy.

    Don't listen to the haters. If you liked ME 1 and 2, I think you'll like 3. The story is good with another darkening of the mood. You build your team again and care about them again. The mechanics are good with a return to the weapon customisation of ME1. The follow through from one    I'm playing the Mass Effect series quite a long time after release, but I've just completed the trilogy.

    Don't listen to the haters. If you liked ME 1 and 2, I think you'll like 3. The story is good with another darkening of the mood. You build your team again and care about them again. The mechanics are good with a return to the weapon customisation of ME1. The follow through from one game to the next (you import your character to the next game) is good. The Sound, music and voice acting is good. The graphics and controller responsiveness are a lot better in ME 3.

    Admittedly I played with the DLC and the ' extended/alternate ending option', but ME 3 is a classic and right up there with Skyrim as an epic RPG.    … Expand
  56. berkough
    Oct 28, 2012
    10
    Despite everyone **** about the ending. This game, stand-alone, is an awesome game. I've never played through a more rich universe, only enhanced by the previous games. Even without the Extended Cut, this game is worth every penny.
  57. Sexybeard
    Oct 30, 2012
    9
    allthough the ending wasn't what many would be looking for, this is still the fantastic ending to one of the greatest video game series of our time. You the man shepard
  58. Gryzor
    Oct 30, 2012
    10
    Simple the best video game of the history! Improved graphics (both for characters and environment), the music absolutely match to the game. The action part of the game well balanced. It is good to see Shepard and his/her old friends in action and in interaction. The atmosphere of the game also reflects how big burden is on Shepard's shoulder. But the best part for me is the Story again.Simple the best video game of the history! Improved graphics (both for characters and environment), the music absolutely match to the game. The action part of the game well balanced. It is good to see Shepard and his/her old friends in action and in interaction. The atmosphere of the game also reflects how big burden is on Shepard's shoulder. But the best part for me is the Story again. There are a lot of critics because of the ending of the game. Considering the extended cut DLC the ending is Ok for me. Maybe not so strong than the whole game but it is still good. I recommend the ME trilogy for those who likes the sci-fi and wants more than a simple action game.… Expand
  59. jbcillatwill
    May 17, 2013
    10
    This game is great. One of the best games ive ever played. You guys are just mad at the ending. This game does not deserves all the hate it is getting. Easily a ten in my book.
  60. rafaelpsy
    Jan 1, 2013
    9
    In fact, we are closing a saga, a Shepard's Saga. The ending not commits the entire game. We have a great history, great characters... A great new world. Everything is so close to be perfect. We cant forget to look for to the new storyline-game that Bioware gave to us. Great controls (we have a great evolution from Mass Effect 2), graphics and story. The best of 2012 for Playstation 3.
  61. jayd3315
    Sep 10, 2013
    9
    I love the mass effect franchise but that ending just pissed me off and really didn't explain the child Shepard was seeing and how Shepard's eyes turn blue in the blue and green ending but not the red ending proving he has been indoctrinated but all and all this game was an awesome adventure
  62. angrygnat
    Jan 10, 2014
    10
    ME3 is a perfect ending to one of the greatest game series of all time. Great multiplayer too. Even after all this time people are still playing it. No trouble finding matches.
  63. Criz-MiLo
    Dec 26, 2013
    8
    Enjoyed it....having played mass effect 1+2 I'd say this game improved on gameplay that's why I'm rating it an 8 JUST for gameplay its not perfect but it is fun. sound effects are top notch,as for story....uhh its rushed and the extended cut dlc ending should of been here in the first place,not that it makes any difference.....if u play games for ,well, playing games u will enjoy mass effect 3
  64. Vicjo
    Jan 23, 2014
    10
    Mass effect 3, is the one of the best games of this generation, the gameplay is spectacular, the history is amazing, the multiplayer is very funy, and you can not stop until you finished the game. ok, the ending isn´t as good as it should be, but the rest of the game is unsurpassable.
  65. Joker92
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    Now, I was a late comer into the Mass Effect universe, so I never went through the disappointment of the original ending. That said, this masterpiece is beyond words. Especially if you started from the first game and had imported your character to the other two, well, lets just say all three games will have you plaything through the trilogy multiple of times with each time being unique dueNow, I was a late comer into the Mass Effect universe, so I never went through the disappointment of the original ending. That said, this masterpiece is beyond words. Especially if you started from the first game and had imported your character to the other two, well, lets just say all three games will have you plaything through the trilogy multiple of times with each time being unique due to all the classes and choices. It's very rare for a gem to come along that gives you that certain emotional feeling that only gamers' that invest themselves into the art can know, and this and its predecessors are one of those gems. It's too bad the rating for this had been messed up by the original ending, but any other late comers be at ease. There is a free extended cut that restores this to the 9/10 10/10 gem that it is.… Expand
  66. 8tonystark8
    May 26, 2021
    9
    Ok, the 2nd game was better but this one was also great! The only thing that knocks it down from 10 is the multiple use of the X button. It can get annoying sometimes.
    But it's a game I discovered recently and played the trilogy right when the remaster came. It has become one of my favourite games.
  67. kroglor
    Oct 28, 2012
    10
    Loved it loved it.... LOVED IT. MASS EFFECT 3 IS THE BEST GAME OF ALL TIME. OF ALL TIME! ALL TIME! TIME! IME. ME. MASS EFFECT. M. MMM. THIS GAME MAKES ME GO 'MMM'. Miranda's ass alone is a enough reason to buy this game.
  68. BattleRoyale
    Jan 1, 2013
    10
    The game is awesome!!! If you really want to feel the game, you have to start from the first or second Mass Effect. If you only buy Masss Effect 3 and make an SLOPPY walkthrough you will not like he ending.
    All the game trilogy is awesome. The people that says the ending sucks are kids or ignorant, because they really didn't try to understand how DEEP the game actually is, they just    The game is awesome!!! If you really want to feel the game, you have to start from the first or second Mass Effect. If you only buy Masss Effect 3 and make an SLOPPY walkthrough you will not like he ending.
    All the game trilogy is awesome. The people that says the ending sucks are kids or ignorant, because they really didn't try to understand how DEEP the game actually is, they just played the game and made decisions they didn't understand and got a **** ending.    … Expand
  69. vidar430
    Apr 9, 2012
    8
    I had a great time while playing mass effect 3 the ending gave me mixed feeling but all in all i had a great time while playing. To those people who thing this game is a 0 you are wrong it is a great experience and should be played for the just the enjoyment. While I liked mass effect 2 more than 3 I still can have fun playing a game just for the journey alone not the ending.
  70. nemesis0288
    Oct 6, 2012
    9
    Overall, this game delivers most of what it promised. This game (and series, for that matter) offers one of the greatest experiences in terms of story and character development. There were two moments in the game where I literally found myself crying. Yes, the ending was a bit of a disappointment and didn't necessarily offer the closure I was hoping for, but every moment leading up to thatOverall, this game delivers most of what it promised. This game (and series, for that matter) offers one of the greatest experiences in terms of story and character development. There were two moments in the game where I literally found myself crying. Yes, the ending was a bit of a disappointment and didn't necessarily offer the closure I was hoping for, but every moment leading up to that ending was nothing short of brilliant. I almost never give perfect scores to games, but, had the ending been a bit more satisfying, this game would have received a 10 in my book.… Expand
  71. AngryGRG
    Jan 5, 2013
    9
    Mass Effect 3...a stunning masterpiece is what i would call it. It improves on all levels. Combat, Story, and missions. Even the well integrated Multiplayer is a blast, especially with friends. Combat is much more smooth and flexible along with the missions. Though some may be linear, they have well design in thought. Now to the story...this is the core of Mass Effect. Mass Effect 3Mass Effect 3...a stunning masterpiece is what i would call it. It improves on all levels. Combat, Story, and missions. Even the well integrated Multiplayer is a blast, especially with friends. Combat is much more smooth and flexible along with the missions. Though some may be linear, they have well design in thought. Now to the story...this is the core of Mass Effect. Mass Effect 3 delivers as one of the best sci-fi games of all time. Along with one of the best trilogy's of all time. It is truly a epic, emotional blast to go through. The ending to Mass Effect 3 mixed some confusion but as my opinion i believe Bioware has fixed it with Extended Cut. Which is free to download. Mass Effect is a Awesome game and well deserving as the top 5 of this year.… Expand
  72. SJ555
    May 19, 2012
    8
    Mass Effect 3 is hard hitting yet entertainer game ... the one my complaint is with just its Loose ending which could be much better else this game still offer some things which can't be neglected
  73. Chatmak
    Apr 6, 2012
    9
    First of all, graphically speaking, Mass Effect 3 only improves on its predecessors. The frame rate is much better (especially on PS3), the character models are fantastic as usual and the overall look of the game is much crisper. There are a few glitches, such as freezing on loading screens (which have been slightly shortened), but it doesnâ
  74. Narcysst
    Apr 1, 2012
    9
    As a dedicated ME fan, but otherwise an irregular player of games, I have to say the very end was disappointing- rushed, jarringly out of step with the rest of the game and series. I came away feeling pretty glum. But DO NOT let this put you off playing what is otherwise a stunning piece of interactive entertainment. Taken as a whole, ME3 is a masterfully put together story, with amazingAs a dedicated ME fan, but otherwise an irregular player of games, I have to say the very end was disappointing- rushed, jarringly out of step with the rest of the game and series. I came away feeling pretty glum. But DO NOT let this put you off playing what is otherwise a stunning piece of interactive entertainment. Taken as a whole, ME3 is a masterfully put together story, with amazing music, deep relationships and excellent and diverse combat. Yes there are holes, and yes the ending takes something away from it, but it is still a game I would wholeheartedly recommend. And who knows, perhaps there will be a more satisfying end.… Expand
  75. djrussell
    Apr 24, 2012
    8
    A really cool game. Dont listen to any of the bad reviews - the ending does NOT spoil the experience, but I can admit it could have been better. Anyone who says it ruined all 3 games is just being a tool (I admit! It wasnt the best, but it wasnt as bad as I was lead to believe before actually playing the game). While its not my favourite game in the series, it is certainly worth a playA really cool game. Dont listen to any of the bad reviews - the ending does NOT spoil the experience, but I can admit it could have been better. Anyone who says it ruined all 3 games is just being a tool (I admit! It wasnt the best, but it wasnt as bad as I was lead to believe before actually playing the game). While its not my favourite game in the series, it is certainly worth a play through if you've managed the other games. It drops a lot of its newer ME2 gameplay mechanics (like mining), but it is streamlined for the most part in terms of story. Play it for yourself and make your own mind up. Don't be discouraged though by the people giving it 0/10 -- thats just plain stupid.… Expand
  76. Rosco
    May 10, 2012
    8
    First of all, I would say that Mass Effect 2 isn't just the greatest RPG ever to grace the console but it's arguably the greatest game ever made. It delivered such a compelling, deep, rich, atmospheric experience that continues to live long in the memory. So my expectations where probabaly over ambitious for the third outing. And after playing the game over and over again, devoted hours ofFirst of all, I would say that Mass Effect 2 isn't just the greatest RPG ever to grace the console but it's arguably the greatest game ever made. It delivered such a compelling, deep, rich, atmospheric experience that continues to live long in the memory. So my expectations where probabaly over ambitious for the third outing. And after playing the game over and over again, devoted hours of life I can understand the disapproval the game has gathered but would definetly say that Mass Effect 3 is by no means a game worthy of a '0.' Picking up from where the ME2 DLC Arrival left off, ME3 see's Shepard relieved of his duties as the consequences of his actions during the DLC, whilst on Earth the Reapers have launched an overwhelming onslaught leading Admiral Anderson to set Shepard the mission of uniting the galaxy's forces. Ofcourse the gameplay unfolds from here and you are able to import your saved data meaning that anyone who didn't make it from ME1&2 won't be in ME3. However, an early discovery is made after saving Liara, where she reveals that there is a potential weapon capable of destroying the Reapers; The Crucible. From here that's what it's all about. Travelling across the galaxy uniting forces whilst making major decisions along the way regarding the future of the Krogan race, the Geth and Quarians, aswell as taking care of personal loose ends including romantic options where you can decide who Shepard finally ends up with. Cerberus are also heavily involved under the guidance of The Illusive Man (TIM) who believes the Reapers should be controlled and not destroyed and throughout you have to deal with their attempts to take the Citadel as well as mounting an attack on their headquarters as a starting point towards the final battle. Your decisions along the way as you will already know are important in determining the ending to the game however even more vital is Effective Military Strength (EMS) which has a huge impact in final outcome of your Shepard's journey, this is mainly gained through online play. Regardless of who you sacrifice or save it all leads down to Citadel where a battered and blooded Shepard faces a final showdown with TIM,ultimately resulting in an old friends death, before all is finally revealed and the fate of the galaxy sealed. Lets just say you are in for rude awakening if you thought every decision you had to make was going to be crucial in determining how Mass Effect 3 ends. As you are transported to the pinnacle of the Citadel, the Catalyst approaches you in the shape of the young boy who dies at the start of the game who explains everything. Unfortunately the explanation isn't anything i could have possibly imagined but nonetheless he reveals that the Reaper cycle is an attempt to prevent organic life from wiping itself out by creating synthetic life leading you to face three options; 'Destroy,' 'Control,' or 'Convert.' All three result in the apparent death of Shepard however if you choose 'Destroy' and have the correct amount of EMS you can gain the 'perfect' ending where it shows a potentially alive Shepard breathing amongst the ruins of the destruction which results in the mass relays being destroyed and the Normandy ending up stranded on another planet... then after the credits have rolled an old man is shown with a young boy, who asks the elderly gent to tell him more stories about 'the Shepard' implying that Shepard's legend lives on. We all know the controversy regarding the ending and initially I felt as though I had been well and truly conned as all the assurances BioWare has given simply weren't on show. But after taking my time going through things again I'm not as bummed as I first was. The gameplay is awesome. It was always going to be the introduction of new weapons is cool and the shooting system worked superbly well in ME2 so only a few minor tweaks were needed in that department so I didn't have any complains there. The Normandy was fine although you don't get enough of it. Graphically it's not exactly a blockbuster movie. There are annoying glitches along the way but they don't prevent you from playing on, they just frustrate you at times. The plot. Well not so much the story as the ending(s). Let's face it BioWare sold us all short big time! Shepard dying doesn't bother me as much as others, sure it would've been great for him to get that happily ever after but it's the fact they have disregarded everything a player has gone through and delivered such a pointless and worthless ending that a trilogy such as Mass Effect doesn't deserve. Multiplayer was unnecessary but I was relatively impressed but not addicted to it as other games, but is a vital component for those of us seeking that 'perfect' ending. Simply, ME3 is a tremendous game with a terrible ending and as a result is one of the biggest disappointments to date. I await the extended epilogue in the hope of some REAL closure… Expand
  77. DarkSoul89
    Apr 12, 2012
    10
    Ending & day 1 DLC aside, why has no one mentioned how bland the core gameplay is? Its soo boring, it feels like a generic shooter that has plagued this modern generation of gaming :/. Sure some of the biotic powers are cool but this doesn't mean **** when most of the time is spent cowering behind a wall with ur weak sounding space invader assault rifle. It doesnt feel satisfying to killEnding & day 1 DLC aside, why has no one mentioned how bland the core gameplay is? Its soo boring, it feels like a generic shooter that has plagued this modern generation of gaming :/. Sure some of the biotic powers are cool but this doesn't mean **** when most of the time is spent cowering behind a wall with ur weak sounding space invader assault rifle. It doesnt feel satisfying to kill someone, it feels simplistic (except when u melee some1 from cover which is rare). This coupled with the boring story & tedious fetch quests is whats wrong with this game & doesn't do justice to its concept & slick presentation.… Expand
  78. ozu213
    Apr 16, 2012
    10
    good.........................................................................................................................................................................................
  79. metus999
    Apr 12, 2012
    9
    This is a great game. the gameplay is better than mass effect 2,but the story and characters are weaker and the game forgets that it's a third person shooter RPG. but it's a really good game.
  80. Bootador
    May 25, 2012
    9
    Poor ending doesn't hide the fact that this is an excellent game.

    The side quests are weak, but less irritating than in mass effect 2. The main story holds up extremely well until the end. Making multiplayer effect the war effore was a ridiculous choice.
  81. NinerJonny
    Jun 28, 2012
    10
    Do not believe the negative trolls that have taken over this review site. This is one of the best sci-fi games ever produced and comes to an excellent conclusion. The new extended cut makes it that much better. If you pass this game up because of the negative idiots, you have no one to blame but yourself. Try the game and come to your own conclusion...
  82. Watermelon789
    Sep 6, 2012
    9
    The most controversial game for whether the disappointing ending or the satisfying finale . I can't argue more the ending by their different views but what is behind the full package is a worthy trip . The game-play feels like a normal shooter , with a very fluid combat system , better melee feel and the violent sounds of the guns that doesn't sound like the typical * peew * * peew * ofThe most controversial game for whether the disappointing ending or the satisfying finale . I can't argue more the ending by their different views but what is behind the full package is a worthy trip . The game-play feels like a normal shooter , with a very fluid combat system , better melee feel and the violent sounds of the guns that doesn't sound like the typical * peew * * peew * of franchises like Star Wars . Graphically seems more superior than the previous entry and it offers a more intense story-line thanks to the overused Reaper name in the last episodes . The added cut-scenes only brings a little more detail in what happened in certain parts but it isn't something that will blow your sucks off . With the multiplayer dominating this videogame landscapes, ME3 doesn't get behind either but don't expect to be better than other shooters , is simply odd and weird for a RPG game . Try ME3 if you really think it will satisfy you and read many reviews as you can to be sure if this " resolution " will add you peace for your Sheppard or frustration after saving the world countless of times.… Expand
  83. Talaat
    Jul 25, 2012
    10
    Mass Effect 3 is possibly the greatest game I have had the pleasure of playing. The story line is outstanding, best I've ever seen in a game. Game play is great as well but what's really amazing is the story, I just loved it from beginning to end; especially the end, it was great! It is an addictive game, I enjoyed playing it and it was easy to adapt to the controls. I also loved it'sMass Effect 3 is possibly the greatest game I have had the pleasure of playing. The story line is outstanding, best I've ever seen in a game. Game play is great as well but what's really amazing is the story, I just loved it from beginning to end; especially the end, it was great! It is an addictive game, I enjoyed playing it and it was easy to adapt to the controls. I also loved it's features and the interruption ability half way though some of the conversation or game play, very nice. My rating was a 10 without hesitation.… Expand
  84. Syriamn
    Jan 6, 2013
    10
    Well for me the Mass Effect Trilogy is an absolute triumph despite all the fuss about the end. If you ask me the end is suited to a great story and it doesn't came bad at all by the contrary. It makes you choose and live with that decision. Bioware made a master piece which i sincerely hope to see it portrayed in film. It's a first class story and a first class game. Oh and i'm totallyWell for me the Mass Effect Trilogy is an absolute triumph despite all the fuss about the end. If you ask me the end is suited to a great story and it doesn't came bad at all by the contrary. It makes you choose and live with that decision. Bioware made a master piece which i sincerely hope to see it portrayed in film. It's a first class story and a first class game. Oh and i'm totally engaged in this multiplayer. Original and addictive.… Expand
  85. randomness1000
    Mar 10, 2012
    1
    Mass effect 3 a epic conclusion? More like a epic disappointment.
    I felt that the ending was a major slap in my face and leave a bitter taste
    in your mouth!
  86. kevlar4
    May 18, 2012
    9
    im guna say it mass effect 3 is dissapointing it is not as good as me2 but is is still really good the story has moments that can be games onto itself the combat is improved the music is the best in the series but be warned the ending is ****
  87. ROGUE-BOLO
    Mar 19, 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 share theI 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.

    The bottom line is that for me, Mass Effect 3 was a huge letdown because of the ending. The people responsible for it should be tarred and feathered and run out of town on a rail. For all those of you who would respond "Most of it was pretty good, so you are just an unreasonable jerk for making a big deal out of a bad ending" or "It is their work of art, so chill man," let me put it this way:

    Mass Effect 3 is like meeting a hot chick at a bar. You hit it off real well, see a movie together and have a nice dinner. In the cab on the way home, she shows you some special tricks she can do with those full red lips of hers. Eventually, you get her upstairs and disrobed, only to find out that "she" is really a "he" (Assuming you are not into that, OK?) . That extra sausage in the fridge might not seem like much to some, but if you wanted tacos for dinner it's a pretty big freaking deal. And yeah, sure, 95% of the date was pretty awesome, but that last part kind of spoiled the whole thing for you...

    After 5+ years, 3 games and 200+ hours of combined play and replay, I think we all deserved better. So dear Bioware/EA: Fix the damn ending (Internet threads on Indoctrination Theory could give you some good ideas)! It does not have to be sunshine and rainbows, but it should at least follow canon, make some logical sense, answer more questions than it raises and give me a feeling that all my Shepard's sacrifice and work over the past 5 years had some meaning.    … Expand
  88. taky0142
    Mar 25, 2012
    0
    Gameplay, multiplayer, storyline, all get a 10/10. The ending, however, ruined the experience completely. Don't play this, leave it at ME2 and treat that as the final game in the series, that way you won't be terribly disappointed.
  89. 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 sexsceneBeing 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. This game doesn't deserve this, it should have top ratings.… Expand
  90. noobcannon
    Mar 9, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. i've had some time to reflect and punch a few holes in the wall to get my frustration out and i think i'm ready to put into words how i feel 24 hours after the "good" ending in mass effect 3

    to start, my RI was Tali. once i killed the reaper on ranoch i opted to upload the reaper code to the geth via legion. despite tali not wanting me to, i felt this was the best course of action for her, her people, the galaxy, and even the geth. i was able to talk the fleet out of counter attacking the geth while the code was being uploaded and tali still loves me. whew. this got me thinking however, what if my paragon was too low and the quarians did attack the geth. what would happen? i pulled up youtube to find out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvATTDgDIqU this was the most moving and emotional punch in the gut i've ever seen in a video game. assuming this had happened in my playthrough, i'd have been devastated. moments earlier tali told me she loved me and i have just wiped out her entire people. heartbroken, she jumps over the edge. thought i was going to cry.

    where the hell was this level of emotion and effort in the ****ing end game bioware? as far as voice acting/ performance go, the quarians being wiped out and tali dying was so difficult to watch, yet so well done, i was completely blown away. that level of devastation and pain should've been put into the endgame and i don't know if i can ever forgive bioware for it. they took maybe the greatest game ever made, at least for me, and complelty half assed the last 5 minutes.

    now, i'll be clear, i wanted a happy ending, but if that's not how it was going to be then fine. i'll get over it. but to do it the way that they did, i, just, uuuuughhh. ......    … Expand
  91. gonorrheahd
    Mar 16, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Biggest piece of crap i have ever wasted money on. Not only does shepard die, no not only shepard, but THE WHOLE **** UNIVERSE, you lose anderson without choice cause the illusive man is a dick and the game blows I would take this back but after all the bad reviews i doubt anyone would take it.… Expand
  92. Skanes
    Mar 11, 2012
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A strong opening that loses steam during the halfway point, PS3 frame rate issues and weak endings for such a long, three game journey leaves something to be desired from the end of such a great trilogy. No doubt from the community backlash the "real ending" will be in some sort of disgusting DLC package. If you're emotionally invested in the game I suggest a purchase, but perhaps when the price has been cut.… Expand
  93. reecer
    Mar 20, 2012
    1
    Its always nice when you buy the game and you don't even have an option to get the best ending possible. I have to either move to somewhere where I can get online, or buy an ipad or iphone. They didn't even think about the offline people, never will buy a game from bioware ever again. Huge disappointment
  94. outlawJW13
    Mar 20, 2012
    0
    For some reason the guage didnt change when i submitted my last review so...dont play this game until the ending is fixed. The game was good but the end ruins not only this game but the entire franchise.
  95. dmjrnbsn
    Mar 20, 2012
    0
    One of the most profoundly disappointing endings to any story in any medium. The writers removed the cornerstone in which the entire story was built upon - choice and consequence. So, the entire building comes crashing down at the end. In the end, none of the choices your character makes throughout three games matter. All the relationships you've built are meaningless. There is no closureOne of the most profoundly disappointing endings to any story in any medium. The writers removed the cornerstone in which the entire story was built upon - choice and consequence. So, the entire building comes crashing down at the end. In the end, none of the choices your character makes throughout three games matter. All the relationships you've built are meaningless. There is no closure in the relationships made, whether between LIs or squad mates. They never come to fruition, and there is no resolution. ME3 was advertised to have a multitude of outcomes based upon players' choices. That's what originally made the Mass Effect franchise such a great success. The finale should have raised the player to great heights or taken the player to despair... and everywhere between based upon the consequences of the player's decisions throughout the entirety of the series(Paragon, Renegade, or somewhere in between). BioWare should have finished their remarkable work on the strengths that it was built on. Choice and consequence. It seemed like a given, but... You leave the game feeling complete and utter disappointment. It is truly remarkable how an ending can be so profoundly and remarkably bad. It truly destroys the franchise entirely. This is not an easy thing to say, as I've loved the series from the start. There is no replay value at all. BioWare has ruined years of work in the last ten minutes on what should have been one of the greatest RPGs of all time. It will be a study in the future on how not to end a story franchise.… Expand
  96. Waldschatten
    Mar 21, 2012
    1
    Taken as a stand-alone game I'd likely rate it as around five, and that's with a few points off for the horrible ending.

    Having played the previous games, made all the choices that were supposed to affect the ending, and then being stuffed in to the "pick a horrible ending that's almost identical to your other two choices" funnel rather than receiving the promised multiple endings that    Taken as a stand-alone game I'd likely rate it as around five, and that's with a few points off for the horrible ending.

    Having played the previous games, made all the choices that were supposed to affect the ending, and then being stuffed in to the "pick a horrible ending that's almost identical to your other two choices" funnel rather than receiving the promised multiple endings that reflected my choices along the way it not only ruins this game, but the previous two as well.

    This is not the game I was promised, it offers no choices, and all of the work I put in to the series is rendered meaningless in the last few minutes of poorly written cop out where the ending of a truly epic series should be.    … Expand
  97. Lspeyer
    Mar 29, 2012
    0
    I have been a fan of the series for half a decade, and I was really looking forward to the third installment of Mass Effect 3. As a result the game managed to disappoint me beyond what I thought was possible. Bioware has created something so awful that retroactively makes the whole series pointless, and I doubt I will ever bother with this series again. Add in shameless day 1 DLC, whichI have been a fan of the series for half a decade, and I was really looking forward to the third installment of Mass Effect 3. As a result the game managed to disappoint me beyond what I thought was possible. Bioware has created something so awful that retroactively makes the whole series pointless, and I doubt I will ever bother with this series again. Add in shameless day 1 DLC, which clearly was an important part of the game to begin with, and you have one of the worst sequels in RPG history… Expand
  98. Leonix7791
    Mar 30, 2012
    9
    Mass Effect 3 is neither a perfect game nor a bad game by long shot.However,Mass Effect 3 is the best game i have played so far this year,the combat and game play have been improved tremendously over ME2,the game have more cinematic scenes,and many epic moments.If i want to sum it up,the game started out strong until the very last 10mins,where it leaves me many questions and scratchingMass Effect 3 is neither a perfect game nor a bad game by long shot.However,Mass Effect 3 is the best game i have played so far this year,the combat and game play have been improved tremendously over ME2,the game have more cinematic scenes,and many epic moments.If i want to sum it up,the game started out strong until the very last 10mins,where it leaves me many questions and scratching head moments.I… Expand
  99. Huey_Freeman
    Mar 29, 2012
    9
    I'm not a big fan of Mass Effect 3's ending. I thought it was convoluted and anticlimactic for anticlimatic's sake. Though a lot of about the ending actually does work. I loved the fade out while I was rushing down to the last destroyer with my brother's in arms. I loved the fade in to Shephard badly injured and slowly walking towards her/his destiny awaiting him/her deep inside of TheI'm not a big fan of Mass Effect 3's ending. I thought it was convoluted and anticlimactic for anticlimatic's sake. Though a lot of about the ending actually does work. I loved the fade out while I was rushing down to the last destroyer with my brother's in arms. I loved the fade in to Shephard badly injured and slowly walking towards her/his destiny awaiting him/her deep inside of The Citadel. I loved Anderson and Shepard communicating for opposite ends of The Citadel discussing what was going on. The long walk way up into The Illusive Man's secret hideout. It was all very atmospheric and epic and kind of beautiful. I thought the paragon/rendegade prompts were good as well during the "standoff". And I actually liked the twist that the little boy was The Catalyst. But the 3 choices he gives you were indeed pretty lame. And the lack of exposition following said decision was just plain bad. You can't end a game that encompasses over 140 hours of gameplay and millions of decisions made by the player with just 3 crew members walking off of the Normandy and just cut to the credits....EVEN IF you're planning on releasing DLC. There is a lot of room for criticism for that horrible decision made by whoever at Bioware that made it. I can't believe that ending got all the way to the final product. Its actually kind of sad. But, it DID NOT ruin the game or the series for me. Because it wasn't the fact that Shephard was destined to die (or not...we still don't know do we) that actually is kind of good when you think about it. Its life. Sometimes no matter what decisions you make you can't fight your fate and what is going to be is just going to be. Your destiny is something you must embrace. Which is why I chose the middle option and made Shephard sacrifice herself. Yes, HERSELF. Female Shephard is a MILLION TIMES better than male Shephard and I'm a dude. From the voice acting (Jennifer Hale is amazing and the guy voices male Shepard is very boring) to character design she is just so much more fun to play with. Seriously if you haven't played the games thru with Fem Shep you are doing yourself a HUGE disservice as I have found the game way better controlling her. But back to 3, the game is incredible. There are so many jaw-dropping moments and sheer brilliance (if you haven't played thru with the From Ashes DLC you are missing out on what I find to be the best addiction to the game - Javik and his story). The improvements in shooting and offensive strategy are borderline limitless. And I had a remarkable experience playing the game. To think someone can really give this game a 0-5 based off the ENDING ALONE is proposterous. Are you guys really even Mass Effect fans? Or narcissists?… Expand
  100. Mattaclysm
    Apr 5, 2012
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I didn't want to bother reviewing this game until I played through it at least one whole play through. I was too into the game I would have given it a 10 just because I was having too much fun. I'll start off by saying there is a lot of bugs. That's what killed it for me. Bugs ranging from fish swimming in the air in shepard's cabin to enemies and allies sliding around motionless with their arms spread out but still can shoot guns. Even some bugs that caused me to have to reload saves like sprinting to cover and getting stuck in my team mates bodies. Also I would run into bugs/glitches not sure what to call this where enemies would get stuck on invisible walls. The good would be the music - I think it's the best soundtrack of any of the mass effects. The story - everything is exciting and epic right until the ending then you're given a kick to the head by someone who decided to end the game in the worst possible manner they possibly could., The gameplay - I wouldn't have minded seeing new skills/more guns/equipment but for what it's worth the RPG elements are always addicting to me, I wish more games had RPG elements like the ME games have it gives me something more to do. I don't know how anyone could deny that this was a good game. I did notice a ton of plot holes between ME2 and ME3 and fortunately I did some research and I think I found out why. The writer decided to incorporate characters and stuff from the Mass Effect books into the game. I never read the books so whenever I'd see a name like Grayson or something else pop up I'd say to myself "who the hell is grayson?" "what the hell is red sand?" Times like that you can be fortunate for google and the ME wiki. I can't tell you about the multiplayer portion of this game as I only played the demo and I didn't think it was anything to write home about. It seemed like survival waves with no story. In closing though I did enjoy this game - it's a good game. It deserves more credit.… Expand
prev
Page:

Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best PS3 Game of 2012
2
#2 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2012
6
#6 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
93

Universal acclaim - based on 30 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 30
  3. Negative: 0 out of 30
  1. Playstation Official Magazine Australia
    Apr 10, 2012
    100
    Mass Effect 3 is an amazing experience in and of itself. It's also the perfect capstone to a true AAA franchise, offering a poignant conclusion that'll stick long after the credits have rolled. You're standing on the precipice of one of the best games Earth money can buy. [April 2012, p.60]
  2. Playstation: The Official Magazine (US)
    Apr 3, 2012
    90
    If ever a game was more about the journey than the destination, it's Mass Effect 3. And what a journey it is. [May 2012, p.71]
  3. Official PlayStation Magazine Benelux
    Apr 2, 2012
    95
    The RGP elements have been toned down considerably in favour of more action. For some this will sound like a bad thing, but trust us when we say that Bioware has thought this through. With the Reapers invading, it would be kind off silly to go on a shopping spree on the citadel. [April 2012, p.60]
See all critic reviews »