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. NxtDoc
    Jul 20, 2020
    2
    Still, TO DATE in the year 2020 Mass Effect 3 is by far the worst Mass Effect.

    Clearly losing the RPG elements to favor a on rails 3rd person action shooter, ME 3 is a mockery. You can not even holster your weapons. Each level herds you forward to the next arena for a fire fight. This is not a Mass Effect game. It is clearly here to prey on Mass Effect nostalgia and reach the biggest    Still, TO DATE in the year 2020 Mass Effect 3 is by far the worst Mass Effect.

    Clearly losing the RPG elements to favor a on rails 3rd person action shooter, ME 3 is a mockery.

    You can not even holster your weapons. Each level herds you forward to the next arena for a fire fight. This is not a Mass Effect game. It is clearly here to prey on Mass Effect nostalgia and reach the biggest audience possible. I can't believe it was rated so highly    … Expand
  2. Kai82
    Jan 31, 2020
    1
    It is the Game of Thrones ending equivalent in video games. I asked myself: Can an ending ruin a game? Yes. A trilogy? Yes. A franchise? Maybe, but Mass Effect Andromeda hurt the franchise (and BioWare) at least as much. The Mass Effect trilogy was about decisions and we discussed about our decisions and outcomes. Then we finished Mass Effect 3 and nearly everyone was disappointed. BioWareIt is the Game of Thrones ending equivalent in video games. I asked myself: Can an ending ruin a game? Yes. A trilogy? Yes. A franchise? Maybe, but Mass Effect Andromeda hurt the franchise (and BioWare) at least as much. The Mass Effect trilogy was about decisions and we discussed about our decisions and outcomes. Then we finished Mass Effect 3 and nearly everyone was disappointed. BioWare made even a survey about the ending on their website which they removed quickly and silently because of the results. I haven't touched my Mass Effect games since then (I replay my favourite games once in a while) and we didn't discuss any-more. They rushed the game and don't know how to finish it. BioWare did a better job in Baldurs Gate 2 and Dragon Age. Here they showed you the outcomes for your characters and decisions in a meaningful way. Back to the game: It does a lot right. You can say “The playtime is over”. Now the real **** starts. You will be thrown in a dire battle for survival as the whole galaxy is struggling. It creates this feeling of dread as you proceed trough the story. You are the archiver of miracles and bane to your enemy's but you don't turn the tide of war just that easy. The main and side stories are really good with some exceptions. Some outcomes are insignificant at best while others are simply amazing (Wont spoil). You recruit again old friends and a new character (or 2 depends on point of view). My favourites are again Liara, Garrus, Joker, EDI, Anderson, Aria, Thane and Steven Hacket. What harms this game is the Illusive Man. He did an awesome job in Mass Effect 2 but should not be in the role he is in this game. Also Kai Lang is a waste of a character and has no real purpose (He was originally from a Mass Effect book and there he was a badass and interesting character). I will also mention that this game has the best final attack (motivational) speech in video games history. There are also so many good and sad emotional moments. I had tears in my eyes at some points. This are clearly signs of a great game and I will defend this statement as much as I will complain about the ending. The battle system is working well but is a decline from Mass Effect 2. I will also mentioned that I had some bugs in this game and could even not finish a quest because of it (Overall the number was tolerable). There were also many good branches for decisions from Mass Effect 1 / 2. I will praise this. Lets get to my final verdict: This is a great game which is an 8-9/10. Then comes the abysmal ending that ruins this trilogy. It crushes all expectations and destroyed the replayability. For details see the list of the famous YouTuber Angry Joe or watch the YouTube video which compares all endings (at once) and you will see what got the community enraged. They later tried to fix this with a free DLC (Really good material) but it was to late. The reviving with Mass Effect Andromeda failed miserable (The “My face is tired” meme is hilarious). It could have been the Star Wars for video games and I liked the characters (Some would be in my top 10 list), lore, history, races and nearly everything in the games. I will give 1/10 because I don't believe in a 0/10 rating except for Fallout 76 which fully deserves this rating.… Expand
  3. mixxalot
    Feb 24, 2017
    3
    Major dud of a game. My complaints:

    1. Almost the entire game is **** cutscenes I kid you not! 2. Graphics subpar compared to other games like COD and Halo 3. Lack of exploration and dialogue choices. Most NPC are lifeless. 4. No ability to fly space ships and control vehicles like Far Cry games Seriously, the game sucks bad. At least in games like Far Cry 3 and Fallout series,    Major dud of a game. My complaints:

    1. Almost the entire game is **** cutscenes I kid you not!
    2. Graphics subpar compared to other games like COD and Halo
    3. Lack of exploration and dialogue choices. Most NPC are lifeless.
    4. No ability to fly space ships and control vehicles like Far Cry games

    Seriously, the game sucks bad. At least in games like Far Cry 3 and Fallout series, you can craft items, talk to anyone without lame cut scenes and drive or fly vehicles. This game sucks bad and I really do not get the high rave reviews from critics?    … Expand
  4. AlexGaming
    Sep 21, 2015
    1
    This is so bad. It doesn't have good graphics. When you walk you HAVE to be aiming AL THE FRICKIN' TIME. It may have gotten good reviews but I don't personally like it at all. I saw a child die in the first mission.I was depressed after seeing that. I used 1 box of tissues because i was crying.BAD GAME
  5. Lustwaffel
    May 25, 2015
    1
    Between the time of 2007 and 2014 I, due to life and career happenings,
    and neither time nor interest in the subject, I did not play any games.
    Before that, too much. But I thought I should try and see how it feels again, with the state of things as they are now and with a little time on my hands. So I, not only but mostly, played Mass Effect 2 and 3 three, consequtively.    Between the time of 2007 and 2014 I, due to life and career happenings,
    and neither time nor interest in the subject, I did not play any games.
    Before that, too much.

    But I thought I should try and see how it feels again, with the state of things as they are now and with a little time on my hands.

    So I, not only but mostly, played Mass Effect 2 and 3 three, consequtively.

    Bascialy, what I have to say is...

    I am shocked with the arrogance of game makers that I feel is there when I look at the way the third game comes to a close. Even with the extended cut DLC.

    What a TRAUMATIC experience...

    So you walk around the galaxy, interact with so many people, espcially on the citadel and then...
    uuuups, by the way,
    everyone is dead.
    And here they are, littered around on the ground in big heaps...
    Now get over it.

    I am quite proud of my, still largely, intact emotional anntenas.

    If I wanted this kind of thing I could have watched several Holocaust Documentaries.
    But that would hardly go through as "Entertainment".

    The world is a dark place and there are a lot of horrible conflicts in it.

    To me, this kind of game should not be made.

    There might be some completely dettached individuals or groups of individuals who deem otherwise, but those shurley have neither really lived nor known anyone who has. With all of its variables.

    I really can t cope with that kind of punishment that seems to be such a viable method for dealing with the gamer in the gaming experience now a days...or your peoples perception of entertainment.

    But looking at the scores I can see that I am not completely alone.

    A bug prevented me from making a the choice in the very last part of the game and in a forum a guy wrote:
    "Dont worry, the game is trying to prevent you from seeing the ending thereby saving valulble IQ points..."

    I feel, I shouldnt even have come that far.

    It is really all rather embarrasing.

    When people invest so much effort in making you emotionaly attached to rip out our heart in the last second I presume only the masochistcly inclined would truly be satisfied.

    I was...
    disgusted.

    Shame on you.    … Expand
  6. 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
  7. sazhman
    Jul 19, 2013
    0
    If it would have been just another random separate game, I would've gave him 8, but being "Mass Effect", it don't deserve any score. After Brilliant Legend Mass Effect 1, which I played 6 or 7 times, and good Mass Effect 2, 3rd part destroyed the whole series. When it comes down to finish the trilogy, everything is Garbage. it's hard to believe that developers backed down, dropped theirIf it would have been just another random separate game, I would've gave him 8, but being "Mass Effect", it don't deserve any score. After Brilliant Legend Mass Effect 1, which I played 6 or 7 times, and good Mass Effect 2, 3rd part destroyed the whole series. When it comes down to finish the trilogy, everything is Garbage. it's hard to believe that developers backed down, dropped their quality bars so much, for just making money as possible. If they would've worked on it 1 year more, maybe everything would've been ok, but no, BioWare stood against every principle that they had, and ruined the BEST SERIES IN THE HISTORY, to whom it was given to be.… Expand
  8. abbadona
    Apr 25, 2013
    0
    Great gameplay, phenomenally disappointing story. Since the story is the most important thing to me in a game the horrid ending is simply a massive letdown that trivializes every choice you ever make.
  9. crackajaxx
    Mar 20, 2013
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I can sum this entire review in three words: f*#k this game. anyway read below for the TLDR

    Once upon a time, in a galaxy far far away. There was a game series known as Mass Effect. This game series was unique in the sense that it told a compelling sci fi story and it let you influence the course of the story through your very own character. You made the decisions, and it was essentially YOUR story. Mass Effect 1 was a smash hit back in 2007, gameplay like this was never done on this level before. Mass Effect 2 was released in 2010 (I think), and it was even better than it's predecessor. Granted the story in Mass Effect 2 was a waste of time.. however it did develop the characters and that was great and all, but I digress.

    In steps the highly anticipated Mass Effect 3, I can't tell you how much freaking HYPE there was for this game it was nuts. It gets released, and at first it's everything ME3 was meant to be, it was the freakin' third installment of the mass effect series. Then you start noticing little things... little shortcuts the devs took that progressively stack up as you play your way through the game. Why are the civilians 2D sprites? Why did they use a poorly photoshopped googled stock photo to reveal a major character? Why did they nullify many important choices that you made throughout the series? Why did they restrict dialogue to only 2 choices 90% of the game? who.. what.. why.. then it hits you, this game was rushed. Good old fashioned EA nonsense if you will. What kind of is this?? Why it's EA of course, these guys are the MASTERS of let me tell you. but wait it gets worse. specifically towards the end of the game, during the last 2 or 3 hours or so, the story begins.. well frankly.. to fall apart. Many important plot elements just go completely unexplained, many characters appear in places they shouldn't be with zero explanation at all, large space stations are moved across the galaxy all of a sudden, no explanation at all. but wait, it gets worse! during the final part of the game, the plot starts to look like swiss cheese no joke, disappearing characters, reappearing characters, characters get magic powers all of a sudden. all with zero explanation.

    and the cherry on top of this sunday, and I think you know it... the ending. It honestly can't get much worse than this ending. It makes no god damned sense, it retcons the entire trilogy essentially, it makes you pick your favorite color, and your characters dies in almost all of them. and NONE of your choices mattered. the end. That's seriously the ending, some big red green or blue explosion happens, you either become god of the universe for no reason, turn the galaxy into robots and everyone's happy.. cuz robots are awesome I guess, or shoot a tube and land in a pile of bricks somehow, depends on what your favorite color is. there's also a 4th ending but in this ending, everyone dies the end that's it. Bioware put that ending in JUST TO SPITE ppl that didn't like this trash heap of an ending. Oh don't even get me started on biowarEA's condescending attitude towards this whole situation. They would rather sit back and call everybody a bunch of entitled whiners rather than fix their broke ass game. yeah, that's good customer relations ISN'T IT. They lead people on to believe that something more than meets the eye was going on with this ending, but nope, fooled them again, the ending is just as bad as it looks, nothing more nothing less. If you like it, buy my dlc, if not then EVERYBODY DIES GTFO.. artistic integrity indeed.

    anyway, it also comes with multiplayer for some fuc#$%ing reason. Remember what made Mass Effect 1 and 2 great? the multiplayer right? NO THERE WAS NO MULTIPLAYER wtf are these people thinking. this game was never about multiplayer it was about an awesome singleplayer experience, which they effectively destroyed in the last 10 minutes so scratch that. EA strikes back, avoid them at all costs. They'll take your cash.

    This game gets a 1/10 because as much as a pile of it is, there are some genuinely good parts of it, that's the other writers, you know.. the talented people.. doing their thing. I feel really bad for them, having all their work overshadowed by lazy and retarded executive producers and lead writers. The music is really good so I'll give it a 2/10.

    Don't buy this game. Don't play this game. Don't let your friends play this game. it will leave a very sour taste in your mouth afterwards, particularly if you're a mass effect fan. nearly destroyed my interest in gaming entirely.    … Expand
  10. neoncritic
    Mar 15, 2013
    3
    Despite having the production heft of a blockbuster action flick, this game feels like a lobotomized, squeaky-clean re-tread. The overall artistic direction is weak and uninspired. This is the worst kind of science fiction. Ripping of huge slabs of Battlestar Galactica, Star Wars and Star Trek, then cobbling them together feels almost shameful. Worst still, the combat controls feelDespite having the production heft of a blockbuster action flick, this game feels like a lobotomized, squeaky-clean re-tread. The overall artistic direction is weak and uninspired. This is the worst kind of science fiction. Ripping of huge slabs of Battlestar Galactica, Star Wars and Star Trek, then cobbling them together feels almost shameful. Worst still, the combat controls feel clunky and dated. Why do I have to double-tap jump just to surmount a knee high barrier? Oh, you wanted to run and change direction at the same time? Not in this game you won't. Shocking steps backward for the already awful interplanetary resource collection and the inclusion of a new war room mechanic feel like absurd missteps. Worst of all, this game is just plain, dull, monotony, lacking any of the spark of the previous installment.… Expand
  11. Gargus
    Mar 7, 2013
    1
    I'm not here to rip on ME3 just for the sake of doing so or because its what's cool to do on the internet like so many others.

    Basically ME3 is the worst of the series in every way possible compared to the other 2 games because it doesn't build or improve anything. It simply just tries to hurriedly finish the series for the sake of a cash in on the title. 1- There is no sense of    I'm not here to rip on ME3 just for the sake of doing so or because its what's cool to do on the internet like so many others.

    Basically ME3 is the worst of the series in every way possible compared to the other 2 games because it doesn't build or improve anything. It simply just tries to hurriedly finish the series for the sake of a cash in on the title.

    1- There is no sense of exploration. The game as efficiently as possible holds your hand every step the way and has you actually being on the ground doing things the least amount possible. Side missions are carried out by quickly scanning a planet ala ME2 and then firing a probe. That's it. You don't explore, you don't get to check out uncharted worlds simply for the sake of curiosity or anything. Scan, shoot probe, side mission done all without even leaving the galaxy map. This tactic accounts for the majority of side missions. ME1 you could explore the galaxy drive around in that horribly handling buggy and had a sense of discovering things, ME2 you could land on planets and explore doing side missions with some not even firing a single shot like the crashed cruiser balanced on the mountain peak but all of those things are gone in 3. The game just holds your hand and ushers you from mission to mission.

    2- You don't get to actually chose anything, everything is pre determined for you. Even if you chose the renegade or paragon path you get the exact same result and no one treats you differently and you get no alternative paths depending on your karma scale which makes it all incredibly pointless and just window dressing for the fact the story is entirely linear and so is your character.

    3- The characters are all the same ones, only less compelling. There are a couple new characters but they are highly disposable and not even worth messing with. James for instance is basically just a guy who talks 90% of the time like a generic white guy, 10% of the time he throws out some Mexican phrases like saying "loco" a lot in his generic white guy trying to impersonate a Mexican guy and he looks like he was taken from the show jersey shore. When a old character returns you can see it coming a mile away. For instance you go into a area where the mission briefing talks about geth then you can see 45 minutes before which old character is going to come back. All the characters themselves seem hollow and rushed, they lack the personality that made them endearing in the other games and most are there only long enough to be overly obvious in a very specific mission or they simply show up for 3 minutes of camera time practically winking at the player with a nod and then are gone.

    4- The story compared to the others sucks. The other games had side stories, character stories, side missions with their own short stories and so on. ME3 on the other is basically this "Everything is going to be destroyed". That's pretty much it because no matter where you go or what you do its always about the war specifically and nothing else. I also got sick of hearing phrases like "were here to save lives", "were doing this to save lives", "this weapon will save lives", "we need to stick together to save lives", "billions of lives are on the line and were here to save them", etc and after about 8 hours I was sick of hearing about the war and saving lives.

    5- The game play was basically just one big shooting gallery and hiding behind chest high walls. Every single fight is basically you hiding behind chest high walls to peak out and fire a few rounds only to hide back behind said wall. It was incredibly boring and has been done to death in dozens of other games. The combat was mindless and mediocre. It felt like they put absolutely no effort into the combat at all and rushed you through it in order to get to the next scene of hearing Sheppard say "saving lives".

    6- The ending was atrocious. This is a series that prides itself on story, characters and dialogue. We all spent over 100 bucks playing all 3 games and spent over 100 hours playing all 3 games but bioware seemed to say "This is the end of the trilogy so who cares about the ending". The ending is the most important part of any story of any kind because its the very last thing you leave the person with and its supposed to be a reward, the climax to everything leading up till then, basically the ending is the most important part of any story. But the ending of ME3 was over in just a minute or so despite the dozens of hours of dialogue, cut scenes and story in the rest of the series they got lazy at the end. It gives no satisfaction at all. I can honestly say it is the laziest segment of the series. I did like though they had the balls to do what they did with Sheppard, but the ending still sucks and doesn't make you glad to have finished the series.    … Expand
  12. karmasleeper
    Jan 21, 2013
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Mass Effect 3 possess decent cover based shooting mechanics and varied weapons and abilities. This is where the game's positives mainly end. Streamlined galactic exploration (though much less tedious than ME2), ham fisted writing, gaping plot holes, retconned story elements, and hilariously bad character design make what would otherwise be the capstone to a respected franchise a case study in how to ruin a game and piss off your fans.

    One of the most appealing aspects of Mass Effect has been the characters. While some key characters like Ashley Williams return, her Victoria Secret makeover and physical redesign simply feel off. Worse still is James Vega, the Jersey Shore meat mule who is simply "loco" and IGN's Jessica Chobot's military journalist character who looks more like a thinner Snooky. Even worse is the unnecessarily sexy EDI and her camel toe. Borderline insulting is Kai Leng, the Asian samurai/ninja assassin who wears a slant eyed (no joke) Zorro type mask and wields a katana. The last two examples are particularly shocking especially coming from a studio which gloats over its inclusiveness and respect toward women and minorities (not that I care about representation in games, I point this out because Bioware is hypocritical). Every character is a two dimensional husk.

    Mass Effect 3's writing is easily the worst in the series. This is due mainly to many of the people involved in the writing of Mass Effect 1 and 2 having nothing to do with the third installment and manifests itself in fanfiction quality scenes and horribly delivered lines. The same awkward and jerky character animations that have been in every Mass Effect game only highlight the lack of soul this game has. It also manifests itself in the form of cavernous plot holes. One portion of the game has you resolving the conflict between the quarians (organics) and geth (synthetics). One possible result of your actions is lasting peace and cooperation between both parties. Yet, at the end of the game, it is revealed the Reapers (synthetics) purge the galaxy in great cycles of war to prevent organics and synthetics from warring with each other which we are told is inevitable and unavoidable DESPITE THE FACT that your character has achieved peace between one group of organics and synthetics and thus ended a devastating war between the two peoples. And this brings us to the ending. The last 10 minutes of the game involve a deus ex machina explaining why the Reapers purge the galaxy of advanced life leaving young races alone - to prevent these advanced races from creating synthetics they will inevitably go to war with. So in order to preserve life the Reapers were created to destroy life. **** retarded. Initially, there was immense backlash over the sloppy ending cutscenes which only differed in colored effects despite the outcomes being different. Bioware released an extended ending which, while not changing the potential outcomes of the game, adds more detail to the consequences of the player's chosen actions and fills the role of an epilogue. I have to admit I found it satisfying and much more preferable to the original ending cutscenes. Regrettably, none of this changes the fact that the game's climax is absolute crap. Multiplayer in Mass Effect 3 takes an interesting concept but falters a bit in execution. You can engage in co-op missions with other players which consist of surviving waves of enemies while occasionally completing varied objectives. Survive a mission and you increase the "galactic readiness" of the galaxy. This value affects your military assets, a component of the single player game. Every asset you acquire has a numeric rating. Multiply that number by the percentage of your galactic readiness and you have your effective military strength which affects the outcome of the game. So if you acquire an asset valued at 1000, but your readiness is 50%, your effective military strength is 500. The player acquires these assets by completing the main and side quests of the game. It's a neat concept to integrate two gameplay elements but galactic readiness declines over time. This means you have to take time away from the single player game just to play multiplayer in order to get the most out of the military assets you find. However, the best possible endings only require a military strength rating of 4,000 or higher, so it is possible to never play multiplayer and still get the best ending, though this means you will have to spend more time completing side missions and painstakingly exploring the galaxy for every asset that might help. Overall, the shooting of ME3 is nearly identical to ME2. If you enjoyed that and don't care about the story you will enjoy this game as there is more replayability with the multiplayer. If you were previously invested in the Mass Effect saga, be warned, and prepare for disappointment.    … Expand
  13. Exur
    Dec 8, 2012
    0
    All the choices you made in previous games, all the heartbreaking decisions, the entire Mass Effect lore got flushed down the drain with this disaster piece. Nothing you did in the trilogy mattered because in the end, it was all a story. Nothing really happened. Good job Bioware.
  14. JPG127
    Dec 4, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Where to begin. the overall execution of the game was good. The mechanics from 2 stayed relatively unchanged. The graphics were overall good, the scanning much less painful and they chose a good starting point for the story. Now I will get into my various complaints (controversies will be saved until the end). The graphics were sketchy at times (people talking to you when their heads are turned in the opposite direction). The game forces you to play as a Paragon instead of allowing you to play renegade. The side quests do not impact the final mission and are basically scan this or approve that. The dialogue options are oversimplified (no middle option). Fewer team members to choose from for missions. All new characters are kind of lame. Only two true boss battles (excluding DLC). Now, the controversies. First, I don't care they had a gay option. But don't make paragon choices (comforting Cortez or buying Kaiden a drink) intertwined. Finally, that ending. This spit in the face of everyone who played the game from Mass Effect 1 to now. The goal was always to destroy the Reapers before they wiped out all sentient life. But if you chose to destroy the reapers, you kill your Geth allies? No, this is **** them simply means they will be around forever and synthesis is the forced lets make everyone the good guy ending. Another gripe. While not all endings have to be happy to be good, why couldn't Shepard have survived the final assault. Why, after all the (possibly) good decisions could Shepard have not had a single chance to escape and live out the rest of his life with whomever he/she romanced? The extended endings simply showed an epilogue with little genuine concern for the fans. The war assets collected has no impact whatsoever on the final outcome. EA and the critics treat the series its fans like brats using dismissive phrases like they should grow up. But the reality is the endings were genuinely awful. Remember the end to the Grey or Godfather 3 (the entire movie). Up to these points, both were good if not great experiences. But like the aforementioned movies, Bioware and EA dropped the ball. EA has a tendency to buy certain properties and run them into the ground (Timesplitters, Mercenaries, Command and Conquer, etc). Now they have done the same thing to the Mass Effect series. From this point on, I will not buy another Mass Effect game only to experience the same disappointment again when the next series ends.… Expand
  15. Marmalade
    Sep 29, 2012
    3
    I honestly don't know WHAT to rate this game, because the first 99% of the game was mostly great, with the exception of a few things I'll get into. Don't hate me, but I love, LOVE the multiplayer aspect of the game (even though in principle I know I shouldn't, because it likely took away from the development of core aspects of the single player game, but I'm just going to be honest here).I honestly don't know WHAT to rate this game, because the first 99% of the game was mostly great, with the exception of a few things I'll get into. Don't hate me, but I love, LOVE the multiplayer aspect of the game (even though in principle I know I shouldn't, because it likely took away from the development of core aspects of the single player game, but I'm just going to be honest here). Though I admit that after three or four play-throughs the multiplayer can get boring and repetitive, I don't do it every day and I enjoy just being able to go in and shoot stuff with other players when the mood strikes me (as long as they're not some nerd with a headset who screams at everyone in the group - that's when I leave and requeue). That being said, I DON'T like how multiplayer ties into the single player aspect of the game with the whole Galactic Readiness crap and how your GR degrades every few hours if you don't grind through dozens of multiplayer games. I like playing a few sessions of multiplayer now and then, but I don't like HAVING to play it because it will affect the outcome of my single-player campaign (because there are SO many outcomes...right? ;) Cupcakes anyone?). This was a horrible idea on Bioware's part, because it forces the player to grind battlegrounds in multiplayer to the point where it gets boring and tedious - I'd rather play it when I want and not feel compelled to. Another problem I have with the game is the lack of depth of my relationships with my companions. I didn't feel as connected to my companions as I did in other Bioware games - I think they did a better job in DAO and SWTOR in that you actively fostered relationships with your companions, which unlocked more conversation options. I know this isn't as big of a part of the ME franchise, but my relationships in the first ME felt deeper and more involved. I also hated that I had to pay an extra $10 to get the Prothean as a part of the story - something that should have been included in the game, not day 1 DLC. I bought it anyway, because I wanted the full experience and after the fact I feel that the story of ME3 would have been less complex without him - but I WILL NOT be buying any future DLC for this game in the future. Ever. After experiencing the boatload of epic fail that was the ending - I won't invest my money or time in another Bioware game in the future. The story had so much build-up, so much drama, and so much choice - only to be screwed in the end by some random star child that was introduced in the last 10 minutes of the game who gave you three choices that all ended up causing a literary dissonance in the context of the series and made every choice you made mean nothing. Yes, I hated the ending. I actually watched the (three) endings before I actually played through the game, because I read a lot about how much uproar they caused. I'd never played the ME series before, so I took the time to go through the series to see if the ending made any sense in the context of the series - and no, it didn't. The writing of the ending was sloppy, and even with the "extended cut" it was still the same ending and haphazard writing - it just gave a false sense of closure. I won't rate the game 0 because there were so many great moments in the game - but the ending completely screwed everything it built up to, and the blatant false advertising of this game NOT having "Choice A, B or C" as an ending has made me lose all faith in Bioware as a company (though let's face it - they're EA now and not Bioware anymore, which is sad because they used to put out high quality games that engaged me as a player, inspired me and blew my freakin' mind). I'll still play multiplayer every now and then, and I'll make up my own ending in my own head, which I feel is just as valid (if not more) than the crap we were given.… Expand
  16. Gonoru
    Sep 7, 2012
    0
    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.
  17. bigbossluna
    Jun 27, 2012
    1
    This game is a joke! Nothing but hype. Combat still sucks. Straight forward corridors with lame guns. Stupid ending that is nothing but a cliffhanger.
  18. chujfugh
    Jun 7, 2012
    4
    I am not going to talk about the ending, because that doesn't matter. I'll just say one thing: First impressions are everything. I rented the game, and played at least 10 hours of it. It was boring. I didn't think it was worth it. The cover-based shooting mechanics were bland, and compared to Uncharted 3, ME3 was a load of old wank. But, it's not a shooter, it's an RPG, so how is thatI am not going to talk about the ending, because that doesn't matter. I'll just say one thing: First impressions are everything. I rented the game, and played at least 10 hours of it. It was boring. I didn't think it was worth it. The cover-based shooting mechanics were bland, and compared to Uncharted 3, ME3 was a load of old wank. But, it's not a shooter, it's an RPG, so how is that doing? Well, too many cutscenes. I. Hate. Cutscenes. You should be able to tell a story without interrupting gameplay, that's how the whole 'game' thing works, you have to weave exposition into the narrative, not hand the audience a **** glossary as they walk in. The conversation thing works pretty well, it has some good writing, and the character customization is hilarious, but you can get all this in the demo. I highly recommend getting the demo instead of the game itself. I'm not one of those twitching, instant-gratification gamers who are never satisfied if they haven't killed anything in 5 seconds, I love 'games are art' games, but ME3 just feels unpolished as RPG, I would also recommend Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning over this (though I do hate EA) or even Fallout 3 over this. The best WRPG I've played is either Fallout 3 or Skyrim, so take your pick instead of this one. I'm a new-comer to the series, this was the first time I've played a Mass Effect game, so whether this is inviting to new-comers is up for debate. EA released an unfinished game, and released the rest of the game, the full version of it, as day-one DLC. Think about that. EA went to far with it, they tried to rape our wallets as much as they could, and since I hate the EA marketing department (how they marketed Dante's Inferno and Dead Space 2 was despicable) and the douche company in general, this deserves all the hate it gets.… Expand
  19. hollowfication
    Jun 3, 2012
    1
    game good has feel like previous game but the only thing wrong bout is ending was rubbish it was total let down

    it give us middle finger on ending to everyone around us when we saw this ending it was like creator of the game said ha middle finger lucky i only played xbox 360 version which only sucked more
  20. Veteran_Gamer
    Jun 2, 2012
    1
    I've been a gamer since they first came out, and I have seldom seen such butchery done to a great series such as Mass Effect. It's almost as if the Folk at BioWare and EA wanted to commit financial suicide here. The loyal Customers are pissed, disappointed in the extreme, and... something I've rarely seen done...actually campaigning to have the game FIXED! If $ was the objective of allI've been a gamer since they first came out, and I have seldom seen such butchery done to a great series such as Mass Effect. It's almost as if the Folk at BioWare and EA wanted to commit financial suicide here. The loyal Customers are pissed, disappointed in the extreme, and... something I've rarely seen done...actually campaigning to have the game FIXED! If $ was the objective of all these gimmicks involving DLCs, and the like; then I'd say it has back-fired on them. All too many people like me, simply will not buy the game until they see it wallowing in the "has-been" bin at WalMart for $5 dollars. Way to go on ruining a great series, burning your Customers, and destroying your own reputation.… Expand
  21. JFsushible
    May 29, 2012
    3
    I bought the game right after it came out. It was fun at first but became repetitive and boring with bad textures and shadowing. The combat was improved but still not great. All animations were terrible. This game was obviously rushed and not well made I payed 60$ for it, do not waste your money. Buy an older one (ME1 ME2) they are both better.
  22. JasonDaPsycho
    May 20, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Some people would say they wouldn't allow the final 15 minutes to ruin an entire series, I guess they have their point. If you ask me, you just can't snap out of being crazy. Same case for me here. I just can't "snap out of" letting 15 minutes ruin the entire series.

    The game is severely overrated in the first place. The game is extremely linear. For an RPG that prides on options, the options feel largely irrelevant. Throughout the game, you're trying to gain war assets, which would determine the no. of options you'll get when time comes for you to choose an ending. High no. of war assets would mean more options. War assets are gained through making right decisions, performing repetitive fetch quests, and playing the dull, uninspired co-op multiplayer. In contrary to what BioWare tells you, multiplayer is mandatory to obtain all of the endings. A few parts of the story are amazing, while some are flat out lazy writing. Most of the parts are just mediocre. Some romances are nicely written (eg Garrus, or Tali) while some are just horrible (eg Jack, and especially Jacob).

    When it comes to gameplay, which is largely a secondary feature of any BioWare game, it's actually a massive improvement. However, it's still not good enough for you to purchase it merely for gameplay value. A large part of the gameplay overhaul comes from the Weapons vs Skills scale. Powerful weapons are heavier and increases your recharge time, and vice versa. So if you just go out there with the default rifle and pistol, and upgrade your skills accordingly, you can just spam on the skills repeatedly. One good example would be the charge -> Nova combo for those who play as vanguards. This combo is virtually unstoppable. With that said, the gameplay is still not good enough to warrant a buy merely for gameplay value. For more satisfying shooting fun, just go get Max Payne 3, or even 2 if you're broke.

    There's also a day one DLC character which BioWare claims is not mandatory. Don't kid yourself. It adds so much more to the storyline. Another attempt by EA to milk you by taking content out of the game and charging you. It's kind of like buying a new car which comes with a manual gearbox that can only shift to first gear, with an option for a proper, normal gearbox. Technically speaking, the car can still run on first gear, but it's certainly not what you would normally pay for, at least not 10 years ago.

    On to the controversial ending. Everything boils down to three colors. Pick your poison. They have no differences whatsoever. BioWare has recently announced that they will make an extended cut to the ending. I will update with a more formal review then. For now, don't even remotely consider shelling out 40 bucks for such a game. Just don't.    … Expand
  23. my3dlife
    Apr 29, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A plus 10 game ruined by a a minus 10 ending. I threw them a bone for some awesome stories before the ending.

    Mass Effect is the ultimate game for 2.99 games. I played them never having read of any controversy surrounding ME3. ME3's ending doesn't just ruin one game, it ruins all 3. Replayability is dead.

    The ending breaks all rules of basic, good story-telling. So much for artistic vision. The artist had his eyes glued shut here. A heretofore unknown super being antagonist is introduced at the end and offers up circular logic as the reason for the bad guys, the reapers. Synthetics will destroy you so to keep that from happening, we will destroy you. Thanks a lot.

    Metacritic points out that the Shepard you create is basically you. That's right. And the characters you meet often become your friends. You make decisions that really affect them and you care. The game introduces not only the star kid, but a "real" version of him at the beginning of the game. I didn't like him too much throughout the game, but once I got "the ending" with his glowing counterpart, I hated him. He isn't what I've been fighting for-that's the characters, my family, Jack, Garrus, Liara, Tali, and so on. Not some kid. He is forced upon me. Shepard winces and shows more emotion for this than for the self-sacrifice of others I do care about. Even so, I could live with this if the starkid didn't exist as is at the end. Maybe.

    The endings are cookie cutter cutscenes based upon 3 stupid choices that themselves are based on some flawed "logic". This logic is disproved elsewhere within the game and would make at the very least a 4th choice or rejection of the 3 given not only possible, but required. Shepard would not make a choice from 3 genocidal options and not at least say, "wait a minute!"

    Chronology of end events don't match up, nor do the actions of certain characters. Joker, fighting for Earth wouldn't, but also couldn't run away with characters that were with Shepard on Earth when s/he got nearly burned to a crisp. Some see the Jungle planet as an allegory for Eden with Adam and Eve. Nice work if the ones that get off the Normandy are Joker, Vega, and Garrus-all male and not all human.

    Back to the kid. In order to buy in to what he's selling I at least need to be able to make a good case for why he's there. The game doesn't. My enemy, the antagonist has been something that looks more like, I don't know, a REAPER. Satisfaction comes from being involved at some gut level with the defeat of the antagonist. Not some push of a button in a galaxy far away. Ok, a shot from an infinite ammo pistol that magically appeared in my hand.

    Basically, I spent the whole game building up war assets that I don't use and don't get to see at the end and that really have little meaning, except that I might get a really bad ending (you know worse than me dying after creating genocide) where the Earth vaporizes. Ok, this should happen anyway, given your choices.

    And those characters I loved throughout the series...well if I had a romance with a certain blue girl, she gives me a gift before I toddle off to mostly die. I have no idea what it is because I'm just floating in stars. Ok, I can use my imagination, but it seems like it was cut. But there's a precedence for this. This blue girl was mostly missing from ME2, but did get a tacked on storyline. Once you finish that DLC though, blue girl is gone from the game. That's ME2. As to the other characters and that awesome first main reunion we all have where we get to push together to fight off those nasty reapers, well forget it. Some are there in London saying goodbye, but some you get to make a phone call to. So satisfying. I don't even get to see Jack and her bionic kids raising hell.

    Then we come to the end end. It's like you fell off a cliff. There's no context as to what just happened. No chance to see the impact, no place to hang a feeling. Most of the choices result in your (Shepard's) death, except for one incredulous piece that suspends all reality. A gasp-available with high EMS-those war assets and basically multiplayer factored in. Ok, so that means you get to see what it means to people if Shepard dies or lives right? Nope, no. Nothing. Most that are unhappy with the ending want choices that add up to the possibility of worst and best case scenarios and they want to see the impact on the galaxy, the Earth, their friends, and their love interest. They want a choice to make sacrifices that make sense and a chance to live and see the aftermath. And have choices then as to where Shepard goes afterward. Choice the game has always given.

    Bioware gave Mass Effect a pulse, Shepard gave it a face, the characters in it gave it a heart, players gave it a soul. With this ending, Bioware used ME3 to kill Mass Effect. The creator rebelled against and killed the created. Drink your ovaltine.    … Expand
  24. Broxigar
    Apr 27, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I am so sad I had to do this, I never thought I would have to. Mass Effect WAS an epic series. However I cannot condone what they have done with this game. If you don't buy this game new you will have to pay more to access the tacked on multiplayer. Yea, you heard me. There was Disk Locked Content that you had to pay $10 to unlock, which most people were going to given that the character was a Prothean. They promised you would not need to do multiplayer to get all the endings, however the best ending (a five second scene of Shepard taking a breath) is not possible to obtain without doing the multiplayer currently. Excluding 2 or 3 the side quests are atrocious. The gameplay is improved and the characters are great, Garrus being the stand out, but all this is forgotten as you try to figure out what happened in the last 10 minutes and realized it wasn't written by the same people who did the rest of the game. It's a disaster I won't even bother to go into detail as I'm sure every other review hits on it. This is the single worst ending in the history of gaming. It's like Bioware doesn't want anyone to buy from them again. Giving me a terrible ending and adding the text "Buy more dlc" isn't going to make me happy.… Expand
  25. Dee7
    Apr 19, 2012
    3
    It had been said in detail plenty already, but I have to add my own vote to the score. A brilliant game withsome annoying flaws for the most part. Then an ending so bad it not only ruins the game but the entire franchise.
  26. Old-Jim
    Apr 17, 2012
    2
    Well, I finished ME3 last week and then spent a week in my spare time reading all about the travesty that was the ME3 ending. Yup, it was beyond awful. It really killed the entire ME experience for me; yes, all three games; five years; all dead. Here are my thoughtsâ
  27. DulyNoted
    Apr 15, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The first user review I read was a 10 out of 10 and began, "Do not listen to the people rating this game badly. Mass Effect 3 is utterly amazing..."

    First of all, I agree that ME3 is utterly amazing. And that's what makes its end all the more disappointing. Consider yourself lucky if the endings of ME3 didn't disappoint you--you've been spared a sense of loss and disappointment that dwarfs any feelings of annoyance you must "suffer" when reading fans' complaints.

    I loved the first game, actually think ME2 was better (though I initially hated what they did in the opening sequence), but found myself thinking I enjoyed playing ME3 more than either of the first two. It really is a fantastic game that I should be able to love and agree deserves a 9 out of 10 score (endings aside, it still had some flaws).

    BUT...

    This game was the end of a trilogy. As such, the ending had to not just provide some level of satisfaction for the particular story that began with Shepard escaping Earth, but also the one that began with Shepard being sent to Eden Prime way back when. In other words, there was a lot riding on the ending of this game.

    There are several very good articles out there articulating why fans are disappointed with the way ME3 ended and I'm not going to rehash them here. Suffice it to say, the options provided to the player at the end of the game as well as the outcomes and consequences of those options left many long-time fans feeling like their investment Mass Effect ultimately wasn't respected by the developers in the end. More than not just getting a "happy ending", we're left with what can only be described as a bleak, depressing one, in which no matter what option you choose, no one lives happily ever after. Sure, you saved earth from the Reapers as expected, but at what cost? The universe we're left with is a dismal one (two words: Mass Relays).

    If you read through all the Harry Potter books and got to final few pages of the series and read that Harry destroys Voldemort, but it costs him his life, and all his friends would be forever trapped in the world of Muggles, cut off from ever using magic again, would you feel entitled to be a little disappointed?

    No? Great for you. But don't go telling everyone not to listen to those who would.

    Mass Effect 3 was a 9 out of 10 game until the final few minutes. The turn it takes in those few closing seconds, ruined not only the game, but an entire trilogy because when the credits roll and you ask yourself, "Was the cost of saving the universe from the Reapers worth it?" the haunting answer for many of us was, "I don't know. I really don't know."    … Expand
  28. Piapia
    Apr 9, 2012
    3
    Do not listen to the people rating this game good. Mass Effect 3 is utterly amazing until the last five minutes and if you liked the first 2, you will be god awfully disappointed. Some of the people writing on here seem to think BioWare couldn't pull off something they've pulled off plenty of times before in the previous two games; having your choices matter. Get this game only used, andDo not listen to the people rating this game good. Mass Effect 3 is utterly amazing until the last five minutes and if you liked the first 2, you will be god awfully disappointed. Some of the people writing on here seem to think BioWare couldn't pull off something they've pulled off plenty of times before in the previous two games; having your choices matter. Get this game only used, and ignore anyone who tells you otherwise. ME3 is riddled with plot holes and technical issues from lack of properly importing your character to ignoring choices you made in the first two games (in many cases they hand wave you away). The PS3 port is no exception, and it plays awfully on the system. BioWare and EA managed to create the biggest disappointment in gaming history. An epic trilogy filled with deep and meaningful story that you build through your choices... ending in a game that takes account of your choices as much as a rail shooter. The diverse endings they promised don't exist (you get one, with a slight variation in the cinematic at the end; they change the color), your squad from the previous two games largely only get cameos except for a handful, your choices have no effect or ability to change the outcome of the ending (like such as if you make peace with the Geth and Quarians the Catalyst still tells you synthetics and organics can't live together). It's filled with technical issues (textures malfunctioning and glitching out, models breaking in game, the use of 2d sprites instead of 3d [if that bothers you, trust me, you'll notice it]). Even with the bastardization of the story being ignored, it's just a disappointment of a game. You could ignore some of it though if it wasn't for the abysmal ending. Ignore people who tell you it's good... they're the same kind of people who thought the Star Wars prequels had no problems what so ever.… Expand
  29. TheEverglow
    Apr 9, 2012
    0
    What a joke. Mass Effect 2 was easily my favorite game this gen and I couldn't have been more letdown playing through this game the first time. I'm working through my second play through and I just can't make it. I'm selling it back and never buying a Mass Effect game again. Easily the worst and most disappointing ending of a game I've ever seen and I refuse to pay EA for a better ending.What a joke. Mass Effect 2 was easily my favorite game this gen and I couldn't have been more letdown playing through this game the first time. I'm working through my second play through and I just can't make it. I'm selling it back and never buying a Mass Effect game again. Easily the worst and most disappointing ending of a game I've ever seen and I refuse to pay EA for a better ending. They ruined it for themselves and I'm not letting them get any more of my money.… Expand
  30. LuckyMcSpanko
    Apr 5, 2012
    0
    Five years of an amazing story in a highly detailed universe with great characters and dynamic choices... all crapped upon in the last 20 minutes of this game. ALL HAIL MARAUDER SHIELDS! He tried to save us from the ending. Down with the rEApers!
  31. Versidious
    Apr 5, 2012
    3
    This is not the worst game ever, but it is certainly the most disappointing.

    It is not just the ending, which is admittedly dismal both emotionally and narratively, but the game in general feels rushed. It provides excellent emotional scenes, demonstrating that Bioware has learned much of linear narration and emotional direction, with some fantastic set-pieces, and has the most enjoyable    This is not the worst game ever, but it is certainly the most disappointing.

    It is not just the ending, which is admittedly dismal both emotionally and narratively, but the game in general feels rushed. It provides excellent emotional scenes, demonstrating that Bioware has learned much of linear narration and emotional direction, with some fantastic set-pieces, and has the most enjoyable action of all the trilogy, along with probably the best soundtrack. But that's where the good parts end.

    Bioware have betrayed their roots, and the series, stripping down player choice to a bare minimum of instances which have little effect on the game's wider world. Dialogue is much reduced, in many cases providing nothing but prerecorded 'click to continue' conversations, which I think we can all agree is a step back of about twenty years in gaming as a whole. The rest provide you with a Shepard of binary character and single beliefs, completely contrary to the previous two games, where the lead character's personality and outlook is decided by the user. There are many short cuts that Bioware have made - perhaps the most glaring is that a multi-million dollar games studio apparently lacks artists to at least create a *decent* picture of a masked character, 'Tali', and surely should have been able to create a full face model, given that the existing model already has a vague face. Perhaps if it had been a minor character, this would have been acceptable. But Tali is a fan favourite, and a central character in all three games. Bioware finally chooses to 'reveal' her face by colouring in a free stock photo from the internet and photoshopping out a couple of the model's fingers. It really is as bad as it sounds.
    A major villain from ME2, who hunted Shepard and seeks his death constantly and tauntingly throughout that game, plays next to no part in Mass Effect 3, despite being a major character in the background, and again, a fan favourite for his arrogant sinister monologues. The final, seemingly critical choice from the end of Mass Effect 2 also plays very little part. Nor does the final critical choice of Mass Effect 1. In short, Bioware ignores player choice and establishes its own canon instead, not only removing player choice in Mass Effect 3, counter to the spirit of the series so far, but making the player choices in Mass Effect 1 and 2 irrelevant. In this respect, it commits the worst atrocity a finale can make - making the previous instalments irrelevant, taking any meaning away from the preceding journey. And it does this seemingly out of laziness.

    As for the endings... The motives of the Reapers make you feel like both previous games were actually a waste of time. Attempting to avoid spoilers, there is now no real reason to the actions of the main Reaper antagonists of Mass Effect 1 or 2. The game's final twist (if you could call deus ex machina devices 'twists') could have performed the ME1 antagonist's job for it, and the motives for the Reaperss are revealed as something that makes the antagonists actions in ME2 irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. The game's purported 'multiple endings' are essentially colour-coded explosions, with some different consequences, but also some identical ones. The game's much purported Readiness level changes how many of these choices you get. Hint: None of them are actually good. The game's developer have called it art. I disagree, and cannot get into that now without copious spoilers, but sufficed to say most of the 'art' is in the music, which remains as perfect as it does throughout the game, and provides false tension and emotion, all of which were pretty out of sync with what I was feeling by that point. Everything else is tired, deliberately depressing sci-fi trope, which removes even more player choice than before (The lack of dialogue here is astonishing, given the stakes). Ultimately, what you do in the rest of the game, or the rest of the trilogy, doesn't matter - it is extremely hard not to get all three choices, especially if you play multiplayer.

    It is astonishing what a drop in quality this is in terms of basic games design and writing, even as the game is the shiniest Bioware game yet. I would not recommend it, and I would no longer recommend any of this doomed trilogy, which is a shame. The promise in ME1&2 was immense, it's just a shame that Bioware fell so hard at the final hurdle...    … Expand
  32. Skawt
    Apr 4, 2012
    0
    Okay, first off I have to say that this game, despite its flaws is no where near being a zero, so enough of your and all of the pouty fanboy **** in the world couldn't convince me otherwise. This game is such an improvement in so many ways; my only real complaint would be the ending . Despite your earlier decisions Shepard's story seems to end at the conclusion of this game. And theOkay, first off I have to say that this game, despite its flaws is no where near being a zero, so enough of your and all of the pouty fanboy **** in the world couldn't convince me otherwise. This game is such an improvement in so many ways; my only real complaint would be the ending . Despite your earlier decisions Shepard's story seems to end at the conclusion of this game. And the ending itself veers off much much too far into the realm of fantasy for my taste (or most people's tastes given the low scores). The ending of ME3 probably rates as one of the biggest letdowns in video game history in fact, because the three games were all so fun with such rich backstories and great characters. I am saddened to see Mass Effect go out this way, but cmon you all know it deserves better than a one or a zero. 8/10… Expand
  33. gamegear
    Apr 1, 2012
    1
    Game is full of plot holes and awkward dialogue. Paragon/Renegade choices are blatant. Ending is unrewarding. In game economy is worthless with very few things to buy making most quest rewards worthless.
    As a 3rd person shooter ME3 isn't anything to write home about. Combat is incredibly repetitive. Very few squad members to choose from. Very few powers to choose from.
  34. SkilgannonPT
    Mar 31, 2012
    1
    Loved all the mass effect games, why would they destroy such a wonderfull series with such a blatantly illogical LAST 5 MIN... I justify my score with the following articles and videos:

    1- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6M0Cf864P7E
    2-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MlatxLP-xs


    Fix this ending plz.
  35. Bulldozer
    Mar 30, 2012
    0
    This game could have been a masterpiece but the final result is only a forgettable mix of bugs, holes in a childish plot with the "wish" to be serious, a ton of shadows and emphasis everywhere, no exploration, no puzzles, flat dialogues and the worst ending in videogame history. In certain things it could deserve a 11 but in others not more than a -20 so my balance is 0. Nothing more thanThis game could have been a masterpiece but the final result is only a forgettable mix of bugs, holes in a childish plot with the "wish" to be serious, a ton of shadows and emphasis everywhere, no exploration, no puzzles, flat dialogues and the worst ending in videogame history. In certain things it could deserve a 11 but in others not more than a -20 so my balance is 0. Nothing more than a "project" of a game, an interesting project never terminated and poorly done, or at least that's not good to be released like this.… Expand
  36. 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
  37. shadowhawk749
    Mar 28, 2012
    1
    Is ME3 really this bad? Yes it is.. If your a fan of the series and spent countless hours within 1 and 2, this purchase will be your biggest regret. IF you don't care about consistency, have not played either of the 1st two, don't care about false advertising, and just want to play a corny game, then this is for you. Gameplay isn't changed too much from the 2nd, although it feels a littleIs ME3 really this bad? Yes it is.. If your a fan of the series and spent countless hours within 1 and 2, this purchase will be your biggest regret. IF you don't care about consistency, have not played either of the 1st two, don't care about false advertising, and just want to play a corny game, then this is for you. Gameplay isn't changed too much from the 2nd, although it feels a little smoother. Graphically nearly identical, no real improvement other then some areas are more shiny. The overwhelming majority has a great distaste for the way EA/Bioware has marketed this game and there tactics throughout the process, along with the obviously rushed and idiotic ending. Any company that states - You've become a legend. To continue, buy extended content - at the end of a game is low, and I hope they file bankruptcy. Day one DLC is bad enough, to boast about it in game is pathetic.. Is that what this gen will leave behind? It's unmistakable foray into each game leaving out gameplay to charge ridiculous amounts for minimum content? The game itself lacks something that 1 and 2 had, that certain level of immersion where you forget or completely ignore the faults of the game, because its plot and characters are that well developed. Something special that makes you remember each encounter and actually care about the decisions you make. The 3rd has none of this. Your choices from 1 and 2 are barely visible in 3, sometimes plot-lines are completely absurd compared to what you had done previously. You put Anderson on the council? Too bad, Udina is on it now with no explanation. Did you kill Wrex in 1? He's back! Let the Rachni die off? They found more! Literally nothing matters.. Every decision you may have made has been streamlined into 1 basic plot that doesn't do the series justice, nor does it even make sense. People and Bioware who are wondering why people are so mad, and think its only because there spoiled and want a happy ending truly have no idea whats going on.. The entire series has been marketed as a decision based trilogy where you were shaping your own story as Shepard, Bioware was just giving you the tools. Mass amounts of interviews were conducted and published promoting this idea and a plethora of different endings were guaranteed (at least 16). Bioware told us every decision would matter... In the end, the only decision that mattered was that they got your money. The end is one singular loop that plays out exactly the same, no matter what you "choose" - they just contain different color filters on the cgi video. Thats lazy developing and a scam for what was marketed to consumers. The end is not art either. This is a business first and foremost. They wouldn't spend millions to make and advertise it if not. Think of it this way. You go to an art show and an artist displays a "new, unique painting that has never been seen before, where its level of obscurity and detail will transcend your mind". It's covered and your not allowed to see it until its purchased and you've brought it home. You buy it.. but once your get it home, you realize its nothing more than a ripped piece of paper with a poop smear.. You'd want your money back. That's false advertising, its not only unethical, but illegal. Just because this is a "game", does not give it the right to abuse consumers. Overall, if you want a recap of the ending, its like this: Your girl/boy friend has cheated on you. You feel betrayed and remember none of the good times, because of the horrible trauma that it's caused you emotionally . The ending is the last thing you see, therefore its the last thing you remember. Bad outweighs the good. It can take years to trust somebody, but 5 seconds to break that.. and this is one of those instances. Nobody cares that Shepard died, its the fact that your decisions and squad mates don't matter and the countless hours of gameplay are useless, along with severe plot crippling holes. Wait for this game to be entirely remade before buying if your a fan of the series and plot.. you will regret your purchase. I was lucky and got away using a friends copy..… Expand
  38. Biss
    Mar 28, 2012
    0
    What a sh**y ending. No chance of a good ending, even if you have make only correct choices over all 3 games. Bioware has lost all his skills. First gameplay and now storytelling. Nothing more is left of a once great development studio.
  39. geromite
    Mar 28, 2012
    0
    DLC day one, poor level design, the rpg side bybye, no evolution (again recruiting a teamn no planet eploration with mako), poor dialogue option, and the best of evrything the non sense and scandalous ending!!!!!
  40. Mr_Wednesday
    Mar 26, 2012
    2
    I did NOT play the single player yet, because I will play it on my xbox - as if you have no savegame, your previous standard choices are as sh*tty as possible. But I played a LOT of the multiplayer, and despite the amazing gameplay, it is plagued by so many bugs, sometimes you just give up. You will fall from the map, become immortal, enemies will turn invisible, be teleported into theI did NOT play the single player yet, because I will play it on my xbox - as if you have no savegame, your previous standard choices are as sh*tty as possible. But I played a LOT of the multiplayer, and despite the amazing gameplay, it is plagued by so many bugs, sometimes you just give up. You will fall from the map, become immortal, enemies will turn invisible, be teleported into the scenario, the server will crash midgame, you get an error when trying to buy things.... For an AAA game that costs 70 Bucks (with the "optional" DLC), this is unforgivable. So disappointed with Bioware....… Expand
  41. 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.
  42. Nippur
    Mar 25, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. After so many reviews from users there's not much to add to the failure that this game is. I could (grudgingly) forget about many things like: day one (prothean!) DLC - many bugs - lab door scanner - Normandy's elevator - Alenko - romance implementation - X button pressing - absence of tactical combat - counterintuitive boss fights - flat and uninteresting side missions - fed ex missions - endlessly repeating conversations in the Citadel - war assets recollection system - etc. What I cannot forget and forgive is: BORING story for an RPG with the precedents of ME1 (good story) and ME2 (great character interaction) - absolutely nonsensical ending to your 3 games long quest. The ending is not sad. It just doesn't make any sense. Doesn't reward you for all the work you've done through ME 1, 2 and 3. Your "key" decisions and hard worked diplomacy are worthless. The war assets you have mean nothing more than a slight difference in a cutscene. The endgame could be sad, but it should reflect most of the story so far. The ending looks like coming from a bad 80s amateur game. Child-computer is the worst implemented idea I've seen in a game since the Lost finale. There's no repairing to be done here. Even if it's a free DLC, I've lost all motivation to follow this story. Some guys said that is EA's fault. There's some truth about corporations being always against artistic quality. But the fault here is primarily of the creators. They've tried to make a Call of Duty in Space, without the actual quality of the original corridor shooter. Just so you know. If you HAVE to play this game because you've played 1 and/or 2, either rent it or borrow it. I lost 70 USD. Let's hope you can save them.… Expand
  43. peterwdawson
    Mar 24, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Can a game's score really be dropped that low by having an awful ending? Absolutely, especially if it retroactively makes you no longer want to play the earlier games.

    Gameplay wise its alright, though Bioware really needs to stop having random NPC chatter intrude with regular chat. The sidequests are also a little boring, though still more enjoyable than mineral mining. Also again Bioware makes there more stuff to buy than there is money to be earned which will always irk me as a packrat gamer. Still these are nitpicks.

    The first real damning issue is the fact that multiplayer must constantly be played to ensure oneself the best ending. Multiplayer intruding into singleplay is a giant no-no, at least in this method. Obviously co-op and such is fine so long as it isn't required in what's supposed to be a single-player game, but this is generic multiplayer, that is also quite buggy and has seen players dropped from games for no clear reason, and they decided it would be a good idea to tie it to single-player. And yes, it isn't just play or forget, you have to keep playing to keep your score where it needs to be. This was after it was promised you wouldn't have to play it to do this.

    And then there's the damn ending. People have compared it to Blade Runner, Total Recall, Minority Report and so on, saying there's layers. That really doesn't matter in the end. The fact is, at face value you get a terrible conclusion that doesn't use any gameplay mechanics properly as well as ignores the narrative as it was built up until then. If you buy into such gems as the indoctrination theory, its still terrible, because a game that has been about unity and ending long-standing grudges suddenly decides to get overly artsy and interpretational. That is a massive tonal backlash, and it furthermore fails as art since it fails to convey its intent. Knowing that this is where all the games had been taking me is just horrifying. Shepard dying isn't an issue, it just flat out makes all your decisions amount to diddly squat because the writer wanted to get an interpretational sci-fi ending. Those kinds of endings can work, but not in this series, and especially not with what came before it in the game itself. It's not just building a lead balloon, its building one and throwing it against spikes hoping it only be penetrated. It just doesn't work.    … Expand
  44. Brodesmus
    Mar 23, 2012
    0
    This game is excellent...until the last 15 minutes or so. The ending (there is only one with different colors) destroyed one of my favorite video game franchises. Mass Effect appealed to me because the choices that you made had weight, they affected the story in a tangible way, but no matter what you did in any of the games you always get the same choice of endings. Red, blue, or green.
  45. coop667
    Mar 22, 2012
    0
    Ending is a joke. This is a great game that suffers from the most god awful endings I have ever seen. Plus Bioware does not do their Multiplayer events with PS3 users and mentions it in the fine print. Save yourself the trouble and the $60 and wait for it to drop in price in a couple months.
  46. Leftyy
    Mar 21, 2012
    4
    In short, I never believed that the ending was as bad as everyone said it could be, turns out I was wrong. When you're actually playing the end, it doesn't feel as awful as most would make it out to be. But in the moments after the game ends and you ponder what you've just finished, you will realize your true disappointment in the ending of the game. The elimination of any type of endingIn short, I never believed that the ending was as bad as everyone said it could be, turns out I was wrong. When you're actually playing the end, it doesn't feel as awful as most would make it out to be. But in the moments after the game ends and you ponder what you've just finished, you will realize your true disappointment in the ending of the game. The elimination of any type of ending variation, lack of closure, and a short, lazy little cutscene filled with unanswered plotholes should answer your question as to why it's so awful without spoiling anything. In short, the ending was just bad, and it takes away from the exciting couple of hours that lead up to it.

    I might give this a higher score, but honestly, I can't say the ending was the only problem. Never mind the dlc, who cares about that. My beef lies with the technical points of the game and the gunplay itself. Obviously most of you enjoy the gunplay and I know I'll get flak for this, but even in Mass Effect 2 I found it to be boring and unoriginal, it feels like a stiff cover shooter that seems like a dumbed down version of Uncharted except with those gimmicky biotic powers. Also, the game has a really poor framerate that will annoy you throughout much of the game, terrible lip-syncing, and to top it all off the game froze on me a few times and I had to reboot my PS3.

    To be honest, I don't think was an abysmal game, but it will never live up to the second chapter in the series' greatness nor will it ever be considered one of the great video games of this generation. Although I think it deserves all this hate, I find it sad that Bioware was stubborn enough to butcher its greatest franchise, and what's even more sad is that it's probably EA's fault for making Bioware rush the ending so that they could get it out before the end of the fiscal quarter. That's just plain wrong. I don't care whether they're going to patch the ending or not, I'm selling this game before the price takes a nose dive when no one wants to buy this piece of garbage.    … Expand
  47. fatoldsun_98
    Mar 21, 2012
    0
    I rented this game and almost threw it into a trash heap after playing it through, thank goodness I didn't or I would have had to buy this piece of junk. RENT do not buy this monstrosity of a movie called a game; pretty pictures, NO SUBSTANCE. I will never buy another Bioware game until user reviews on a subsequent game get a LOT better. Bye Bioware, hello Bethesda and back into Skyrim on my pc.
  48. 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
  49. 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
  50. 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.
  51. Ryan2212
    Mar 20, 2012
    1
    95% of the game is f**king epic. The last 5% (the end) sucked. Yes I know there are people out there who liked the ending and that's cool. I personally needed more closure and yeah I'll admit I'd like a chance o have a happier ending. Hopefully future dlc will be able to provide the last 5% lacked.
  52. 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
  53. 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
  54. skinny_mean_man
    Mar 19, 2012
    0
    Mass effect is my favorite next gen console series. but mass effect 3 is a middle finger to the fans who have loved the series since day one. unless something is seriously done to fix this game i will never buy from bioware again. they were my favorite company and now they are my most hated
  55. MCRMJ
    Mar 19, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Considering the amount of time you are likely to have sunk into the series as a whole, can I, hand on heart recommend you play through the third game? No. I would advise you to steer clear.

    Not through any misguided rant over the (extremely poor) ending, but rather more sensible reasons. The whole premise of Mass Effect is how the decisions you make affect what happens in the game world, expanding or contracting the story, tailored to how you want it to pan out. So, when the last 15-30 minutes of the game throw everything you've toiled over over the last five or so years, out of the airlock and reduce the finale to a choice of three simple decisions (all of which have basically the same outcome, at least visually) then it makes it very hard to tell people to buy this game. There's also the glaring contradictions to past characters behavior and Mass Effect lore. If, you are still determined to play the game, do so, as the majority of it is excellent, but be prepared to cut your losses with the series as it doesn't just leave a 'bittersweet' taste in the mouth, but a nasty sour one.    … Expand
  56. MB957
    Mar 19, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. ME3, a fantastic game, until the end. I loved it all the way through, until the last bit. To me, the ending is contrived, non sense and just bad. I would give it a 10/10 if not for the ending. It had a couple bug issues, but those were minor. The ending forces the player into basically 3 choices to destroy all life in the galaxy. It is filled with plot holes and does a great injustice to the ME trilogy. The end destroys it for me completely. One drop of poison can ruin the entire well. If you like epic hero, saves the day, then don't get this game. If you like nihilism and depressing endings...then get this game.… Expand
  57. krotznapopulov
    Mar 19, 2012
    2
    Though a great game, the last few moment ruin the entire experience of the entire ME series. Like so many other players, I really enjoyed Mass Effect 3. If not for the last 15 minutes, I would give this game a 9 or more. However, the ending is so abysmal (plot holes, inconsistencies, unsatisfying explanations, not to mention exactly the same whatever you do throughout all three games...)Though a great game, the last few moment ruin the entire experience of the entire ME series. Like so many other players, I really enjoyed Mass Effect 3. If not for the last 15 minutes, I would give this game a 9 or more. However, the ending is so abysmal (plot holes, inconsistencies, unsatisfying explanations, not to mention exactly the same whatever you do throughout all three games...) that I can't give this game any more than a 2… Expand
  58. 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
  59. donmaciu
    Mar 18, 2012
    1
    I can start with frame rate falling extremely in ps3 version. It's even worse than it was in ME2. Then we have small problems with ME2 Love Interests almost entirely omitted, Tali face ..... but it still leaves a solid game. But the biggest disappointment is the ending. I don't know who thought this sorry excuse for an ending would cause any positive reaction. Sure, it works for some...I can start with frame rate falling extremely in ps3 version. It's even worse than it was in ME2. Then we have small problems with ME2 Love Interests almost entirely omitted, Tali face ..... but it still leaves a solid game. But the biggest disappointment is the ending. I don't know who thought this sorry excuse for an ending would cause any positive reaction. Sure, it works for some... maybe for 9% of players. I loved the series... but now i hate it. I won't be playing any BioWare game soon.

    Indoctrination theory is dead, and so is our hope of getting decent ending. Apparently writers are happy with what they did... I'm speechless, but still Holding the Line...

    PS. sorry for my English    … Expand
  60. SirYakalot
    Mar 18, 2012
    3
    Fantastic design, everything else lacks. This game suffers hugely from the same thing that fable 2 and 3 did - we loved the first one and forgave its flaws simply because it was a first game, but it's the third game now and the flaws are still there. I honestly want to love this game, I really really do, but honestly it just feels like a mess.
  61. mythandoryx
    Mar 18, 2012
    4
    Don't get me wrong, ME3 is an AMAZING GAME! It's just the ending that pisses me of. I've spent five years on this franchise working hard to make all the right choice in order to have a closure that suits my expectations! However, the ending made me feel as if none of that mattered! I've lost interest in continuing the game or even replay anywhere in the near future. I was also frustratedDon't get me wrong, ME3 is an AMAZING GAME! It's just the ending that pisses me of. I've spent five years on this franchise working hard to make all the right choice in order to have a closure that suits my expectations! However, the ending made me feel as if none of that mattered! I've lost interest in continuing the game or even replay anywhere in the near future. I was also frustrated by BW's day-one DLC policy! It made me feel cheep! As I'm nothing but money-milking mating for the Big Gaming Kahunas. THE ENDING MUST BE CORRECTED! BW is a great company that makes great RPG's. I'm confident that they won't disappoint their fans for long. Maybe!… Expand
  62. boddilyfluids
    Mar 16, 2012
    0
    Breaks cannon, massive plot holes, incomplete game. While this is the final chapter in one of my most cherished series, there is very little that remains after a botched ending that can be considered good.
  63. OddSuperFuture
    Mar 16, 2012
    0
    The game is absolutely top notch until the ending is reached and you're presented with 3 choices. 3 choices which completely dismiss any decisions you've made prior in any of the 3 games. There are 3 ending scenes with no closure and a convoluted, out of character plot which disregard the franchises key themes. This destroys any motivation you may have to replay this game-or any of theThe game is absolutely top notch until the ending is reached and you're presented with 3 choices. 3 choices which completely dismiss any decisions you've made prior in any of the 3 games. There are 3 ending scenes with no closure and a convoluted, out of character plot which disregard the franchises key themes. This destroys any motivation you may have to replay this game-or any of the other ME games. I Hope Bioware learn from this. Ending DLC correction is desperately needed.… Expand
  64. 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
  65. 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.
  66. sympathy4saren2
    Mar 16, 2012
    0
    An absolutely terrible game, and an insult to both Mass Effect fans and rpg gamers alike. Gameplay is boring and repetitive, rpg elements are minimal at best and the loot system is a joke, there is no inventory, linear level design, zero exploration, massive plot-craters and weak writing all around. The developers also lied about day one dlc and the fact choices mean anything. They don't.An absolutely terrible game, and an insult to both Mass Effect fans and rpg gamers alike. Gameplay is boring and repetitive, rpg elements are minimal at best and the loot system is a joke, there is no inventory, linear level design, zero exploration, massive plot-craters and weak writing all around. The developers also lied about day one dlc and the fact choices mean anything. They don't. Save yourself money and avoid this game at all costs.… Expand
  67. Audustum
    Mar 15, 2012
    0
    Fantastic game in almost all senses of the word. Great story, great characters, great gameplay, but then it all gets ruined by an awful ending. I mean bad. If you do buy it, stop it right after Shepard talks to his crew before the final push and don't go further.
  68. KingMJE
    Mar 14, 2012
    0
    The game was OK, There was some interesting story decisions to make and the action was pretty nice. multiplayer is pretty fun, all the classes are very different from eachother but adept can solo everything. all of the endings are terrible, i am no longer supporting, EA, Bioware, or origin.
  69. omegaxxxfly
    Mar 13, 2012
    0
    Simplified, outraged, DLC on the first day, an inconclusive ending, and apparently are going to see more dlc, just Fu$% You Bioware you let me down, thank you for this true masterpiece of crap.
  70. wutani
    Mar 13, 2012
    3
    The two previous Mass Effect games were excellent, the third game fell flat in the later sections of the game, copy paste textures galore all over London some of which are laughably bad. The biggest disappointment in the third game was the ending,all of our actions and choices during all of the games had zero impact on the endings of the third game, the endings created plotholes all overThe two previous Mass Effect games were excellent, the third game fell flat in the later sections of the game, copy paste textures galore all over London some of which are laughably bad. The biggest disappointment in the third game was the ending,all of our actions and choices during all of the games had zero impact on the endings of the third game, the endings created plotholes all over the place.… Expand
  71. JamesSteal
    Mar 13, 2012
    0
    Make sure you have autosave on when playing the Playstation 3 version, as it freezes constantly due to the horrible fps. The dialogue is rather autistic, considering there is nothing humorous or witty throughout the game. The side-quests feel like a chore and Commander Shepherd doesn't act like a bad ass anymore. I felt like I was playing a lighter version of the original Gears of War.
  72. 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
  73. miann
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    When you finish a game you are left with the impression it has given you. I would say the game play was great. The ending was forced and short. Music and cinematic for the ending were great for what they were... but it wasn't left as a cliffhanger or ambiguous.. it left you with a what just happened.. is that it? feeling. Honestly watching youtube... the 'worst' endings actually left theWhen you finish a game you are left with the impression it has given you. I would say the game play was great. The ending was forced and short. Music and cinematic for the ending were great for what they were... but it wasn't left as a cliffhanger or ambiguous.. it left you with a what just happened.. is that it? feeling. Honestly watching youtube... the 'worst' endings actually left the player feeling like they should play again and make it better.. but the worst ending were really just the best endings but with parts cut out... very disappointing. might play multilayer but the game has ZERO replay value. Huge plot holes and no conclusion the any of the characters you had left...

    Movement had some major flaws. The idea of cover was great, but the console feel made the character get stuck by a grenade when you could have clearly ran away and were pressing the cover button to stand up but you just mode to a different wall.    … Expand
  74. ThePizzaman100
    Mar 12, 2012
    1
    yknow i was excited for this game...i really was. In my opinon EA is one of the only gaming companies that actually makes games equal on both consoles. Dead Space 2, Bioshock 2 both looked and played great on both consoles. Well I think EA finally went the way of Bethesda(Skyrim) and Rockstar(Red Dead Redemption). In other words, not giving a $h!t about the ps3. Its freaking awful. Now iyknow i was excited for this game...i really was. In my opinon EA is one of the only gaming companies that actually makes games equal on both consoles. Dead Space 2, Bioshock 2 both looked and played great on both consoles. Well I think EA finally went the way of Bethesda(Skyrim) and Rockstar(Red Dead Redemption). In other words, not giving a $h!t about the ps3. Its freaking awful. Now i would be more mad if this game didn't suck in comparison to the last one. I just dont see why ps3 gets so neglected all the time. Game gets a 1 because i dont like how politically correct it is, plotholes and just a bad storyline. it gives a whole new meaning to all in your face about being gay, and man did they go all out.… Expand
  75. mattyh101
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    The Ending. It is bad. Believe the hype. Ruins the game but not the series. Each game in the Mass Effect series is unique and Its best to treat them as such, because lets be real if ME1 didn't make money ME2 wouldn't exist, if ME2 didn't make money ME3 wouldn't exist. Similar plot lines may run through all three but obviously it was made up as they went along. They are totally abstractThe Ending. It is bad. Believe the hype. Ruins the game but not the series. Each game in the Mass Effect series is unique and Its best to treat them as such, because lets be real if ME1 didn't make money ME2 wouldn't exist, if ME2 didn't make money ME3 wouldn't exist. Similar plot lines may run through all three but obviously it was made up as they went along. They are totally abstract from one another and clearly made by different people and processes. This one fell flat half way through then went very very dark, obscure, even morbid. Then hits you with the totally ridiculous ending. Yuk… Expand
  76. Sm4sH
    Mar 12, 2012
    2
    mass effect was epic.
    mass effect 2 was powerful.
    mass effect 3 just kill the trilogy.

    put 2 point because they are good things in this game but you lose so much with your multi-player who is necessary to the solo and this horrible end!
  77. amateurdude
    Mar 12, 2012
    2
    Bioware/EA. Just look at there last few releases and everything that's wrong with them, now add all that onto the fact the series was actually kind of ok, and you have what is akin to.. Say.. A young attractive women who had a wonderful career/life ahead of her, who in one fell swoop, was beaten and raped repeatedly over and over and over until even the dregs of society wouldn't want toBioware/EA. Just look at there last few releases and everything that's wrong with them, now add all that onto the fact the series was actually kind of ok, and you have what is akin to.. Say.. A young attractive women who had a wonderful career/life ahead of her, who in one fell swoop, was beaten and raped repeatedly over and over and over until even the dregs of society wouldn't want to touch her with a ten foot poll in case of catching herpes or aids.

    That's what Mass Effect 3 is like, basically.    … Expand
  78. udoh
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    Mass Effect & Mass Effect 2 are amazing, the way your choices matter, then things you do has an impact. These choices matter in Mass Effect 3, and some of the events in ME3 are wonderful. BUT, Stop playing when you are asked to go to the Asari Homeworld, because after that everything you have done for the last 5 years doesn't matter at all. Really bad writing, plot holes, and some veryMass Effect & Mass Effect 2 are amazing, the way your choices matter, then things you do has an impact. These choices matter in Mass Effect 3, and some of the events in ME3 are wonderful. BUT, Stop playing when you are asked to go to the Asari Homeworld, because after that everything you have done for the last 5 years doesn't matter at all. Really bad writing, plot holes, and some very strange team mate choices, things just don't feel right. Such a shame.… Expand
  79. Hellion
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    The only hint people need is NOT to buy the game. Only way you will get Bioware to take notice of all the crap that is wrong with their series..creatively and technically. Ending terrible..Engine framerate terrible on PS3. No excuse for these companies anymore..its the greedy people at the top of the food chain taking advantage of the consumer by cutting back talented people. Heck I evenThe only hint people need is NOT to buy the game. Only way you will get Bioware to take notice of all the crap that is wrong with their series..creatively and technically. Ending terrible..Engine framerate terrible on PS3. No excuse for these companies anymore..its the greedy people at the top of the food chain taking advantage of the consumer by cutting back talented people. Heck I even loved the terminator boss in ME2..what happened to that? Gamers, consumers, unite and stay clear of anything Bioware puts out in the future.… Expand
  80. Tulak_Hord
    Mar 11, 2012
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The first 95% of this game is incredible and worth playing. It introduces new characters and themes while (for the most part) successfully wrapping up story lines from the previous two games. Unfortunately the last 10-15 minutes of the game undermine everything that has happened up to that point. All your decisions are rendered meaningless and random plot hole after random plot hole end what up to that point had been one of the greatest games I have ever played. What is most insulting is that the ending feels cheap and tacked on, almost as if the developer ran out of time and resources and just threw some random stuff together hoping no one would notice. This game is not worth buying until the developer removes the glaring plot holes and fixes the ending to reflect the character's choices throughout this game and the previous two.… Expand
  81. kburstall
    Mar 11, 2012
    1
    Take away the compelling story from the mass effect series and what are you left with? Most people would agree we're left with little more than a sub-par shooter. Bioware often gets a pass on this because the story elements are so strong and interesting. NOT THIS TIME OUT. The story and especially the incomprehensible nonsense ending make for a tale that sucks the awesome not only out ofTake away the compelling story from the mass effect series and what are you left with? Most people would agree we're left with little more than a sub-par shooter. Bioware often gets a pass on this because the story elements are so strong and interesting. NOT THIS TIME OUT. The story and especially the incomprehensible nonsense ending make for a tale that sucks the awesome not only out of this game, but also out of the rest of the franchise which have been building up to an epic ending, where literally NONE of your choices throughout the entire series make an impact. Not having this strong story to keep you going, be prepared to suffer through this sub-par shooter… Expand
  82. dab87
    Mar 11, 2012
    3
    I bought this game after reading multiple game site reviews all giving this game a high rating, rationalizing it through saying that the scope and conceptual design of this game make it a quality product. I am here to say I am no longer going to purchase a game based on "critic" reviews. This game ruined the Mass Effect series for me. BioWare has clearly sold its soul to EA and noI bought this game after reading multiple game site reviews all giving this game a high rating, rationalizing it through saying that the scope and conceptual design of this game make it a quality product. I am here to say I am no longer going to purchase a game based on "critic" reviews. This game ruined the Mass Effect series for me. BioWare has clearly sold its soul to EA and no longer cares about the quality writing and storytelling that existed in this games predecessors. This game is like Dragon Age 2 all over again. As I played through I began to care less and less about the decisions I made and simply wanted to finish the game. Nothing was compelling enough to have me play through it again and I will definitely be selling this game the second I beat it as to ensure I get the most money back. I can say nothing more than that I am frustrated and completely disappointed in BioWare, and will boycott game that include DAY 1 DLC for as long as they continue to come out. $74 for a game with DAY ONE... DAY ONE... dlc is outrageous, especially for a "dumbed down" product. Sorry BioWare, but you have tarnished my once high opinion of you and have lost a customer.… Expand
  83. progamer
    Mar 11, 2012
    0
    A 0 for a buggy unplayable mess.If game worked a 8.Mass effect 2 was made on the ps3 because of the added stuff and it plays way better.i dont know why they dont even say they are going to patch the game.
  84. DemonDZ
    Mar 11, 2012
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I feel like I just ate the perfect sub, except the ends were made out of the worst thing you can imagine.

    First the From Ashes DLC (which isn't DLC it's ULC as in Unlockable Content, since it's already on the disk) which just botched it from the start, then I get into the game and it's awesome, I was engaged so many things I had done in the previous games affected my War Assets which would help me in the end to get a truly fitting ending for Commander John Shepard, we reach earth, the crucible is done, our chances are low but measurable, We already destroyed a Reaper and are ready to launch the final attack to take back the citadel and use it as the catalyst for the crucible to defeat the reapers. And then the Harbinger lands! Finally I get to face down my enemy that haunted me throughout the second third of the epic adventure that is Mass Effect, but we say **** it!" and charge for the catalyst in a suicide run, I felt like I had actually gotten the assets to defeat the harbinger, I had Jack and her bionic artillery, I had that Volar Bombing Fleet and some other assets I can't remember off the top of my head. I accept it, the Crucible is inbound for earth and we really don't have the time to fight the Harbinger as epic as that fight would have been.

    It's a suicide run, people dying left and right, I can't even see the rest of my 3-man cell of my lovable girlfriend Tali'Zorah nar Rayya vas Normandy and long time friend in arms Garrus Vakarian, I fear that they might have been killed already, but I press on having already lost too many friends to let the reapers win. I'm almost there and I get hit, I can't see. I wake up, body aches, bleeding, my armor is a mess, so is my already scar-riddled face, I get up, with my last strength I destroy the resistance along the last stretch and I board the Citadel. There's dead bodies everywhere, none of them slaves of the reapers, I feel weird, I had helped C-sec setting up defensive turrets, I had organised a Citadel Militia, resistance should have been made, I push on and this is where it all goes to hell, The Ilusive Man, Anderson that somehow made it on board after me but is ahead of me in a linear walkway, the white light as the crucible won't fire. I meet the Catalyst that gives me 2 **** options out of 3 **** options there are, I fullfill my mission, I destroy the reapers dying in the process, and as Commander John Shepard dies and I see the results unfold a bit of myself dies as everything, the preliminary creation of my characters personality (not paragon/renegade but actual character personality creation) saving Garrus as Archangel, Mordin's sacrifice, the technology recovered from the collector base, saving the rachni queen, getting a fleet, forming an inter-species galaxy-spanning alliance, the largest fleet ever seen, the most unified defence, helping all those people, all those diplomatic relations, sacrificing the geth and killing Legion so the Quarian counter-attack won't get decimated, all those things, and what can i get for it? a little more effort and I would get to see Shepard twitch as he is probably dying of blood loss. Nothing I did meant anything in the end, the entire ending is a hollow gesture, all my time meant nothing in the end. This ending is so horrible that it actually affects my experience of the earlier games... I had so much about gameplay I could think about, there's goods and bad but the only thing that pops up when I think about Mass Effect is that ending.    … Expand
  85. scienceproof
    Mar 11, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. What could have been a fantastic game is ruined by it's utterly dire ending. It's just incomprehensible that the bioware writers thought it was a good idea - hmm, let's finish this amazing trilogy by forcing players to pick one of three slightly different endings, of which none of your previous choices will impact. Let's deliver these endings in the most clichéd and contrived manner possible. To top it off, lets pretend in our marketing spiels that this isn't the case, so we don't put people off from giving us lots of money.… Expand
  86. cpmartins
    Mar 11, 2012
    0
    Installation went smoothly. This is it, the end of the triology. ME 1 was a masterpiece. ME 2 was a bland cover-based shooter. But that was ok, I wanted to see how this thing would end. Booted it up, went into graphical options to change some things. Ok, where is the FOV option? Oh, so no FOV for me then. Unistalled and returned. What score should I give a game that makes me physicallyInstallation went smoothly. This is it, the end of the triology. ME 1 was a masterpiece. ME 2 was a bland cover-based shooter. But that was ok, I wanted to see how this thing would end. Booted it up, went into graphical options to change some things. Ok, where is the FOV option? Oh, so no FOV for me then. Unistalled and returned. What score should I give a game that makes me physically ill when I'm playing? Oh yeah. 0… Expand
  87. 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
  88. goblue22
    Mar 10, 2012
    0
    This game is absolutely AMAZING right up until the final 15 minutes or so. The end of the game is really a slap in the face to anyone who has stayed with the series from the beginning.

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

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

    I have never been one to write reviews or have strong opinions on games. I am not even one who typically gets attached to series the way I got attached to Mass Effect. But the way the end of the game seems like Bioware came up with it in maybe 10 minutes is, in my opinion, a betrayal of the fans.    … Expand
  89. Em-Man
    Mar 10, 2012
    2
    The game featured a promising start. It was exciting to finally see everything you did in the last 2 games make a difference in Mass Effect 3... Only that it didn't. Nothing you did in the game has a result or consequence in this game, not even the stuff you do in Mass Effect 3. You can't do any major choices during the game. The combat feels like a bad version of Gears of War. The endingThe game featured a promising start. It was exciting to finally see everything you did in the last 2 games make a difference in Mass Effect 3... Only that it didn't. Nothing you did in the game has a result or consequence in this game, not even the stuff you do in Mass Effect 3. You can't do any major choices during the game. The combat feels like a bad version of Gears of War. The ending is horrible and makes the whole story of Shepard from the first game to the third feel irrelevant.… Expand
  90. senshigoro
    Mar 10, 2012
    0
    This game is an insult to all Mass Effect fans.
    After to games the conclusion is now, that everything you did in the last 5 years was just a joke. Nothing you were doing had any real consequences in the game. Of course some things may happen differently, but after all, nothing you did, had any influence on the outcome of the Reaper conflict.
    Bioware wanted to tell their story and you are    This game is an insult to all Mass Effect fans.
    After to games the conclusion is now, that everything you did in the last 5 years was just a joke. Nothing you were doing had any real consequences in the game. Of course some things may happen differently, but after all, nothing you did, had any influence on the outcome of the Reaper conflict.
    Bioware wanted to tell their story and you are not really welcome in this story. I never felt so stupid after paying full price for a game. This may be the biggest disappointment in the last 10 years of gaming.    … Expand
  91. 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
  92. 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
  93. Jalt08
    Mar 10, 2012
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Ultimately no matter what path was chosen, what actions where taken, who lived and who died, at the end of this journey, all that remains is your ship and your crew abandon you.

    The first 95% of the game is amazing, its everything I hoped for and more. The last 5% is the biggest slap in the face imaginable. If you have invested 100's of hours from the first game until this one, you will be left stunned and appalled that none of the choices you made, none of the battles you fought, nothing you did in those 100's of hours ultimately pays off in any of the three endings you can pick from. With the three endings and the DLC on day 1, EA/Bioware show that fan support means nothing more than a dollar symbol to them. While most of the joy lays in the journey to the end of the game, there is no replay value at all in this game, because no matter what journey you take, the ends are all ultimately the same except for color variations and if synthetics live or die.    … Expand
  94. dragonknight4
    Mar 10, 2012
    0
    Day-1 DLC, issues of character skipping, dropped animations, buggy scenes with failed DOF usage and characters clipped into and stuck to the scenery, not an RPG, homoerotic gay male sex scenes, garbage ending. Game isn't worth $60 but you should only pick it up if you can find it for $1.
  95. 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
  96. Protectereli
    Mar 10, 2012
    4
    Im a big fan of the ME series, sadly i only own a ps3 so i never got to experience the first game but i loved the second game and beat it mulitple times, the combat is amazing and the customization is amazing in mass effect 3 but wow bioware you completely dropped the ball on the endings, i can understand sad endings, but there needs to be a way to get a good ending, thats why theIm a big fan of the ME series, sadly i only own a ps3 so i never got to experience the first game but i loved the second game and beat it mulitple times, the combat is amazing and the customization is amazing in mass effect 3 but wow bioware you completely dropped the ball on the endings, i can understand sad endings, but there needs to be a way to get a good ending, thats why the previous mass effect games were so good, you knew you could get a bad ending, but if you did everything correctly everything would turn out okay, playing commander shepard for years and developing in game relationships makes you feel like you are commander shepard, and giving him the endings avaiable was a complete fail and ruined this amazing game franchise for me.… Expand
  97. iSpeakTheTruth
    Mar 10, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. **** u Bioware. And **** u EA. And also **** u too Commander Shepard (ha).. I had high hopes for this game.. I have the N7 edition and ME2 is my fav game of all time (PS3). I beat ME3 a little under 40hrs. All was good, and I was beginning to think ME3 would be my new fav game. I saw Tali's face and was pleased for the moment, cause I didn't know it was a stock photo yet. But all was still good, I saved Tali's homeland, cured the genophage, found peace between the geth and quarians, helped Miranda save her sister, help jack save her children, stopped the illusive man, etc... then BAM!! I get a **** ending with 3 decisions that are all basically the same but with different colors. You said we would have closure and have all our questions answered. Uh, I have a question. Why the **** did I spend all this time perfecting my Shepards story, if none of my decisions were going to matter at the end? I expected the prothean device to kill the reapers and save the galaxy, but na, it summons that kid that died and he's telling me some **** that doesn't even make sense. But seriously, I don't mind Shepard dying, I kninda knew he was since its his last game. But how about showing the aftermath of what my final decision caused. Show me whats going on with the people I care about, show me what happens with Tali, Liara, Ashley, Garrus, Miranda, Jack, and all those other people I spent countless hours building a relationship with. Don't show me Joker crash landing on some unknown location. He's gonna eventually starve anyways, since he can't leave thanks to the Mass Relay being destroyed for no reason. I think Bioware put somebody else on charge of the ending, while they worked on the multiplayer that nobody asked for. Or they plan on releasing a DLC for $10 called "Shepard's Alternate Ending" that's really supposed to be the original ending. Either way, they already ruined a once great franchise. I gave this game a perfect 10.. until the last 10 minutes. I That brought the score down to a zero.… Expand
  98. bidou
    Mar 10, 2012
    1
    Buggy in combats (poorly balanced some ennemies are simple some are simply tremendously hard to kill), poorly written scenario, sh*tty ending. The worst of series already seriously overrated.
  99. 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!
  100. Electromatic
    Mar 9, 2012
    3
    There's no denying the fact that BioWare has created a truly vivid and unique world with the mass effect Universe, a galaxy composed of memorable and lovable characters that have drawn in fans all over of the world. Generally speaking, the majority of Mass Effect 3 was well paced, with emotional twists that seem to make the player truly care about the fates of all the characters aroundThere's no denying the fact that BioWare has created a truly vivid and unique world with the mass effect Universe, a galaxy composed of memorable and lovable characters that have drawn in fans all over of the world. Generally speaking, the majority of Mass Effect 3 was well paced, with emotional twists that seem to make the player truly care about the fates of all the characters around him/her. Yet the Ending seems to undermine all of that. It seems as though BioWare forgot the fact that the last two games took a more romanticized approach, that if the player sacrifices enough, whether it be by decisions alone, or by cranking out as many hours as possible on side quests, there's a chance for success, even if it has to be bittersweet. This concept failed to present itself at the end of ME3, which changed the whole concept of hope and brotherhood, which was a constant factor throughout the whole series. I don't believe that the ending deserved a "they all lived happily ever-after", but if enough reinforcements are gathered, a bittersweet ending with severe losses, and an epilogue would of added the needed closure to this trilogy.… 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 »