Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut

 Xbox 360
User Score
6.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 87 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 50 out of 87
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 87
  3. Negative: 22 out of 87

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  1. Socratease
    Jan 23, 2013
    3
    When i heard about the extended cut DLC, i thought to myself: cool, they`re going to fix the endings!

    Then i read where ray muzyaka stated that the EC was little more than an explanation for what happened, and not an actual fix. And proceeded to break my copy of ME3 in half. I don`t care what bioware ''tweaked''. I don`t even care what they added. An explanation was the last thing    When i heard about the extended cut DLC, i thought to myself: cool, they`re going to fix the endings!

    Then i read where ray muzyaka stated that the EC was little more than an explanation for what happened, and not an actual fix.

    And proceeded to break my copy of ME3 in half. I don`t care what bioware ''tweaked''. I don`t even care what they added. An explanation was the last thing ME3s ending needed.

    If my dog takes a s--t on the sidewalk, i don`t explain to the poeple who stepped in it why he did it: i clean it up.

    For christs sake, why didn`t they just go with the indoctrination theory? It would have at least preserved the integrity of their series, and would have won back many of its former fans.

    As it stands, there`s no future for the mass effect universe. The god childs continued existence ensures it.

    Good job casey hackson!    … Expand
  2. BlackPhoton
    Aug 2, 2012
    3
    This DLC is free so I ain't gonna urge anybody to do anything, but it seems like nothing. All it does it ''try'' to fix two or three plot-holes and that's it. It's an improvement, but doesn't go anywhere. The only part that made me feel enthralled was the final 15 seconds before the credits. The things that go wrong in the DLC are going to be obvious from moment start. The teleporting crewThis DLC is free so I ain't gonna urge anybody to do anything, but it seems like nothing. All it does it ''try'' to fix two or three plot-holes and that's it. It's an improvement, but doesn't go anywhere. The only part that made me feel enthralled was the final 15 seconds before the credits. The things that go wrong in the DLC are going to be obvious from moment start. The teleporting crew members are fixed, but it creates a new very obvious plot-hole which I cannot spoil here. The plot-hole with the victory fleet has been fixed, but also creates a new plot-hole. Some extra duologue options have been added, but those don't really explain anything especially if you get to the main villain of the game. The ending is still the same and your choices still don't matter. The colored explosions are still there, but are longer. The biggest extra you will get are pictures, yes that's right, pictures of people to make sure that you know that they are still alive and a duologue in the background talking rubbish completely off the subject. The green ending pictures look a little different cause of the green color. There is one new ending, but it's really short and has no explanation on what happened. Basically all your decisions don't matter and only the last decision is still reflected in colors. Enjoy!… Expand
  3. QP-Sizzle
    Nov 19, 2012
    0
    Nothing but a slideshow with some cool concept art. This changes nothing from the already horrible ending. No matter what campaign DLC BioWare may add, the ending nullifies it all making it a pointless waste of time.
  4. lets_play
    Jun 28, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Terrible! The "explanations" of things that people didn't understand in the original ending, were pathetic! They make no sense. In one scene, Bioware managed to destroy everything we (as fans of this series, and its characters) know and have come to love about these characters. Throughout the entire game, one of the most prevalent themes was, the relationship with your squadmates (that all races can work together, while overcoming racism.....) but on a higher level you, as the antagonist, develop bonds with each of these characters that transcends all else. Conversation after conversation we see that these characters continue to care more and more for each other, and would walk to the ends of the Earth for one another. Time and time again we see that these characters have the opportunity to either not come with and aid you, but some even have the opportunity to leave, in the 3rd game, but they all choose to come with, to stand by your side at the time you need them the most. We hear them talk about the possibility that they may not come back, it's a realization fully realized. Heck, by the time the last battle takes place, most of the crew has already gone through a suicide mission with you!!! Then, at the moment of truth, injured sure, Shepard calls for an evac, and they LEAVE???? What the WHAT??? No way that happens, NO WAY Garrus leaves you to handle this on your own!
    Forget, for a second, the intense bond the characters all share (by the end of ME3) and remember that in previous battles, when your squadmates stood by your side, there was always the option to cut out and live another day. In the final battle of ME3, this was it! If they don't get the crucible fired, it's game over! So I'm expected to believe that, even though both squadmates could still walk, that because Shep is worried about the chances of their survival so he orders the evac, that they just say ok and leave, and leave the fate of all their races to one man? Wouldn't they fight till the death, like they all stated they'd do, to make sure that they did everything they possible could to stop the reapers? Sorry, this just makes no sense to me.
    Another thing that irritated me, was the cheesy still picutres, thanks for that, it looked ridiculous! And thanks, Bioware, for explaining Shepard's fate! So he's on the Citidel, it gets blown to hell and he survives, HOW??? That would have been an excellent thing to let us know about, because it makes no sense! Where is he when he takes that breath, how did he survive??? And in the original ME3 ending we see the mass Relays completely destroyed, but now only damaged? And we either hear or see that they can be fixed, aw.....how warm and fuzzy!
    What a farce, Bioware this is a FAIL! Should have had the integrity to leave the ending how they originally made it (make no mistake, these additions were not originally planned, if they were they would have been in the game from day one, no reason they wouldn't be), and left it to our imaginations like, I believe was the intent. I know what I came up with is MUCH better than being spoon-fed this crap!    … Expand
  5. gamer_boy
    Jun 28, 2012
    0
    Abomination! Should have left it alone and kept their integrity. I feel the answers we got, were cheap and really made no sense. Bioware played to the lowest common denominator and put out an insulting piece of DLC, while at the same time selling out what was left of their integrity. Boo!!!
  6. freakofgames
    Jun 28, 2012
    0
    HUH??? Some answers questions, some left more confusing than ever. Should have left it alone. IT, made much more sense, Bioware was handed an out and chose to ignore it and instead hand it's fans this pile of garbage!
  7. turrian_terror
    Jun 28, 2012
    0
    Why Bioware, WHY????? I wish I never downloaded this. Unfortunately, it's like witnessing an horrific accident, it's something you can't unsee!!!!!!
  8. Luxangel7
    Jun 28, 2012
    0
    The extended cut doesn't deserve to be fully reviewed. It literally made the horrible ending of ME3 WORSE. If I ever run into Casy Hudson or Mac Walters on the street I will hurl rotten eggs at them. 2gigabytes of download and almost 80% of it is locked content for future dlc purchase. Congratulations on killing your own franchise Bioware.
  9. aidanpscott
    Feb 12, 2019
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This DLC, while it does flesh the original endings out and explains them a bit better, does not make the endings that much better. I'm going to go through exactly why that is.

    Let's start with the best possible ending you have:

    - Destroy (Red): The reason why THIS is the best possible ending is because 1) you accomplished your goal of destroying the reapers and end their threat to the galaxy once and for all and 2) Shepard lives. The reason why this ending is still bad is because in order to destroy the reapers, you are actively required to genocide all synthetic life in the galaxy and that include the geth and your friend and companion, EDI. One of the few truly great moments of the campaign is when you finally broker peace between the quarians and the geth. This decision is COMPLETELY nullified by this ending.

    - Control (Blue): In this ending, Shepard sacrifices himself/herself and his DNA is copied and transferred into the crucible to create an AI that has Shepard's entire personally. Shepard takes control of the reapers, ends the war, and builds the mass relays. The reason this ending sucks is 1) Shepard dies and 2) Shepard becomes the de facto dictator of the galaxy. The reapers become his/her police force and he will regulate the galaxy based on whoever he was and whoever he used to be. As Shepard puts it, he/she will "watch over them." Anyone who values their freedom, free will, or just simply wants to be left alone will immediately recoil at this decision.

    3) Synthesis (Green): What used to be the worst possible ending, Synthesis has Shepard jump into a vat of energy where his/her molecules are broken down and merged with the energy of the crucible. It is dispersed throughout the galaxy and all organic and synthetic life are merged together to form one unified species. This ending is bad in several ways. 1) Shepard dies 2) it's space magic. It doesn't make sense how by dissolving your tissue and spreading it around the galaxy turns everyone and everything into a machine hybrid. It's plain dumb. 3) This decision you make is FORCED upon everyone in the galaxy. Mass Effect is a series about choice, about how the right choices will benefit you and the wrong choices will harm you and those you care about. This decision is in complete opposition to the series' main theme. You are forcing a decision onto organic and synthetic life regardless of whether or not they want it or don't want it, similar to the problem with the Control ending, it's force and that's bad. 4) Free Will dies. The inevitable consequence of merging organic beings with machines is that they will no longer have the right/capacity to truly make their own decisions. They will only act as their programming permits. This is the consequence of this choice. As all are unified into a single species, the individual dies and becomes part of a hive-mind, and the individual cannot make decisions that benefit himself/herself at the expense of the good of the rest. This is another type of authoritarianism that any freedom loving person should and would detest. 5)

    - Refusal (You lose): This ending was put in to slap anyone in the face who still refused to accept any of the endings. Any sane person would, by the way, but the writers wanted to push that nail a little deeper by creating this middle-finger of an ending. This ending is what happens if Shepard refuses to make any of the choices. You choose to end the war on your terms. What happens? The reapers win, all advanced life in the galaxy dies, and the reapers win again. Some 50,000 years later, the next generation of advanced life finds Liara's memory box thing and find the schematics to the crucible. They use it and make the decision you refused to make, and in the end, your decision not only got everyone killed, but didn't even matter. This is the worst possible ending!

    These ending fundamentally destroy the Mass Effect trilogy. Every decision you make is meaningless and has little to no affect on what happens. All the endings are so bad and were so poorly received that any hope for a a mass effect game that takes place after Mass Effect 3 is slim to none. Mass Effect lost a huge portion of its fanbase and BioWare needs to get them back to revive the greatness this franchise once had. The only way they could possibly do it is if they redid the endings completely. Sadly, that will likely never happen, but if it does, I, and many others, are willing to forgive the other serious problems Mass effect 3 had if only to have the opportunity for a satisfying conclusion to a dearly beloved franchise that leaves open the possibility for excellent potential stories that take place in the future of this amazing science-fiction universe.

    The original endings, before the extended cut DLC, are a 1/10. This ending distinguishes them and explains them so that they are easier to understand, while they are indeed an improvement, they do not make the endings any better. Final verdict: 3/10.    … Expand

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  1. Game Revolution
    Jun 27, 2012
    90
    The most important aspect of the Extended Cut DLC is that BioWare didn't have to make it, nor did they have to make it for free. They could have crossed their arms and refused to change anything, but they instead acknowledged some of their fans' complaints and ultimately made the ending better.
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