Mass Effect 3

 Xbox 360
User Score
6.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 3849 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,035 out of 3849
  2. Mixed: 461 out of 3849
  3. Negative: 1,353 out of 3849
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  1. bigchocolate69
    Jun 28, 2022
    4
    Doesn't hold up to the other Mass Effect titles due to the game being far too linear and a terrible ending.
  2. Capulingo
    Apr 3, 2020
    0
    absolutely **** game had to reload hours of progress for a mission I don't want to
  3. aidanpscott
    Feb 14, 2019
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. To this day, I believe that Mass Effect 3 could have been, and SHOULD have been, one of the greatest games of all time. Instead, what we got was, not only a disappointing sequel, but one of the most disappointing games of all time.

    Let's get the big issue out of the way: the endings. They sucked when they launched and yes, they sucked after the DLC. But everything that can be said about these endings has been said many times over and I don't want to beat a dead horse. Still, if you want to know exactly why, I did a review of the old and new endings in my review of the extended cut DLC on this site as well.

    The reason I don't want to focus on the endings is because, while they are objectively the worst aspect of the game, they are by no means the only bad thing about this game and most people seem to skim over many of the major flaws the game has largely because of how utterly awful the endings were.

    Let's start with the good:

    The multiplayer. While not traditional PvP like most people wanted and were expecting, the wave based multiplayer is a TON of fun and allows you to experiment with different races and class setups you wouldn't get in the campaign. While the single player campaign is severely flawed, there are a ton of really excellent character moments with your squad mates. The Citadel DLC is excellent as well.

    The bad:

    The game was severely rushed (only had 2 years to develop the game) and many of its key staff, including legendary writer Drew Karypshan (lead writer of KotOR) left after Mass Effect 2. Of the 10 writers of Mass Effect 3, only 2 worked on the previous 2 titles and one of them (Mac Walters) is not a particularly good writer. Keep that in mind.

    The single player campaign, while it has some good moments, is filled with plot holes that completely break the world and lore. The dialogue is significantly worse in this game. Not only is most of the dialogue chosen for you without a dialogue wheel, but the neutral option is completely removed from the game and much of the dialogue doesn't make a whole lot of sense. The characters are constantly reference passed events from the previous two games as though you are completely new to the franchise and it is really off-putting.

    Most of the decisions you made in passed games DO NOT MATTER AT ALL and/or are completely thrown out the window as though they do not exist. Some examples: The Rachni Queen decision from Mass Effect 1, you have the chose to either kill her or free her. If you free her, she gets captured by the reapers and is enslaved, forced to give birth to rachni that the reapers turn into husks and force to fight in their armies. Actually, that sounds pretty cool, doesn't it? Well, here's why that's not the case. Let's say you killed her instead, well it doesn't matter because another queen is captured by the reapers to do the same deed. No matter what you did in ME1, the outcome is the same. Your decision did not matter. Other examples include what you did with Maelon's data, what you chose to do with the geth heretics, etc.

    Mass Effect is a game about choice. Aside from the fact that most of your choices did not matter, you are limited in your choices in this game and, in some cases, don't have any choice at all. Mordin, Thane, and Legion all die in this game and while they are good deaths, they are unavoidable. Going back to Mass Effect 2, ME2 is a game where you build a squad and your decisions can either save them or kill them. There is a best-case scenario (everyone lives) and a worse case scenario (everyone, including Shepard, dies). In this game, their is no best case scenario, not truly, and it's a damn shame.

    Cerberus is the villain and, somehow, the Illusive Man is indoctrinated and has been since before Mass Effect 2. This makes no sense as he helped you literally destroy the collector base and ruin the reapers plans. Kai Leng is a deus ex villain with no personality and is only there to provide an artificial challenge for you. Whenever you lose to Kai Leng, bad choices aren't the reason, and good choices don't prevent it. For half the game, you aren't even fighting reapers, you're fighting Cerberus. Why?!

    The game is also tonally inconsistent as it wants to portray the reapers as this invincible, overwhelming doom that can't be defeated by conventional means, but is constantly switching to we can beat the reapers if we work together.

    Many of the games romances are underwhelming or insulting. If you romanced Jacob in ME2, he cheats on you with someone else, which goes against who he is as a character completely (Jacob is honest). Tali's face is revealed as a STOCK PHOTO and not through gameplay. Thane dies, etc.

    I would say more, but this review is limited to 5000 characters only. I'll finish with this: Is Mass Effect 3 an enjoyable game? Yes, absolutely. There's fun to be had. Is Mass Effect 3 a good game? Not even close. Is Mass Effect 3 a bad game? Close enough.    … Expand
  4. MarsCorialanus
    Oct 27, 2017
    0
    For me this game was a major betrayal. I loved Mass effect 1, even its issues had a certain charm to them. Mass effect 2 was more polished and created a much larger universe to be in. Both had amazing characters, cool ideas, and had me thinking ME would be the next Star Trek type of scifi. The world felt like somewhere you could really hang out. And it had challenging ideas about humanityFor me this game was a major betrayal. I loved Mass effect 1, even its issues had a certain charm to them. Mass effect 2 was more polished and created a much larger universe to be in. Both had amazing characters, cool ideas, and had me thinking ME would be the next Star Trek type of scifi. The world felt like somewhere you could really hang out. And it had challenging ideas about humanity and diversity and extremism.
    Mass Effect 3 was awful... it was dumbed down, the story felt U.S Ra Ra, and overall it spat in the face of its previous fans by giving them a really terrible pay off. What should have been an epic climax was instead a wet fart. Its not just the ending that sucked by the way, the whole campaign was poorly constructed. It felt like a whole other series. It was more like Gears of War than the Mass Effect RPG I had come to love. I like to pretend that there never was a third game so that it doesn't taint the other two.    … Expand
  5. Polymuter
    Dec 3, 2016
    2
    I'm not sure how Mass Effect 3 received as much acclaim as it did. It looked liked this game was created by a bunch of Gears of War developers working a second job. The writing was even worse.
  6. Not_Casual
    Feb 4, 2016
    0
    A royal turd encrusted with old age in the hot sun would provide more entertainment than this abysmal, untested insult to the name mass effect. Having played one and two, this one is utterly unplayable due to bugs, horrific map design, and an ignorant philosophy toward difficulty.
  7. ireviewthings1
    Jun 4, 2015
    3
    First they have the audacity to lock a living Prothean (a ancient superior race gone extinct that is absolutely vital core of the story line of the trilogy) behind day one / preorder DLC.
    Then.... wow EA you are the worst, the have the guts to lock the CONTEXTUALIZATION OF WHERE THE REAPERS ARE FROM AND WHY THE REAPERS ARE ACTUALLY DOING WHAT THEY ARE DOING behind a DLC paywall as well.    First they have the audacity to lock a living Prothean (a ancient superior race gone extinct that is absolutely vital core of the story line of the trilogy) behind day one / preorder DLC.
    Then.... wow EA you are the worst, the have the guts to lock the CONTEXTUALIZATION OF WHERE THE REAPERS ARE FROM AND WHY THE REAPERS ARE ACTUALLY DOING WHAT THEY ARE DOING behind a DLC paywall as well. This is utterly inexcusable. Three full price games and you still put the answer to maybe the most vital questions of the whole saga into DLC. Shame on you EA and shame on you Bioware for selling your soul.
    And yes... the end still makes no sense.

    I love the Mass Effect Trilogy. It is the best stuff Bioware has created in the last 13 years. The Universe and Lore is so good, they could really establish it for a long time and make it a real sci-fi classic. Mass Effect 3 is a very good game on it's own. A RPG actually true to the term role playing game mixed with cover based shooting. Hard to rate this game on it's own without considering how the parts integrate from one to the next. If you have not played the parts before 3 then don't bother.    … Expand
  8. witness1791
    Dec 22, 2014
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. ME2 is a great game. ME3 is an appalling disappointment.
    Cut scenes are excessive in number and in length.
    One (in Tuchanka tower) seemed to last about 20 minutes.
    I didn't time it, and I wouldn't want to repeat it to do so.
    Battles are long and monotonous.
    EA should either fire their B-team or should make up their minds whether they wish to sell video games or 3rd-rate boring sci-fi movies.    … Expand
  9. Gamer84
    May 27, 2014
    4
    This game RUINED 3 games, time invested into the choices of my characters, my xbox 360 and entire videogame console experience. I will for now stick to playing MMO's.
  10. Khaosom
    Apr 8, 2014
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'm not going to be like alot of people and sugar coat anything. I rated this game fairly low compared to the first two in the series for multiple reasons which will be described here. The game plays just like Mass Effect 2 with an upgraded melee system which isn't a bad thing. Second thing, which is why I didn't rate the game entirely horrid, is the level system changes. Instead of straight skills you no have more choices in how your skills level, if they inflict higher damage or last longer or even have a larger radius. Now on to the part I'm sure most have heard by now but if like me was still hopeful was wrong. Apparently there are multiple endings to the game, but from what I've seen NOTHING you've done in the game or previous others makes a difference, aside from finishing the crucible. At the end of the game no matter how big of a galactic fleet you've acquired, who you have on your side, the side quests you've finished, who lived in part 1 and 2, you're put with 2 choices(from what I've heard pre update was 3) the choices are destroy ALL mechancal life including yourself, or kill yourself and take control of the reapers. Yes in the previous two games the choices are kind of an illusion, that don't have a direct impact, but in this game the choices have no impact. I don't mind them killing off you're character, ending the series, just so they can't pull a Halo, but it would have been nice to have a game where you can win with a third choice of killing the reapers using your own fleet, since apparently all the reapers moved to earth. The second choice for the ending of taking over the reapers is a mind rape to me because apparently you become the Catalyst which was you're objective to find the entire game, and in doing so remain sentient on The Citadel, yet no one can speak to you or know you're there after that. The issue here is that the original Catalyst, the creator of the reapers, is speaking to you, giving you your two choices. So it telling me that I become it yet can't communicate like it does was a huge let down. Aside from this there are several other major things that could have been an ending to the game that would have worked, part 2 and 3 never happened I'll list them here... The first is part 2 and 3 never happened, at the end of part 3 you awaken after being saved from dying in space from the Collector attack on the normandy in part 2. Second is similar but instead of part 2 also being a dream only part 3 is and you awake in a reaper controlled facility and part 3 is an attempt to Indoctrinate Shephard. Third is this game is a dream that you're having while the Alliance tries to figure out how Cerebus rebuilt you in part two.

    All this being said, Bioware really dropped the ball with this game, which honestly seems to have become a forte of the company with their games, see Dragon Age origins, and dragon age 2.    … Expand
  11. Spidercolt
    Aug 27, 2013
    2
    A huge disappointment. The game was clearly put together in a rush and EA made it blatantly obvious, if you have been following the Mass Effect series since the first game then you will know that it is a very well written space drama that got you immersed within the first hour of playing the first 2 games yet whilst playing Mass Effect 3 the immersion was destroyed on numerous occasions byA huge disappointment. The game was clearly put together in a rush and EA made it blatantly obvious, if you have been following the Mass Effect series since the first game then you will know that it is a very well written space drama that got you immersed within the first hour of playing the first 2 games yet whilst playing Mass Effect 3 the immersion was destroyed on numerous occasions by various mistakes e.g. sprites that have been placed that have no reason for being there and on one occasion a sprite that just walked around in circles.

    I wouldn't suggest this game to anyone as I know it is a poorly made third-person and its bad enough to make fans of the previous games cry.    … Expand
  12. locsphere
    Aug 1, 2013
    0
    The ending was terrible. Even more frustrating was the companies response and lack of care. I could go on and on about the lackluster ending and the fact that even with the Extended Cut it doesn't do your character justice. He has defied the odds only to die. Another Trinity type character. They kill Shepard off, bring him back, just to kill him off again.

    BioWare says they're    The ending was terrible. Even more frustrating was the companies response and lack of care. I could go on and on about the lackluster ending and the fact that even with the Extended Cut it doesn't do your character justice. He has defied the odds only to die. Another Trinity type character. They kill Shepard off, bring him back, just to kill him off again.

    BioWare says they're listening... As long as its what they want to hear.    … Expand
  13. throwaway15
    Jul 26, 2013
    0
    Casey Hudson ruined Mass Effect. The ending is terrible, but the combat mechanics are simply awful. Tapping a button to get into and out of cover is buggy and more often than not doesn't do what you need it to. The third person camera does a terrible job of maintaining a clear view and often clips into the wall. Mass effect 3 is a perfect example of how EA ruins games. It is no wonder theCasey Hudson ruined Mass Effect. The ending is terrible, but the combat mechanics are simply awful. Tapping a button to get into and out of cover is buggy and more often than not doesn't do what you need it to. The third person camera does a terrible job of maintaining a clear view and often clips into the wall. Mass effect 3 is a perfect example of how EA ruins games. It is no wonder the founders of BioWare quit during the resulting Mass Effect 3 outrage from the players. It is silly really a game marketed as allowing you to tell your own story was ruined because an egotistical (seriously, go look at his web page), childish Casey Hudson wanted to end the story his way denying players what they loved about the game. Like a petulant child, Casey Hudson locked out the other writers to make his own ending and as an EA employee put it, "it shows". Couldn't agree more. Way to alienate a core fan base, tarnish what was a successful IP, and further prove to players why EA cannot be trusted. Even the extended DLC content doesn't fix the plot holes in the ending. It is simply a few more lame slides, that don't really improve anything.… Expand
  14. Jerik02
    Jul 26, 2013
    0
    Casey Hudson ruined Mass Effect. The ending is terrible, but the combat mechanics are simply awful. Tapping a button to get into and out of cover is buggy and more often than not doesn't do what you need it to. The third person camera does a terrible job of maintaining a clear view and often clips into the wall. Mass effect 3 is a perfect example of how EA ruins games. It is no wonder theCasey Hudson ruined Mass Effect. The ending is terrible, but the combat mechanics are simply awful. Tapping a button to get into and out of cover is buggy and more often than not doesn't do what you need it to. The third person camera does a terrible job of maintaining a clear view and often clips into the wall. Mass effect 3 is a perfect example of how EA ruins games. It is no wonder the founders of BioWare quit during the resulting Mass Effect 3 outrage from the players. It is silly really a game marketed as allowing you to tell your own story was ruined because an egotistical (seriously, go look at his web page), childish Casey Hudson wanted to end the story his way denying players what they loved about the game. Like a petulant child, Casey Hudson locked out the other writers to make his own ending and as an EA employee put it, "it shows". Couldn't agree more. Way to alienate a core fan base, tarnish what was a successful IP, and further prove to players why EA cannot be trusted. Even the extended DLC content doesn't fix the plot holes in the ending. It is simply a few more lame slides, that don't really improve anything.… Expand
  15. doggystyle123
    Jul 24, 2013
    0
    game never buy it is very gay hfejrbv,mjwnvkci8nrwnjekyvtc hunjekmvfygbnhujkml,fvgybjunh'lvfyghuioklhuyijoklp6rftghuyijko6tyhu7koipl;[6tgy789ui0o-pf6gtyhujiokplhuyijokl
  16. MrBlack
    Jul 2, 2013
    0
    I have to say, the first 95% of the game, leading right up to the very last 15min or so, was excellent. Gameplay was improved, and I actually enjoyed the war asset strategy much as I had enjoyed the overall structure of Mass Effect 2. And this is why it is so astonishing how the final sequence is all it takes to make this very good game into a very bad one. All the excitement that had beenI have to say, the first 95% of the game, leading right up to the very last 15min or so, was excellent. Gameplay was improved, and I actually enjoyed the war asset strategy much as I had enjoyed the overall structure of Mass Effect 2. And this is why it is so astonishing how the final sequence is all it takes to make this very good game into a very bad one. All the excitement that had been building up over the course of the game, and also it's two predecessors, is extinguished immediately and in the worst way, leaving you with the inescapable feeling of being ripped off. The worst part is that there is absolutely no closure to any aspect of the story. The ending didn't just ruin Mass Effect 3, it ruined the entire series. For this, I can not justify any other score.… Expand
  17. houyi111
    Apr 30, 2013
    0
    The game has been out for over a year, long enough for me to recover and think how do I rate this game. To be honest, I want to give this game a 10 before the ending, i still remembered how exciting when playing the last mission on earth and how emotional I got towards the final push. Then the original ending, which is total crap and I want to give the game a -10 after finished the gameThe game has been out for over a year, long enough for me to recover and think how do I rate this game. To be honest, I want to give this game a 10 before the ending, i still remembered how exciting when playing the last mission on earth and how emotional I got towards the final push. Then the original ending, which is total crap and I want to give the game a -10 after finished the game the first time, it deserved a negative score. the ending made me depressed and lost interesting in playing games for months, the reaction and PR bxx**** from bioware towards ending and fans was just disgusting and made me sick. For me, the ending was just rushed, no excuse, no deep meaning behind it. if a video game can give me so much negative feelings, i can only rate it with negative score, in this case, a zero.… Expand
  18. arnror
    Apr 10, 2013
    0
    Oh my dear gaming-god(Tex Murphy)!!
    It's like Elvis would announce his greatest show ever, and then came out on stage naked, fat, drunk, balled, and then urinated on the first row people, slung feces on the rest, gave his finger to all, and then shot all the old people.
    Where did all the talent go, that I trusted with my hopes and dreams for Shepard and his friends. I mean how is this    Oh my dear gaming-god(Tex Murphy)!!
    It's like Elvis would announce his greatest show ever, and then came out on stage naked, fat, drunk, balled, and then urinated on the first row people, slung feces on the rest, gave his finger to all, and then shot all the old people.
    Where did all the talent go, that I trusted with my hopes and dreams for Shepard and his friends.
    I mean how is this possible;
    To write arguably the best story in gaming history(ME1), come up with two of the best bad guys in space(Saren and Sovereign)
    Then go on to make ME2 witch fixed all the problems from the previous game, only lacking bad guys with character.
    And then this.....
    Did they have a stroke, are they smoking crack, did someone replace their head with G.W.B's?

    Now it's all ruined. I cant even replay the first two. Shepard is dead to me now. Why you say??
    BECAUSE YOU'VE KILLED HIM STUPID    … Expand
  19. xcoders
    Mar 28, 2013
    3
    Another dumbed down game gone in the wrong direction just to please the masses, this is just unbelievable, I'm tired of companies just ruining great franchises just because they want money. This is just shameful.
  20. DeeS
    Mar 26, 2013
    0
    My God, this game is so bad. I mean, WTF, is this even real??? Graphics suxxxx monkey balls, no killstreaks, no quick scopez, joke man. This game is garbage PS I didn't play it.
  21. Settlestone
    Mar 22, 2013
    0
    To start off, I've yet to reach the ending of mass effect 3. I assume I'm getting close, 24 hours in or so. I had an idea a month or so ago to play all three in a row, because I forgot what happened in the first two games. So I replayed through the first, loved it, damn fine game. Replayed the second, also sweet, got a bit bored of the planet scanning after awhile, but besides thatTo start off, I've yet to reach the ending of mass effect 3. I assume I'm getting close, 24 hours in or so. I had an idea a month or so ago to play all three in a row, because I forgot what happened in the first two games. So I replayed through the first, loved it, damn fine game. Replayed the second, also sweet, got a bit bored of the planet scanning after awhile, but besides that highly enjoyed it. And then I started 3. I don't honestly understand how this game got such a high review. The entire system was dumbed down, all mini games removed, almost all exploration removed, no characters to gather, silly dream sequence scenes that always end exactly the same. Canned dialogue, removal of REAL side quests and a new, insanely annoying combat system where every single npc strafes at Mach speed. There's so much wrong with this it's hard for me to find anything fun, new or cool. I have no desire to finish the game, Ashley looks like a man, all of my companions are boring, oh, the one binary puzzle level was sort of neat albeit a tad frustrating. As I said I played each concurrently, the second I finished the first I started the second, same with second to third. My score relies on the fact to me, from my perspective, that this was and is a piss poor representation to an up to this point, awesome franchise, I think it's ea.. Btw, once bio signed with them most of their games just haven't been the same.… Expand
  22. Auritone
    Mar 14, 2013
    4
    I... What... This is... I can't... (adopting James Earl Jones voice) NOOOOOOOOO!!!! There simply aren't words that can adequately describe how incredibly disappointed I was with this title. The sheer dumbing and scaling down and utter contrived nonsense of this game simply defies belief. To summarize: The conversation wheel is reduced to mostly two choices, which most of the time are justI... What... This is... I can't... (adopting James Earl Jones voice) NOOOOOOOOO!!!! There simply aren't words that can adequately describe how incredibly disappointed I was with this title. The sheer dumbing and scaling down and utter contrived nonsense of this game simply defies belief. To summarize: The conversation wheel is reduced to mostly two choices, which most of the time are just verbal variations of the very same choice. The Citadel has been reduced to four very small "rooms" which make you feel like you're in a dorm rather than a huge construction floating in space. The story makes little to no sense what so ever (and that's well before one of the worst, most contrived, horribly written, and senseless endings in the history of writing). Side missions consists primarily of Shep playing UPS-guy. Here's how it works: Eavesdrop on total stranger, go to system, scan planet, find object, go back, deliver found object to total stranger, the end. And if you thought Bioware couldn't make scanning planets more absurdly boring than it was in ME2 (where it actually served some kind of purpose), then you're in for a surprise. Imagine playing Tetris with only square blocks which take up the entire grid. That's scanning planets in ME3. You don't really do anything. The shooting levels are extremely linear and makes the whole game feel more like an attempt at a Gears of War clone with longer cutscenes (and a still dysfunctional AI) than Mass Effect. Oh, and did I mention the sheer amount of auto dialogue? Then there's Tali's face... Oh God, how lazy can you get? Then there's the IGN chick. WHAT!? And then there's the ending... You know, the one where all the decisions you made throughout the three games come together and gives you a plethora of different endings? Well, no! No choices you ever made make even one iota of difference. Everybody gets the same three completely ridiculous, contrived, senseless, and grotesquely illogical choices of endings. Remember we were told that the Reapers were beyond human comprehension? Well, it turns out they were right. Noone can possibly comprehend the assenying, senseless stupidity which is the Reapers and the Catalyst (or smurfboy aka deux ex machina).
    To sum up: Mass Effect 3 is a boring 3rd person shooter with long cutscenes and a completely senseless story and one of the worst conclusions ever in gaming history. The only reason I can swing my way up to a four, is the production value which is excellent and the fact that there is actually two missions in this game that has the old Mass Effect feel of choice and consequence. But twice simply isn't enough when we consider that was the whole premiss of the game.
    The story of the Mass Effect franchise is the story of how game companies all now seem to aim for the lowest common denominator (aka "as long as I can shoot stuff and don't have to actually think or do anything, I'm happy") rather than aim for excellence.    … Expand
  23. 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
  24. Fatbastad
    Jan 31, 2013
    3
    This game was FANTASTIC all the way to completing the Cerberus base mission. Then, it crashed and burned. It seemed like they poured their talent and resources into this game and ran out of both before they finished it. Both my wife and I played all three games and we both had the same reaction to the end. What interns made this ending? The concept philosophy of the end was right on theThis game was FANTASTIC all the way to completing the Cerberus base mission. Then, it crashed and burned. It seemed like they poured their talent and resources into this game and ran out of both before they finished it. Both my wife and I played all three games and we both had the same reaction to the end. What interns made this ending? The concept philosophy of the end was right on the mark for a Sci-Fi. But it was poorly poorly executed and the choices you made through out the series were rendered completely irrelevant. My wife and I in 20 minutes could brainstorm a better execution of the ending and still leave their philosophical concept intact. What's their excuse?… Expand
  25. Socratease
    Jan 22, 2013
    1
    First off, i would like to point out that the ending has been talked about to death. So instead of pointing out how it committed story telling suicide (which it did), i`m going to focus on the rest of the game. 1. The Intro. Seriously, WHY would shepard, the renegade badass (in my playthrough) just sit around WAITING for the reapers to arrive for those few months in between ME3 andFirst off, i would like to point out that the ending has been talked about to death. So instead of pointing out how it committed story telling suicide (which it did), i`m going to focus on the rest of the game. 1. The Intro. Seriously, WHY would shepard, the renegade badass (in my playthrough) just sit around WAITING for the reapers to arrive for those few months in between ME3 and arrival? That doesn`t seem very shepard like. And why should i give a sh-- about some random kid?

    Verdict: bad writing.

    2. Cerberus. So, a rogue terrorist organization goes from having only a hundred and fifty members just a few months ago to being the empire of star wars with almost limitless troops.......

    Yeah, sure. tell me another one, casey.

    Verdict: bad writing

    3. Kai-lang. I have never been so annoyed by an emo prick of a video game character as i was by Kai-lang. As razorfist, my favorite youtube reviewer put it: if for the past decade the illusive man had access to a gravity defying emo space ninja with a katana that slices through mother f---ing planets, and with magic plot device powers that allowed him to track the movement of every sentient being in the galaxy, then why in F--K would he resurrect commander shepard?!

    Verdict: bad writing

    4. Harbinger. Did harbinger just say screw it and go on a fishing trip when it came time for the invasion? Why was he portrayed as the ultimate badass reaper in ME2 only to be given a rediculous cameo in ME3?

    Verdict: bad writing

    5. The ''arrival'' of the reapers. Okay, stop me if you`ve heard this one: Why did the reapers cross the void? To get to our galaxy, you gleefully respond. But HOW did they get to our galaxy? That`s right: They couldn`t have. Remember ME1? Remember when we stopped saren from activating the citadel so that the reapers could pour through? Remember the arrival DLC, where we blew up an entire solar system to stop them? So answer me this: if all the posible relays the reapers could have used were destroyed: HOW. IN. FU-- did they get here? Answer: they didn`t. Verdict: laughably bad writing

    6. So the quariens go to war whether you pushed them towards it or not in ME2.

    And the point of having the option to say: good luck in the war, or: The reapers are coming, i`m going to need every ship i can get was.......?

    Verdict: far too heavy an emphasis on the illusion of choice, and not enough emphasis on MEANINGFUL choice.

    7. The god d--n kid. I know this has been voiced at least a million times, but i`m going to say it anyway: why should my character, who has seen hundreds of innocent men, women, and children being liquified into a human reaper give even a marginal sh-- about ONE KID? They might as well have had giant flashing letters on my screen that said: FEEL SAD NOW.

    Verdict: atrocious writing

    And my verdict for the entire game is: Terrible. The most badly written game in the series with the most badly written ending in the history of video game trilogys.

    Don`t buy it. Not even if it`s in the bargain bin. EA doesn`t deserve your money or your time.    … Expand
  26. FierroSuave
    Jan 20, 2013
    4
    I let my Mass Effect 3 experience sit and gestate for nearly a year before I felt I could properly describe the sensations that it evoked. It was a single feeling, it was like somebody with less knowledge of the source material was telling a condensed ending over mouthfuls of hamburger in a high school cafeteria. True there were parts that ended exactly as they should and it played exactlyI let my Mass Effect 3 experience sit and gestate for nearly a year before I felt I could properly describe the sensations that it evoked. It was a single feeling, it was like somebody with less knowledge of the source material was telling a condensed ending over mouthfuls of hamburger in a high school cafeteria. True there were parts that ended exactly as they should and it played exactly like I expected it to with multiplayer in the mix. Just felt as though there was more to the story than fist bumps and Freddie Prinze Jr. would allow,… Expand
  27. JoeLouis3849
    Jan 2, 2013
    0
    This game is everything Mass Effect wasn't. No exploration, now you slowly scan a planet and hope the game will allow you to land on the thing. Combat difficulty is no longer determined by player skill, but enemies who have infinite ammo, immunity to player attacks and can kill the player in 3 hits regardless of level. The storyline seems contrived... The whole game seems to be aboutThis game is everything Mass Effect wasn't. No exploration, now you slowly scan a planet and hope the game will allow you to land on the thing. Combat difficulty is no longer determined by player skill, but enemies who have infinite ammo, immunity to player attacks and can kill the player in 3 hits regardless of level. The storyline seems contrived... The whole game seems to be about collecting resources and trying to bed down one of your teammates. Virgins will get a kick out of that. FPS fans will enjoy the fact that there are little to no RPG elements that require them to use more than .006% of their brains to play this game. RPG fans will dislike this game's lackluster character development system. Me? I hate this game.

    That's right, I used the exact same review from Mass Effect 2. Why? Because if Bioware can't be bothered to improve the game in any way, then I can't be dithered to waste time pretending that I care enough about this abortion to write an all new review.    … Expand
  28. Exur
    Dec 8, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. 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. Bioware not only betrayed their loyal fanbase, they spit in their face.… Expand
  29. souljah77
    Dec 2, 2012
    0
    I loved ME1 and ME2. The story was superb and the gaming experience was fantastic. However, I recently purchased ME3 and after several days of trying to get the disc to work, I've given up and returned it. My low review is not related to the ME3 content or the ending, I never got that far. I spent hours scouring the forums and web for fixes, but ME3 was simply unplayable on my XBOX 360I loved ME1 and ME2. The story was superb and the gaming experience was fantastic. However, I recently purchased ME3 and after several days of trying to get the disc to work, I've given up and returned it. My low review is not related to the ME3 content or the ending, I never got that far. I spent hours scouring the forums and web for fixes, but ME3 was simply unplayable on my XBOX 360 even after the Oct patch. I encountered multiple locking and freezing issues on the first night. Then, I was able to get it to work past the intro but the following day, none of my saved games would load.… Expand
  30. Oxcart
    Nov 18, 2012
    4
    Very few times in gaming history has a title received so much controversy, so much vitriol, and been the subject of the undiluted ire of so many gamers. The source of the fury? The ending to a five-year, three-game story arc that had, by that point, drawn in so many gamers that it had transformed from game series into legend...it had literally undergone the Halo Effect, where anVery few times in gaming history has a title received so much controversy, so much vitriol, and been the subject of the undiluted ire of so many gamers. The source of the fury? The ending to a five-year, three-game story arc that had, by that point, drawn in so many gamers that it had transformed from game series into legend...it had literally undergone the Halo Effect, where an under-the-radar game ends up being such a huge franchise and dynamo of its own that it begins eclipsing itself. But the difference lies in the games: where Halo is a shooter with a lot of story laid into it, Mass Effect is fundamentally a story with a game built through it. Halo would have to try hard to screw up; as long as it provides the action and the intensity, it wins. Mass Effect never had it so easy. But that doesn't forgive what happened with the finale. Mass Effect 3 is, and may well end up being the textbook example of, a game that was set up to be great, only to be destroyed by the marketing department. The original ME laid the groundwork of a story where the player's actions MADE the story, DECIDED the plot, and were the end-all and be-all of the game. There were so many directions for the plot to go, all decided by the player. ME3 was the original ME's evil twin: a game that started off with hundreds of possible threads, only to ultimately file down to a single possible outcome, a game where all of the player's decisions, past and present, were rendered irrelevant. A great game was sacrificed on the altar of Marketing, as they tried to turn Mass Effect into something it wasn't: a mass-appeal shooter. The mutation began in the second installment, as shooter elements began overtaking role-playing elements. We gamers took this in stride, accepting the changes as some streamlining and minor changes (and, truthfully, some of the elements removed or changed were never our favorites). But something else happened: the storytelling began to be streamlined and dumbed-down as well. ME3 just finished ME2's trajectory -- straight into the dirt. In the quest for money (by trying to appeal to the largest audience), they converted Mass Effect into a nearly-brainless shooter, one which was loosely tied together with story in the game, and required story-seekers to look outside the game for real content -- they turned it into Halo: a game with a massive backstory that is only visible in the game if you know to look for it. Of course, all of this was prior to the Extended Cut DLC -- the amazing concession the gaming industry made to the Voice of the Gamers...which, really, was just placating enough to keep the masses of gamers from taking their beloved money elsewhere. EA knew it was in danger of alienating millions of money dispensers, and sought to make enough amends to avoid losing that cash. Overall, however, after all the changes the game has undergone, while it's still not particularly worthy of the Mass Effect mantle, ME3 is no longer the total pariah it had been. Decisions are back to having some value, and the previously-mandatory mobile game's value has been decreased, bringing fate back into the hands of the game...mostly. I held off on writing a review of this game when the Extended Cut was announced, otherwise it would've been another "boycott EA" pitchforks-and-torches rant. Now, while I'm still not pleased with the game's conclusion, it's not horrible, either, and at least does enough of a job to warrant a mediocre rating. Taken on its own, perhaps it would be considered a better game. But that's not possible. ME3 is part of a series, and a heavily connected series at that. If one of the Halo games had been a dud, it wouldn't significantly impact the others or the series as a whole; they just fix it next time, and judging it against its peers is unnecessary. But ME3 has to be held against the standards set by its predecessors...and it doesn't. Compared to the games that came before, ME3 just doesn't have what it takes to stand alongside. No matter what changes they made to the ending, it will always be a step behind. Thanks, Marketing department. Next time, stay out of the development process.… Expand
  31. WindAeris
    Oct 27, 2012
    1
    It's highly repetitive, has no real values, and doesn't serve a point. I am greatly disappointed. I didn't see a value in the game play, it seemed more of shooting things, end of the world, we need to get a move on it. It tries too hard to imply the severity of the situation.
  32. FLovegrove009
    Oct 15, 2012
    2
    I liked the first installment pretty well; and the second STILL stands as one of the most enjoyable gaming experiences I've had; it showed remarkable improvements from the first in terms of character (richer back-stories, more dialogue), better pacing (no endless roams on the dune-buggy, the mining was maybe tedious but brief), and streamlined game-play (shooting, squad orders; no wonkyI liked the first installment pretty well; and the second STILL stands as one of the most enjoyable gaming experiences I've had; it showed remarkable improvements from the first in terms of character (richer back-stories, more dialogue), better pacing (no endless roams on the dune-buggy, the mining was maybe tedious but brief), and streamlined game-play (shooting, squad orders; no wonky upgrades/menus). This installment started out ... amiss. By the time I reached Rannoch and attempted FAR TOO MANY TIMES to dispatch the Reaper on even the easiest setting (only doing so as a last and final resort, and dying my first two and final attempts barely getting a shot off). So I've quit. I don't know what else to say about it that hasn't already been said. I DO HOPE that EA/Bioware etc. take the time to carefully look into the feedback they've gotten from the fans regarding this franchise and take it to heart... somehow that seems a bit futile too.… Expand
  33. Necrotaur
    Sep 9, 2012
    3
    I score reviews based on how I feel about the game after finishing it, and it is very, very difficult to see past the terrible ending, multiple plot holes, and the utterly stupid "big reveal" of the Reaper's motives in Mass Effect 3. The ending, coupled with the Day 1 DLC (which is wrong no matter how you spin it) really leaves a bad taste in my mouth. The way it's presented makes noI score reviews based on how I feel about the game after finishing it, and it is very, very difficult to see past the terrible ending, multiple plot holes, and the utterly stupid "big reveal" of the Reaper's motives in Mass Effect 3. The ending, coupled with the Day 1 DLC (which is wrong no matter how you spin it) really leaves a bad taste in my mouth. The way it's presented makes no sense whatsoever and runs completely counter to the idea that your choices throughout the game matter. The ME series spans 5+ years of generally excellent media, and for it to end in a three way deus ex machina like it did is just mind blowing. It sucks saying that, because the 90% of the game leading up to the end is really, really good, even if it played more like a 'best of' compilation than a completely new game. A quick note about the multiplayer: it's *kind of* good, but in other ways it's really, really bad. Gameplay wise it's a fun (if overpowered), Halo-esque shooter, but the community is beyond terrible, kicking players who are just starting out or have a low N7 score, and verbally berating those who either do too well or too poorly. Also, based on what happened to Mercenaries 2 when EA shut down it's servers, I have little hope for the future of ME3.… Expand
  34. Wiffyjustus
    Aug 27, 2012
    1
    The journey over all three games was fantastic. The destination sucked. I loved this game, until I got to the end. I respect Bioware's adherence to their 'artistic vision', but I whole-heartedly disagree with it. The endings felt like a spit in the face to all the hours invested in this series by the consumer. It must be worse for those who worked tirelessly on this series to see suchThe journey over all three games was fantastic. The destination sucked. I loved this game, until I got to the end. I respect Bioware's adherence to their 'artistic vision', but I whole-heartedly disagree with it. The endings felt like a spit in the face to all the hours invested in this series by the consumer. It must be worse for those who worked tirelessly on this series to see such negative fan reaction. Sadly, I believe the negative reaction is warranted.… Expand
  35. YHWH
    Aug 26, 2012
    0
    Space gay waifu simulator 2012 edition.
  36. ferarco1
    Aug 24, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Mass Effect 3: Mass Disappointment
    The game controls and AI are average but this series was living on the story so what have they done...ruined that too, bioware lied time and time again, insted of supporting the fans they spit in face of anyone who gave a damm for the series, the ending does not reflect any choices you have made, if anyone played ME1 and ME2 with imported characters in the end of ME3 it doesnt count for nothing, the choices you made are irrelevant because in the end you have to choose from 4possible outcomes and guess what you die in all of them and you stay witlh more doubts because so much is left unsplained.

    But Bioware seeing this as lauched a DLC ( because everyone in EA belives that everybody who bought de game has the console conected to the internet... ) and guess what insted of making something usefull like adressing what the comunity has said, no...its the same thing but now adicional slides of information without changing nothing...the gamers for whom you made a DLC did not wanted a narration, just a decent closure, and for the users who said they liked the game as it was, the delivering of the DLC proves that bioware realized the crap they did...but even knowing they still insisted on it...

    this is the ultimate insult to anyone who played since the first game and invested hours and hours in it, and for those who play mass effect 3 for the first time without de previous game its mediocre because this series lived on the story and not in the controls, people can say the motion capture is this and sound is that, anyone in this time and after all these years in corrent generation of consoles expects no less...what is to be expected is a good game and a good history from a company that brougt us games like KOTOR almost a decade ago and now fails to provide...a game to avoid    … Expand
  37. norborb
    Aug 16, 2012
    0
    A watered down experience with many cut corners, Mass Effect 3 needed to be something better. A rushed production, on disc DLC, and strong handed DRM are not acceptable. The Mass Effect trilogy could have really been more than this.
  38. OverLordLuigi
    Aug 12, 2012
    4
    This game is some of the worst work Bioware has done. For a game focused on decision making, there isn't that many decisions in most cases you are only granted 2 options that are obviously Renegade or Paragon choices and nothing neutral. Very rarely do you even get a 3rd option in dialogue. There are also less RPG elements than before making this game more of a 3rd person shooter than anThis game is some of the worst work Bioware has done. For a game focused on decision making, there isn't that many decisions in most cases you are only granted 2 options that are obviously Renegade or Paragon choices and nothing neutral. Very rarely do you even get a 3rd option in dialogue. There are also less RPG elements than before making this game more of a 3rd person shooter than an RPG. The new squad members were not nearly as interesting as the previous ones. Finally the two worst parts the ending which the extended cut did not fix that well you, just get a 5 minute slideshow and of course **** day 1 DLC .… Expand
  39. BlackPhoton
    Aug 1, 2012
    4
    Save your money and don't make the same mistake I did buying this game. If your a fan you will rip your hair out after playing this game, but if you are a newcomer play ME1, ME2 and imagine that this game never existed. If you have bought the game DO NOT BUY From Ashes DLC. It isn't worth the price and if you play this game on PC you can unlock the character from the ''From Ashes'' DLCSave your money and don't make the same mistake I did buying this game. If your a fan you will rip your hair out after playing this game, but if you are a newcomer play ME1, ME2 and imagine that this game never existed. If you have bought the game DO NOT BUY From Ashes DLC. It isn't worth the price and if you play this game on PC you can unlock the character from the ''From Ashes'' DLC with notepad.

    Reasons you will hate this game:

    1 - It turns away from Sci-Fi and goes to space magic.

    2 - All the decisions you made in previous games won't matter.

    3 - Too much auto dialogue from start to finish.

    4 - Boring side missions, those side mission are all the same and pointless.

    5 - No more than six or seven crew members.

    6 - Reapers look and function differently than in previous games.

    7 - Major plot-holes.

    8 - No original missions.

    9 - Multiplayer that is worth playing long as it gets dlc's every month.

    10 - Duologue options are useless, people will often answer the same way to your all duologue options, same with Shepard.

    12 - The ending is very unoriginal, contradicts the franchise and contains a lot of space magic.

    In a nutshell this should have been called Little Effect 3 and the Extended Cut DLC doesn't make a difference.    … Expand
  40. Raider24
    Aug 1, 2012
    4
    As much as I love the ME series I couldnt help but feel like I wasted hours playing all 3 games. ME 3 was a good game. I thought it was solid all around and it kept me entertain and for people not to like it is crazy. I love seeing all the characters from previous games come back to light in this one. But the reason I gave this game a low score was the ending. I can't believe that BioWareAs much as I love the ME series I couldnt help but feel like I wasted hours playing all 3 games. ME 3 was a good game. I thought it was solid all around and it kept me entertain and for people not to like it is crazy. I love seeing all the characters from previous games come back to light in this one. But the reason I gave this game a low score was the ending. I can't believe that BioWare would chose the ending that they did. Then to put out the extended cut and yet still leaves you like the "What the F***!" Its a great game until the ending that killed the whole series!… Expand
  41. NateStC
    Jul 24, 2012
    3
    While the story, voice acting, and cinematics may be great, it still doesn't make up for the fact that as a game it is horrible. In ME2 they went for a more tactical combat approach and it worked. This time they tried to throw in some Gears of War style faced paced action into the combat and it completely screwed everything up. Every battle field is littered with cover that your characterWhile the story, voice acting, and cinematics may be great, it still doesn't make up for the fact that as a game it is horrible. In ME2 they went for a more tactical combat approach and it worked. This time they tried to throw in some Gears of War style faced paced action into the combat and it completely screwed everything up. Every battle field is littered with cover that your character gets on the wrong side of half the time, and there is so much debris it makes it nearly impossible to navigate, even outside of combat. To make things even more difficult, the controls are clunky, making it even further difficult to move anywhere.
    Another thing that ruined the tactical combat is that in half of the combat scenarios, you have enemies flanking simultaneously from literally every direction, making it nearly impossible to stay alive even on the easier combat settings.
    Every single combat situation is nothing more than a clusterf***.
    There are tons of side missions, which I love! But alas, they screwed that up as well. There is so much dialogue it is impossible to keep track and even decipher all the tasks you're given. The mission journal offers little to no information on objectives, and don't ever update as you progress.
    This is an incredibly disappointing game. Were I to hold it up against the other games in this franchise, I'd have to give it a 1 out of 10. But to be fair I've graded it on it's own, not up to the hype or expected greatness Bioware commands. Ultimately the game feels unfinished. They focused so much on the dialogue and story it feels like they only got half way through testing the actual gameplay then shipped it to market. I can't imagine it is even fixable through patch. Shame on you EA and Bioware for such a pathetic display.    … Expand
  42. Hugh5031
    Jul 23, 2012
    0
    Mass Effect 3 is a great game, that I believe is wrongfully hated on. The reason for this is simple, it changed genres. While the first game was a fully-fledged RPG, the combat mechanics in the first game were sloppy, and in the next game gameplay was vastly improved, but RPG elements were toned down. This left hardcore RPG fans unhappy, This third game definitely has the best gameplay inMass Effect 3 is a great game, that I believe is wrongfully hated on. The reason for this is simple, it changed genres. While the first game was a fully-fledged RPG, the combat mechanics in the first game were sloppy, and in the next game gameplay was vastly improved, but RPG elements were toned down. This left hardcore RPG fans unhappy, This third game definitely has the best gameplay in the series, for the overpowered particle rifle to the addictive Scorpion, but less RPG elements than ever before. Don't let this fool you though, the story is as good as ever, with some truly awesome moments and payoffs, a surprisingly good multiplayer, and plenty of visits from old characters. I would highly recommend playing the series the whole way through, but don't expect the RPG experience in each game, but come in expecting in this third game an awesome action game with RPG elements. Also, the ending wasn't one i particularly liked, but didn't detract as much from the game as the vocal minority say, especially with the extended cut endings. Free DLC in this game is awesome, considering it is an EA game. Overall, I'd rate this game a clean 9.5 and definitely recommend the series to anyone looking for an awesome story that they'll remember for years to come.… Expand
  43. finan
    Jul 13, 2012
    1
    I could not wait to play this game. I was pretty much disapointed from the begging. Adding a cheesy multi player mode and linking to to the single player campain just sucked. As for the ending.. Even with the extended cut it just plain sucked.
  44. Udead4
    Jul 8, 2012
    4
    Overall the game was very disappointing for me, and this is sad because I have played the other 2 ME games and consider myself a Mass Effect fan (maybe it should be considered). A few parts were very well done and this is what made the game bearable for me. The Tuchanka and Rannoch mission chains were the games saving grace and the writing was in most cases stellar. Which makes theOverall the game was very disappointing for me, and this is sad because I have played the other 2 ME games and consider myself a Mass Effect fan (maybe it should be considered). A few parts were very well done and this is what made the game bearable for me. The Tuchanka and Rannoch mission chains were the games saving grace and the writing was in most cases stellar. Which makes the debacle at the end of the game even harder to understand. The ending was nothing short of a travesty. It took away my desire to replay the game and even the other two games. When a game does that I would consider a 4 a very generous score...… Expand
  45. MigueelDnd
    Jul 8, 2012
    1
    Poor gameplay, decision taking, writing and innovation. The saving of the game are probably the graphics, which when weighted against the bad things of the game, don't seem to get the score up. No entitlement in the decisions you take. Bad and uninspired characters that decline the quality of the storytelling. A really bad game, overall.
  46. ClockworkSpec
    Jul 7, 2012
    3
    I looked forward to this game with a lot of anticipation. I got nervous about it when I played the demo, and unfortunately it was a sign of what the actual game was going the be like. Bioware/EA really phoned it in in much of this game and particularly in the ending, even after the EC DLC. They failed to match many of the premisses they made for content and atmosphere in the game. TheI looked forward to this game with a lot of anticipation. I got nervous about it when I played the demo, and unfortunately it was a sign of what the actual game was going the be like. Bioware/EA really phoned it in in much of this game and particularly in the ending, even after the EC DLC. They failed to match many of the premisses they made for content and atmosphere in the game. The original ME was amazing and by far the best of the three games, EA is a slow acting poison killing Bioware, it is really a shame. If it were not for a few moments in the game that actually felt genuine and thought through I would be giving this game a zero.… Expand
  47. crystal3001
    Jul 5, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I reserved my judgement till the EC was out. It's out and I will never buy another game from Bioware. Period. Here is why.

    At first I could not even load my Shepards into the game because of the Character Transfer bugs. I ended up needing to use a fan work around and an empty USB drive even to get my Shepard into the game. To date the only fix they've given us just removes the error message for some fans, myself included on two faces. Still not fixed and still bugged to all hell.

    So then I started out my game and the issues kept piling on. I noticed the auto-dialogue, being down to two conversation choices, MP being required to get all the endings, etc. I'm sure you've read them in numerous other posts before. Yeah combat's nice and all, but I don't play a Bioware game for combat. I play their games for a rich background world and characters I'm going to love for years. I know they reuse plots, but I thoroughly enjoy the company while I play them. The endings, that they took whole cloth from Deux Ex, destroy that ride. Every time I fire up the Xbox to play one of my other Shepards, I find it doesn't matter. I know how it'll end. Saving the Council or not. Recruiting people or not. Doing anything in the three games really has no bearing whatsoever on the last choice. That is why I think the endings do a great disservice to a series lauded for choices. Nothing really matters other then the very last one, which are all the same as long as your score is high enough. I think I could have been okay with some of the EC, if Bioware didn't give us all a giant FU as the 'new' ending. Destroy, where Shepard does not act like a mindless zombie like the others. This new ending is nothing more the Casey saying FU to the fans about changing his very flawed endings. So I'm done with Bioware and anything with Casey Hudson's name on it.    … Expand
  48. Jey-Jane
    Jul 3, 2012
    4
    Overall the game was Ok. Not as exiting as I expected.... But the ending just killed it completely. There are enough said on the ending, so I'm not going to repeat it all. Just say that I would rate it much either if ending wasn't so scrued up.
  49. maltizar
    Jul 3, 2012
    1
    Okay... if you hadn't noticed, playing this game, you'll either love it and be annoyed by the people that hate it or love it and hate the game and be annoyed by the people who love it.

    One of the major requirements is the experience of the previous two games which means it's not all that great of a stand alone game. The ending is not for everybody, so even if you did play the previous    Okay... if you hadn't noticed, playing this game, you'll either love it and be annoyed by the people that hate it or love it and hate the game and be annoyed by the people who love it.

    One of the major requirements is the experience of the previous two games which means it's not all that great of a stand alone game. The ending is not for everybody, so even if you did play the previous games, there's no guarantee you'll like it. The story is disjointed. There are game aspects that those who played the previous games won't understand because they didn't read the books or they didn't read the comics and even that's not going to mean you're going to like it.

    Gameplay is the greatest improvement. There are better games with better controls, but it's obviously the biggest improvement. That said, it lacks gaming systems like minigames, quality side missions and boss battles. It's like it's a game designed by people who wished they were writing a novel instead of making a game.

    It's a space RPG with no exploration. It's a bland shooter that doesn't revolutionize anything whose targeting systemyou either like or don't.. It's a "choose your own adventure" with limited choices. It's a space sci fi space opera that fails to live up to the greats.

    I was going to give it a 5, then I remembered that you have to download a different ending because the first one was really bad instead of disjointed and contrived. You also have to pay for a downloadable 7th character. To unlock the all the endings, you have to either download the Extended cut or play multiplayer to unlock the endings just on the disc. Some of the plots, you have to play the previous games. They're better, so going back to play another game to play this one seem pointless considering it doesn't matter in terms of resolution. If you do play those games, you end up playing better quality games not restricted by a badly timeline.

    Storywise, the resolution is seperate from the rest of the series, which is a shame because the rest of it was pretty darn good. I'd say, save your money. If you haven't played it by now, you'd have a better time playing one of the first 2 games. It'll be in the used game pile soon, anyway.    … Expand
  50. cyclekarl
    Jun 28, 2012
    0
    I really love the original game,but magazines and online gaming sites were saying things like" no one like the exploration,no one likes the Mako,no one likes the huge Citadel and elevator" rides,what they should have said is none of the newcomers to mass effect the gears of war and Halo fans like these things,I love them although some needed tweaking,then when ME 2 came along Bioware choseI really love the original game,but magazines and online gaming sites were saying things like" no one like the exploration,no one likes the Mako,no one likes the huge Citadel and elevator" rides,what they should have said is none of the newcomers to mass effect the gears of war and Halo fans like these things,I love them although some needed tweaking,then when ME 2 came along Bioware chose to appease these gamers by streamlining this game by getting rid of the ground vehicle,making the area's much smaller,simplifying everything and changing the combat,which I was more than happy with before,but they kept a good if flawed story,likable characters and mostly good dialogue options(although sadly had some auto dialogue) then comes 3 with Multi-player even less exploration,now you no longer visit the planet in side quests now you fire a probe to the surface and bizarrely you've just rescued a load of people,less dialogue option loads of auto dialogue plot holes galore and a crappy ending which they just put a sticking plaster over,so for me this game rates very poor the worst by far out of the 3 there are many more issues I have with it and I certainly won't be wasting my time playing it again unlike the original and to some aspects ME 2 which I have played 20 odd times each,this game is a very poor attempt by a once great company made to appeal to the mass market and not it's original once loyal fans,for me this franchise is finished,but one day I hope all 3 games are re made as they were meant to be and I don't give a stuff what the Halo or COD fans think.… Expand
  51. HunterZolomon
    Jun 28, 2012
    0
    I'm changing my previous review in light of the new Extended Cut. I'm changing it to ZERO!

    Despite the Extended Cut this game still has the worst ending in the history of video games. They actually took the time to polish the turd instead of addressing the numerous and serious flaws in the game. Bioware has completely lost all credibility in the last few years. Not only because their    I'm changing my previous review in light of the new Extended Cut. I'm changing it to ZERO!

    Despite the Extended Cut this game still has the worst ending in the history of video games. They actually took the time to polish the turd instead of addressing the numerous and serious flaws in the game. Bioware has completely lost all credibility in the last few years. Not only because their new games are rushed and come nowhere near the level of excellence they used to, but because they treat their fanbase like **** and lie to them.    … Expand
  52. Vehement
    Jun 24, 2012
    0
    Hate ME3 with a passion. I swallowed ME2 because the non-existing storyline was compensated by great characters (Mordin, Garrus, Thane, Samara, Illusive Man). All the major characters in ME2 are irrelevant to ME3, because all but one becomes brief, un-join-able NPCs and their deaths are inconsequential to the story. While Tali returns as playable, her role is moot in the storyline.Hate ME3 with a passion. I swallowed ME2 because the non-existing storyline was compensated by great characters (Mordin, Garrus, Thane, Samara, Illusive Man). All the major characters in ME2 are irrelevant to ME3, because all but one becomes brief, un-join-able NPCs and their deaths are inconsequential to the story. While Tali returns as playable, her role is moot in the storyline. What is worst is that all the new team members are bland.

    The Collector story from ME2 is pointless other than vaguely explaining indoctrination and introducing the Illusive Man, who goes from a major protagonist to antagonist in ME2 to a side character in ME3. He even went from a racist to a racist who turn himself to another race. Ironic?

    Bioware ripped out the great character developments in ME3 and left us with a bad story. "Hey guys! I found something that looks like a blueprint to something. It might be a weapon but we don't know. This blueprint is from a race that was wiped out by the very entities threatening us, so we should gamble and put the entire galaxy's resource into building it!." WORST PREMISE EVER! The details of the device should have been placed before the making than after the making of the device!!!

    What the hell was Shepard doing for the past 6months or a year between ME2 and ME3? I can keep going like the story of IT, But all the other bullcrap can be viewed in bioware's social forum. Bioware you disappoint me. Time for me to go back to Bethesda.    … Expand
  53. MrDerpking
    Jun 20, 2012
    2
    wow EA just wow ever since you bought bioware they havent made anything great the mass effect games were ok but the ending..... is "special" nothing changes in the ending except Colors WOW! Also jennifer hepler I would like to blame YOU for this travesty.
  54. Duratan
    Jun 19, 2012
    0
    Mass effect is a game that tries to appease old fans and be a natural starting point for new fans sadly it fails at both new fans will feel overwhelmed by the situations while old fans will feel betrayed by the lack of differences in choices, i will elaborate on both but i would like this time to say the there will be spoilers

    spoiler alert new fans wont understand the gravity of the    Mass effect is a game that tries to appease old fans and be a natural starting point for new fans sadly it fails at both new fans will feel overwhelmed by the situations while old fans will feel betrayed by the lack of differences in choices, i will elaborate on both but i would like this time to say the there will be spoilers

    spoiler alert

    new fans wont understand the gravity of the geth quarian conflict and wont feel the much passion when the shepard (the protagonist) talks about the sacrifice of a squad-mate that occurred in the first game, its also a bit overwhelming to be dumped in to this world with a lack of understanding of the different races

    older fans will play a much more dumbed down version of the game, as the organization that you may have helped in previous game will be your enemy no matter what you did before, the game is also much more linear then previous games, and your a pigeon-holed in the the ending no matter what happens

    if your new to the series, you will still be taken on an emotional roller coaster that you may enjoy and this game should be rated a 6/10

    however if your a new fan the ending (at least for me) actually makes the two previous games worse meaning that this game should be given a negative score, as i am a fan of the previous games i will give it the lowest possible score of "0", as im not allowed to give the game a negative 20 for ruining the other two 10/10 games in the series    … Expand
  55. marinade_royale
    Jun 16, 2012
    3
    Action scenes bugged, false choices, closed world and linear progression. Whatever i did, i got the same results of my friend who made different choices.
    My only pleasure is when i see my character is better in fight than theirs.
    I won't even talk about the end which made us want to never play it again. Music is good. Probably, i will sell it to someone else like a cursed gift. Oh,    Action scenes bugged, false choices, closed world and linear progression. Whatever i did, i got the same results of my friend who made different choices.
    My only pleasure is when i see my character is better in fight than theirs.
    I won't even talk about the end which made us want to never play it again.

    Music is good.

    Probably, i will sell it to someone else like a cursed gift. Oh, and DLC ? Seriously ?    … Expand
  56. chris23433
    Jun 14, 2012
    1
    Mass Effect 3, the epic finale to one of best sci fi trilogies created. The finale though, completely ruins what was one of the best series ever. It's not just the ending. Although yes the ending destroys all semblance of immersion, canon, good story telling, and much more, it's not only the ending that makes Mass Effect 3 a terrible conclusion. First off, the gameplay or lack thereof. TheMass Effect 3, the epic finale to one of best sci fi trilogies created. The finale though, completely ruins what was one of the best series ever. It's not just the ending. Although yes the ending destroys all semblance of immersion, canon, good story telling, and much more, it's not only the ending that makes Mass Effect 3 a terrible conclusion. First off, the gameplay or lack thereof. The conversations are nothing like they used to be in the previous two. Whereas in the previous two you could input Shepard's descisions on the tiniest of choices, in Mass Effect 3 it's almost gone. You make some dialougue choices throughout the game, but most of the choices are made for you (I was playing on rpg mode by the way.) The quests are mainly filler consisting boring fetch quests. Although the side missions that are playable and have you on the ground are quite alot of fun to play and are the best moments in the game. Oh, and my final gripe the multiplayer. The online although alot of fun, SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN NECESSARY TO OBTAIN THE BEST ENDING IN THE SINGLEPLAYER. I remember hearing one of the developers at Bioware talk about how the multiplayer could impact the finale, but wouldn't be necessary to obtain the best ending. What happened to that? What happened to the various amounts of endings? What happened to amazing choices? What happened to Mass Effect? I don't know to be honest, but it's quite sad to see what was one of the best series in gaming from one of the most talented developers in the industry, deliver a product this... dissapointing. I remember playing the first Kotor and the first Mass Effect games, and being amazed at the amount of choices I could make, and the impact I had on the characters. Hell, in the original Kotor towards the end you could completely turn on your old squadmates and reclaim your title as Lord of the Sith with the aide of one of your former crewmates/love interest. In the original Mass Effect if you played it right you could convince of one the main villians to kill himself in order to help the galaxy. This, though is not the Bioware of Kotor or ME1. In ME3 none of your choices throughout the entire series matter when it comes to the ending. None. All you get are three different **** color explosions with the same exact pros and cons regardles of what you choose. This game was horrid. Perhaps, the ending dlc Bioware is making shall remedy the ending. Even if it does though, the dissapointment I felt while playing through Mass Effect 3 and viewing its ending shall not. I have lost a great amount of faith in Bioware as a good developer. It's sad to see what could've the most epic conclusion in gaming go so poorly.… Expand
  57. Sandrick
    Jun 14, 2012
    4
    The ratings separation over this game tells you where the critics allegiances lie... ALL POSITIVE REVIEWS???? Give me a break - even if the ending would have been fantastic, there were still a lot of issues with the game. My biggest issue is that Mass Effect is a game of choices that all lead up to different outcomes. Both of the first games had them and that was what fans came to expect.The ratings separation over this game tells you where the critics allegiances lie... ALL POSITIVE REVIEWS???? Give me a break - even if the ending would have been fantastic, there were still a lot of issues with the game. My biggest issue is that Mass Effect is a game of choices that all lead up to different outcomes. Both of the first games had them and that was what fans came to expect. The fact that this one opted for the easy, tacked on ending just shows how rushed it was. So sad to see a stellar franchise end on such a tragic note, sacrificing creativity and quality in the face of corporate greed. It wasn't even just about the story of the ending. There is a scene where Shepard and Anderson are supposed to be looking out at a view of Earth and Anderson says "what a view" and it is literally the WORST low resolution bitmap image that I have ever seen in a game. In the ending sequence... How is that not rushed and a slap in the face to all of the people who gave them their money and trust. I truly feel sorry for the employees that worked on Mass Effect 3, knowing that it was such a bomb of a game. They likely wanted to speak up, but like many people in this economy, didn't jeopardize their jobs. Well, they have to live with that now - It probably won't be the first thing that they mention when someone asks what they worked on... Then, looking at the user reviews, you see a very different picture. Split right down the middle, with an incredible amount of negative reviews. I wonder if EA employs a division to write positive reviews to offset this.… Expand
  58. Cuddlezombie
    Jun 12, 2012
    0
    I know that this score my seem harsh to some of the hardcore Mass Effect gamers out there, but i was so disappointed with Mass Effect 3 that in my opinion it doesn't deserve a better rating. I have way to many complaints to list here, but the things that really annoy me about this game are simple. Bioware have gone from ripping of other sci-fi tv shows, games, books etc to ripping of GearsI know that this score my seem harsh to some of the hardcore Mass Effect gamers out there, but i was so disappointed with Mass Effect 3 that in my opinion it doesn't deserve a better rating. I have way to many complaints to list here, but the things that really annoy me about this game are simple. Bioware have gone from ripping of other sci-fi tv shows, games, books etc to ripping of Gears of War and badly at that. Also, why do they feel the need to do a Dragon Age 2 and overly sexualize the characters. For a female gamers such as myself, I dont need to see Miranda's bum when I am having a conversation and dont want to play a game that degrades women. Therefore I have marked Mass Effect 3 down from the score I gave it and was highly disappionted as I like the other Mass Effect games.… Expand
  59. Vertillian
    Jun 12, 2012
    0
    Before anyone calls me a "troll" for giving this game a zero, allow me to explain. Originally I thought this game deserved a 5/10. I found about half the content enjoyable, if a little bland. The music was lacking in atmosphere, the dialogue is ropey and the graphics buggy! (my characters head revolved like an excorcist moment!) Then came the gameplay, removed almost completely fromBefore anyone calls me a "troll" for giving this game a zero, allow me to explain. Originally I thought this game deserved a 5/10. I found about half the content enjoyable, if a little bland. The music was lacking in atmosphere, the dialogue is ropey and the graphics buggy! (my characters head revolved like an excorcist moment!) Then came the gameplay, removed almost completely from anything remotely RPG and lacking depth. The A.I are atrocious, constantly glitching through walls and running backwards into enemies. Despite this, I was enjoying an average 5/10 game. Then came the release day content that was included on the disc, pointless multiplayer, ridiculous flirting for no reason, massively boring sections of corridor shooting monotony, and the fact I had to swap disc four times within 40mins!!! This is yet another over-hyped and over-rated lazy effort from bioware. I waited and only paid £15 for it and still felt cheated. If this is the supposed "natural evolution of the RPG" I worry for the future of decent, in depth games. My last grievance, that really dropped the score, was the blatant copying of Gears Of War. The cover system I can accept, but now add roady-running, rolls, jumps and melee. Also now a hammer of dawn impression! Give it a rest Bioware and get your own ideas.… Expand
  60. BeatrixKiddo27
    Jun 10, 2012
    3
    Mass Effect was my favorite game series ever. I was a huge fan on Bioware, owning almost all of their games. Mass Effect 2 is my favorite game of all time. I was so excited for the ending to the planned space opera trilogy, and for the most part, it was amazing. Throughout the entire game, I was in awe of the amazing scenes played out. This game was larger than anything before in theMass Effect was my favorite game series ever. I was a huge fan on Bioware, owning almost all of their games. Mass Effect 2 is my favorite game of all time. I was so excited for the ending to the planned space opera trilogy, and for the most part, it was amazing. Throughout the entire game, I was in awe of the amazing scenes played out. This game was larger than anything before in the series, and you face some of the biggest intergalactic issues, such as the Geth & Quarian war. The gameplay is tighter, the character interaction great, 95% of this game is a masterpiece. Then you reach the infamous ending. This ending ruined everything, this game, and the trilogy as a whole. It is somewhat amazing that in 10 minutes, Bioware is able to destroy a series. When you think Mass Effect, you think player choice and impact. This ending takes that all away, and makes literally every choice you made prior pointless.

    Rather than give an ending that made sense, one that was hinted at by the games, they decided to try to transcend the game into an artistic statement. Instead they created plot holes, and divided their fanbase.

    Oh well, there's always Uncharted.    … Expand
  61. mustard_tiger
    Jun 4, 2012
    4
    To sum its all up as neatly as I can think of it this way, the game isn't based totally on graphics and game mechanics. Its always been about story and choices you make for the story so the ending really needs to be held to the same standard. Yes leading up to the ending it was a great game but the ending just wasn't up to the quality of the rest of the series so that's why it leavesTo sum its all up as neatly as I can think of it this way, the game isn't based totally on graphics and game mechanics. Its always been about story and choices you make for the story so the ending really needs to be held to the same standard. Yes leading up to the ending it was a great game but the ending just wasn't up to the quality of the rest of the series so that's why it leaves people feeling upset.… Expand
  62. hollowfication
    Jun 3, 2012
    0
    this is dumb dumb even with total bad ending the even more problem to it the kinect feature on 360 does not do what we ask it when you say player name advance to attack stay back etc then when u use words like ok let go say it sometimes it pick it up
  63. Chronocross
    May 28, 2012
    0
    I'm a huge fan of the series. I loved this game about 75% of the way through then it completely fell short. It is sad that a good series can be taken and destroyed. Let this be a lesson to companies that changing your writing team for something is not a good thing.
  64. Rygar
    May 28, 2012
    4
    The story is recycled, often repeating the same sub-narratives over and over, the ammo and weapons are largely pathetic, you'll never have a reason to switch weapons. Most of the "Quests" are fetch quests that involve pressing a button near a planet, and then pressing it on the planet again. There's very little choice with dialogue, and most of the time you don't even get a choiceThe story is recycled, often repeating the same sub-narratives over and over, the ammo and weapons are largely pathetic, you'll never have a reason to switch weapons. Most of the "Quests" are fetch quests that involve pressing a button near a planet, and then pressing it on the planet again. There's very little choice with dialogue, and most of the time you don't even get a choice it's just auto-dialogue.

    It's obvious this game was designed around marketing initiatives and not with the intent of creating a good game.

    Not worth $60. Maybe at $20.    … Expand
  65. Teelo
    May 28, 2012
    3
    A good game until the last 5 minutes. The controls are ok but still bugged at cover. Seeing most of the character from the previous game is very cool. But it will be the only mass effect game I don't want to re play: the end is to crappy. The day one DLC is also a slap in the face. As the fact that playing coop as an impact on the solo game (when i play mass effect, i play a solo game!)
  66. PrimePaladin
    May 22, 2012
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. First of all, let me say: this is not about the ending... ... ...oh who the hell am I trying to fool? This is ALL about the ending :) But I will put it in a way that most of the web seems to avoid: like it being something to feel shameful. There is no happy ending. Even picking the "right choices". Even playing for the best. Even spending hours and hours to complete any possible aspect of the game, it is going to end badly. For lots of people (for me of course, I think for many others, and I suspect for a lot of those lamenting for so many rational reasons) it is important to have a chance to make the story "go right". The good wins, the bad sucks, now let's kiss the girl in the sunset and YAY! I can understand all the babbling about "artistic choice" "moral dilemma" "heroic sacrifice" and I can understand that many like them, but I think that after five years, three games and hundreds of hours spent playing, It is hard to chew up, for any of those scorned by the writers choices. This game could have been something epic, making all of the players happy (weel, most of them, let's say); something like the ending of the first Knights of the old republic with a wide variety of possible storylines, After all this is meant as a saga ending: no need for a common point from where to make the story go on. This could have been the "own" ending of every player for how he chose to play the game. Nothing against an indication of that which the authors considered the "true" ending for artistic purposes (or even for a sequel) but respect for any way of playing or feeling the storyline.

    Unfortunately, it has proven to be quite the opposite: they unbelievably matched the (harder I think) result to make any kind of player unhappy about what was going on. Nice shot, nothing to say 'bout it ;)

    The romantic happy ending lovers like me are angry for seeing all we "fought" for collapsed.

    Those interested in gameplay are angry for an anticlimax final fight, with a tedious dramatic walk (which could have been interesting, wouldn't it be so boring...) and... well... no final fight at all...

    Those interested in the story are angry for a turnaround of events almost senseless... (uh? the point of the story was the relation between biological being and machines? WAIT, you never mentioned it before... AND We already solved it a minute ago making peace between Geth and Quarians AND... this is Battlestar Galactica's ending too, isn't it a bit redundant?)

    I could go on fa a while but it is better to stop here: I enjoied playing the saga, but how it turned out made me feel so that the memory I have when I think of the trilogy is no more "ehy it was fun-tastic"... it is "meh, the poor Shepard, so saaaad". I think my point of view is pretty clear right now:.
    GIMME BACK MY DAMN HAPPY ENDING AND QUIT THIS CRAP ABOUT EVERYTHING, FOR BEING APPEALED "ARTISTIC" NEEDING TO BE AN OCEAN OF TEARS. There is already the real world for that: at least in videogames let me dream that a lone hero who tries hard enough can make things go right :)    … Expand
  67. SirMoonfox
    May 21, 2012
    0
    Too have spent hours playing across three game, just to be able choice the color of an explosion and weather or not Joker has his toy, is just wrong.
  68. menoi
    May 20, 2012
    0
    made just to get look at the corrupted critics just for the money made just to get look at the corrupted critics just for the money made just to get look at the corrupted critics just for the money made just to get look at the corrupted critics just for the money made just to get look at the corrupted critics just for the money
  69. John117
    May 20, 2012
    0
    This game was a huge disappointment. The combat was boring, the story was terrible, and the ending essentially ruined the previous two games for me. Mass effect 2 was dumbed down from ME1, but it was still a pretty good game. This one takes it ten steps further. "Action mode" says it all. The graphics are worse as well, many of the landscapes look blocky, the water looks awful...theThis game was a huge disappointment. The combat was boring, the story was terrible, and the ending essentially ruined the previous two games for me. Mass effect 2 was dumbed down from ME1, but it was still a pretty good game. This one takes it ten steps further. "Action mode" says it all. The graphics are worse as well, many of the landscapes look blocky, the water looks awful...the list goes on. I don't know what happened, if some of the better writers left between games, but the story in this one is cringe-worthy at every turn with few exceptions. I'd have rather this game had not even came out, which is saying a lot since I'd been looking forward to this conclusion of commander Shepard's story for the past 5 years or so. Don't buy this game.… Expand
  70. RS13
    May 20, 2012
    3
    Suppose I told you a story: Big bad guys invaded the galaxy, alone hero struggled to unite the galaxy in opposition to the baddies. The baddies weakness is discovered. There's a final showdown with the baddies above the hero's home planet. The baddies lose. Suppose I told you this story: Big bad guys invade the galaxy and no one can stop them. But in the darkest hour plans for a superSuppose I told you a story: Big bad guys invaded the galaxy, alone hero struggled to unite the galaxy in opposition to the baddies. The baddies weakness is discovered. There's a final showdown with the baddies above the hero's home planet. The baddies lose. Suppose I told you this story: Big bad guys invade the galaxy and no one can stop them. But in the darkest hour plans for a super weapon is discovered. Now our heroes must race to complete the weapon, before there's no galaxy left to save.
    The first one's probably a little better, but each is a decent story right?
    Now suppose I told you they were the *same* story. Wait, what?
    And suppose I told you that this story was made by a developer that prides itself on making "Story-based gaming." "Ha!" you'd say "that would be a terrible story. Each story gets to the same conclusion, so putting them together renders half of the story useless."
    "Besides, the stories are really incompatible. The first is more about a single character. The second is more about teams of scientists and engineers and the soldiers who buy them time. In the second the bad guys are unstoppable in the first they're just hard to stop. In the second the galaxy would be throwing everything they had at the enemy, just to slow them down for a bit. In the first, those troops need to be saved for the final battle."



    And now you'd realize this isn't hypothetical. Forget what you've heard about the ending. Mass effect 3's story just isn't any good.

    (And if you're wondering the half that you *play* is the half that gets rendered useless.)
    Toss in the facts that:
    -31 of the 68 ME3 missions are fetch quests (For comparison ME1 had 5 fetch quests and ME2 had 11)
    -The ending you get depends on how many of these fetch quests you do, though not in any narratively coherent way (you get a better ending the more you do).
    -It is impossible to get the best ending without playing multiplayer (YES, that's right. The ending to a three game single player story depends on whether you want to play multiplayer.)
    -Of the 15 possible surviving squad mates you get no more than 4 back.
    -Most of your decisions in ME1 and 2 are irrelevant, including some of the biggest decisions in the game.
    -Your dialogue options are more limited, often including only a top and bottom choice and Shepard sometimes speaks without you having any control over what he says.
    -None of Cerberus's interactions with Shepard make any sense. What's their endgame? Why do they care if Shepard unites the galaxy?
    And of course,
    -The terrible ending.

    To be fair, ME3 did have much better combat than ME1 or 2 and some of the missions (Rannoch and Tuchanka) are among the best in the series, but those two points do not a good game make. Combat's a side issue in Mass Effect and those missions are part of a larger story that utterly fails.    … Expand
  71. GamerPiggy
    May 17, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game is a mixed bag. It combines the more classical RPG elements of ME1 with an improved version of the action from ME2; using powers is exhilarating, especially if you take advantage of your ability to micromanage your team mates. The set pieces are awe inspiring and epic. The writing is hit-and-miss, although it has many more hits than misses. Mostly, everything shines.There are, of course, a few elephants in the room: First of all, the day 1 DLC is exploitative and awful. Bioware took a character that serious fans of the series are going to be very interested in, and they made him unavailable, even though he should be included in the game itself. Not worth the money, and only takes advantage of the lore for a cheap buck.

    Secondly, choices from the first two games hold very little impact. The developers simply didn't live up to their word about the story. Yes, the gameplay is great, but ME1 was great too, and it didn't have nearly as good gameplay. Decisions feel weighty during the first playthrough, but it feels cheap on the second. This is because elements and decisions from previous games appear, but any research reveals that they appear anyway. *SPOILERS* For example, I was very excited to see the rachni queen, but then I learned she appears regardless of my decision from ME1. It was great to catch up with old team members, but I found out they are replaced with a doppleganger if I haven't saved them. Finally, the ending. It sucks. None of it gels with the themes of the first two games. If the game developers wanted to include some moral message about how nothing matters once we die, they were successful. But nothing from the previous two games even hint at that kind of theme, and the ending itself is contradictory to many answers the games provide. Don't bother finishing the game, because the ending isn't worth it. Seriously. Just stop playing before you return to earth, and you'll have a much better experience than most players.

    I was super hyped for this game because I had become such a big fan of the series, but this game made me wish I hadn't wasted my time. I honestly wanted to take back the 150+ hours I spent playing the first two games. I wish I never got so entrenched in the lore of the universe, or the stories of the team members. Don't buy this game. Don't even start playing the series. You'll only set yourself up for disappointment.    … Expand
  72. Andulesan
    May 16, 2012
    0
    Take a dump, put it on a plate, gift-rap it, give it to your best friend for an exuberant amount of money and what do you get? Mass Effect 3. Stay away if you want to retain to fond memories you had of the original two games.
  73. Chapperz
    May 15, 2012
    0
    Pure garbage, i adored the first game hell i even liked the MAKO the idea of exploring foreign planets in a jumping buggy was an amazing prospect however im going off topic. The series started going downhill with the second game which did improve massively in terms of combat but failed so much on the story front and the grand finale was an utter disappointment full of plot holes crummyPure garbage, i adored the first game hell i even liked the MAKO the idea of exploring foreign planets in a jumping buggy was an amazing prospect however im going off topic. The series started going downhill with the second game which did improve massively in terms of combat but failed so much on the story front and the grand finale was an utter disappointment full of plot holes crummy voice acting and butch women bioware have gone along way downhill since the days of ME1 and the original Dragon age...rip… Expand
  74. marcusJohnson
    May 15, 2012
    2
    Gay ass game I regret buying it. Will pirate it 30 times to damage EA.

    This is my last EA Game, Battlefield 3 sucked so hard man I can't believe they can get money with this even CoD was better
  75. Shrykull
    May 13, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is what happens when a franchise that's going so well goes bad. I loved the first 2 games I really did. I'm not too sure how the managed to make it so bad, first off it's casualised so much that it doesn't seem necessary to even consider thinking tactically, the writing is so dumbed down it feels like a children's book and they constantly refer to the previous games instead of making something original. Your choices don't matter the only ones that do were the ones you made in the previous game. I'm not going to blame the ending for the score i'm giving but slapping the player in the face and introducing a new character at the last second to say "Hey, we built synthetics to kill you because if we didn't you'd build synthetics and they'd kill you" is stupid and to top it off he then says "So nothing you did matters what colour do you like more red, blue or green" They might as well have ripped off my under wear and laughed at me instead of giving me the game as i'm sure that it wouldn't be as bad as this monstrosity.… Expand
  76. Mark_Walrusburg
    May 9, 2012
    1
    I cannot believe this is what happened to the series. I made three different Shepard's, plugged in hours crafting each one for a specific play through. I held off on playing the game until I was done with this semester of classes because I wanted to seriously throw myself in. I've been dreading it because of what I've been hearing about the fiasco of an ending. Well I finally sat down andI cannot believe this is what happened to the series. I made three different Shepard's, plugged in hours crafting each one for a specific play through. I held off on playing the game until I was done with this semester of classes because I wanted to seriously throw myself in. I've been dreading it because of what I've been hearing about the fiasco of an ending. Well I finally sat down and played it, DAY 1 DLC included on my purchase because EA believes unfinished games being released are a great way to introduce content. Well never again.

    I have been following Bioware since knights of the old republic and I've enjoyed nearly every game (Dragon Age 2 excluded) flaws and all. Mass Effect 3 however, has somehow managed to instill a serious and incredibly ANNOYING sense of betrayal. How can a game company betray me? I'm not asking as though, "HOW COULD YOU DO THIS ME BIOWARE??" It's more, "No no this makes no sense, you are not an individual capable of actually betraying me Bioware, you are a game company. The concept is ridiculous." But even so! It's as if an old friend suddenly spit in my face and left smiling after I handed him seventy dollars. It's that feeling that has me just so disgusted that I would even feel like that over a video game. I was genuinely invested in this series and now I'm left just mulling over from time to time how horrible it was at the end.

    My choices didn't matter, my time put into the series had no real effect on the outcome. Killing or saving the Rachni Queen has no real impact. Uniting the Geth and the Quarian's has no real impact. The replay value of this game in my opinion is non-existent. My three Shepards have no genuine purpose other than to succumb to the will of a genocidal star child that shows up at the last ten minutes of the game. Why are there such massive plot holes in this final installment? If the Mass Relays exploding don't wipe out billions of lives and strand countless more can't the writers see how sloppy their work is? I've never made a review before, and this is my first time posting on metacritic. This final game to a wonderful series has left me with a bitter taste and a hole in my wallet. My opinion may not matter EA, but my loyalty and money once so freely given to Bioware will be taken elsewhere. I strongly suggest others do the same.    … Expand
  77. CrAEckY
    May 3, 2012
    2
    First of all i like to say that "Mass Effect 3" is one of the best games ever made in my opinion, even the whole series is awesome. As the reaction of many gamers shows, i am not alone who expected a marvelous finale at the end of this Sci-Fi Triology! And what have i became? A crappy nonsense telling end, that is it. That was the great announced final? I do not think so, i do not get it!First of all i like to say that "Mass Effect 3" is one of the best games ever made in my opinion, even the whole series is awesome. As the reaction of many gamers shows, i am not alone who expected a marvelous finale at the end of this Sci-Fi Triology! And what have i became? A crappy nonsense telling end, that is it. That was the great announced final? I do not think so, i do not get it! So i have rated the game with 2/10 not in case of the gameplay or atmosphere, i did it, because the ending really pissed me off like most of you and EA/Bioware's Statement handled us, the Fans/Gamers like idiots and ignored our support over the last 5 years. I mean, look at all the feature's they have promised. At the end, none of the decisions i have made during the first two parts is considered. What happened at all? You can choose like in "Deus Ex 3" between 3 endings. Do not tell me that i have to level my readiness til 5000 pts.+ or my renegade/paragon bar to the max. Treat gamers like that is perky and unforgettable! Check out "Angry Joe's" Review or 10 Reasons why the ending really sucks for Example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6M0Cf864P7E At least Bioware was sold out by Electronic Arts and get's in a row with Companies like Bullfrog, Maxis, Origin, Westwood and some more. It is all about cash and income shares for the Shareholders, nothing else matters. So, i have decided for my own that i will not support such ignorant policy again and i have canceled my SWToR-Account too. I do not buy a game of EA and Bioware again, til that Day "Mass Effect 3" will become some real endings, belongs to the choices i have made! My suggestion for you, do the same! Otherwise EA/Bioware do it again and again...… Expand
  78. FatherDoom
    Apr 29, 2012
    3
    I am tired of being nickel and dimed by greedy companies. They should have just added ten bucks to the price of the game. Although I enjoyed the ending I would have liked it ten dollars cheaper.
  79. burneyburnside
    Apr 28, 2012
    0
    sorry 99 percent great game but the ending doesn't just kill one game it kills 3. Also i wanted and rpg like it was intended to be not a fps , fps should have been secondary compared to the game.
  80. 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
  81. Zombie_Kid
    Apr 24, 2012
    3
    I was really disappointed with Mass Effect 3 instead of getting what I thought was the 3rd in a line of excellence I got a what felt like a rushed game with weak game play, unrealistic characters, and uninspiring dialog.
    The choose your own actions seems lacking at best of times and extremely dull. The OTT action sequence that are meant to real in the masses aren't that impressive, and    I was really disappointed with Mass Effect 3 instead of getting what I thought was the 3rd in a line of excellence I got a what felt like a rushed game with weak game play, unrealistic characters, and uninspiring dialog.
    The choose your own actions seems lacking at best of times and extremely dull. The OTT action sequence that are meant to real in the masses aren't that impressive, and instantly forgettable. After finishing the first 2 (especially the 1st) I just couldn't help myself in letting everyone around me know how awesome they were. Sadly Mass Effect 3 just didn't have the same impact and never really delivered the game I was looking forward to play for so long. Bioware has ruined the franchise.    … Expand
  82. Sinloth
    Apr 24, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. So BioWare has decided to show us yet another big fat middle finger, aye? You know, when Dragon Age 2 came, sure it was an atrocity RPG wise especially after a great revive to its genre in form of DA1, I still enjoyed it somewhat, at the very least it didn't kill the franchise. But Mass Effect 3? I'm gonna need some time and space here to successfully describe the depth and seriousness of my emotional distress caused by ME3. In the beginning, there was ME, new well written sci-fi RPG that we had craved for so long, the game offered us freedom of choice to some degree and to this day it's kept its value and replayability. Then came ME2 which to me was even better news because I kinda liked a bit more action paced style we were given while at the same time we also got the same freedom of choice (oh there could have been SO MANY dead characters at the end if you wanted...). The classes were more distinguished and more original in the way they played and even the side-quests on various planets were rather refreshing and not as repetitive as they were in ME1. Safe to say, I've played and finished both ME and ME2 quite a few times (ME twice and ME2 5 or 6 times actually) and I certainly loved the series. I anticipated ME3 fiercely like any other real fan of the franchise. I pre-ordered collector's edition of course so From Ashes wasn't an issue for me, I played through the game and there it was... all that love I had for the previous games, for the franchise... was gone. 90%... neigh 95% of the game is great, amazing even. All the plots tie up nicely and I enjoy most of the characters (although the newcomers aren't anything special and I'm terribly pissed I didn't get to spend the last game with Miranda...) but then it all gets thrown out the proverbial window... What does it matter that I not only saved most of Quarian race AND Tali AND convinced them to coexist with the Geth!! when at the end it doesn't have any impact at all? Giving us three identical sterile endings and marooning everyone in the galaxy at Earth's doorstep is not only an illogical ending, but the worst step that BioWare has ever made in their history of designing games. Pathetic attempts of Ray Muzyka to "defend" this excuse of a proper ending to the series are laughable and heretical at that. So, guys, you gave us the middle finger, now it's our turn. Thank you for ruining what could have very well been the three best consequent RPG titles ever made. Seeing as you gave us no choice in the end, I don't think I have any choice now with the rating either.… Expand
  83. TookYoCookies
    Apr 22, 2012
    0
    Terrible ending, devolution of game play, auto dialogue.. It's clear EA wanted this game made to cater to the most broad, widest, biggest, general audience possible and in doing so destroyed what made the game good to begin with. The unique setting,story, and character interaction blended with third person shooter action made Mass Effect 1 and 2, two of the greatest games of all time, andTerrible ending, devolution of game play, auto dialogue.. It's clear EA wanted this game made to cater to the most broad, widest, biggest, general audience possible and in doing so destroyed what made the game good to begin with. The unique setting,story, and character interaction blended with third person shooter action made Mass Effect 1 and 2, two of the greatest games of all time, and lead to Mass Effect 3 being one of the most anticipated games of all time. Despite the great critical and commercial success of the first two entries in the ME trilogy that most game developers could only dream of, EA and Bioware wanted to broaden the target audience to appeal to a much wider demographic, and in doing so, shot them selves, and the ME fiction in the foot; effectively killing what could very well have been the greatest trilogy of games the medium had ever seen. The uniqueness of the game, and cohesion of the story, were sacrificed for something that only die-hard, mountain dew chugging Michael Bay fans would be proud of.

    In their commercially driven motivation for Mass Effect 3, Bioware made the mistake of thinking that making the game more like the handful of other action-oriented shooters out there would make this game better; which was a tremendous mistake. the unique blend of story, characters, player driven narrative, impactful decisions made by the player, and solid TPS action is what made the game so popular. Attempting to make the game like every other TPS game out there, turned a master piece into just another bland, white/black, piece of gaming mediocrity. The most sad part of it all, is just the fact that had they stayed the course, the ME universe wouldve remained a cash-cow for years and years to come. EA has showed incompetence on a major level in the past 5 years of gaming, and their lack of foresight on this game alone goes above and beyond "dropping the ball". This kind of blunder in any other industry would see entire executive boards sacked, and call for serious coming-to-jesus meetings within the company to determine where they went wrong and how to make it right. Time to stop focusing on marketing, and start actually making good games. Just because the critics on game review sites THAT YOU FUND, think your game is perfect; doesnt mean anything.    … Expand
  84. SentinelSoldier
    Apr 21, 2012
    4
    Best game so far this year but the ending ruins rest of the trilogy. They changed the theme of the story at the last 15 minutes and does not belong with the rest of the game. Tons of plot holes in the end scene. Ignores the story and lore of the rest of the trilogy. The endings do not live up to the promises made before release. Less dialogue choices. They made the game less of an RPG andBest game so far this year but the ending ruins rest of the trilogy. They changed the theme of the story at the last 15 minutes and does not belong with the rest of the game. Tons of plot holes in the end scene. Ignores the story and lore of the rest of the trilogy. The endings do not live up to the promises made before release. Less dialogue choices. They made the game less of an RPG and more 3rd person shooter. Rest of the game is great but ending weighs my score down.… Expand
  85. Sayantsi
    Apr 21, 2012
    0
    A great game, but one with an ending that is so terrible it ruins not only the whole of ME3, but of ME1 and ME2 as well. It is unfathomable how a studio like BioWare would ever think that what it incuded as the conclusion to the series would be palatable to the fans of the series who invested hundreds of hours and untold thought into tough decisions along the way. If reviewer articlesA great game, but one with an ending that is so terrible it ruins not only the whole of ME3, but of ME1 and ME2 as well. It is unfathomable how a studio like BioWare would ever think that what it incuded as the conclusion to the series would be palatable to the fans of the series who invested hundreds of hours and untold thought into tough decisions along the way. If reviewer articles included their opinions of the game's ending, score would be a lot lower.… Expand
  86. jonahlee
    Apr 20, 2012
    0
    I have been a huge fan of this series and bought the collector's edition of all 3 games, but after finishing Mass Effect 3 I have not only lost all interest in the series, but will never be playing another BioWare game. The ending negates everything you did in all 3 games, and doesn't take into account anything that you did along the way, it just comes down to 3 arbitrary choices, all ofI have been a huge fan of this series and bought the collector's edition of all 3 games, but after finishing Mass Effect 3 I have not only lost all interest in the series, but will never be playing another BioWare game. The ending negates everything you did in all 3 games, and doesn't take into account anything that you did along the way, it just comes down to 3 arbitrary choices, all of which are bad, and make no sense. And it is too bad, because I honestly thought this was the best game I ever played until I hit the end, but seeing the 3 endings provided (really one ending with some variations) has left an empty feeling in my stomach, and ruined the entire story for me. I will not pay for any more download content (which is how the game ends telling you to wait for download content that will be coming), nor playing another BioWare game ever again. I just don't understand how the game could not only not allow the choice that the whole series is built on, but also not even seem to understand what you had accomplished in the game. If you are a fan of the series and have not picked it up, don't, let your good image of this game not be tarnished by this awful ending!… Expand
  87. johnyod
    Apr 17, 2012
    0
    Lets take an incredible 3 course meal made by superb chefs, and then take a big fat steamer right on top of it. This is what mass effect 3 would be like, if it was food.
  88. Mstango
    Apr 15, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Yes the ending is that bad and yes the fan outrage is wholly justified. Even putting the ending aside it is by far the worst entry in the series no planetary exploration, all the side quests are fetch quests, theyâ… Expand
  89. norse
    Apr 13, 2012
    0
    Oh, man. So bad. The ending is horrible, but you already know that if you haven't been living under a rock. I couldn't have been worse if "it had all been a dream", it couldn't have been worse if everyone spontaneously broke into song for the grand finale of ME - the musical episode. Or if they'd just had the wisdom to cut out the last 20 minutes. That said, that's not why I am rating thisOh, man. So bad. The ending is horrible, but you already know that if you haven't been living under a rock. I couldn't have been worse if "it had all been a dream", it couldn't have been worse if everyone spontaneously broke into song for the grand finale of ME - the musical episode. Or if they'd just had the wisdom to cut out the last 20 minutes. That said, that's not why I am rating this a 0.

    The gameplay suffered badly from ME1 and even ME2: the main story skeleton is an unbelievable gimmick, and off that hang side missions that are at best so-so, with no choice in dialog and pretty bad animation (I mean, really, the running female Shepard?!)

    The side missions frequently have inconsistencies (characters appearing/disappearing, physically unlikely scenarios (someone should educate the writers about mass and energy, and how if I spent half an hour defeating a mech that can kill me with one shot, a cutscene that shows everyone standing in an open shuttle looking at said mech pointing his guns at me but not shooting for a minute is pretty stupid).

    I won't whine about how this could have been a great game, but it's sad to see how cheaply and easily this game could have been ten times as good.

    It's a testament to how bad management can ruin great properties by killing what makes the teams that produce them good.    … Expand
  90. ZacOfTheZombies
    Apr 13, 2012
    4
    Mass Effect 3 presents a text book example of "Just finish it so we can sell it." The game is riddled with cut corners; Be it sprites in the game, stock photos, plot holes deep enough to fit the Reaper Armada in, and content cut from the finished product, everything combines to paint ME3 as a sloppy, unfinished product. The gamplay is the average coverbased shooter that ME is known for.Mass Effect 3 presents a text book example of "Just finish it so we can sell it." The game is riddled with cut corners; Be it sprites in the game, stock photos, plot holes deep enough to fit the Reaper Armada in, and content cut from the finished product, everything combines to paint ME3 as a sloppy, unfinished product. The gamplay is the average coverbased shooter that ME is known for. The RPG elements for the game are surprisingly better since ME2, more reminiscent of those found in ME1. The writing in the game is, like I said earlier, riddled with plotholes but still offers fleeting moments of genuine goodness which makes me wonder if someone else was in charge of them. And of course, there's the ending. Pre-release comments stated that ME3's ending wouldn't be just "an A, B, or C choice" and that "player choices would really matter", these statements are completely false. The game ends based on a final A, B, or C choice resulting in virtually identical endings, differing only in color. Mass Effect 3 dies not with a bang but a slow whimper that begs to just be forgotten.… Expand
  91. MrFist
    Apr 10, 2012
    0
    CAUTION The author is not afraid of repercussion of this article, unlike â
  92. nickobom
    Apr 10, 2012
    1
    The game at all is reasonable but the Ending DESTROYS everything.
    All choices along ME1 and ME2 really doesn't matter... the ME2 choices about collector base etc .. they are ignored. BioWare said that would be 16 different endings, but what we got was 3 different colors. RED BLUE or GREEN.
    There is no narrative coherence, the ending is filled with plot holes, ME1 and ME2 story was    The game at all is reasonable but the Ending DESTROYS everything.
    All choices along ME1 and ME2 really doesn't matter... the ME2 choices about collector base etc .. they are ignored. BioWare said that would be 16 different endings, but what we got was 3 different colors. RED BLUE or GREEN.

    There is no narrative coherence, the ending is filled with plot holes, ME1 and ME2 story was destroyed in a matter of minutes, they doesn't review their own games before launching? This doesn't make sense really.

    Why am I giving a 0?

    The answer is: The ending not only destroyed ME3 but the story of ME1 and ME2 too. ME3 became a action-shooter, there is only auto-dialogue, a few choices that i can count with my fingers. The game forces you to do some things, there is no roleplay anymore. I won't talk about the plotholes because in youtube you can find a lot of videos highlighting everyone one of them. They have done the same thing with DA2, they are trying to reach another kind of gamers, but to do that they are sacrificing their own fanbase. ME3 feels exactly like DA2: RUSHED. They didn't had the time to review their own creation what a crap!

    Hire another writer. Only your writers can screw a incredible story like ME in a matter of seconds.

    If I wanted to play make a Gears of War i would bought GoW. BioWare and EA are destroying every game they have. I feel sorry for them and for us cause we are losing a great developer. EA SUCKS.    … Expand
  93. 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
  94. barroomhero03
    Apr 9, 2012
    0
    There's never been a better game with a worse ending. A crack team of N7 ewoks, defeating the Reapers by tripping them with vines, would have made for a better ending to ME3.
  95. cat5alive
    Apr 8, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. So seems money's thin. Cerberus Financial reposessing Normandy tomorrow. Gotta wrap quick. Nothing for hero to do but jump in front of the bus. Red one, green one, or yellow one. Decisions. Decisions.… Expand
  96. Deathmonger
    Apr 7, 2012
    3
    Yea, I'm gonna blast it. Hopefully Bioware will get the message, and in two years when their revenues are shot, they will for sure get it then, because I am done spending money on any of their products. ANY, including SW:TOR. This game had DLC day one. You had to play multiplayer to max war asset multiplier. Same engine, same graphics, nearly same gameplay--so all that would improveYea, I'm gonna blast it. Hopefully Bioware will get the message, and in two years when their revenues are shot, they will for sure get it then, because I am done spending money on any of their products. ANY, including SW:TOR. This game had DLC day one. You had to play multiplayer to max war asset multiplier. Same engine, same graphics, nearly same gameplay--so all that would improve or stay status quo is plot/story, where they failed miserably. False advertising in that "choices would matter. Ending would not be A, B, or C." Bioware asked for feedback, then ignored it and will release free DLC extending the ending, yet fixing nothing. I cannot recommend this game to anyone. Go buy Bethesda products (Elder Scrolls/Fallout) or Anet (Guild Wars/Guild Wars 2, or heck, even Aion).… Expand
  97. deadmeat2k
    Apr 7, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Bottom line: Bioware and EA has pulled it off brilliantly to mess up the whole series with the final instalment of the ME trilogy. A highly disappointing conclusion to the trilogy, which in many ways goes against the essential principles, which made ME1 and ME2 such good games.


    ME1 and ME2 were, in spite of their flaws, for me a brilliant game-play experience. Although the two first games suffer a bit from too many illusional choices, which actually do not influence the development of story, it never felt as a problem for me, and at least some of the critical choices made would have a very real impact on how the game progressed. This is however completely different in ME3, where virtually all choices made throughout the game, including the meticulous build-up of a joint strike force, in the end proves to be without any kind of significance. Furthermore the relations built up throughout three games to the Normandy crew as well as other friends, is in the end completely pointless, as there will be no reward for the 100+ hours of game-play and decision making throughout the three games. To make matters worse, no amount of DLC content will ever be able to salvage the story and correct the horrible story writing. In terms of game-play mechanics ME3 otherwise feels very polished and refined in many aspects, compared to its predecessors. Many missions and fights are likewise quite memorable. Unfortunately this is seriously messed up near the end of the game, where several combat situations have been very poorly designed. It is namely the introduction of survival mode combat sequences, which seriously messes up the experience. Waves of enemies charges in, and your combat skill will essentially mean very little as to how well these sequences are completed. Stay alive for XX minutes or fail is the essence â    … Expand
  98. scoopedLOL
    Apr 6, 2012
    0
    RIP Bioware. I mean.. EAWare.. HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE
  99. guillermop
    Apr 5, 2012
    0
    Mass Effect 3 is the culmination of all your adventures as Commander Shepard. Unfortunately, Bioware screwed the pooch with the worst ending to anything ever. All your choice in the first two games? Irrelevant!

    Did you want to feel a sense of triumph? Too bad, you get to choose between lime, blueberry and cherry flavors. On top of it all, the hacks at Bioware defend this steaming    Mass Effect 3 is the culmination of all your adventures as Commander Shepard. Unfortunately, Bioware screwed the pooch with the worst ending to anything ever. All your choice in the first two games? Irrelevant!

    Did you want to feel a sense of triumph? Too bad, you get to choose between lime, blueberry and cherry flavors.

    On top of it all, the hacks at Bioware defend this steaming pile with claims of "artistic integrity". EA (the worst company in america!) lets its PR dogs out, to get companies to call gamers entitled. The only positive to come out of the fiasco of this game is the farce of gaming "journalism" has been exposed

    Multiplayer is designed to frustrate you into spending money, unlike other games where you choose your unlocks, or are rewarded for play style , you're at the mercy of a random number generator here. And when you really think about it, since nothing in SP matters, MP doesn't matter either

    Never has being a gamer been more detestable    … Expand
  100. TheFinalMaster
    Apr 5, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. i was so upset by the ending that i moved the cover behind all my other games so i couldint see it.....
    and even if the indoctranation theory is correct that means my mass effect universe is screwed because i would of chosen the controll or synthesis endings NOT the destroy ending    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2012
1
#1 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2012
14
#14 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
93

Universal acclaim - based on 74 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 74 out of 74
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 74
  3. Negative: 0 out of 74
  1. Gamer.nl
    May 12, 2012
    95
    Mass Effect 3 is an emotional rollercoaster ride with lots of tension and moving moments. The threat of the Reapers make every decision a hard one and your relationship with other characters will be tested. This, in combination with tight gameplay, makes this the complete experience.
    Read full review
  2. Polygon
    Apr 26, 2012
    100
    As a bombastic action-RPG with no previous context, Mass Effect 3 is a dark, engaging game with great combat, a well-written story, and all the epic space-opera you could want. But for those who have played through Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2, it's something much more.
    Read full review
  3. GameFocus
    Apr 18, 2012
    96
    The storytelling itself, the more refined combat, the voicework, the visuals, et all, stand as a fine example of some of the best this industry has to offer, and with my minor complaints aside, there's no doubt that Mass Effect 3 will be deservedly at the top of everyone's list come this year's award season.
    Read full review
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