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. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. doggystyle123
    Jul 24, 2013
    0
    game never buy it is very gay hfejrbv,mjwnvkci8nrwnjekyvtc hunjekmvfygbnhujkml,fvgybjunh'lvfyghuioklhuyijoklp6rftghuyijko6tyhu7koipl;[6tgy789ui0o-pf6gtyhujiokplhuyijokl
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. 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.
  10. 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
  11. Frostay89
    Mar 12, 2012
    2
    Mass Effect has been an amazing series with great storytelling and excellent characters. So I'm dumbfounded with the way Bioware decided to end it all with absolutely no closure and plot holes galore. We didn't need a happy "rainbows and bunnies" ending - just one that makes sense and provides closure. Maybe we the fans don't deserve better - but Mass Effect sure did. For me, the horribleMass Effect has been an amazing series with great storytelling and excellent characters. So I'm dumbfounded with the way Bioware decided to end it all with absolutely no closure and plot holes galore. We didn't need a happy "rainbows and bunnies" ending - just one that makes sense and provides closure. Maybe we the fans don't deserve better - but Mass Effect sure did. For me, the horrible ending ruined the series.… Expand
  12. Phattee
    Mar 15, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. There is probably nothing I can say that hasn't already been said. Up to a very specific point, the game is beautiful, poetic, and engaging. Games that produce a swell of emotions in the player are rare, and the Mass Effect series does this better than anyone else. When you come across familiar characters, you feel a joy akin to running into an old friend. When they die, you feel a genuine sense of loss. The music is perfect, the combat is tight, and the visuals evoke a sense of scale that truly befits the often-used but rarely deserved adjective "EPIC".

    But like I said, this is only up to a very specific point, and that point is when Shepard enters the beam of light and is transported to the Citadel. The plot holes introduced in the last 10 minutes of the series are so numerous, the inconsistencies and contradictions so prevalent, the choices so limited, and the 16 "different" endings so homogeneous, that it bears little resemblance to anything that led the player to this point.

    The outrage that has been generated by this game's ending is like nothing before, and the massive discrepancy that exist between the player and critic reviews is very telling. I'm sorry, but I cannot recommend this game.    … Expand
  13. CakeTruck
    Mar 15, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. We donâ… Expand
  14. KatChampagne
    Mar 14, 2012
    0
    The ending alone ruined the entire series for me. I can't even play the game again because nothing I did even mattered. It is one of the only games I have played that I walked away feeling disgusted that I had even spent the money on it. If you care about story and honesty from a company, then don't buy this game.
  15. RobertLangford
    Mar 17, 2012
    3
    Fans of the game (I was one) are flabbergasted the complete failure to deliver by Bioware. Gamers that, like me, followed this incredible trilogy (ME1, ME2 and ME3) got emotionally involved with the richness of the in-game characters and their interactions. All along and from the beginning of ME1, they were told by Bioware that choices that they made along the story arc would eventuallyFans of the game (I was one) are flabbergasted the complete failure to deliver by Bioware. Gamers that, like me, followed this incredible trilogy (ME1, ME2 and ME3) got emotionally involved with the richness of the in-game characters and their interactions. All along and from the beginning of ME1, they were told by Bioware that choices that they made along the story arc would eventually have an impact on the ending. This was not the case. In the end (the last fifteen minutes or so), the main character of the game is presented with three choices, but these have practically no relationship with the rest of the game and how it was played. The impression is that Bioware decided to cut costs and rush the ending, as the three ending options are equally shoddy, with pseudo-philosophical explanations that don't make much sense. There is no resolution and the players are left with the impression that all they have done up to the end was a complete waste of time and effort. Most importantly, the players are left emotionally empty. It's a very confusing and depressing feeling let me tell you. The game could have had an epic ending with variations from the very bad (everyone dies) to the very good (everyone survives and there's a victory party) and an in-between bittersweet ending with lots of tears... But Bioware dropped the ball just before the finish line. I give this game a score of 3. These points are for the technical and artistic aspects, which are ok and good respectively. The main part of the points in my mind would have gone to the story; it gets 0 for the stupid stupid stupid endings. ME3 should have been the ultimate conclusion to the trilogy, a high point of sorts, but turns out in the end to be a dud.… Expand
  16. jafc34
    Mar 15, 2012
    2
    Subpar all the way, the boys and girls at Bioware went out to the back shed and slapped this garbage together in their spare time. Instead of investing time and effort into making it a great RPG they tried to make it a shooter, an RPG and a movie to widen its appeal and give them more money. In places ME3 has its moments, but they are few are far between, the graphics are nothing to getSubpar all the way, the boys and girls at Bioware went out to the back shed and slapped this garbage together in their spare time. Instead of investing time and effort into making it a great RPG they tried to make it a shooter, an RPG and a movie to widen its appeal and give them more money. In places ME3 has its moments, but they are few are far between, the graphics are nothing to get excited about, the plot detached and the choices you can make have little or no overall impact regardless of play mode. They have forgotten thier roots and the established lore of thier own game. I would rather pay for and be forced to read all of the twilight novels than play this dreadful game.… Expand
  17. Dralium
    Mar 11, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Ending 1 : Die
    Ending 2 : Die
    Ending 3 : Die
    Seriously EA and Bioware? I really waited 2 years for such a pathetic ending? I'm feeling hollow here. I just wanna burn my N7 T-Shirt. What a sad day for RPG's. Choices have no influence... BECAUSE YOU DIE WHATEVER WHAT YOU DO. What a let down.    … Expand
  18. adisen
    Mar 11, 2012
    4
    The whole purpose of postponing release of the game was to further refine it. Unfortunately ME3 still seems to be rushed, especially towards the end. I agree with all the 'haters' out here on the fact that there were barely any consequences to many of the so called important decisions made in ME1 & ME2. At times it felt as if I'm playing a unrelated game altogether. I was quiteThe whole purpose of postponing release of the game was to further refine it. Unfortunately ME3 still seems to be rushed, especially towards the end. I agree with all the 'haters' out here on the fact that there were barely any consequences to many of the so called important decisions made in ME1 & ME2. At times it felt as if I'm playing a unrelated game altogether. I was quite disappointed to see the characters I appreciated (such as thane and jack) having such diminished roles in the game. As far as squadmates go, James and Ash were NOT suitable replacement. The priority missions, particularly the one in Rannoch, were a treat. Graphics wasn't a big improvement from ME2. Gameplay was impressive . Weight restrictions on equipment as well as the omnibalde were nice additions. All in all, I would have rated this game a modest 6/10 IF the last 10 minutes of the game NEVER HAPPENED. Ardent fans of the series who have yet to play this game should prepare for bitter disappointment. In my opinion Bioware could not have made a more horrible ending. After spending so much time on the trilogy and getting attached to your character as well as the NPCs , I feel cheated in the end. Without spoiling anything I will just say that no matter what you choose during the game, you will get almost the same ending. If I know how badly it ends no matter what I do then why should I set myself up for disappointment AGAIN and AGAIN? Therefore 'Replay Value" gets a very low score. I hope Bioware plans on fixing the endings with DLCs. After all, Commander Shepard deserves MORE!… Expand
  19. Heather11
    Mar 11, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. While most of the game was good. Many plot holes, killing of characters and not being able to save them unless you romanced them in ME2 like Miranda was bogus. Having your LI and crew mates mysteriously appear on the Normandy and the Normandy in a hyperspace jump for no reason and crash landing on a planet for no reason makes no sense. The endings were horrible 7 endings all the same only 1 where Shepard survives and none where she/he ends up with the crew or LI in the end. Shepard essentially just gives up and lets the AI controlling all the reapers tell her/him what to do. This is an insult to fans of video gaming and Mass Effect everywhere. Yes many parts again I say were good but just killing off a character because you didn't romance them was seriously stupid. If you befriended them, got their loyalty in ME2 then you should have a shot at saving them. Yeah... This game doesn't deserve such high reviews from users or critics. In fact it deserves to be thrown in with the worst games of the year because Bioware had 2 years to develop this game. They had 2 years to give us proper endings and instead they just told the fans to go screw themselves they no longer care about us. In the end your choices mean nothing. In the end if you romanced Liara and got the dialogue option to have little blue children with her means nothing. In the end when you tell your LI you love them it means absolutely nothing because your Shepard can't spend the rest of her/his life with said LI. Really bad writing and really bad execution overall. Then there is the auto dialogue, the lack of conversation wheel options that are replaced with renegade and paragon interrupts... They destroyed the series they built and then they have the gall to say "Oh play multiplayer to get the best ending" which is still a crappy ending. And they say "we can still use the universe for more stories." Well there won't be anymore stories without the mass relays since they are destroyed in all but 1 ending. Only way to do that is to set the next game up in the far far future where there are new ways to travel at FTL speeds or in the past before Humanity was in the galactic picture. Either way the game endings have screwed us over. Then there are the romance scenes between FemShep and Traynor. Traynor is in the shower in her underclothing. NO ONE showers like that unless drunk and someone is helping them. Then FemShep enters in her clothing too. That is shoddy romance scene right there. Use artistic filtering and have them out of their clothing but not showing any naughty bits. They can do that easily. Then the one with Liara and FemShep where Liara has no under clothing on but FemShep does. They could have easily removed said under clothing and easily made the naughty bits not seen by anyone. They did it in ME1 and the Traynor/FemShep scene there wasn't much breast shot in the bra anyways so it could have been done there too. Again... poor execution. This game should not have been released in this state. Bioware you've lost a customer.… Expand
  20. kburstall
    Mar 11, 2012
    1
    Take away the compelling story from the mass effect series and what are you left with? Most people would agree we're left with little more than a sub-par shooter. Bioware often gets a pass on this because the story elements are so strong and interesting. NOT THIS TIME OUT. The story and especially the incomprehensible nonsense ending make for a tale that sucks the awesome not only out ofTake away the compelling story from the mass effect series and what are you left with? Most people would agree we're left with little more than a sub-par shooter. Bioware often gets a pass on this because the story elements are so strong and interesting. NOT THIS TIME OUT. The story and especially the incomprehensible nonsense ending make for a tale that sucks the awesome not only out of this game, but also out of the rest of the franchise which have been building up to an epic ending, where literally NONE of your choices throughout the entire series make an impact.

    Not having this strong story to keep you going, be prepared to suffer through this sub-par shooter.    … Expand
  21. akipi
    Mar 12, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. As much as I have been a fan of the series with multiple characters on both ME1 and ME2 i can only give ME 3 a 4. It really hurts me to give this to a game such a score, considering how good just about 99% of the game was. It isn't because Shepard dies, I was going in with the assumption this was a possible outcome. There are small bugs (texture pop ups, etc) in the game but didn't take away from the presentation at all. I think the best way to put it is in one word that Bioware has used repeatedly to describe this game, choice. I think i can actually understand how/why Bioware wanted to end the ME universe as they did. The problem was that the connection between 99% of the game and the last 1% was it didn't mesh well together (at least in my opinion). Each choice you had at the end does embrace the path (choices you made throughout the game) you took to get there. However because of how last minute it felt, after thinking you finished everything, there is this feeling of disconnect. The end isn't able to truly show that the path that you have taken with all the choices made through the game had been presented in front of you. In an ending such as this, unless everything can come together perfectly, it is extremely hard to present to an audience in a coherent manner. The ending isn't what everyone wanted, I myself wouldn't mind an optional off into the sunset ending and/or a depressing everyone dies ending. However in the ending that Bioware chose, they needed to do more to truly show what the players were choosing in the end. The conversation at the very end is a prime example where this could have been archived, but just fell flat on its face in trying. The score I gave is representative how Bioware was not able to weave a story around the theme of choice in a manner that gripped everyone. Also there are problems/sloppyness with the ending cimematics shown before the credits such as the Normandy and the Mass Relays. There isn't much of an explanation as to why the Normandy looked to be between relays when it should have been at earth, or if the relay explosion only took out the relay or entire solar systems.… Expand
  22. wesr
    Mar 12, 2012
    1
    Glitchy, lazy, a slap in the face to fans of not just the games but the comics and novels. They used a stock photo for the face of a character everyone has been waiting to see for 2 games, it isn't as smoothly animated as in the other games. They totally counteracted anything you did in the last two games to the point that nothing you do matters. It's a shame and it makes me wonder whatGlitchy, lazy, a slap in the face to fans of not just the games but the comics and novels. They used a stock photo for the face of a character everyone has been waiting to see for 2 games, it isn't as smoothly animated as in the other games. They totally counteracted anything you did in the last two games to the point that nothing you do matters. It's a shame and it makes me wonder what the professional reviewers were playing as I saw nothing worthy of praise as time went on.… Expand
  23. hades252
    Mar 13, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Honestly I find anyone giving this game a 9 or 10 mind boggling. That ending was completely trite, trash, garbage, the **** worst ending to any game I've ever played. A huge disappointment. It should immediately have 2 points knocked off just for that, and that's being EXTREMELY generous. The game was glorious, I loved every minute of it, until those last 5. The gameplay was good, I loved the story and the action and then... biggest god damn let down of the century. Unless I dunno, you missed out on the rapture or something oops that still hasn't happened. Anyway. Anyone giving this game a 10 either hasn't beaten it, is fan wanking, or is a troll. I absolutely loved the series, easily one of my favorites and then they slap me in the face with the first day DLC which is already on the disc and an ending so abysmal it's forcing me to knock it down to a god damn 3. What they did right, game play was good, I enjoyed the animations, MOST of the story was thoroughly enjoyable and evoked emotion, I was legitimately distraught at the deaths of Mordin, Thane, and Legion, and getting to romance Steven Cortez and Kaiden Alenko as Male Shepard.

    And then... they **** it ALL up, in 5 minutes. Took me over 30 hours to beat the game, all that I loved, and they **** it up in 5 god damn minutes. How is that even possible, how could they have gone so **** wrong. And honestly I don't even care that Shepard dies, I care about the **** trash where we see 3 people get off the Normandy in the aftermath and oops who the **** cares about all the rest. What the **** happened to all the people we spent learning about, building attachments too, we not only are forced to watch Shepard die with that bogus pick your poison ending but we get no closure for more than half of the characters we spent collecting and working with for the preceding games only to become side notes in this one.    … Expand
  24. Foojack100
    Mar 13, 2012
    4
    Decent game other that Bioware making mistakes like not following what happened in other games, as well as the end where you get essentially one ending that they changed the color on, pick your favorite color and watch the Galaxy be destroyed. Also they removed important content(From Ashes)and made it a DLC, if you have the game on computer you can get the DLC for free by editing a fewDecent game other that Bioware making mistakes like not following what happened in other games, as well as the end where you get essentially one ending that they changed the color on, pick your favorite color and watch the Galaxy be destroyed. Also they removed important content(From Ashes)and made it a DLC, if you have the game on computer you can get the DLC for free by editing a few codes of line in the game files. I seriously don't know how EA or Bioware will recover from this. I won't buy another game from either of the companies again.… Expand
  25. Vartrik
    Mar 14, 2012
    0
    Bioware. Sit down. We need to have a talk. Listen, I was with you when you took the customization out of Mass Effect 2. I defended you when you blatantly recycled maps in Dragon Age 2. I even enjoyed your poor gameplay copy of World of Warcraft with The Old Republic. Why? Because the writing in your games was good! I enjoyed your stories! But this is inexcusable. That BiowareBioware. Sit down. We need to have a talk. Listen, I was with you when you took the customization out of Mass Effect 2. I defended you when you blatantly recycled maps in Dragon Age 2. I even enjoyed your poor gameplay copy of World of Warcraft with The Old Republic. Why? Because the writing in your games was good! I enjoyed your stories! But this is inexcusable. That Bioware writing I know and love is gone. The feeling that my choices matter, which made your games so great is utterly absent. Instead, I'm given a generic piece of junk that has a completely slap-dash ending. I'm sorry Bioware, but we're over, I cannot stand to play your games after this. But we had some good times, didn't we? Remember Baldur's Gate? Yeah, I'll always treasure those memories. Good bye, Bioware.… Expand
  26. MalFet1999
    Mar 22, 2012
    4
    As I write this review I am watching the credits roll after finishing my first play-through of Mass Effect 3. I am a huge fan of the series, having logged hundreds of hours in the first two installments. In those games I followed every story arc to it's end, had every conversation I could. I became invested, and I loved the universe of the Mass Effect series because my actions created theAs I write this review I am watching the credits roll after finishing my first play-through of Mass Effect 3. I am a huge fan of the series, having logged hundreds of hours in the first two installments. In those games I followed every story arc to it's end, had every conversation I could. I became invested, and I loved the universe of the Mass Effect series because my actions created the experiences I had there. For these reasons I am disappointed in this latest installment. Disappointed because the decisions of the first two installments take minor roles, and new game play options take center stage. This is a game that should have been made for the fans, not to garner support for Kinect and lay claim to a new multiplayer audience.

    This (supposedly) final installment feels like a slap in the face to the fans of the series. There is no soul, no investment in the story line. Each "priority" mission feels like a chore instead of a journey, and the story as a whole is simply swiss cheese; full of holes. Take the opening sequence, for example. (This is not a spoiler. It was in the demo. Just a heads up.) Reapers descend on Earth, and Commander Shepard just strolls over to the only Mass Relay in the solar system and simply flies off into the sunset? Are the followers of the immaculate story telling from the first two installments meant to believe that the Reapers wouldn't even post a guard at the Relay? Nothing? Even knowing that Commander Shepard, the constant thorn in their paw, would be trapped if they block his only escape route? I think not.

    The bottom line is this: the combat is engaging, dynamic and very fun, but the story is utter trash. My disappointment is so strong that I can't even allow my love of the first two games to influence this negative opinion at all. Multiplayer is a decent addition, and Kinect audio functions are novel, but as a whole this game is forgettable. I never thought I'd describe Mass Effect this way. I'm sure that other (former) fans feel the same way.    … Expand
  27. Khadgar323
    Mar 23, 2012
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Great series and concluding story up until the last 10 minutes, disappointing enough to tarnish the rest of the series as well. What does the game do different than the previous titles? The action has even more fit and finish and is an absolute blast, some customization to weapons is given but a better variety of mods would have been welcomed. Voice acting is great (except for some odd journalist person out of nowhere with a nightmarish outfit) and the story will pluck your heartstrings. Quest tracking is awful, embarrassingly awful when you are unable to view your inventory for a quest item and the quest tracker provides no clue as to whether you've picked it up or not. This might no be an issue if you play this parts in large block of time but if you are taking frequent breaks between these side missions it is hard to keep track of that else you need to do before you return tot he hub. Also there is no announcement of time limited windows for completing side quests, I found out when I saw them disappear and forced me to load a previous save. To sum this up, the game is great, I would have appreciated more dialog conversations but it wasn't a deal breaking....until the end. I don't think this ending is sad, or depressing. It's just bad, cheapens the rest of the story and the universe the game is set in. If this is your first Mass Effect game I don't think the reaction will be as terrible, but if you've fallen in the love with the characters and story, beware.… Expand
  28. megadude510
    Mar 23, 2012
    0
    Not only did Bioware decide to appeal to the greater masses by giving up the individuality and writing of the previous two games in the Mass Effect installment, but they have given up their talent. Mass Effect 3 reduces game choices to simple 2-decision dialogue bubbles, forces a multiplayer element into the game in order to get the "good" ending, and blatantly plagiarizes artwork fromNot only did Bioware decide to appeal to the greater masses by giving up the individuality and writing of the previous two games in the Mass Effect installment, but they have given up their talent. Mass Effect 3 reduces game choices to simple 2-decision dialogue bubbles, forces a multiplayer element into the game in order to get the "good" ending, and blatantly plagiarizes artwork from both a stock image site and Deviant Art. Notably, the former was used, (albeit poorly photoshopped), as the reveal of the identity of a character that had been left faceless for the entire series. The voice talent of many of the prominent figures from previous games are also notably absent, leaving one to wonder if Bioware had decided to cut corners, or if they just gave up. Enemy variety is reduced to a fraction of what it was before, weapons are scarce as ever to come by, and one strange element is how ammunition is once again in the form of bullets, when in previous games you had an unlimited amount. This is the future after all, isn't it? Day-one Downloadable Content is also present, which is senseless and blatant greed on the developer's part. This wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the fact that there was also DLC in the previous two installments, and a large portion of Mass Effect 3's character development is obtainable by playing those. The game is forced, as well as your decisions in it, unless you decide to fork the dough over to Bioware for the final installment in the series. If you're unhappy with the endings, which are all the same save for a different color of firework, don't worry! Bioware's publicly apologized and is working on a new ending. (Yes, you read that right.)… Expand
  29. DrKillShot
    Mar 14, 2012
    4
    Just can't recommend the game right now with its current ending. It requires too much investment in the series to get a non-nonsensical ending that defies the series' basic mechanics. If the ending is fixed, then I would recommend the game in an instant, but at the moment it's just not worth the time
  30. JMac1237
    Mar 22, 2012
    0
    In an attempt to make this game appealing to new coming fans- they completely and utterly DESTROYED the necessity of the first two games...literally no POINT in playing them...NONE. Sad death of a legend.
  31. Unhappy_Bear
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    The Ending(s) kill the game.

    Playing the game I was blown away. Beautiful locations, good writing, slick voice acting, fun game play. While playing I kept thinking, "How can the score not be 98-100? How can any critic not give this game 100/100?" I felt proud of the character I was playing, I really liked the characters I was interacting with. I was happy that I'd spent 80+ hours    The Ending(s) kill the game.

    Playing the game I was blown away. Beautiful locations, good writing, slick voice acting, fun game play. While playing I kept thinking, "How can the score not be 98-100? How can any critic not give this game 100/100?" I felt proud of the character I was playing, I really liked the characters I was interacting with. I was happy that I'd spent 80+ hours putting together an import character. How could people not be as amazed as I was?

    Then I played the last 20 minutes. And... All that good will, all that enjoyment was just gone. Up until then I was really excited to replay the game with another class, another love interest, another play style. Up until then I was looking forward to (like ME1 and 2) getting all the DLC and playing them to death. Now I can't even honestly recommend this game to anyone. The story just seems to suddenly change into a different game in the last 20 minutes. I really don't think I can convey how stark the break in narrative tone is in the ending. It's incomprehensible that the writers who had delivered such an amazing story up till then decided this was the "right" ending. On endings... In ME1 you were were going to win no matter what. About the only unknown was Wrex on Virmire. Otherwise the ending was set. ME2 they upped that a lot, making the survival of the characters you had come to like (even your own character) contingent on your choices. But you could work at it and get the ending where you bring them all back alive, and that felt good. And then this. There is simply no possible satisfying ending (for me at least, you may like pathos and pointlessness). There is no really heroic ending, even a well written heroic sacrifice would have been preferable to what we are offered.

    Since this managed to pretty much undercut all the enjoyment of the previous games (no small feat), managing to make me loss interest in a series I had adored, I give it a 0/10. If you have asked me to rate it any time before the ending, it was an easy 10/10. But now, since I'm unlikely to ever play it again (and may not even want to replay the previous installments) I have to give it the lowest rating. How else can you score a game that makes to regret having played it, that is so problematic that the corrupts the fun of the previous games in the series?    … Expand
  32. laledobell
    Mar 12, 2012
    2
    the ending really kills the series as a whole. i wanted a better ending to my shepard. too many plot holes. they dont even tell you what happens with yur squadmates, and all the characters you came to love. we played 3 games 100 hours plus on each shep story and this is how you end it for us? sad sad sad :(
  33. BiowareHeart
    Mar 13, 2012
    4
    AMAZING game. Terrible ending. Horrible terrible no good very bad ending. You play and play for the sake of these characters... Hell, the developers go to the trouble of creating heart wrenching scenes before you get to the end... then... you get to the end. It's like they INTENTIONALLY created an ending that ripped your heart out and stomped on it...
  34. scienceproof
    Mar 11, 2012
    0
    If you're wondering why this game is so divided in its review scores, it's simple. The people who haven't finished the game are giving it 10's, and they are right to do so - 99% of this game is as damn near perfection as any other game on the market. But when you reach that last 1%, you will realise why this is getting review-bombed. The ending, put simply, is bad. Very bad. Not evenIf you're wondering why this game is so divided in its review scores, it's simple. The people who haven't finished the game are giving it 10's, and they are right to do so - 99% of this game is as damn near perfection as any other game on the market. But when you reach that last 1%, you will realise why this is getting review-bombed. The ending, put simply, is bad. Very bad. Not even 'Matrix Revolutions' bad, I'm talking orders of magnitude worse than that. A quick look at Bioware Social Network will show you the amount of people who have had Mass Effect effectively ruined by the ending. And the fans do deserve better, but more importantly this trilogy of incredible games deserves better. It deserves to go out on a high. So if you're reading this, Bioware employee, DLC. I beg of you. Charge 100$ for it if you like; maybe that's what you planned all along. But do something about it.… Expand
  35. montrossx
    Mar 15, 2012
    1
    Given the amount of time and effort, not to mention the emotional investment put into the series, the ending of this game goes against everything the series was built on. It effectively ruined the journey for me and many others.
  36. Shrimpkebab
    Mar 24, 2012
    4
    The plot-hole filled ending poisons the whole series, i was planning on replaying me1-3 but the last 5minutes of the game destroyed the quality and replayability of the series.
  37. BusyBusyPanda
    Mar 22, 2012
    1
    We all know the ending was bad but my complaint is about the actual game bugs and there were bugs in this game. The very foremost is that the Shepard importer does not recognize Mass Effect 1 created Shepards so if you have a character that you have used since the first game the third game does not recognize it and you have to start a new face from scratch. I consider this a DOA criticalWe all know the ending was bad but my complaint is about the actual game bugs and there were bugs in this game. The very foremost is that the Shepard importer does not recognize Mass Effect 1 created Shepards so if you have a character that you have used since the first game the third game does not recognize it and you have to start a new face from scratch. I consider this a DOA critical error. How did this get past QA!? From the very start before the game even begins you have a broken line of code. That is unforgivable. During game play I encountered other problems such as party members getting frozen in ladders leaving you to fight the rest of the mission alone, invisible faces on Shepard, Garrus dissapeared more than once while talking to him, if you chose a specific plot arc and a character dies that character if they are your love interest the game pulls them back from the dead to have sex with you on the Normandy and then ending has more than one inescapable plot holes. I mean dead characters reappearing as if ressurected from the grave plot holes so big you could drive a Mako through them. This game felt over all rushed and I cannot recommend it to anyone unless you are someone who enjoys a bad game like some people like bad horror films. And yes I found the ending to be fundamentally in contrast to the advertising of this game. Choices ment nothing what so ever in the long run and that is just sad.… Expand
  38. jwad
    Mar 10, 2012
    3
    It hurts me so much to write this, but I don't know whether I should blame BioWare or EA for this massive disappointment. I have been counting down the days till ME 3 was released, to continue this amazing story, just to see it get raped and dumbed down for, what I like to call, "Call of Duty metal heads." it seems like all the decisions I made in the prior games are being overlooked justIt hurts me so much to write this, but I don't know whether I should blame BioWare or EA for this massive disappointment. I have been counting down the days till ME 3 was released, to continue this amazing story, just to see it get raped and dumbed down for, what I like to call, "Call of Duty metal heads." it seems like all the decisions I made in the prior games are being overlooked just to force the story arch to fall into place. So many scenes are over dramatized, and poorly sequenced. Approximately 65-70% of the side missions are bland, fetch and deliver quests. Also, so many graphical hitches, pop ins, poor texture renderings, voices get cut off mid conversation.

    The only good thing about the game for me is definitely the battle engine. Very smooth and fast paced, guess that's why the CoD metal heads love it.    … Expand
  39. goblue22
    Mar 10, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Terrible endings destroy Mass Effect 3, destroy the series.

    I'm a huge fan of the Mass Effect series, Kotor, SWTOR, and Dragon Age. As I was playing through Mass Effect 3 I thought that this would shape up to be Bioware's best work. The combat is improved and you finally see some conflicts from the first two games resolved. However, all the buildup in this game, indeed all the choices you make in all the previous games are rendered moot. The climax of this game is deterministic, there is no opportunity to make a choice in line with the Shepard that you have developed over three games, this is why I must give Mass Effect 3 a 0/10. The entire series is built on allowing the player to make choices, Mac Walter the lead writer for Mass Effect 3 said in numerous interviews that we would have the opportunity to get a satisfying conclusion. I assure you that if you complete this game the last thing you will feel is satisfaction.

    SPOILERS FOLLOW:
    At the end of the game you encounter some kind of god like figure. It explains that organic life will always create synthetic life, and that synthetic life will always kill their creators. To prevent this from happening the god figure created the reapers to kill all advanced organic life every 50k years or so. I can't comprehend this, the god figure's solution is exactly what it wants to prevent synthetics killing organics. Depending on your war readiness you are given up to three paths to take.

    1. Destroy all synthetic life. This destroys the reapers but will also destroy EDI and the Geth. If you have made any connection with EDI, or made an effort to help the Geth this ending obviously is not in line with your character. To be fair I could see a renegade shep choosing this option.

    2. Synthesis: Sacrifice your life to fuse organic and synthetic life together at the molecular level. This has been described by numerous players as "space magic", it seems apt. I got the sense that this was a "good ending" in that it resolves conflicts between organics and synthetics. However, a recurring theme throughout the series is that forcing people to evolve along a predetermined path is wrong - this is how the reapers/god figure control organic species. Here Shepard would merely do the same thing, what right does he have to molecularity alter every being in the galaxy? It is totally out of line with the Mass Effect series encouraging independent behavior.

    3. Control - Shepard can sacrifice his corporeal form to control the Reapers and become the next god figure. I haven't thought much about this ending so I won't comment on it.

    However, the real kicker is that regardless of what choice is selected Shepard will die (unless destroy is selected with over 4k war assets), your crew is inexplicably stranded on unknown planet (including crew members in your squad on your final mission), and all the mass relays are destroyed.    … Expand
  40. Em-Man
    Mar 10, 2012
    2
    The game featured a promising start. It was exciting to finally see everything you did in the last 2 games make a difference in Mass Effect 3... Only that it didn't. Nothing you did in the game has a result or consequence in this game, not even the stuff you do in Mass Effect 3. You can't do any major choices during the game. The combat feels like a bad version of Gears of War. The endingThe game featured a promising start. It was exciting to finally see everything you did in the last 2 games make a difference in Mass Effect 3... Only that it didn't. Nothing you did in the game has a result or consequence in this game, not even the stuff you do in Mass Effect 3. You can't do any major choices during the game. The combat feels like a bad version of Gears of War. The ending is horrible and makes the whole story of Shepard from the first game to the third feel irrelevant. The games has lots of glitches and feels rushed and unpolished.… Expand
  41. Tru2u90210
    Mar 11, 2012
    0
    Was a HUGE fan, but after the ending, i feel depressed, deprived, angry and sick to my stomach.... Not sure if i'll be able to forgive bioware. If you suffer from depression and love this game, please do NOT get this game, if you have it, don't finish it.
  42. mcfan
    Mar 11, 2012
    3
    Where are the true different endings ? And god damned, where is the exploration ? I always searchâ
  43. Glitch200
    Mar 11, 2012
    1
    Horrible storytelling with more plotholes than i can count. Terrible endings in which the only thing that changes is the energy beam colors. 2001 graphics and enough bugs to turn this game into a painful experience for all that play it.
  44. Dar1818
    Mar 12, 2012
    1
    Score until the ending 4.5/5. Taking the ending into account, which effectively ruined the entire series for me...well, there it is. I had such high hopes, and for so long into the game those hopes were answered. I'm still trying to grip what huge a disappointment the whole package was in the end.
  45. BethanyAnne
    Mar 12, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It's all about the ending. On my playthrough, I had done all but one of the "fetch it" quests, and had an apparently full readiness bar. I felt like it would be hard, but that I had prepared as much as I could. I had a couple of save games to go back to, so I could see if there were different choices I wanted to make.
    It went well, then I got to the Citadel... and WTF? No more team, no armor, no powers.... and a brand new godchild? And then it got bad.
    A "3" is generous. Never again, Bioware. Ya got me twice, first DA2, then this steaming pile. Won't happen again.    … Expand
  46. Boardr6
    Mar 14, 2012
    0
    Mass Effect 1 and 2 are both exceptional games that created a unique, engrossing experience. Mass Effect 3 continued this trend, even vastly improving on the emotional and character driven aspects of the game. Combat is also much improved over the previous games. The final 15 minutes of the game, however, ruined the whole. It appears as if Bioware gave up; the endings are unoriginal,Mass Effect 1 and 2 are both exceptional games that created a unique, engrossing experience. Mass Effect 3 continued this trend, even vastly improving on the emotional and character driven aspects of the game. Combat is also much improved over the previous games. The final 15 minutes of the game, however, ruined the whole. It appears as if Bioware gave up; the endings are unoriginal, filled with plot holes, and turn their back on the defining characteristics of the series: character choice and the motif of hope. If Bioware and EA respond to the massive outcry of their failure to bring closure to the series by creating new endings, the game would very well be one of the best I have ever played.… Expand
  47. dr8jones
    Mar 14, 2012
    0
    Why did I give this a zero? Because after countless hours and characters made through the first 2, I completed the 3rd. I have absolutely NO DESIRE to go back and play ANY of these games now. If I did there would always be a feeling of despair. It is all just absolutely pointless.I wish I had never picked up this series in the first place. Complete waste of time and money. This gameWhy did I give this a zero? Because after countless hours and characters made through the first 2, I completed the 3rd. I have absolutely NO DESIRE to go back and play ANY of these games now. If I did there would always be a feeling of despair. It is all just absolutely pointless.I wish I had never picked up this series in the first place. Complete waste of time and money. This game crushes hope along with your soul. NONE of what you choose in its predecessors matter. You only get ONE ending, recycled with different colors and some very minor tweaking.… Expand
  48. distractonator
    Mar 15, 2012
    0
    i love mass effect 1 and 2, but i am saddened by this one and not just because of the ending. this game feels like they looked at mass effect 2 and said "i think we put too much effort into that." and then some EA executive said "yeah who needs a variety of companions, diversity in enemies and good writing; and you know what, lets scrap that whole free dlc for people who bought the game ****
  49. Zapatapata
    Mar 16, 2012
    4
    In a race, a runner may have an extraordinary performance, may lead all the way, but still lose in the end if he/she falls or abandon before the finish line. That's what happened with ME3. Despite all the good stuff for most of this third installment in the story, there was a major failure to deliver in the end and this made all that preceded null and void, for naught, a complete ruin.In a race, a runner may have an extraordinary performance, may lead all the way, but still lose in the end if he/she falls or abandon before the finish line. That's what happened with ME3. Despite all the good stuff for most of this third installment in the story, there was a major failure to deliver in the end and this made all that preceded null and void, for naught, a complete ruin. The choices presented to Shepard were nonsensical and there was merely cosmetic differences between the possible endings. What most fans expected were vastly different endings from the very bad (where the reapers win and kill all) to the very good (where Shepard and his/her crew survive and have a huge party), depending on choices made in the preceding episodes and earlier part of ME3. What a total disappointment! What we got served was a uniformly bad ending with a choice of sauce. Sorry Bioware, but despite nice graphics and some very good action, you don't deserve more than 4 mainly for your failure to deliver in the end.… Expand
  50. Blackskullxx
    Mar 16, 2012
    1
    This series has changed my ability to become completely immersed in a video game. this game delivered many things on game play. The combat was fun and over all mission game play was fun, however; the "scanning" type missions where quite unfun, they could have absolutely improved that. If it where not for the ending, I would of rated this 9 or 9.5/10.

    Every thing that you have herd about    This series has changed my ability to become completely immersed in a video game. this game delivered many things on game play. The combat was fun and over all mission game play was fun, however; the "scanning" type missions where quite unfun, they could have absolutely improved that. If it where not for the ending, I would of rated this 9 or 9.5/10.

    Every thing that you have herd about the ending is true, it is disappointing at best. The terrible-ness of the ending overshadowed this game and almost made the 100 or so hours I have put into the series. I wont get into details for the sake of spoilers, but I will say that the ending has absolutely no closure, it is a half-ass job and has no sense of originality or personalisation (which was a very bad time to take that aspect out of the series). 1/10    … Expand
  51. AGX
    Mar 22, 2012
    1
    Agree with a lot of people on this game. Pretty epic, yer seemingly lacking the content and depth of the previous games in the series. What really got me upset was the rush job of an ending though. For all the decisions you made throughout the series, and the numerous endings that BioWare had promised and used as a selling point, when they promised these uncountable heap of ending theyAgree with a lot of people on this game. Pretty epic, yer seemingly lacking the content and depth of the previous games in the series. What really got me upset was the rush job of an ending though. For all the decisions you made throughout the series, and the numerous endings that BioWare had promised and used as a selling point, when they promised these uncountable heap of ending they were blatantly lying which really upset me. They also won't own up to there lies either, and deflect constructive criticism. This game was overall a disappoint to me, and I won't trust BioWare as I used to until I read a numerous amount of user reviews. No BS critic reviews that paid off critics write.

    Buyer beware. Enjoy the first two games, and somewhat enjoy the Mass Effect 3 storyline, but hold off on completing the game until we are promised a legitimate ending.    … Expand
  52. stevev45
    Mar 16, 2012
    4
    I have never seen a game of this quality botch an ending so badly. This ending single handily brought the game down from about an 8 or 9 to 4. It
  53. DamianWayne
    Mar 21, 2012
    1
    Should be renamed No Effect. Felt like a waste of time afterwards. Gameplay is just okay. Mass effect isn't exactly known for its action gameplay. All it really has is story, and it was doing incredibly well with that up until this game. Only pickup if you don't care about how it will end.
  54. LazyGamerATN
    Mar 28, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I will not lie, this game didn't do it for me. Unlike most, I had actually started with Mass Effect 2, played through it 4 times, then moved onto the first one, played through it 4 times, and then used those caracters in Mass Effect 2. Reason? I wanted to see how it changed the game. No such feeling for this game. Bioware just simply gave up with this one. I love the lore, absolutely love it, and I loved the idea of the Reapers, as well as the mystery surrounding them. But this game did not do justice to that love. First of all, it starts out awkwardly, without explanation of what happened after ME2, a little awkward, but it can be over looked. Next (Spoiler warning!!!!!) you uncover the plans to a superweapon that will end the invasion that just started a few minutes ago. WTF? After playing up the Reapers as a race of destructive beings that are nigh unkillable, you immediately find the solution, on Mars of all places. No, too easy, no thought involved in that one. A personal gripe of mine as that after they played up the whole "consequences of having romanced 2 people in the prior games", all that happens is you choose, that's it. No emotional turmoil, no conflict of interest, nothing. And they ruined the caracters. No emotional link with them in this game what so ever, except maybe Liara. Animations: recycled from ME2, and they glitch like crazy during cutscenes. Unacceptable. And don't even get me started on the ending. No closure, nothing you did matters, and plot holes the size of the Great Lakes. However, the game does have some upsides, notably the combat. Improved upon the satisfying style of ME2, included some of the RPg elements from ME1 (at a seriously cut-down scale mind you), and varied ennemies with different tactics. Story missions had good designs, and the multiplayer, despite being unoriginial, benefits from the flare of Mass Effect combat (biotic comboes mainly). From a gameplay perspective, a satisfying result, but from a story and technical perspective, it wreaks of laziness and lack of creativity, and depth, something that IMO, ME1 revolutionised, and ME2 perfected, and that ME3 now recycles and downgrades.… Expand
  55. 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
  56. 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
  57. mazariamonti
    Mar 17, 2012
    1
    a game that completely destroys everything you've done over the first two, it's a complete slap in the face. Not to mention the graphical issues, bugs, multiplayer being very repetitive, and other things. but the ending, oh god the ending.
  58. zennyrpg
    Mar 17, 2012
    4
    The game was 10/10 until the end. The game itself had some flaws, particularly the new characters were not as fleshed out/ interesting as they could have been. But it also had some of the most satisfying, unbelievable triumphs I've ever witnessed. The Rannoch mission and its multiple conclusions convinced me that "this is the greatest game I've ever seen." Sadly, the ending killed it- butThe game was 10/10 until the end. The game itself had some flaws, particularly the new characters were not as fleshed out/ interesting as they could have been. But it also had some of the most satisfying, unbelievable triumphs I've ever witnessed. The Rannoch mission and its multiple conclusions convinced me that "this is the greatest game I've ever seen." Sadly, the ending killed it- but its still "bearable" as long as you can accept that you get the same crappy ending regardless of your choices in the previous or current games. Hopefully DLC will include more options/ more epicness for the ending.… Expand
  59. mythandoryx
    Mar 18, 2012
    4
    Don't get me wrong, ME3 is an AMAZING GAME! It's just the ending that pisses me off. I've spent five years on this franchise working hard making all the right choices in order to have a closure that suits my expectations! However, the ending made me feel as if none of that mattered! I've lost interest in continuing the game or even replay it anywhere in the near future. I was alsoDon't get me wrong, ME3 is an AMAZING GAME! It's just the ending that pisses me off. I've spent five years on this franchise working hard making all the right choices in order to have a closure that suits my expectations! However, the ending made me feel as if none of that mattered! I've lost interest in continuing the game or even replay it anywhere in the near future. I was also frustrated by BW's Day-One DLC policy! It made me feel cheep! As if I'm nothing but money-milking machine for the Big Gaming Kahunas. THE ENDING MUST BE CORRECTED! BW is a great company that makes great RPG's. I'm confident that they won't disappoint their fans for long. Maybe!… Expand
  60. gamster1234
    Mar 18, 2012
    3
    Mass Effect 3 is a mere shadow of the game that its predecessors were. There are so many glaringly poor design choices made throughout. Things that worked perfectly well in Mass Effect 2 have been "fixed" so that the overall experience is frustrating. From side quests being dumbed down to poorly updated quest entries on the journal to the limited speech options, it is almost like BiowareMass Effect 3 is a mere shadow of the game that its predecessors were. There are so many glaringly poor design choices made throughout. Things that worked perfectly well in Mass Effect 2 have been "fixed" so that the overall experience is frustrating. From side quests being dumbed down to poorly updated quest entries on the journal to the limited speech options, it is almost like Bioware wanted to ruin this game.… Expand
  61. Hafaza
    Mar 20, 2012
    4
    As a longtime fan of the Mass Effect series it is painful for me to give this game such a low rating. The fact is that while the majority of the game is very good, though not without its shortcomings, the finale of Mass Effect 3 is atrocious; riddled with plot-holes and contradictions, vague, unsatisfying, non-sensical, and ultimately left me feeling bitter and empty.

    The most obvious    As a longtime fan of the Mass Effect series it is painful for me to give this game such a low rating. The fact is that while the majority of the game is very good, though not without its shortcomings, the finale of Mass Effect 3 is atrocious; riddled with plot-holes and contradictions, vague, unsatisfying, non-sensical, and ultimately left me feeling bitter and empty.

    The most obvious strength of ME3, like previous installments, is its characters. The voice actors bring them to life masterfully (if of course you ignore the shameless inclusion of a certain IGN personality), and they are rounded and interesting enough to make you genuinely care about them. The story is fairly simple, but easy to follow, and grand in its scope; after discovering the plans for an ultimate weapon, you must rally the races of the galaxy, resolve long-standing grudges, and bring them together to combat the Reapers while this weapon is constructed. There are some exciting, cinematic moments, and it is very satisfying to see events and characters from the previous games melded into the narrative, even if some of these are only token, or cameo, appearances. The combat is very similar to ME2, with various tweaks that improve the system. It's much more challenging this time around, and I found myself constantly experimenting with my load-outs right up until the final moments.

    The quest system is very poorly implemented. Many scanning side quests will be heaped on you just by overhearing conversations as you walk through the Citadel, and there is no way to track your progress. With the lack of any real context, it makes the side quests rather tedious. There are also very few characters available as squadmates, when compared to the previous games. Two of which are only available about half way through the game, and another only if you buy the From Ashes DLC. Generally, I couldn't help but feel that many elements of this game were clumsily put together, but it all seems to work nonetheless.

    These gripes, however, are irrelevant when held against the ending. What truly makes it such a travesty, aside from all the ridiculous lapses in logic that the ending is rife with, (and all the lies it now seems we were told by Bioware prior to release), is that it totally overshadows and negates the many positive aspects of the series that have come before it. All the characters you've come to care about, all the relationships you've built, all the hard choices and sacrifices you've had to make, and all the problems you've solved, ultimately all mean nothing. This is the reason for such a low-scored review, and the reason why so many others are doing likewise; the aspects that made Mass Effect great are all scrapped and tarnished in the final hour in favour of a pseudo-philosophical, nihilistic, non-sensical conclusion. Bioware even have the audacity to leave you a little message after the credits role telling you to buy more DLC. Disgusting.

    The 30 hours of enjoyment you'll get from most of the game are not enough to justify the final emptiness it will leave you with. It is simply not worth it.    … Expand
  62. Notonlytheend
    Apr 3, 2012
    4
    This is a true disappointment. It would be easy to blame a generic deus ex rip off ending for my disappointment or day 1 DLC that was poorly handled. Or even the insulting ABC choices that lead to the same cut scenes. In reality, the problems come from a shift in design and goals of a company that once triumphed the greatest RPG's the world has ever seen. It's a problem of sacrificing whatThis is a true disappointment. It would be easy to blame a generic deus ex rip off ending for my disappointment or day 1 DLC that was poorly handled. Or even the insulting ABC choices that lead to the same cut scenes. In reality, the problems come from a shift in design and goals of a company that once triumphed the greatest RPG's the world has ever seen. It's a problem of sacrificing what you're best at not for the sake of innovation, but for the sake of being more appealing. When this happens, the little things that make a game great get missed. For instance, Mass Effect moved from twelve squadmates to six (unless you bought the DLC so I'm not counting it). This was supposed to give greater conversation in the mission and lead to a more intense interaction. But that was not the case. Further, when you do re-encounter old squadmates, they don't even join you for a single mission. They may follow you around the citadel, but never do you get the full interaction; it feels rushed and forced. Another major loss is that of actual side missions. Where once I traveled to planets and few to the surface to retrieve key items, I now scan a planet while reaper chase me like the ghosts from Pac-man. There's no exploration. Multiplayer was obviously tacked on to prevent us from selling the game back. But most insulting of all is the fact that Bioware lied. Straight up, unmistakably lied. They promised no ABC ending and that's what they gave us. They promised complete resolution and they left thing purposefully cryptic. It's not the fact that they did these things; it's that they lied. "There are many different endings. We wouldnâ… Expand
  63. 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.
  64. 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
  65. 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
  66. 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
  67. suuusuuu
    Mar 10, 2012
    0
    The ending to an epic trilogy stretched out through 5 years. The build up, the emotional investment, the fun from playing... all is taken away by an ending sequence which doesn't even bother to be longer than 5 minutes. Your choices affect nothing, Your accomplishments are meaningless. Even if you manage to prove them wrong, you're not given a chance to state that. This is an RPG game.The ending to an epic trilogy stretched out through 5 years. The build up, the emotional investment, the fun from playing... all is taken away by an ending sequence which doesn't even bother to be longer than 5 minutes. Your choices affect nothing, Your accomplishments are meaningless. Even if you manage to prove them wrong, you're not given a chance to state that. This is an RPG game. The plot is one of its main components, hell, they even added a narrative mode, where the fights are brain-dead and Shepard can tank missiles forever. To end the trilogy in this way is a joke. It just feels like Bioware suddenly decided to screw over the fans giving them a deus ex machina ending where your decisions don't matter at all.… Expand
  68. atomiccow
    Mar 12, 2012
    3
    Normally it would be impossible for a 5 minutes of cutscenes to ruin 30 hours of gameplay. Unless of course that 5 minutes is the ending to a trilogy spanning 5 years and over 70 hours of playtime.

    If you're a Mass Effect fan who has stuck with the series since the first game then you would do best to stop playing at the last save point and save yourself the hopeless depression that will    Normally it would be impossible for a 5 minutes of cutscenes to ruin 30 hours of gameplay. Unless of course that 5 minutes is the ending to a trilogy spanning 5 years and over 70 hours of playtime.

    If you're a Mass Effect fan who has stuck with the series since the first game then you would do best to stop playing at the last save point and save yourself the hopeless depression that will follow should you play the ending sequence in this game.

    The ending is negligent betrayal by Bioware to its fans on the highest level. You'll be best of imagining your own perfect ending.    … Expand
  69. Hellion
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    The only hint people need is NOT to buy the game. Only way you will get Bioware to take notice of all the crap that is wrong with their series..creatively and technically. Ending terrible..Engine framerate terrible on PS3. No excuse for these companies anymore..its the greedy people at the top of the food chain taking advantage of the consumer by cutting back talented people. Heck I evenThe only hint people need is NOT to buy the game. Only way you will get Bioware to take notice of all the crap that is wrong with their series..creatively and technically. Ending terrible..Engine framerate terrible on PS3. No excuse for these companies anymore..its the greedy people at the top of the food chain taking advantage of the consumer by cutting back talented people. Heck I even loved the terminator boss in ME2..what happened to that? Gamers, consumers, unite and stay clear of anything Bioware puts out in the future.

    Save your money and buy the art book instead. It will be worth something down the road..more then this game ever will be. Only praise goes to the artists who did a magnificent job in creating the universe..hell even Bioware didn't credit them in the book.    … Expand
  70. HALover9000
    Mar 10, 2012
    3
    I really didn't like this game. I don't know what else to say. The writing was mediocre at best, the gameplay was worse the first two, and it was generally bad.
  71. Laice
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    I was looking forward to Mass effect 3.
    On steam. Since i don't fancy installing the Origin spyware (One that scans your pc to find out all the other games you are using, then adds them to your origin account to stop you using steam?) I Shall not bother.
    As soon as people close their wallets to a company like EA that pumps out DRM after DRM after DRM and RUINS series, the world will be a    I was looking forward to Mass effect 3.
    On steam. Since i don't fancy installing the Origin spyware (One that scans your pc to find out all the other games you are using, then adds them to your origin account to stop you using steam?) I Shall not bother.
    As soon as people close their wallets to a company like EA that pumps out DRM after DRM after DRM and RUINS series, the world will be a better place.
    R.I.P Command and Conquer
    R.I.P Mass Effect

    Oh and do you remember classics such as Theme Hospital? Dungeon Keeper? EA killed off Bullfrog entertainment, Westwood studios, Maxis. I wonder what games we would have seen from them now if they hadn't been gulped up?    … Expand
  72. BrianPK80
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    Game opens with a showstopper bug. It has to get a zero for now. If you have played Mass Effect 1 and 2, you will be shocked when, upon waiting for over two years for the finale, you load it up and the first thing it tells you is it can't import your main character's face. Continuity with the main character's storyline and appearance naturally was a main selling point of the series.Game opens with a showstopper bug. It has to get a zero for now. If you have played Mass Effect 1 and 2, you will be shocked when, upon waiting for over two years for the finale, you load it up and the first thing it tells you is it can't import your main character's face. Continuity with the main character's storyline and appearance naturally was a main selling point of the series. While zero may be a low score, it represents its current unplayability. It's like the third chapter in a movie where the lead actor has been replaced by an unknown. There is no way this wasn't known at Bioware/EA. It was suppressed. They lied to their customers point blank about a major whopper of a defective feature. Apparently, I've heard they're blocking people who call attention to the issue on their Facebook. Anyone sick of corporate fraud with no accountability should understand why having this arrive and be unplayable requires a zero rating.… Expand
  73. Duffizle
    Mar 9, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Like many of you I was a big fan of the mass effect series. I always looked forward to each new game, and ME3 was no different. To me, this is one of the most emotionally involving series I've played. Bio-ware certainly seemed to be on a role, allowing us to tailor commander shepherd into who we wanted him to be. Then, when all seems to be going well, you think "yes I've finally made it to the end, lets see what this effort has been worth." I'm left with two main options and a third depending on what i have done, all of which ultimately ends up with the demise of this character I've become so invested in. Some may call this good storytelling ,but is all that build up necessary just for a complete let down? All I, and from what I've seen over the web, many others wanted was a satisfying conclusion to the series. This is not the case...I just feel almost as if this story has been pointless, all that just to realize (with the option i chose) I've kicked everyone back to the stone age (Plus all those races landlocked on earth,unable to return to their own worlds with the loss of the relays). A happier ending would have brought more thorough closure to what good have been a great finale.… Expand
  74. kevin_wolf
    Mar 11, 2012
    0
    Itâ
  75. a20012322
    Mar 11, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I loved the game and there are many emotional parts to the story but the ending is not one of them.

    It broke the game's reality so bad which is why the score is tentatively set to 0.

    The big bad's logic works like this (You must choose between Red, Green, Blue options that I have setup for you)

    Their whole reason to kill all organics and "uplift them" is to prevent organics from making synthetic life that wipes out organics. (Logical failure is that by uplifting the organics they are making them into synthetic lifeforms that go about every cycle killing all the organics...)

    There is also a lot of space magic where the mass effect itself apparently can rewrite dna to be cyborg, needed to give reapers instructions, hyper selective anti-tech disintegration    … Expand
  76. tausra
    Mar 12, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The capstone ot the Mass Effect trilogy does not end with a bang, but rather a whimper. You chase the impossible, beating every enemy in your path, you save (or condemn) entire civilizations, but in the end none of it matters. With a beam of light (you choose the color) the galaxy dies, the saga ends and your every hope comes to naught. Save the Geth, kill the krogan, renegade or Paragon, you will see the same choices as any other permutation of Shepard. What happens after the finale is anyone's guess as the game ends with a subtle command to "Buy the DLC!". There is no closure, there is only shiny lights and a ghostly child.… Expand
  77. skirata
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    I realize giving this game a 0 may seem overly harsh, and yes, normally I would agree that any game that is playable deserves above this score. However I feel Mass Effect 3 deserves this because the game seems to have been designed with the goal of setting up incredible possibility with great gameplay, realization of plot arcs from ME1 and 2, and excellent story telling, only to selfI realize giving this game a 0 may seem overly harsh, and yes, normally I would agree that any game that is playable deserves above this score. However I feel Mass Effect 3 deserves this because the game seems to have been designed with the goal of setting up incredible possibility with great gameplay, realization of plot arcs from ME1 and 2, and excellent story telling, only to self destruct. The ending of the game destroys any gamer with emotional involvement in the game, by giving them a whitewashed, uniform ending that it is GUARANTEED every other player got. Bioware made you believe that you were something special, only to strip it away and laugh as you were wondering what just happened. This game gets a 0, because it is the ONLY game I've ever played to destroy the re playability of other games for me. I'm not going to be able to touch Mass effect 1 or 2 again since I now know that whatever I do, it doesn't matter at all.… Expand
  78. Casimyr
    Mar 12, 2012
    2
    Such a waste of a good series. This game is just simply terrible. Sprites and stock photos in a AAA game? Thats unforgivable. however the nail in the coffin for me was the fact that none of your choices matter at all. Massive disappointment.
  79. Ferret0418
    Mar 13, 2012
    0
    This game is the most disappointing thing since Dragon Age 2. THe ending feels like a kick in the teeth to somebody who has loved this game series from the beginning.
  80. boddilyfluids
    Mar 16, 2012
    0
    Breaks cannon, massive plot holes, incomplete game. While this is the final chapter in one of my most cherished series, there is very little that remains after a botched ending that can be considered good.
  81. Ob1Kn00b
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    If Bioware hadn't rushed this out, and put in a proper ending, then I wouldn't have created an account just to voice my displeasure. As it stands, Bioware destroyed several hundred hours worth of enjoyment in all of thirty minutes. They took a series that has, from the beginning, been grounded in enjoyable science fiction, our choices having impact, and a powerful main character thatIf Bioware hadn't rushed this out, and put in a proper ending, then I wouldn't have created an account just to voice my displeasure. As it stands, Bioware destroyed several hundred hours worth of enjoyment in all of thirty minutes. They took a series that has, from the beginning, been grounded in enjoyable science fiction, our choices having impact, and a powerful main character that consistently defied the odds... Then they turned said main character into a braindamaged invalid unable to question orders of a random star-child-god-thing. They removed any actual choice, as in the end each ending is just the same thing with different colors. Science fiction went out the window for random crystal-crazy metaphysics and some omnipotent star-child.

    First Dragon Age 2. Then issues with TOR. Now, issues with a finale I have been waiting years for. No, I don't think I'll be buying anything from Bioware again. They can talk all they want about EA not having changed them... But there's been a lot of bad since they came along.    … Expand
  82. PTamp
    Mar 12, 2012
    4
    I have been looking forward to this game for two years, I have never been so disapointed with a game ending. As the end of a trilogy I expected the resolution of the reaper plot, and Commander Shepard's story. This story has captivated me for at least 100 hours over the past several years. In fact, I bought my Xbox 360 to play this series. The ending of this game invalidates all theI have been looking forward to this game for two years, I have never been so disapointed with a game ending. As the end of a trilogy I expected the resolution of the reaper plot, and Commander Shepard's story. This story has captivated me for at least 100 hours over the past several years. In fact, I bought my Xbox 360 to play this series. The ending of this game invalidates all the choices the character/player has made over three games. Not only that the resolution deviates from the theme of the series in a strange presenting choices that seem to contradict the message about the power of individuals to shape their own future. Characters and entire alien races we've grown to love over the course of the games are then summarily railroaded into a convenient ending with not further exposistion on their ultimate fate regardelss of what the player has done over the trilogy.… Expand
  83. trexmaster
    Mar 12, 2012
    4
    The journey over the course of the 3 games was a masterpiece of a game-writing and storytelling, but the ending of this 3rd game just completely ruins everything for me. I really wonder what the scenarists were thinking when they wrote the ending (yes, single), it just sucks and manages to completely cripple the most interesting sci-fi universe created in the last ten years ... Such aThe journey over the course of the 3 games was a masterpiece of a game-writing and storytelling, but the ending of this 3rd game just completely ruins everything for me. I really wonder what the scenarists were thinking when they wrote the ending (yes, single), it just sucks and manages to completely cripple the most interesting sci-fi universe created in the last ten years ... Such a complete let down :(… Expand
  84. 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
  85. tjasian
    Mar 24, 2012
    1
    After putting 200 plus hours into this franchise i feel like i just got the finger from bioware. The ending is bad...any way you put it. Everyone around the internet keeps on saying that "just the last ten minutes were bad"...no not just the last ten minutes...the entire ending in its entirety is just terrible
  86. 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
  87. KelaSaar
    Mar 17, 2012
    3
    Mass Effect 3 is a marvelous game that manages to destroy the entire trilogy in its last 15 minutes. The first 95% of the game is really quite good. Bioware manages to put together some spectacular set pieces and really fun action scenes. The combat is also for the most part better than it has been in the previous games. They also do a good job brining in things from the previousMass Effect 3 is a marvelous game that manages to destroy the entire trilogy in its last 15 minutes. The first 95% of the game is really quite good. Bioware manages to put together some spectacular set pieces and really fun action scenes. The combat is also for the most part better than it has been in the previous games. They also do a good job brining in things from the previous games, and let you make some really cool decisions. The dialog and voice acting is quite excellent for the most part. There were parts that were hilarious and parts that I will admit I cried at. I did have some minor problems with this portion of the game, though. The â… Expand
  88. Funkin25
    Mar 21, 2012
    2
    The game was perfect... until the last 10 minutes. The combat was awesome, the set pieces were great, war was burning the galaxy. Shepard's decisions were supposed to doom or save the galaxy. Fast forward to the end: you only get 3 endings, the endings have huge plot holes, and turn off the game with immense rage. This game's ending is an abomination compared to the rest of the seriesThe game was perfect... until the last 10 minutes. The combat was awesome, the set pieces were great, war was burning the galaxy. Shepard's decisions were supposed to doom or save the galaxy. Fast forward to the end: you only get 3 endings, the endings have huge plot holes, and turn off the game with immense rage. This game's ending is an abomination compared to the rest of the series (including the rest of ME3). The ending is so bad that I still have to give a score of 2.… Expand
  89. Zsoldos5
    Mar 21, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I played all three games and this one made them all turn bitter and useless. The first one gave me true exploration and an uncharted galaxy in which I had full control and repercussions for my actions. Real effects and sacrifices. I was in full control of every aspect of my character, his weapons, class, armor, decisions, even right down to his face. In essence I had become Shepard, I saw me in the game. In the second one I further saw the repercussions of my actions, the good and the bad. Though I noticed that a lot of the independence found in the first was gone and replaced with more linear missions, less exploration and open-world type missions. But we did gain impressive battles and a much stronger foe, and my squad mates depended on my choices. While I missed the old style, I readily embraced the new with its flaws. Then we get to the third, the "ending we deserve". From the get go, the bugs are obvious, the loading screen takes forever and the game freezes randomly during exploration sections. Conversations are painfully linear without much options for a more in depth dialogue, and the paragon renegade choices are quite obvious and don't really present much of a moral challenge anymore during basic game-play save for a few occasions. The Kinect option was over-hyped and not nearly as much fun as you would think. On a positive note the enemies are challenging, exciting, and be quite formidable lending this game some respect in that area, and the scenery is spectacular. Being able to see many of the home worlds was a great decision. But the story line becomes confusing at times, many characters show up without introduction which were never seen in the basic games, only in the dlc. Kai Leng being the most annoying of all of them. But even this was forgivable once I saw the fleet reach earth and full on assault the reapers. In my opinion it was the most awe inspiring battle I have ever seen in either movies or games. Seeing so much at stake, and understanding the emotion of the moment, how all three games had worked toward this. It was momentous. The assault on London furthered the fight, bringing my Shepard ever closer to the heart of the enemy. The increasing attacks, the stress, it was brilliant. Then the suicide charge to the beam. The brush of death, and then the crawl to the beam to fulfill your destiny. It was a story of a legend! It was genius! And then silence, you hobble up to the platform to meet TIM and Anderson. You defeat TIM and open the citadel arms and you sit back with Anderson, both of you barely alive but victorious...and then they decide to destroy everything you ever fought for in the next 15 minutes! The crucible was just a ploy! A scam! Up comes Mister AI/god/starchild/*sshole who decides to tell you the real story which can be boiled down to just plain racism and genocide. The smartest sentient life in the galaxy wasn't much for logic, no debate, no discussion, just pick a color and die. He gives you some bs story and expects you to eat it all up with no questions. Then no matter what decision you choose, the galaxy is destroyed, Shepard dies. Then to top it all off your crew leaves you for dead and act like they don't give a damn about what you just did. This was my ending? All my resources, choices, actions, and friendships boiled down to a color and galactic destruction in every option? How can I not be upset and feel scammed. Even at the end Shepard speaks of hope being the driving mechanism of life, which the catalyst shoots down as pathetic and useless. Why did Bioware do this? To teach me a life lesson that no matter what we all still fail? life is pointless?that I should never pre-order a game ever again? Seriously, nobody thought this was a bad idea?… Expand
  90. a335w
    Mar 22, 2012
    0
    For me, plot is everything that makes a game. You can shoot aliens or people in just about any game. Once you've played one FPS or RPG and you learn the mechanics, they only very slightly from game to game. The biggest differentiation between games is the plot, the characters, and their story. These things are responsible for drawing the gamer in and making them care. For the plot to goFor me, plot is everything that makes a game. You can shoot aliens or people in just about any game. Once you've played one FPS or RPG and you learn the mechanics, they only very slightly from game to game. The biggest differentiation between games is the plot, the characters, and their story. These things are responsible for drawing the gamer in and making them care. For the plot to go so terribly wrong in the final minutes is mind blowing. Through this trilogy the plot was masterfully crafted, like a fine wine. I never noticed a single plot-hole until the last five to ten minutes of this game. The ending robed this series of everything I was led to believe it stood for, violates canon, presents flawed logic, and introduces inexplicable situations and plot-holes. It is hard for me to understand how the plot could be so finely crafted for one hundred plus hours, only to be spoiled in the final five to ten minutes of the final game of this trilogy. Furthermore, it's as if they cut the story off at its climax. There are no signs of denouement to be found for the main plot. As such, this game fails to deliver on the developer's promise that this game would wrap up the main plot and answer many remaining questions. I sincerely hope that this was not an intentional ploy to sell DLC. I hope that Bioware comes through on releasing a better ending, however, if they intend to sell it to me, I'm done. I would much rather they sell a complete game to me at $70, than to sell me an incomplete game for $60 and charge me $10 to properly complete the game. How underhanded and dishonest is that? I'd also rather they release the game months past its due date than release an incomplete game, but that is more tolerable. With plot being my sole purpose for buying and playing games, I cannot honestly rate my experience any higher. It is a shame considering I truly loved this series, until the final five to ten minutes of this game.… Expand
  91. leclercq21
    Mar 23, 2012
    0
    this is incredible!!! how can such a bad game get released? i hope someone get fired for it!!! it's incredible, i've never played a worst game in my life: the ending made no sense! what was the point of playing the two previous games if the choices don't matter anyway? it's awful! i hope bioware goes bankrupt!
  92. TheSilhouette
    Mar 23, 2012
    1
    And the series ends with an incoherent whimper: BioWare's MASS EFFECT 3 is a colossal let down. The final installment in the trilogy, it is a game plagued by small glitches, a broken journal system (where you're never quite sure where you need to go to fulfill your quest), auto-dialogue (as opposed to the branching dialogue choices of the first two games) and one hell of a laughableAnd the series ends with an incoherent whimper: BioWare's MASS EFFECT 3 is a colossal let down. The final installment in the trilogy, it is a game plagued by small glitches, a broken journal system (where you're never quite sure where you need to go to fulfill your quest), auto-dialogue (as opposed to the branching dialogue choices of the first two games) and one hell of a laughable ending that sinks the whole mess. People act like the ending is some kind of "artistic statement", but the "Final Hours" app shows the game's lead writer and project director were unsure of how to end their game as late as November 2011 (when the game was supposed to come out). As a result, they stole the storyline from Matrix 2 & 3 and jammed it into the ending of ME3. Suddenly our choices don't matter, and the ending cinematics are both lazy and baffling.

    This game is a red hot mess, and not at all what was promised by BioWare before release.    … Expand
  93. alcolica
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    Semplicemente me3 non è all'altezza dei primi due capitoli , la storia fa schifo e il fatto che le proprie scelte non influenzino la storia pernulla è orribile .
    Grazie EA per aver rovinato pure ME3 .
  94. lexs624
    Mar 9, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I will start off by saying that this was a very good game up until the last 20 minutes (After Shepard gets beamed up). I wanted my choices to matter and my romance to matter. The relationships you build with your characters are important and the choices made previously are important and that all must come together in the ending. There should be the chance for your romance to finally blossom and be given an ending, the reapers should be given a better ending: such as all destroyed or something like the geth and quarians, peace with mutual benefit but each independent (no synergy), or what would be even grander is that Shepard convinces the catalyst that organic and synthetic can be at peace: the Reapers retreat from the galaxy forever, the cooperation and understanding with the geth proves this point as well as EDI and Joker. I wanted an ending that would bring all my choices and relationships to a grand end. Happiness with whoever you settle down with or if he/she dies, a scene with a memorial and ur love interest there with a child to say good bye.
    I would also like to say that the choices from previous games do show up, but not in ways that I expected. Liked David Archer from Overlord, the reaper base was their but diminished, the geth choice was there but diminished, etc... The choices were there, but they did not manifest in ways that the fanbase expected. I was disappointed but understand how Bioware wanted to cater to a new fan-base.
    I was also looking forward to more exploration and freedom from the first two games with lots of small side-quests and missions, but that is also diminished from the first two. There are a few missions but nothing that aids very much in getting galactic readiness up or that is actually alot of fun. I was expecting in a whole galaxy at war there would be numerous side quests and missions from the various races asking for help but there wasn't. I wish there had been. Also, what about vehicle levels? I missed the Mako and the Hammerhead, they added a breadth of fresh air when you were bored.
    I understand that no one is going to be happy with this game and others will think its great. I thought it was a good but not great game. The DLC will make it better I hope to jack up war readiness and other side quests. It can be fixed and the trilogy can be given an end that it deserves. Perhaps bioware releases a DLC that is only for fans that wraps up the game in a way that the loyal fans expect. I hope that is what happens. I wanted something to wow me and make me happy in the end. With this title I did not get that.    … Expand
  95. ulrith
    Mar 9, 2012
    3
    Turned a really fun game and an awesome franchise into dog @#$% in the final 5 minutes. WORST. ENDING. EVER. (and this is from someone who has seen MANY terrible endings)
  96. maverick0023
    Mar 12, 2012
    3
    None of my friends have liked the ending. I wish I could meet in person some person who did like the ending and really get a good explanation to how anyone could think how the game ended was a good idea.

    It ruined the franchise for me and now I do not want to touch anything ME related. That being said the gameplay was fun, so ya if you do not care about story (which why would you play ME    None of my friends have liked the ending. I wish I could meet in person some person who did like the ending and really get a good explanation to how anyone could think how the game ended was a good idea.

    It ruined the franchise for me and now I do not want to touch anything ME related.

    That being said the gameplay was fun, so ya if you do not care about story (which why would you play ME then) I guess you can like the game    … Expand
  97. thewaffleness
    Mar 11, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I have loved the Mass Effect Series from day one. The first Mass Effect was a masterpiece. The second one built even more on to that solid frame. Mass Effect 3 was just a step back in the series. The gameplay was fun and I did enjoy the interactions with former and current squad members (R.I.P Mordin and Thane). This game however just ruined the entire with its ending. The first reason is that your decisions over the entire series means nothing in the end. It all boils down to three choices. After all that hard work I put into the entire series I felt like it didn't matter. Next the ending makes no damn sense. It so far out there I felt blind sided. As a Mass Effect fan I feel betrayed by Bioware for making this game and honestly I think EA is what ruined it. EA has ruined the Mass Effect series and they are ruining the gaming industry as a whole. EA and Bioware owes everyone who bought this game an apology.… Expand
  98. BoMBuR
    Mar 11, 2012
    3
    Mass Effect 3 is a big game with detailed universe and environment. But without Drew Karpyshyn story became too simple and dialogues are worse than in first ME game. Another consequence is ridiculous DRAMA, such as story line with the boy, dreams... All these moments looks very unnaturally and clumsy. I think that main problem of ME3 is that it became shooter with RPG elements, butMass Effect 3 is a big game with detailed universe and environment. But without Drew Karpyshyn story became too simple and dialogues are worse than in first ME game. Another consequence is ridiculous DRAMA, such as story line with the boy, dreams... All these moments looks very unnaturally and clumsy. I think that main problem of ME3 is that it became shooter with RPG elements, but honestly shooting never was the reason why everybody played in first Mass Effect.… Expand
  99. Deadbolta
    Mar 12, 2012
    4
    Up until the last 15 minutes or so, this game is incredibly enjoyable. There were so many moments where I was up out of my chair rooting for characters, or solemnly watching someone sacrifice themselves. Having been a bit of a perfectionist in the previous 2 games, I set about playing this game with the same sort of vigour, making sure to check every single planet for war assets andUp until the last 15 minutes or so, this game is incredibly enjoyable. There were so many moments where I was up out of my chair rooting for characters, or solemnly watching someone sacrifice themselves. Having been a bit of a perfectionist in the previous 2 games, I set about playing this game with the same sort of vigour, making sure to check every single planet for war assets and scouring every level/area for anything that I could find. So it was with great sadness that in the end I discovered that all of these discoveries, and all of the choices made over the span of 3 games, were nothing more than a little number displayed on the screen. The 'endings' are very reminiscent of those presented in Deus Ex: HR, except at least in that game we get somewhat of an epilogue.… Expand
  100. nengracio
    Mar 13, 2012
    2
    All forms of narrative storytelling (whether it be books, movies, or video games) are judged on the beginning of the narrative and the conclusion of it. With that being said, Mass Effect 3 is a great game until you reach the lackluster ending. When a company such as Bioware creates a game that takes pride in its extraordinary writing, issues with the story are huge because we, theAll forms of narrative storytelling (whether it be books, movies, or video games) are judged on the beginning of the narrative and the conclusion of it. With that being said, Mass Effect 3 is a great game until you reach the lackluster ending. When a company such as Bioware creates a game that takes pride in its extraordinary writing, issues with the story are huge because we, the consumers, expect the best from Bioware. This awful set of ending scenarios is probably another money milking tactic of EA's in order to squeeze more money out of the Mass Effect IP, whether it be in the form of DLC or future sequels (Bioware has already stated that even though Shepard's story is over, the Mass Effect IP may continue in the future).

    It's entirely possible that this series of ending scenarios was made in order to make the writing process for the next trilogy of ME easier, which I hope was the case because apparently they downgraded in that regard. Mass Effect 3 is rather enjoyable except for the last 30 minutes, with that being said, if you prefer to play video games with strong narratives, this game isn't for you. The ending has many plot holes which are not explained and any questions that were to be answered from previous installments were just replaced with new ones (most likely to garner interest in future titles).

    One last note; there are a lot of reviewers here who believe that those who are giving low scores are ignorant or that it's merely a bunch of "trolls". The truth is that this franchise was harmed in the worst way when these terrible endings were implemented. The truth is that for most of the negative reviews (not all of them, but most) there is a player who was expecting an epic conclusion to an epic saga, but was left with a deep feeling of betrayal and disappointment due to a tragic ending of a great trilogy (I do not mind sad endings, by tragic ending I mean an ending of poor taste). I'm not sure if I'm going to buy ME4 (I definitely will not buy it on its day of release, so I can wait to see the reviews before purchasing it) but if they do plan to continue the franchise, I hope they carry it out in a careful manner and return to the roots that made Mass Effect 1 such a great video game. I'm sure those who are loyal to the franchise will agree with me.    … 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.
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  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.
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  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.
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