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. H1T5Clixs
    Mar 25, 2012
    0
    Game is good until not only this game but the previous two installments are completely ruined.
    The Game ruins it and its predecessors with a fail ending that I cannot think of an ending that doesn't use the elements of the current ending that would be worse.
    Multiplayer is solid although won't be able to compete in the long run. Story is good until the end. Lack of Neutral option for chat    Game is good until not only this game but the previous two installments are completely ruined.
    The Game ruins it and its predecessors with a fail ending that I cannot think of an ending that doesn't use the elements of the current ending that would be worse.
    Multiplayer is solid although won't be able to compete in the long run.
    Story is good until the end.
    Lack of Neutral option for chat is lame.
    Lack of Planet Exploration.
    Terrible quest tracker.
    I would give the game an 8 or 9 without the ending but seeing as the ending destroys two of the best games I have ever played this game deserves a 0.    … Expand
  2. cat5alive
    Apr 8, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. So seems money's thin. Cerberus Financial reposessing Normandy tomorrow. Gotta wrap quick. Nothing for hero to do but jump in front of the bus. Red one, green one, or yellow one. Decisions. Decisions.… Expand
  3. Jey-Jane
    Jul 3, 2012
    4
    Overall the game was Ok. Not as exiting as I expected.... But the ending just killed it completely. There are enough said on the ending, so I'm not going to repeat it all. Just say that I would rate it much either if ending wasn't so scrued up.
  4. ClockworkSpec
    Jul 7, 2012
    3
    I looked forward to this game with a lot of anticipation. I got nervous about it when I played the demo, and unfortunately it was a sign of what the actual game was going the be like. Bioware/EA really phoned it in in much of this game and particularly in the ending, even after the EC DLC. They failed to match many of the premisses they made for content and atmosphere in the game. TheI looked forward to this game with a lot of anticipation. I got nervous about it when I played the demo, and unfortunately it was a sign of what the actual game was going the be like. Bioware/EA really phoned it in in much of this game and particularly in the ending, even after the EC DLC. They failed to match many of the premisses they made for content and atmosphere in the game. The original ME was amazing and by far the best of the three games, EA is a slow acting poison killing Bioware, it is really a shame. If it were not for a few moments in the game that actually felt genuine and thought through I would be giving this game a zero.… Expand
  5. finan
    Jul 13, 2012
    1
    I could not wait to play this game. I was pretty much disapointed from the begging. Adding a cheesy multi player mode and linking to to the single player campain just sucked. As for the ending.. Even with the extended cut it just plain sucked.
  6. Hugh5031
    Jul 23, 2012
    0
    Mass Effect 3 is a great game, that I believe is wrongfully hated on. The reason for this is simple, it changed genres. While the first game was a fully-fledged RPG, the combat mechanics in the first game were sloppy, and in the next game gameplay was vastly improved, but RPG elements were toned down. This left hardcore RPG fans unhappy, This third game definitely has the best gameplay inMass Effect 3 is a great game, that I believe is wrongfully hated on. The reason for this is simple, it changed genres. While the first game was a fully-fledged RPG, the combat mechanics in the first game were sloppy, and in the next game gameplay was vastly improved, but RPG elements were toned down. This left hardcore RPG fans unhappy, This third game definitely has the best gameplay in the series, for the overpowered particle rifle to the addictive Scorpion, but less RPG elements than ever before. Don't let this fool you though, the story is as good as ever, with some truly awesome moments and payoffs, a surprisingly good multiplayer, and plenty of visits from old characters. I would highly recommend playing the series the whole way through, but don't expect the RPG experience in each game, but come in expecting in this third game an awesome action game with RPG elements. Also, the ending wasn't one i particularly liked, but didn't detract as much from the game as the vocal minority say, especially with the extended cut endings. Free DLC in this game is awesome, considering it is an EA game. Overall, I'd rate this game a clean 9.5 and definitely recommend the series to anyone looking for an awesome story that they'll remember for years to come.… Expand
  7. mustard_tiger
    Jun 4, 2012
    4
    To sum its all up as neatly as I can think of it this way, the game isn't based totally on graphics and game mechanics. Its always been about story and choices you make for the story so the ending really needs to be held to the same standard. Yes leading up to the ending it was a great game but the ending just wasn't up to the quality of the rest of the series so that's why it leavesTo sum its all up as neatly as I can think of it this way, the game isn't based totally on graphics and game mechanics. Its always been about story and choices you make for the story so the ending really needs to be held to the same standard. Yes leading up to the ending it was a great game but the ending just wasn't up to the quality of the rest of the series so that's why it leaves people feeling upset.… Expand
  8. Broxigar
    Apr 27, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I am so sad I had to do this, I never thought I would have to. Mass Effect WAS an epic series. However I cannot condone what they have done with this game. If you don't buy this game new you will have to pay more to access the tacked on multiplayer. Yea, you heard me. There was Disk Locked Content that you had to pay $10 to unlock, which most people were going to given that the character was a Prothean. They promised you would not need to do multiplayer to get all the endings, however the best ending (a five second scene of Shepard taking a breath) is not possible to obtain without doing the multiplayer currently. Excluding 2 or 3 the side quests are atrocious. The gameplay is improved and the characters are great, Garrus being the stand out, but all this is forgotten as you try to figure out what happened in the last 10 minutes and realized it wasn't written by the same people who did the rest of the game. It's a disaster I won't even bother to go into detail as I'm sure every other review hits on it. This is the single worst ending in the history of gaming. It's like Bioware doesn't want anyone to buy from them again. Giving me a terrible ending and adding the text "Buy more dlc" isn't going to make me happy.… Expand
  9. Rygar
    May 28, 2012
    4
    The story is recycled, often repeating the same sub-narratives over and over, the ammo and weapons are largely pathetic, you'll never have a reason to switch weapons. Most of the "Quests" are fetch quests that involve pressing a button near a planet, and then pressing it on the planet again. There's very little choice with dialogue, and most of the time you don't even get a choiceThe story is recycled, often repeating the same sub-narratives over and over, the ammo and weapons are largely pathetic, you'll never have a reason to switch weapons. Most of the "Quests" are fetch quests that involve pressing a button near a planet, and then pressing it on the planet again. There's very little choice with dialogue, and most of the time you don't even get a choice it's just auto-dialogue.

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

    Not worth $60. Maybe at $20.    … Expand
  10. menoi
    May 20, 2012
    0
    made just to get look at the corrupted critics just for the money made just to get look at the corrupted critics just for the money made just to get look at the corrupted critics just for the money made just to get look at the corrupted critics just for the money made just to get look at the corrupted critics just for the money
  11. RS13
    May 20, 2012
    3
    Suppose I told you a story: Big bad guys invaded the galaxy, alone hero struggled to unite the galaxy in opposition to the baddies. The baddies weakness is discovered. There's a final showdown with the baddies above the hero's home planet. The baddies lose. Suppose I told you this story: Big bad guys invade the galaxy and no one can stop them. But in the darkest hour plans for a superSuppose I told you a story: Big bad guys invaded the galaxy, alone hero struggled to unite the galaxy in opposition to the baddies. The baddies weakness is discovered. There's a final showdown with the baddies above the hero's home planet. The baddies lose. Suppose I told you this story: Big bad guys invade the galaxy and no one can stop them. But in the darkest hour plans for a super weapon is discovered. Now our heroes must race to complete the weapon, before there's no galaxy left to save.
    The first one's probably a little better, but each is a decent story right?
    Now suppose I told you they were the *same* story. Wait, what?
    And suppose I told you that this story was made by a developer that prides itself on making "Story-based gaming." "Ha!" you'd say "that would be a terrible story. Each story gets to the same conclusion, so putting them together renders half of the story useless."
    "Besides, the stories are really incompatible. The first is more about a single character. The second is more about teams of scientists and engineers and the soldiers who buy them time. In the second the bad guys are unstoppable in the first they're just hard to stop. In the second the galaxy would be throwing everything they had at the enemy, just to slow them down for a bit. In the first, those troops need to be saved for the final battle."



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

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

    To be fair, ME3 did have much better combat than ME1 or 2 and some of the missions (Rannoch and Tuchanka) are among the best in the series, but those two points do not a good game make. Combat's a side issue in Mass Effect and those missions are part of a larger story that utterly fails.    … Expand
  12. PrimePaladin
    May 22, 2012
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. First of all, let me say: this is not about the ending... ... ...oh who the hell am I trying to fool? This is ALL about the ending :) But I will put it in a way that most of the web seems to avoid: like it being something to feel shameful. There is no happy ending. Even picking the "right choices". Even playing for the best. Even spending hours and hours to complete any possible aspect of the game, it is going to end badly. For lots of people (for me of course, I think for many others, and I suspect for a lot of those lamenting for so many rational reasons) it is important to have a chance to make the story "go right". The good wins, the bad sucks, now let's kiss the girl in the sunset and YAY! I can understand all the babbling about "artistic choice" "moral dilemma" "heroic sacrifice" and I can understand that many like them, but I think that after five years, three games and hundreds of hours spent playing, It is hard to chew up, for any of those scorned by the writers choices. This game could have been something epic, making all of the players happy (weel, most of them, let's say); something like the ending of the first Knights of the old republic with a wide variety of possible storylines, After all this is meant as a saga ending: no need for a common point from where to make the story go on. This could have been the "own" ending of every player for how he chose to play the game. Nothing against an indication of that which the authors considered the "true" ending for artistic purposes (or even for a sequel) but respect for any way of playing or feeling the storyline.

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

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

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

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

    I could go on fa a while but it is better to stop here: I enjoied playing the saga, but how it turned out made me feel so that the memory I have when I think of the trilogy is no more "ehy it was fun-tastic"... it is "meh, the poor Shepard, so saaaad". I think my point of view is pretty clear right now:.
    GIMME BACK MY DAMN HAPPY ENDING AND QUIT THIS CRAP ABOUT EVERYTHING, FOR BEING APPEALED "ARTISTIC" NEEDING TO BE AN OCEAN OF TEARS. There is already the real world for that: at least in videogames let me dream that a lone hero who tries hard enough can make things go right :)    … Expand
  13. Chronocross
    May 28, 2012
    0
    I'm a huge fan of the series. I loved this game about 75% of the way through then it completely fell short. It is sad that a good series can be taken and destroyed. Let this be a lesson to companies that changing your writing team for something is not a good thing.
  14. BeatrixKiddo27
    Jun 10, 2012
    3
    Mass Effect was my favorite game series ever. I was a huge fan on Bioware, owning almost all of their games. Mass Effect 2 is my favorite game of all time. I was so excited for the ending to the planned space opera trilogy, and for the most part, it was amazing. Throughout the entire game, I was in awe of the amazing scenes played out. This game was larger than anything before in theMass Effect was my favorite game series ever. I was a huge fan on Bioware, owning almost all of their games. Mass Effect 2 is my favorite game of all time. I was so excited for the ending to the planned space opera trilogy, and for the most part, it was amazing. Throughout the entire game, I was in awe of the amazing scenes played out. This game was larger than anything before in the series, and you face some of the biggest intergalactic issues, such as the Geth & Quarian war. The gameplay is tighter, the character interaction great, 95% of this game is a masterpiece. Then you reach the infamous ending. This ending ruined everything, this game, and the trilogy as a whole. It is somewhat amazing that in 10 minutes, Bioware is able to destroy a series. When you think Mass Effect, you think player choice and impact. This ending takes that all away, and makes literally every choice you made prior pointless.

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

    Oh well, there's always Uncharted.    … Expand
  15. Duratan
    Jun 19, 2012
    0
    Mass effect is a game that tries to appease old fans and be a natural starting point for new fans sadly it fails at both new fans will feel overwhelmed by the situations while old fans will feel betrayed by the lack of differences in choices, i will elaborate on both but i would like this time to say the there will be spoilers

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

    spoiler alert

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

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

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

    however if your a new fan the ending (at least for me) actually makes the two previous games worse meaning that this game should be given a negative score, as i am a fan of the previous games i will give it the lowest possible score of "0", as im not allowed to give the game a negative 20 for ruining the other two 10/10 games in the series    … Expand
  16. maltizar
    Jul 3, 2012
    1
    Okay... if you hadn't noticed, playing this game, you'll either love it and be annoyed by the people that hate it or love it and hate the game and be annoyed by the people who love it.

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

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

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

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

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

    Storywise, the resolution is seperate from the rest of the series, which is a shame because the rest of it was pretty darn good. I'd say, save your money. If you haven't played it by now, you'd have a better time playing one of the first 2 games. It'll be in the used game pile soon, anyway.    … Expand
  17. Socratease
    Jan 22, 2013
    1
    First off, i would like to point out that the ending has been talked about to death. So instead of pointing out how it committed story telling suicide (which it did), i`m going to focus on the rest of the game. 1. The Intro. Seriously, WHY would shepard, the renegade badass (in my playthrough) just sit around WAITING for the reapers to arrive for those few months in between ME3 andFirst off, i would like to point out that the ending has been talked about to death. So instead of pointing out how it committed story telling suicide (which it did), i`m going to focus on the rest of the game. 1. The Intro. Seriously, WHY would shepard, the renegade badass (in my playthrough) just sit around WAITING for the reapers to arrive for those few months in between ME3 and arrival? That doesn`t seem very shepard like. And why should i give a sh-- about some random kid?

    Verdict: bad writing.

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

    Yeah, sure. tell me another one, casey.

    Verdict: bad writing

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

    Verdict: bad writing

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

    Verdict: bad writing

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

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

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

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

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

    Verdict: atrocious writing

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

    Don`t buy it. Not even if it`s in the bargain bin. EA doesn`t deserve your money or your time.    … Expand
  18. Gargus
    Mar 7, 2013
    1
    I'm not here to rip on ME3 just for the sake of doing so or because its what's cool to do on the internet like so many others.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    6- The ending was atrocious. This is a series that prides itself on story, characters and dialogue. We all spent over 100 bucks playing all 3 games and spent over 100 hours playing all 3 games but bioware seemed to say "This is the end of the trilogy so who cares about the ending". The ending is the most important part of any story of any kind because its the very last thing you leave the person with and its supposed to be a reward, the climax to everything leading up till then, basically the ending is the most important part of any story. But the ending of ME3 was over in just a minute or so despite the dozens of hours of dialogue, cut scenes and story in the rest of the series they got lazy at the end. It gives no satisfaction at all. I can honestly say it is the laziest segment of the series. I did like though they had the balls to do what they did with Sheppard, but the ending still sucks and doesn't make you glad to have finished the series.    … Expand
  19. houyi111
    Apr 30, 2013
    0
    The game has been out for over a year, long enough for me to recover and think how do I rate this game. To be honest, I want to give this game a 10 before the ending, i still remembered how exciting when playing the last mission on earth and how emotional I got towards the final push. Then the original ending, which is total crap and I want to give the game a -10 after finished the gameThe game has been out for over a year, long enough for me to recover and think how do I rate this game. To be honest, I want to give this game a 10 before the ending, i still remembered how exciting when playing the last mission on earth and how emotional I got towards the final push. Then the original ending, which is total crap and I want to give the game a -10 after finished the game the first time, it deserved a negative score. the ending made me depressed and lost interesting in playing games for months, the reaction and PR bxx**** from bioware towards ending and fans was just disgusting and made me sick. For me, the ending was just rushed, no excuse, no deep meaning behind it. if a video game can give me so much negative feelings, i can only rate it with negative score, in this case, a zero.… Expand
  20. Khaosom
    Apr 8, 2014
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'm not going to be like alot of people and sugar coat anything. I rated this game fairly low compared to the first two in the series for multiple reasons which will be described here. The game plays just like Mass Effect 2 with an upgraded melee system which isn't a bad thing. Second thing, which is why I didn't rate the game entirely horrid, is the level system changes. Instead of straight skills you no have more choices in how your skills level, if they inflict higher damage or last longer or even have a larger radius. Now on to the part I'm sure most have heard by now but if like me was still hopeful was wrong. Apparently there are multiple endings to the game, but from what I've seen NOTHING you've done in the game or previous others makes a difference, aside from finishing the crucible. At the end of the game no matter how big of a galactic fleet you've acquired, who you have on your side, the side quests you've finished, who lived in part 1 and 2, you're put with 2 choices(from what I've heard pre update was 3) the choices are destroy ALL mechancal life including yourself, or kill yourself and take control of the reapers. Yes in the previous two games the choices are kind of an illusion, that don't have a direct impact, but in this game the choices have no impact. I don't mind them killing off you're character, ending the series, just so they can't pull a Halo, but it would have been nice to have a game where you can win with a third choice of killing the reapers using your own fleet, since apparently all the reapers moved to earth. The second choice for the ending of taking over the reapers is a mind rape to me because apparently you become the Catalyst which was you're objective to find the entire game, and in doing so remain sentient on The Citadel, yet no one can speak to you or know you're there after that. The issue here is that the original Catalyst, the creator of the reapers, is speaking to you, giving you your two choices. So it telling me that I become it yet can't communicate like it does was a huge let down. Aside from this there are several other major things that could have been an ending to the game that would have worked, part 2 and 3 never happened I'll list them here... The first is part 2 and 3 never happened, at the end of part 3 you awaken after being saved from dying in space from the Collector attack on the normandy in part 2. Second is similar but instead of part 2 also being a dream only part 3 is and you awake in a reaper controlled facility and part 3 is an attempt to Indoctrinate Shephard. Third is this game is a dream that you're having while the Alliance tries to figure out how Cerebus rebuilt you in part two.

    All this being said, Bioware really dropped the ball with this game, which honestly seems to have become a forte of the company with their games, see Dragon Age origins, and dragon age 2.    … Expand
  21. mastirkal
    Mar 7, 2012
    0
    I'm sorry to say, the game's game play in all other aspects were amazing, but the ending, if we are reviewing based on overall experience completely ruined it for me... I had a ME1 and ME2 import and I did every quest I could and I enjoyed it to holy hell, but the ending was just such a misfire I couldn't even look at this game afterwards. I got early access via a hong kong server so I'veI'm sorry to say, the game's game play in all other aspects were amazing, but the ending, if we are reviewing based on overall experience completely ruined it for me... I had a ME1 and ME2 import and I did every quest I could and I enjoyed it to holy hell, but the ending was just such a misfire I couldn't even look at this game afterwards. I got early access via a hong kong server so I've had the last few days to do this and I simply cannot play anymore, not because it was a bad "game" but because in the end the story it was trying to tell completely collapsed for me.… Expand
  22. Bannu
    Mar 7, 2012
    0
    This score is based on the view of the build up to Mass Effect 3. If Mass Effect 3 was a stand alone title, with no prequel or setting up of a sequel, then I'd give it maybe a 5. But this game is utter trash as far as gaming standards are concerned.

    First off, the gameplay experience is weak. Is it fun? It's time consuming and better than doing homework, sure, but is it actually fun?    This score is based on the view of the build up to Mass Effect 3. If Mass Effect 3 was a stand alone title, with no prequel or setting up of a sequel, then I'd give it maybe a 5. But this game is utter trash as far as gaming standards are concerned.

    First off, the gameplay experience is weak. Is it fun? It's time consuming and better than doing homework, sure, but is it actually fun? Not for me, I am sure plenty of drones will enjoy this game for what it is, but looking beyond it, it's just a 3rd person shooter, with a leveling system, and a plot-holed filled story-line. And here comes the problem and why anytime I reach the point where I can say: This game isn't that bad, I realize that this game has a story and it's insulting my intelligence.

    Mass Effect 1 set up this neat little plot/mythology about Reapers and their times in history where they'd come out and wipe everything out. Through the entire game you kind of feared the Reapers, if not, out right terrified of the idea of them. There are tales of how merciless and prompt they were, wiping out civilizations in a matter of moments. They seemed omniscent. Pretty good stuff.

    Mass Effect 2, it did nothing for the plot really, but at least it had some fun forever-alone stuff you could do in it. Like continue developing relationships with characters, explore, etc. And the Reapers seemed to be scarcely mentioned.

    Now in ME3, the Reapers are finally here, in the hour of twilight. And what do they do? They suck at their job. They come off as inefficient. They seem like machines given AI to wipe out stuff, but in a rather slow and terrible fashion. I won't spoil anything, but yea, the Reapers, for having this reputation of being amazing, are terrible at everything, even dying.

    Sure, if you play it as a game, most everyone will like this. If you play it with the mind set that you want to play a video game worth your/my money, and you have an ounce of intelligence, you will find this game disappointing on all levels. Bioware has proven to not care about you, being innovative, or ethics.    … Expand
  23. frkonalsh30
    Mar 8, 2012
    0
    Here we go again Bioware. In an attempt to appeal to the masses you alienate the base. Brushing aside my problems with character loads, glicthces, game play and lackluster story development, you decide to go the way of political correctness and interject as much Homo mumbo jumbo into it as possible to appeal to a niche audience. Simply ridiculous that the gaming industry (long immune toHere we go again Bioware. In an attempt to appeal to the masses you alienate the base. Brushing aside my problems with character loads, glicthces, game play and lackluster story development, you decide to go the way of political correctness and interject as much Homo mumbo jumbo into it as possible to appeal to a niche audience. Simply ridiculous that the gaming industry (long immune to this type of BS) have finally decided to sell out. This is the last dollar you get from me.… Expand
  24. lasertank
    Mar 8, 2012
    0
    ME3 killed the franchise. The plot is linear and it lacks of depth. Decisions you made in ME1 and ME2 do not influence any story structure of ME3. The only outcome of those decision is the boring "readiness" value. Totally disappointing ending and epilogue. Why the reaper keep the extinction cycle? Most puzzle are not answered in ME3. The Crucible? It's totally a story disaster, whichME3 killed the franchise. The plot is linear and it lacks of depth. Decisions you made in ME1 and ME2 do not influence any story structure of ME3. The only outcome of those decision is the boring "readiness" value. Totally disappointing ending and epilogue. Why the reaper keep the extinction cycle? Most puzzle are not answered in ME3. The Crucible? It's totally a story disaster, which killed the atomsphere of the whole plot.… Expand
  25. konros
    Mar 8, 2012
    4
    Good combat, much more tactical than in previous titles and of course multi-player. And very bad narrative. The main rule of story-writing is obvious - the more the better. It resulted an enormous amount the cutscenes, most with badly written and boring dialogs. The shortcuts in dialog system imply better quality of writing. Unfortunately, Bioware has failed this as there is hardly aGood combat, much more tactical than in previous titles and of course multi-player. And very bad narrative. The main rule of story-writing is obvious - the more the better. It resulted an enormous amount the cutscenes, most with badly written and boring dialogs. The shortcuts in dialog system imply better quality of writing. Unfortunately, Bioware has failed this as there is hardly a handful of cutscenes which are able to make an impression on the player. It more looks like space soap opera, than AAA-movie.… Expand
  26. TezJaggs
    Mar 8, 2012
    0
    This game is a DISGRACE to the Mass Effect series and Bioware are a DISGRACE of a developer. They have totally ripped the RPG elements out of this game to make it a FLASHY BANG shooter for the ignorant mainstream and have betrayed their loyal fanbase. The dialogue with squad members all gets the Kasumi/Zaeed treatment which is a DISGRACE to RPG fans. All this series is now is a mediocreThis game is a DISGRACE to the Mass Effect series and Bioware are a DISGRACE of a developer. They have totally ripped the RPG elements out of this game to make it a FLASHY BANG shooter for the ignorant mainstream and have betrayed their loyal fanbase. The dialogue with squad members all gets the Kasumi/Zaeed treatment which is a DISGRACE to RPG fans. All this series is now is a mediocre third person shooter without ANY of the RPG elements that made this series successful. I absolutely hate Bioware now and will be boycotting them from now on. DO NOT BUY THIS GAME. The 'professional' critics have been bribed to give this game high scores. IT IS A DISGRACE TO RPG's.… Expand
  27. skulltac
    Mar 6, 2012
    1
    So is Bioware even trying anymore. This game really is just a letdown for me. I really enjoyed Mass Effect 1 a ton, but playing this game is really quite depressing. Everything seems just off. All of the animations are terrible, the voice acting is beyond horrendous. (Seriously I was cringing while listening to some parts.) And one of my biggest complaints is the release day DLC. What thatSo is Bioware even trying anymore. This game really is just a letdown for me. I really enjoyed Mass Effect 1 a ton, but playing this game is really quite depressing. Everything seems just off. All of the animations are terrible, the voice acting is beyond horrendous. (Seriously I was cringing while listening to some parts.) And one of my biggest complaints is the release day DLC. What that essentially means is that they have they content out and ready and it could've been on the disk but whatever I'm sure people would love to spend TEN DOLLARS for a new ending.

    Please don't waste your money on this game. It's almost as big of a let down as TOR which guess what. Was ruined by Bioware.    … Expand
  28. Biss
    Mar 28, 2012
    0
    What a sh**y ending. No chance of a good ending, even if you have make only correct choices over all 3 games. Bioware has lost all his skills. First gameplay and now storytelling. Nothing more is left of a once great development studio.
  29. Barazon
    Mar 8, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Forget most of the things that made the first game great and the second game decent. Gone is the excellent interaction with your squad (but you can improve it if you spend $200 on a Kinect!). The Tali reveal is just a photo on your desk, not an in-game character graphic showing her face. Instead of going with what made the series great, they're trying to catch the players who love first-person shooter multiplayer games, quick cash grabs with pay-for content on the release date, etc. Hey maybe they'll release some interaction with Tali without her suit if only you spend some extra $$$.

    I honestly don't know how Bioware became so disconnected from what has made their games great for the last 15 years. I've purchased and played almost every game that they've published: Baldur's Gate (1 and 2, plus expansions), Neverwinter Nights (1 and 2, and expansions), Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age (1 and 2, plus expansions), Mass Effect (1 and 2, plus expansions).

    I'm not saying they don't deserve to make money, but can they really be so clueless as to not realize how their longtime fans would react to pay-to-play content available on the release date of the game?! Releasing that content for free would have been the equivalent of free positive advertising, instead of the negativity that it did generate. Unless they remember what made their games great, and realize that making great games, first and foremost, will lead to great sales, I probably won't be playing any more of their games.    … Expand
  30. 01lduff
    Mar 12, 2012
    3
    great game but the last 20 min completely overshadows what good was in this game and as a result i found myself not satisfied with what could of been my fave game ever but i was left disappointing and as a result i will never trust bioware again to deliver on their promises
  31. jclark123
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    Worst ending ever. Mass Effect has been ruined by this game. Hat's off to Bioware for destroying one of the most emotionally stimulating series of our time.
  32. SaintArdael
    Mar 8, 2012
    0
    I really like the campaign setting of the world, and first and second part, I took great pleasure. But the third part ... it's a nightmare.
    The second part was good, even if it had some flaws. They were small and inconspicuous. Here they just did catch the eye.
    Shepard. The hero, twice saved the galaxy, put ashore. What the hell? As the Alliance could write off the hero of the galaxy,    I really like the campaign setting of the world, and first and second part, I took great pleasure. But the third part ... it's a nightmare.
    The second part was good, even if it had some flaws. They were small and inconspicuous. Here they just did catch the eye.
    Shepard. The hero, twice saved the galaxy, put ashore. What the hell? As the Alliance could write off the hero of the galaxy, and perhaps the spectrum at the beach? But okay, the plot error. But the animation is running, oh, I do not want to see ...

    That boy, burn him in hell. Yes, he died. It is sad. BUT WHY THEY CURSE OF NIGHTMARES! I am extremely furious when Shepard was walking slowly on the forest. Just do not Mass Effect, and The Path.

    An incredible stubbornness of quarians. No matter what the galaxy is almost captured the reapers, WE WREST HOMEWORLD URA-A-AA COMRADES!

    And, of course, the ending. It's just terrible. Damn you, writers Bioware! Boy catalyst, oh, that was invented. You have killed the game. You burn in hell.    … Expand
  33. Bambii
    Mar 8, 2012
    0
    I don't think the game really did anything special to begin with. The space opera story is here yet again with an uninteresting plot and dull characters. I don't see any appeal in saving the galaxy in a poor made game with dialogues that are too dumb and unfunny and with lack of anything interesting going on. It's like watching a crappy movie at 4 a.m. and not giving a s*** about what'sI don't think the game really did anything special to begin with. The space opera story is here yet again with an uninteresting plot and dull characters. I don't see any appeal in saving the galaxy in a poor made game with dialogues that are too dumb and unfunny and with lack of anything interesting going on. It's like watching a crappy movie at 4 a.m. and not giving a s*** about what's going on! Action is subpar and, you know, there is just nothing that could save this crappy game from being a total disaster.… Expand
  34. Sharky70
    Mar 7, 2012
    0
    Loved Mass Effect 1 and 2, this is a linear piece of **** I find myself watching TV in the background simply to keep myself somewhat entertained. Characters lack emotion, and don't have the same feeling in the previous games. Bioware pretends that the criticism is purely hate, when by looking at the negative reviews, this is clearly not true. Dialogue options are simplified and boring,Loved Mass Effect 1 and 2, this is a linear piece of **** I find myself watching TV in the background simply to keep myself somewhat entertained. Characters lack emotion, and don't have the same feeling in the previous games. Bioware pretends that the criticism is purely hate, when by looking at the negative reviews, this is clearly not true. Dialogue options are simplified and boring, combat is about the same, hardly any improvements, and explore-able environments have completely disappeared. This game is a giant joke. Personally, I'm pretending that Mass Effect 1 and 2 are true to the series, and 3 never happened. This is what the Crystal Skull movie did to the Indiana Jones series, it raped it.… Expand
  35. appel
    Apr 1, 2012
    1
    Awesome game with great graphics, fun action and characters. Except for an awful ending that negated or ignored most things Shepard had done in the games.
  36. A_Person
    Mar 19, 2012
    0
    When I see all these glowing reviews by game websites giving it nigh perfect scores, its glaringly obvious that their integrity and objectivity is compromised. In fact its almost comical how much the websites try and cover for its flaws. My favorite was one where they condemned bioware changing the endings because "oh its art you'll ruin it by changing the ending." I like to think that ifWhen I see all these glowing reviews by game websites giving it nigh perfect scores, its glaringly obvious that their integrity and objectivity is compromised. In fact its almost comical how much the websites try and cover for its flaws. My favorite was one where they condemned bioware changing the endings because "oh its art you'll ruin it by changing the ending." I like to think that if somehow a 6 year old drew a big turd on the Mona Lisa, the museum would do everything it could to restore the painting by TAKING OUT THE BIG TURD ON IT. What they are really praising isn't the game it is the amount of money they received in advertising from the game's publisher. Mass Effect 3's ending (because its really only one) is a slap in the face, a total disgrace to the brand. Whoever the lead writer was for the ending, and whoever gave the okay for that crap needs to be fired. Furthermore I've never encountered an ending that made me hope for a cliched "It was all a dream" sequence as much as this one. This ending is so poorly put together it is on par with the likes of Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions, wer're talking total plot and lore breakdown. The final offense was the after credit sequence which just adds insult to injury. The only person that could of made a poorer ending was George Lucas.… Expand
  37. Ryukyu
    Mar 19, 2012
    0
    This should have been the crown jewel in the ME trilogy, 90% of the game play was great, but the ending stinks on ice. I also think that Miranda should have had a greater role in the game, been a member on the crew. I find the idea of her and Ash sharing a room to be comic gold. Bioware needs to improve the ending and give us what was promised, an ending where our choices make an impact.This should have been the crown jewel in the ME trilogy, 90% of the game play was great, but the ending stinks on ice. I also think that Miranda should have had a greater role in the game, been a member on the crew. I find the idea of her and Ash sharing a room to be comic gold. Bioware needs to improve the ending and give us what was promised, an ending where our choices make an impact. Not one where everything essentually blows up and nothing makes sense. This also needs to be a free DLC, I paid for the whole game, I have no objections to paying for extras, thats why I bought the CE, but to pay extra for the 'true' ending would add insult to injury… Expand
  38. Hydralysk
    Mar 19, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I loved the original mass effect and mass effect 2, I must've played through both at 6 times making different choices because I wanted to see how they played out in ME3. For the first 98% of the game it was great, clearly oriented towards previous mass effect fans, but great nonetheless. And then I saw the ending. We were promised multiple endings, we got the same ending with a different color explosion no matter what. We were promised that our previous choices would change how everything played out, and yet no choice we made is in the least bit relevant in the last 20 minutes or the final choice. We were promised that it would end like Lost 'with more questions than answers', and yet Shepard apparently commits space genocide because of the most flimsy excuse ever and with big enough plot holes to drive an aircraft carrier through. Furthermore there is no indication at all of how any other character or race fared after you destroy the very fabric of galatic community, so cross any kind of closure off the list as well. Apparently this is due to the writer thinking the ending needs "Lots of Speculation" but he's the one who told us it won't end with more questions than answers. If I wanted to speculate I'd never of bought the game, that's what my imagination is for. Bioware lied to us through their statements and that's just not acceptable. Furthermore since nothing I did in any of the previous games matters once I get to the end of ME3 they've retroactively ruined any replay value of not only ME3 but ME and ME2 as well. How could I possibly care about any choices in those games now when I know for a fact it's all irrelevant to how it all plays out? I'd also like to state I didn't need an ending where shepard lives happily ever after (though I do challenge the concept that a hero dying is somehow better writing), what I wanted was an ending that A) made logical sense B) reflected the decisions I'd made in some way C) If shepard had to die at least make him die for something good, not dying to kick off an era of starvation and unrest. I gave you the benefit of the doubt with DA2 Bioware, I gave you the benefit of the doubt with the day 1 DLC character, but this is the last straw. Unless they fix this I can't recommend this game to anyone, play ME and ME2 if you want, but since the way it all plays out is based on "Everyone like lots of speculation" you're better off imagining the end up yourself and saving the $60, it'll almost without a doubt still hold up better than the real ending.… Expand
  39. Equilibrium2012
    Mar 6, 2012
    2
    Third Person Shooter: this is what Mass Effect 3 is. Do you remember Dragon Age 2? Déjà vu.
    Do whatever you want (rent, buy) but don´t expect a good game like ME2 or a masterpiece like ME.
  40. TrollTheTroll
    Mar 7, 2012
    1
    Total rip off. Game crashes and wont load saves. Multiplayer is bugged and unbalanced. Every thing looks like PS2. Its like a mining simulator but less interesting.
  41. geromite
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    The ends are shameeee!!!!!!! Why i built my own Sheppard and my own décision during 3 episode, for finally nothing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    I dont say more, its so scandalous, Bioware with EA , its the end of a part of rpg world, now welcome to call of duty rpg , multiplayer, lot of dlc included on dvd , take decision for... nothing, if you want an alternative ending buy the next dlc    The ends are shameeee!!!!!!! Why i built my own Sheppard and my own décision during 3 episode, for finally nothing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    I dont say more, its so scandalous, Bioware with EA , its the end of a part of rpg world, now welcome to call of duty rpg , multiplayer, lot of dlc included on dvd , take decision for... nothing, if you want an alternative ending buy the next dlc ending .    … Expand
  42. BadMassEffect3
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I LOVED me1 and me2. Me3 was EA caring solely about money. Day 0 DLC, Online pass, horrendous endings with no effort. A congrats you can pay more to continue. Awful, appalling. Save yourself, skip it, if I didn't get it through Gamefly I would make this the first Xbox game in my 7 years, that I would return. Shame on you,… Expand
  43. sclem
    Mar 20, 2012
    2
    I have been a huge fan of the entire Mass Effect trilogy. Most of ME3 carries on the trend, allowing the player to continue identifying with Commander Shepard...until the ending. Unfortunately, all decisions, choices, actions, and events leading up to the finale have no impact on the ultimate end. In addition, though Bioware specifically stated there would be "wildly different endings" andI have been a huge fan of the entire Mass Effect trilogy. Most of ME3 carries on the trend, allowing the player to continue identifying with Commander Shepard...until the ending. Unfortunately, all decisions, choices, actions, and events leading up to the finale have no impact on the ultimate end. In addition, though Bioware specifically stated there would be "wildly different endings" and that the multiplayer would be completely non-obligatory, those statements are false. The multiplayer is essential to gain significant war assets required for the "best" (same ending, slightly different final scene), and the "wildly different endings" is one ending with three different colored explosions that all do the same exact thing with the same exact result.

    #RetakeMassEffect

    Hold the Line.    … Expand
  44. hokum
    Mar 18, 2012
    3
    This is 50% cutscene (interactive movie) and 50% clunky shooting. The shooter controls are poor - cover, run, jump, strafe etc are all one and the same button. This makes battles frustrating - you die simply because you crouch when you wanted to run away/ can't quickly un-stick yourself from cover if you want to leap over a barrier. The game uses non-stop, unskippable cinematics to giveThis is 50% cutscene (interactive movie) and 50% clunky shooting. The shooter controls are poor - cover, run, jump, strafe etc are all one and the same button. This makes battles frustrating - you die simply because you crouch when you wanted to run away/ can't quickly un-stick yourself from cover if you want to leap over a barrier. The game uses non-stop, unskippable cinematics to give the illusion of immersion. Plot holes the size of Jupiter (if you played the first 2 games). You'd struggle to call this an RPG - no real choices that influence the game - everyone gets 99.99% the same content and dialog. All choices in previous games result in just small cameos or one line of extra(or less) dialog. The quest journal is useless. Zero replay value due to depressing, pointless ending that provide no answers, the game badly needs a wrap up or epilogue.… Expand
  45. bcent
    Mar 18, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I have played all three Mass Effect games and have loved them. The Mass Effect series is my second favorite series. However, this game is extremely disappointing. The game is great up until the last hour when you "take back" Earth. It was nothing as expected or advertised. I expected to have an ending that was a blend of ME1 and ME2. This means that I expected to have epic space and land battles where I had to make ethical decisions that impacted the game. The ending was nothing like this. It was basically the same as any other mission, and you have to make a "choice" at the end. There are three options, and they are all bad options with the same cut scene ending. The cut scene makes no sense, answers no questions, provides no closure, and is an insult to all of the fans of Mass Effect. I basically have two big problems with the game. One, the ending is too ambiguous which doesn't provide any answers or satisfaction. You don't know what happened to the crew, races, worlds, or galaxy. Two, the ending is anti-climatic which means that it is boring and not fitting for a Mass Effect game and especially for the end of a trilogy.
    I have a third problem, but it is not with the game. The third problem is with the developer. Bioware has made some unethical, greedy business decisions lately. It started with their decision to make KOTOR into an MMO instead of another console release. They knew that they would make more money with it as an MMO. I won't get into why I hate MMOs and how they are destroying the RPG genre. Bioware has recently dumbed down other RPG games like Dragon Age II and ME3 to appeal to the masses and make more money. This brings us to ME3. There are three issues with ME3. First, there is a code required to play the multiplayer. This is done to make more money from people who rent or buy used. Second, they have a release day DLC which is something they did for ME2 also. That DLC should be included with the retail release, but they sell it separately to make more money. The DLC isn't worth $10 because it is just one short mission and a playable character. All work completed before the retail release should be included in the retail price. I shouldn't have to pay extra unless they create the material after the release date. Third, they are releasing a DLC with the "true" ending, and they will charge $10 (or more) for this DLC. They made this false ending that no one likes so they could force everyone to buy the DLC with the "true" ending. It was done on purpose because Shepard awakens at the end of the cut scene and is back on Earth. The ending wasn't real. If it wasn't real, why is the real ending released months later and requires additional money? The real ending should have been included on the retail release that you have already bought at a high price. This is also done to make more money at the expense of loyal fans. I paid full price ($60) for what I thought was a finished and good product. I was wrong. It is not finished, and it is not as good as I hoped. I have to pay more money to finish it, but I will not do it. All of their business decisions are fueled by pure greed for money at this point.
    Do yourself a favor and don't waste your money on this game. If you are a fan of ME1 and ME2, then buy the game later. Wait for it to be $20 which won't be long. I bet that it will be $20 by this summer. You shouldn't buy the DLCs either because you don't want to reward and encourage Bioware for their unethical, greedy business practices. Bioware has basically given the middle finger to all loyal fans, and it is laughing all the way to the bank. I know the last few sentences seems really negative, but it is true. How can you not feel shafted by the game's ending and Bioware's business practices?    … Expand
  46. dmjrnbsn
    Mar 20, 2012
    0
    One of the most profoundly disappointing endings to any story in any medium. The writers removed the cornerstone in which the entire story was built upon - choice and consequence. So, the entire building comes crashing down at the end. In the end, none of the choices your character makes throughout three games matter. All the relationships you've built are meaningless. There is no closureOne of the most profoundly disappointing endings to any story in any medium. The writers removed the cornerstone in which the entire story was built upon - choice and consequence. So, the entire building comes crashing down at the end. In the end, none of the choices your character makes throughout three games matter. All the relationships you've built are meaningless. There is no closure in the relationships made, whether between LIs or squad mates. They never come to fruition, and there is no resolution. ME3 was advertised to have a multitude of outcomes based upon players' choices. That's what originally made the Mass Effect franchise such a great success. The finale should have raised the player to great heights or taken the player to despair... and everywhere between based upon the consequences of the player's decisions throughout the entirety of the series(Paragon, Renegade, or somewhere in between). BioWare should have finished their remarkable work on the strengths that it was built on. Choice and consequence. It seemed like a given, but... You leave the game feeling complete and utter disappointment. It is truly remarkable how an ending can be so profoundly and remarkably bad. It truly destroys the franchise entirely. This is not an easy thing to say, as I've loved the series from the start. There is no replay value at all. BioWare has ruined years of work in the last ten minutes on what should have been one of the greatest RPGs of all time. It will be a study in the future on how not to end a story franchise.… Expand
  47. Elevas
    Mar 20, 2012
    2
    A complete departure from the spirit of the series in that there's no impact from your prior decisions on the ending. There are a few great scenes; but overall, it's a travesty.
  48. Asgard90
    Mar 20, 2012
    0
    I really wanted to like this game. I really tried to forgive the ending. But once I stopped making excuses and stopped leaning on the last two games,I came to accept that I truly hated the game as a whole and wish i hadn't played it.
  49. SkilgannonPT
    Mar 31, 2012
    1
    Loved all the mass effect games, why would they destroy such a wonderfull series with such a blatantly illogical LAST 5 MIN... I justify my score with the following articles and videos:

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


    Fix this ending plz.
  50. Zombie_Kid
    Apr 24, 2012
    3
    I was really disappointed with Mass Effect 3 instead of getting what I thought was the 3rd in a line of excellence I got a what felt like a rushed game with weak game play, unrealistic characters, and uninspiring dialog.
    The choose your own actions seems lacking at best of times and extremely dull. The OTT action sequence that are meant to real in the masses aren't that impressive, and    I was really disappointed with Mass Effect 3 instead of getting what I thought was the 3rd in a line of excellence I got a what felt like a rushed game with weak game play, unrealistic characters, and uninspiring dialog.
    The choose your own actions seems lacking at best of times and extremely dull. The OTT action sequence that are meant to real in the masses aren't that impressive, and instantly forgettable. After finishing the first 2 (especially the 1st) I just couldn't help myself in letting everyone around me know how awesome they were. Sadly Mass Effect 3 just didn't have the same impact and never really delivered the game I was looking forward to play for so long. Bioware has ruined the franchise.    … Expand
  51. Luxangel7
    Mar 31, 2012
    0
    The ending of this game ruined over 5 years of Mass Effect gameplay. The developers are dishonest, deceitful, and have done an enormous disservice to their fans. The people who say they like the ending are not objective or smart enough to see the enormous plot holes and inconsistencies with ANYTHING pertaining to this game.
  52. Emerwyn
    Mar 31, 2012
    0
    A good game at first, but it has a bugged and broken quest log that can't help itself, a watered down side quest system where you just "hear" stuff while running around, RPG elements being ditched and disregarded and the ending is a borderline scam on the players. As a standalone shooter, it has a pass, but I was told I was buying a RPG where my choices mattered. In the end, the game isA good game at first, but it has a bugged and broken quest log that can't help itself, a watered down side quest system where you just "hear" stuff while running around, RPG elements being ditched and disregarded and the ending is a borderline scam on the players. As a standalone shooter, it has a pass, but I was told I was buying a RPG where my choices mattered. In the end, the game is best returned to the retailer if you have a refund option. Shame, it could have been a great game.… Expand
  53. rayken154h7
    Mar 11, 2012
    0
    Really enjoyed the game. Spectacular ending. Amazing grande finale to a series I've come to cherish. I'm starting my second play through. After that I'll probably play it 4 more times for good measure.
  54. TheFinalMaster
    Apr 5, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. i was so upset by the ending that i moved the cover behind all my other games so i couldint see it.....
    and even if the indoctranation theory is correct that means my mass effect universe is screwed because i would of chosen the controll or synthesis endings NOT the destroy ending    … Expand
  55. Demorase
    Mar 20, 2012
    0
    Can the ending ruin the journey? Well Mass Effect 3 attempts to give a definitive answer to that question, and it is a resounding yes. The ending violates everything Mass Effect stands for (i.e choice) and needs to be changed, but for that to happen you need to get the message through to Bioware, and this is a way to contribute. This saga deserves a better ending than what we got :)
  56. greendino
    Mar 20, 2012
    1
    This game does everything important right. Mass effect still stands as one of the best series of this gaming generation. you could look past all the minor flaws. That was, until the ending. The ending manages to undo and/or invalidate essentially everything that shepard does throughout not just ME3, but the other two games as well. It leaves a bitter taste in your mouth that nothing canThis game does everything important right. Mass effect still stands as one of the best series of this gaming generation. you could look past all the minor flaws. That was, until the ending. The ending manages to undo and/or invalidate essentially everything that shepard does throughout not just ME3, but the other two games as well. It leaves a bitter taste in your mouth that nothing can wash off.

    I loved it. Then there was the ending....    … Expand
  57. gasparem16
    Mar 30, 2012
    3
    Yeah, I really liked the game, had a few bugs, a few bumps along the ride, but the end....man...the ending is bad on an entirely new dimension.
    Why is it enough to give the hole game this low rating?...because not only this ending is completely unlogical and senseless, it completely destroys everything the series has accomplished since ME1, every squad member in the end gets his    Yeah, I really liked the game, had a few bugs, a few bumps along the ride, but the end....man...the ending is bad on an entirely new dimension.
    Why is it enough to give the hole game this low rating?...because not only this ending is completely unlogical and senseless, it completely destroys everything the series has accomplished since ME1, every squad member in the end gets his personality destroyed, their loyalties obliterated.
    Every little piece of gameplay, every little dialogue, every emotional moment along the hole franchise, got destroyed in less than 20 minutes of non playing gameplay :S    … Expand
  58. Sinloth
    Apr 24, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. So BioWare has decided to show us yet another big fat middle finger, aye? You know, when Dragon Age 2 came, sure it was an atrocity RPG wise especially after a great revive to its genre in form of DA1, I still enjoyed it somewhat, at the very least it didn't kill the franchise. But Mass Effect 3? I'm gonna need some time and space here to successfully describe the depth and seriousness of my emotional distress caused by ME3. In the beginning, there was ME, new well written sci-fi RPG that we had craved for so long, the game offered us freedom of choice to some degree and to this day it's kept its value and replayability. Then came ME2 which to me was even better news because I kinda liked a bit more action paced style we were given while at the same time we also got the same freedom of choice (oh there could have been SO MANY dead characters at the end if you wanted...). The classes were more distinguished and more original in the way they played and even the side-quests on various planets were rather refreshing and not as repetitive as they were in ME1. Safe to say, I've played and finished both ME and ME2 quite a few times (ME twice and ME2 5 or 6 times actually) and I certainly loved the series. I anticipated ME3 fiercely like any other real fan of the franchise. I pre-ordered collector's edition of course so From Ashes wasn't an issue for me, I played through the game and there it was... all that love I had for the previous games, for the franchise... was gone. 90%... neigh 95% of the game is great, amazing even. All the plots tie up nicely and I enjoy most of the characters (although the newcomers aren't anything special and I'm terribly pissed I didn't get to spend the last game with Miranda...) but then it all gets thrown out the proverbial window... What does it matter that I not only saved most of Quarian race AND Tali AND convinced them to coexist with the Geth!! when at the end it doesn't have any impact at all? Giving us three identical sterile endings and marooning everyone in the galaxy at Earth's doorstep is not only an illogical ending, but the worst step that BioWare has ever made in their history of designing games. Pathetic attempts of Ray Muzyka to "defend" this excuse of a proper ending to the series are laughable and heretical at that. So, guys, you gave us the middle finger, now it's our turn. Thank you for ruining what could have very well been the three best consequent RPG titles ever made. Seeing as you gave us no choice in the end, I don't think I have any choice now with the rating either.… Expand
  59. Not_Casual
    Feb 4, 2016
    0
    A royal turd encrusted with old age in the hot sun would provide more entertainment than this abysmal, untested insult to the name mass effect. Having played one and two, this one is utterly unplayable due to bugs, horrific map design, and an ignorant philosophy toward difficulty.
  60. TJ295
    Mar 13, 2012
    2
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4H_A7SeawU4

    No, the ending is so not perfect at all. For those who say it is perfect, you are clearly biased and didn't even finish the game yet.
  61. CorwinHavens
    Mar 14, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The fans deserved a real ending. We paid over $200 over the life of the series. We all invested time and money into what was a collective narrative that we all cared about. The only thing we wanted was a real conclusion. An epilogue. That's why we bought it. Endings matter. They help give meaning to all the choices made, or the choices we didn't make.

    More than that. I feel we all were lied to. In the build-up, we were promised a complex ending which was largely dependent on the choices we made. But that didn't happen. We got an A, B, or C selection. We were told the Citidel would be larger than before. Both lies. And now, Bioware is ignoring the complaints.

    Here's the ending I would have liked to see (I can't remember where this came from, so I cannot take credit for it):

    The ending that I wanted...the ending we all deserved. The ending should have been simple. The Crucible is just a monstrous laser beam that tears Reapers into little bits, and then we have Shepard wake up on the Normandy, Lord of the Rings style. And then the epilogue plays. To celebrate the victory, the biggest party in Galactic history is thrown on the Citadel. Everyone gets filthy drunk and dances the night away. EDI and Joker try to have sex, which ends with a shattered pelvis. Grunt does some hilarious stuff, Jack gets in a catfight with Miranda (jello optional), Garrus and Shepard go swimming in the giant lake, Wrex tries to join them and almost drowns (in a funny way) and finally catches that fish, someone pours a Gatorade bucket (Mass Effect equivalent) on Hackett's head, who flips out at first but ends up having fun, and other general hijinx ensue. And then afterwards there's a bunch of shots of the different species rebuilding their homeworlds. Shots of the Quarian and Geth getting along, the leftover Reaper corpses towed into space and blown into bits, red tape being cut, etc. Happy happy happy. And then there's a love interest ending. For example, Ashley and Shepard are shown with her family on Earth, maybe starting a new life together in the military. Or whoever the love interest was...just show them together.... And then, the final shot is of the Statue of Shepard that gets erected in the Citadel, and it fades to credits. And there are no child gods, I don't feel like I should have to explain why. I don't think this is too much to ask for, you know? An actual ending.....    … Expand
  62. DULLARD
    Mar 18, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game is brilliant UNTIL!!! the totally gutting and terrible ending to this fantastic series, why? just why??? it has nothing to do with anything, no choices make a difference, it is a punch in face to loyal fans, a new character in the dying seconds of the game tells you this: The Reaperâ… Expand
  63. outlawJW13
    Mar 20, 2012
    0
    My playthrough lasted 36 hours and 25 minutes. 36 hours and 20 minutes were fun, challenging, and touching then with the final five minutes this game committed narrative suicide and the terrible ending was all the worse for the greatness of this series. Endings matter especially in mass effect and this one was so bad that if it is not fixed through some dlc I just don't know if I everMy playthrough lasted 36 hours and 25 minutes. 36 hours and 20 minutes were fun, challenging, and touching then with the final five minutes this game committed narrative suicide and the terrible ending was all the worse for the greatness of this series. Endings matter especially in mass effect and this one was so bad that if it is not fixed through some dlc I just don't know if I ever have the heart to play another bioware game again. (And I've played everything bioware has ever released.) Bad ending ruined great franchise.… Expand
  64. Mesmurae
    Mar 20, 2012
    1
    The ending completely killed the entire series for me. It wasn't thought provoking or deep at all, it was lazy writing and a rushed effort that I was very unsatisfied with.
  65. Glodis27
    Mar 20, 2012
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I've played Mass Effect since it first came out. I eagerly awaited Mass Effect 2, ordered books, the collector's edition, even the Prima guide. I've replayed it more times than I can count When Mass Effect 3 was announced, I was ecstatic. I rushed to secure a collector's edition, and by the time March 6th came around I was ready to hole myself in my basement and play til I finished. And I do love BioWare. Because of Mass Effect, I bought Dragon Age and KOTOR. I applaud them for all their brilliance in the past, but I strongly believe they stumbled at the finish line for Mass Effect.

    99% of the game was perfection. I had chills down my spine during the Fall of Thessia, I shed a tear when Mordin and Thane sacrificed themselves. It was such an emotionally gripping game. However, the final 5 minutes is what ruined everything. Casey Hudson promised us that our choices would matter. How do they matter in a simple choice: red, green, or blue explosion? He promised us 16 DIFFERENT endings. The entire series was about choice and consequence. It was about weighing options and making moral decisions. All of this was completely nullified by the introduction of a God Child and the whole Stargazer debacle. The ending is so full of plot holes - why is Joker running away from a fight? Why did my squadmates mysteriously disappear then reappear on the Normandy? How did Anderson get ahead of Shepard when he said he got into the beam after him? How did Hackett know it was Shepard when the chatter says that no one made it to the beam? I personally believe the indoctrination theory, but it becomes difficult to believe when BioWare remains silent. If tanking the metacritic scores, making noise, and banding together is what it takes for BioWare to notice and make a change, then I'm all in. Hold the line.    … Expand
  66. Zuk
    Mar 20, 2012
    0
    This game was on the verge of being the Sci-Fi epic of our generation - in the form of a video game trilogy! But, alas, BioWare got butterfingers less than 10 minutes from the conclusion. Rather than giving all of our hard work, all of the many stories told, and most of all a great damn hero in Commander Shepard a REAL send off? The type that they deserved? What happened?

    On top of that,    This game was on the verge of being the Sci-Fi epic of our generation - in the form of a video game trilogy! But, alas, BioWare got butterfingers less than 10 minutes from the conclusion. Rather than giving all of our hard work, all of the many stories told, and most of all a great damn hero in Commander Shepard a REAL send off? The type that they deserved? What happened?

    On top of that, the ending ruined the Reapers as well! They went from truly terrifying and powerful cosmic horrors from beyond the Galaxy to the pets of a nonsensical "god child"! All that talk by Sovereign in Mass Effect 1 and they ended up being nothing but tools.

    On top of that, the ruining did just what it was promised not to do: gave us an "A, B, C" style ending which in no way took account for all of the story threads we had loomed together.

    At some point, BioWare's writers simply dropped the ball.    … Expand
  67. lolursomad
    Mar 20, 2012
    0
    The game was really good until the last 5 minutes of the game. It's really a shame that the ending ruins the entire franchise. Absolute disappointment.
  68. fmb
    Mar 29, 2012
    4
    I think the game has moments of greatness, but overall, I feel like it is sloppy, incomplete, and worst of all, uninspired. The lack of legitimate side quests (only six N7 missions, all with very little variety in tone, plot, and scenery), the complete removal of any form of exploration, the thinness of dialogue options and prevalence of auto dialogue, the lack of conversation withI think the game has moments of greatness, but overall, I feel like it is sloppy, incomplete, and worst of all, uninspired. The lack of legitimate side quests (only six N7 missions, all with very little variety in tone, plot, and scenery), the complete removal of any form of exploration, the thinness of dialogue options and prevalence of auto dialogue, the lack of conversation with companions, the limited use of ME2 squadmates, the fetch quest system ala Dragon Age 2, and the incoherent and lackluster ending all make this a frustrating and disappointing game. I expected Mass Effect to go out with a bang, but instead I feel like it just stumbled to an unsatisfying conclusion. It could have been a lot more than it was.… Expand
  69. burneyburnside
    Apr 28, 2012
    0
    sorry 99 percent great game but the ending doesn't just kill one game it kills 3. Also i wanted and rpg like it was intended to be not a fps , fps should have been secondary compared to the game.
  70. CrAEckY
    May 3, 2012
    2
    First of all i like to say that "Mass Effect 3" is one of the best games ever made in my opinion, even the whole series is awesome. As the reaction of many gamers shows, i am not alone who expected a marvelous finale at the end of this Sci-Fi Triology! And what have i became? A crappy nonsense telling end, that is it. That was the great announced final? I do not think so, i do not get it!First of all i like to say that "Mass Effect 3" is one of the best games ever made in my opinion, even the whole series is awesome. As the reaction of many gamers shows, i am not alone who expected a marvelous finale at the end of this Sci-Fi Triology! And what have i became? A crappy nonsense telling end, that is it. That was the great announced final? I do not think so, i do not get it! So i have rated the game with 2/10 not in case of the gameplay or atmosphere, i did it, because the ending really pissed me off like most of you and EA/Bioware's Statement handled us, the Fans/Gamers like idiots and ignored our support over the last 5 years. I mean, look at all the feature's they have promised. At the end, none of the decisions i have made during the first two parts is considered. What happened at all? You can choose like in "Deus Ex 3" between 3 endings. Do not tell me that i have to level my readiness til 5000 pts.+ or my renegade/paragon bar to the max. Treat gamers like that is perky and unforgettable! Check out "Angry Joe's" Review or 10 Reasons why the ending really sucks for Example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6M0Cf864P7E At least Bioware was sold out by Electronic Arts and get's in a row with Companies like Bullfrog, Maxis, Origin, Westwood and some more. It is all about cash and income shares for the Shareholders, nothing else matters. So, i have decided for my own that i will not support such ignorant policy again and i have canceled my SWToR-Account too. I do not buy a game of EA and Bioware again, til that Day "Mass Effect 3" will become some real endings, belongs to the choices i have made! My suggestion for you, do the same! Otherwise EA/Bioware do it again and again...… Expand
  71. Exur
    Dec 8, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. All the choices you made in previous games, all the heartbreaking decisions, the entire Mass Effect lore got flushed down the drain with this disaster piece. Nothing you did in the trilogy mattered because in the end, it was all a story. Nothing really happened. Bioware not only betrayed their loyal fanbase, they spit in their face.… Expand
  72. guillermop
    Apr 5, 2012
    0
    Mass Effect 3 is the culmination of all your adventures as Commander Shepard. Unfortunately, Bioware screwed the pooch with the worst ending to anything ever. All your choice in the first two games? Irrelevant!

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

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

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

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

    Never has being a gamer been more detestable    … Expand
  73. Deathmonger
    Apr 7, 2012
    3
    Yea, I'm gonna blast it. Hopefully Bioware will get the message, and in two years when their revenues are shot, they will for sure get it then, because I am done spending money on any of their products. ANY, including SW:TOR. This game had DLC day one. You had to play multiplayer to max war asset multiplier. Same engine, same graphics, nearly same gameplay--so all that would improveYea, I'm gonna blast it. Hopefully Bioware will get the message, and in two years when their revenues are shot, they will for sure get it then, because I am done spending money on any of their products. ANY, including SW:TOR. This game had DLC day one. You had to play multiplayer to max war asset multiplier. Same engine, same graphics, nearly same gameplay--so all that would improve or stay status quo is plot/story, where they failed miserably. False advertising in that "choices would matter. Ending would not be A, B, or C." Bioware asked for feedback, then ignored it and will release free DLC extending the ending, yet fixing nothing. I cannot recommend this game to anyone. Go buy Bethesda products (Elder Scrolls/Fallout) or Anet (Guild Wars/Guild Wars 2, or heck, even Aion).… Expand
  74. cyclekarl
    Jun 28, 2012
    0
    I really love the original game,but magazines and online gaming sites were saying things like" no one like the exploration,no one likes the Mako,no one likes the huge Citadel and elevator" rides,what they should have said is none of the newcomers to mass effect the gears of war and Halo fans like these things,I love them although some needed tweaking,then when ME 2 came along Bioware choseI really love the original game,but magazines and online gaming sites were saying things like" no one like the exploration,no one likes the Mako,no one likes the huge Citadel and elevator" rides,what they should have said is none of the newcomers to mass effect the gears of war and Halo fans like these things,I love them although some needed tweaking,then when ME 2 came along Bioware chose to appease these gamers by streamlining this game by getting rid of the ground vehicle,making the area's much smaller,simplifying everything and changing the combat,which I was more than happy with before,but they kept a good if flawed story,likable characters and mostly good dialogue options(although sadly had some auto dialogue) then comes 3 with Multi-player even less exploration,now you no longer visit the planet in side quests now you fire a probe to the surface and bizarrely you've just rescued a load of people,less dialogue option loads of auto dialogue plot holes galore and a crappy ending which they just put a sticking plaster over,so for me this game rates very poor the worst by far out of the 3 there are many more issues I have with it and I certainly won't be wasting my time playing it again unlike the original and to some aspects ME 2 which I have played 20 odd times each,this game is a very poor attempt by a once great company made to appeal to the mass market and not it's original once loyal fans,for me this franchise is finished,but one day I hope all 3 games are re made as they were meant to be and I don't give a stuff what the Halo or COD fans think.… Expand
  75. Grandjedi666
    Mar 13, 2012
    0
    RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH,RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH. Anakin Skywalker says"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO."… Expand
  76. Gamer84
    May 27, 2014
    4
    This game RUINED 3 games, time invested into the choices of my characters, my xbox 360 and entire videogame console experience. I will for now stick to playing MMO's.
  77. linksmaster
    Mar 18, 2012
    0
    After completing the game one has to wonder whether Bioware diverted all their resources to Star Wars - The Old Republic. One can only hope that is the excuse for this ending to the series. Regardless of the excuses or, perish the thought these "endings" were actually planned out, the Nihilistic ending made me regret having spent time even bothering to develop a character. Perhaps it's aAfter completing the game one has to wonder whether Bioware diverted all their resources to Star Wars - The Old Republic. One can only hope that is the excuse for this ending to the series. Regardless of the excuses or, perish the thought these "endings" were actually planned out, the Nihilistic ending made me regret having spent time even bothering to develop a character. Perhaps it's a joke. Or a calculated business move to offer DLC that lets you have an ending where you actually have some impact. As such this mess is such a shame for what had been such a promising series. In my humble opinion it is that bad. And it's sad. Not the sadness of any ending but the saddest thing in the world: Wasted potential. The wasted potential from a sloppy meaningless ending to an otherwise previously well executed series. I have lost the will to replay Mass Effect due to the ending. If that was Bioware's (and/or EA's) intentions, then well played EA/Bioware. I won't bother to return. If this is the same attention they plan for other games then I wish them well. I will not be playing them.… Expand
  78. PostModernMan
    Mar 18, 2012
    0
    Greatest game series I've ever played... until the last 10 minutes completely undoes EVERYTHING the series stood for and all the hard work put into three games. Bioware didn't just drop the ball at the one yard line in the last game of a perfect season. Bioware stopped at the one yard line and gave everyone in the audience the finger.
  79. falllnhorse
    Mar 18, 2012
    0
    I'm a big fan of the Mass Effect Series. i watch it devolve from RPG to 3rd person shooter. However Mass Effect was able to keep the balance. The way i rate the game success is replay ability. After how ME3 ending i can not even play Mass Effect original again. The passion has been ripped out of me for the series. It came down to A B or C option. Either way everything is over with theI'm a big fan of the Mass Effect Series. i watch it devolve from RPG to 3rd person shooter. However Mass Effect was able to keep the balance. The way i rate the game success is replay ability. After how ME3 ending i can not even play Mass Effect original again. The passion has been ripped out of me for the series. It came down to A B or C option. Either way everything is over with the universe. It was out of character and confusing. The ending was being written during the whole game and was culminating into a spectacular ending. However this was thrown away. For a modern cliche twist ending. It's sad this was on the way for the best RPG of the 21st century. Something for the benchmark all RPG on for the future. Gone.… Expand
  80. Seiyith
    Mar 20, 2012
    0
    This isn't the player's adventure anymore. Although there is much complaint about the ending deviating from your choices (which it certainly does), that is really a consistent problem throughout the story. If you lost a character in the last two games, he is simply replaced by a similar stock character, who performs their task just as well with no repercussions other than some slightlyThis isn't the player's adventure anymore. Although there is much complaint about the ending deviating from your choices (which it certainly does), that is really a consistent problem throughout the story. If you lost a character in the last two games, he is simply replaced by a similar stock character, who performs their task just as well with no repercussions other than some slightly varied dialogue.

    The ending is such a disgrace, and it so well known to be so, I feel it a waste of time to elaborate upon that.    … Expand
  81. mamosley2
    Mar 26, 2012
    0
    Save yourself the time and trouble of purchasing this god-awful travesty and simply hit yourself in the testicles. Repeatedly. This is the same feeling you will get as the end credits roll over this steaming pile of dog manure.
  82. pimpedkilla
    Mar 28, 2012
    0
    I am so sorry, Bioware. I loved all of your games up to Dragon Age 2, which seemed to be where you started to mess up. I was also an avid fan of Mass Effect, but this game just destroys my faith. I tried to like it, I really did.
  83. Terminal-Rex
    Mar 30, 2012
    4
    Hrm.. I would have given mass effect 1 and 2 around a 9 out of 10 but this final instalment is a real dissapointment. I feel like I have lost hours of my life which can never be reclaimed, It is and it is'nt the ending that spoil this game, i feel as if all of your decisions in 3 are incosiquential as everything towards the end is almost fixed, you can't go wrong or right. Also you areHrm.. I would have given mass effect 1 and 2 around a 9 out of 10 but this final instalment is a real dissapointment. I feel like I have lost hours of my life which can never be reclaimed, It is and it is'nt the ending that spoil this game, i feel as if all of your decisions in 3 are incosiquential as everything towards the end is almost fixed, you can't go wrong or right. Also you are presented with many less choices than before, you know just get the good / evil choice and both lead to the same result. Seeing as this game was always about narrative, the story seems to have thinned out ten fold with the most important aspect of the game now seemingly being the shooter, i never played mass effect to kill hordes of the enemy, that always bored the hell out of me, but that is all this game throws at you, I found that i would often change from hardcore to casual just because of the length of time it was taking to fight the hordes, i wanted a well writen story not a shooter. If i had wanted to aimlessly kill hordes of enemy i would have played dead island or some other shooter. Now the ending ruined the previous 2 games for me i feel like it makes everything a bit pointless and futile because realisticlly you had no chance of changing anything meaning all of your previous decisions are void as such. I am yet to play multiplayer all though I hear it is good so fingers crossed it will make up for one of the worse and most dissapointing narratives of a single player game for the last many months.… Expand
  84. bevochan
    Apr 1, 2012
    3
    There should be an audit for the critic reviews for Mass Effect 3. There is no way that you can finish this game and still give a review of 10 out of 10. I don't think majority of the 1st day reviewers for Mass Effect 3 finished the game. The game is about 9 or 10 out of 10, but in the last 10 mins, the entire trilogy become unraveled. I would give this game a 3 or 4.
  85. hollowfication
    Jun 3, 2012
    0
    this is dumb dumb even with total bad ending the even more problem to it the kinect feature on 360 does not do what we ask it when you say player name advance to attack stay back etc then when u use words like ok let go say it sometimes it pick it up
  86. Shrykull
    May 13, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is what happens when a franchise that's going so well goes bad. I loved the first 2 games I really did. I'm not too sure how the managed to make it so bad, first off it's casualised so much that it doesn't seem necessary to even consider thinking tactically, the writing is so dumbed down it feels like a children's book and they constantly refer to the previous games instead of making something original. Your choices don't matter the only ones that do were the ones you made in the previous game. I'm not going to blame the ending for the score i'm giving but slapping the player in the face and introducing a new character at the last second to say "Hey, we built synthetics to kill you because if we didn't you'd build synthetics and they'd kill you" is stupid and to top it off he then says "So nothing you did matters what colour do you like more red, blue or green" They might as well have ripped off my under wear and laughed at me instead of giving me the game as i'm sure that it wouldn't be as bad as this monstrosity.… Expand
  87. JoeLouis3849
    Jan 2, 2013
    0
    This game is everything Mass Effect wasn't. No exploration, now you slowly scan a planet and hope the game will allow you to land on the thing. Combat difficulty is no longer determined by player skill, but enemies who have infinite ammo, immunity to player attacks and can kill the player in 3 hits regardless of level. The storyline seems contrived... The whole game seems to be aboutThis game is everything Mass Effect wasn't. No exploration, now you slowly scan a planet and hope the game will allow you to land on the thing. Combat difficulty is no longer determined by player skill, but enemies who have infinite ammo, immunity to player attacks and can kill the player in 3 hits regardless of level. The storyline seems contrived... The whole game seems to be about collecting resources and trying to bed down one of your teammates. Virgins will get a kick out of that. FPS fans will enjoy the fact that there are little to no RPG elements that require them to use more than .006% of their brains to play this game. RPG fans will dislike this game's lackluster character development system. Me? I hate this game.

    That's right, I used the exact same review from Mass Effect 2. Why? Because if Bioware can't be bothered to improve the game in any way, then I can't be dithered to waste time pretending that I care enough about this abortion to write an all new review.    … Expand
  88. QP-Sizzle
    Mar 6, 2012
    2
    Amazing game. Nuff said.

    Yo I'm MC Mass Effect 1, 2 & 3
    I really like those games but the trolls disappoint me
    Martin Sheen, Mark Meer, and Seth Green
    Why all the bad reviews?
    They have a perfect trilogy!
  89. scoopedLOL
    Apr 6, 2012
    0
    RIP Bioware. I mean.. EAWare.. HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE
  90. norse
    Apr 13, 2012
    0
    Oh, man. So bad. The ending is horrible, but you already know that if you haven't been living under a rock. I couldn't have been worse if "it had all been a dream", it couldn't have been worse if everyone spontaneously broke into song for the grand finale of ME - the musical episode. Or if they'd just had the wisdom to cut out the last 20 minutes. That said, that's not why I am rating thisOh, man. So bad. The ending is horrible, but you already know that if you haven't been living under a rock. I couldn't have been worse if "it had all been a dream", it couldn't have been worse if everyone spontaneously broke into song for the grand finale of ME - the musical episode. Or if they'd just had the wisdom to cut out the last 20 minutes. That said, that's not why I am rating this a 0.

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

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

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

    It's a testament to how bad management can ruin great properties by killing what makes the teams that produce them good.    … Expand
  91. Coeurl
    Mar 17, 2012
    0
    Meh.
  92. Lspeyer
    Mar 29, 2012
    0
    I have been a fan of the series for half a decade, and I was really looking forward to the third installment of Mass Effect 3. As a result the game managed to disappoint me beyond what I thought was possible. Bioware has created something so awful that retroactively makes the whole series pointless, and I doubt I will ever bother with this series again. Add in shameless day 1 DLC, whichI have been a fan of the series for half a decade, and I was really looking forward to the third installment of Mass Effect 3. As a result the game managed to disappoint me beyond what I thought was possible. Bioware has created something so awful that retroactively makes the whole series pointless, and I doubt I will ever bother with this series again. Add in shameless day 1 DLC, which clearly was an important part of the game to begin with, and you have one of the worst sequels in RPG history… Expand
  93. Bulldozer
    Mar 30, 2012
    0
    This game could have been a masterpiece but the final result is only a forgettable mix of bugs, holes in a childish plot with the "wish" to be serious, a ton of shadows and emphasis everywhere, no exploration, no puzzles, flat dialogues and the worst ending in videogame history. In certain things it could deserve a 11 but in others not more than a -20 so my balance is 0. Nothing more thanThis game could have been a masterpiece but the final result is only a forgettable mix of bugs, holes in a childish plot with the "wish" to be serious, a ton of shadows and emphasis everywhere, no exploration, no puzzles, flat dialogues and the worst ending in videogame history. In certain things it could deserve a 11 but in others not more than a -20 so my balance is 0. Nothing more than a "project" of a game, an interesting project never terminated and poorly done, or at least that's not good to be released like this.… Expand
  94. Leevio
    Mar 28, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is one of the best games of the Mass Effect series, unfortunately the experience and memory of the poor ending of this game makes that all moot.… Expand
  95. YHWH
    Aug 26, 2012
    0
    Space gay waifu simulator 2012 edition.
  96. discodave91
    Mar 20, 2012
    0
    No improvement on Mass Effect 2. Just a re-hash of the last game. The mission system is terrible. You have no idea what stage you are at in the missions or where to go. The side quest are, again, re-hashes of the online multi-player.

    Some of the aspects of furthering the story are quite good up to a point. Then the game has the most stupid, uneducated, simplistic, disappointing ending I    No improvement on Mass Effect 2. Just a re-hash of the last game. The mission system is terrible. You have no idea what stage you are at in the missions or where to go. The side quest are, again, re-hashes of the online multi-player.

    Some of the aspects of furthering the story are quite good up to a point. Then the game has the most stupid, uneducated, simplistic, disappointing ending I have ever seen in a game. It takes no account of the lore of the game, makes no sense, would result in everyone being stranded and most of the systems being destroyed along with everyone that you were trying to save, and your choices make no difference to the ending of the game. Even though its an A,B,C ending, they are all pretty much identical!

    Bio Ware used to be great, but now they seem to have a knack at ruining their games (look at Dragon Age 2). EA are probably to blame.

    The whole game was also very buggy. At one point I had 2 Edi's, Tali died and then came back from the dead in a love seen??? and doors would randomly take an age to open. Sometimes powers and squad commands did not work! To sum up, the entire game felt rushed, was buggy, and had a generic ending that made no sense. Very disappointing.    … Expand
  97. fuzzychode
    Mar 29, 2012
    0
    BEEN UNABLE TO PLAY FOR OVER 2 WEEKS DUE TO KNOW BUG.EA SUPPORT IS NO HELP AT ALL. BIOWARE JUST KEEPS SAYING NOTHING BUT WE WILL HAVE IT FIXED SOON. WASTE OF MONEY. plus little i did get to play was just a horrible rehash for all those stupid people who love the same thing over and over and over....
  98. ZenBiker
    Mar 29, 2012
    2
    ME3 is the sad end of a great series. And I don't mean the now-infamous ending of the final Mass Effect game. I mean a series of games from Baldur's Gate, to KotOR, to the first two installments of the Mass Effect trilogy.. I mean the end of BioWare's run as the pre-eminent storyteller in electronic gaming. Many Metacritic users have written fantastic ME3 negative reviews, so I'm notME3 is the sad end of a great series. And I don't mean the now-infamous ending of the final Mass Effect game. I mean a series of games from Baldur's Gate, to KotOR, to the first two installments of the Mass Effect trilogy.. I mean the end of BioWare's run as the pre-eminent storyteller in electronic gaming. Many Metacritic users have written fantastic ME3 negative reviews, so I'm not going to elaborate on those. I recommend traveler's review dated March 29, 2012; it's one of the best examples I've seen. My bottom line: ME3 was destroyed by a Reaper--not Harbinger, but Whoremonger. Whoremonger, who has no passion for story or character. I mean Whoremonger the Money Whore.… Expand
  99. LukeDukem
    Mar 26, 2012
    3
    Well, game is not that good like ME1 and ME2 was (even worst as a ''RPG'' game), and that... ending, haha BioWare is gettin' even better after DA2 ;-)

    Just rent it :-/
  100. warp10ck
    Mar 19, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game that I was most excited for this year but unfortunately there is a lot of elements that ruins the experience, the game seems to be struggling with a identity crisis is it an rpg or a third person shooter with rpg elements ? The first problem with this game is for those who played the first two games and try to import their characters from the previous games at the time of writing this review an issue prevents the game from importing the appearance of your character every other things are imported like who you saved in me 1 and 2 these decisions have and impact depending on who you saved and some decisions you made earlier games have small impact.

    They seem to have focused more on combat and while the combat is fluid and have the gears of war cover system they seem to have forgotten some of the rpg elements. The quest system is really strange every main quest is tracked and easily managed but the secondary quests have no tracking and require you too search around blind, and if you complete one part of the objective you will have to return deliver and then search for the person/alien to deliver said item to.

    Customization is also limited the only armor you can take of your helmet is the N7 armor which is the default armor you begin with.

    Weapons are probably the the things that you can customize the most by upgrading barrels magazines etc etc.

    That being said most people play this for the story and it´s pretty good up to a certain point, you will reunite with many familiar faces that will help you against the reapers.
    Lot´s of great dialog that makes the characters that we all know and love come to life.

    But I can´t neglect to mention what everyone is talking about the endings.
    The game does an incredible job of moving story forward but in the last five minutes the story suddenly takes a strange turn and falls flat, there is not any real choice in the matter there are six endings almost identical. In these last few minutes the game introduces a character that was never in the game earlier and this character is well on his way now on becoming a meme on the web the Jar Jar of video games if you will.

    And the endings is so out of touch with the rest of the story in the game that it actually makes every choices you made in the earlier games seem irrelevant, this is the game biggest weakness and it destroys any replay value since I personally did not feel that I wanted play again because the ending was just too depressing. The plot simply stops making sense the last five minutes and this should not ruin the experience over what is a pretty good game, it should not but it does because it makes the entire journey seem pointless.
    The endings sequence basically tells you that none of your decisions really matter and you have to choose between option a, b or c and they are with minor differences almost identical endings with different colored explosions (reloaded and tried every option) and you just feel empty after the end which is to say the least not what I expected
    .
    It´s incredible how gutted I felt after that ending I had to take a break from gaming entirely and finally could start reviewing other games after a few days.

    And the sad thing is that 99,9% of this game is good the 0.1% really ruins what is over all a great experience.    … 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

All reviews »
Metascore
93

Universal acclaim - based on 74 Critic Reviews

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