Read Mixed User Reviews for Mass Effect 3 on Xbox 360

Eradith

Mar 12, 2012

5

The ending ruins an otherwise great game. It makes no sense and BioWare did not live up to their hype nor promises at this point. I hope they will either explain it or fix it, because I'm not getting where they are trying to go with it. The worst of it, is that you could have done absolutely nothing in the previous two games or even in this one and would probably still get the same oldThe ending ruins an otherwise great game. It makes no sense and BioWare did not live up to their hype nor promises at this point. I hope they will either explain it or fix it, because I'm not getting where they are trying to go with it. The worst of it, is that you could have done absolutely nothing in the previous two games or even in this one and would probably still get the same old ending. Kinda sad considering the promises made in interviews.… Expand

Darman-1136

Mar 11, 2012

5

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It's hard for me to decide how to put a number rating on Mass Effect 3 (ME3). I'd been gleefully anticipating the release of the game the day I completed Mass Effect 2 (ME2) and as slowly progressed through ME3, I could barely contain my joy at finally seeing the end of a game where MY choice mattered. What I got was a punch to the stomach and a feeling of despair that won't diminish for the foreseeable future. The ending makes a complete mockery of all the choices I've made this past five years of the course of three games that I poured my heart and soul into. ME3 is an amazing game. Until the last five minutes. You're given the choice (depending upon your effective military rating; the endings differ slightly depending the score) of either controlling the Reapers, destroying the Reapers, or Synthesis; which means the Citadel (which happens to be the Catalyst you've been hunting for during the game to complete the Crucible) absorbs your part synthetic/part organic essence and channels it throughout the galaxy via the Mass Relays to make all life a half and half hybrid. What? If you choose to control the Reapers, you must become one. You choose to destroy the Reapers, it kills ALL synthetic life in the galaxy; including the geth and the Mass Relays are destroyed. You choose synthesis you die. No closure. The game ends in a cutscene with the Normandy outrunning the Mass Relays destruction, which makes no sense as Earth is saved with this option and the Reapers flee, so what are you running from? The Normandy then crashes onto an unknown planet with some of the crew leaving the ship, and I'm assuming starting a new life? Cutscene ends with an old man and young child. The old man is telling your story, the story of "the Shepard," and how you saved the galaxy from destruction. This game, I'm sure, was a lifelong dream to make for the folks at Bioware. This has been they're baby for almost a decade and they are the creators, so they're voice carries weight when it comes to how they want the game to end. But as a fan who has put so much into this series I cannot wrap my head around how they thought these choices were a viable option to end a game of this magnitude. We get to make all these decisions with the life of the galaxy hanging in the balance and then at the end we don't get to see the fruits of our efforts? What happens to all the alliances we forged? Does peace reign? Do petty hatreds resume? My Shepard doesn't get to settle down and live his life with Ash (my choice of romantic interest in my main play through)? The ending to this game, for me, ruins further playthroughs I might attempt starting with replaying Mass Effect 1 (ME1.) Why would I waste time making the galactic decisions I do when there's no closure at the end. Maybe these endings give the folks at Bioware closure, but it doesn't for me. I guess I'll rate it a five. ME3 is a 9.5 game. If you discount the last five minutes. My grade: Disappointed, but for numbers sake I'll give it a five. I guess.… Expand

surrealismed

Mar 16, 2012

5

An otherwise flawless game marred by a lack of catharsis. On the gameplay front, this is a perfect game: everything you do in combat feels right, and even the recently added multiplayer is sleek as hell. For the most part, the story is just as fantastic, using five years of built tension to masterful effect. However, the ending features a mind screw of a plot twist that feels wrong givenAn otherwise flawless game marred by a lack of catharsis. On the gameplay front, this is a perfect game: everything you do in combat feels right, and even the recently added multiplayer is sleek as hell. For the most part, the story is just as fantastic, using five years of built tension to masterful effect. However, the ending features a mind screw of a plot twist that feels wrong given the context. In no way does the ending fulfill the expectations laid out by the prior two games or the promises of the devs, instead resembling a rejected premise from Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. My advice? Stop playing before the final mission and wait until BioWare rectifies the conclusion.… Expand

Variable

Mar 10, 2012

5

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game itself adds nothing to the series in terms of gameplay. It's the same old, same old. It doesn't try anything new that impacts the game in a significant way. You can still find better TPS gameplay in Gears (which is saddening really). It's not bad, but enjoyable for what it is.

The story, dear god. Somehow retcons and ignores what was established in ME1 and ME2. The Reapers built Mass Relays, but can't use them? But in ME1, it's said that the Citadel is a giant Mass Relay, which you shut down before it was fully activated. Also the Prothean/Collectors retcons, and also some decisions not mattering at all. Then there's also the Reaper's motive (preventing synthetic life.. which is pretty stupid by itself); the Geth were created by the Quarians some hundreds of years before the events of the first game. Why didn't the Reapers invade back then? And then ME3 feels like it ignores almost the entirety of ME2 (which was already stupid itself), and you start gathering/making the galaxy ready for the invasion while it's happening. That's stupidity at its finest. And then there's the "galactic readiness bar", that just... feels... too I don't know. Too artificial or mathematical. Or something. The 'readiness' should be measured by achievements (ingame, in sidequests and all that) and the things you do to help, not by a statistic.

JRPGs have better plots than this mess, and they can do it in one game for less money and no DLC.

And then there was the "gay" situation. I'm all for gays in my game. I was pretty much surprised and cool with Cortez being openly gay. That's fine, but when you answer him all you get is a paragon romance option and a renegade option. No neutral option. So what, Renegade is the new neutral? And even Kaidan, an established character, turned gay in ME3, hitting on MaleShep. What happened?

Then there's the general laziness of design. 2D sprites of people? It doesn't do anything to cover them up either, it's just blatant. The previous games used 2D sprites, but they weren't as noticeable. Not to mention that even Wii games can put a bunch of 3D models on the screen without slowdown. Not to mention the lazy photoshop of the Tali picture.

It's not amazing or good. Just painfully average… Expand

ce111

Mar 11, 2012

6

I'll start off by saying that I am a big fan of the Mass Effect series. I was fairly pleased with the majority of the storyline and dialogue in this game. The tone of this game is a lot more grim than the previous two games but I feel that is appropriate given the circumstances. Sometimes the voice acting can get a bit cheesy and some of the situations seem like they were ripped from a badI'll start off by saying that I am a big fan of the Mass Effect series. I was fairly pleased with the majority of the storyline and dialogue in this game. The tone of this game is a lot more grim than the previous two games but I feel that is appropriate given the circumstances. Sometimes the voice acting can get a bit cheesy and some of the situations seem like they were ripped from a bad action movie. The game play has had some tweaks and combat feels a bit more tuned. There are still bugs galore though and the AI still seems terrible despite claims of upgrades to it. Most bugs aren't extremely noticeable; heck sometimes they are downright funny but then you get the really frustrating bugs such as getting stuck and having to restart. Those bugs are one reason why this game lost a point. Another reason is how it seems that the events of the previous two games don't seem to have made as big a difference as I thought they would. Pretty much all of the key character's from the previous games make an appearance. Some are a big more significant than others but its certainly nice to see. The biggest problem I had with it was the ending. Its as though they were driving along on the nice little path of a storyline and then decide to just blindfold the driver at the end and hope for the best. The endings all make very little sense and just create more loose ends than they tie up. Hopefully we see more content in the future that makes things a bit more clear but until then I feel very disappointed with how the game ends. A little obscurity isn't necessarily a bad thing since it is nice to have the fans piece together certain aspects. But when the fans are left feeling cheated then its clear that something isn't quite right.
So in closing, its not a terrible game by any means but it certainly isn't the game that the Mass Effect series deserves. For all the lore and background of the series very little of it is truly represented and the game feels more like an action game than a sci-fi roleplaying game.… Expand

geekofband007

Mar 11, 2012

5

When i first read the user reviews on metacritic for this game i thought they were all just trolls. I was playing the game and i loved it! until i got to the end... Here is what happened, the game itself was fantastic. The story was well put together (minus the last 20 minutes) and it felt like each decision you made actually mattered. I felt good being able to unite former enemiesWhen i first read the user reviews on metacritic for this game i thought they were all just trolls. I was playing the game and i loved it! until i got to the end... Here is what happened, the game itself was fantastic. The story was well put together (minus the last 20 minutes) and it felt like each decision you made actually mattered. I felt good being able to unite former enemies against a common enemy and creating the biggest attack force ever. The war assets I spent hours collecting would actually make a difference. The gameplay was fun and challenging, the RPG aspect was present and weapon choice and customization were all well done. The graphics were good (not amazing). I encountered texture pop-ins a lot! The graphics didn't really take away from the overall experience though. It was still a lot of fun to play and experience running into your former team members throughout the game. Everything was great, and I had these great visions for how it would end...then we got to the end. *******MINOR SPOILERS MAY OCCUR. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED****

It was like, all my decisions, didn't matter. all the war assets, i never actually got to see them used. They were just a number. a statistic. The races i united and saved, i never got to see the fruits of my labor and the successes of the races. I never got to see myself settle down with my LI and live a happy life. I have been playing with a character that i had imported from mass effect 1! a character where i had become connected to and had made hard decisions and gotten attached to other characters. and then it was all thrown away. just like that. all my decisions, all the people i got to know and care about, thrown away. The ending, ruined the trilogy. Mass Effect 3 is a fantastic game and with a better ending i would have probably given it a 9.5/10 (graphics issues). The story flowed well and it was very cool to see all the decisions i made in ME1 and ME2 all matter in ME3. I loved be able to unite everyone and create peace between groups that had despised each other for centuries. The RPG elements from ME1 were re-introduced but managed to keep out the excessive micro-managing to create a good blend of ME1 and ME2. The game was great and it felt like you were making a difference and every decision had an impact on the greater good. Until the end. The end ruined the entire game for me and ruined the trilogy. The best way to play Mass Effect 3 is to play all the way up to the last battle, but don't play that if you want to save yourself major disappointing. so, I have to knock off at least 4 points from my actual score because the ending was so unsatisfying and terrible. yes, it brought a conclusion to ME but in the most terrible way possible. I demand that Bioware fix this! We did it with Fallout 3. We can do it with mass effect. Overall, Play this game. just when you get to the last battle, stop! put the game down, or replay it but save yourself the disappointment of the last battle.… Expand

ERR0RMACR0

Mar 7, 2012

5

Just here to add to the hate for this game and how it was handled. Of course, this game is a critics darling--funny how the same critics have damned games that have day 1 DLC, but ME gets a free pass. Critics are inconsistent, and in no way objective about their reviews. They play favorites and do not hold all games to the same standards. I seriously used to read critic reviews to makeJust here to add to the hate for this game and how it was handled. Of course, this game is a critics darling--funny how the same critics have damned games that have day 1 DLC, but ME gets a free pass. Critics are inconsistent, and in no way objective about their reviews. They play favorites and do not hold all games to the same standards. I seriously used to read critic reviews to make informed purchases, but recently I've been avoiding them entirely. The past 3-4 games that I've enjoyed were slammed by critics for **** stupid reasons, and other games like this that shouldn't be forgiven or embraced, the critics gush over. Mass Effect was a great series, but this DLC garbage needs to stop. EA/Bioware, Capcom, Rockstar you seriously all need to stop cutting content out to sell to us later. We've had enough.… Expand

aimlessgun

Mar 8, 2012

5

Most of the game is amazing:
-Good combat
-Great atmosphere -Amazingly done little details -A lot of very emotional moments -Some of the toughest and most heart wrenching decisions I've had to make -Thoroughly addicting and enjoyable (until the end). So-so stuff: -Slightly too much autodialogue. Not a huge deal though. -Effect of many previous choices given mention but not explicitlyMost of the game is amazing:
-Good combat
-Great atmosphere
-Amazingly done little details
-A lot of very emotional moments
-Some of the toughest and most heart wrenching decisions I've had to make -Thoroughly addicting and enjoyable (until the end).
So-so stuff:
-Slightly too much autodialogue. Not a huge deal though.
-Effect of many previous choices given mention but not explicitly detailed, left to your imagination (works for some)
-Dialogue ranges from great to cringe inducing

The horrible:
-Ending is some of the worst writing/storytelling of all time. NOT because it is a "sad" ending. Because it comes out of nowhere and makes no sense. It would take an essay to detail everything that is wrong with it. 90% of the game is awesome. By that measure, I could give it a 9/10. But endings are important.

Worth buying and playing.… Expand

Loonestar

Mar 6, 2012

5

Two words: AUTO DIALOGUE - even in story or RPG mode, the game rips away the controls and choices given to the player in the previous games. Want Shepard to say "x"? Too bad, he's going to spout cliched action movie lines for 5 minutes whether you like it or not. The spoken dialogue of the rest of the cast is just as bad. The absolute disdain for the player is obvious the entire time:Two words: AUTO DIALOGUE - even in story or RPG mode, the game rips away the controls and choices given to the player in the previous games. Want Shepard to say "x"? Too bad, he's going to spout cliched action movie lines for 5 minutes whether you like it or not. The spoken dialogue of the rest of the cast is just as bad. The absolute disdain for the player is obvious the entire time: This game thinks you are a moron, and has done everything it can to take away any opportunity for you to have fun with it. The action is dull, formulaic and predictable. The story is the worst type of pandering to the people Bioware want to play their games, i.e. the pubescent teenagers and creepy talimancers. Mac Walters has to be the worst game writer of his generation. This game blows.… Expand

Zigalicious

Mar 7, 2012

6

The 3rd and final chapter in the Mass Effect series has some great scenery, outstanding combat lifted from part 2 and a decent, if cliched story but is marred by day one DLC(are you kidding me?) stunted facial animations and decisions that mean much less in this game than they did in the previous two. It still stands as a decent Bioware title, but you will be thinking the entire timeThe 3rd and final chapter in the Mass Effect series has some great scenery, outstanding combat lifted from part 2 and a decent, if cliched story but is marred by day one DLC(are you kidding me?) stunted facial animations and decisions that mean much less in this game than they did in the previous two. It still stands as a decent Bioware title, but you will be thinking the entire time that it could have been a little bit better.… Expand

Senbonsakura

Mar 13, 2012

7

First of all, ME is one of my favorite video game franchises. I completed the previous games a couple of times, I played all the DLCs and I have read all the comics and books. My expectations were very high and I was counting the days until ME3 finally hit the stores. Overall, except the last 10-15 minutes of the game (I will talk about this atrocity later), there is no reason to complainFirst of all, ME is one of my favorite video game franchises. I completed the previous games a couple of times, I played all the DLCs and I have read all the comics and books. My expectations were very high and I was counting the days until ME3 finally hit the stores. Overall, except the last 10-15 minutes of the game (I will talk about this atrocity later), there is no reason to complain about this game. The game play is satisfying, your squad mates are likable, players are rewarded for playing the previous games with some special moments and the story is - as always - exciting and well told. The ME franchises proves how video games can make you care about characters you think about your actions. You can support or betray former squad mates and sacrifice entire civilizations for the greater good. If you played the previous games and developed any sympathy for the characters, there are no easy calls to make. Nothing seems right or wrong, which makes you care about your decisions and reflect them afterwards. But then comes the ending. To begin with, it is one of the most frustrating endings in video game history. As a big fan of the franchise and so much dedication, it felt like Bioware punched me in the face. For a company, that emphasizes their ability of good story telling and the possibility of influencing of the outcome of the story, this ending cannot be excused. It lets you down, does not reward you whatsoever, makes the previous games pointless, reveals all of your decisions as pointless and comes up with new questions, that remain unanswered. There is no reason to invest your emotions in the ME games again, with an ending like that. It feels like Bioware wanted to come up with something creative and unexpected. The ending was unexpected indeed, but a big letdown for every fan.… Expand

Sparkypants

Mar 8, 2012

7

If you have developed ANY sort of attachment to this series, be prepared to be extremely disappointed. Mass Effect 3 is a beautiful game, a testament to the industry, and worth every penny, but you will, ultimately, be let down. Before launch, BioWare assured its fanbase that the ending would be just that: an ending to Shepard's story, that all the questions would be answered, and that theIf you have developed ANY sort of attachment to this series, be prepared to be extremely disappointed. Mass Effect 3 is a beautiful game, a testament to the industry, and worth every penny, but you will, ultimately, be let down. Before launch, BioWare assured its fanbase that the ending would be just that: an ending to Shepard's story, that all the questions would be answered, and that the majority of fans would be pleased with the direction they took. This simply isn't true. The final scene is akin to the Deus Ex: Human Revolution "push a button" ending. It is a huge disappointment to an otherwise brilliant magnum opus. While your 'war assets' (a mechanic that keeps track of how well you're doing in preparation for the final assault) will play a small role in the multiple endings possible, you will not readily see the effects. The ending sequence is convoluted and cringe-worthy, breaking completely with the Mass Effect universe as a whole. BioWare chose an artsy sort of direction for the third installment and, frankly, it just does not fit with the first and second games at all. If anything, the ending will raise MORE questions. The decisions some characters make in-game during these last scenes are, well, extremely uncharacteristic. The secret clip after the credits is just insulting.

Despite the atrocious ending, the writing is otherwise in tip-top shape: many lines will bring a smile or a laugh, characters (despite the above) feel completely real, and the various sacrifices and hard decisions the game confronts you with will, in fact, hurt. The choices made in ME1 and ME2 will effect gameplay, but not in the hugely drastic way fans speculated. Familiar faces will return, old names will be dropped, even the squad's roles from ME2's Suicide Mission will be mentioned.
Gorgeous lighting removes the Neanderthal faces Shepard and many characters had at times in ME2. Textures and graphics as a whole seem to be slightly less sharp, but this is offset by the new lighting, creating a beautiful atmosphere and a truly believable world. Combat is relatively smooth and every class can now carry whatever weapons the player desires, utilizing a weight system. The more guns (or the heavier they are) Shepard carries, the longer power cool-downs are. Guns can be upgraded and modded to fit a specific play style.
Planet scanning and resource mining returns to a degree, but this mechanic is much less tedious. You now search for "war assets" to assist in the final battle. Large action set pieces are fun and engaging (despite a few oddly placed turret sections) and will leave lasting impressions. Several of these set pieces are the epitome of epic.

However, in a bizarre fit of back-tracking, BioWare has largely removed conversation options: it seems Shepard now runs the show, rather than the player acting through Shepard. Auto-dialogue is rampant. You will have an opportunity to say something for every three or eight lines Shepard says on his or her own, if given the option at all. The dialogue wheel has largely been reduced to two options, mainly Paragon and Renegade and the occasional Investigate and left-side Charm/Intimidate (and I really do mean "occasional"). Paragon seems to no longer mean "good" and Renegade no longer implies "evil", rather "diplomatic" and "direct", respectively. This new system presents a glaringly obvious illusion of choice in most cases: you're confronted with two slightly different ways of saying the same exact thing. Trigger Interrupts make a return and are still satisfying, but again, not in force as they were previously. The new Reputation system is a welcome change.
Squadmates now usually engage in one-liners with Shepard (those familiar with Mass Effect 2's DLC characters will understand). This is disappointing on many levels. Because of the reduced squad size, we were promised increased interaction, and this, a teammate saying "Hey" and "Krogan sure are fierce, huh?" does not qualify as such. In some cases, Shepard responds. Do you have the option to chose what to say? No.

It feels as though Shepard is no longer an in-game personification of the player or a specific roleplay set-up. Shepard's responses can severely break character with whatever the player has developed. A previously down-right evil, real piece of work Shepard seems to very nearly tear up over the death of some random child during the opening sequence. And you don't get to decide how to respond. You're stuck with this character, rather than your own creation. My Shepards no longer feel "mine", I feel like I'm playing another game, with some other hero saving the galaxy. It is hurtful to know something one has placed hundreds of hours of one's life into has essentially been crushed.

This game is not 10 material, but it is certainly not a 0. Do not trust extremist reviews, whether critic or user: the only way to know for certain how you feel about this game is to play it yourself.… Expand

PepperedShrimp

Mar 6, 2012

5

Gameplay was so-so, I felt it was slightly clunky. It was fun using the biotic moves, but it felt a bit too easy, might try it on a harder difficulty next playthrough.
When it came down to story, it seemed as if they were shaping the ideas yet it came together badly, the ending felt unfufilling and there was no subtle denoument. It felt rushed and over-complicated the condition of theGameplay was so-so, I felt it was slightly clunky. It was fun using the biotic moves, but it felt a bit too easy, might try it on a harder difficulty next playthrough.
When it came down to story, it seemed as if they were shaping the ideas yet it came together badly, the ending felt unfufilling and there was no subtle denoument. It felt rushed and over-complicated the condition of the Reapers, it would've done well sticking with simple concepts but taken through with more creativity.
Graphics are quite well done. the pre-rendered cutscenes were nice to watch. I noticed some areas were re-skinned from ME2 though. And some animations were also taken from the second Mass Effect. Also, there are noticeably less dialogue choices than in the first two games, and some didn't carry on the way I had intended. I don't know if this was done purposefully or to perpetuate hopelessness but it wasn't as satisfying.
If you have some spare change and you want something different, please go ahead and play the game. I suggest to start with the first one though and make your opinion as you progress. Not BioWare's best, but not exactly its worst either.… Expand

SirMauz

Apr 30, 2013

6

Well, again a mixed bag. The game is quite amazing up until that dang ending man. MP is fun, even a year into it, and still rolling on. The one thing that holds this game down is that crap ending.

WhiskeyStories

Dec 3, 2017

6

/sigh/ Move along, there's no charm or sci-fi here. While Mass Effect 3 is an undeniably fun game it's not a worthy conclusion at all. The fact that the clunky but sincere sci-fi of the original is unashamedly traded in for a full-blown action game is not what breaks the game. As I said the gameplay is fun, but the story... the story is just dogsh#t. I'm sorry, but it's true. I still enjoy/sigh/ Move along, there's no charm or sci-fi here. While Mass Effect 3 is an undeniably fun game it's not a worthy conclusion at all. The fact that the clunky but sincere sci-fi of the original is unashamedly traded in for a full-blown action game is not what breaks the game. As I said the gameplay is fun, but the story... the story is just dogsh#t. I'm sorry, but it's true. I still enjoy the first 2/3rds of the game to a certain extent, but by the finale Mass Effect 3 completely crashes and burns and its clear that the writers had no idea what they were doing.… Expand

gentlebenno

Jul 25, 2019

7

Even years later folks agonize over this game and rightly so. When you take ME2 and combine it with ME3 you get perhaps the greatest gaming experience of all time. UNTIL, you get to the last 15 minutes of ME3. I can’t comprehend how the same team that made these great games decided that this was the way to end it, nodded to each other, and said it was good to go. It still baffles me.Even years later folks agonize over this game and rightly so. When you take ME2 and combine it with ME3 you get perhaps the greatest gaming experience of all time. UNTIL, you get to the last 15 minutes of ME3. I can’t comprehend how the same team that made these great games decided that this was the way to end it, nodded to each other, and said it was good to go. It still baffles me. It’s probably not the worst video game ending of all time; but it’s certainly the worst video game ending of all time for a game that was actually good. Nobody who loves these games, this lore, this universe of gaming will ever get over it. When I did my last replay I stopped before the final mission, I refused to play the ending. But still, this is an incredible game, you just have to ignore the last 15 minutes and pretend something else happened inside your brain. EA daggered BioWare and ME:A was a mediocre, soulless slog, but really it’s the ending of ME3 that ended it for us all.… Expand

f_type

Apr 12, 2012

7

"The people who are crying about the ending are overreacting," was my initial impression while I was still working my way through this game while having to read a forum post, website update, or blog about fan outcry about the end of the game. As I was still playing through the mid-point of the game, I thought it was fantastic. The visuals and sound are great, the combat is fantastic, and"The people who are crying about the ending are overreacting," was my initial impression while I was still working my way through this game while having to read a forum post, website update, or blog about fan outcry about the end of the game. As I was still playing through the mid-point of the game, I thought it was fantastic. The visuals and sound are great, the combat is fantastic, and everything you love about the series is better than ever. You'll encounter some epic moments, and see all of your decisions come to fruition. My only issue, up to that point, was some outcomes were nearly impossible to change, and were based on some of the most mundane decisions made earlier in this game or in the two prior games. I thoroughly enjoyed the game... until the final moments. Unfortunately, I learned that the fans weren't overrating. The ending is, simply put, bad. In fact, I would go so far as to say it was one of the worst endings I've ever seen in my 2 decades of gaming (yes, including those old "Congratulations! You beat the game!" endings). For all the talk of decisions and choices, the final moments of the game were simply hollow and the ending was anything but an ending, full of plot holes and unanswered questions. For a series that spanned 3 excellent games (minus the end of this game), I was baffled as to how BioWare felt that the final parts of the game were at all satisfactory. I know I'm just preaching to the choir here, but it's all true. Mass Effect 3 was simply fantastic, until the final moments.… Expand

vguara

Mar 20, 2012

7

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. As I see it there are 2 opinions dominating the reviews here. People who wanna complain some aspects of the game (especially the ending) and therefore give very low scores to the game and people who believe it is an improvement from the already great ME2 and one of the best games ever and most likely have not played until the end.
I am on neither group. I am one of the few people to give an slightly above average score. And I am a big fan of the series, played all 3 games with the DLCs, read the books and the comics.
Don't let the trolls fool you, it is a good game, it is based on the second game, it cannot get much worse. But there are serious flaws that could have been corrected from the second game or were poorly changed from the second game (which I consider to be the best of the 3).
Most of the good points were already on ME2 and for those I give the slightly above average score. Besides what was already on ME2, the biggest improvements IMHO are the weapons mod system which merged the first and second game beautifully and the fact that you can see more of your past decisions taking effect in this game than there were from the first game into the second. So I will focus on what could be better
First of all, I understood the story at the beginning because I played all the DLCs, but those who have not played it are going to get a bit lost, the game itself does not provide much insight for new players or those who have not played the last DLC from the 2nd game (Arrival).
Second, quest organization is terrible, you can't track your current progress on each quest and are often wandering around the citadel looking for the quest giver who you completely forgot the face or location.
The only "city" (as the place you get quests and buy stuff in) in the game is the citadel, just like on the first game, which was a major let down for me, the second had Elysium and Omega in addition to the citadel and where great.
The game basically focus on 2 big quests inside of the main quest which is defeating the reapers. Those quests are making an alliance between the Krogans and the Turians and doing the same thing between the Geth and the Quarians. Of course there are other quests like on Thesia and the Cerberus headquarters, but they are single mission quests not like the first two mentioned. I feel like the second game was much longer and had more quests than the 3rd.
The number of squad members has reduced, this would have been explainable if the purpose was the develop each story with more depth, but that doesn't happen, loyalty missions are out and there are no squad member specific missions, in addition to this point, there is the day 1 DLC From Ashes, which adds the Prothean squad mate to your team, I am not getting into the point of how low it is to release a day 1 DLC, but the new character could add much more depth to the story and could come with more than the recruit mission.
The developers still haven't thought a good way to make space exploring more engaging and interesting, on this game this aspect has been put on the third plane, of course it makes sense considering the plot, but they could come up with good ideas to put it in the game in a interesting and coherent (according to the story) way.
Multiplayer is the most difficult thing for me to comment, I liked the fact that they've added multiplayer to the game and even more that it somewhat affects the singleplayer campaign. But it could have more maps (there are about 6) and more game modes.
Lastly on my list, the thing that has put everyone on edge on the internet, the ending. And here I agree with almost everyone, it was a let down. This has nothing to do with the fact that Shepperd dies and almost every scenario except one, this was almost expected, but the fact that your decisions have very little to no impact on the ending besides the "war effort" value. You have three (or two) options regardless of your decisions and the ending sequence is almost the same: the reapers are destroyed or leave earth (it earth is not destroyed, depending on your war effort value), the normandy escapes from a beam and falls on a planet full of plant life, depending on your war effort some people survive (or all of them). But there are no explanation on how your decisions impacted the outcome, many questions are left unanswered which led to many theories on the net (look up on youtube). It is a game worth playing specially if you played the other two, but the ending destroys replay value which was one of the most fun things about the second game.
Sorry for any English mistakes as I am Brazilian.… Expand

AsymetricForce

Apr 1, 2012

7

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I have Been thinking about the ending quite a bit, and I propose a new theory: Sheppard, Anderson and The Illusive Man did not make it to the control panel by accident, they were invited by The Reapers! (Close Encounters of the Crazy Kind!). So hear me out: If the Indoctrination Theory is wrong, then an alternative "Organic Theory" is in order and it goes like this: The Reapers cannot simply destroy all space faring life because they MUST receive INPUT from an ORGANIC to do so as they are the CREATOR of the Reapers! To this end they have sought out the most charismatic/Paragon (Sheppard), Militaristic (Anderson), and Maniacal/Renegade (Illusive Man) and have guided all of their paths to the control panel to determine which of them will DETERMINE the final fate of all cycles! Why all cycles? Because the catalyst VI mentions that Sheppard is the first organic to arrive to his location ever (please keep reading for more on this). If you look at the final sequence it is obvious all three men are under some level of control from the Reapers, and yet they are not a Thrall. They can still make decisions, and do so in the ending sequence according to their own will (agenda) be it to control, destroy, or combine (evolve), but only one can met the Reaper/Catalyst VI. The Reapers are standing by to see which of these men will dominate the others (classical Darwinian theory) and he who wins the battle, wins the right to choose! I think most players would choose as I did given my choices throughout the three games: To evolve the species at the end of this cycle. I recall Javik mentioning that in his time there were Protheans who believed they could control, destroy or work alongside the Reapers. Are these not the same choices being presented to the chosen three? They who have been determined, skillful, and strong willed enough to make it to this crucial point! As an aside, Wiki the number three and check out all of the interesting possibilities as to why Bioware chose this special number! I believe the first cycle's organics created the Reapers to prevent greater disaster as organics were either threatened by machines (or maybe something else), just as the Protheans worked to build the Crucible in their time to do in the Reapers which now threatened them (a cycle within a cycle?). So what does it mean? It means the Reapers are loyal to the creator (organics) and are simply following protocol in the logical manner that machines do. They are not being "mean" in destroying the space faring races, they are simply "doing" what they were built for. Again, without organic PERMISSION the Reapers have never been able to fully complete their original programming which is why all three men arrive to the control panel in the order that they do (because it is ALLOWED). So what is the threat that the reapers and citadel were created for? Simple: The Mass Relays are the threat! Something, Synthetics, Cthulhu maybe?, has come through the relays many cycles before, and the Reapers were the weapon that destroyed them and remained afterwards to guard against this threat and/or to destroy the relays. Whatever came through the relays will come again and the Reapers use the Space Faring Races as "fuel" to keep them going until the threat or relays can be destroyed for good by an organic giving them permission to do so via the catalyst! Sheppard being there with the catalyst VI allows him/them (Reapers) "more hope than he(they) knows" which is to say that for the first time in all cycles the Reapers can do what they were programed to do as an organic is there to decide for them the fate of the remaining organics in this cycle. Sheppard allows for the destruction of the relays, the elimination of the threat for which the Reapers were built, the completion of the Reapers programming (so they are no longer needed), and the survival of the races (even if now separated) is ensured!! As an aside, We are also assuming that time is linear after entering the portal, however, if this is not the case then it seems logical that the Normandy would attempt to regroup (as mentioned by the remaining commanders after Hammer's fall) to fight another day which explains that sequence after the choice is made. As with other lore, books, movies, the final choice to destroy, evolve, or control is up to the player and does involve real choice! That and the fact that half of us cant decide if we want chocolate or vanilla, window or isle, or blue tie vs. black tie, this seems to be more choice than we can normally handle! I'm curious to know what others think of this alternative proposal to explaining the current ending :). Upgrading my score to nine as this would be a cool way to end the series and quite explainable and consistent with what Bioware has been saying about the final act! Cheers, --ASF--… Expand

Snipestrifer

Aug 9, 2012

7

Okay, NOW I realize why people would be disappointed, though I disagree with those saying the game is god awful. Yes, EA monetized the crap out of this game, but that's no where the game fails, that's just bad business practice of the publisher funding the game's development. First, the positives. The combat has been refined and is pretty much as good as it can get at this point, althoughOkay, NOW I realize why people would be disappointed, though I disagree with those saying the game is god awful. Yes, EA monetized the crap out of this game, but that's no where the game fails, that's just bad business practice of the publisher funding the game's development. First, the positives. The combat has been refined and is pretty much as good as it can get at this point, although the new weight system hits infiltrators and non-power based classes REALLY hard. So I have to pick between having all my guns and almost never being able to use Adrenaline Rush now? That's stupid! (Wow, this got negative fast). That negative aside, the AI has been improved and enemy variety and behaviour has improved significantly, it's just slightly irritating most of the time it's cerberus and not the Reapers you're fighting (How did Cerberus build an army of millions in barely half a year, when they're known as a terrorist organisation?). Weapon modding is back and now it also has a visual effect as well as a gameplay effect, which is cool. It's not as deep as ME1's weapon modding system, but it spares us of that horrible inventory system and combined with ammo powers it integrates very well into the gameplay. Also, we get more gun variety and armour variety, which is always a good thing. So essentially combat is much better than before, so why is this game only a 7? It's Mass Effect! It should like a 9 or a 10, right? Well, unfortunately here are many negatives that hold this game back. The intro is boring and sloppy, especially compared to ME2. The reason is one, no dramatic opening and two, a crap ton of auto-dialogue (I'll be getting to that in a minute, believe me). As I'm re-familiarizing myself with the game mechanics I can't get invested into the story because in order to get invested into the story I must have reasonable knowledge of the game mechanics. Placing a major plot point at the time of a tutorial is probably the worst thing you can do with the intro. ME2 did this right, where I only had to run and move the camera in a controlled environment, so I could get invested in the story. The more advanced mechanics were saved for later when nothing as important was happening. The next negative is auto-dialogue, and it's over abundance. WHY? WHY WOULD YOU PUT IN LOADS OF AUTO-DIALOGUE IN A GAME BASED AROUND DIALOGUE CHOICES? That makes NO sense and just robs the player of the feeling that their Shepard is really theirs, and destroys immersion and the freedom the player previously experienced. The next negative is the abandonning of the build-up of ME1 and ME2, specifically Harbinger and the Dark matter plot. For those that don't know, ME3 was supposed to have a plot that revolved around dark matter but was abandoned for the whole "Synthetic vs Organic" thing. This leaves returning players confused as to what's going on and de-means the previous games. Not good. As for Harbinger, he was clearly set-up as the main villain in ME2, why reduce him to a glorified heavy hitter at the end? WHY? Everyone was looking forward to confronting the Harbinger why rob us of that? More abandonning of the build-up of the previous games. So second from last we have the problem that the story itself is more linear and interrupts and dialogue choices don't affect a conversation like they used to. They are generally just there for flavour and that's it now, which a shame considering how genius interrupts were as a concept and how well ME2 did them. And now to everyones favourite part, the ending. Where to begin... Well, even with the EC (Extended cut) it makes ZERO sense, and completely contradicts the themes of the Mass Effect franchise. It's disgusting. Your choices don't matter (As if EMS made your choices matter anyway LOL) apart from this one final choice and they don't even commit to Shepard dying. The EC provides the bare minimum character closure required and closes a few plotholes but it ends up trading them for more plotholes so it really is not much better and the character closure has been done before and BETTER with Dragon Age: Origins. Now THAT was an ending. This game is still very solid and enjoyable even if it is has some serious flaws. It still has those "Magic Mass Effect" moments, and the characters are as cool and well-written as ever (Apart from Vega) with their arcs coming full circle now, but compared to the other two ME games it doesn't even come close to reaching their levels of greatness. There are other complaints, such as the shafting of the ME2 cast, and a lot of fridge logic moments, and the fetch quests, but I could keep going for hours. All you need to know is this game is solid, but if you were expecting an amazing finale, prepare to be disappointed.… Expand

Erathil

Mar 12, 2012

6

Mass Effect 3 is a good game with some crippling flaws that prevent it from being great. Combat and gameplay are easily the best in the series; it retains 2's more visceral shooter-oriented changes while accommodating increased effectiveness of various powers and boosting elements of player choice. In short, it's the best of Mass Effect I and II; you can play as a gunning soldier orMass Effect 3 is a good game with some crippling flaws that prevent it from being great. Combat and gameplay are easily the best in the series; it retains 2's more visceral shooter-oriented changes while accommodating increased effectiveness of various powers and boosting elements of player choice. In short, it's the best of Mass Effect I and II; you can play as a gunning soldier or fight almost entirely through special abilities, and both are fully valid. While combat is a definitive improvement, changes with other aspects of gameplay are lateral at best. Gone are the earlier installments hacking mini-games (Yay!) and unwieldy vehicle segments (also, Yay!), but exploration seems significantly curtailed. Side missions are few and planetary exploration is gone, but I can't bring myself to miss either from Mass Effect 2. The tedious resource gathering aspect is scrapped, and in its place is a faster but no less vexing 'search and recover' mechanic. In a sense, de-focusing exploration makes perfect sense in the context of the game's story; the galaxy is at war with a race of synthetic invaders vastly more powerful than all native civilizations combined, and said armada is focused on the extermination of all advanced life. The story is darker than before, and if you listen to the NPCs talking around the game hubs you'll hear tragic stories of loss and hardship. The game's writing is, overall, superb; plot lines connect coherently and sync up with character motivations and development which extend over the course of the series. Mass Effect 2 had a couple truly touching moments, and it's clear to see that the authors wanted to replicate that here, too. They had mixed success; there are some very powerful, emotional moments, and a few that just fall flat due largely to the writing team just trying too hard. Mass Effect I and II were some of the best RPGs of this console generation, and I was ready to call ME3 the best of the lot... until the last half hour of the game. I should address some of the other concerns I've read here before going onto the game's true failing. The day one DLC is fun, entirely non-vital, and a decent investment if you like the game. It's absolutely comparable to the character DLCs in ME2, and I personally don't find anything to object to about it. The inclusions of multiplayer had me weary, but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by how fun it ends up being. Shooter fans may find it simplistic and lacking, but if you like Mass Effect's combination of guns and special abilities, then you'll probably get a kick out of it. As it is, it's the only thing I've ever seen in four years to make me buy an Xbox Live gold pass. Really, the game is great... right until the ending. The grand resolution to the Mass Effect trilogy, easily the most engaging RPG franchise of the last five years... simply sucks. It's pointlessly arbitrary, nonsensical, and deeply unsatisfying. The sheer sense of betrayal it left me with makes it easy for me to understand the slew of negative reviews on this site. Allegedly, there are sixteen endings with variations along three primary choices you make in the last minutes of the game, but they're almost identical and all disgusting. I can't recall such a sharp whiplash in tone and enjoyment. It's the sort of ending that sucks the fun out of a franchise. If the ending of a grand trilogy had been... well, better, I would have happily given ME3 a 9/10. It improves on so many things of its predecessors (combat flow, character design, strategic choices, enemy variety, the list goes on), but in the end it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. It came so close, and it could have easily been so much better...… Expand

YavuzSelim

Mar 10, 2012

6

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I really liked the game until the last 15 minutes.The last 15 minute of the game wasn't about the story It was about a crazy alliance soldier seeing a dead child.The endings were worse.I liked the gameplay of deus ex human revolution but it's end really disturb me.And Mass Effect 3's ending wasn't so different there were 3 endings and you are supposed to choose one of them.That wasn't mass effect series system and that's why I liked these games but now it's just another game for me… Expand

osimandias

Mar 10, 2012

6

The Game is disappointment. This concerns poor writing, dialogue, robotic delivery of lines. You are funneled though the game; the sense of important choices from 1 and 2 is gone, which invalidates those two superb games. The combat is also not well done; even if it resembles 2 it is much more random, the enemies are attacking in hordes and show incredibly poor AI, the one thing that makesThe Game is disappointment. This concerns poor writing, dialogue, robotic delivery of lines. You are funneled though the game; the sense of important choices from 1 and 2 is gone, which invalidates those two superb games. The combat is also not well done; even if it resembles 2 it is much more random, the enemies are attacking in hordes and show incredibly poor AI, the one thing that makes them dangerous is their sheer number and power bar. They also get boring fast (A million husks! Incredible!) Somehow, maybe due to poor mixture of reload times and squad reaction, the combat itself does not work very well, 2 was way better and did not have this crappy balancing of powers and weight of weapons. The overall sense I get from this very dissappointing third entry is that its rushed and heartless, it showcases violence and sexuality in a way thats obnoxious and caters to the casual player. All in all this is not worth buying, the one thing that saves it is the high production values (though wasted) and sheer spectacle of it. This is what Matrix Revolutions was for the Matrix Trilogy: It forgets about 1, ridicules 2 by ignoring any plot points made in it and thus renders the whole series ineffective. I still hope I will wake up, Mass Effect 3 will be coming out tomorrow and be good. But it really is not; and its not because of trolling but because it is a mediocre title. Sad decline!… Expand

Truthful_Gamer

Mar 13, 2012

6

I'm at the end of the game, and the frustration is overwhelming. My squad mates are so stupid they couldn't fight their way out of a wet paper bag. Even though I'm manually telling them to use their abilities.

One hit kills abound from the reaper nearby, or the many banshees that close in on me because my squad keeps going down. And I'm playing on normal. The combat has been modified,I'm at the end of the game, and the frustration is overwhelming. My squad mates are so stupid they couldn't fight their way out of a wet paper bag. Even though I'm manually telling them to use their abilities.

One hit kills abound from the reaper nearby, or the many banshees that close in on me because my squad keeps going down. And I'm playing on normal. The combat has been modified, they may call it improved but it's a poor attempt at "Gearsifying" Mass Effect. Shep is now one of the clunkiest characters i've ever played, but BioWare seemed to think the new abilities of diving around and swat turns make him capable of taking down multiple Geth Primes in close quarters, or multiple Phantoms with Nemisis support without breaking a sweat. What i'm trying to convey here is that BioWare have overestimated their combat tweaks. I'm playing as an engineer, using my abilities as much and as tactical as I did during the first two games, but it's making no difference. My sister is playing as a soldier class, she is finding it much easier, which leads me to believe this game is tailored for action. Not RPG. And i've finished the first two on insanity, so I know it's not my skill that's the problem here, just that I appear to be playing with the wrong character.

Dialogue options are minimal. Your limited to saying pretty much what the writers want you to say. Your choices from the previous games amount to very little. I should have known this was going to be hugely dissapointing when I went to import my character and I received the error that my facial data could not be recognised. Seriously, that should have been sorted out early on in development. It's what Mass Effect is about, "your" Shepard, "your" choices. Some choices did carry through, with pleasing effects, but others were just worthless. I saw very little to do with homosexuality in this game, though I have NO problem with homosexuality. So there is little to worry about for the homophobes out there. There was one character, and I liked him. You may not, but then you don't have to speak to him if you don't want to. Another thing with squad mate interaction is there are a lot of instances of conversations like the ones you had with Zaeed, where you'll press A to talk but they just say "good to see you", but even worse is they'll have full conversations with you, you dont choose what you say, you just have a pre-destined converation. Like with Zaeed. This will happen more than you'd like.

And don't get me started on that hideously cliched Cerberus assasin. At least killing that Jackass was satisfying.

Overall A clunky action game, which may be enjoyed by newcomers to the series. For the followers this game may enrage you. I'll leave you with this piece of dialog from the game. Tali: I love you. Shepard: Keela se'lai. Really? How about a simple "I love you too"?… Expand

SUPERFLY

Mar 17, 2012

5

I'm going to get straight to the point with this. It is OVER now EA / Bioware. You will get not one single penny more from me. EA / Biowares shameless and cynical manipulation of loyal gamers has gone too far. I've been with this series from the very start. Mass Effect 1 was a triumph even with its flaws. Mass Effect 2 was good, but it lacked some of the heart of the original and it wasI'm going to get straight to the point with this. It is OVER now EA / Bioware. You will get not one single penny more from me. EA / Biowares shameless and cynical manipulation of loyal gamers has gone too far. I've been with this series from the very start. Mass Effect 1 was a triumph even with its flaws. Mass Effect 2 was good, but it lacked some of the heart of the original and it was also the beginning of the money grabbing EA is notorious for. Mass Effect 3 is good, but has had almost all its heart and soul ripped away (with a few exceptions) and has finally confirmed what everyone knew, IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY! There is so much I want to rant about but I'm just going to stick with one example. DAY ONE DLC. Why is this not in my game already? Why am I paying an extra Â£7 for access to this on top of the Â£40 I've already spent for the game? With the script leaks and art book leaks everyone knows that this character was part of the game. Yet still EA / Bioware deny. How stupid do they think we are? I know that I don't have to buy this content. I know that I can say "no". It's the manipulation and disrespect that EA shows to gamers that angers me. I would of given this game 8 out of 10 if I wasn't feeling quite so furious. I just hope that someone within EA / Bioware can put their ruthless pursuit of profit aside long enough to show some respect to customers and start making truly great, innovative, RPGs again.… Expand

ikevi

Mar 12, 2012

5

Truth be told I loved the all but the last 10 minutes of the game. And those 10 minutes left me with such a feeling of distastes that it basically ruined the whole game for me. When a game is founded off of the users decisions over 3 games, why did BioWare decide to ignore all those choices at the end of the game and force me to pick 3 choices that don't make sense with how I played theTruth be told I loved the all but the last 10 minutes of the game. And those 10 minutes left me with such a feeling of distastes that it basically ruined the whole game for me. When a game is founded off of the users decisions over 3 games, why did BioWare decide to ignore all those choices at the end of the game and force me to pick 3 choices that don't make sense with how I played the game? (Let alone the unanswered questions.) My guess is that BioWare had a very ambitious set of multiple endings planned, but that due to time concerns they scrapped them and left us with an unfinished game with a token ending that they plan to flesh out with dlc.… Expand

lemiel14n3

Mar 19, 2012

7

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Mass Effect 3 is, up until the last 15 minutes, absolutely superb. If it weren't for the ending (the same ending that there has been so much vitriol about) In playing the game I was playing something that I felt would succeed in rewarding all my hopes and expectations for the conclusion of Bioware's magnificent series. For the most part, ME3 delivers, even the multiplayer is good. The characters are well thought out, the story works well (again, right up until the end) and there are some genuinely touching moments.

And then I get to the last half hour of the game. I will tell you this right now. The ending is so terrible that I'm going to open my thesaurus to help me describe this. It's dreadful, appalling, horrendous, horrid, abhorrent, sickening, atrocious, distasteful. Nothing could have prepared me for this horrible conclusion. It succeeds to make the choices that were such a big part of the series absolutely meaningless, everyone gets the same idiotic morality choice regardless. This is even more disappointing because not only were we promised something more but I've even seen plans that would have fulfilled their promises and our expectations that Bioware and EA failed to deliver on.

I don't know who was responsible for this. Bioware falling asleep at the wheel, EA for lacking a soul and trying to dumb down the series for the Call of Duty playing lowest common denominators they're trying to sell the game to.

If the ending were at all good, Mass Effect 3 would have earned itself a 10/10, as the ending is now, 7 is high praise.… Expand

Neoimperialist

Mar 24, 2012

5

Right this minute, Bioware is holding the future of narrative video gaming by the tail. They have been holding it for five years, but the future is a rough beast and Bioware must seize it soon or it will break their grip and scamper away for someone else to catch. Bioware didn't just create a series of games in Mass Effect, they created a phenomenon in video gaming. Perhaps withoutRight this minute, Bioware is holding the future of narrative video gaming by the tail. They have been holding it for five years, but the future is a rough beast and Bioware must seize it soon or it will break their grip and scamper away for someone else to catch. Bioware didn't just create a series of games in Mass Effect, they created a phenomenon in video gaming. Perhaps without understanding it fully, they created the concept of a game that could be entirely dependent on the actions of the player. When taken to a futuristic conclusion, it implies a game series in which not merely the narrative conclusions are dependent on player actions, but one in which the story itself that the player experiences depends on them. A game that offers multiple stories and experiences rather than one that simply tweaks conclusions. A narrative template comprising a whole universe that could be enriched over and over with new content. It is a breathtaking idea if only Bioware has the vision to see it. Mass Effect is a prototype, an imperfect exemplar of what such a game series could be. It was a good enough illustration of the concept that it was immediately embraced by gamers all over the world, but it is nothing like a complete realization. The technology will certainly require improvement before complete realization can be achieved.

The problem here, is not so much that the end was that bad. I believe that it was a horrible narrative choice, but ultimately that comes down to a matter of taste. The problem here is that at the eleventh hour, Bioware lost sight of the brilliance of their own concept and fell back on the past and on a final gimmick that turned the game's agile feet into clay. The prototype game of the future was hobbled by antiquated marketing notions. They wanted that last game to be all things to all people without taking into account just why the concept was revolutionary by itself. At the same time, though, they wanted it to be completely unique. Unforgettable was the word that Casey used. It was this awkward combination of marketing goals that was the downfall of the game. The multiple play modes.were, in fact, a stroke of genius. Had the mission structure lived up to the concept of the series ME3 would have been astonishing rather than merely very good. Had the game ended with multiple reflections of previous actions, the game would have been a nearly perfect experience instead of a trauma for so many. They didn't need the gimmick at the end to make the game unique, because they already had uniqueness built into the concept. Someone forgot that the concept depends on the player creating his own uniqueness.. In fact, this is a game concept in which the player creates his own experience. This is what mystifies me about Bioware's protestations regarding their alleged sole proprietary interest in the creative process. In creating this gaming concept, they gave up a bit of narrative creative interest to the gamer himself, so now I see little sense in miming surprise over this current controversy. In over 25 years of video gaming I have never seen anything to match the depth of emotional investment this game series has elicited from its fan base. I very much wonder whether the suits at EA have any genuine appreciation at all of the magnitude of Bioware's accomplishment in that regard.

With all that, Bioware is still on the razor's edge of inventing a whole new future for narrative video gaming if Bioware will commit themselves to seizing it. I have opined elsewhere that the franchise may be ruined already. That may or may not be the case, but the concept is alive and well if only Bioware will embrace it fully.… Expand

Ziggs14

Mar 11, 2012

6

True Mass Effect fan here. The Mass Effect series has been about three things for these past few years 1. a climactic battle with the reapers 2. character involvement and attachment and 3. Choice and knowing that those choices mattered and during the first 40 hours of game play this is EXTREMELY true and amazing. I was sitting on the 8.5-9 rating range as you unite the galaxy under aTrue Mass Effect fan here. The Mass Effect series has been about three things for these past few years 1. a climactic battle with the reapers 2. character involvement and attachment and 3. Choice and knowing that those choices mattered and during the first 40 hours of game play this is EXTREMELY true and amazing. I was sitting on the 8.5-9 rating range as you unite the galaxy under a singular purpose the adrenaline and almost pride you feel as an organic defying a set cycle of thousands of years and fighting the reapers planet to planet seeing the loss and sacrifice and desperate tooth and nail efforts of the galaxy to fight back....It was AMAZING and I congratulate Bioware on making that amazing effort...then I hit the final 20 minutes of the game and the game does a complete 180 degree turn and it goes against EVERYTHING I had just said previous, you are treated with a 5 minute space battle, not knowing what is going on just fighting through a linear path with no choice and at the end you are treated with three choices and I will tell you now, they are all very nearly a color palette swap and that is it. The choices you have made in previous games and this one are made completely and utterly irrelevant. And it leaves you in a dark place with many a more questions and no answers. To clarify Mass Effect 3 is an amazing game if you don't know the story and are just looking for an action game that has great story elements. But if you are a true Mass Effect fan like myself I implore you to stop playing when the ending sequence is started and make your own ending in your head it's the only way you will find closure. My character was was Justin Shepard a powerful vanguard who was fearless and would have gone down fighting next to his friends rather than cop out for the easy way. He deserves better, MASS EFFECT deserves better.… Expand

Acquiredempire

Mar 17, 2012

6

Doesn't do what the series promised from the start, make your choices matter. We and the series deserved better. BAD BAD BAD ending! Keep saying to my self after I beat the game, "What a horrible game!" The non-ending really puts a damper on the whole series. Feel like I wasted my time since the first one (and I LOVED the first two games)I I assumed I would learn how MY choices changed theDoesn't do what the series promised from the start, make your choices matter. We and the series deserved better. BAD BAD BAD ending! Keep saying to my self after I beat the game, "What a horrible game!" The non-ending really puts a damper on the whole series. Feel like I wasted my time since the first one (and I LOVED the first two games)I I assumed I would learn how MY choices changed the Mass Effect galaxy.And no I wasn't expecting too much, but was expecting SOMETHING, ANYTHING! EA better not try to sell a DLC ending or I will officially declare Bioware a EA money grab casualty. At least right now their good reputation still has them on life support. But I think the writings on the wall.… Expand

Kdall

Mar 12, 2012

5

Boy I never thought I would have to rate a mass effect game below a 9, but in all honestly, I loved the game up until the very end, yes they did dumb it down quite a bit from ME1, and even that was acceptable to me. But the ending was so atrocious that after I just kept thinking "WTF just happened" in my head. I also felt like one of the coolest thing about bioware games, the moralBoy I never thought I would have to rate a mass effect game below a 9, but in all honestly, I loved the game up until the very end, yes they did dumb it down quite a bit from ME1, and even that was acceptable to me. But the ending was so atrocious that after I just kept thinking "WTF just happened" in my head. I also felt like one of the coolest thing about bioware games, the moral choices you are presented with, were completely pointless, the ending I recieved had absolutely nothing to do with any of my choices, nor did it make any sense what so ever. I will gladly state that I would of rather of seen a cliche action movie ending than what I saw.

PS. I've played both KOTOR 1/2, DA 1/2, Jade Empire, and ME 1/2/3, I'm not a bioware hater considering I've pretty much bought every game they've made for the last 10 years, it's just shameful how bad the ending was...… Expand

BOSTONJOHN32

Mar 19, 2012

6

Well i will start by saying that im amazed that critics scored this game nearly perfect but not many went into detail about ending, never mention it @ all or simply (and boldly) allowed readers to think the game was great from start to finish, then i happened 2 go "outside the bubble" and found smaller, more obscure reviews and the score factored in that the ending was "literary suicide"Well i will start by saying that im amazed that critics scored this game nearly perfect but not many went into detail about ending, never mention it @ all or simply (and boldly) allowed readers to think the game was great from start to finish, then i happened 2 go "outside the bubble" and found smaller, more obscure reviews and the score factored in that the ending was "literary suicide" as one wrote. as quoted by r. ebert "if you had to ask what it symbolized, then it didnt" and i can say that this very much sums up the ending, struck in awe like many, i wasnt even sure if i had beat the game and had to check mt trophy in order to sort out if i did. thats just it, i felt like i did not know what had just happened and had to wait for the credits to scroll to know its over,and so i convince myself that ok maybe i just did not see the right ending and maybe i got the bad ending, "yes that must be it, w/ so many endings i must have screwed up along the way and got the bad ending" come to find out i got the desired and the most "definative" ending.. so then i go back and replay the mission etc and all the other endings are pretty much identical beside a different color or "end sequence" which consisted of a minute or so animation of walking another direction etc. i wont get into conspiracy theories or anything which is out of context but its kind of hard not to fall prey or offer self to some distraction or debate because we not only invested time, we invested emotion.. hours upon hours of carefully making right choices for a desired import etc, and for what? if i kind of got a heads up from critics that "decisions do not play as significant a role in mass 3 as it did in the prior 2" then i wouldve been able to prepare,lol.. but we are hearing words like art, story telling masterpiece also we were told by bioware that this would have multiple endings, a deeper consequence/decision mechanic, an end which would the opposite from lost, well no it may actually take the belt away from lost for the wtf just happened moment but the fact is that i shouldve known that a game which has a formula that works almost seamlessly, based primarily on decisions as well as story driven sequences which make the gamer care, think and DECIDE, it works so good that while i played every mass efect i made every decision carefully to prep my shep for the import into the next game, so if i am playing a game and already thinking of the next one then the system is almost flawless imo.. BUT it is obvious E.A had a bit of influence and brings me back to my point with this "formula", they deserted it and decided for MASS APPEAL rather than mass effect and i noticed this during the demo and how much emphasis was put on how one can play the game how one wishes and that the game can be toggled to suit any style, dont like stories? choose combat.. hate decisions? well you can toggle that too.. but wait, isnt that the part of mass effect which makes it like few others? and isnt that what i have spent many hours doing to have a desired and effective playthrough as well as end? was it just me or did it feel silly to scan planets this time around? as to say "hey dont want to waste time scanning for elements, well we fixed that too" huh? call me a loser, call me what you want BUT i enjoyed taking my time scanning for minerals and elements and launching probes with a feeling of purpose, because that was one of the many things which made me love this game, felt like what i did mattered and fulfilling. i can understand E.A 's stance from a business perspective, their knowledge and tactics of knowing that the fanbase of mass effect are going to buy this game regardless so lets find some fresh blood, but did the solid core and fan base have to feel jipped, let down, disappointed, confused and as well as angry in exchange for new profits/gains? well the core, the fans well we are mass effect. it breaths because we let it, we let it because it was great ,brought quality and emotion and stood apart from many other games and the exp was one like few others. but as much respect a game/developer may get through time can be undone in ten minutes.. i can not say that mass effect 3 was a bad game, but after putting in hours of decisions, careful choices to have it not effect anything in regards to the end , other than the war assets and "co-op"readiness , well i feel like it was more of a "okay hurry up and get this over with and go play co-op after" the fact remains that mass effect 3 is still a solid game, but an ending which was promised to be the finale we dream about also being admittedly rushed well how does anything rushed ever result to anything other than sub par to par? a game is about the exp, mass effect is about a unique and gripping exp BUT the end ruined both.. its obvious a lot has changed in the gaming industry in the past 5 years, mass effect supports this in every respect, reapers went from FEAR INDUCING to PAWNS… Expand

Rabid

Mar 10, 2012

5

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I've always been a Bioware fan. I loved KOTOR, Jade Empire, Dragon Age Origins and the first two Mass Effect games. I consumed them. They shaped me into the gamer I am today. In fact ME2 was the first full retail game I've ever gotten every achievement on. And even with my hesitation after Dragon Age: Awakenings and 2 (which I enjoyed...but didn't particularly care for), I eagerly preordered my CE 360 version of Mass Effect 3. My reasons for going on and on about is this is because I'm trying to stress I've always loved Bioware because I could always count on them on delivering a solid, enjoyable story that while I may not like...I could always respect. What happened Bioware? Let me explain. First off, I can only imagine the technical and programming finesse it would require to fully interpret EVERY player decision one has made in the prior two ME games. I get it, it would be logistically horrific. So I honestly expected some dumbing down. I expected some character interactions between my crew members to be slightly "off" due to some normalization for the public. But what surprised me was how greatly a shift in "spirit" this game seemed to be. While in the past two games, the illusion of choice was always well managed, making you the player feel like you were Shepard. You had the choices, even if they were in reality a carefully constructed plan. In 3, it feels like its just been stripped down a little. Renegade and paragon choices dont quite seem to have as much the significant impact as prior two games did. And if you personally had wanted to follow a particular path in ME2 that you were hoping to lead into ME3? Well good luck with that. What happened to your ME2 crew? Granted I understand that Shepard voluntarily surrendered, but am I to really believe that pretty much all your crew just said, "Later!" without fighting for him/her? Another thing in regards to this that particularly chafes me is how they handled love interests. Liara, Ashley/Kaidan and then Tali/Garrus all get some screen time and have some resolution. Sucks for you if you chose Jack, Miranda, Thane or Jacob. While Thane DOES have a particularly nice resolution that is touching; Jack, Miranda and Jacob are pretty much SOL. Still, despite all that, I enjoyed the game. In fact I've been up till 5AM every morning the past week until this morning (8AM) to finish. And I loved it. Until the last 8 or so minutes. Every illusion of choice that Bioware gave to the players to make me love this series was ultimately thrown against the wall and beaten with a stick. Three ambiguous outcomes? Really? If the point of the past two games was making a Shepard of OUR choice...to be able to choose how we wanted our galaxy to rise(or fall)...don't you think the players would have liked to have more input then what you gave us? The equivalent of close your eyes and pick a door? I loved ME. I loved ME2 more. I played every class, both Shepard and FemShep. And now? I dont know if I even want to try ME3 with my other saves beyond the first one. What's the point if all our actions in the end amount to nothing? To be fair. There were things I did like. Mordin's resolution on Tuchanka was amazing and masterfully crafted. As the first "big" surprise of the game for me, it got my blood pumping thinking about what the rest of the game had in store for me. Thane's resolution on the citadel was also to me very well crafted. I loved exploring some more of the personalities of the various races inhabiting the ME realm. I enjoyed seeing how some of my actions in previous games came to fruition in ME3. Bioware. I still believe in you. I will still give you my money if you want it. But know that you are breaking the very things that I loved about you. My faith in your abilities as storytellers.

TLDR: If this was just a random RPG, I would be happy. I'd give it a seven or eight. But this is Mass Effect. It's big budget and well made. But I've run into a few technical glitches and the plot just doesn't seem as strong as the first two. And the ending sucked any nerd happiness I had right out of me. I don't mind a sad ending. I was kind of expecting a sad ending. Not a bad one.… Expand

Maslakoff

Mar 18, 2012

5

ME3 is an outstanding game, don't get me wrong. Each clue episode is as heart-touching as ever, dialogues are excellently written (for the most part), and the whole emotional impact is so huge, that i couldn't handle myself and cried several times. But...
But. The ending. It's not bad at all. It's even metaphorical and very surrealistic. OK. But i personally play Mass Effect not for it'sME3 is an outstanding game, don't get me wrong. Each clue episode is as heart-touching as ever, dialogues are excellently written (for the most part), and the whole emotional impact is so huge, that i couldn't handle myself and cried several times. But...
But. The ending. It's not bad at all. It's even metaphorical and very surrealistic. OK. But i personally play Mass Effect not for it's symbolical content, but for it's straightness with a player. It's deep connection with you and the Big Story is one of the most important parts of the series. The motivation is important. This ending has no motivation at all. It feels unfinished and frustrating. Why do we play 85+ hours of the greatest adventure in gaming history? We were given the right to choose. And it was very well made, indeed. The ending of ME3 doesn't give you a satisfaction, because there is no choice at all. Some pointless images, highly metaphorical (and profoundly disconnected with the whole series) scenes, and then... It ends. Are you really sure?..
It's supposed to be a trilogy, right? And why do i feel, that the last scenes are bad jokes? It seems for me, that the "Epilogue" DLC will be the right decision.
Please, Bio Ware. There is nothing to be ashamed. You did a great job. But the ending confused too many of us. You may not rewrite it, but you still can correct it.
I still recommend this game to everyone with a good taste and open heart and mind. But, first of all, play the previous two installations, and then proceed to this one. Maybe, by the time you finish it, we'll get the proper ending...… Expand

ThinkPplThink

Mar 11, 2012

6

Wow, I don't think I've been more mad at a video game than I have right now, after finishing Mass Effect trilogy. What other reviewers are saying is true. If you were a fan of Mass Effect franchise, you are gonna feel like you've been kicked in the balls and f-ed in the a$s by the ending (any 3). It is a great freaking game before that, especially story- and gameplay-wise. I spent 40+Wow, I don't think I've been more mad at a video game than I have right now, after finishing Mass Effect trilogy. What other reviewers are saying is true. If you were a fan of Mass Effect franchise, you are gonna feel like you've been kicked in the balls and f-ed in the a$s by the ending (any 3). It is a great freaking game before that, especially story- and gameplay-wise. I spent 40+ hours completely engrossed by the beautiful environment and choices that I had to make. Combat system is a bit clunky because of flawed cover mechanic, but it's manageable. Multiplayer is pretty fun, too, for around 10 hours (for me). But if you are a fan of Mass Effect franchise and have not bought this game yet, play up to the part after missile is launched on Earth, and use your own imagination. That will save yourself from a LOT of disappointment.… Expand

MoGlee

Mar 9, 2012

5

I signed up just to rate this game! I am giving it a 5 because multi-player is kind of fun. But dear Bioware, after Dragon Age 2 and now Mass Effect 3, please be aware you are in risk of losing your hard core audience - people like me who basically buy every single Bioware game they can get their hands on. It is disingenuous to claim multi-player is optional and then make it literallyI signed up just to rate this game! I am giving it a 5 because multi-player is kind of fun. But dear Bioware, after Dragon Age 2 and now Mass Effect 3, please be aware you are in risk of losing your hard core audience - people like me who basically buy every single Bioware game they can get their hands on. It is disingenuous to claim multi-player is optional and then make it literally impossible to get the best ending without playing multi-player. Really bad. I am not the multi-player type and if your multi-player was just a bit worse, I would have rated you zero. I invested hundreds of hours in this character and now to find myself being told that I have to play multi-player, something I do not want to do for getting the best ending is sad.… Expand

Joaftheloaf

Mar 17, 2012

5

I'm torn, and deeply saddened by the ending. Mass effect 2 was the best game I've ever played to date, and I flat out loved every second of that game. I absolutely loved mass effect three practically the entire game. Loved the voice acting, combat, and much of the writing, but the ending just flat out disappointing me. I was expecting the endings to be vastly different from each other, butI'm torn, and deeply saddened by the ending. Mass effect 2 was the best game I've ever played to date, and I flat out loved every second of that game. I absolutely loved mass effect three practically the entire game. Loved the voice acting, combat, and much of the writing, but the ending just flat out disappointing me. I was expecting the endings to be vastly different from each other, but they're pretty much the exact same ending over and over again. I feel like the choices I made in the previous two games really didn't matter at all. Regardless of the giant letdown at the ending, I still loved the game and enjoyed every second of it to ending.… Expand

RexReqz

Mar 10, 2012

6

Felt average and I didn't see anything new. I've played the first two and 3 was not what I expected. The writing didn't have as much depth as previous games. Also there wasn't enough combat to satisfy my gaming need. Too much talking not enough teeth-clenching moments. This game was not memorable in any sense I doubt I'll be looking back years from now and telling myself "Wow MassFelt average and I didn't see anything new. I've played the first two and 3 was not what I expected. The writing didn't have as much depth as previous games. Also there wasn't enough combat to satisfy my gaming need. Too much talking not enough teeth-clenching moments. This game was not memorable in any sense I doubt I'll be looking back years from now and telling myself "Wow Mass Effect 3 was great. Now that's how a series should end.". What horrible endings as well. Not worth 60 dollars.… Expand

ReviewCritic

Mar 20, 2012

5

Let me explain to you what all of this hype is about: the ending. The last 10 minutes. I mean, until the ending, the game was O.K., not as good as the rest of the series, but still pretty good. AND THEN THE ENDING. IT WAS HORRIBLE. HORRIBLE. HORRIBLE.

Sternesy

Mar 11, 2012

5

The game itself was amazing, I had so much fun playing it. The story was such an unforgettable experience and I was captivated the whole time....up until the last 10 minutes. I'm not going to be a jerk and spoil it for anyone, but I played the first two when they launched and have been really excited for the 3rd one to conclude the story. Unfortunately the ending was so bad that not onlyThe game itself was amazing, I had so much fun playing it. The story was such an unforgettable experience and I was captivated the whole time....up until the last 10 minutes. I'm not going to be a jerk and spoil it for anyone, but I played the first two when they launched and have been really excited for the 3rd one to conclude the story. Unfortunately the ending was so bad that not only do I feel cheated but I now have no desire to go back and reply the game again which may not seem bad until you compare it to the first two which I played four times each. I really hope Bioware releases some DLC post ending so give the fans some closure on the story. They do that and I'd give this game a perfect 10.… Expand

mattsearle1897

Mar 11, 2012

6

ME3 is an amazing game, it has great graphics and the best combat in the games so far, it delivers on every front, the build up to the final battle provides some of he best story in any game i have ever played. However! the ending to the game is possibly the most anti climactic in a game ever! It feels very streamlined and like a gloryfied quick time event. And out of the 3 choices you canME3 is an amazing game, it has great graphics and the best combat in the games so far, it delivers on every front, the build up to the final battle provides some of he best story in any game i have ever played. However! the ending to the game is possibly the most anti climactic in a game ever! It feels very streamlined and like a gloryfied quick time event. And out of the 3 choices you can make you get pretty much the same ending, each is possibly more depressing than a news report about some child being killed! its that bad! The whole game would have been the best experiance of my life (Better than sex! ;) hehe) but the ending made me feel like id just wasted the 3 days it took me to complete every mission and then the time i spent on the suprisingly good multiplayer trying to increase my readiness for the final battle, it made me feel hollow and empty inside and the real reviewers are making up crap, maby they've been paid off or sumin, but the game offers no closure im still wondering what happend to the normandy crew as the clip they show you is just about as understandable as someone tripping on LSD! all in all just because of 2 scenes in the game it has gone from a 10 to a 6! also, very few of your choices in previous games have any affect aside from one or two cameos, Bioware lied! i would still highly recomend this game as the journy to the final battle is better than any of the other two games but the last moments ruin the mass effect universe for everyone If you want a better ending read this and post it everywhere you can so bioware will take notice! http://social.bioware.com/1183972/polls/29101/… Expand

AsmodeusAzarak

Mar 11, 2012

5

An incredible game ruined by a very poor ending. If you don't care about the story you may have a great time, but if story is important to you, and you have been following the series you will be disappointed.

zgdelta

Mar 11, 2012

5

All my thoughts on the game has already been posted.... It felt like a 3rd person shooter rather than a RPG and I didn't like that there were less squad members and the new members were uninteresting. The second game was far better. I was so disappointed, I almost cried. :( ah well I was waiting for bioshock infinite longer anyway.

Rexnos

Mar 15, 2012

6

It's really unfortunate that Bioware decided to end their series like this. As enjoyable as the first 2/3rds of the game was, it will only be remembered for its WTF ending. The coop was also a solid addition in my opinion. I'd love to see more horde modes with RPG mechanics.

Knjo0101

Mar 11, 2012

6

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I gave this game a mixed review because it left me with mixed feelings the ending left a sour taste in my mouth. The combat in this game is relatively unchanged from the second. Many people complained that the choices made in the previous games are not well fleshed out in this game. That is somewhat true. If you did not save the council they are not present. If you killed Wrex on Virmire he is still dead in this game. Most of the characters from mass effect 2 make only a cameo appearance in this game which I though was somewhat of a let down. If you choose to have a romance option with characters in Mass Effect 2 (such as Miranda) and continue them in mass effect 3 they feel less that satisfying. If you continue with characters who are in this game such as Kaidan, Ashley or Liara they are much better. So to sum it choices from the other games matter is some areas and not so much in others which is part of my mixed feelings for the game. I did not think the graphics where all that bad, but some of the animations were terrible. For example watch Shepard puch Khalisa-al-Jilani for the third time in the Tabloid Journalism segment. That was a horrible animation and just one of a few. The other thing I do not understand is making Shepard gay. I know they probably did this for politically correct reasons and that fine I guess, but when he was not gay in the previous 2 games and they decide to just all of sudden let him decide he or she is gay in this game does not make a shred of sense. Mutilplayer is for the first time is an option and is not really a make or break deal for me. It is somewhat of a toned down version of horde mode on gears of war. You must survive waves of enemies with intermittent objective in some rounds to earn credits. They can be used to purchase packs which contain items, weapons, or other characters that can be unlocked to play as. It is actually a fun option to play multiplayer to see how some of the other classes play, and it is fun to play as other races for once. Overall the multiplayer is a way to boost your "galatic readiness." rating which can help to achieve a better ending. Its simple and fun but is not required to get a better ending so I was ok with having the option in the game. Now for the story of the game itself. For the most part it is fun helping solve the different political turmoils of the other races of the galaxy in an effort to take back earth and rid the galaxy of the reapers and there cycle of harvesting life every 50,000 or so years which was the theme of the entire game. Rallying your allies and fighting the reapers along the way seems like it is building towards an epic conclusion. The dialog and other scenes along the way I felt helped to convey the moral turmoil of just how grim the situation was for the entire galaxy. Completing these sequences and doing sidequets boosts effective military strength which(EMS) which can bemodified to be higher if you play mutiplayer. Sidequests in this game are underwhelming compared to the other games though. Fetch quests essentially. Once you get to the ending there is very little to be happy about though. The last 10 mins of the game are horrible. Supposedly there is up to 17 endings but they all revolve around one of three choices you must make. Destroy the reapers, control them, or sythesize with them. Dues Ex rip off anyone? once you make your choice the very short cut scenes vary slightly depending on your total EMS. The explanation for the reapers is also stupid. They are a race of all powerful hybrid synthetic and organic beings sent every 50,000 years to harvest advanced life to prevent it from creating synthetic life that will overtake organic life. By harvesting advanced organic life it ascends to an advanced organic existence as a reaper and ultimately saves organic life in the process? Really? How did your Normandy allies back on this ship crash landed on a some jungle planet after you activate the catalyst? The endings are so confusing and offer little variance. Previous choices seem to matter none. Why were the mass relays destoryed? What happens to everyone because of that? I would have loved to have seen what happens with Shepard and his or her love interest and the other races of the galaxy There is so much thats is bad and confusing about this ending and it is filled with plot holes. To be honest I would have preferred a good happy ending where Shepard settle down and lives out his or her life as hero. This is like what if the lord of the rings just ended with Sam and Frodo swallowed up by lava and the fate of everyone that helped them is left in limbo and they said the end. That is essentially what you get here. There is a hint if you had a high enough EMS the Shepard is still alive if you choose destroy option which I hope they expand on to fix the crappy ending to this game. This would have been a 9 if not for the bad confusing ending.… Expand

Thuggster

Mar 13, 2012

5

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The Game was everything I had hoped... Until the end. No way would Shepard have accepted The Catalyst's beliefs, not when Shepard has experienced first hand organics and synthetics coexisting and working together. I was sad and disappointed at the end of this game. As a film ending it would be bitter sweet and might be acceptable. With a game I think companies DO have to pander more to the consumers, because we are far more invested in the characters than we would be in film or print, this is OUR commander Shepard and he/she deserved better!… Expand

hungryfellow

Mar 15, 2012

6

It may as well have been the best game I have ever played in my life and I have been gaming all my life. Everything they do is PERFECT... until the last 10 minutes. The last 10-15min of the game is the thing I have ever come across in gaming it takes the greatest series of all time(in my mind) and just runs all 3 games into the ground for no apparent reason. Bioware has lied to andIt may as well have been the best game I have ever played in my life and I have been gaming all my life. Everything they do is PERFECT... until the last 10 minutes. The last 10-15min of the game is the thing I have ever come across in gaming it takes the greatest series of all time(in my mind) and just runs all 3 games into the ground for no apparent reason. Bioware has lied to and now turned on their fans who only ever truly cared about the ME series. DO NOT BUY THIS GAME WHATEVER YOU DO UNTIL... Bioware undoes the mistakes they made with the ending. Please don't pay them to screw over their fans.
Thanks you everyone. :D… Expand

mwmike11

Mar 31, 2012

7

While I agree with some on here that the ending wasn't nearly what it should have been for the ending of the series, I definitely feel that flooding MC with negative reviews is a bit overblown. I simply loved the game, and the rest of the game DEFINITELY makes up for the last ten minutes.

Sload

Jul 13, 2012

5

Won't be buying any more Mass Effect games in the future. Bought this one and expected a good rpg experience, instead I got a third-person shooter with some tacked on "rpg" elements, crappy cover mechanics and aim-assist that you couldn't turn off. Thank you very much BioWare/EA for ruining a good sci-fi rpg, it had so much potential but you had to go and **** it up so you could sell more copies.

geeksquared

Mar 19, 2012

5

A fantastic story, well written with some of the best voice acting in the history of gaming. Tragically let down by buggy cover mechanics, graphic glitches, and an ending sequence that sours the entire series.

mxfox408

Mar 20, 2012

5

I have loved the mass effect series since the first game, and Bioware had created something unique and amazing. The game was designed to be a trilogy, and it has an amazing story and unique way of playing. The third and final installment to the trilogy had some amazing gameplay and some solid action as well as recapturing some great amazing moments between your love interists. HoweverI have loved the mass effect series since the first game, and Bioware had created something unique and amazing. The game was designed to be a trilogy, and it has an amazing story and unique way of playing. The third and final installment to the trilogy had some amazing gameplay and some solid action as well as recapturing some great amazing moments between your love interists. However there are several plotholes as well reguarding some of the lore. The closure was also a very poorly executed thing is this game making little to no sense what so ever. in essense Mass Effect 3 was an amazing game but in the end fails to live up to the previous games in the series and fails t measure up to the hype. Before the ending 9/10, after the ending 5/10.… Expand

Weremutt

Mar 29, 2012

7

I have severally mixed feelings about this game. ME1 was one of the best games I have ever played to date with all of the different options that a character has. Granted the cover and combat system was not too good, but the story was incredible and gripping. Once I finished the game I would always start another character to play with. ME1 was not perfect by any means, but it was still anI have severally mixed feelings about this game. ME1 was one of the best games I have ever played to date with all of the different options that a character has. Granted the cover and combat system was not too good, but the story was incredible and gripping. Once I finished the game I would always start another character to play with. ME1 was not perfect by any means, but it was still an incredible game. I have gone back an played ME1 again since ME3 came out and I still enjoyed it more. I liked the writing a lot more and how the story pulled you in. ME2 did away with a lot of things but still allowed for a lot of conversation/story telling/ and choices that a character could make. The combat was improved, weapons and armor were stripped out. But the game was still good. The story line was still grabbing but not nearly as much as ME1. It was highly character driven through your squad. The enemy and allied AI was greatly improved over ME1. I did not like the auto dialogue that took place with Zaeed or Kasumi. I felt it was a cope-out by the developers. ME3 did one thing right that the other games did not have nearly as well and that was combat. I felt that the combat in the game was just about flawless. I could not have asked for more in the combat department. The inventory was a great improvement. The game really lets a person customize how they want Shepard and their squad to play. I felt that allied AI was much worse in ME3 then ME2 and was on level of ME1. Most of the time I found my squad doing nothing except ducking for cover or standing out in the open in the middle of a fire fight. Enemy AI was improved but for some reason on the hardcore difficulty which is what I always play on, I felt the game was way too easy. I died twice on my first play through. In the other 2 games I died much more then that on hardcore. I felt the game was way to easy and it could have been more difficult. I still enjoyed playing the game but not nearly as much as I did the other two. The conversation choices were just not there. The majority of them only gave you two options and barely anything to ask. Your decisions from the first two games were almost non-existent. The majority of your squad from the second game was reduced to cameo roles which is just wrong. They all should have gotten a mission were you went into combat with them again. They should have all been there at the final mission as a major task force. While the writing was greatly improved upon from the other two games in terms of delivery of lines, there was not enough selectable conversation between squad members. The majority of your conversations came from EDI, Vega, Javik (if you had bought a collectors edition or the DLC). Honestly they should have brought back the elevator scenes for the squad banter. I never disliked them. I actually enjoyed them. It was something different and new and there was barely ever any loading screens. You had something to listen too while the game loaded. There was way too much auto-dialogue and I felt that it pulled away from the game. The character import for the third game is horribly broken and i hope they fix it soon. Only one of my characters imported over correctly. Thankfully Bioware has stated they are working on a fix and it is on the testing phase. The game has a lot of glitches and I feel that it was actually rushed. I wish they could have spent more time on it. For those that have completed the game they know that there is only one true ending with a true resolution which is kind of wrong. I will not get into it but lets just say that Shepard has spent too much time around the Reapers and Reaper artifacts. I did like the way the game ended, I am not always a fan of happy endings and I knew this trilogy was not going to have one. War never has a happy outcome. Mass Effect 1 was easily a 10/10 for me even with the broken combat/inventory system. Mass Effect 2 was a 9/10. The removal of inventory and the addition of ammo made the game not nearly as good. I give ME3 a 7/10 because of all of the negative features which I have listed for the game. While the game was fun to play, I never played Mass Effect for the combat. If I wanted to play a game for combat I would play some battlefield or gears of war. There was simply just too much wrong with it for me. It took too much away from the experience and immersion factor of the trilogy. I now know why so many people have left Bioware since the game went gold. They knew the game was not up too par and had a lot of flaws. They do not want to be associated with a substandard product again. I would not pay full retail of $59.99 for this game. It is honestly not worth it. I would wait for the $39.99 price drop. I thought Skyrim was a better game then this and that game has a lot of problems and it is not even a style of game that I like too much. Bioware you were once my favorite developer but EA has destroyed your company.… Expand

shachenau

Apr 29, 2012

6

The gameplay itself is a vast improvement on its predecessors, keeping the actiony flow of Mass Effect 2 while both bringing back the more in-depth RPG elements of the first Mass Effect and relaxing some of the series' questionable class-based weapon restrictions. It is long, and for the most part, it is enjoyable, with a surprisingly well-implemented multiplayer facet that is vaguelyThe gameplay itself is a vast improvement on its predecessors, keeping the actiony flow of Mass Effect 2 while both bringing back the more in-depth RPG elements of the first Mass Effect and relaxing some of the series' questionable class-based weapon restrictions. It is long, and for the most part, it is enjoyable, with a surprisingly well-implemented multiplayer facet that is vaguely reminiscent of Payday: The Heist. These technical improvements do not stop it from being the weakest and least inspiring installation of the series, however, decorating its plot with a slew of empty "consequences" of actions past and its exploration with an absence of content-- Mako exploration was ill-received, and planet-scanning was ill-received, but instead of attempting a compromise or a new system, exploration was mostly rendered inconsequential. The Citadel remains the only re-visitable area of interest, while galactic exploration is turned into a mild annoyance and the rest of the explorable galaxy is turned into setpieces. There is one critical mistake made in this game, and that is that the integrity of the gameplay was sacrificed for the integrity of the setting and plot. The steps taken to make the Reapers feel like an actual threat simply serve to make various segments of the game annoying at best and frustrating at worst. Players invested in the first two games have a pretty substantial likelihood of being frustrated and upset by Bioware's insistence on compromising the more rewarding aspects of decision-making and exploration in exchange for a more "believable" setting, improved combat being the only net positive of this trilogy-ender.… Expand

kigl

Jan 17, 2013

5

As a fan of the series, this game deviated from its original roots as a predominant RPG with shooter elements to now a predominately a shooter with a skin of a RPG elements. Even neglecting the rampant on disk DLC and plot hole ridden ending, the game is blatantly average. As a shooter it is adequate offering the staple cover shooter. However, the cover mechanics are often clunky inAs a fan of the series, this game deviated from its original roots as a predominant RPG with shooter elements to now a predominately a shooter with a skin of a RPG elements. Even neglecting the rampant on disk DLC and plot hole ridden ending, the game is blatantly average. As a shooter it is adequate offering the staple cover shooter. However, the cover mechanics are often clunky in comparison to other games in the same genre. The game has roughly the same RPG elements as Mass Effect 2, while limiting, adds at least some flavor to the shooter Bioware/EA have turned the series into. The gameplay is not where Mass Effect 3 does poorly. It is the practices regarding story-necessary DLC and essentially the last 20 minutes of the game's story. The game wraps up many of the persisting conflicts of the series, only to introduce rampant deus ex machina and plot holes in the games final minutes. The altered Extended Cut DLC fails to address many of these plot holes as well. Bioware games are usually renown for their story and setting, but this game essentially throws this all to the wayside and leaves a bad taste in the mouth of many fans of the franchise. In all, the end result is an average cover-shooter and a series whose universe is tarnished in the name of "artistic integrity".… Expand

Armiga21

Mar 12, 2012

5

As a fan of the previous two games, I was disappointed with this final installment. The third installment is unfortunately rifled with a lot of dumbing down of the franchise. Conversation choices have been severely limited, as have the number of dialog choices; especially those which actually matter. This comes into play for the worst in the ending which is a huge disappointment, to sayAs a fan of the previous two games, I was disappointed with this final installment. The third installment is unfortunately rifled with a lot of dumbing down of the franchise. Conversation choices have been severely limited, as have the number of dialog choices; especially those which actually matter. This comes into play for the worst in the ending which is a huge disappointment, to say the least. The series hailed itself as choice since the beginning, but the way your choices end up affecting the ending seem to be arbitrary at best. It's also unfortunate multiplayer is required to get the best ending possible. I believe you can get it if you make very specific choices in the campaign (i.e. not all Paragon or all Renegade, you need a guide in your lap to mix and choose very specific ones) but chances are you won't get it without a guide. Multiplayer itself feels very tacked on and more of a mandate by the publisher, similar to how I felt on Multiplayer in Bioshock 2.… Expand

SuperCeller

Mar 9, 2012

6

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I am not one who is hard to please, but Mass Effect 3 had one of the worst endings I have ever come across in all the years I have been playing games. The overall story was good, I was engaged and immensely interested in what would come next. For most of the game I felt like the decisions I made in the past two games had actual weight, and well before actually finishing the game I couldnâ… Expand

Hevilath

Mar 27, 2012

7

Sound design: Musical score is excellent. In previous games music resembles space-opera in ME3 music has different tone, more depressing which perfectly matches Sheppard current mission - save sapient life in Milky Way galaxy from Reapers. Voice acting is superb and guns sounds heavy as it should be. Great achievement.
Graphical presentation: I'm little disappointed. After replaying ME2Sound design: Musical score is excellent. In previous games music resembles space-opera in ME3 music has different tone, more depressing which perfectly matches Sheppard current mission - save sapient life in Milky Way galaxy from Reapers. Voice acting is superb and guns sounds heavy as it should be. Great achievement.
Graphical presentation: I'm little disappointed. After replaying ME2 and switching directly to ME3 you can see low resolution textures on character models, maybe it is subjective but still is hard to distinguish different items on casual outfits. Some armor models looks better then others. Lightening and reflection on armor are far worse then in previous title. Backgrounds on early stages of game looks like it made in first Xbox times, but it seems as story progresses you loose track and graphic start to look better. Like I said - completely subjective feeling.. In the begging of game on Earth, when you look down you can see strange 2D people running from the building which reminds me first games on PS1 and there are some glitches - Sheppard have some problem with eyes in early stages of game ;)
Gameplay: Action oriented, fast and rewarding. Your squad mates are usually helpful, but sometimes when you order them to shoot at Banshee they charge right in front of her dying in result. On harder difficulty levels this can be irritating. N7 Cerberus missions are taking place on Multiplayer maps and are quite boring - same with multiple fetch quests. I miss hiding gun animation and roaming freely.
Story: First act of game is quite boring, but as you play you get more and more immersed into universe. Characters from ME2 and quests feel a little forced and doesn't have depth - example: Zaed or Kasumi, but this is minor accusation
Ending: It's true. Rage is acceptable. Full of plot holes and doesn't explain anything. If you take it directly the ending could be explained as: Reapers has won - either they destroy everything, or you inflict so massive damage to galaxy that you wiped out all species and solar systems with reapers. The only explanation is Indoctrination Theory. We all could be indoctrinated by Bioware - if it's true, and we will now in April then it's most incredible achievement in gaming history - but still making DLC for incomplete game is horrible act - even when it will be released free of charge.
To sum up: AWSOME!… Expand

SpaceCoyote

Apr 3, 2012

7

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. So much of a game, so much to say, but I think I'll start before it even released. The Cerberus Daily News feed was supposed to have new articles immediately prior to the release of the game. Instead, it got a couple tweets of news, for fewer days than was originally promised. This would have been massively disappointing, were it not for the Emily Wong tweets. For those who weren't following, twitter became a live news source for the initial invasion taking place in Southern California. The story IT told was really cool and helped set the tone for the game itself. As for the game, the single-player portion may not have explored as many of the characters as I'd have hoped, but it DOES give the humor and OH *#^@ moments that I've enjoyed since the beginning in 2007. Finally however, there are plot inconsistencies that creep in to break some of the fiction. Things like Shepard restraining a Justicar and not being killed for it, or the Batarians learning FTL travel...from ruins on a planet in a different star system that required them to know FTL travel to get to in the first place. These are relatively minor but still, that sucks. They are the small blemishes that slightly mar the campaign as you attempt to save the galaxy. Then comes the part where you save the galaxy. At the end of ME1 and ME2, I had a sense of excitement for what the future held in the ME Universe, and how I could save it. There are NO endings that allow you to do that. With the destruction of the mass relays, (which for some reason doesn't necessarily destroy the systems they reside in) there is NO hope that the galactic community can continue to exist as it had because they are isolated in their own systems. I have no problem with Shepard being killed in the process, soldiers give their lives for lesser causes, but no matter what I do, the Citadel and the relays are destroyed, fundamentally altering how societies can interact. Garrus can't return to Omega to clean house after the war and Tali can't go back to her home world cuz they're both stuck on Earth. Or at least they should have been since they were in my squad and NOT on the Normandy which, oh yeah I forgot, had retreated to either FTL or a relay jump for some reason and ALL of my squad was there and not with me somehow. The last 20 minutes of the game, however you decide to end it, are disappointing. No matter what you do, you can't save the Citadel, you can't preserve the galactic community, and you're crew ends up in the exact same forest (though to Joker's credit, he was able to crash the SR2 delicately enough so as to NOT disturb any of the trees). Other decisions that don't matter but probably should have... ME1: Save the council or let them die. Anderson or Udina Save the Rachni or don't ME2: Blow up the Collector base or give it to Cerberus 3 of those decisions come in the final 10 min of each game, they are all among the most influential decisions Shepard ever makes...but the councilors all speak to you in the same manner. Udina will always be the human councilor, Anderson will always be an Admiral, the rachni will either be the ones you saved or some others will fill in the blank, and Cerberus will gain technology for the base or from salvage. DISAPPOINTING! Multiplayer was ok, tho I never got excited for the combat or gameplay of Mass Effect. In the campaign, I happily set it to story mode and blaze thru enemies so that I can get to the conversations quicker. But about the conversations and multiplayer...I felt as though there were fewer lines of dialogue in ME3 compared to ME2. I understand there is only so much room on 2 discs for content, but how much more fulfilling could the campaign have been if the multiplayer portion wasn't included? Could there have been more dialogue from characters left off the Normandy? Could my choices have made more of an impact? Could Tali have had an actual face instead of a stock internet photo? I may be wrong about the amount of dialogue created, but I'm not mistaken in my disappointment with many of the features I had hoped for. Overall a 7. I almost cried in my 1st playthrough when I thought I could save the Geth and the Quarians and ended up driving my good friend to her death. I've had to collect my jaw from the floor many times, and the humor of Joker, EDI, Wiks, and Mordin are amazing. But despite putting over 120 hours into a single character, no matter what I did or chose was enough to save the galaxy.… Expand

Tyrannis1964

Mar 13, 2012

5

I loved every mass effect game up to this one I enjoyed this ones gameplay and combat but the story writing and endings hurt. such a great series has ended in literal sadness for a series I really and truly loved.

JBurnes3

Mar 16, 2012

6

In a sense this game is like you're on a roller-coaster and at the end your feet catch a wire somewhere and get cut off. It was fun right there till the end, and now you're just like f*** that s***. Other than the ending my biggest complaint about this game is that they totally screwed up the "Mission Journal" (those of you that have played know what I'm talking about), however that canIn a sense this game is like you're on a roller-coaster and at the end your feet catch a wire somewhere and get cut off. It was fun right there till the end, and now you're just like f*** that s***. Other than the ending my biggest complaint about this game is that they totally screwed up the "Mission Journal" (those of you that have played know what I'm talking about), however that can be overlooked. Other than that the only thing left to complain about is how much less dialog choices there are compared to previous games, but I can overlook that too given how good the game is other than the ending(of course). There's more things I could complain about, but after that it's just more being nit-picky than anything else.

Also contrary to popular opinion the day-one DLC is not actually crucial to the game, it certainly adds to the experience, but it needs to be criticized for being overpriced more than anything else.

In summarization: the game is almost a masterpiece up until the surprise Cleveland Steamer you get at the end.… Expand

Gashmania

Mar 16, 2012

5

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I am a massive ME fan I loved the first two games and played them countless times and put so many hours into these games and I was obviously excited when ME3 was announced thinking of what to expect from one if not the best sci fi games of all time. Then I played me3...I am not even going to speak about the ending as I think everybody has that covered. But this review is about everything else that I was annoyed with. In ME3 it felt rushed not like the other Mass Effect games because they were so well thought out and you could lose yourself in the great adventures that Shepard and the crew got into. Picking the way conversations flowed and picking to be a bad a$$ or a good guy in certain situations. It felt like Bioware got bored or ran out of ideas for ME3 and just pushed you all the way to the end with no real structure to the game. There wasnâ… Expand

Bomberman

Mar 19, 2012

7

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Don't get me wrong, the Mass effect experience is awesome in more ways then one. Telling us our choices would have an impact on the ending and that we would get 15 - 17 different endings is PURE BLISS!!!. Getting to the end of the game and finding out that not only is there only three very veery similar endings, but they completely butchered the lore of mass effect and managed to piss off this fan with the last 10 minutes of the ending. No longer will I be purchasing DLC, games nor any mass effect memorbilia that i was planning on getting until this situation is fixed and hopefully soon. Bioware, you have let me down completely.… Expand

LiquidGamer

Apr 3, 2012

7

The battle begins but it didn't end the way anyone wanted (which can be seen from the user score). I have never seen such outrage from a game before, the gaming community went crazy over this title and the fate of those in the series. The first levels seemed beta'ish and unfinished. The rest of the game was great... But, why in the hell would you get rid of the Elevator scenes thatThe battle begins but it didn't end the way anyone wanted (which can be seen from the user score). I have never seen such outrage from a game before, the gaming community went crazy over this title and the fate of those in the series. The first levels seemed beta'ish and unfinished. The rest of the game was great... But, why in the hell would you get rid of the Elevator scenes that replaced load screens??? Why??? And the vehicle aspect... gone? Why? A great game that did not stand up to everyone's expectations. Did it make the game of the month on the podcast... Take a listen... http://liquidgamer.podbean.com/… Expand

SierraTango

Mar 8, 2012

6

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Graphics: 9/10
Controls:9/10
Replay: 9/10
Story: 5/10

I've played every ME since it came out back in '07. I remember buying the collectors edition when I was a senior in high school and putting more time into that game than Oblivion. I am truly invested in the series and have likened it to the star wars of my time. Now, as a senior in college, I've spent far more hours than I should have replaying both to truly get the fullest experience I can out of this series. I love each character and have never been more connected to these fictional individuals. This is the first time I've ever written a review on any game, usually I don't have the time for it. This game has really given me mixed emotions. Those of you who have completed the game understand where most of the anger is coming from, but all have to agree that overall it is a great capstone to a groundbreaking series. The graphics are crisp, controls are far tighter than that of ME 1 or 2, and most of the story is rock solid. My first major disappointment with the game was my inability to have my custom character properly port into ME 3. I had the same character, whose appearance I agonized over in ME 1, since the beginning and was hugely let down by this bug. Hopefully Bioware will find a fix, but its a poor way to initially start. Everything else is great as I stated above, but when that final 10 minutes roles through I was speechless. A game that I invested alot of time and energy in left me with mixed emotions when the credits rolled. My character maintained a LI with Ashley from the first game, something I was hugely excited for. I wanted to see this relationship evolve and grow and it did for the most part. The end threw this completely out the window. I have no knowledge of what happened to her or any of my other squad-mates, just a lack luster CGI video that's 90% the same, with minor endings (that last couple of seconds is wonderful if you get the perfect ending), but its anticlimactic. I'm not a juvenile so I don't expect happy endings, but closure would be nice. I'd be fine if Shepard, whose life I sculpted over 3 games and had the privilege to be involved in, lived or died. Its just upsetting that 3 ridiculous decisions that came way out of left field serve as the ending. For those few who read this completely just know that you should most certainly play the game. Its a treasure and one of the most powerful media experiences I've had short of the Terminator 2 ending (haha). Don't let that last five minutes dissuade you from enjoying the fruits of your labor, as Bioware ties up just about everything very well. Thane's story was quite touching as was Legion's and most assuredly Mordin. The memorial wall in the Normandy is also a nice touch. But please, if someone from Bioware reads this, or if someone else sees this, know that the ending greatly disappointed me. Instead of being an end, clear cut, it left me with more questions and over analysis. Overall its a wonderful game, but it seems that those story leaks earlier in the development phase really took a toll. It really seems like the ending was just thrown in there as a quick fix. Good gaming everyone and thanks for reading one guy's opinion.… Expand

MatDiF

Mar 7, 2012

5

Mass Effect 3 is the latest installment of Biowareâ

CaptKikuta

Mar 19, 2012

7

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. My thoughts on the game without the ending, and a lil rant about the ending. I found the game play flawless, dialogue interesting, cinematic cut scenes very moving, game world breathtaking and an epic score of musical talent. It isn't hard to believe that the awe inspiring sight of a thresher maw being used to destroy a reaper was the highlight of the game for me and even at that high point it still managed to keep me glued for 3days. But at that stratospheric heights of the euphoria one feels when thinking they are playing the new benchmark for all RPG games, the cold vacuum of space sucks the air from your lungs and your are left to float aimlessly in the void. Leaving the amazement and wonder of the last 72 hours is reduced to a "Uh..wait a minute!?" moment. Personally, I feel that the game wasn't done justice and Bioware and EA should be apologizing for the awful, hideous and tone deaf sonata of an otherwise perfect symphony. (ps. An ending with simply a picture of everyone who survived giving a thumbs up would have been far superior to the dribble that was served.)… Expand

RGM79

Mar 12, 2012

6

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I want to start off by saying that I really enjoyed the game for the most part. But there were some mistakes made, so I'm going to talk about what I liked AND what I didn't like. There are SPOILERS in this review.

I enjoyed the actual playing of the game immensely. We were able to customize our gear to a reasonable extent, the planet scanning thing was at least made more interesting and not nearly as time consuming, the action was intense and fun, etc. I also really liked the characters and (most of) the story. The crew on the Normandy always had something to say, and I thought them wandering around the ship at times and interacting with one another was a great touch. And the events on Palaven's moon, Tuchanka, the Citadel, Rannoch, Thessia, hunting Cerberus, and Earth were great. Thessia was a bit of a railroad, but the way the characters reacted to a genuine mission failure was interesting to see. And the development of Shepard throughout the story as a character who is (Paragon or Renegade) starting to become worn down by everything was well done. I laughed, I got a little teary-eyed, I celebrated, I got angry. I thought that the mission log just not updating was a huge pain in the neck. Especially with the fetch quests. 'Find A and Bring it to Bob'. Okay, sure, it's an RPG. These things are easy to make fun of but are pretty much expected. Except I might find A in the middle of a firefight, grab it, forget about it, and then have no idea it's time to go find Bob. I largely had to visit the Citadel and check the map to see if there was anybody who needed anything I'd found. This became particularly egregious when you had to go to the Spectre office AFTER the mission to Benning in order to get what you needed; I spent a good little while scouring the Benning map trying to find what I needed, eventually giving up the quest as lost and only happening to visit the office much later in the game. There's also the resistance mission from the DLC, which costs you an achievement since the log doesn't tell you what you need to be doing. Alright. The DLC thing. I got the CE version, and didn't really get the DLC complaining. I think Day One DLC in the manner of 'you bought our game new, here's this stuff' is actually a great idea. It encourages people to buy new and later at least gives the developers and producers a cut of the used game market. When I realized that the From Ashes DLC was ONLY for the CE version, I understood why people were so angry. I want to point out that this may not be Bioware's fault, as EA are the folks who are actually selling it. But after taking the Prothean to Thessia and seeing how much he could change story events, I think it's shameful that people who bought the regular version of the game new had to pay money to get him. Is it WORTH the amount of money? Yes, it's very good DLC. But the execution is, as I said, shameful.

Now, the endings. OH BOY the endings. If you're reading this you have probably noticed that the internet is in flames over this issue. Again, I remind you, I really enjoyed this game. TIM's whole thing, Anderson dying, Shepard opening the citadel and starting to bleed out? I'm still enjoying it. It's past that where things go wonky. If you know what a Gainax ending is, you know what I mean. Suddenly the Catalyst shows up, and if you've done a good enough job you get to pick one of three endings (if you didn't do a good job you don't even get the choice, but I suppose that's what you had coming). But the endings are pretty much all the same, all riddled with plot holes, and all give you pretty much no closure. Why was the Normandy in FTL travel in the first place? If Shepard controlled the Reapers, what happened next? Why did the relays get destroyed in all three endings when only the Destroy ending explicitly said that that would happen? Even the 'good' Destroy ending has a stinger with Shepard being alive, but if so what then? Why couldn't Shepard just die with Anderson, the Crucible goes off, the rest of the party find him there, and then we get a decent epilogue? I'm fine with Shepard dying. I don't need a perfect riding-a-ship-made-of-dreams-into-friendship ending, I just wanted an ending.

The glaring flaw? Remember Fallout 3, where you died of radiation poisoning when someone immune to radiation was in your party? Same thing here. When the Catalyst goes all "Yo dawg, I heard youï»¿ donâ… Expand

unknownhero1123

Mar 15, 2012

6

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. In general Mass Effect 3 is a good game. However static journal entries, day one DLC that contained a very important lore character, and an ending that leaves questions without answers ruins this game. The ending is the major flaw in the game as it makes any choice you made during the whole trilogy void not to mention it's plot-hole heavy. you won't feel like making another playthrough after you beat the game for the first time.… Expand

wizark

Mar 21, 2012

6

In one word: disappointing. Where to even start with this game? I went into it still riding high on the fond memories of Mass Effect 1 and 2, expecting the advertised "spectacular conclusion to the series", but what I got fell terribly short. Honestly, I had to give this game as much as a 6 purely for the stunning graphics, it looks amazing. The storytelling is pretty bad, characters go toIn one word: disappointing. Where to even start with this game? I went into it still riding high on the fond memories of Mass Effect 1 and 2, expecting the advertised "spectacular conclusion to the series", but what I got fell terribly short. Honestly, I had to give this game as much as a 6 purely for the stunning graphics, it looks amazing. The storytelling is pretty bad, characters go to severe waste, and the whole thing is incredibly dumbed down from the RPG that Mass Effect 1 was. First off: dialogue. Throughout most of the game, I felt like my dialogue options were limited to "say X or say X while sounding a little more like jerk." There was hardly a decision to be made here. Apart from the limited options, the dialogue its self was poor. I thought I was playing a game based on my character's choices, but more often than not , Shepard took off on his own little non-interactive cutscenes with other characters. I'm sure many of us remember being disappointed with the way we could interact with the DLC squad mates (Kasumi/Zaeed) on the Normandy. In ME3, that's pretty much the way it works with everyone. You don't enter into conversations with them, you don't get to investigate any of their stuff in their rooms even. Shepard just stands there and talks to them in pre-done conversations on his own. Lame. I guess Bioware seemed to think that Shepard had grown a mind of his/her own and didn't need any input from the player. Past decisions were factored in minimally I felt, plot holes all around, things just happen and there's no real feeling of meaning to them. I know there's a galaxy wide war for survival going on, but that doesn't mean everyone in the galaxy is just going to change and roll along with it for you. Come on Bioware, are you even trying anymore? Oh, and Tali's "gift", seriously?… Expand

Gruntt

Mar 21, 2012

7

A good game. Very emotional game i almost cried at some times and very well done dialogue once again. Everything is right about this game, all the classes get to use assault and sniper rifles along with shotguns. This game is so good until the ending. The ending is sooo bad and out of place that this game was a set back for me. BioWare needs to do something fast before they lose there loyal fans.

Sumie

Mar 7, 2012

5

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I loved Mass Effect 1 and 2 (okay, loathed the Mako and all that crap, but apart from that...) Mass Effect 3? Is a highly polished turd in comparison. The gameplay itself is better, smoother, prettier. The artwork is amazing. The plot? Ahahaha. BioWare decided to go all grimdark; nothing you do matters in the end, and you don't get a proper epilogue that tells you what happened to all your squadmates. No, you get a dude telling his grandson a story about "the Shepard." There is supposed to be some sort of payoff for the sense of urgency the game conveys so well, but no. You and your squaddies just get the shaft because of some badly written Space Magic. It's pretty much "a wizard did it."

Another couple of words I think I'll just leave here, because everyone will know what I mean: Jessica Chobot. :P

I won't be buying any more BioWare games on release day, and they've made it very obvious with their DLC and other marketing that they find the pay-to-win scenario extremely lucrative and worth continuing. So, sale rack it is from now on. For what it's worth, Garrus is one of my favorite characters ever in a game. That I enjoyed the characters (when they weren't being completely screwed over in ME3) is one of the reasons I'm not quitting BioWare completely.… Expand

Nile3

Mar 9, 2012

5

ME3 did not feel as good as ME2. The story was a bit clumsy, the characters unfriendly and the relationship in-between them vacuous or unrealistic. I felt like I was watching a young girl playing with barbie dolls, but with a science-fiction plot instead of a pink play house. Don't get me wrong, the Sci-Fi idea behind all of ME is epic, I loved it. But this last chapter failed toME3 did not feel as good as ME2. The story was a bit clumsy, the characters unfriendly and the relationship in-between them vacuous or unrealistic. I felt like I was watching a young girl playing with barbie dolls, but with a science-fiction plot instead of a pink play house. Don't get me wrong, the Sci-Fi idea behind all of ME is epic, I loved it. But this last chapter failed to deliver because of the story-telling and the quite repetitive console-like gameplay.

Here's how you beat the game: Move forward, shoot, repeat. You have nothing to think about or care about to beat the game.… Expand

Ticklefist

Mar 13, 2012

6

Great and amazing game until the last 10 minutes. This isn't fan rage. It's simply a warning. You won't understand what everyone was complaining about until it's too late. The real tragedy is that Mass Effect 1 and 2 get caught in the blast wave and become worse games in the process.

FragCzar

Mar 9, 2012

6

I've paid and played all of Bioware's ME and DA games (and DLCs), and both series have shown a consistent trend away from action RPG and toward something like an interactive movie. DAO and ME1 were standout games -- they had engaging stories, challenging missions, sufficient map variety, interesting characters and companions, *romance*, variable plot lines involving player decisions.I've paid and played all of Bioware's ME and DA games (and DLCs), and both series have shown a consistent trend away from action RPG and toward something like an interactive movie. DAO and ME1 were standout games -- they had engaging stories, challenging missions, sufficient map variety, interesting characters and companions, *romance*, variable plot lines involving player decisions. They were FUN games that left us wanting more (except the Maco -- we had enough of the Maco). ME2 and DA2, and now ME3, are not like those former games. Cinematics have gotten way too long (so they added the flashing LT/RT prompts to try to keep you from skipping them or leaving the room). Maps are tiny and are reused way too much (see DA2 for the worst of it). They try to cover up the scarcity of real playable content with filler side-quests like ME3's inane Citadel terminal hopping nonsense and tedious resource/war-asset scanning. ME3, in particular, adds more content filler by spreading out a simple character management menu over a four level ME3 ship with 30 sec load times between each level (do i really need to go all the way down to the shuttle bay to see my loadout?). And under all that filler the main ME3 mission is a scifi retelling of Henhouse Henery (Warner Bros). DAO and ME1 were well-crafted games that did not suffer for lack of Hollywood glitz or novelty shooter mechanics (not getting caught and killed by the ME3 cover system is the most challenging part of the game). They were compelling and tasty. Sadly, their successors are not -- their successors are Happy Meals.… Expand

Seruko

Mar 8, 2012

5

The Story arch is not a fitting end to the series.
Multiplayer is a requirement for unlocking 25% of the ending content.
The weapon choices are 75% useless. 1-2 best choices in every category. Battles are heavily scripted and generally very good, occasionally scripting problems, like enemies popping into existence. Plot relies heavily on cut scenes, which are often extremely frustratingThe Story arch is not a fitting end to the series.
Multiplayer is a requirement for unlocking 25% of the ending content.
The weapon choices are 75% useless. 1-2 best choices in every category.
Battles are heavily scripted and generally very good, occasionally scripting problems, like enemies popping into existence.
Plot relies heavily on cut scenes, which are often extremely frustrating and invalidate player choices.
Bioware keeps currency mini-game which is often nonsensical.
Pacing is awful. No sense of urgency. Game often punishes player for not performing fed-ex style quests.
RPG system feels tacked on to a mediocre shooter.… Expand

animalrat

Mar 9, 2012

6

The game simply falls short of expectation. If ME3 was a standalone game, it would be deserving of an 8 or 9, but Bioware had many reusable assets from the previous two games (engine, textures, character models, etc.), and it felt like all they did was add new dialogue to complete the trilogy. - Huge plot holes from the beginning
- $10 DLC that's worth about $2 and should have beenThe game simply falls short of expectation. If ME3 was a standalone game, it would be deserving of an 8 or 9, but Bioware had many reusable assets from the previous two games (engine, textures, character models, etc.), and it felt like all they did was add new dialogue to complete the trilogy. - Huge plot holes from the beginning
- $10 DLC that's worth about $2 and should have been included with the game
- Lack of character depth left me not caring about deaths
- Reaper interaction was extremely limited
- The galaxy, citadel, and things to do felt smaller than the previous games
- 26 hours including DLC, side missions, and war assets

This game could have been a lot more. I'm not hating on the series. I loved it as a whole, but the final installment left me feeling indifferent and was not the climactic ending I was anticipating. Perhaps I let the hype build my expectations too high, but I think it has more to do with the game being stripped of mechanics with each installment and publishers wanting to crank out profits every 1-2 years rather than letting developers invest time on quality.… Expand

Sceptic

Mar 9, 2012

6

As with the first the first two titles,Mass Effect 3's strength lies in its story,universe and characters.Though the combat elements have improved,the series will never be remembered for it.Some RPG elements have returned but there seemed to be far less choices,renegade/paragon qte's and exploration in this game which is disappointing.Also the new secondary mission structure was inAs with the first the first two titles,Mass Effect 3's strength lies in its story,universe and characters.Though the combat elements have improved,the series will never be remembered for it.Some RPG elements have returned but there seemed to be far less choices,renegade/paragon qte's and exploration in this game which is disappointing.Also the new secondary mission structure was in turn,repetitve,boring and at times confusing with all missions jammed into a single list.Side missions consist of scanning for stuff,then returning it to the Citadel or gaining War Assets.How dull...As for the multiple endings,it pains me to state that the endings I've experienced are totally unsatisfactory.The final choices are little different and game quickly ends without giving real closure.A minute or two worth of cutscene is a disgrace.I gave the first two games 10.Despite the excellent lore,characters and dialogue,as well as the good combat,this one is not getting that.… Expand

TheAngryN00b

Mar 7, 2012

5

Cons: Interactive movie on wheels, extremely linear, and predictable. Another sub par EA game. Pros: Cost:Hours of Gameplay ratio still better than other forms of entertainment, but if you're short on cash borrow or rent this humdrum game.

bluejay3463

Mar 7, 2012

5

The endings are terrible, there are numerous bugs with missions, and frequent frame rate problems and game freezes. Poor writing. The well crafted and interesting story from the two previous games is replaced with blatant and ineffective emotional ploys. It's as if every character in the game is going through an Emo Goth phase.

The beginning of the game doesn't even make sense unless youThe endings are terrible, there are numerous bugs with missions, and frequent frame rate problems and game freezes. Poor writing. The well crafted and interesting story from the two previous games is replaced with blatant and ineffective emotional ploys. It's as if every character in the game is going through an Emo Goth phase.

The beginning of the game doesn't even make sense unless you opted to buy the last Mass Effect 2 DLC. Your storyline should not be dependent on option DLC.

ME1 and ME2 are in my top 10 favorite games of all time. ME3 is a failure and a strong indication that Bioware studios has lost it's way.… Expand

jamofalifetime

Mar 7, 2012

6

The past year has not been of Bioware's finest. Dragon Age 2 and The Old Republic were both slated to be AAA titles and had some commercial success, but felt to me rather lackluster overall. Mass Effect 3 has proved to be just as lackluster. Whether it's the poorly decided business choice of adding day one DLC or the glaringly obvious retcons, it's hard to find much good to say aboutThe past year has not been of Bioware's finest. Dragon Age 2 and The Old Republic were both slated to be AAA titles and had some commercial success, but felt to me rather lackluster overall. Mass Effect 3 has proved to be just as lackluster. Whether it's the poorly decided business choice of adding day one DLC or the glaringly obvious retcons, it's hard to find much good to say about Mass Effect 3. The gameplay mechanics are much smoother and the multiplayer helps keep this game from getting too negative a review. It's not terrible, but a rather average effort.… Expand

ihQprinsessa

Mar 22, 2012

7

This was a very mixed experience, i understand what other people are talking about, there isn't much to criticize about the core gameplay, maybe the fact that the encounters feel very triggered, step right in and boom, enemies pop and now you need to kill em. Repeat this but change the enemy composition. Made me feel bit like dragon age 2 where i felt there was a great spot for an enemyThis was a very mixed experience, i understand what other people are talking about, there isn't much to criticize about the core gameplay, maybe the fact that the encounters feel very triggered, step right in and boom, enemies pop and now you need to kill em. Repeat this but change the enemy composition. Made me feel bit like dragon age 2 where i felt there was a great spot for an enemy encounter and whoops there it was every single time. There really didn't exist that much choice in the dialogue. You pretty much got all you wanted eventually no matter which way you wanted it. And for the side quests, well i just ended up eavesdropping, and then delivering stuff to people who i happened to pass by and had an indicator on em. I felt i was being held by hand. And everyone wanted to get in bed with me it seemed. But i spent a good 28 hours on the game, and don't think i will more.… Expand

Agarwel

Mar 12, 2012

6

Very difficult game to judge. The 99% of the game is awesome - dialogues, storytelling, characters and mainly the decisions from the previous games really matters here (at least mine were present. Even the fact that I collected all "Arasi Writing" collectibles in the first game played some small role in ME3). But the last 1% of the game is huge dissapointment. The ending is terrible. NotVery difficult game to judge. The 99% of the game is awesome - dialogues, storytelling, characters and mainly the decisions from the previous games really matters here (at least mine were present. Even the fact that I collected all "Arasi Writing" collectibles in the first game played some small role in ME3). But the last 1% of the game is huge dissapointment. The ending is terrible. Not because the story itself. Not because it isnot a "sugar and rainbows" happy ending. But because it will not tie up the game. And dont tell you at leasts the results of the final battle. But the problem is that these last minutes will make a lasting impressions of the game. So even when I was enjoying myself for more that 40 hours, now I feel really dissapointed, tricked and not motivated to play this game ever again.… Expand

AnonXD

Jul 17, 2012

5

Mass Effect 3... I patiently waited to play you, holding back my urge to play demo's and watch gameplay so that this final experience would be special. And it was very special, until the end. Gameplay and combat wise, Mass Effect 3 absolutely excels. I had a blast playing through all of the missions and it scores a 9.5 here. As for the plot (before the end), It was solid but they couldMass Effect 3... I patiently waited to play you, holding back my urge to play demo's and watch gameplay so that this final experience would be special. And it was very special, until the end. Gameplay and combat wise, Mass Effect 3 absolutely excels. I had a blast playing through all of the missions and it scores a 9.5 here. As for the plot (before the end), It was solid but they could have worked a lot more of the intricacies developed early in the series into this final story, it scores an 8.5 here. The end... oh the disappointing end. Even after the director's cut extended ending, I found myself saying "why Bioware?" Essentially, they added a insipid slideshow recapping what you just accomplished, that's all. This ending to my favorite sci-fi trilogy nearly shattered my love of the games. This ending scores a 2. Mass Effect 3 was supposed to end it all, and end it well. I would have taken sub-par gameplay and no multiplayer in a heartbeat for at least a decent ending.… Expand

fitscotgaymer

Mar 13, 2012

6

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game... It is easiily a solid 8.5/9 for me as it goes, at least up until you hit the last 20 to 30 minutes of the game and it quite literally all falls apart. The game itself:- The combat mechanics are a lot more shootery than I am used to but still fun and enjoyable, and they feel like a natural evolution. The dialogue and interactions with NPCs is deep, rewarding, and emotive IMO (I totally fell in love with Kaidan all over again, and the game made me really miss Ashley too). And the locations like the Citadel feel bigger, more live a the massive places they are supposed to be. The graphics are decently done (though not fantastic). And the quests and storyline while on the short side is solidly done. And then we hit that ending. An ending so horrific that I couldn't face doing another playthru (importing my other 5 Shepards into the game. An ending filled with plot holes so big you could fly a house through them. I was critical of Dragon Age 2's ending, but at least it was coherent and made sense even if it wasn't great; this ending is just an incoherent nonsensical mess. The ending quite literally ruined the game for me, ruined the trilogy for me. It's that bad. It's that bad that it doesn't just ruin the game or the trilogy, but it literally destroys the whole franchise's future. It literally ends all galactic civilization with no clear reason for it. It felt like Bioware was taking out their anger about the game/script being leaked on the fanbase, and giving us a giant F'U with this ending. I don't mind at all that Shepard had to die, to be honest I kind of expected that he wouldn't make it out of the trilogy alive. But to destroy all galactic civilization too? And as a consequence the whole franchise? It boggles my mind. I can't in good concience give this game any more than what I gave DA2 (a 7 btw), just because of this appalling ending.… Expand

Trainwhistle

Mar 13, 2012

5

I loved this series! I've put so many hours into the each of the games, hearing that they will all factor in during the grand finale. However, this was not the case. The story telling was good in this game the same as it was in all the others. Until the ending. *spoilers* Once i reached the ending i was given 3 options. All pretty much the same. No matter what combination of War AssetsI loved this series! I've put so many hours into the each of the games, hearing that they will all factor in during the grand finale. However, this was not the case. The story telling was good in this game the same as it was in all the others. Until the ending. *spoilers* Once i reached the ending i was given 3 options. All pretty much the same. No matter what combination of War Assets achieved. You could beat this game with 0 War assets and have the same ending I did. Also, the choices I made were not reflected at all. Which was Biowares big deal for this series. I am severally disappointed. On the good side. Combat was amazing the best its been in any of the other games. But that's about the only plus side to this game. Very Sad. Very sad.… Expand

sg1fan75

Jul 27, 2012

5

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. ME3 was a good game the combat was fun and most of the story was good. The problems start with no ME2 squad mates on the Normandy, the love interests have very limited interactions, and less for ME2 li, we don't get to see Tali's face, etc. The star-child is forced into the story, and all the endings are anti-heroic in my opinion even with the extended cut it still sucks. But you should try for yourself.… Expand

Eldanildiel

Mar 19, 2012

5

Had it not been for the ending, Mass Effect 3 would have gotten a solid 10/10 from me. I loved the franchise. I loved the emotional impact of 98% of the final installment in this trilogy. Unfortunately, the ending completely negated any choices you've made over the course of nearly 120 hours of game investment. I don't play action RPGs by Bioware expecting for them to drop the ball thisHad it not been for the ending, Mass Effect 3 would have gotten a solid 10/10 from me. I loved the franchise. I loved the emotional impact of 98% of the final installment in this trilogy. Unfortunately, the ending completely negated any choices you've made over the course of nearly 120 hours of game investment. I don't play action RPGs by Bioware expecting for them to drop the ball this profoundly in the finale. So disappointed that they chose to go this route.… Expand

Fumi-chan

Mar 21, 2012

5

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The uproar about this game is as legit as it can get. To sum it up in a few words: the game is glorious until the 10 last minutes. I'm not even gonna take into consideration the day 1 DLC locked in the disk and all the stock photos like Tali's face and the easter egg secret ending, those are small potatoes compared to the last few minutes of the game.

It's funny how websites and game reviewers that earn from ad revenue have decided to paint every single person who's dissatisfied with how the end of the game was handled as simple angry nerds with entitlement problems and simply refuse to acknowledge any problems in the series. And the worst part about this is how your average normal gamer, who isn't as invested in gaming as the most passionate fans end up buying the whole story, as those are still the most viewed and sought after websites when it comes to reviews and gaming news. You guys just miss the point.

So, how did the ending ruin the entire series? Firstly, one can argue that many retcons in the second and third installments already ruined a good chunk of the game, but I disagree. Retcons happen all the time in most if not all of these expansive fictional universes. There's no way someone can think of the entire universe and have all the answers for everything and full compatibility between all plot elements. It's simply impossible. And even with retcons, you still have a very solid base for all the story elements, you know almost exactly how everything works. And this is why the ending disappointed so many: in about 10 minutes, it managed to negate everything you've learned in the span of 3 games. Everything you knew was a lie, and Shepard simply accepts that fact with open arms. And after you make your Deus Ex-esque decision, everything that follows simply refuse to make sense, having characters teleport from the battle to inside the Normandy, having Joker escape with the Normandy in the middle of the decisive battle for the future of the entire galaxy and not giving you any information about what happens next, what happened to your crew and all the characters you cared about for 3 games and doesn't even give us any clear information about what happened to the all the races and if the galaxy will be fine or if everything is over. To quote Mac's own note, "Lots of speculation from everyone" was their pick to finish this epic trilogy as opposed to a concise and satisfying ending. And this is where MOST of you apologists miss the point: people who complain about this ending aren't sad because Shepard dies. They're not sad because of the dark tone it took, we ALL knew this war was gonna take many sacrifices. Hell, we've seen it throughout the whole game: Mordin sacrifices himself to cure the Genophage; depending on how you played the game, Grunt also dies protecting the Rachni queen, Thane dies protecting the council, etc etc. Millions of people are dying all over the galaxy. I'm pretty sure most people EXPECTED Shepard to die heroically at the end. So this is not the problem with the ending at all. This is the "fan" side of the problem.

The other side of the problem is the consumer side. As a consumer, you expect a company to live up to its promises, and Bioware has failed immensely in this department. We've been promised - and I quote - "wildly different endings", each which would be influenced by important choices we made throughout the entire series. Did our important choices matter during Mass Effect 3? For the most part yes, I suppose. But the ending just completely nullifies all of your decisions and gives you 3 choices which only change the color of the explosion at the end. This video illustrates it perfectly: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rPelM2hwhJA. So as consumers, many people feel like they've been fooled and robbed of their money. And really? Did you forget how a "game with wildly different endings" work? Remember Chrono Trigger? That game had many different endings with completely different outcomes, with one of them being considered canon. Even if you lose the final battle, instead of a simple game over screen, you get a real ending where Lavos simply destroys the world. So for all of you defending Bioware's "creative rights", keep that in mind. Is this what they want as their canon ending to their series? Great, why not att alternate endings for all the other players with different kinds of choices? This is how games used to be handled back in the day and this is how Japanese media such as Visual Novels STILL handle it.

And this is all the disappointed fans want. We don't want our own headcanon or ME fanfiction to become reality, we just want to either get a concise ending (which fans already did for Bioware with the indoctrination theory), or the promised 16 wildly different endings according to our decisions. If you want to make God-child catalyst canon, go ahead, Bioware. Just give us the choice you promised we'd have.… Expand

MrDaikon

Apr 28, 2012

6

I expect more from this game ... being the final game in the series and all.. It was good until half way in and it seems like they recycle the same setup over and overall again, throwing in a banshee here and there. I didn't expect the game to take in all the decision and choices from the last 2 game, but to randomly throw email and phone-calls from past members is lazy. At least giveI expect more from this game ... being the final game in the series and all.. It was good until half way in and it seems like they recycle the same setup over and overall again, throwing in a banshee here and there. I didn't expect the game to take in all the decision and choices from the last 2 game, but to randomly throw email and phone-calls from past members is lazy. At least give me a scene where all my buddies and I run into the battlefield together. Being in a galactic war, the battle certainly didn't feel like it. still the same skirmish battles and is anything but epic. And there is no need for me to talk about the ending :(… Expand

Tubey

Jul 2, 2012

7

Here's the problem - Mass Effect is a magnificent series; but I can't recommend ME3 as a 10/10 game, or even anywhere close. The problem with it for me isn't really the ending (yes, it's true, it was unbelievably bad), but rather the fact it should be renamed "Gears of Modern Battlefield 5". I honestly don't class ME3 as an RPG; rather, it's an on the rails mediocre shooter, interspersedHere's the problem - Mass Effect is a magnificent series; but I can't recommend ME3 as a 10/10 game, or even anywhere close. The problem with it for me isn't really the ending (yes, it's true, it was unbelievably bad), but rather the fact it should be renamed "Gears of Modern Battlefield 5". I honestly don't class ME3 as an RPG; rather, it's an on the rails mediocre shooter, interspersed with a lot of cut scenes and dialogue, which is again on the rails. Even if you are a big fan, go back and think about it - you are treated to a lot of dialogue, you make choices etc. but no matter what you choose you move forward to the very same portion of the game as everyone else - you shoot stuff and run through corridors. I didn't feel like I was "role playing" as Shephard, unless you consider Call of Duty an RPG as well!

Unlike ME 1 & 2, I felt very little for the plight of Shephard because throughout the game the overall writing is a bit sub-par compared to previous games. This is, in my opinion, symptomatic of the problems at Bioware at the moment; style over substance. It was like after two superb games I was being abandoned as a fan in favour of commercial appeal above and beyond anything else.

Don't get me wrong, this isn't a "bad" game; you'd have to be completely out of your mind to say that ME3 is anything other than decent as a total package. But - and it's a big but - it's nowhere near the perfect game and in relation to the franchise it takes a giant turd on what has gone before.

So it's bizarre to sum it up in this way, but there's no other way to put it - if you're a Call of Duty fan, looking for a more "in depth" game without sacrificing the mindless shoot 'em up FPS experience, then Mass Effect 3 is for you. However, if you're a fan of Mass Effect 1 & 2, then this game may very well disappoint you. At the very least, if you play this game, switch it off as soon as you see a glowing holographic image of a child - you'll thank me for doing so.

So yes, I'd be wrong to score it any less than 7/10, but what I will say is that after the debacle that was Dragon Age 2 and now the less than stellar Mass Effect trilogy conclusion, I will be careful to spend money on a product bearing the Bioware logo, simply because the once accepted measure of excellence they held in a gamers heart has been lost. Let's hope a return to form is just around the corner.… Expand

TheMailman98

May 21, 2012

5

Rated a five because of the lacking single player. I'm fine with the addition of multiplayer and the ability to play as another species in the online mode it a nice touch, but it seems to take away from what Mass effect is all about. The single player. With half of the game basically based on multiplayer, the other half focused on single player isn't nearly as interesting to play as theRated a five because of the lacking single player. I'm fine with the addition of multiplayer and the ability to play as another species in the online mode it a nice touch, but it seems to take away from what Mass effect is all about. The single player. With half of the game basically based on multiplayer, the other half focused on single player isn't nearly as interesting to play as the previous two games. If you want a good co-op multiplayer game then go ahead and get it, but the single player isn't as good as Mass effect one and two so don't get too excited.… Expand

niketnb

Jun 11, 2012

5

There have many reviews about this game, and most of them are commenting about the poor ending of this game. But I think this game is definite a worth to buy game, the reason because of the multi-player. How the graphics were superb with a very dandy covering system, going through every corners, sprinting and cover from enemies firing. There just had many ways to play your own style ofThere have many reviews about this game, and most of them are commenting about the poor ending of this game. But I think this game is definite a worth to buy game, the reason because of the multi-player. How the graphics were superb with a very dandy covering system, going through every corners, sprinting and cover from enemies firing. There just had many ways to play your own style of game, with a lot of selection of characters and using different abilities. On the other hand, limited maps and difficulty were the main problem in multiplayer which lower the score. For professional gamers, I think gold challenge was a bit too easy due to the fact that there were too much ways to play this game, entertaining with communicating with four players. Moreover, multiplayer only have 5-6 maps weren't enough to last the gameplay long, which only for maximum 1 month or so. Increasing the varies or mods in multiplayer can improve the overall rating since that the single player's ending was weak. Overall, I think this game's selling was just for multiplayer, if gamers were just waiting for the single player, this game won't be your choice.… Expand

Keltic

Jun 29, 2012

5

The EC just expanded the current endings, while it did make them better or in honesty just made them the endings they should have been on release day it does not address the issues that many people have in that the endings are set in stone and really all your effort in previous games was for nothing. Also if Bioware was going to make a genuine effort to appease fans of the series surelyThe EC just expanded the current endings, while it did make them better or in honesty just made them the endings they should have been on release day it does not address the issues that many people have in that the endings are set in stone and really all your effort in previous games was for nothing. Also if Bioware was going to make a genuine effort to appease fans of the series surely they could have provided a few more endings with the possibility of happier conclusion, It is after all a fantasy/sci fi game and not based on reality.
I gave 5 out of ten for ME3 purely due to what i felt was the shortness of the game and what i felt were poor endings.… Expand

GrumpySteve

Dec 15, 2014

5

This is easily the poorest offering Bioware has given us in many a year, and by far the worst of the Mass Effect trilogy. The original, ME1, was one of my all-time favorite CRPGs. I didn't like a lot of the changes they made to ME2 so much, because they made it more like a FPS and less like a CRPG, but I was able to tolerate the changes because the story was still pretty good. MassThis is easily the poorest offering Bioware has given us in many a year, and by far the worst of the Mass Effect trilogy. The original, ME1, was one of my all-time favorite CRPGs. I didn't like a lot of the changes they made to ME2 so much, because they made it more like a FPS and less like a CRPG, but I was able to tolerate the changes because the story was still pretty good. Mass Effect 3 unfortunately retains and even furthers the FPS feel of the game, eroding what little RPG element is left, and doesn't even make up for this with story this time -- the story is terrible.

Probably the #1 issue I have with ME3 is that, far more than the others, it felt like a game on rails. There were very few options, very few choices, and almost no cases where the "choices" they gave you felt like they made any difference. Gone are any real stories relating to your crew-mates. There are none of those. It seems totally random which past crew mates Bioware gives you back again and which ones refuse to re-join you. There are hardly any conversations on the ship with your crew-mates any more, and no chance to do things like learn about them or earn any loyalty. The crew stories are basically gone, and replaced by nothing -- there are no other story elements in their stead.

Another problem, at least on the Xbox, is the menu system, which is absolutely horrid. For some unfathomable reason, Bioware combined the Journal and the Codex, which is absolutely infuriating - it glows with "new entries" even when they are only just codex entries and not new quests. The side and main quests share the same menu now, which makes for an almighty mess, and there is no "completed" mission menu so by the end of the game you have this list that is like 80 items tall, and the UI always puts you in the middle of it, buried in the "completed" missions, forcing you to scroll up 20 or 3 items to get to the active quests. And then there is the issue that they tell you what planet something is on but NOT the system or the cluster, and they don't mark most quests on the galaxy map, so you have to randomly hop around from sector to sector trying to find quest locations. This is really stupid, as the girl assisting you even says she has marked stuff on your galaxy map (but she just hasn't). This feels like Bioware were just being jerks trying to make my life harder than it needed to be.

Finally, I will rant a little bit about the ending. If you've heard anything about it, you've probably heard the rumor that the ending is horrible. All I can say about this is - the haters are UNDER-selling it. The ending is absolutely terrible. I'm not sure who at Bioware thought they should end their epic trilogy with a Morton's Fork type of dilemma, but I found it very forced and very unsatisfying. Also, the explanation for "everything that has been happening in galactic history" was really, REALLY lame.

In the end, it felt like Bioware had a bunch of different ideas, wasn't sure which one would work, half-implemented all of them, and then slapped it together into a package and called it "done." There was too much mindless combat, and not enough interesting conversation options in this game. It's a poor successor to the first two MEs and does not deserve to share their name. The only good thing I can say is that the voice acting is still pretty good, and the basic way combat worked was enjoyable (although HIGHLY repetitive). The game is playable, but only as a shooter. Not for the story or RPG elements. Those things, which are normally Bioware strengths, were the major weaknesses of this game.… Expand

Tom_Weiss

Mar 7, 2012

5

the developers forgot the most important aspect of their own game - the face that the user creates for his/her Shepard, which cannot be imported. And the face mesh in ME3 looks cartoonish - the game looks like it was developed by a completely different crew that did not bother to give visual continuity to the game.

And if that was not enough - several key characters look unlike anythingthe developers forgot the most important aspect of their own game - the face that the user creates for his/her Shepard, which cannot be imported. And the face mesh in ME3 looks cartoonish - the game looks like it was developed by a completely different crew that did not bother to give visual continuity to the game.

And if that was not enough - several key characters look unlike anything in ME1 and ME2, one, Ashley, looks like a transvestite so bad the model is.… Expand

saintsofboredom

Mar 17, 2012

7

Mass Effect 3 is a good game, but abandons many of the series's staples about half way through the game. The conversation wheel was which was a staple of the last two game is all but abandoned about half way through the game for more linear conversations. Talking to squad members on the Normandy in between missions is turn into a series of stocked conversation with no way to pick theMass Effect 3 is a good game, but abandons many of the series's staples about half way through the game. The conversation wheel was which was a staple of the last two game is all but abandoned about half way through the game for more linear conversations. Talking to squad members on the Normandy in between missions is turn into a series of stocked conversation with no way to pick the dialog. Another staple that is lost are the Paragon and Renegade points. They are instead replaced with Reputation points which are earned despite the decisions you make. Another minor problems include a less detailed mission journal, which does not tell the how far you have progressed on your missions, but instead just give you a summary of the mission. Changes to the combat system such as weapon selection and modding are a welcome median from the two or three weapons per category in ME2 and the ridiculous over abundance of weapons and mods from ME. The weight vs. power recharge times is great way to make sure players are not over powered with weapons and unlimited fast recharging powers. The new ability to roll away make the actual combat more like Gears of War with powers, which is not a bad thing. The ending(s) does leave something to be desired, mainly an overall explanation of what is happening after you make your final choice.… Expand

nix1331

Mar 6, 2012

5

well im about 15 hours in and so far not so good. there are some technical issues on consoles but i guess that could be overlooked if the game looked a bit nicer, but ya the graphics are not that good especially the face and mouth work,which normally would not be a big deal but ME3 focuses a lot on character interaction and watching npc robot faces all with such similar voices too.ughhh.well im about 15 hours in and so far not so good. there are some technical issues on consoles but i guess that could be overlooked if the game looked a bit nicer, but ya the graphics are not that good especially the face and mouth work,which normally would not be a big deal but ME3 focuses a lot on character interaction and watching npc robot faces all with such similar voices too.ughhh. on pc im sure it will look considerably better but not on consoles.the combat is good and it seems they really focused on that instead of the story.....o the story.....its ok i guess but not anywhere as good as the final mass effect deserves and is incredibly easy....i dont know why game developers are making games with no challenge anymore.....why have a difficulty setting when only a retard would struggle with anything less than hard.....i guess people want an interactive movie more than a real game with challenge. multiplayer is pretty good but nothing we havent seen before in other big games. i keep reading that all the questions left open from the other games would be answered.....but sadly that does not seem to be the case, so far any attempt at this is has been short and dry. i really hope this picks up as i progress right now its pretty disappointing and from what i hear of the different endings (that they suck and rip off the first dues ex game) that disappointment seems like it may continue to the end… Expand

JAMR92

Mar 8, 2012

6

This was an unfortunate step backward for the franchise, it's lost a large amount of its charm. Now mind you, this isn't as bad as the whole Dragon Age 2 fiasco, but Mass Effect was once a magical experience. That feeling of a fun sci-fi rpg has been cast aside for an action movie pornography that tries too hard to have a great story and in the process became a mediocre B movie. TheThis was an unfortunate step backward for the franchise, it's lost a large amount of its charm. Now mind you, this isn't as bad as the whole Dragon Age 2 fiasco, but Mass Effect was once a magical experience. That feeling of a fun sci-fi rpg has been cast aside for an action movie pornography that tries too hard to have a great story and in the process became a mediocre B movie. The animations do not look like that of a triple A title and its now Gears of War in Space, except with dialogue and romance options. If I wanted to play a visual novel I would Bioware. The game is heavily flawed and one could see why it's being so poorly received, the overly positive reviews are incredibly unsettling and makes me disgusted to see these gamers through away their dignity and integrity to defend a game and company, who do not deserve to be defended.… Expand

TheAwesomer

Apr 5, 2012

7

Great game, Wicked action sequences, good story.. But it where this ME really failed was the in the decision making part of the game. It was incredible weak and None of the choices you made really mattered. I wouldnt play it again.

harmattan

Mar 7, 2012

6

Make no mistake, ME3 a good game and finale to one of the monumental video game series of this generation. Apart from the some Michael Bay'ed ultra bombasta-fest material that will make anyone with a monikom of taste and discretion want to retch (think ending of ME2 10-fold), this game hits hard on almost every level. What I don't abide is EA's approach to effecitively force gamers toMake no mistake, ME3 a good game and finale to one of the monumental video game series of this generation. Apart from the some Michael Bay'ed ultra bombasta-fest material that will make anyone with a monikom of taste and discretion want to retch (think ending of ME2 10-fold), this game hits hard on almost every level. What I don't abide is EA's approach to effecitively force gamers to purchase add-ons to experience the complete story -- a god awful milk-them-for-all-we-can strategy to compartmentalize and monetize what should be a cohesive and inclusive package. If you buy this game, know that you are in for a penny, in for a pound and are essentially voting for this sort of corporate malarky to continue.… Expand

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

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