Mass Effect 3

 Xbox 360
User Score
6.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 3849 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,035 out of 3849
  2. Mixed: 461 out of 3849
  3. Negative: 1,353 out of 3849
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  1. Polymuter
    Dec 3, 2016
    2
    I'm not sure how Mass Effect 3 received as much acclaim as it did. It looked liked this game was created by a bunch of Gears of War developers working a second job. The writing was even worse.
  2. appel
    Apr 1, 2012
    1
    Awesome game with great graphics, fun action and characters. Except for an awful ending that negated or ignored most things Shepard had done in the games.
  3. TheInnocent
    Apr 4, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I wish I could score this game twice. Once would be for the gameplay, options, dialogue, and general playability. That score would be very high; I am a big fan of the Mass Effect series, and I thought that this one was pretty good, considering. The second would be for the ending, and it would be negative. Dear Game Developers, please read this. I don't want you to try to leave me thinking at the end. I don't want to turn off the game and say, "well, that sucked." I want to end happily riding off into the sunset with my lady (Tali, in my playthrough). I WANT TO SURVIVE THE END OF THE GAME. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THAT? Why can't I be the conquering hero? Why can't I use my paragon points to change the outcome? I know that I am not completely representative of the gaming community, but I want a happy ending. Bioware took three games to utterly fail to give me that, and left me feeling deeply unsatisfied. I am disgusted by the shoddiness and sheer badness of the ending. In fact, I would suggest that all video game writers consider the seven year old test- would a seven year old be happy with at least one of the endings?
    On an unrelated note, I add my voice to those that have spoken about the shoddy, tactless attempt to add in different sexuality and gender options. It seemed utterly forced. In the end, the ending made it feel like Bioware didn't care about me. It didn't care about how I felt after I played.    … Expand
  4. Dikkus
    Mar 10, 2012
    1
    While I enjoyed everything about Mass Effect 1 (and to a lesser extent, 2) it is really disappointing to see Bioware put so little effort into the conclusion of what should've been their next Baldur's Gate. The writing is childish, the illusion of choice is offensive, and the homosexuality and DLC is shoved in our face. There is nothing wrong with being homosexual, but when it's done badlyWhile I enjoyed everything about Mass Effect 1 (and to a lesser extent, 2) it is really disappointing to see Bioware put so little effort into the conclusion of what should've been their next Baldur's Gate. The writing is childish, the illusion of choice is offensive, and the homosexuality and DLC is shoved in our face. There is nothing wrong with being homosexual, but when it's done badly it needs to be said. You did not paint homosexuals in a good picture, Bioware, even my gay friend was offended when he saw some of the scenes. This wouldn't be such a large issue had you not made relationships and sexual intercourse such a large part of the game's presentation. The $800 DLC is also unforgivable, when we buy the game we want the full game, not some shabby half-done piece of crap reaking of your laziness. Oh, and while I'm at it, I might as well tell you guys; Your choices in the previous game DO NOT MATTER. If you didn't make the choices they wanted you to make they are instantly retconned and replaced with what they wanted you to choose.

    For shame, Bioware. For shame.    … Expand
  5. spinspock
    Mar 6, 2012
    1
    It's a shame that Bioware couldn't end this trilogy on a high note. The game is an absolute mess both in story and basic design. The Day 1 DLC is just salt on the wound. They also managed to remodel existing characters and model new characters using the likenesses of Jersey Shore cast members which look horribly out of place. Don't waste money on this!
  6. CakeTruck
    Mar 15, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. We donâ… Expand
  7. Darkhawk
    Mar 12, 2012
    1
    A) This game is fantastic and a lot of fun to play.
    B) The entire experience is ruined by that fact that you cannot import your character from previous games.
    If an entire trilogy is predicated on carrying a custom character across all games in the series, it's both laughable and offensive to fans that the third game would not permit that same custom face to be brought forward. Yes,    A) This game is fantastic and a lot of fun to play.
    B) The entire experience is ruined by that fact that you cannot import your character from previous games.

    If an entire trilogy is predicated on carrying a custom character across all games in the series, it's both laughable and offensive to fans that the third game would not permit that same custom face to be brought forward. Yes, it's possible to recreate your custom face using the editor. No, it's not fun and a major strike against BioWare quality assurance.    … Expand
  8. BusyBusyPanda
    Mar 22, 2012
    1
    We all know the ending was bad but my complaint is about the actual game bugs and there were bugs in this game. The very foremost is that the Shepard importer does not recognize Mass Effect 1 created Shepards so if you have a character that you have used since the first game the third game does not recognize it and you have to start a new face from scratch. I consider this a DOA criticalWe all know the ending was bad but my complaint is about the actual game bugs and there were bugs in this game. The very foremost is that the Shepard importer does not recognize Mass Effect 1 created Shepards so if you have a character that you have used since the first game the third game does not recognize it and you have to start a new face from scratch. I consider this a DOA critical error. How did this get past QA!? From the very start before the game even begins you have a broken line of code. That is unforgivable. During game play I encountered other problems such as party members getting frozen in ladders leaving you to fight the rest of the mission alone, invisible faces on Shepard, Garrus dissapeared more than once while talking to him, if you chose a specific plot arc and a character dies that character if they are your love interest the game pulls them back from the dead to have sex with you on the Normandy and then ending has more than one inescapable plot holes. I mean dead characters reappearing as if ressurected from the grave plot holes so big you could drive a Mako through them. This game felt over all rushed and I cannot recommend it to anyone unless you are someone who enjoys a bad game like some people like bad horror films. And yes I found the ending to be fundamentally in contrast to the advertising of this game. Choices ment nothing what so ever in the long run and that is just sad.… Expand
  9. sargent
    Mar 6, 2012
    1
    this game is not good an very bad desighn is copy to mass effect 2 story is very bad and etc One of the melee bosses you will see can run in a wall for 5 seconds straight, and just walk around spouting the most ridiculous ridiculous and stupid words that made me feel dirty from how amateurish the game felt, and because of some bug or "skill" he's able to swallow bullets with no damagethis game is not good an very bad desighn is copy to mass effect 2 story is very bad and etc One of the melee bosses you will see can run in a wall for 5 seconds straight, and just walk around spouting the most ridiculous ridiculous and stupid words that made me feel dirty from how amateurish the game felt, and because of some bug or "skill" he's able to swallow bullets with no damage sometimes, it is the worst combat concept I have ever seen. This game is flawed in its core, the story's foundation is flawed from the beginning… Expand
  10. Article_Reader
    Mar 6, 2012
    1
    Repetitive Gameplay,

    little has changed since ME2 gameplay wise; don't know why reviewers have given this game such praise when it's clearly no different innovation-wise and more of the same The only reason I even bought this game was for the Story and so far it's alright but I regret buying it since i could of easily of watched a let's play on youtube, saved my money and avoided this    Repetitive Gameplay,

    little has changed since ME2 gameplay wise;

    don't know why reviewers have given this game such praise when it's clearly no different innovation-wise and more of the same

    The only reason I even bought this game was for the Story and so far it's alright but I regret buying it since i could of easily of watched a let's play on youtube, saved my money and avoided this outdated mess of a cover system    … Expand
  11. jamesfish05
    Mar 7, 2012
    1
    as a competitive call of duty player this is my favorite scifi game on the pc

    i like how there are aliens and you can have magical abilities, i also enjoyed having sex with every crew member and i liked the vega character the most because i can identify with him. he is very tough and looks very good. i want to be like him one day. hoo-rah. i also liked the story very much, its about    as a competitive call of duty player this is my favorite scifi game on the pc

    i like how there are aliens and you can have magical abilities, i also enjoyed having sex with every crew member and i liked the vega character the most because i can identify with him. he is very tough and looks very good. i want to be like him one day. hoo-rah.

    i also liked the story very much, its about reavers that are like space zombies and an illusion man that is your father or something. and there is a really cool assassin called mai king, she tries to kill you because she works for the reavers.

    its a very deep game, i hope they make a sequel one day because i want to know what happened to vega. or a prequel that is more about vega. they also make an animated movie that is about vega, which is awesome, ill totally watch it with my dad.

    11/10    … Expand
  12. Anthrex
    Mar 10, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. At first I was wondering why the game had such a bad fan review, the game was amazing, I did not care that there was day 1 DLC the combat system was an improvement over mass effect 2, there were more guns to chose from and the graphics were improved. then I got to the last 5 minutes of the game and I find out they did a copy of Deus Ex's ending where all the choices you chose in mass effect 1, 2 and 3 did not matter at all. thank you bioware for wasting 60+ hours of my life and making me spend over $200 on this trilogy that i cant play anymore now that I know the game ends so poorly. If bioware puts a patch that fixes the awful endings (like bethisda did for fallout 3) I would give this game a 10/10.

    -GAMEPLAY 10/10
    -GRAPHICS 9/10 (a bit to dark at some points)
    -STORY(other than ending) 8/10 (would have been a 10/10 if they gave you more chat options like in previous mass effect games)
    -ONLINE 7/10 (it was ok and it came with a story the same length of other mass effects so it can be ignored)
    -ENDING 0/10 (wtf was bioware thinking? this also removes any chances of a new trilogy after this because the mass relays are destroyed.)    … Expand
  13. Jinxter
    Mar 22, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Let first say that I am a HUGE fan of this series, it was an amazing exploration of concept of making choices and how those choices shape the game you play. It was a true Space Opera that had characters that for the first time, made me 'feel' for them. I cared what happened to these characters, kudos to the voice actors for literally breathing life into these great characters. This game, allowed me to craft a character that made the impossible possible...s/he was a character that was a SOLDIER who NEVER gave up...who always strives to do what it right. This game allowed us to make choices and those choices affected each of the previous game's endings. I was hoping for more of the same in ME3. For the most part, I got it...however, at the very end of the game...the tone of the game changed. The Shepard I had roll-played up until the last 10 minutes of the game, ceased to exist, and what I was left with was a doppelganger...it looked like my Shepard, but this character gave up. This Shepard did NOT fight until the end...This Shepard 'accepted' fate. The last 10 minutes of this game was so out of character, so artistically different from what came before it, then I lost my immersion. It was so out of sync with what I had played before that all I was left with was a WTF in my mind eye. I found that I did not want to even finish the game out. These last minutes felt like they belonged to another game entirely. There were so many plot holes that the entire ending sequence felt unpolished, rushed, and tacked on. I swore I could see the gum, duct tape, and baling wire holding things together. I can understand artistic license to change things as you see fit...but this? It was thematically different enough that for me, I could not believe that this had been approved. THESE last 10 minutes of the game, changed what would have been an easy 9 score from me to a 1. Disappointment doesn't even come close to the feelings I had upon the completion of the game...and the Stargazer was also and odd choice. Why couldn't I get scenes showing where the rest of my crew went? How about a scene honoring Shepard for what they did for the Galaxy? This ending ruins this 3rd game, and nearly ruins the entire trilogy...I cannot give it a score higher than a 1.… Expand
  14. freddiebrks
    Mar 6, 2012
    1
    Bad ending to the series, even worse the developers are charging for day 1 dlc. could have waited another month if it meant getting my full game. Some design of the game was alittle off and some voice acting was very cheap
  15. tjasian
    Mar 24, 2012
    1
    After putting 200 plus hours into this franchise i feel like i just got the finger from bioware. The ending is bad...any way you put it. Everyone around the internet keeps on saying that "just the last ten minutes were bad"...no not just the last ten minutes...the entire ending in its entirety is just terrible
  16. mazariamonti
    Mar 17, 2012
    1
    a game that completely destroys everything you've done over the first two, it's a complete slap in the face. Not to mention the graphical issues, bugs, multiplayer being very repetitive, and other things. but the ending, oh god the ending.
  17. chris23433
    Jun 14, 2012
    1
    Mass Effect 3, the epic finale to one of best sci fi trilogies created. The finale though, completely ruins what was one of the best series ever. It's not just the ending. Although yes the ending destroys all semblance of immersion, canon, good story telling, and much more, it's not only the ending that makes Mass Effect 3 a terrible conclusion. First off, the gameplay or lack thereof. TheMass Effect 3, the epic finale to one of best sci fi trilogies created. The finale though, completely ruins what was one of the best series ever. It's not just the ending. Although yes the ending destroys all semblance of immersion, canon, good story telling, and much more, it's not only the ending that makes Mass Effect 3 a terrible conclusion. First off, the gameplay or lack thereof. The conversations are nothing like they used to be in the previous two. Whereas in the previous two you could input Shepard's descisions on the tiniest of choices, in Mass Effect 3 it's almost gone. You make some dialougue choices throughout the game, but most of the choices are made for you (I was playing on rpg mode by the way.) The quests are mainly filler consisting boring fetch quests. Although the side missions that are playable and have you on the ground are quite alot of fun to play and are the best moments in the game. Oh, and my final gripe the multiplayer. The online although alot of fun, SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN NECESSARY TO OBTAIN THE BEST ENDING IN THE SINGLEPLAYER. I remember hearing one of the developers at Bioware talk about how the multiplayer could impact the finale, but wouldn't be necessary to obtain the best ending. What happened to that? What happened to the various amounts of endings? What happened to amazing choices? What happened to Mass Effect? I don't know to be honest, but it's quite sad to see what was one of the best series in gaming from one of the most talented developers in the industry, deliver a product this... dissapointing. I remember playing the first Kotor and the first Mass Effect games, and being amazed at the amount of choices I could make, and the impact I had on the characters. Hell, in the original Kotor towards the end you could completely turn on your old squadmates and reclaim your title as Lord of the Sith with the aide of one of your former crewmates/love interest. In the original Mass Effect if you played it right you could convince of one the main villians to kill himself in order to help the galaxy. This, though is not the Bioware of Kotor or ME1. In ME3 none of your choices throughout the entire series matter when it comes to the ending. None. All you get are three different **** color explosions with the same exact pros and cons regardles of what you choose. This game was horrid. Perhaps, the ending dlc Bioware is making shall remedy the ending. Even if it does though, the dissapointment I felt while playing through Mass Effect 3 and viewing its ending shall not. I have lost a great amount of faith in Bioware as a good developer. It's sad to see what could've the most epic conclusion in gaming go so poorly.… Expand
  18. iplaygamesalot
    Mar 7, 2012
    1
    ME3 is an abomination in comparison to its predecessors, it is sloppily made and poorly written and even has scenery proven by users to have been pulled off of google search ( one of the main characters Tali Zorah proven to have been a poorly photoshopped version of a stock photo). This game should have been aborted, the dialogue options are pants on head retarded and the combat isME3 is an abomination in comparison to its predecessors, it is sloppily made and poorly written and even has scenery proven by users to have been pulled off of google search ( one of the main characters Tali Zorah proven to have been a poorly photoshopped version of a stock photo). This game should have been aborted, the dialogue options are pants on head retarded and the combat is hindered by poor controls and bugs. Couple all this with $860 dollars worth of DLC (as well as a DLC ending that is the only one that doesnt absolutely suck) and we have a game that is better off left pirated or not bought at all. The endings are so bad that if you are a true fan of the mass effect series you would stop at 2 since the ending of ME3 is full of plot holes and forced endings that are supposed to be "so sad and edgy". The story of ME3 can be seen identically in games over a decade old such as Dues ex and Star Control. This is horrible for a triple A game released in 2012.… Expand
  19. alqualonde
    Mar 12, 2012
    1
    A fantastic game series totally obliterated by one of the most banal, non-sensical endings in history. If the lame ending of Dragon Age 2 pissed you off, the ending of ME3 will prompt you to send your PC tower flying through the window and skidding into the street, where you will leave it in hopes of being run over by a car so you might be able to forget this entire series existed. I'm soA fantastic game series totally obliterated by one of the most banal, non-sensical endings in history. If the lame ending of Dragon Age 2 pissed you off, the ending of ME3 will prompt you to send your PC tower flying through the window and skidding into the street, where you will leave it in hopes of being run over by a car so you might be able to forget this entire series existed. I'm so goddamned disappointed.… Expand
  20. MigueelDnd
    Jul 8, 2012
    1
    Poor gameplay, decision taking, writing and innovation. The saving of the game are probably the graphics, which when weighted against the bad things of the game, don't seem to get the score up. No entitlement in the decisions you take. Bad and uninspired characters that decline the quality of the storytelling. A really bad game, overall.
  21. sheprdlovr
    Mar 6, 2012
    1
    I was such a huge fan of this series. Space opera? Sci fi? Really, it was everything I liked. This third edition severely disappoints and makes a mockery of the rest of the series. Bioware, as always, presents the illusion of choice, except in this game they make it obvious that it's an ILLUSION, and that nothing you do/did in the previous games actually matters. The lore established inI was such a huge fan of this series. Space opera? Sci fi? Really, it was everything I liked. This third edition severely disappoints and makes a mockery of the rest of the series. Bioware, as always, presents the illusion of choice, except in this game they make it obvious that it's an ILLUSION, and that nothing you do/did in the previous games actually matters. The lore established in previous games also gets overhauled. The graphics are mediocre at best - the pre-rendered cutscenes are well made, which is to this game's merit, but apart from that... No. This game includes many instances cheap emotional manipulation, and while I appreciate the attempt to be all-inclusive this game forcibly and unnaturally shoehorns in sexualities and gender issues which, if done well, would be marvelous! In this case, it is not done well. Overall, I am disappointed and upset. This series had so much potential, and I had such high hopes for this game. They have done to Mass Effect what they did to Dragon Age with Dragon Age 2. It's as if the makers of this game simply decided to go, "DING DONG WE WANT CALL OF DUTY'S AUDIENCE", and thus alienated their entire original fanbase. Well, it seems like they have achieved that, but they have also alienated anyone who would have been interested in player-driven RPG games, unlike the several we already have which follow Call of Duty's model. This is why this game gets a 1/10. It does not deserve anything more. It does not get a 0 because, to it's merit, the melee flows better, and as I said before the cutscenes are nice. The dialogue, character interaction, lore, backstories, and so-called player options did not achieve the same level of merit. Bad game overall. I am particularly bitter because I really liked this series.… Expand
  22. Axem1
    Mar 6, 2012
    1
    A serious downgrade from the first two. Terrible writing, with a story filled with blatant plot holes and dull characters. I don't recommend you buy it, save your money for a game that actually had work put into it instead of a recyclable story in a dated engine.
  23. have
    Mar 6, 2012
    1
    is a disappointing game from start to finish
    mass effect 3 is the worst job bioware to date, being a waste of time to play
    sin duda el flop de este 2012
  24. bradgame
    Mar 6, 2012
    1
    This is seriously dissappointing and I've lost all faith in bioware as a rpg developer. They took what could've been the coup de grace of their mass effect trilogy and pulled a dragon age 2, just phoning it in completely. I'm not going to give it a 0 because no game deserves that, but after playing this for a while I can't give it anything over a 2. Shame on you bioware, shame on you.
  25. Slaw
    Mar 6, 2012
    1
    At time of writing a major feature of this game(the ability to carry over your character from a previous game) does not function. The vast majority will play this game to continue the story with THEIR character making it arguably the most important feature in the game. How this made it through QA or was never tested is beyond rational thought. This is tantamount to selling something youAt time of writing a major feature of this game(the ability to carry over your character from a previous game) does not function. The vast majority will play this game to continue the story with THEIR character making it arguably the most important feature in the game. How this made it through QA or was never tested is beyond rational thought. This is tantamount to selling something you cannot deliver.… Expand
  26. TrollTheTroll
    Mar 7, 2012
    1
    Total rip off. Game crashes and wont load saves. Multiplayer is bugged and unbalanced. Every thing looks like PS2. Its like a mining simulator but less interesting.
  27. skulltac
    Mar 6, 2012
    1
    So is Bioware even trying anymore. This game really is just a letdown for me. I really enjoyed Mass Effect 1 a ton, but playing this game is really quite depressing. Everything seems just off. All of the animations are terrible, the voice acting is beyond horrendous. (Seriously I was cringing while listening to some parts.) And one of my biggest complaints is the release day DLC. What thatSo is Bioware even trying anymore. This game really is just a letdown for me. I really enjoyed Mass Effect 1 a ton, but playing this game is really quite depressing. Everything seems just off. All of the animations are terrible, the voice acting is beyond horrendous. (Seriously I was cringing while listening to some parts.) And one of my biggest complaints is the release day DLC. What that essentially means is that they have they content out and ready and it could've been on the disk but whatever I'm sure people would love to spend TEN DOLLARS for a new ending.

    Please don't waste your money on this game. It's almost as big of a let down as TOR which guess what. Was ruined by Bioware.    … Expand
  28. thewastedyouth
    Mar 6, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It's eye of the beholder I supposed, because I've beaten this game and find it to be, at best, mediocre. The boss fights, aside from Kai Leng, were lazily created. (the reaper fight is awful, you find the reapers weakness and its never brought up again) The missions were incredibly linear and shoddily designed. The cyberspace stage made me want to kill myself it was so lazily designed, my god. The ONLY relevant item which carried over from the previous games regards Quarians and the Geth. That's it, aside from that it's throwaway lines and the same results as Bioware would have you get regardless. The story itself is silly. Honestly, Mordin's death was the only part which was really handled well. 5/10 game.… Expand
  29. COD4LIFEUSMC
    Mar 7, 2012
    1
    as a competitive call of duty player this is my favorite scifi game on the pc

    i like how there are aliens and you can have magical abilities, i also enjoyed having sex with every crew member and i liked the vega character the most because i can identify with him. he is very tough and looks very good. i want to be like him one day. hoo-rah. 11/10 i also liked the story very much, its about    as a competitive call of duty player this is my favorite scifi game on the pc

    i like how there are aliens and you can have magical abilities, i also enjoyed having sex with every crew member and i liked the vega character the most because i can identify with him. he is very tough and looks very good. i want to be like him one day. hoo-rah.
    11/10 i also liked the story very much, its about reavers that are like space zombies and an illusion man that is your father or something. and there is a really cool assassin called mai king, she tries to kill you because she works for the reavers.

    its a very deep game, i hope they make a sequel one day because i want to know what happened to vega. or a prequel that is more about vega. they also make an animated movie that is about vega, which is awesome, ill totally watch it with my dad.    … Expand
  30. craptaxi
    Mar 7, 2012
    1
    I played ME1 and ME2 many many times. Both wonderful games. saw no reason the third game would be any different. Had the perfect character lined up to import. Purchased ME3 played a few hours, and now I feel awful. None of the choices i made in 1 and 2 matter, and I don't get to make anymore choices. all I get to do is play a terrible COD game. I feel cheated and heartbroken.
  31. Velox
    Mar 7, 2012
    1
    Bear in mind that I am about 7 hours into this title as I write this review. I am not waiting until I finish it, because I refuse to waste one more minute of my time on this game. I could not be more disappointed. It all started when I could not import my ME1+2 character face into the new game. This is a recognized bug which is being addressed. I'm not forgiving them for it becauseBear in mind that I am about 7 hours into this title as I write this review. I am not waiting until I finish it, because I refuse to waste one more minute of my time on this game. I could not be more disappointed. It all started when I could not import my ME1+2 character face into the new game. This is a recognized bug which is being addressed. I'm not forgiving them for it because they new about it well before release and chose to do nothing. And it's a horrible way to start a STORY based RPG. It's like watching your favorite TV show for years only to have them replace the main character with another actor in the final season. The Story, (Which is the main reason I play Mass Effect) is terrible. I won't give away anything here which makes it very hard to explain why it's so bad, but I dont understand how you can go from being the Galaxy rock star Shepard from the end of ME2 to this pathetic lowlife that starts out in ME3. And the dialog options are redundant. There was one point where my only 2 dialog options basically said the exact same thing. I'm paraphrasing here, but the options were something like, "No way in Hell!" and "Over my dead body!". I guess I'm not allowed to agree with that NPC's statement.

    Holstering your weapon has been removed. While this may not sound like a big deal, it really is. In the game environment there is a ton ammo, datapads, medpacs and all sorts of things you need to find and pick up. Since your toon is stuck in a rifle ready position, it makes it extremely difficult to find these objects. In the old games, holstering your weapon would open a free camera mode that would allow you to examine your environment. To me, this is an extremely frustrating aspect of this title. It's almost like a wannabe Gears of War. The Roleplay aspect of this game has been replaced with yet another crappy 3rd person shooter.

    This game has been "dumbed down" to satisfy the masses...unfortunately you are screwing over your initial fan base on the hopes that a new fan might pick up your games finale. I'm not sure what happened to the Bioware I've loved since Baldur's Gate, but I'm sure many of the poor decisions that went into this game were heavily influenced by their new EA overlords because this company hasn't been the same since that buyout.    … Expand
  32. wiwica
    Mar 7, 2012
    1
    Iâ
  33. Rubenh
    Mar 7, 2012
    1
    Painful. I loved the Mass Effect saga, but this installment utterly ruins it. It's an insult to gamers worldwide. Bioware approaches the story telling as if they are attempting to make a brain damaged turtle comprehend. Consequently, it is HIGHLY flawed, simplistic and lacking. An awful result. Addtionally, they have taken a break from anything that made the previous installmentsPainful. I loved the Mass Effect saga, but this installment utterly ruins it. It's an insult to gamers worldwide. Bioware approaches the story telling as if they are attempting to make a brain damaged turtle comprehend. Consequently, it is HIGHLY flawed, simplistic and lacking. An awful result. Addtionally, they have taken a break from anything that made the previous installments interesting and unique(choice-based storytelling; intriguing plot turns; emotional commitment) and replaced it with blatantly ostentatious cinematics that would only impress the aforementioned ''turtle-minded''. It's not just a shame, it's an insult. Bioware has gravely insulted and disappointed me by ruining what used to be such a great story. Don't go look for it and don't buy it. The only thing this game has to offer is a lesson in how blatant greed can ruin absolutely anything.… Expand
  34. swagmeister08
    Mar 8, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Apparently my last comment was deleted, allow me to explain I am not trolling. Mass Effect is a wonderful series, we grow to love our character and the universe as a whole only to have it ruined with the ending. ME3s gameplay was relatively awesome and the story was great, but any gamer that is seriously into this series will tell you that the ending was horrible and left you feeling like crap. Hopefully Bioware fixes this with some DLCs, also I couldn't import my old characters, they used a stock photo for Tali's face, the ending scene is done with another stock image, the ending is very reminiscent of Deus Ex Human Revolution and its just a terrible letdown by what was my favorite company.… Expand
  35. kickboxer2003
    Mar 8, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. First of all I loved the first 2 games. This one was not as bad as Ive heard people saying. I thought the graphics were good the story was good and combat was top notch. The only problem I have is with the ending. You give me 3 choices all of them end up the same way? Like another reviewer said, what's the point in going back and playing the 1st and 2nd just to have it all end in the 3rd. It not only ends it ends badly. You get the same crap ending no matter what you did in the first 2 games or this one Paragon/Renegade don't matter. No matter how high your readiness is you still die. I think I would actually be ok with Shepard dying if it would have shown a hero ceremony, a funeral or shown my love interest (Liara) mourning my death. It would have given me the feeling that yes I died but I died for a reason. It just kind of cuts off at the end. You see familiar faces but they look as if nothing happened. Nobody looks sad that Shepard is gone, it's just back to normal. That is what ultimately pisses me off. I didn't get to choose my outcome, bioware chose it for me. I feel like I have wasted 5 years of my life playing these games, and now I wish I never played the 3rd one. I feel all who played it have been cheated. Unless Bioware puts in a DLC that fixes this horrible ending they will never get another dime from me as they have lost me as a fan and customer. FIX IT BIOWARE!!!… Expand
  36. Gobon
    Mar 8, 2012
    1
    This game is such a massive disappointment. It was not worth the wait. Animations are still clunky. Humans still look horrible. Lazy usage of stock images. Forced drama at every turn. Why bother? Don't buy this game.
  37. syreenorder
    Mar 9, 2012
    1
    I have always been a huge fan of BioWare and I believe that Mass Effect 1 & 2 are the best games I've ever played. I was so excited to play ME:3! That ended last night...

    The game of ME:3 itself is outstanding. The voice acting, combat system and RPG elements were really fun to play through (except the character generation). What killed it for me was the last 20-30 minutes of the game    I have always been a huge fan of BioWare and I believe that Mass Effect 1 & 2 are the best games I've ever played. I was so excited to play ME:3! That ended last night...

    The game of ME:3 itself is outstanding. The voice acting, combat system and RPG elements were really fun to play through (except the character generation). What killed it for me was the last 20-30 minutes of the game which make absolutely no logical sense. In this small window, you find out that nothing you've done, none of your choice make any difference. In the end, you still lose. It is the most depressing ending to any game I've ever played and makes me wish I never heard of Mass Effect. If you enjoyed ME: 1 & 2, you're going to be very upset with part 3. If you buy this, you'll toss away hours of time only to find out that the worst possible ending imaginable is exactly what you'll get. I really wish this wasn't the case.    … Expand
  38. lexs624
    Mar 9, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I will start off by saying that this was a very good game up until the last 20 minutes (After Shepard gets beamed up). I wanted my choices to matter and my romance to matter. The relationships you build with your characters are important and the choices made previously are important and that all must come together in the ending. There should be the chance for your romance to finally blossom and be given an ending, the reapers should be given a better ending: such as all destroyed or something like the geth and quarians, peace with mutual benefit but each independent (no synergy), or what would be even grander is that Shepard convinces the catalyst that organic and synthetic can be at peace: the Reapers retreat from the galaxy forever, the cooperation and understanding with the geth proves this point as well as EDI and Joker. I wanted an ending that would bring all my choices and relationships to a grand end. Happiness with whoever you settle down with or if he/she dies, a scene with a memorial and ur love interest there with a child to say good bye.
    I would also like to say that the choices from previous games do show up, but not in ways that I expected. Liked David Archer from Overlord, the reaper base was their but diminished, the geth choice was there but diminished, etc... The choices were there, but they did not manifest in ways that the fanbase expected. I was disappointed but understand how Bioware wanted to cater to a new fan-base.
    I was also looking forward to more exploration and freedom from the first two games with lots of small side-quests and missions, but that is also diminished from the first two. There are a few missions but nothing that aids very much in getting galactic readiness up or that is actually alot of fun. I was expecting in a whole galaxy at war there would be numerous side quests and missions from the various races asking for help but there wasn't. I wish there had been. Also, what about vehicle levels? I missed the Mako and the Hammerhead, they added a breadth of fresh air when you were bored.
    I understand that no one is going to be happy with this game and others will think its great. I thought it was a good but not great game. The DLC will make it better I hope to jack up war readiness and other side quests. It can be fixed and the trilogy can be given an end that it deserves. Perhaps bioware releases a DLC that is only for fans that wraps up the game in a way that the loyal fans expect. I hope that is what happens. I wanted something to wow me and make me happy in the end. With this title I did not get that.    … Expand
  39. UltraD00d
    Mar 9, 2012
    1
    Don't get me wrong, this game is playable and I'm sure if you had no standards or simply didn't care you could pick up this game and have a midly enjoyable experience. BUT the atrocities EA and Bioware committed mean I cannot give this game a decent rating with a good conscience. So what is so bad about this game? Let me tell you:
    1. Day 1 DLC: Whether it was EA or Bioware (Biowhore, if    Don't get me wrong, this game is playable and I'm sure if you had no standards or simply didn't care you could pick up this game and have a midly enjoyable experience. BUT the atrocities EA and Bioware committed mean I cannot give this game a decent rating with a good conscience. So what is so bad about this game? Let me tell you:
    1. Day 1 DLC: Whether it was EA or Bioware (Biowhore, if you will) that decided to take this course I don't know, but releasing DLC on the day of release, particularly DLC which is important to the plot, at 1/6 the price of the game itself is unforgivable in of itself. It seems they are laughing in our face as we shell out money for something that should have been on the disc, available to everyone. It is obvious that it was done simply to milk as much money out of the fans as possible.
    2. Casualisation: The game was geared towards Call of Duty players in order to cash in on the series' success, while abandoning the loyal fanbase. Not much else to say here.
    3. Shoddy Writing: Many uninformed people think that the attacks on the Bioware employee Jennifer Hepler was simply a display of hate for the sake of hate. While they certainly did go overboard, it wasn't without good reason. She was the physical manifestation of the quality of writing coming from Bioware. Examples: Dialogue is awkward, the ending is notoriously bad, after seeing so many people die and killing so many himself, Sephard is emotianally effected by the death of a random kid above all. Overall you would expect something better from a Naruto fanfiction. 4. Laziness of Bioware: For a big budget, triple A game you would expect a certain level of effort from the developers. Bioware, however seemed to have taken shortcuts left, right and centre. There are images circulating the internet which demonstrate this quite well. For example, Copying a stock image for the portrait of a character who dies in the game, and copying another 7? year old image lying around in the internet for the ending.
    5. Ininspired Multiplayer: Another cash-in, Wave survival modes have been done to death, nowadays every game seems to have one. It seems this was added in to artificially extend the life of the game and make an excuse for future half-assed DLC releases.
    6. Gay Sex: people reading this may call 'Hurr durr homophobe" - but wait to read my reasoning. Homosexuality IS a sin. Being implemented in such as fashion acts to 'casualise' it, pressing on the impressionable 13 year old minds (whose uninformed mothers will be buying this game) that it is fine and acceptable. I do not hate **** I care about them, just as I do any other person. For this reason I oppose it.
    Even if this is an attempt to cash-in with the gay audience rather than a political agenda, it gets in the way of the average straight player and does not belong. I do not want to have gay passes made to me by my squadmates when I'm playing a game.
    7. Reviewers are sellouts: This goes for every major game release nowadays, but is absolutely appalling. While I'm not implying that EA is necessarily directly paying reviewers to give the game good reviews (not that I'd put it past them) there is certainly a feel that if you don't give it a good review the publisher early access to future releases. I have heard of cases where people have lost their job because they wrote how the felt rather than what they were told to write. This is why I'm writing this review in fact - to help get a bit of truth out.
    Instead of a proper, objective review we are fed tripe with 10/10 would play again bs.

    Due to all these aformentioned problems with Mass Effect 3, I cannot take it seriously, thus it receives a score of 0/10. The only reason it has earned a 1 from me is because the Biodrone tears are absolutely delicious.
    Have a good day sirs.    … Expand
  40. dovacreep
    Mar 9, 2012
    1
    overall , if you haven't play the previous series, me3 looks badass. but if you did play me1 or me2, then me3 is bull****. Graphics: can't believe this game uses unreal engine (GOW, Batman AC, unreal tournament3,bulletstorm, etc), well at least why don't you bioware put destructible environtment into combat?it has physX ins't it?. luls movment (either in combat or exploration) animation,overall , if you haven't play the previous series, me3 looks badass. but if you did play me1 or me2, then me3 is bull****. Graphics: can't believe this game uses unreal engine (GOW, Batman AC, unreal tournament3,bulletstorm, etc), well at least why don't you bioware put destructible environtment into combat?it has physX ins't it?. luls movment (either in combat or exploration) animation, awkward face animation (they still using faceFX, peh), ugly textures. Combat : forgiven, but still annoying movement animation ruins it all. Story: bull**** from beginning till I die. First time in menu , i choose "action" so i could save the role-play storytell later. I said" wtf, cutscenes and flows are sucks" hmpf, maybe because i choose "action" so it's like options for retarded who chooses muscle over brain. okay. but when i try to play "RPG" like it should be, " wtf! it's sucks otherwise". so it doesn't matter what you choose, its bull****, conversation are forced into useless lines, this is like encourage people to do sexual harrasmnt, and they enjoying it, and what the hell happened to my previous crew? they're all KIA? Overall, DISAPPOINTING!!! forgive my rudeness, but mass effect franchise deserve better than this. this is why some people chose illegal copy instead. i gave ONE for the bravery bringing battle to earth.… Expand
  41. randomness1000
    Mar 10, 2012
    1
    Mass effect 3 a epic conclusion? More like a epic disappointment.
    I felt that the ending was a major slap in my face and leave a bitter taste
    in your mouth!
  42. somadimrating
    Mar 11, 2012
    1
    I have never been so upset with a form of entertainment in my life. I've disliked books, movies, and games before, but I have never been so disappointed that I felt inspired to review it. The game is amazing until the last 15minutes. And those last 15minutes are so incredibly bad that it ruins the game. It's so disheartening and unexpected that I cannot bring myself to play the gameI have never been so upset with a form of entertainment in my life. I've disliked books, movies, and games before, but I have never been so disappointed that I felt inspired to review it. The game is amazing until the last 15minutes. And those last 15minutes are so incredibly bad that it ruins the game. It's so disheartening and unexpected that I cannot bring myself to play the game again. It has ruined the series for me. I don't even know if I can play ME1 or ME2 again, because in the end nothing matters and you end up with more questions than answer and zero closure. Also, dear Bioware, not all of us enjoy investing hours in a game franchise to be left empty, hollow, and depressed. Why not just say hope is a lie?… Expand
  43. sterma
    Mar 11, 2012
    1
    Bioware just positively GUT PUNCHED every fan of this game. The whole series was a dream sequence? Really what a freaking cop out! And to get the best score you HAVE to play the IPAD and Multiplayer version? Money grubbing SOB's
  44. kburstall
    Mar 11, 2012
    1
    Take away the compelling story from the mass effect series and what are you left with? Most people would agree we're left with little more than a sub-par shooter. Bioware often gets a pass on this because the story elements are so strong and interesting. NOT THIS TIME OUT. The story and especially the incomprehensible nonsense ending make for a tale that sucks the awesome not only out ofTake away the compelling story from the mass effect series and what are you left with? Most people would agree we're left with little more than a sub-par shooter. Bioware often gets a pass on this because the story elements are so strong and interesting. NOT THIS TIME OUT. The story and especially the incomprehensible nonsense ending make for a tale that sucks the awesome not only out of this game, but also out of the rest of the franchise which have been building up to an epic ending, where literally NONE of your choices throughout the entire series make an impact.

    Not having this strong story to keep you going, be prepared to suffer through this sub-par shooter.    … Expand
  45. Glitch200
    Mar 11, 2012
    1
    Horrible storytelling with more plotholes than i can count. Terrible endings in which the only thing that changes is the energy beam colors. 2001 graphics and enough bugs to turn this game into a painful experience for all that play it.
  46. Wibbler
    Mar 12, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Mass Effect 3 endings were like eating a beautifully decorated and tasty 3 layer cake and finding a big fat **** in the last bite. Seriously this ruined any replay value for me.… Expand
  47. Kinzler
    Mar 12, 2012
    1
    This review is from the perspective of a gamer who has diligently played all 3 games of the series and has easily sunk 200+ hours into the trilogy. As such, it is aimed towards that group of players.

    ME1 & ME2 are quite possibly my two favorite games of all time. They created a universe in which you felt an emotional attachment to your Shepard. If this sounds absurd, tell me there wasn't    This review is from the perspective of a gamer who has diligently played all 3 games of the series and has easily sunk 200+ hours into the trilogy. As such, it is aimed towards that group of players.

    ME1 & ME2 are quite possibly my two favorite games of all time. They created a universe in which you felt an emotional attachment to your Shepard. If this sounds absurd, tell me there wasn't multiple times where you carefully considered what decision to make because you were concerned with the repercussions your Shepard could face. ME2 trimmed down on some of the RPG elements of the original, but overall I thought that this decision by Bioware helped improve the flow of the story and feel of the gameplay. Granted, ME2 didn't do a great job of incorporating your decisions from ME1 besides who you left behind while on Virmire but it was forgivable because it was assumed that all the lose ends would be tied up in ME3, the epic conclusion to this space saga. Sadly, however, I must report that ME3 does not live up to the pedigree of its predecessors. My first qualm with ME3 is the structure of the quests. The main plot quests are adequate but the side quests are terrible. The side quests lack any depth or meaning whatsoever and consist mainly of simple fetch-quests. The prior 2 games had side quests that were much more exciting and fleshed out. The shallowness of the side quests is a major detractor for ME3.

    The second glaring problem is the lack of player involvement in the conversation gameplay elements. In the prior two games, the player was constantly given meaningful conversation choices to make that, if they didn't necessarily change the outcome of the conversation, completely changed the tone and outlook of the conversation. The amount of involvement that the player is given in conversations in ME3 is outrageously limited and the sense of importance that dialogue options had previously is gone in the third installment. The lack of emphasis on conversation choices brings about the next major problem with ME3, its de-emphasis on characters. ME1 & ME2 both prided themselves on emphasizing that you were the leader of part of a team. They enabled you to have fleshed out conversations with your crew members and with other fascinating characters spread throughout the galaxy. ME3 abandons this. You can only converse with your squad mates when it is convenient for the game and there is almost no interaction with the other people that populate this universe. Try walking around the Citadel and engaging with someone. You will be hard-pressed to do so. The first two installments were not nearly as limiting. As a result, in ME3 you do not feel as attached to your crew and to the universe as you previously were. Quick problem: the absence of any civilian cities besides the Citadel in ME3 is a major letdown. Omega, Feros, Illium, and Tuchanka added nice flavor to the first two games. ME3 has no such variety and the Citadel is not capable of remaining interesting by itself. No let me turn my attention to the idiotic "Galaxy at War" system. Forcing people to play multiplayer so as to increase the galaxy at war multiplier is ridiculous. The boneheadedness behind this idea is almost incomprehensible. It was a terrible idea.

    Next up on the list of problems is the most important of all: The Endings. The ending of ME3 will leave you flabbergasted, speechless, and incredulous. The different endings are really not much different from each other at all. They conclude the story on a terrible, terrible note. There is no closure, just depressing consequences and glaring plot holes. The logic put on display by one particular character introduced at the end is just abhorrent and you are shoehorned into three choices that have no positive ending. I am not saying that every possible ending should have been a positive one but for a series that prides itself on choice a nice ending MUST have been included. Do not spend a lot of time playing multiplayer to get the multiplier up, none of the choices offered are much different and be ready to see consequences that do not make any sense based on people and things you had just seen a moment earlier. If you are looking for a positive ending, good luck. Additionally, the ending, whichever on you choose, does not incorporate any of your prior major decisions. The endings are so bad and they make me regret pouring as much time into ME1 & ME2 as I did.

    The day 1 DLC is an insult to consumers everywhere and the companies involved should be ashamed of themselves for withholding content so as to make a couple extra bucks. In conclusion:
    The game lacks much of the choice and atmosphere of its predecessors. It is apparent that this game was extensively stripped down so as to appeal to a wider audience. It lacks depth in nearly all of its gameplay departments and contains mainly needless additions. And last but not least, THE ENDINGS ARE COMPLETE RUBISH AND RUIN THE ENTIRE FRANCHISE!    … Expand
  48. supertime556677
    Mar 12, 2012
    1
    The game was excellent, with more in depth side quests and far better combat than even the second game. The battles were challenging and as epic as one would expect for the finale of the Mass Effect series. Up until the last 10 minutes. The AI child refers to itself as both "I" and "we". They couldn't even proofread the ending script. That's not the worst part. Yes, the endings areThe game was excellent, with more in depth side quests and far better combat than even the second game. The battles were challenging and as epic as one would expect for the finale of the Mass Effect series. Up until the last 10 minutes. The AI child refers to itself as both "I" and "we". They couldn't even proofread the ending script. That's not the worst part. Yes, the endings are depressing. I'm fine with that. What I'm not fine with is the fact the ending contains major, obtrusive plot holes. Characters who are with you in the final battle someone come back from the dead and end up on the Normandy, which is for some reason in the midst of running from some random beam of color, in the span of 5 minutes. Really? Furthermore, the same characters are shown in flashbacks at the end, no matter if they've been dead since the second game or they're not even you love interest. That's just looking at the game alone. Comparing it to the rest of the series, the ending does not make sense. It is not artistic. It's not bad because its a tragic ending. It doesn't mesh with the story leading up to it. Why, if the citadel controls the reapers, did it not just allow them to jump in during the events of the first game? The ending is so bad that I regret giving $60 to EA/Bioware. I don't want to pay for DLC with a better ending. I expect to to not fork out $60 for a game with a nonsensical half-assed ending to a series that I spent well over 200 hours and $200 on. I gave the game a +1 since the first 99% of it was excellent. The ending was worth -9 though. Do not buy. Just replay the first and second games and save yourself the money.… Expand
  49. Dar1818
    Mar 12, 2012
    1
    Score until the ending 4.5/5. Taking the ending into account, which effectively ruined the entire series for me...well, there it is. I had such high hopes, and for so long into the game those hopes were answered. I'm still trying to grip what huge a disappointment the whole package was in the end.
  50. tausra
    Mar 12, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The capstone ot the Mass Effect trilogy does not end with a bang, but rather a whimper. You chase the impossible, beating every enemy in your path, you save (or condemn) entire civilizations, but in the end none of it matters. With a beam of light (you choose the color) the galaxy dies, the saga ends and your every hope comes to naught. Save the Geth, kill the krogan, renegade or Paragon, you will see the same choices as any other permutation of Shepard. What happens after the finale is anyone's guess as the game ends with a subtle command to "Buy the DLC!". There is no closure, there is only shiny lights and a ghostly child.… Expand
  51. wesr
    Mar 12, 2012
    1
    Glitchy, lazy, a slap in the face to fans of not just the games but the comics and novels. They used a stock photo for the face of a character everyone has been waiting to see for 2 games, it isn't as smoothly animated as in the other games. They totally counteracted anything you did in the last two games to the point that nothing you do matters. It's a shame and it makes me wonder whatGlitchy, lazy, a slap in the face to fans of not just the games but the comics and novels. They used a stock photo for the face of a character everyone has been waiting to see for 2 games, it isn't as smoothly animated as in the other games. They totally counteracted anything you did in the last two games to the point that nothing you do matters. It's a shame and it makes me wonder what the professional reviewers were playing as I saw nothing worthy of praise as time went on.… Expand
  52. laughing_man
    Mar 13, 2012
    1
    Being the best gaming series I have played it is a sad day when you reach the finishing line and it is as horrible as it is. I love the Mass Effect games, heart and soul and I've played them through countless times. This rating is purely to voice my utter dissatisfaction with how the game ends. I'm not one of those that want a good happy ending and it is not because of some gay sexsceneBeing the best gaming series I have played it is a sad day when you reach the finishing line and it is as horrible as it is. I love the Mass Effect games, heart and soul and I've played them through countless times. This rating is purely to voice my utter dissatisfaction with how the game ends. I'm not one of those that want a good happy ending and it is not because of some gay sexscene (seriously, do journalists actually believe the crap they are putting out??). It is simply because the current ending (NOT endingS, mind you) makes absolutely no sense. Why is there no difference between the endings? WHY doesn't my choices make any difference what so ever. In a stroke of sheer genious BW implements transfer of savegames which all amounts to a **** nothing come the absurd end. I never write reviews but I love this game to damn much to not make my voice heard. This game doesn't deserve this, it should have top ratings.… Expand
  53. CornerStar
    Mar 13, 2012
    1
    I have to say the Mass Effect series was a masterpiece. Up until the last 10 minutes of the 3rd game. The ending in Mass Effect 3 has quite literally ruined the whole franchise for me. The ending made all the other games seem absolutely pointless to me. Seeing how nothing I did in the other games mattered in the end. I have to give it to Bioware, it must take careful planning on there partI have to say the Mass Effect series was a masterpiece. Up until the last 10 minutes of the 3rd game. The ending in Mass Effect 3 has quite literally ruined the whole franchise for me. The ending made all the other games seem absolutely pointless to me. Seeing how nothing I did in the other games mattered in the end. I have to give it to Bioware, it must take careful planning on there part to be able to make a Bioware fanboy, who's favorite game series of all time was Mass Effect, completely hate their company and will never buy another Bioware product again. That is even before I realized that the "From Ashes Mission" was day one DLC we did not get for free. Bioware should be ashamed of what they have become. EA sell outs who have ruined every big game series they have done now, Dragon Age 2, Mass Effect 3 and Star Wars The Old Republic.… Expand
  54. ChipSet91
    Mar 13, 2012
    1
    A great game up until the point when you reach the ending. Bioware improve the game play and did a great job in closing all the sub plot of the game. Even the minor characters of the first two games have a role in Mass Effect 3, but the grand finale of the story is just awful. On top of that, Bioware lied (again) to the fans. Despite what they said, itâ
  55. Norville
    Mar 13, 2012
    1
    There is no way to accurately describe how disappointing this game is. 99% of this game is wonderful. The last 10-15 minutes of this game destroys everything that you have come to love about the Mass Effect universe. The day before the game was released I was so exited, like a child the night before their birthday. Now I feel terrible. None of the choices I have made over the course of theThere is no way to accurately describe how disappointing this game is. 99% of this game is wonderful. The last 10-15 minutes of this game destroys everything that you have come to love about the Mass Effect universe. The day before the game was released I was so exited, like a child the night before their birthday. Now I feel terrible. None of the choices I have made over the course of the three games have had any impact on the ending. In fact the ending so thoroughly nukes what you were fighting for it destroys all replay value the game may have had for me. I have no interest in walking my other Shepards through this game to meet the same end. As someone who has grown to love this series over the years and invested over 100 hours of playtime, I wish I could un-play this game.… Expand
  56. locowolfie
    Mar 13, 2012
    1
    im not a big writer so ill be short(ish). while the game starts off okey, beware its not gonna stay that way. it is plagued by bad lip sinking, technical hick ups, underdeveloped story arcs and general sloppy writing. ive heard many people nowadays say things like a patch will fix it. in my earlier years(im 27 years old now) it was never okey that a game had bug (some of which are gameim not a big writer so ill be short(ish). while the game starts off okey, beware its not gonna stay that way. it is plagued by bad lip sinking, technical hick ups, underdeveloped story arcs and general sloppy writing. ive heard many people nowadays say things like a patch will fix it. in my earlier years(im 27 years old now) it was never okey that a game had bug (some of which are game breaking. but nowadays the ''profesional'' reviewers are not to be trusted anymore this is the reason i signed up here today cuz i feel people should be warned about this ''game'' i was a big bioware fan owning all the games and dlc. was being the word, this game has killed that love off after the disaster they called dragon age 2, and the deafening silence of bioware on the fans negative rections. also alot has been said on the ending, ill just say that it feels like the ending belongs in another game its just bad and rushed. and as a result makes no sense.â… Expand
  57. Echeloko
    Mar 13, 2012
    1
    Can't believe how Bioware can get as lazy as that; they HAD 2 GREAT SERIES (Mass Effect and Dragon Age) full of potential and suddenly they become lazy, self entitled, money hungry and do stuff half way and then sell it as DLC. I mean using photos on GOOGLE? How stupid can you be? The same happen with dragon age 2, they did it lazily wanting to get as much money as possible and destroyingCan't believe how Bioware can get as lazy as that; they HAD 2 GREAT SERIES (Mass Effect and Dragon Age) full of potential and suddenly they become lazy, self entitled, money hungry and do stuff half way and then sell it as DLC. I mean using photos on GOOGLE? How stupid can you be? The same happen with dragon age 2, they did it lazily wanting to get as much money as possible and destroying their series. I just hope people stop buying from them so as to see if they change a bit.

    ALSO NONE OF ALL YOUR CHOICES MATTERED! So mad, i hope bioware gets destroyed    … Expand
  58. belamoor
    Mar 14, 2012
    1
    It is the most beautifully crafted sci fi game i've ever played in my life, story/gameplay/graphics all came together in one unforgettable experience ... right until last 10 min.
  59. GamerXX
    Mar 14, 2012
    1
    this game is the flop of 2012. Mass affect 1 is rather then 3. Mass affect 1 is het best.
    no more a game from bioware of EA this game is Poor writing.
  60. montrossx
    Mar 15, 2012
    1
    Given the amount of time and effort, not to mention the emotional investment put into the series, the ending of this game goes against everything the series was built on. It effectively ruined the journey for me and many others.
  61. Blackskullxx
    Mar 16, 2012
    1
    This series has changed my ability to become completely immersed in a video game. this game delivered many things on game play. The combat was fun and over all mission game play was fun, however; the "scanning" type missions where quite unfun, they could have absolutely improved that. If it where not for the ending, I would of rated this 9 or 9.5/10.

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

    Every thing that you have herd about the ending is true, it is disappointing at best. The terrible-ness of the ending overshadowed this game and almost made the 100 or so hours I have put into the series. I wont get into details for the sake of spoilers, but I will say that the ending has absolutely no closure, it is a half-ass job and has no sense of originality or personalisation (which was a very bad time to take that aspect out of the series). 1/10    … Expand
  62. Azradal
    Mar 17, 2012
    1
    This was to be the apex of the story. However it quickly is ruined by what Bioware and EA feel is an ending that makes "sense". There really is very little reason to complete the series as it was all for nothing. I really enjoyed the first and second games. I took the day off to get it release day and I firmly regret it. On top of this Bioware is now claiming that passionate fans areThis was to be the apex of the story. However it quickly is ruined by what Bioware and EA feel is an ending that makes "sense". There really is very little reason to complete the series as it was all for nothing. I really enjoyed the first and second games. I took the day off to get it release day and I firmly regret it. On top of this Bioware is now claiming that passionate fans are simply demanding to much when we request endings that are logical and factor in our choices. This game like its creator and publisher didn't deliver and hence my rating.… Expand
  63. Draemian
    Mar 17, 2012
    1
    The endings steal the strength of the mass effect series in the importance of your choices and the possibility of different paths. Join the retakeme3 movement and demand a proper ending to an otherwise great experience.
  64. Makavelli96
    Mar 18, 2012
    1
    Mass Effect 3 is the ending to an incredible series of sci-fi games, and it falls short of being anything but a money-grab by EA/Bioware.

    Pros: its a video game. Cons: weird character animations, incredibly annoying camera angles during cut-scenes, too many FMV cut-scenes ruin the pacing, choppy frame rates, laughable and childish dialogue, hit or miss voice acting, out-dated graphics    Mass Effect 3 is the ending to an incredible series of sci-fi games, and it falls short of being anything but a money-grab by EA/Bioware.

    Pros: its a video game.

    Cons: weird character animations, incredibly annoying camera angles during cut-scenes, too many FMV cut-scenes ruin the pacing, choppy frame rates, laughable and childish dialogue, hit or miss voice acting, out-dated graphics and textures, generic 3rd person shooter combat is outdated and "rusty", no attempt at being "scientific" like the last 2 games, most RPG elements are gone, no holstering your weapon, barely any dialogue choices, horrible story and narrative...

    here, how about a shorter list:

    1. Mass Effect 3 is an incomplete, falling-apart-at-the-seams game, piggybacked onto a massively popular franchise simply to sell it to fans of the series.

    2. The ending is atrociously bad...and it doesn't even fit. It makes everything you just did, every choice you just made in the whole series literally pointless.

    3. Data was on the disk, removed, and repacked as $10-15 DLC on the day the game was released. This is NOT acceptable and I am never buying another Bioware game simply because of this, until they quit this nonsense. Developers will NOT extort money out of gamers, this stops now. No debate.

    4. Speaking of bad game design and boycotting, I won't be an accomplice in the "Hollywoodization" of the gaming industry. Mass Effect 3 thinks its a movie: The camera angles zooming on character's lifeless faces, the narrative, the cut-scenes every 5 minutes, etc..its pathetic.

    Any one of those high quality cut-scenes costs more money for developers to create, than I make in an entire decade of paychecks.

    Why wasn't any of that money allocated to upgrading gameplay mechanics, instead of trying to make a friggin' movie? These scenes last a few minutes, take up tons of space on the disks, and in the end will be even more outdated in less than 2 years. What meeting did they sit down at EA/Bioware and come to the conclusion this was a good idea?

    In fact, ME3 is the most pretentious game I've ever played in my life. It looks like the Titanic after the iceberg.

    What more needs to be said to show that this is a shameful, "only for-profit" game by EA and Bioware?

    I was a huge fan of the Mass Effect series, but Mass Effect 3 is the "Phantom Menace" to Mass Effect 2's "Empire Strikes Back".    … Expand
  65. petpiranha
    Mar 18, 2012
    1
    Mass Effect 3 Ending-Hatred: 5 Reasons The Fans Are Right - http://www.gamefront.com/mass-effect-3-ending-hatred-5-reasons-the-fans-are-right/

    Somehow Bioware managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of gaming victory with an ending that is poorly written and makes no sense. The article link is one of the best summaries I've read. But hey, as long as EA made loads of money, who cares if the    Mass Effect 3 Ending-Hatred: 5 Reasons The Fans Are Right - http://www.gamefront.com/mass-effect-3-ending-hatred-5-reasons-the-fans-are-right/

    Somehow Bioware managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of gaming victory with an ending that is poorly written and makes no sense. The article link is one of the best summaries I've read. But hey, as long as EA made loads of money, who cares if the race to ship the product short-changed gamers?    … Expand
  66. dbnp
    Mar 18, 2012
    1
    This game does not deserve a 10/10, nor a 94 metacritic rating.

    Your adventure begins with the reapers attacking earth, the first planet to come under siege. After the confirmation of the reaper invasion as so prophesized by Shepard, you are tasked with uniting the entire universe in not getting annhilated. But throughout the entire game you'll feel like Shepard and his crew are the    This game does not deserve a 10/10, nor a 94 metacritic rating.

    Your adventure begins with the reapers attacking earth, the first planet to come under siege. After the confirmation of the reaper invasion as so prophesized by Shepard, you are tasked with uniting the entire universe in not getting annhilated. But throughout the entire game you'll feel like Shepard and his crew are the only people in the ENTIRE universe who are taking the whole galaxy obliteration thing seriously. You'll spend the entire game doing favors for the other races who apparently don't give a **** that they and everything they've ever known or loved will die, so long as X objective is fulfilled. And throughout, you'll find plotholes so massive a Geth dreadnought (which is surprisingly accommodating to lifeforms) could fly through them. The Rachni are back, regardless of whether you killed the queen in ME1, for example. As for the ending... it's so bad Bioware issued a statement for damage control. Don't worry though, they intend to give you the ending you deserve so long as you buy yet another DLC pack.

    The graphics only look good when the image on screen is static. Try dodging, moving from cover to cover, sprinting, or watching 90% of the cut-scenes and you'll see awful animations, horrible transitions from animation to animation, and sometimes awkward eye movements. And regardless of whether you cleared out all enemies in a conflict zone, the camera still follows Shepard with his gun drawn uncomfortable close, and even with the controller sensitivity setting at "low" (yes, this game, unlike every other shooter released in the past decade, has only 3 settings for analog stick sensitivity) I found myself getting dizzy playing. There are also cinematic events during levels much like the Uncharted series but with choppy animation and crappy camera angles. If you're a fan of claustrophobia and nausea, then you'll love exploring M3E's environments for credits and weapon upgrades.

    The entire game feels tight and constricted, from beginning to end. Imagine the linearity of Gears of War with about 50% less space. And the locations that should be sprawling and massive, like the Citadel for example, feel miniscule and require an elevator and a loading screen to access each of the five zones Shepard may explore. Even the outside levels, of which there are only a few, channel you through invisible walls to your objective. In addition, small sections of the map are regurgitated throughout the entire level to save development time, adding to the disorientation.

    Multiplayer is a welcome addition, but it too has its faults. The gear you can upgrade includes weapons and their mods, but no armor, and getting said gear is either a massive grind or expensive. Gear is attained by buying "packs" which are essentially booster decks filled randomly with equipment using either MS points or the game's own credit system, which are earned extremely slowly by completing various objectives during multiplayer sessions. It's sickening how shamelessly Bioware fills its own pocket with this system and it creates a rift between players willing to spend money on digital items and players who won't, and the chance of you attaining what you desire for your character are slim, forcing you to buy pack after pack. But the loot system isn't the only thing that feels broken and wrong. Instead of creating a character and class from scratch and choosing and building upon its buffs and abilities, there are 4 or 5 characters for each class, two or 3 with their own special abilities, and each class levels up independently from each other. It isn't the worst system in the world, but you'll feel less attached to each of your many online avatars as you do with Shepard. This also prevents players from creating the exact class/character they desire, as only certain races have access to certain abilities. If you were looking to make a human with Reave, you're SOL. And, unlike the singleplayer campaign, each class has a max of three abilities which cannot be remapped to different buttons. You are stuck using your abilities (but only in multiplayer) with the buttons Bioware chose. Just as perplexing is the lack of a mute option. I cannot stress how absolutely stupid Bioware is for not adding this and many other features that are status quo. I hope you enjoy your multiplayer experience dashed with thirteen year old kids and racists.

    Mass 3 Effect is a good game by any standard, but it is not a great game, and the lack of certain options that are standard in every game released in the past decade certainly don't help. But it's the ending and Bioware's disgusting Activision-like business tactics that'll eventually disenchant you from its massive, plot-hole riddled world. Or maybe seeing Ronnie from Jersey Shore joining your crew will do it.    … Expand
  67. billyzero
    Mar 19, 2012
    1
    The last 15 minutes destroys the game and the entire franchise. The end contradicts the entire series and makes any future DLC irrelevant. It's far better to just pretend the mass effect series ended at ME 2.
  68. beans29
    Mar 19, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It is with a heavy heart I feel obliged to negatively review mass effect 3, I loved the series and ME3 does everything right up until the final ten minutes. The conclusion they have provided for this loved trilogy is nonsensical, leaves glaring plot holes and hammers home the fact that nothing you have done in the last one hundred and thirty odd hours of gaming makes any difference or impact to the ending, which is ridiculous in a game where the nature of choice and consequence is a key theme.

    The developers made several promises in the run up to the release, mostly revolving around how your choices would impact the ending and it wouldn't be just a "press a, b or c" ending omatic, which is precisley what it turned out to be.

    It is sad that the ending ruins any inclination to replay the series, if they were to change the ending into something more linked to the themes and offering a bit more choice I would be happy changing this 1 score to a 10, as up until the final 10 minutes, the game is an awesome, emotional rollercoaster, but the current ending is so bad it completely destroys it.

    Follow the Retake mass effect 3 campaign, raise some money for a great charity and maybe convince Bioware to fix what could have been a great game and an amazing send off to the series.    … Expand
  69. sidneyhabour
    Mar 19, 2012
    1
    The ending... is all I have to say . I have to wonder what went through their minds when making this. Did they not learn from DA2? Nope of course not because in the end when you have space magic and money who cares about the customer reaction. Very sad to see the ending of the trilogy come to this.
  70. Hydralysk
    Mar 19, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I loved the original mass effect and mass effect 2, I must've played through both at 6 times making different choices because I wanted to see how they played out in ME3. For the first 98% of the game it was great, clearly oriented towards previous mass effect fans, but great nonetheless. And then I saw the ending. We were promised multiple endings, we got the same ending with a different color explosion no matter what. We were promised that our previous choices would change how everything played out, and yet no choice we made is in the least bit relevant in the last 20 minutes or the final choice. We were promised that it would end like Lost 'with more questions than answers', and yet Shepard apparently commits space genocide because of the most flimsy excuse ever and with big enough plot holes to drive an aircraft carrier through. Furthermore there is no indication at all of how any other character or race fared after you destroy the very fabric of galatic community, so cross any kind of closure off the list as well. Apparently this is due to the writer thinking the ending needs "Lots of Speculation" but he's the one who told us it won't end with more questions than answers. If I wanted to speculate I'd never of bought the game, that's what my imagination is for. Bioware lied to us through their statements and that's just not acceptable. Furthermore since nothing I did in any of the previous games matters once I get to the end of ME3 they've retroactively ruined any replay value of not only ME3 but ME and ME2 as well. How could I possibly care about any choices in those games now when I know for a fact it's all irrelevant to how it all plays out? I'd also like to state I didn't need an ending where shepard lives happily ever after (though I do challenge the concept that a hero dying is somehow better writing), what I wanted was an ending that A) made logical sense B) reflected the decisions I'd made in some way C) If shepard had to die at least make him die for something good, not dying to kick off an era of starvation and unrest. I gave you the benefit of the doubt with DA2 Bioware, I gave you the benefit of the doubt with the day 1 DLC character, but this is the last straw. Unless they fix this I can't recommend this game to anyone, play ME and ME2 if you want, but since the way it all plays out is based on "Everyone like lots of speculation" you're better off imagining the end up yourself and saving the $60, it'll almost without a doubt still hold up better than the real ending.… Expand
  71. PAB_013
    Mar 20, 2012
    1
    I have been a die hard ME fan from day one, having spent countless 100s of hours playing through nearly every class, every side mission, exploring all romances, seeing every world, and painstakingly making every choice in the anticipation of how it all would come together right now. Sadly, I share the feeling of disappointment expressed by many of my fellow gamers. ME has become a shellI have been a die hard ME fan from day one, having spent countless 100s of hours playing through nearly every class, every side mission, exploring all romances, seeing every world, and painstakingly making every choice in the anticipation of how it all would come together right now. Sadly, I share the feeling of disappointment expressed by many of my fellow gamers. ME has become a shell of what it once was. Instead of getting an in depth story with interesting characters and relationships that I care about and the feeling that every decision, both big and small, would play a part in the shape of this world, I got a straight forward action game with little depth and characters who I don't know or care about(e.g. James, Kai Leng). Every mission from beginning to end consists of your goal to gain war assets and at some point someone dies or nearly dies. Which was emotional at first, but once you realize it's happening every time it losses its affect. There is also a clear de-emphasis on everything besides the main action, you can't do a side missions until their location is unlocked through progressing in the story. Side missions consist of over hearing conversations and going to seek out what they were talking about by scanning a planet or finding it during the main quest. If the item is passed over during the main quest, though, it can be purchased cheaply later on. The other side missions have replaced the scanning/resource mini game from ME2. It is poorly executed on several phases. Before you can scan a particular planet you have to ping it, which isn't a problem unless there are reapers in the neighborhood. In which case, if you can't find it in the first few tries the reapers chase you out of the system and you have to wait before you can come back and try again. Once you ping the correct planet you have the option to scan the planet, the same as scanning planets in ME2. This is a waste of time since there is only one spot and it points you right to it and about 90% of the time it is on the opposite side of the planet. There are also no updates added to your codex or galaxy map as you attain your side mission or the items associated with them, so you will be flipping to your codex before you go to your galaxy map to find which system and planet you need to travel to, and when you find the item for the mission you'll need to either complete it immediately or have a way to remember you recovered it, otherwise there's nothing to say not to go back. The reward for completing the missions is gaining war assets which along with completing multiplayer missions affects your total readiness for the final Reaper assault. In actuality, doing these have little affect on the ending of the game, which as many have already stated is very poor. All other mini games/puzzles have been removed. There is also lack of subtlety/emphasis in your relationships with everyone around you. Very early on in the story you are either given the option or it is blatantly obvious that a particular person is going to be a romance option, and other than that, with a few exceptions (mostly Garrus and Tali), they have nothing particularly interesting to say. Multiplayer consists of a horde mode which can provide a diversion from the main story but doesn't add anything particular interesting. Biggest gripe is the randomness of unlocking new weapons/characters/perks instead of letting me use my credits to choose how I would prefer to play. The combat mechanics and graphics, aside from the ridiculous "enhanced" character models, are the best of the series, but the de-evolution of the series, the feeling of being mislead (e.g. choices affecting the game, being able to get the best ending without playing multiplayer), and the sense that a money grab played a huge part the final product (they even message they give after beating the game is more or less an urge to buy dlc) felt like a slap in the face. I understand the need to make money but not to the extent compromising the essence of something that millions of people have come to love.… Expand
  72. Drew99
    Mar 20, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. First disappointment was that I could not import my Shepard's face that I customized with ME1. Then game was rather good, even if there seem to be less dialog choices than ME1 or even ME2. Graphics were ok. What really pissed me off is the nonsensical endings that basically destroyed everything my Shepard did in the rest of the game. All his choices were basically ignored. It's like the story committed suicide. Its been several days and I'm so depressed by the ending that I don't want to play anymore. Not only that, but the endings appear rushed and the explanations just don't hold up... destroying life to protect it? What a sham. Thank-you Bioware. I'll remember your products.… Expand
  73. Mesmurae
    Mar 20, 2012
    1
    The ending completely killed the entire series for me. It wasn't thought provoking or deep at all, it was lazy writing and a rushed effort that I was very unsatisfied with.
  74. Ryoten
    Mar 20, 2012
    1
    First of all i want to say that this game is MOSTLY good. It's the ending that ruins it. I'll explain why the ending ruins the game without spoiling anything. Mass Effect series has been a game all about choice. The choices you pick will have negative or positive impacts. In the final scheme of things, these choices do not have any reflection on the end. Basically, the ending isFirst of all i want to say that this game is MOSTLY good. It's the ending that ruins it. I'll explain why the ending ruins the game without spoiling anything. Mass Effect series has been a game all about choice. The choices you pick will have negative or positive impacts. In the final scheme of things, these choices do not have any reflection on the end. Basically, the ending is always the same (minus your favorite color choice of explosions. No im not kidding, its exactly as it sounds). The ending of this game will make you feel like everything you did was for nothing. It brings no closure, and is riddled with plotholes.

    Playing a 60+ hour RPG should give you a satisfied ending, whether its happy or sad. This game undoes everything you did and makes it feel like it was all for nothing. I love mass effect, but these endings are non-sensical, and not poetic. Not only do the endings make you feel like you just wasted your time, but they also do not make any sense by going against the games logic, set forth in the previous games and in ME3 itself. It feels like a rush job and sloppy writing.

    I strongly advise you to not listen to what naysayers who speak of "Mass Effect 3 being a work of art" say. If you ask any of them why they like the game, they can't give you a straight answer other than them being Bioware fans. I love bioware, but when someone takes advantage of you as a consumer, you have to call them out on it. And anyone reading this, i am TRYING to protect you as a consumer and not as a troll. DO NOT waste your time with this game. If it wernt for the ending, i would say play it. But unless Bioware does something to make the endings feel more worth it. Just avoid this series.    … Expand
  75. greendino
    Mar 20, 2012
    1
    This game does everything important right. Mass effect still stands as one of the best series of this gaming generation. you could look past all the minor flaws. That was, until the ending. The ending manages to undo and/or invalidate essentially everything that shepard does throughout not just ME3, but the other two games as well. It leaves a bitter taste in your mouth that nothing canThis game does everything important right. Mass effect still stands as one of the best series of this gaming generation. you could look past all the minor flaws. That was, until the ending. The ending manages to undo and/or invalidate essentially everything that shepard does throughout not just ME3, but the other two games as well. It leaves a bitter taste in your mouth that nothing can wash off.

    I loved it. Then there was the ending....    … Expand
  76. joshiasi
    Mar 20, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. For those who thinks the endings make sense are either high or being paid by EA/Bioware to thinking that the ending makes sense. I for one experience such a confusing ending for example on my final push to the port to the Citadel, I had Ashley and Garrus with me then in the ending CGI, Ashley shows up in a planet that the Normandy crashed in without getting scratched by Harbringer's beam. What kind of bad writing is that?

    Such a shame for such a great franchise. The ending just negates all what was good in Mass Effect 3. The ending felt like it was rushed to make deadlines as it did not follow what Mass Effect is all about. The game is about choices you make affecting the outcome. No matter what the choices you make in-game and in the previous installments did not matter at all. Its the same ending with 5% variation.    … Expand
  77. Templar_Gamer
    Mar 21, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Shoddy controls? Check. Dialogue that was written by a Neanderthal? Check. Graphics that would make 2009 blush? Check. Disk locked content that doesn't add jack **** to the experience? Check. An ending that breaks all promises made by the developers, shoddily closes Shepard's story arc, and only gives you a choose between what color explosion you get at the end? Check, check, and DOUBLE **** CHECK! Do not buy, do not borrow, do not even pirate, it is not worth the hard drive space… Expand
  78. rappstar
    Mar 21, 2012
    1
    In a vacuum, this game doesn't suck. Objectively, it was the weakest of the 3 and that is why it deserves the low rating. Therefore in context, this was just not a good game. Likely you already know the ending was so bad that it overshadowed so much of the rest of it. In an RPG, the story is kind of important to the overall enjoyment of the game. Part of the problem is that the storyIn a vacuum, this game doesn't suck. Objectively, it was the weakest of the 3 and that is why it deserves the low rating. Therefore in context, this was just not a good game. Likely you already know the ending was so bad that it overshadowed so much of the rest of it. In an RPG, the story is kind of important to the overall enjoyment of the game. Part of the problem is that the story was so weighed down from the previous 2 games that it collapsed under the weight. Nothing was new. It was boring and predictable in quite a few places. Somehow planet scanning even got worse! Also, there were major flaws that mechanically drug it down also. I don't recall a single mini-game. It was just walking around pressing "A" button. Without giving anything away, the mechanic in the downtime makes Sheperd an eavesdropping weirdo. He just walked around like a creepy guardian angel. The multiplayer is surprisingly fun and the combat is better in someways, but on the whole, its just not as good as its predecessors. That is what I think bothers so many people. I pre-ordered the CE from amazon. Currently, I am torn about sending it back and just forgetting the whole thing ever happened. Swing and a miss.… Expand
  79. DamianWayne
    Mar 21, 2012
    1
    Should be renamed No Effect. Felt like a waste of time afterwards. Gameplay is just okay. Mass effect isn't exactly known for its action gameplay. All it really has is story, and it was doing incredibly well with that up until this game. Only pickup if you don't care about how it will end.
  80. AGX
    Mar 22, 2012
    1
    Agree with a lot of people on this game. Pretty epic, yer seemingly lacking the content and depth of the previous games in the series. What really got me upset was the rush job of an ending though. For all the decisions you made throughout the series, and the numerous endings that BioWare had promised and used as a selling point, when they promised these uncountable heap of ending theyAgree with a lot of people on this game. Pretty epic, yer seemingly lacking the content and depth of the previous games in the series. What really got me upset was the rush job of an ending though. For all the decisions you made throughout the series, and the numerous endings that BioWare had promised and used as a selling point, when they promised these uncountable heap of ending they were blatantly lying which really upset me. They also won't own up to there lies either, and deflect constructive criticism. This game was overall a disappoint to me, and I won't trust BioWare as I used to until I read a numerous amount of user reviews. No BS critic reviews that paid off critics write.

    Buyer beware. Enjoy the first two games, and somewhat enjoy the Mass Effect 3 storyline, but hold off on completing the game until we are promised a legitimate ending.    … Expand
  81. Papiglouton
    Mar 23, 2012
    1
    Terrible ending that ruin the whole game... The three ending cinematics are barely le the sames, only the colors are different... It's really a shame... Mass effect is dead with an ending like that.
  82. TheSilhouette
    Mar 23, 2012
    1
    And the series ends with an incoherent whimper: BioWare's MASS EFFECT 3 is a colossal let down. The final installment in the trilogy, it is a game plagued by small glitches, a broken journal system (where you're never quite sure where you need to go to fulfill your quest), auto-dialogue (as opposed to the branching dialogue choices of the first two games) and one hell of a laughableAnd the series ends with an incoherent whimper: BioWare's MASS EFFECT 3 is a colossal let down. The final installment in the trilogy, it is a game plagued by small glitches, a broken journal system (where you're never quite sure where you need to go to fulfill your quest), auto-dialogue (as opposed to the branching dialogue choices of the first two games) and one hell of a laughable ending that sinks the whole mess. People act like the ending is some kind of "artistic statement", but the "Final Hours" app shows the game's lead writer and project director were unsure of how to end their game as late as November 2011 (when the game was supposed to come out). As a result, they stole the storyline from Matrix 2 & 3 and jammed it into the ending of ME3. Suddenly our choices don't matter, and the ending cinematics are both lazy and baffling.

    This game is a red hot mess, and not at all what was promised by BioWare before release.    … Expand
  83. traveler
    Mar 29, 2012
    1
    Let me preface this by saying that I was a long time fan of the series and of Bioware games in general; I played both ME1 and ME2 dozens of times over the years (no exaggeration!), and KOTOR until my eyes bled (ok, slight exaggeration; but not by much). So it really does pain me to give this game such a low score.

    The short of it is: the game is rushed and incomplete. Corners were    Let me preface this by saying that I was a long time fan of the series and of Bioware games in general; I played both ME1 and ME2 dozens of times over the years (no exaggeration!), and KOTOR until my eyes bled (ok, slight exaggeration; but not by much). So it really does pain me to give this game such a low score.

    The short of it is: the game is rushed and incomplete. Corners were obviously cut all about, and it shows. Most notably in the classical RPG elements of story and exploration.

    The long of it: in ME3 what you see is that Bioware/EA are quite obviously trying to appeal to the massive consumer base that loves shooter games. Great (and in a sense so was ME1). But the results are that a great deal of time seemed to have been spent copying shooter elements from other games, in an effort to create a fairly mediocre corridor shooter experience, with wonky controls. The glaring thing is what is gone with all this effort. Exploration. Astounding that a game that markets itself as as RPG has so little of it. There are limited hubs, much smaller than those in the previous installments, that provide little interaction for engaging with the world. NPC interaction is either highly scripted, as in, no the player doesn't choose what to say; or it just is a matter of eavesdropping on two people talking in order to get a quest that actually doesn't contain any gaming elements other than go here on the map and press a button. Old RPG standards like equipment and journal logs are streamlined to the point of being non-existent (the journal in particular is totally inept and incomplete; it doesn't update or provide you useful information on the quests - a real step down from the previous games).

    Why? Well, because the game appears to be trying to force you into a linear narrative. In other words, the whole 'choose your own adventure' motif of the brand has taken a backseat for brief corridor shooting experiences punctuated by lengthy cut scenes with limited interaction. Think Gears of War, only worse (and that is saying something!). The plan to do this is so blatant that the game actually has options to switch it from an RPG to a straight story-shooter, right there on its opening screen.

    What is most glaring in this rushed and incomplete experience is the real drop in story telling. Now it is no secret that Bioware was purchased by EA, and that some fans were concerned about how that would effect the culture of the company. But it also is no secret that the people writing this game are not the same ones who wrote the first. And it shows. Lore is forgotten, conversations seem forced, character development can be childish, etc. Its like they inherited a world to write and imagine in that they either didn't understand, or didn't care about. I'm not sure which is worse.

    And don't get me started on that ending....

    OK, DO get me started on that ending. It's here that the evidence of how quickly and with such little care the game was cobbled together is most glaring. Some people have complained that the ending lacks choice (true), and closure (also true), or is confusing (not so much; somebody apparently copied Deus Ex). But the most repugnant aspects of the ending are just how lazy it is. Reused cut scenes, short, simplified conversation options. The whole thing smacks of 'rush it out the door, we have a deadline!' And back to the writers not being the same crop or the same caliber, the ending also doesn't seem to be connected with the rest of the series either in ideas or themes. You remember 'dark energy'? You know, the raison d'etre for Tali's presence on Haestrom, as well as mentioned at other parts of ME2 (like Illium). There was this whole big setup for 'dark energy' throughout ME2, it was foreshadowed as being of some galactic importance. And in ME3. Nada. Nothing. Zilch. The storyline was just abandoned and forgotten. Oops. No dark energy concerns here. This smacks of just lazy writing, and inept plotting.

    (Rumor has it that this was originally to be a part of the buildup for the conclusion - a connection between the middle act of the trilogy and its finale. But was abandoned for.... who knows. Instead you get a series of rushed deus ex machina developments. And then, over.)

    It pains me as a longtime fan and customer of bioware to see how little regard they have for quality here. That was the brand really, immersive RPGs with engaging, high adventure stories. That apparently is not the brand anymore. I don't know what is.

    Finally, I think I should point out the discrepancy between the 'professional critics' and 'user reviews' here and elsewhere. This is amazing. The reasons for the discrepancy are unclear, but I think the ramifications are going to be long reaching. The central question (for me at least) is one of trust: Is there any spirit of consumer protection left in software review or is it just caveat emptor, and have a nice day?    … Expand
  84. SkilgannonPT
    Mar 31, 2012
    1
    Loved all the mass effect games, why would they destroy such a wonderfull series with such a blatantly illogical LAST 5 MIN... I justify my score with the following articles and videos:

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


    Fix this ending plz.
  85. lady_astro08
    Apr 4, 2012
    1
    This game was amazing.....till the end. I felt hallow and sick because of this ending. I'm going to pretend it never happened. No choice, major plotholes and no closure.
  86. nickobom
    Apr 10, 2012
    1
    The game at all is reasonable but the Ending DESTROYS everything.
    All choices along ME1 and ME2 really doesn't matter... the ME2 choices about collector base etc .. they are ignored. BioWare said that would be 16 different endings, but what we got was 3 different colors. RED BLUE or GREEN.
    There is no narrative coherence, the ending is filled with plot holes, ME1 and ME2 story was    The game at all is reasonable but the Ending DESTROYS everything.
    All choices along ME1 and ME2 really doesn't matter... the ME2 choices about collector base etc .. they are ignored. BioWare said that would be 16 different endings, but what we got was 3 different colors. RED BLUE or GREEN.

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

    Why am I giving a 0?

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

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

    If I wanted to play make a Gears of War i would bought GoW. BioWare and EA are destroying every game they have. I feel sorry for them and for us cause we are losing a great developer. EA SUCKS.    … Expand
  87. Mark_Walrusburg
    May 9, 2012
    1
    I cannot believe this is what happened to the series. I made three different Shepard's, plugged in hours crafting each one for a specific play through. I held off on playing the game until I was done with this semester of classes because I wanted to seriously throw myself in. I've been dreading it because of what I've been hearing about the fiasco of an ending. Well I finally sat down andI cannot believe this is what happened to the series. I made three different Shepard's, plugged in hours crafting each one for a specific play through. I held off on playing the game until I was done with this semester of classes because I wanted to seriously throw myself in. I've been dreading it because of what I've been hearing about the fiasco of an ending. Well I finally sat down and played it, DAY 1 DLC included on my purchase because EA believes unfinished games being released are a great way to introduce content. Well never again.

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

    My choices didn't matter, my time put into the series had no real effect on the outcome. Killing or saving the Rachni Queen has no real impact. Uniting the Geth and the Quarian's has no real impact. The replay value of this game in my opinion is non-existent. My three Shepards have no genuine purpose other than to succumb to the will of a genocidal star child that shows up at the last ten minutes of the game. Why are there such massive plot holes in this final installment? If the Mass Relays exploding don't wipe out billions of lives and strand countless more can't the writers see how sloppy their work is? I've never made a review before, and this is my first time posting on metacritic. This final game to a wonderful series has left me with a bitter taste and a hole in my wallet. My opinion may not matter EA, but my loyalty and money once so freely given to Bioware will be taken elsewhere. I strongly suggest others do the same.    … Expand
  88. maltizar
    Jul 3, 2012
    1
    Okay... if you hadn't noticed, playing this game, you'll either love it and be annoyed by the people that hate it or love it and hate the game and be annoyed by the people who love it.

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

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

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

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

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

    Storywise, the resolution is seperate from the rest of the series, which is a shame because the rest of it was pretty darn good. I'd say, save your money. If you haven't played it by now, you'd have a better time playing one of the first 2 games. It'll be in the used game pile soon, anyway.    … Expand
  89. crystal3001
    Jul 5, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I reserved my judgement till the EC was out. It's out and I will never buy another game from Bioware. Period. Here is why.

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

    So then I started out my game and the issues kept piling on. I noticed the auto-dialogue, being down to two conversation choices, MP being required to get all the endings, etc. I'm sure you've read them in numerous other posts before. Yeah combat's nice and all, but I don't play a Bioware game for combat. I play their games for a rich background world and characters I'm going to love for years. I know they reuse plots, but I thoroughly enjoy the company while I play them. The endings, that they took whole cloth from Deux Ex, destroy that ride. Every time I fire up the Xbox to play one of my other Shepards, I find it doesn't matter. I know how it'll end. Saving the Council or not. Recruiting people or not. Doing anything in the three games really has no bearing whatsoever on the last choice. That is why I think the endings do a great disservice to a series lauded for choices. Nothing really matters other then the very last one, which are all the same as long as your score is high enough. I think I could have been okay with some of the EC, if Bioware didn't give us all a giant FU as the 'new' ending. Destroy, where Shepard does not act like a mindless zombie like the others. This new ending is nothing more the Casey saying FU to the fans about changing his very flawed endings. So I'm done with Bioware and anything with Casey Hudson's name on it.    … Expand
  90. finan
    Jul 13, 2012
    1
    I could not wait to play this game. I was pretty much disapointed from the begging. Adding a cheesy multi player mode and linking to to the single player campain just sucked. As for the ending.. Even with the extended cut it just plain sucked.
  91. Wiffyjustus
    Aug 27, 2012
    1
    The journey over all three games was fantastic. The destination sucked. I loved this game, until I got to the end. I respect Bioware's adherence to their 'artistic vision', but I whole-heartedly disagree with it. The endings felt like a spit in the face to all the hours invested in this series by the consumer. It must be worse for those who worked tirelessly on this series to see suchThe journey over all three games was fantastic. The destination sucked. I loved this game, until I got to the end. I respect Bioware's adherence to their 'artistic vision', but I whole-heartedly disagree with it. The endings felt like a spit in the face to all the hours invested in this series by the consumer. It must be worse for those who worked tirelessly on this series to see such negative fan reaction. Sadly, I believe the negative reaction is warranted.… Expand
  92. WindAeris
    Oct 27, 2012
    1
    It's highly repetitive, has no real values, and doesn't serve a point. I am greatly disappointed. I didn't see a value in the game play, it seemed more of shooting things, end of the world, we need to get a move on it. It tries too hard to imply the severity of the situation.
  93. Socratease
    Jan 22, 2013
    1
    First off, i would like to point out that the ending has been talked about to death. So instead of pointing out how it committed story telling suicide (which it did), i`m going to focus on the rest of the game. 1. The Intro. Seriously, WHY would shepard, the renegade badass (in my playthrough) just sit around WAITING for the reapers to arrive for those few months in between ME3 andFirst off, i would like to point out that the ending has been talked about to death. So instead of pointing out how it committed story telling suicide (which it did), i`m going to focus on the rest of the game. 1. The Intro. Seriously, WHY would shepard, the renegade badass (in my playthrough) just sit around WAITING for the reapers to arrive for those few months in between ME3 and arrival? That doesn`t seem very shepard like. And why should i give a sh-- about some random kid?

    Verdict: bad writing.

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

    Yeah, sure. tell me another one, casey.

    Verdict: bad writing

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

    Verdict: bad writing

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

    Verdict: bad writing

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

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

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

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

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

    Verdict: atrocious writing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    6- The ending was atrocious. This is a series that prides itself on story, characters and dialogue. We all spent over 100 bucks playing all 3 games and spent over 100 hours playing all 3 games but bioware seemed to say "This is the end of the trilogy so who cares about the ending". The ending is the most important part of any story of any kind because its the very last thing you leave the person with and its supposed to be a reward, the climax to everything leading up till then, basically the ending is the most important part of any story. But the ending of ME3 was over in just a minute or so despite the dozens of hours of dialogue, cut scenes and story in the rest of the series they got lazy at the end. It gives no satisfaction at all. I can honestly say it is the laziest segment of the series. I did like though they had the balls to do what they did with Sheppard, but the ending still sucks and doesn't make you glad to have finished the series.    … Expand
  95. witness1791
    Dec 22, 2014
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. ME2 is a great game. ME3 is an appalling disappointment.
    Cut scenes are excessive in number and in length.
    One (in Tuchanka tower) seemed to last about 20 minutes.
    I didn't time it, and I wouldn't want to repeat it to do so.
    Battles are long and monotonous.
    EA should either fire their B-team or should make up their minds whether they wish to sell video games or 3rd-rate boring sci-fi movies.    … Expand
  96. masterplan
    Mar 11, 2012
    0
    They shipped a broken game. My score for the game reflects that. One of the Mass Effect universes key components was the character import across the games. This now doesn't work. Shame on BioWare & EA.
  97. Jerik02
    Jul 26, 2013
    0
    Casey Hudson ruined Mass Effect. The ending is terrible, but the combat mechanics are simply awful. Tapping a button to get into and out of cover is buggy and more often than not doesn't do what you need it to. The third person camera does a terrible job of maintaining a clear view and often clips into the wall. Mass effect 3 is a perfect example of how EA ruins games. It is no wonder theCasey Hudson ruined Mass Effect. The ending is terrible, but the combat mechanics are simply awful. Tapping a button to get into and out of cover is buggy and more often than not doesn't do what you need it to. The third person camera does a terrible job of maintaining a clear view and often clips into the wall. Mass effect 3 is a perfect example of how EA ruins games. It is no wonder the founders of BioWare quit during the resulting Mass Effect 3 outrage from the players. It is silly really a game marketed as allowing you to tell your own story was ruined because an egotistical (seriously, go look at his web page), childish Casey Hudson wanted to end the story his way denying players what they loved about the game. Like a petulant child, Casey Hudson locked out the other writers to make his own ending and as an EA employee put it, "it shows". Couldn't agree more. Way to alienate a core fan base, tarnish what was a successful IP, and further prove to players why EA cannot be trusted. Even the extended DLC content doesn't fix the plot holes in the ending. It is simply a few more lame slides, that don't really improve anything.… Expand
  98. norse
    Apr 13, 2012
    0
    Oh, man. So bad. The ending is horrible, but you already know that if you haven't been living under a rock. I couldn't have been worse if "it had all been a dream", it couldn't have been worse if everyone spontaneously broke into song for the grand finale of ME - the musical episode. Or if they'd just had the wisdom to cut out the last 20 minutes. That said, that's not why I am rating thisOh, man. So bad. The ending is horrible, but you already know that if you haven't been living under a rock. I couldn't have been worse if "it had all been a dream", it couldn't have been worse if everyone spontaneously broke into song for the grand finale of ME - the musical episode. Or if they'd just had the wisdom to cut out the last 20 minutes. That said, that's not why I am rating this a 0.

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

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

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

    It's a testament to how bad management can ruin great properties by killing what makes the teams that produce them good.    … Expand
  99. allquixotic
    Mar 10, 2012
    0
    I have a lot of issues with this game, but these are my biggest issues:

    1. Multiplayer is broken. If you don't have FiOS and live at most a few blocks from Bioware's datacenter, you WILL get disconnected from games, *EXTREMELY FREQUENTLY*. If you're lucky, you can finish 1 out of 10 games. If you think your connection is good enough for online gaming, and can play hundreds of other games    I have a lot of issues with this game, but these are my biggest issues:

    1. Multiplayer is broken. If you don't have FiOS and live at most a few blocks from Bioware's datacenter, you WILL get disconnected from games, *EXTREMELY FREQUENTLY*. If you're lucky, you can finish 1 out of 10 games. If you think your connection is good enough for online gaming, and can play hundreds of other games with zero difficulties whatsoever, think again: this game will absolutely destroy your connection. This is a MASSIVE disappointment coming from such a rich company.

    2. The endings are horrid. Never in my 20 years of PC gaming have I seen a game build up so well, but die out with a putter like that. It made the whole experience sour for me.

    My advise is that if you haven't finished the game yet, but have started, stop now -- don't finish it. And don't play multiplayer. If you avoid these two aspects of the game, you will continue to have faith in the Mass Effect franchise, and will hope for some kind of future game in the Mass Effect universe that isn't such an unmitigated failure.    … Expand
  100. BEEFLASER
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    EA claimed that free, day-one DLC for new owners and online passes were meant to reclaim revenue "lost" to used sales. I never really agreed with those tactics; if EA thinks used sales are a problem, they should persuade the consumer to buy their games new, not twist their arms. However, it was never about used sales, it was about control. Their enemy isn't just the aftermarket, it'sEA claimed that free, day-one DLC for new owners and online passes were meant to reclaim revenue "lost" to used sales. I never really agreed with those tactics; if EA thinks used sales are a problem, they should persuade the consumer to buy their games new, not twist their arms. However, it was never about used sales, it was about control. Their enemy isn't just the aftermarket, it's consumer choice, and the way they handle DLC for ME3 proves that. If you don't pay extra for the deluxe edition of Mass Effect 3, you have to shell out ten bucks ON DAY ONE for what seems like significant and interesting portion of single-player content for the game. New, used, doesn't matter, if you didn't spend extra up front, they'll juts try to squeeze it out of you later. EA are extremely anti-consumer, and as much as I love Mass Effect I'm glad they won't be able to use the series to bend me over a barrel any more. EA, you may make a little extra money now, but the customers you mistreat wish for you to fall apart and make way for better, more innovative publishers who will treat them right.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
93

Universal acclaim - based on 74 Critic Reviews

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