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. rayken154h7
    Mar 11, 2012
    0
    Really enjoyed the game. Spectacular ending. Amazing grande finale to a series I've come to cherish. I'm starting my second play through. After that I'll probably play it 4 more times for good measure.
  2. Saldrin
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    Horrible textures, horrible lighting, horrible controls, horrible story, Day 1 DLC, $70 price tag for PC game, Horrible Origin. This game screams console port for the PC.
  3. Biss
    Mar 28, 2012
    0
    What a sh**y ending. No chance of a good ending, even if you have make only correct choices over all 3 games. Bioware has lost all his skills. First gameplay and now storytelling. Nothing more is left of a once great development studio.
  4. OddSuperFuture
    Mar 16, 2012
    0
    The game is absolutely top notch until the ending is reached and you're presented with 3 choices. 3 choices which completely dismiss any decisions you've made prior in any of the 3 games. There are 3 ending scenes with no closure and a convoluted, out of character plot which disregard the franchises key themes. This destroys any motivation you may have to replay this game-or any of theThe game is absolutely top notch until the ending is reached and you're presented with 3 choices. 3 choices which completely dismiss any decisions you've made prior in any of the 3 games. There are 3 ending scenes with no closure and a convoluted, out of character plot which disregard the franchises key themes. This destroys any motivation you may have to replay this game-or any of the other ME games.… Expand
  5. TheEverglow
    Apr 9, 2012
    0
    What a joke. Mass Effect 2 was easily my favorite game this gen and I couldn't have been more letdown playing through this game the first time. I'm working through my second play through and I just can't make it. I'm selling it back and never buying a Mass Effect game again. Easily the worst and most disappointing ending of a game I've ever seen and I refuse to pay EA for a better ending.What a joke. Mass Effect 2 was easily my favorite game this gen and I couldn't have been more letdown playing through this game the first time. I'm working through my second play through and I just can't make it. I'm selling it back and never buying a Mass Effect game again. Easily the worst and most disappointing ending of a game I've ever seen and I refuse to pay EA for a better ending. They ruined it for themselves and I'm not letting them get any more of my money.… Expand
  6. Hellion
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    The only hint people need is NOT to buy the game. Only way you will get Bioware to take notice of all the crap that is wrong with their series..creatively and technically. Ending terrible..Engine framerate terrible on PS3. No excuse for these companies anymore..its the greedy people at the top of the food chain taking advantage of the consumer by cutting back talented people. Heck I evenThe only hint people need is NOT to buy the game. Only way you will get Bioware to take notice of all the crap that is wrong with their series..creatively and technically. Ending terrible..Engine framerate terrible on PS3. No excuse for these companies anymore..its the greedy people at the top of the food chain taking advantage of the consumer by cutting back talented people. Heck I even loved the terminator boss in ME2..what happened to that? Gamers, consumers, unite and stay clear of anything Bioware puts out in the future.

    Save your money and buy the art book instead. It will be worth something down the road..more then this game ever will be. Only praise goes to the artists who did a magnificent job in creating the universe..hell even Bioware didn't credit them in the book.    … Expand
  7. linksmaster
    Mar 18, 2012
    0
    After completing the game one has to wonder whether Bioware diverted all their resources to Star Wars - The Old Republic. One can only hope that is the excuse for this ending to the series. Regardless of the excuses or, perish the thought these "endings" were actually planned out, the Nihilistic ending made me regret having spent time even bothering to develop a character. Perhaps it's aAfter completing the game one has to wonder whether Bioware diverted all their resources to Star Wars - The Old Republic. One can only hope that is the excuse for this ending to the series. Regardless of the excuses or, perish the thought these "endings" were actually planned out, the Nihilistic ending made me regret having spent time even bothering to develop a character. Perhaps it's a joke. Or a calculated business move to offer DLC that lets you have an ending where you actually have some impact. As such this mess is such a shame for what had been such a promising series. In my humble opinion it is that bad. And it's sad. Not the sadness of any ending but the saddest thing in the world: Wasted potential. The wasted potential from a sloppy meaningless ending to an otherwise previously well executed series. I have lost the will to replay Mass Effect due to the ending. If that was Bioware's (and/or EA's) intentions, then well played EA/Bioware. I won't bother to return. If this is the same attention they plan for other games then I wish them well. I will not be playing them.… Expand
  8. Mogwai76
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    Well all the hopes i had for the 3rd game, after the dissapointment of the second, were for nothing. Instead of going back to what made the first game in the series great, Bioware created an even more dumbed down version of the game in an attempt to wow the masses. Cutscene, Cutscene, Cutscene, dull combat, rinse and repeat. Add to that a co-op mode that you are almost forced to play ifWell all the hopes i had for the 3rd game, after the dissapointment of the second, were for nothing. Instead of going back to what made the first game in the series great, Bioware created an even more dumbed down version of the game in an attempt to wow the masses. Cutscene, Cutscene, Cutscene, dull combat, rinse and repeat. Add to that a co-op mode that you are almost forced to play if you want the "best" possible ending in the single player and it's clear that Bioware just wants to keep copies out of the second hand market. This game has gone down the path of Dragon Age. a great concept, but a bad implementation.… Expand
  9. Sinloth
    Apr 24, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. So BioWare has decided to show us yet another big fat middle finger, aye? You know, when Dragon Age 2 came, sure it was an atrocity RPG wise especially after a great revive to its genre in form of DA1, I still enjoyed it somewhat, at the very least it didn't kill the franchise. But Mass Effect 3? I'm gonna need some time and space here to successfully describe the depth and seriousness of my emotional distress caused by ME3. In the beginning, there was ME, new well written sci-fi RPG that we had craved for so long, the game offered us freedom of choice to some degree and to this day it's kept its value and replayability. Then came ME2 which to me was even better news because I kinda liked a bit more action paced style we were given while at the same time we also got the same freedom of choice (oh there could have been SO MANY dead characters at the end if you wanted...). The classes were more distinguished and more original in the way they played and even the side-quests on various planets were rather refreshing and not as repetitive as they were in ME1. Safe to say, I've played and finished both ME and ME2 quite a few times (ME twice and ME2 5 or 6 times actually) and I certainly loved the series. I anticipated ME3 fiercely like any other real fan of the franchise. I pre-ordered collector's edition of course so From Ashes wasn't an issue for me, I played through the game and there it was... all that love I had for the previous games, for the franchise... was gone. 90%... neigh 95% of the game is great, amazing even. All the plots tie up nicely and I enjoy most of the characters (although the newcomers aren't anything special and I'm terribly pissed I didn't get to spend the last game with Miranda...) but then it all gets thrown out the proverbial window... What does it matter that I not only saved most of Quarian race AND Tali AND convinced them to coexist with the Geth!! when at the end it doesn't have any impact at all? Giving us three identical sterile endings and marooning everyone in the galaxy at Earth's doorstep is not only an illogical ending, but the worst step that BioWare has ever made in their history of designing games. Pathetic attempts of Ray Muzyka to "defend" this excuse of a proper ending to the series are laughable and heretical at that. So, guys, you gave us the middle finger, now it's our turn. Thank you for ruining what could have very well been the three best consequent RPG titles ever made. Seeing as you gave us no choice in the end, I don't think I have any choice now with the rating either.… Expand
  10. barbie
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    graphics arenâ
  11. Nagato-noKami
    Mar 26, 2012
    0
    As a avid fan of the first two installments of the series, I have to say that ME3 was disappointing beyond belief. The story completely falls apart in the last ten minutes of the game. As the final secrets are revealed, the player is confronted by the horrible truth that THE STORY MAKES NO SENSE. Clearly, the lead writer was out of his philisophical and intellectual depth. ThisAs a avid fan of the first two installments of the series, I have to say that ME3 was disappointing beyond belief. The story completely falls apart in the last ten minutes of the game. As the final secrets are revealed, the player is confronted by the horrible truth that THE STORY MAKES NO SENSE. Clearly, the lead writer was out of his philisophical and intellectual depth. This combined with EA's dispicable grab for cash with the day one DLC has made me decide never to buy another game from this publisher.… Expand
  12. Vertillian
    Jun 12, 2012
    0
    Before anyone calls me a "troll" for giving this game a zero, allow me to explain. Originally I thought this game deserved a 5/10. I found about half the content enjoyable, if a little bland. The music was lacking in atmosphere, the dialogue is ropey and the graphics buggy! (my characters head revolved like an excorcist moment!) Then came the gameplay, removed almost completely fromBefore anyone calls me a "troll" for giving this game a zero, allow me to explain. Originally I thought this game deserved a 5/10. I found about half the content enjoyable, if a little bland. The music was lacking in atmosphere, the dialogue is ropey and the graphics buggy! (my characters head revolved like an excorcist moment!) Then came the gameplay, removed almost completely from anything remotely RPG and lacking depth. The A.I are atrocious, constantly glitching through walls and running backwards into enemies. Despite this, I was enjoying an average 5/10 game. Then came the release day content that was included on the disc, pointless multiplayer, ridiculous flirting for no reason, massively boring sections of corridor shooting monotony, and the fact I had to swap disc four times within 40mins!!! This is yet another over-hyped and over-rated lazy effort from bioware. I waited and only paid £15 for it and still felt cheated. If this is the supposed "natural evolution of the RPG" I worry for the future of decent, in depth games. My last grievance, that really dropped the score, was the blatant copying of Gears Of War. The cover system I can accept, but now add roady-running, rolls, jumps and melee. Also now a hammer of dawn impression! Give it a rest Bioware and get your own ideas.… Expand
  13. Etna
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    Bought it, noticed that my savefile from mass effect 2 was ignored, as I had to remake Shepard's face, returned it.

    if you are going to make a trilogy, at-least make it work properly 'bioware'
  14. coelo
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    #1 No controller allowed for PC
    #2 The grfx suck balls for a game released in 2012
    #3 The story is boring by THE FIRST CUTSCENE (in other words it starts boring) EA ate this developer (BioWare) and they turned the good things going on there into mush. Mass Effect 2 and now Mass Effect 3 are crap and it is a damn shame because any real gamer who played Mass Effect knows how cool it was and    #1 No controller allowed for PC
    #2 The grfx suck balls for a game released in 2012
    #3 The story is boring by THE FIRST CUTSCENE (in other words it starts boring)

    EA ate this developer (BioWare) and they turned the good things going on there into mush. Mass Effect 2 and now Mass Effect 3 are crap and it is a damn shame because any real gamer who played Mass Effect knows how cool it was and knows how awesome it would have been if BioWare had just been left alone to do their thing. If EA never came along with their whore money then we'd probably just be seeing Mass Effect 2 right now and it would be epic, but instead we've already had 2 sequels and a Dragon Age game in the amount of time it used to take BioWare to make one real game. Add to that, Dragon Age 2 was as appetizing as cold puke.

    Well, that is what you get when EA comes around with their whore money. You get sold out. You get a game like "The Simpsons". This game sucks and I hate EA, like every other real gamer out there. Killzone 3 was far better than this drivel, this crap fest, and Killzone 3 wasn't the best showing.

    ME3 is a masquerade of a dead developers old ideas. ME was awesome, but it is dead and EA has been wringing money out of a corpse, much like a record label does to its dead artists. And, that is exactly what EA does, it buys talent and then whores it to death using only the name of something that was once great. EA may have a hundred thousand talented developers but it doesn't matter one bit. It is well known that EA rushes their games to the market in order to get cash. Their MO is buy a popular game and whore it out. That's what you have here ME3 is an ugly whore of pimp daddy EA, just wants your cash, doesn't give a crap if you come back for more ME4 or 5 because they'll have new whores soon.

    And, BioWare can kiss my ass too. Sellouts.
    Enjoy your yachts and whatever else you bought.
    I don't care. You aren't getting anymore of my money.

    You can feel in every corner of this game from the menu to the action that this is not a BioWare game. ME 3 is ME2 with a different story, there is absolutely no difference between the two. If you liked ME then you will hate this, just like ME2.

    Why are you so tasteless EA?
    Why can't you make a game that does more than taste like stale cardboard?
    I've got nothing against you except for the fact that you just SUCK at making anything fun.    … Expand
  15. CorradoPennaNer
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    A massive disappointment, where is the rpg system? And can we speak about the awful story? A series that has declined every step. The dialogue is embarrassingly like the decision-making-system. Bioware has ruined a great game and a great saga, generating a simple tps...
  16. fuzzychode
    Mar 29, 2012
    0
    BEEN UNABLE TO PLAY FOR OVER 2 WEEKS DUE TO KNOW BUG.EA SUPPORT IS NO HELP AT ALL. BIOWARE JUST KEEPS SAYING NOTHING BUT WE WILL HAVE IT FIXED SOON. WASTE OF MONEY. plus little i did get to play was just a horrible rehash for all those stupid people who love the same thing over and over and over....
  17. 2pacalypse
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    I recall going to gamestop on the release day of Mass Effect 1 and picking up what turned out to be one of the best games I have ever put inside my xbox 360 game tray. It had story which showed truly got me involved in the game with the decisions I made actually making a difference in the way the story formed. the dialogue was superb and the voice acting was nothing but. In addition, theI recall going to gamestop on the release day of Mass Effect 1 and picking up what turned out to be one of the best games I have ever put inside my xbox 360 game tray. It had story which showed truly got me involved in the game with the decisions I made actually making a difference in the way the story formed. the dialogue was superb and the voice acting was nothing but. In addition, the levelling system was fantastic with tons of different perks and skilltree options for the player to choose from. I obviously chose to purchase ME2, only to be somewhat disappointed by the lack of the great dialogue, options and skills which made the original such a joy to play. I soon realized that these choices were made in order for this game to appeal to a larger audience. I decided to give Bioware another chance at making the final game of the series. I was even more disappointed with the horrible dialogue which was used in the game. The choices give the player a false sense of freedom, when in actuality, the choices barely affect the story. In addition, Mass Effect 3 includes many gears of war-esque cheesy dialogue, which really got me thinking: "what happened to the great writers that amazed me in the first game of this series". The gameplay was also clunky with weird animations which just made the entire experience awkward. My entire experience with this game was ruined and I hope Bioware can find it's legs and create the great games which we are so used to them creating. cheers.… Expand
  18. Coeurl
    Mar 17, 2012
    0
    Meh.
  19. jonahlee
    Apr 20, 2012
    0
    I have been a huge fan of this series and bought the collector's edition of all 3 games, but after finishing Mass Effect 3 I have not only lost all interest in the series, but will never be playing another BioWare game. The ending negates everything you did in all 3 games, and doesn't take into account anything that you did along the way, it just comes down to 3 arbitrary choices, all ofI have been a huge fan of this series and bought the collector's edition of all 3 games, but after finishing Mass Effect 3 I have not only lost all interest in the series, but will never be playing another BioWare game. The ending negates everything you did in all 3 games, and doesn't take into account anything that you did along the way, it just comes down to 3 arbitrary choices, all of which are bad, and make no sense. And it is too bad, because I honestly thought this was the best game I ever played until I hit the end, but seeing the 3 endings provided (really one ending with some variations) has left an empty feeling in my stomach, and ruined the entire story for me. I will not pay for any more download content (which is how the game ends telling you to wait for download content that will be coming), nor playing another BioWare game ever again. I just don't understand how the game could not only not allow the choice that the whole series is built on, but also not even seem to understand what you had accomplished in the game. If you are a fan of the series and have not picked it up, don't, let your good image of this game not be tarnished by this awful ending!… Expand
  20. JMac1237
    Mar 22, 2012
    0
    In an attempt to make this game appealing to new coming fans- they completely and utterly DESTROYED the necessity of the first two games...literally no POINT in playing them...NONE. Sad death of a legend.
  21. MrBlack
    Jul 2, 2013
    0
    I have to say, the first 95% of the game, leading right up to the very last 15min or so, was excellent. Gameplay was improved, and I actually enjoyed the war asset strategy much as I had enjoyed the overall structure of Mass Effect 2. And this is why it is so astonishing how the final sequence is all it takes to make this very good game into a very bad one. All the excitement that had beenI have to say, the first 95% of the game, leading right up to the very last 15min or so, was excellent. Gameplay was improved, and I actually enjoyed the war asset strategy much as I had enjoyed the overall structure of Mass Effect 2. And this is why it is so astonishing how the final sequence is all it takes to make this very good game into a very bad one. All the excitement that had been building up over the course of the game, and also it's two predecessors, is extinguished immediately and in the worst way, leaving you with the inescapable feeling of being ripped off. The worst part is that there is absolutely no closure to any aspect of the story. The ending didn't just ruin Mass Effect 3, it ruined the entire series. For this, I can not justify any other score.… Expand
  22. Diogo_Silva
    Mar 13, 2012
    0
    Let me just start by saying that Mass Effect 3 is one of the best games I've ever played until more and less 20 min before the end. Unlike the criticism that your ME1 and ME2 choices didn't matter much in ME3, I think that BioWare made a terrific effort in taking into account all your choices and delivering you some rather unexpected consequences for them (save for some minor plot gaps,Let me just start by saying that Mass Effect 3 is one of the best games I've ever played until more and less 20 min before the end. Unlike the criticism that your ME1 and ME2 choices didn't matter much in ME3, I think that BioWare made a terrific effort in taking into account all your choices and delivering you some rather unexpected consequences for them (save for some minor plot gaps, i.e., I romanced Liara in ME1 and again in ME2 in the Shadow Broker DLC, but when I reunite with her in ME3 she says that we haven't been together in years. wtf?). Again, this applies only if you exclude those last 20 minutes. For those who have been following the series since ME1, the game is an emotional roller coaster that delivers several truly memorable moments (sad, hopeful and hilarious) in a way that truly represents the unique spirit of the series. In fact, there are several missions in which I felt that my previous actions actually mattered for the story (e.g., curing/sabotaging the genophage, the krogan-turian aliance, the war between the geth and quarians, etc). But then again, all of this only applies before those last 20 min. After this moment, its a freakin downhill ride in plot quality. Even though I seem to felt that my actions would actually have big consequences, the end boils down to a deus ex machina plot device, delivering three options none of which my Shepard would take. What's more, these three options are regardless of any previous choices that I've made and their outcome is nearly the same but with different colors (oh, and there is a variation where earth is destroyed and not saved). The ending also does not deliver a single bit of closure to the Shepard's story. If these endings are supposed to be very open so that "our imagination can complete the rest", I wouldn't need to play the whole damn game in the first place! I could have just imagine how it would end from ME2! If I'm playing a trilogy until the end, I would expect (at least!) to know what the hell happened, because I sure did not understand what happened next. In the supposed perfect ending, Shepard seems to survive a massive explosion of the citadel (as shown by a 10sec footage of him coffing in a pile of rubble) but how?! And how did my teammates made it to the normandy in time (seemingly in perfect condition when they get out to the tropical planet) and why is joker fleeing at full speed from the "blast wave" from the mass relays? In the Arrival DLC, we are told that the destruction of a mass relay would wipe out the entire system it orbits, which means that earth was also wiped out by the mass relay in the Sol system?! But apparently the soldiers on earth seem to survive... A so joker is running from...? what? Whether you control or destroy the reapers or you chose synthesis, the outcome of those choices is exactly the same for me, because we get to know so little about what happens in the future! And don't tell me it is supposed to be THAT open, unless BioWare is thinking of making a new game that resumes from those disparate resolutions in three whole new different ways, which is unlikely. I loved the game until that final mission, where I just stared at the TV trying to digest such a bad plot ending and getting absolutely no satisfaction at all. I usually finish ME games twice (paragorn and renegade), but ME3 is so emotionally taxing in the end and leaves such a depressing feeling, that I am not sure that I'll be able to go through that again. And all they had to do was a decent ending. Not one where Shepard would invariably live, but at least one where players could understand what the hell just happened!… Expand
  23. ArcticZombie
    Mar 13, 2012
    0
    I thought ME1 it was a brilliant start to a great new franchise with loads of potential. ME2 was watered down to the point where I barely wanted to play it. I hoped it was just the sophomore slump so I slogged my way through it. But ME3 I just cannot play. It runs rough around the edges and is really just an even more watered down version of the game I was hoping for overall. ThinkI thought ME1 it was a brilliant start to a great new franchise with loads of potential. ME2 was watered down to the point where I barely wanted to play it. I hoped it was just the sophomore slump so I slogged my way through it. But ME3 I just cannot play. It runs rough around the edges and is really just an even more watered down version of the game I was hoping for overall. Think back to ME1 everybody...now think about your experience with ME3. Ya, it's not good for ME3. IDK what else to say that hasn't been said, and I can't think of anyone I'd recommend this game to.… Expand
  24. Hoboparty
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    The facial modeling is awful; essentially everyone in the game has a screwed up looking face. The story is some weird romantic kinky **** This is not what AAA games should look like. 0/10: I don't think this game should exist.
  25. Cuddlezombie
    Jun 12, 2012
    0
    I know that this score my seem harsh to some of the hardcore Mass Effect gamers out there, but i was so disappointed with Mass Effect 3 that in my opinion it doesn't deserve a better rating. I have way to many complaints to list here, but the things that really annoy me about this game are simple. Bioware have gone from ripping of other sci-fi tv shows, games, books etc to ripping of GearsI know that this score my seem harsh to some of the hardcore Mass Effect gamers out there, but i was so disappointed with Mass Effect 3 that in my opinion it doesn't deserve a better rating. I have way to many complaints to list here, but the things that really annoy me about this game are simple. Bioware have gone from ripping of other sci-fi tv shows, games, books etc to ripping of Gears of War and badly at that. Also, why do they feel the need to do a Dragon Age 2 and overly sexualize the characters. For a female gamers such as myself, I dont need to see Miranda's bum when I am having a conversation and dont want to play a game that degrades women. Therefore I have marked Mass Effect 3 down from the score I gave it and was highly disappionted as I like the other Mass Effect games.… Expand
  26. HunterZolomon
    Jun 28, 2012
    0
    I'm changing my previous review in light of the new Extended Cut. I'm changing it to ZERO!

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

    Despite the Extended Cut this game still has the worst ending in the history of video games. They actually took the time to polish the turd instead of addressing the numerous and serious flaws in the game. Bioware has completely lost all credibility in the last few years. Not only because their new games are rushed and come nowhere near the level of excellence they used to, but because they treat their fanbase like **** and lie to them.    … Expand
  27. tototototo
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    Takes the best parts of Dragon Age 2 and combines them with Mass Effect 2 to give you this five-star lesson in why people will read through ANYTHING to finish a story they enjoyed the beginning of, even if they thought the last 2 thirds were...lacking. combat and story feel like 2 seperate games, as if one was thrown in to space out the other, while both being sub-par. 0 replay value.
  28. Sesshomurai
    Mar 7, 2012
    0
    This game is nothing but spamware that infects your hard drive. It then tempts you into spending more money to "fix it". Disgraceful. Bioware used to be a great game company. No more...
  29. Laice
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    I was looking forward to Mass effect 3.
    On steam. Since i don't fancy installing the Origin spyware (One that scans your pc to find out all the other games you are using, then adds them to your origin account to stop you using steam?) I Shall not bother.
    As soon as people close their wallets to a company like EA that pumps out DRM after DRM after DRM and RUINS series, the world will be a    I was looking forward to Mass effect 3.
    On steam. Since i don't fancy installing the Origin spyware (One that scans your pc to find out all the other games you are using, then adds them to your origin account to stop you using steam?) I Shall not bother.
    As soon as people close their wallets to a company like EA that pumps out DRM after DRM after DRM and RUINS series, the world will be a better place.
    R.I.P Command and Conquer
    R.I.P Mass Effect

    Oh and do you remember classics such as Theme Hospital? Dungeon Keeper? EA killed off Bullfrog entertainment, Westwood studios, Maxis. I wonder what games we would have seen from them now if they hadn't been gulped up?    … Expand
  30. Not_Casual
    Feb 4, 2016
    0
    A royal turd encrusted with old age in the hot sun would provide more entertainment than this abysmal, untested insult to the name mass effect. Having played one and two, this one is utterly unplayable due to bugs, horrific map design, and an ignorant philosophy toward difficulty.
  31. abcded1
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    I may not have played Mass Effect before, but on friend recommendation, I tried it just this once.

    I've heard of Bioware's reputation of late. I find it to be very true in this case. This game is rancid. Do not waste any of your money on it. As many have said, it needs work in story, character, voice acting, and gameplay. Ohhh yes, it needs substantial work in gameplay. I literally had    I may not have played Mass Effect before, but on friend recommendation, I tried it just this once.

    I've heard of Bioware's reputation of late.

    I find it to be very true in this case.

    This game is rancid. Do not waste any of your money on it. As many have said, it needs work in story, character, voice acting, and gameplay. Ohhh yes, it needs substantial work in gameplay. I literally had to try as hard as I could to play through the game for the frist four hours, but after that I promptly threw the game into a fire and hid in a corner.    … Expand
  32. Bulldozer
    Mar 30, 2012
    0
    This game could have been a masterpiece but the final result is only a forgettable mix of bugs, holes in a childish plot with the "wish" to be serious, a ton of shadows and emphasis everywhere, no exploration, no puzzles, flat dialogues and the worst ending in videogame history. In certain things it could deserve a 11 but in others not more than a -20 so my balance is 0. Nothing more thanThis game could have been a masterpiece but the final result is only a forgettable mix of bugs, holes in a childish plot with the "wish" to be serious, a ton of shadows and emphasis everywhere, no exploration, no puzzles, flat dialogues and the worst ending in videogame history. In certain things it could deserve a 11 but in others not more than a -20 so my balance is 0. Nothing more than a "project" of a game, an interesting project never terminated and poorly done, or at least that's not good to be released like this.… Expand
  33. Demorase
    Mar 20, 2012
    0
    Can the ending ruin the journey? Well Mass Effect 3 attempts to give a definitive answer to that question, and it is a resounding yes. The ending violates everything Mass Effect stands for (i.e choice) and needs to be changed, but for that to happen you need to get the message through to Bioware, and this is a way to contribute. This saga deserves a better ending than what we got :)
  34. BrianPK80
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    Game opens with a showstopper bug. It has to get a zero for now. If you have played Mass Effect 1 and 2, you will be shocked when, upon waiting for over two years for the finale, you load it up and the first thing it tells you is it can't import your main character's face. Continuity with the main character's storyline and appearance naturally was a main selling point of the series.Game opens with a showstopper bug. It has to get a zero for now. If you have played Mass Effect 1 and 2, you will be shocked when, upon waiting for over two years for the finale, you load it up and the first thing it tells you is it can't import your main character's face. Continuity with the main character's storyline and appearance naturally was a main selling point of the series. While zero may be a low score, it represents its current unplayability. It's like the third chapter in a movie where the lead actor has been replaced by an unknown. There is no way this wasn't known at Bioware/EA. It was suppressed. They lied to their customers point blank about a major whopper of a defective feature. Apparently, I've heard they're blocking people who call attention to the issue on their Facebook. Anyone sick of corporate fraud with no accountability should understand why having this arrive and be unplayable requires a zero rating.… Expand
  35. carnage4u
    Mar 21, 2012
    0
    A fun game with a bad ending is a bad game. I would say the same for TV show of Movie. If the last act is very poorly done. I would give low marks.. The fact the quality drops so suddenly, so late in the game is more shocking than anything else.

    I would not recommend this game to anyone.
  36. Sharky70
    Mar 7, 2012
    0
    Loved Mass Effect 1 and 2, this is a linear piece of **** I find myself watching TV in the background simply to keep myself somewhat entertained. Characters lack emotion, and don't have the same feeling in the previous games. Bioware pretends that the criticism is purely hate, when by looking at the negative reviews, this is clearly not true. Dialogue options are simplified and boring,Loved Mass Effect 1 and 2, this is a linear piece of **** I find myself watching TV in the background simply to keep myself somewhat entertained. Characters lack emotion, and don't have the same feeling in the previous games. Bioware pretends that the criticism is purely hate, when by looking at the negative reviews, this is clearly not true. Dialogue options are simplified and boring, combat is about the same, hardly any improvements, and explore-able environments have completely disappeared. This game is a giant joke. Personally, I'm pretending that Mass Effect 1 and 2 are true to the series, and 3 never happened. This is what the Crystal Skull movie did to the Indiana Jones series, it raped it.… Expand
  37. tenow
    Mar 7, 2012
    0
    I liked everything about this game overlooking many downsides until the end. Last mission with game ending were one of the worst things that happened to me ever. I just don't get it how an ending to 100+ hours beautiful experience of 3 great games could be so bad and uninspired.
  38. John117
    May 20, 2012
    0
    This game was a huge disappointment. The combat was boring, the story was terrible, and the ending essentially ruined the previous two games for me. Mass effect 2 was dumbed down from ME1, but it was still a pretty good game. This one takes it ten steps further. "Action mode" says it all. The graphics are worse as well, many of the landscapes look blocky, the water looks awful...theThis game was a huge disappointment. The combat was boring, the story was terrible, and the ending essentially ruined the previous two games for me. Mass effect 2 was dumbed down from ME1, but it was still a pretty good game. This one takes it ten steps further. "Action mode" says it all. The graphics are worse as well, many of the landscapes look blocky, the water looks awful...the list goes on. I don't know what happened, if some of the better writers left between games, but the story in this one is cringe-worthy at every turn with few exceptions. I'd have rather this game had not even came out, which is saying a lot since I'd been looking forward to this conclusion of commander Shepard's story for the past 5 years or so. Don't buy this game.… Expand
  39. Doxide
    Mar 17, 2012
    0
    I'm not even mad that the ending sucked. I'm mad that it sucked and DIDN'T MAKE ANY SENSE! It was like if Francis Ford Coppola died right before shooting the last scene of The Godfather. Then some idiot hack came in to take over and scribbled a final scene together by finger painting his feces on a canvas. And to top it all off Bioware has the goddam nerve to TELL US TO BUY UPCOMINGI'm not even mad that the ending sucked. I'm mad that it sucked and DIDN'T MAKE ANY SENSE! It was like if Francis Ford Coppola died right before shooting the last scene of The Godfather. Then some idiot hack came in to take over and scribbled a final scene together by finger painting his feces on a canvas. And to top it all off Bioware has the goddam nerve to TELL US TO BUY UPCOMING DLC IF WE WANT TO LEARN MORE! Tell you what Bioware, you can come over here and suck on MY DLC.… Expand
  40. Jarec
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    Strike 1: Adding multiplayer (oh come on really?) to a beloved SINGLE player series of games. If I wanted a multiplayer shoot em up I would play Counterstrike (don't even get me started on MW3). Strike 2: From Ashes DLC fiasco . Seriously? you're charging for DAY 1 DLC because you gave us multiplayer that we didn't even want in the first place? Strike 3: Boy am I glad I saw the leakedStrike 1: Adding multiplayer (oh come on really?) to a beloved SINGLE player series of games. If I wanted a multiplayer shoot em up I would play Counterstrike (don't even get me started on MW3). Strike 2: From Ashes DLC fiasco . Seriously? you're charging for DAY 1 DLC because you gave us multiplayer that we didn't even want in the first place? Strike 3: Boy am I glad I saw the leaked script and videos. "Yo dawg we made synthetics to kill organics, so organics wouldn't create synthetics to kill organics!" It's painfully obvious that the writing talent that made the first game so compelling is no longer involved. Maybe Bioware should think about hiring writers who, ya know, actually enjoy playing the games too. EA/Bioware, you have broken my heart for the last time. Multiplayer and Day 1 DLC I could *just* about have lived with, but the lack of choices carried over, and the contrived, lazy endings are a step too far. I will not be giving my hard earned money to you ever again. Fortunately I played a friend's copy of ME3 on PC (it's still the same game as X360 and PS3 - arguably the "best" version.. lol) and can get my online version refunded (thanks Origin 14 day return policy!). Oh yeah, don't even bother pirating.… Expand
  41. levoldemortface
    Mar 7, 2012
    0
    this game is absolute garbage. The writing is plain horrible. The dialogue sounds like it was written by robots or interns. The animations closely resemble Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disney (before the 2003 renovation). Overall this game left a bad taste in my mouth, I want my money back EA and BIoware!
  42. Zoot_McScoot
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    Poor writing and poor decision-making all around derail the grand finale of this series. The main plot developments are insipid and the character writing - normally a saving grace in even subpar Bioware games - seems anemic. This is packaged together with minimal evolution of the setting and little in the way of combat improvements, although some of the revamped character progressionPoor writing and poor decision-making all around derail the grand finale of this series. The main plot developments are insipid and the character writing - normally a saving grace in even subpar Bioware games - seems anemic. This is packaged together with minimal evolution of the setting and little in the way of combat improvements, although some of the revamped character progression system is welcome. Overall the game is mediocre and probably does not deserve the score that I have given it - it might even have deserved as high as a 6! - but Bioware needs to know that it can't get away with such slapdash work.… Expand
  43. seedubya
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    I loved 1 and 2, but 3, it's not the ending, hopeless as it is, or day 1 dlc that i find bad, but it seems as if they wanted to make it as simple as possible for new fans, barely any choices in dialogue, some critical choices later on seem to have the same depressing effect. i know the galaxy is at war and it's a big desperate situation but can't there be 1 moment where it isn't 'well weI loved 1 and 2, but 3, it's not the ending, hopeless as it is, or day 1 dlc that i find bad, but it seems as if they wanted to make it as simple as possible for new fans, barely any choices in dialogue, some critical choices later on seem to have the same depressing effect. i know the galaxy is at war and it's a big desperate situation but can't there be 1 moment where it isn't 'well we solved that problem, many died, but now we have a new problem, and another, and another' it's a bit like watching a depressing film. all the choices you've made from 1 and 2, seem a bit pointless now, like stopping the collectors, it did nothing apart from giving people a bit longer, i can't even play 1 or 2 now, all i can think is whats the point in doing anything when death is coming anyway. i'd give it about a 6, but it messed up my love for the series, it's like dragon age 2 all over again.… Expand
  44. wowtgp
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    what happened to bioware?i used to love them but after dragon age 2,star wars and mass effect 3 i am really starting to hate them.i am really dissapointed by this game.
  45. AstonishingAgon
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I can honestly say that Mass Effect 3 was the most disappointing game I have ever played. Even more so than Fable 3, which - trust me - is saying something. None of the choices I made in the last few games were visibly relevant at all to any of the gameplay or story. What happened to my ENTIRE CREW being dead in ME2? The alien bug infestation I released in ME1? None of it really seems to matter much at all. The game has been made much more linear than Mass Effect 2, which was one of the largest problems of the game in its' time. I am thoroughly disgusted at how much Bioware seems to disrespect their fans. NEVER should a game aim for a larger audience when it is already successful. You should aim on pleasing the fans you have, not aiming for more fans. Respect is always better than money when aiming to last long in the video game industry, but Bioware seems to just be riding on and abusing the former respect we gamers had for them. This ends with ME3. Never again will I buy a Bioware game.… Expand
  46. ThirteenthOwl
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    Almost no content, one ending, bland dialog, repetitive and incredibly easy combat and animations that look like the game came out in 2007 make this game look rushed. Do not buy this for any reason other than to see what NOT to do when making a game.
  47. MrBoBo1
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    The first thing that sticks out for me here upon purchasing it, it's suppose to be an emotionally driven game... yet EVERY character either sounds like a Vulcun or Data from star trek. The game has no emotion what so ever. I'm sorry, am I missing something here? I'm disgusted by the clearly paid off media acting as advertisements for the game rather than reviewers none of them evenThe first thing that sticks out for me here upon purchasing it, it's suppose to be an emotionally driven game... yet EVERY character either sounds like a Vulcun or Data from star trek. The game has no emotion what so ever. I'm sorry, am I missing something here? I'm disgusted by the clearly paid off media acting as advertisements for the game rather than reviewers none of them even attempted to pick this (obviose) problem up.… Expand
  48. me-0815
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    Mass Effect 1 was an exciting, innovative new type of Action-RPG. It had an epic story in a unique, diverse universe, very good writing, great characters and real choices for the player. Little is left of that. In their desire to cater to the fans of shooters and casual games, BioWare has reduced the RPG elements, trivialized the dialogue and taken away much of the character developmentMass Effect 1 was an exciting, innovative new type of Action-RPG. It had an epic story in a unique, diverse universe, very good writing, great characters and real choices for the player. Little is left of that. In their desire to cater to the fans of shooters and casual games, BioWare has reduced the RPG elements, trivialized the dialogue and taken away much of the character development and choices that make a proper RPG. The story that started in Mass Effect 1 as an interesting and mystic space opera has been transformed into a predictable soap opera with mostly mediocre, sometimes outright terrible, writing. It might still be better than most of the other stories in video games these days, but that's of course not very difficult, and it's nowhere near the quality that BioWare used to deliver. Probably the worst example of the inability of the writers are the endings. On the other hand, perhaps they too were imposed by EA, to reduce the required work and costs. One complaint against Mass Effect 1 was the somewhat uninspired combat system. This had already been replaced in Mass Effect 2 with a clone of the usual cover-based shooters. Not very innovative and in my opinion still quite repetitive and not very challenging, but many players seemed to enjoy it. So in that regard, Mass Effect 3 certainly delivers the expected. But that's of course not nearly enough to make it a great game, and it's also not the reason why I play BioWare games or RPGs in general.… Expand
  49. nuttex
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    Instead of an amazing finale to one of the best franchises in last 10 years, all we get is one big grim disappointment. Either way, endings can be described as "Life sucks then you die". Can't say this is what I was expecting. Ironically, it turned out to be that what Bioware was to Mass Effect is what Reapers were to the galaxy in game. You could say it's hard to believe that developersInstead of an amazing finale to one of the best franchises in last 10 years, all we get is one big grim disappointment. Either way, endings can be described as "Life sucks then you die". Can't say this is what I was expecting. Ironically, it turned out to be that what Bioware was to Mass Effect is what Reapers were to the galaxy in game. You could say it's hard to believe that developers have dropped their quality bars so much, but after Dragon Age 2 and Old Republic, it was more or less predictable.… Expand
  50. Tototo
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    I'm very disappointed how this series ended. There's plenty of flaws that one could overlook, such as the horrible graphics and the general awful animations. Doesn't change the fact that the story is one of the biggest letdowns in video games. What's the point of playing a Bioware if the writing is subpar?
  51. HelpTheBurgers
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    Bioware made 2 fantastic games in Mass Effect and Mass Effec 2 where you controlled Commander Shepard. Your Shepard. In Mass Effect 3 Bioware has taken the commander back. Many choices from the first 2 games have minimal changes with some flat out retconned. The dialogue is gone, even with full decisions on it's like watching a movie instead of an interactive story. Add in mandatory DLCBioware made 2 fantastic games in Mass Effect and Mass Effec 2 where you controlled Commander Shepard. Your Shepard. In Mass Effect 3 Bioware has taken the commander back. Many choices from the first 2 games have minimal changes with some flat out retconned. The dialogue is gone, even with full decisions on it's like watching a movie instead of an interactive story. Add in mandatory DLC for the "best" possible on day 1 and what you get is a game that spits in the face of fans of the first 2 installments and ruins what should have been the best triology of games in the past decade.… Expand
  52. sparklesf
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    This game has been ruined by EA. The Bioware that made Mass Effect 1 and 2 is gone. Mass Effect 3 has been made to cater to the lowest common denominator. While the first one was a little rough around the edges, the second was perfect. Three however, is too far.

    In terms of visuals, they are too dark, made to look like the current CoD games. This is an RPG, not an seasonal shooter.    This game has been ruined by EA. The Bioware that made Mass Effect 1 and 2 is gone. Mass Effect 3 has been made to cater to the lowest common denominator. While the first one was a little rough around the edges, the second was perfect. Three however, is too far.

    In terms of visuals, they are too dark, made to look like the current CoD games. This is an RPG, not an seasonal shooter.

    Please EA, get your hands out of where they shouldn't be, and let game studios make games for their fans, not for your wallets.    … Expand
  53. uddehh
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    Greedy people demanding 10 bucks for dayone dlc. That is not acceptable. For all paying customers is should have been free. Just like in ME2. Also, the RPG elements are very much cut down, making this game more COD-alike.
  54. mrgerbik
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    The face importer is broken, if I can't play as my Shepherd, I'd rather not play at all. Truly disappoionting Bioware, sticking it to your oldest and most loyal fans.
  55. VictorS
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    Day 1 DLC, seriously? This is a disgrace! Bioware made 2 fantastic games in Mass Effect and Mass Effec 2 where you controlled Commander Shepard. Your Shepard. In Mass Effect 3 Bioware has taken the commander back. Many choices from the first 2 games have minimal changes with some flat out retconned. The dialogue is gone, even with full decisions on it's like watching a movie instead of anDay 1 DLC, seriously? This is a disgrace! Bioware made 2 fantastic games in Mass Effect and Mass Effec 2 where you controlled Commander Shepard. Your Shepard. In Mass Effect 3 Bioware has taken the commander back. Many choices from the first 2 games have minimal changes with some flat out retconned. The dialogue is gone, even with full decisions on it's like watching a movie instead of an interactive story.… Expand
  56. FriedMattato
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    Terrible writing, half-baked gameplay, Scrooge-esque DLC issues, and the removal of everything that was likeable about the franchise from before. Bioware is pushing the cart, and EA is cracking the whip.
  57. LadyIsis
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Like many others, I have been a ME fan since day 1. All the anticipation and excitement fans had for this game, and Bioware chose to disappoint. Overpriced day one DLC is a pretty low move, but with the CE that is not an issue. And the DLC really makes no true impact on the story. As promised, Bioware lets you really get to know your crew in ME3 - but dialogue seems awkward and forced. Wrap-up stories with your ME2 crewmates seem painfully unrealistic at times. Gameplay is different, but not horrible. The armory system takes some getting used to, and instead of an improvement it seems like an over-complication. What ultimately ruined this game for me and alot of other fans was that, in the end, no matter what you did there is no way to end anything even semi-happily. I'm not looking for happily ever after - it shouldn't end that way, it's a galaxy-wide war- but no matter what ending you choose, everything, all the realtionships you built with your crew, and many of the decisions you've made over the years, mean nothing. It's all thrown away. You can save the galaxy or not save the galaxy - but either way, it's not really *the* galaxy anymore. To tear everyone apart at the end is heartwrenching. (As well as leaving some serious questions about their actual chances of survival, even if they *survive* the end sequence)
    The game may be over, but there is no closure. Could new DLC fix this? I don't know...but the replay value of something you know will never end well is very low.    … Expand
  58. vidkid01
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    The game is a shadow of Mass Effect 2, which in itself was a shadow of the first Mass Effect. Almost all RPG elements are taken out of the game, even in RPG mode. None of your choices matter at all, in this game or previous games. SPOILERS For example, whether you killed or saved the Rachni Queen in the first game, the reapers either mind control the queen or find a new one, so youThe game is a shadow of Mass Effect 2, which in itself was a shadow of the first Mass Effect. Almost all RPG elements are taken out of the game, even in RPG mode. None of your choices matter at all, in this game or previous games. SPOILERS For example, whether you killed or saved the Rachni Queen in the first game, the reapers either mind control the queen or find a new one, so you have to fight another Rachni Queen no matter what. Also you are forced to either be gay yourself or walk in on two gay crewmembers. I didn't find this to be that big of a deal, but this could negatively effect or even traumatize some children playing the game. I have been playing the game nonstop since I got it last night and just beat it, and I can say that the ending leaks are real. All possible endings are terrible. No matter what, the entire crew of the normandy gets screwed over and either dies or is stranded on a barren planet without any food to die shortly. Shepard dies in all endings but one. In the one ending shepard lives, the entire galaxy is stripped of advanced technology and is practically sent back into the dark ages. END SPOILERS What could have been an amazing trilogy turned into one amazing game with two terrible sequels. The actual game aside, there is a few hundred dollars of DLC and a very important squadmate is only availiable in the collector's edition which costs $10 extra. Unfortunately like this game, Bioware is a shadow of its former self. Please do not support them by buying this terrible game and maybe they'll turn back in the right direction.… Expand
  59. horsemnonkey
    Mar 18, 2012
    0
    Utterly boring. The most boring game in a long time. Bioware has gone deeply downhill since EA's interference. Keep rushing games. Not much made any sense, surely not the ending.
  60. Ghorman
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    This is game had potential but it was ruined by bad writing, horrible Animation and plenty of other things, This game Doesn't even compare to the other mass effects or bioware's older games. Pick up this game if its ever on a sale under 20$ but don't you even dare buying it above that. Along with day one DLC and origin required for PC, this game was a massive disappointing adventure. IfThis is game had potential but it was ruined by bad writing, horrible Animation and plenty of other things, This game Doesn't even compare to the other mass effects or bioware's older games. Pick up this game if its ever on a sale under 20$ but don't you even dare buying it above that. Along with day one DLC and origin required for PC, this game was a massive disappointing adventure. If you are a hardcore bioware fan just rent it if you have doubts like I did.… Expand
  61. Alienfreak
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    Metacritic started to remove User Reviews. Not only gaming magazines and sites are nowadays bought with EA advertising money but also User Review pages delete User Reviews to please the great EA overlord. This is really poor. So I'm gonna repost my review and lower the rating from 2/10 to 0/10 due to the influence EA obviously tries to take on the consumer's opinion:Metacritic started to remove User Reviews. Not only gaming magazines and sites are nowadays bought with EA advertising money but also User Review pages delete User Reviews to please the great EA overlord. This is really poor. So I'm gonna repost my review and lower the rating from 2/10 to 0/10 due to the influence EA obviously tries to take on the consumer's opinion: ----------------------------------------------> First things first: NOTHING YOU DO DURING THE ADVENTURE CHANGES THE ENDING!!!!111111 The end videos are static and you do not even get the text boxes Dragon Age had. Even if you spend your money on DLCs it changes nothing. Also no matter who you had a romance with in ME2 its not gonna change anything. If you had a romance with Tali in ME2 don't count on her being nice to you in ME3. ---- This game is really a letdown. --- HAMMERHEAD LEFT OUT AGAIN TO BE PAID DLC!!!!1111 --- HUUUUUGE PLOTHOLES EVERYWHERE!!! Seriously. Whoever that writer guy is should take a serious break and start all over again with trying to make a good plot that makes sense and somehow manages to draw the player into it --- End sequence picture and Tali's face are just random pictures Bioware stole/licensed off the internet (google has them) --- A lot fewer People you have as squadmates to save money for EA --- Less than half the playtime of ME2 to save money for EA --- Really bad graphics when compared to many titles that come out nowadays. Not even any graphics settings on PC. Bad Frame Rates --- Repetitive gameplay from minute one. --- Repetitive enemies --- Bad AI --- Badly designed dialogues and options not telling you what you gonna say. --- Fewer places to visit so it saves a lot of money for EA! You can only buy stuff in the citadel. --- No character special missions so it saves EA a lot of money but less stuff for you to do --- Really bad presentation. Like the Normandy coming in like a WW2 bomber and dropping a bomb? Srsly!? A whole fleet opening fire and it looks more like 80mm mortars hitting something!? --- The endings are just lol. If you think you've seen bad endings try the ones from ME3. Biggest let down for a triology ever --- Bad Voice Acting --- Many bugs --- Uninteresting Characters Collapse… Expand
  62. Josh_47ra
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    I will start by saying, if this was a new IP the score would be in the 5-6 range, but it is the final game in a trilogy and therefore I have certain expectations going into it.

    First, the endings are just awful, so rage inducingly awful, like throw my controller through the TV for playing through 3 games to end with this awful. The dialogue is hilariously poorly written, as if they hired    I will start by saying, if this was a new IP the score would be in the 5-6 range, but it is the final game in a trilogy and therefore I have certain expectations going into it.

    First, the endings are just awful, so rage inducingly awful, like throw my controller through the TV for playing through 3 games to end with this awful. The dialogue is hilariously poorly written, as if they hired the lead writer from MW3 to write it. The choices made through the first game barely matter because everything plot important comes back regardless of previous choices. There are a bunch of shoehorned unnecessary characters such as **** McGee (Jessica Chobot) and meathead mcmulligan (Freddie Prinze Jr.). The game play itself is littered with terrible design decisions such as arbitrary timers, the scanning mechanic where you die, and the killing off of characters for unexplainable reasons. There is the stolen artwork for the ending sequence and Tali's real face. The DAY 1 DLC! I could go on for a long time, but I am tired from typing so I will end with this: I feel Bioware has betrayed me and the series by this atrocious bomb of a game and by selling out the franchise to EA. I was devastated by this game, and before it came out I thought Bioware could do wrong, but now I know to never buy a game from them again.    … Expand
  63. Dude45
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    Overall, the game is disappointing, the writing is sloppy, the game play isn't perfect, the graphics are dark, dull, and bland, which wouldn't have been a problem, but I know that's not what this game should have been going for the immersion is also terrible, almost feeling like you're being forced to do something rather than having it be your decision
    the first two games are definitely    Overall, the game is disappointing, the writing is sloppy, the game play isn't perfect, the graphics are dark, dull, and bland, which wouldn't have been a problem, but I know that's not what this game should have been going for the immersion is also terrible, almost feeling like you're being forced to do something rather than having it be your decision
    the first two games are definitely worth it, however, this one, may have been better off back at the game store, your money spent on something better of course...    … Expand
  64. JimmyRustler
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    Mass Effect 1 was a great game and didn't deserve to end like this. Its like lovingly raising a son then having him backstab you when he gets older. Mass Effect 3 is a generic corridor shooter with pukingly bad dialog and a laughable story. The ending is like something my 5 year old niece wrote if I gave her 6 beers, yes it is THAT bad. Way to wrap up the story to your flagship IP Bioware.Mass Effect 1 was a great game and didn't deserve to end like this. Its like lovingly raising a son then having him backstab you when he gets older. Mass Effect 3 is a generic corridor shooter with pukingly bad dialog and a laughable story. The ending is like something my 5 year old niece wrote if I gave her 6 beers, yes it is THAT bad. Way to wrap up the story to your flagship IP Bioware. Day 1 DLC? We got that too. Anybody who supports this needs to have their head examined. I could go on but writing this is making my blood boil as it is. SAVE your money, DON'T support sloppy game development.… Expand
  65. sanqueue
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    All the work I put into ME1 and ME2 feel like a waste. Looks like bioware decided to make any choices from the previous 2 games pointless so they could bring in the shooter crowd as evidenced by the new character added in the last of a trilogy so that anyone can pick this up a play. Why did I even bother with the first two then?
  66. giantman
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    Why do I need to pay money for something that should already be in the game? It's absolutely preposterous. This isn't the only thing I dislike about this game. When you make a series you are supposed to build on each game you create, they have not done so with this game.

    Please, for the love of God do not buy this product.
  67. v-The_Vidya
    Mar 7, 2012
    0
    Absolutely horrible, the first Mass Effect was good, I actually enjoyed it. The second one was a sinking ship. Now look what we have. Some space dating sim with shooting abilities. Is this the future of modern RPG's? (it's a rhetorical question, don't answer that). It's linear and the conversations are dull and boring . Can you imagine this game had a multimillion dollar budget? Look whatAbsolutely horrible, the first Mass Effect was good, I actually enjoyed it. The second one was a sinking ship. Now look what we have. Some space dating sim with shooting abilities. Is this the future of modern RPG's? (it's a rhetorical question, don't answer that). It's linear and the conversations are dull and boring . Can you imagine this game had a multimillion dollar budget? Look what they made. It's a disgrace and it makes me sad. And what about the first day DLC? What is this **** If you pay 60 dollars for a game you pay for a complete version of the game! I don't want to pay for a 56kb file to enable content in a game. At least the graphics are nice.… Expand
  68. Abaddon
    Mar 7, 2012
    0
    Game overall is good as expected, BUT... and that is a big "but"... considering that Bioware/EA screwed not only the trilogy but the ME fanbase as a whole by giving us exactly one ending with very little variation (and in every ending, not only is Shepard and his crew screwed, but also the whole galaxy for centuries to come) despite claiming otherwise for MONTHS and the fact that Shepard,Game overall is good as expected, BUT... and that is a big "but"... considering that Bioware/EA screwed not only the trilogy but the ME fanbase as a whole by giving us exactly one ending with very little variation (and in every ending, not only is Shepard and his crew screwed, but also the whole galaxy for centuries to come) despite claiming otherwise for MONTHS and the fact that Shepard, despite all the sh*t he has been through finally mentally breaks, due to seing some random arse boy he met for like 5 seconds getting killed off by the Reapers (imagine you playing a w*nkster renegade Shepard who kills people for fun, breaking after such crap :D), I simply cannot endorse this game. Thanks Bioware for screwing your fans BIG TIME.
    btw, to those who think giving a bad rating is just because of the DLC 1 thingy... just wait for the ending. You'll get royally screwed as well. Don't worry. The sh*storm regarding that matter already hit BSN a couple of days ago.    … Expand
  69. Mynter
    Mar 7, 2012
    0
    The day-one DLC makes this a 0/10 title. Under NO circumstances should it be okay for developers to release day-one DLC unless itâ
  70. MerpanDerp
    Mar 7, 2012
    0
    Day 1 DLC aside, this game was quite possibly the biggest disappointment so far. The story and especially its end was an incredible let-down, driven by boring, static dialogue. All of the 'new' characters lack depth and character or end up being completely irritating due to bad writing. Gameplay is lacking, RPG elements almost completely removed and the oh so praised 'Cinematic Experience'Day 1 DLC aside, this game was quite possibly the biggest disappointment so far. The story and especially its end was an incredible let-down, driven by boring, static dialogue. All of the 'new' characters lack depth and character or end up being completely irritating due to bad writing. Gameplay is lacking, RPG elements almost completely removed and the oh so praised 'Cinematic Experience' destroyed by awkward animations.

    0/10
    Try again without EA, Bioware.    … Expand
  71. mrrip
    Mar 7, 2012
    0
    Then ideas of things that you love changing into something really bad, you at first trying not to notice that or avoid it with hope that things will be better. Then I played ME 2 I thought that things will change and after developers review criticism of game develop a true masterpiece of game world. But then we saw a total failure of DA2 that become a fantasy clone of ME2. After that weThen ideas of things that you love changing into something really bad, you at first trying not to notice that or avoid it with hope that things will be better. Then I played ME 2 I thought that things will change and after developers review criticism of game develop a true masterpiece of game world. But then we saw a total failure of DA2 that become a fantasy clone of ME2. After that we got a clone of WoW in space (KoTOR) that is failure 2. And now ME3â… Expand
  72. coolranch
    Mar 7, 2012
    0
    So I go to the gamestop to pick up ME3 and I get my gaming area all ready with cool ranch doritos and fanta. I pop what I thought was gonna be game of the year into my 360 and the game literally has an easy button built in, just like what hamburger helper wanted. Then, to get a good single player ending you have to play the hamfisted in multiplayer. This is purely to penalize the gamersSo I go to the gamestop to pick up ME3 and I get my gaming area all ready with cool ranch doritos and fanta. I pop what I thought was gonna be game of the year into my 360 and the game literally has an easy button built in, just like what hamburger helper wanted. Then, to get a good single player ending you have to play the hamfisted in multiplayer. This is purely to penalize the gamers who buy the game used because you have to spend $10 on an online pass. Then, Tali's face was a badly shopped stock image. The removed fingers even still had the bones they didn't bother to remove. The games ending was stolen from a wallpaper. Bioware has NO RESPECT for the gaming community between DA2, SWTOR and ME3.… Expand
  73. bobdole
    Mar 7, 2012
    0
    As someone who really enjoyed the other games in the series, this is a huge let down. From the dumbed down story, terrible animation and graphic issues, and the gaping plot holes this game is just BAD. Truly disappointing. What a joke.
  74. vidyagaeeem
    Mar 7, 2012
    0
    I wouldn't have imagined that they would have went off the deep end when finishing the story. An insult to the players who played the first game. Bioweare needs to understand that it should have had it's intended story completely written before starting to work on this series. The endings make no sense, and they will only continue your adventure if you pony up for dlc, which probably won'tI wouldn't have imagined that they would have went off the deep end when finishing the story. An insult to the players who played the first game. Bioweare needs to understand that it should have had it's intended story completely written before starting to work on this series. The endings make no sense, and they will only continue your adventure if you pony up for dlc, which probably won't be worth it if it is anything like the campaign.… Expand
  75. 40plusgamer
    Mar 7, 2012
    0
    Mass of Dootie. Really sad...The demise of this series is reflected in the evolution of the overall art design. Smooth, idealized, hi concept grand space opera to the dirty, over buckled dumbed down gears of war shoot'em up. And while many will be quick to point out that such choices more accurately portray the realities of war, those same choices diminish the spirit of the Mass EffectMass of Dootie. Really sad...The demise of this series is reflected in the evolution of the overall art design. Smooth, idealized, hi concept grand space opera to the dirty, over buckled dumbed down gears of war shoot'em up. And while many will be quick to point out that such choices more accurately portray the realities of war, those same choices diminish the spirit of the Mass Effect universe so wonderfully revealed in the first game. (eg. heat clips for ammo control...really? welcome to the future...looks a lot like today...a high concept sci-fi design choice to reflect the time of the Mass Effect age removed to cater to common gaming conventions of 2012)

    The writing of the game suffers...players who started this series with the first game carry the benefit of that game's writing in the affection they carry for their companions. Little has been done to develop those relationships beyond the superficial. Writing is stock. Thankfully, at least for femshep, strong voice talent mitigates an otherwise uninspired dialogue. I could go on...but i won't: this game is a sell out we as gamers should have seen coming after Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age 2. Bioware has abandoned its roots.    … Expand
  76. Bannu
    Mar 7, 2012
    0
    This score is based on the view of the build up to Mass Effect 3. If Mass Effect 3 was a stand alone title, with no prequel or setting up of a sequel, then I'd give it maybe a 5. But this game is utter trash as far as gaming standards are concerned.

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

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

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

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

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

    Sure, if you play it as a game, most everyone will like this. If you play it with the mind set that you want to play a video game worth your/my money, and you have an ounce of intelligence, you will find this game disappointing on all levels. Bioware has proven to not care about you, being innovative, or ethics.    … Expand
  77. mastirkal
    Mar 7, 2012
    0
    I'm sorry to say, the game's game play in all other aspects were amazing, but the ending, if we are reviewing based on overall experience completely ruined it for me... I had a ME1 and ME2 import and I did every quest I could and I enjoyed it to holy hell, but the ending was just such a misfire I couldn't even look at this game afterwards. I got early access via a hong kong server so I'veI'm sorry to say, the game's game play in all other aspects were amazing, but the ending, if we are reviewing based on overall experience completely ruined it for me... I had a ME1 and ME2 import and I did every quest I could and I enjoyed it to holy hell, but the ending was just such a misfire I couldn't even look at this game afterwards. I got early access via a hong kong server so I've had the last few days to do this and I simply cannot play anymore, not because it was a bad "game" but because in the end the story it was trying to tell completely collapsed for me.… Expand
  78. b232269
    Mar 7, 2012
    0
    Terrible game. The series has turned from a great rpg experience to a call of duty clone. The ending is ripped off of Deus ex and the synthetic/organic idea is copied from ttgl. Not to mention, tali's face and the ending scene were both taken from a stock image and a desktop wallpaper.
    Don't buy, none of your previous choices matter, dialogues choices are meaningless and the writing is    Terrible game. The series has turned from a great rpg experience to a call of duty clone. The ending is ripped off of Deus ex and the synthetic/organic idea is copied from ttgl. Not to mention, tali's face and the ending scene were both taken from a stock image and a desktop wallpaper.
    Don't buy, none of your previous choices matter, dialogues choices are meaningless and the writing is horrible and awkward.    … Expand
  79. Zellith
    Mar 19, 2012
    0
    This was my favourite trilogy until the last 10 mins. The last 10 mins just undermined and completely destroyed a franchise. The rest of ME3 is absolubtely stellar but the last 10 mins have just absolubtely eviscerated my will to play these games ever again. Rent - do not buy.
  80. lasertank
    Mar 8, 2012
    0
    ME3 killed the franchise. The plot is linear and it lacks of depth. Decisions you made in ME1 and ME2 do not influence any story structure of ME3. The only outcome of those decision is the boring "readiness" value. Totally disappointing ending and epilogue. Why the reaper keep the extinction cycle? Most puzzle are not answered in ME3. The Crucible? It's totally a story disaster, whichME3 killed the franchise. The plot is linear and it lacks of depth. Decisions you made in ME1 and ME2 do not influence any story structure of ME3. The only outcome of those decision is the boring "readiness" value. Totally disappointing ending and epilogue. Why the reaper keep the extinction cycle? Most puzzle are not answered in ME3. The Crucible? It's totally a story disaster, which killed the atomsphere of the whole plot.… Expand
  81. Nikus
    Mar 8, 2012
    0
    Having grown up playing Baldur's Gate, I am saddened to see what Bioware has become. I considered DA2 a disaster made by other team. I considered ME2 a fluke. However ME3 confirmed this trend. Fetch quests instead of deep, epic plots. Gameplay consisting of shooting wave after wave of enemies. Shallow characters pandering to "beach party" MTV crowds, cheap scenes that(I guess) should evokeHaving grown up playing Baldur's Gate, I am saddened to see what Bioware has become. I considered DA2 a disaster made by other team. I considered ME2 a fluke. However ME3 confirmed this trend. Fetch quests instead of deep, epic plots. Gameplay consisting of shooting wave after wave of enemies. Shallow characters pandering to "beach party" MTV crowds, cheap scenes that(I guess) should evoke some emotion but are completely hallow, mysterious aliens turned into "Giant nasty robots". ME3 lost all the charm of the ME1, and seems like a glorified shooter. Bioware no longer makes RPG games I am afraid. Sorry, but I am no longer your fan.… Expand
  82. SaintArdael
    Mar 8, 2012
    0
    I really like the campaign setting of the world, and first and second part, I took great pleasure. But the third part ... it's a nightmare.
    The second part was good, even if it had some flaws. They were small and inconspicuous. Here they just did catch the eye.
    Shepard. The hero, twice saved the galaxy, put ashore. What the hell? As the Alliance could write off the hero of the galaxy,    I really like the campaign setting of the world, and first and second part, I took great pleasure. But the third part ... it's a nightmare.
    The second part was good, even if it had some flaws. They were small and inconspicuous. Here they just did catch the eye.
    Shepard. The hero, twice saved the galaxy, put ashore. What the hell? As the Alliance could write off the hero of the galaxy, and perhaps the spectrum at the beach? But okay, the plot error. But the animation is running, oh, I do not want to see ...

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

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

    And, of course, the ending. It's just terrible. Damn you, writers Bioware! Boy catalyst, oh, that was invented. You have killed the game. You burn in hell.    … Expand
  83. TezJaggs
    Mar 8, 2012
    0
    This game is a DISGRACE to the Mass Effect series and Bioware are a DISGRACE of a developer. They have totally ripped the RPG elements out of this game to make it a FLASHY BANG shooter for the ignorant mainstream and have betrayed their loyal fanbase. The dialogue with squad members all gets the Kasumi/Zaeed treatment which is a DISGRACE to RPG fans. All this series is now is a mediocreThis game is a DISGRACE to the Mass Effect series and Bioware are a DISGRACE of a developer. They have totally ripped the RPG elements out of this game to make it a FLASHY BANG shooter for the ignorant mainstream and have betrayed their loyal fanbase. The dialogue with squad members all gets the Kasumi/Zaeed treatment which is a DISGRACE to RPG fans. All this series is now is a mediocre third person shooter without ANY of the RPG elements that made this series successful. I absolutely hate Bioware now and will be boycotting them from now on. DO NOT BUY THIS GAME. The 'professional' critics have been bribed to give this game high scores. IT IS A DISGRACE TO RPG's.… Expand
  84. SadGamer
    Mar 8, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is my first and last review of a game on this site, but I felt that this needed to be said.
    I have been a Mass Effect fan since the beginning. The story roped me in and I was hooked since the first game. It was innovative and creative, and it showed a growing maturity to gaming. ME2 came out and added in TPS elements, and I am not the type of person that really cares about adding in TPS elements into a game. I have been a TPS person for a long time. ME2 was incredible and extended the story with great depth and big impact for your choices during it. This game has ruined Bioware for me. The dialogue was ok and the fighting was great but, I agree with so many others that say that all of your choices don't matter. When I saw the ending, that is a rip-off of Deus Ex, the controller dropped out of my hand. I couldn't believe that this game, that was supposed to care about every one of my decisions, came down to what flavor of Listerine I wanted to shovel out into the galaxy. The ending was ridiculously simplistic. It has no depth other than being gothy cool. Trust us, Bioware, we have grown up and know that gothy cool is a bunch of crap. You need to grow up and get away from your teenage angst. This series hinged on the ending, and that ending should have had at least an epilogue for each of the living characters. I would have settled for text if you are too cheap for cut scenes. Instead we got Joker taking what is left of the crew to Eden or whatever. Shepard dies in all but 2 endings, and his LI is not even mentioned. Maybe I'm getting old, but for a game that makes you care about characters, it doesn't. It makes you make one of three horrific decisions, and hurt almost everyone in the process. That is not being grown up, that is being sadistic. We invested time, it requires tons of effort and a 40 hour work week to get this thing done properly. We have all given hundreds of hours preparing our Shepards for ME3. This is all we get, this isn't innovative, this is lazy and immature. This is like a college kid doing a ton of research, and then putting together his final paper the day it is due and doing a sloppy job. The professor isn't going to give you an "A" for what you did earlier in your research, they are going to give you an "F" for screwing up your paper. It is so sad that a series with so much potential is squandered at the last moment. By the way, we got the politics that you are constantly shoving down our throats during the entire game. It was not subtle, it was unnecessary. I'm giving this a zero because of plagiarism of Deus Ex ending, on top of the cruel way you treated your customers. If you are a fan of ME and played the other two, don't bother with this one, it isn't worth the money.    … Expand
  85. Bambii
    Mar 8, 2012
    0
    I don't think the game really did anything special to begin with. The space opera story is here yet again with an uninteresting plot and dull characters. I don't see any appeal in saving the galaxy in a poor made game with dialogues that are too dumb and unfunny and with lack of anything interesting going on. It's like watching a crappy movie at 4 a.m. and not giving a s*** about what'sI don't think the game really did anything special to begin with. The space opera story is here yet again with an uninteresting plot and dull characters. I don't see any appeal in saving the galaxy in a poor made game with dialogues that are too dumb and unfunny and with lack of anything interesting going on. It's like watching a crappy movie at 4 a.m. and not giving a s*** about what's going on! Action is subpar and, you know, there is just nothing that could save this crappy game from being a total disaster.… Expand
  86. Jcowles0009
    Mar 8, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. True Mass Effect fans fell in love with this series based on a few truths: Story, emotional character development, choices that have dramatic impact, and massive replayability. I feel robbed, sorely beaten out of lack of writing talent. Because let's be honest, gameplay has and still is sub-par. Not that it's terrible, just not as smooth as it should be after three installments. Gameplay should have been perfected In ME2, but instead we got sloppy mini-games, flimsy gun control, and miserable level design that completely negated the "exploration" theme of ME1. So why did we look over these flaws? Simple; the Truths that made us fall for the series in the first place. ME2 had those ever so important elements. ME3, unfortunately, does not. It plays more like a half attempted film where the conclusion is affected minimally by your choices throughout the games. What's more, is all that talk of "choices truly effect the story", have very little to do with the most important part of the series; the ending! Some elements are welcome. You can find weapons everywhere! Which, for me, almost completley made me have no reason to actually buy a weapon. But I like going to merchants and browse around. The relationships did not seem as genuine as before. Sometimes when my love interest said something "sweet" to me, it was difficult to realize that's what they were going for. I guess they didn't want to strain their actors voices, because I'm sure there was no attempt to re-record lines with a different " emotional" response. Most of the "love interest" scenes got really lost in translation, and came off very generic. I'm not going to spoil anything, but your love interests are LIMITED! When I say that I mean anyone from previous games are much smaller than it should. This should have been a hard decision on who to go with, but the developers make it painfully easy. BY LIMITING THE CANDIDATES!!!!! Robbed! That's all I can really say. The cinematics are beautiful, and the new worlds also reflect am artists masterpiece, but vanity only goes so far, and you can't put lipstick on a pig and call it a model. I mean it just is not the hype, at all. The new elements, though some are cool( weapon mods) though others not ( what is this reaper mini-game crap?!?! Huh?!?!) simply do not outway the huge fail to the fans. "Oh, yeah, I forgot; your decisions actually have no real effect, with any substance, at all, on the end game. We are just going to give you a few generic options that aren't really that different. Except for color!" I'm expecting this in a news conference with Bioware in the near future. And you'll figure out what I'm talking about soon enough. Just remember to save before the end game. And aim your controller away from the glass window. You have already spent enough on the game, don't let it cost you a window repair too!… Expand
  87. Gatsby2367
    Mar 8, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is the worst of the trilogy. They have simplified them as they progressed, and the writing's quality has degraded at an even faster pace. They just stopped putting in the effort and it shows.… Expand
  88. Lord_Dorkon
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    What happened to Mass Effect? This was supposed to be the thrilling conclusion to a wonderful space epic. Instead we are given a game which feels like it was written by two different groups. The first 90% of the game (story wise) is compelling and exciting. However the ending and the last hour or so leading up to feel like they were written by someone with no understanding of how to trulyWhat happened to Mass Effect? This was supposed to be the thrilling conclusion to a wonderful space epic. Instead we are given a game which feels like it was written by two different groups. The first 90% of the game (story wise) is compelling and exciting. However the ending and the last hour or so leading up to feel like they were written by someone with no understanding of how to truly write at all. Plot holes opening up all around you and with the endings ripped off from Deus Ex makes me wonder what exactly Bioware/EA were thinking when the final script was approved. The endings completely go against the spirit of the series and more than that they are all essentially the same my making every other choice up to that point completely null. I find it even more offensive that almost all of the RPG elements have become so watered down as to be unrecognisable. The conversation wheel which longtime fans of the series such as myself have come to know and love rarely shows up now. And even when it does all it offers is two ways to say the same thing. Even worse, your choices in the previous two make no really substantial difference in this entry either. Even the illusion of choice is gone. You almost don't get to converse with your crew at all. Instead your interaction is mostly limited to selecting them like you do with Zaeed Massani in ME2 and they talk a little bit while you just stand there. This becomes a big problem because ME3 throws in with no real introduction or background characters who are completely new or have only been featured in the Expanded Universe. I like the voice acting and appreciate that the world feels more alive now with background characters talking to one another when you walk by, that is when the sound doesn't drop out. It's unfortunate that the coders haven't learned anything, all the cut scene glitches are back in full force. Including the one where everyone uses the same assault rifle during the cut scene, regardless of whether or not they can even use one. It's nice to see all characters from the first two one last time, a little family reunion if you will. It's a shame that almost none of them will be joining your squad again. I do like the direction ground combat has taken though the removal of heavy weapons is another negative in my book. The day one DLC feels more like game content that was cut out rather than an actual add on. And having this nearly story essential DLC on day one is just plain greedy.

    Mostly though I just can't get around the endings. It feels like a punch in the gut to those of us who were big fans of the first two. It's so out of left field that I almost expect M. Night Shyamalan to be responsible for this travesty. It's almost like ending The Lord of the Rings with Frodo riding a nuke into Barad-dûr with a cowboy hat on. I almost wish it would have been a Dallas-"It was all a dream" ending.    … Expand
  89. frkonalsh30
    Mar 8, 2012
    0
    Here we go again Bioware. In an attempt to appeal to the masses you alienate the base. Brushing aside my problems with character loads, glicthces, game play and lackluster story development, you decide to go the way of political correctness and interject as much Homo mumbo jumbo into it as possible to appeal to a niche audience. Simply ridiculous that the gaming industry (long immune toHere we go again Bioware. In an attempt to appeal to the masses you alienate the base. Brushing aside my problems with character loads, glicthces, game play and lackluster story development, you decide to go the way of political correctness and interject as much Homo mumbo jumbo into it as possible to appeal to a niche audience. Simply ridiculous that the gaming industry (long immune to this type of BS) have finally decided to sell out. This is the last dollar you get from me.… Expand
  90. Barazon
    Mar 8, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Forget most of the things that made the first game great and the second game decent. Gone is the excellent interaction with your squad (but you can improve it if you spend $200 on a Kinect!). The Tali reveal is just a photo on your desk, not an in-game character graphic showing her face. Instead of going with what made the series great, they're trying to catch the players who love first-person shooter multiplayer games, quick cash grabs with pay-for content on the release date, etc. Hey maybe they'll release some interaction with Tali without her suit if only you spend some extra $$$.

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

    I'm not saying they don't deserve to make money, but can they really be so clueless as to not realize how their longtime fans would react to pay-to-play content available on the release date of the game?! Releasing that content for free would have been the equivalent of free positive advertising, instead of the negativity that it did generate. Unless they remember what made their games great, and realize that making great games, first and foremost, will lead to great sales, I probably won't be playing any more of their games.    … Expand
  91. robvee
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    I was a big fan of Bioware ever since KOTOR but i'm afraid that ever since they paired up with EA they've been making poor choices and as much as i loved Mass Effect 1 and 2 i have to say ME3 is the biggest disappointment in all the video games i have played. I actually really enjoyed the game up until the ending part that really makes me wish i never played it. All the endings are superI was a big fan of Bioware ever since KOTOR but i'm afraid that ever since they paired up with EA they've been making poor choices and as much as i loved Mass Effect 1 and 2 i have to say ME3 is the biggest disappointment in all the video games i have played. I actually really enjoyed the game up until the ending part that really makes me wish i never played it. All the endings are super depressing which means all the decisions you made in this game and last two games were pretty much useless, don"t even get me started with the day 1 DLC.… Expand
  92. okwhatever2
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    This game was a clear 10/10 until I hit the atrocious, horrible, space magic and pixie dust endings. Seriously, you expect us to make a second play through with a knee to the groin ending? Returning the game to gamestop and I will feel lucky if they give me a buck for it. I am going to pretend they never made ME3. Seriously wait till this game is in the 5 dollar range or rent it.
  93. belaziel
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. If you haven't played the game, why are you giving it a review?

    Having played ME1 & ME2, ME3 was a COMPLETE AND UTTER LETDOWN. My choices from previous games obviously didn't matter. Gameplay was only marginally refined over ME2. Character animation was still "off." Character development was only cursory in most cases. Story progression was there, to a point, then it simply dropped off the map. Did the writers forget this is the conclusion to an EPIC storyline? Having played the first two, I can honestly say I'd have been better off by 1) by not having played Me1 & ME2 or 2) not having bothered with ME3 and just read some fanfic. I'm not even concerned with the DLC issue (that wasn't an ideal situation, but meh). What disgusts me is the years and countless hours that went into this series, both in development and fanbase terms, and it was all for naught. If I had wanted all my money, time, effort and emotional investment to boil down into three ridiculous choices I'd have skipped ME3. I'd honestly have been better served by dusting off my DEM:GOTYE, reinstalling it, and playing it. Gay/Lesbian romance? Didn't bother me (and I'm straight), but shoehorning in a homosexual romance when none previously existed absolutely reeked of political scheming. The storyline was okay through most of the game, but was lacking in the depth and scope of its predecessors. For any other developer, this wouldn't be an issue, but for Bioware, known for its incredible writing, this is unforgivable. NONE of the endings ties into the Mass Effect series. It's nothing more than a blatant attempt to pass off laziness as quality work. I'm not asking for an ending where everyone lives and is holding hands, skipping through a meadow of daisies, singing "It's a Wonderful World." What I am asking for is some sort of thought process to be used. Who believed this was a good idea to shaft the fanbase/revenue-producer like this? I'm thoroughly disappointed with Mass Effect 3. This was a pitiful attempt to capitalize on two previous games (both incredible in their depth and scope) by half-stepping to the finish line...and I was suckered into the lie. Way to take an EPIC story/franchise and drive it straight into the ground. Obviously EA's influence has rubbed off. Shame on you Bioware. Shame on you.    … Expand
  94. alcolica
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    Semplicemente me3 non è all'altezza dei primi due capitoli , la storia fa schifo e il fatto che le proprie scelte non influenzino la storia pernulla è orribile .
    Grazie EA per aver rovinato pure ME3 .
  95. ExMassEffectFan
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. After the sublime perfection that was Mass Effect 2, this game was such a huge disappointment. For starters you're forced to play multiplayer in order to boost your "Galactic Readiness", a score used to determine how likely you are to succeed in defeating the Reapers (the main villians of the Mass Effect trilogy). Even though I completed every side mission I could find (some I could not finish due to bugs) it wasn't enough to get over 4000 needed for Shepard to survive (I was stuck at 3,800-odd). Another disappointment was the lack of returning characters from ME2. Most of the characters popped up during the course of the game, but there was very little chance to interact with them. Worse, the few characters that could be interacted with rarely had dialogue trees where you could choose what to say to them, instead the dialogue was entirely fixed. There were some nice moments, like the interactions with Joker and EDI, but overall this game disappoints compared to ME2. Finally, by far the biggest problem are the endings. At the end you are given the choice of three endings, but all of them are utterly terrible. As the conclusion to a trilogy, this is hugely disappointing. After all the blood, guts and tears the story deserved a much better ending than the ones offered. I would be willing to pay good money for Bioware to make a new ending and release it as DLC. SO DISAPPOINTING. :(… Expand
  96. rabidcaveman48
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    This game is worse than bad, it's insulting. As a long time fan of the series, I feel betrayed. Aside from the absolute pants on head retarded conclusion, the writing, voice acting, textures and animations have all gone to hell. None of our choices mattered in the end. It's been casualized and sexualized to death, in the laziest way possible. Look at Tali's face. I honestly wouldn't haveThis game is worse than bad, it's insulting. As a long time fan of the series, I feel betrayed. Aside from the absolute pants on head retarded conclusion, the writing, voice acting, textures and animations have all gone to hell. None of our choices mattered in the end. It's been casualized and sexualized to death, in the laziest way possible. Look at Tali's face. I honestly wouldn't have cared if it wasn't aesthetically appealing. But the fact that they used a badly shopped STOCK PHOTO to reveal the likeness of one of the most speculated about and beloved characters IN THE SERIES, is a testament to how little bioware cares. And why would they? No matter how terrible a triple A release is, "critics" will praise it to no end, and the masses will take their word for it. This is why game journalism is a joke; it's all just thinly veiled marketing. And about the multiplayer pass and day one DLC? The game should come with a "parts sold seperately" sticker.… Expand
  97. ME3EndingFAIL
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game was awesome. With very few flaws.

    1. Shepard talks for himself WAY TO MUCH.

    2. They kill off key characters that you should have the ability to save or let them die.

    3. The game is half as long as the previous two games. This is fine however since the game is so replayable and delicious.

    "So why are you rating the game zero?"

    Because this game had the most disappointing ending I have ever seen. It was the most disappointing thing that has ever happened in my life (No exaggeration) Everything you have ever done is absolutely pointless at the end of this game; it almost feels like a dream because it is so bad.

    I have no idea how Bioware thought this was a good idea. I would think at least one Bioware employee would be like 'These ending are going to ruin the entire franchise." But no. I hate my life right now, and I hate Bioware.

    I would spend 4000MP on alternate DLC endings, but sadly Bioware is to proud of themselves to let it happen.

    In order for me not to kill myself I had to create my own ending in my mind, that is how bad these ending are. I had 20+ characters waiting to be imported to ME3 and now it all seems worthless :(

    Bioware you officially got 99.9% right, and 0.01% Unforgivably, it was the 0.01% that counted the most, see you in hell Bioware. Signed Cmdr. Shepard    … Expand
  98. anterra11
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    This game is a complete disappointment. It was fun up until the last 5 minutes, and those five minutes make the whole series seem like a 100+ hour waste of time. I swear they had a five year old write the ending, and for those of you who think your choices from the last two games matter, they don't, there is only 3 total endings. That's it! Way to Go BioWare, your a joke company to me now.
  99. rastaputin
    Mar 10, 2012
    0
    If you are a Mass Effect fan, DO NOT play this game. After building to what looked to be an incredible, epic conclusion to one of the best videogame trilogies of all time, Bioware has instead released an utter disappointment. While combat and characters may be decent, the horrific ending ruins the entire mass effect saga.
  100. goblue22
    Mar 10, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Terrible endings destroy Mass Effect 3, destroy the series.

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

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

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

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

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

    However, the real kicker is that regardless of what choice is selected Shepard will die (unless destroy is selected with over 4k war assets), your crew is inexplicably stranded on unknown planet (including crew members in your squad on your final mission), and all the mass relays are destroyed.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
93

Universal acclaim - based on 74 Critic Reviews

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