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. Grimloche
    Mar 26, 2012
    10
    This game was amazing and don't let anyone talk you out of playing it because they hate EA. Honestly it's amazingly good. The entire game is filled with endings to all the major plot points maintained throughout the story. Big emotional events with sacrifice being a key theme happen regularly. There is literally an ending for every plot point in the series. So the complaint of the actualThis game was amazing and don't let anyone talk you out of playing it because they hate EA. Honestly it's amazingly good. The entire game is filled with endings to all the major plot points maintained throughout the story. Big emotional events with sacrifice being a key theme happen regularly. There is literally an ending for every plot point in the series. So the complaint of the actual ending being bad, is based on people not realizing that fact. Those same people complaining about the lack of ending are the type of people who rush through the game and skip dialogue. You know who I'm talking about, we all know them. TL:DR; Just play it, ignore these people pretending it's the worst thing ever.… Expand
  2. nerdndisguise
    Mar 26, 2012
    9
    Graphics:
    This game has grown graphically as much as the series did from the first game to the second. In HD, this gameâ
  3. LukeDukem
    Mar 26, 2012
    3
    Well, game is not that good like ME1 and ME2 was (even worst as a ''RPG'' game), and that... ending, haha BioWare is gettin' even better after DA2 ;-)

    Just rent it :-/
  4. stratosfeyr
    Mar 26, 2012
    10
    Sometimes I hate the goddamn internet. Every piece of **** is enabled to share pure **** which can be seen on this case. All those bad ratings dont rate the game itself, but the ending. Thats a difference. In their disappointment, the forget about hundreds hours of fun with the Mass-Effect game, and break one of the best Next-Gen series down to about 10 minutes. Thats hilarious. MassSometimes I hate the goddamn internet. Every piece of **** is enabled to share pure **** which can be seen on this case. All those bad ratings dont rate the game itself, but the ending. Thats a difference. In their disappointment, the forget about hundreds hours of fun with the Mass-Effect game, and break one of the best Next-Gen series down to about 10 minutes. Thats hilarious. Mass Effect 3 plays mostly like 2, but feels more like 1, due to the focus on the Citadel. To me, its the best part of the ME universe, no matter how it ends. You shouldnt give a f*ckin **** about these kiddies outwhere, ****storming everyone and everything like theyd be goddamn nazis. This is an amazing game, with a disappointing ending. No more no less. 10/10.… Expand
  5. YipManSays
    Mar 26, 2012
    9
    I thoroughly enjoyed Mass Effect 3. The mechanics have been improved again and combat is still the fast paced and fluid combat it was in the second entry in the franchise. The story obviously takes a more serious tone because the galaxy is being annihilated by the Reapers in this entry. But the journey is fantastic and it is cool to see how decisions you made from back in the first orI thoroughly enjoyed Mass Effect 3. The mechanics have been improved again and combat is still the fast paced and fluid combat it was in the second entry in the franchise. The story obviously takes a more serious tone because the galaxy is being annihilated by the Reapers in this entry. But the journey is fantastic and it is cool to see how decisions you made from back in the first or second game come back to change outcomes in the third. Multiplayer is also a nice addition and again Bioware integrates it with the single player outcome so that you are motivated to participate in it. As far as the ending goes it does leave a little more to be desired but I commend Bioware for trying something different. For me personally the ending wasn't a big deal because I enjoyed the journey along the way and characters I met. Overall a great title and worth your time!… Expand
  6. anzel
    Mar 26, 2012
    10
    This is the best game to date. From the beginning until the end it surprises you. I played 1 and 2, but nr 3 is just awesome. The graphics is excellent. The story is simply out of this world. A completely new and fresh story. I get so bored with the standard endings of other games. This one will never ever be forgotten.
  7. phoenix83
    Mar 26, 2012
    10
    I don't understand all the negative reviews on this site, mostly based around the day one DLC. If you don't want it, don't buy it. The industry is using day 1 DLC as an extra way of making some revenue, and if that is what has to be done to stop price increases on games, then fine. I did download the DLC as I am such a big ME fan that I will bite the hand off the developers like a hungryI don't understand all the negative reviews on this site, mostly based around the day one DLC. If you don't want it, don't buy it. The industry is using day 1 DLC as an extra way of making some revenue, and if that is what has to be done to stop price increases on games, then fine. I did download the DLC as I am such a big ME fan that I will bite the hand off the developers like a hungry lion for anything ME related. Admittedly the mission that comes with the pack is short, but the cutscenes included with it are amazing and give some real insight into the last days of the protheans in their war against the reapers. Plus Jarik seems to be a really interesting character with a kickass particle rifle which shepard can also use. My only advice with this weapon is not to let it run out of energy (make sure you take your finger off the trigger before that so it recharges).

    I am something like 7 hours into the single player and have put 2-3 hours into the multiplayer which I have also found to be great fun.

    Unfortunately due to losing my saves a while ago I am not in a position to play through all 3 games with the same character yet so I have had to import my ME2 soldier for my first ME3 playthrough but that's ok as all it means is I get to spend more time playing one of my favourite game series of all time! Not a loss in my book.

    This review is based on where I am in the game right now so I can't comment on the endings yet. I am interested to see if is bad as everyone is making out though. Even if it is, I have faith that bioware will not disappoint again with their solution.    … Expand
  8. 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
  9. sias
    Mar 25, 2012
    8
    A decent yet highly flawed finale to a great trilogy, that feels really quite dated. GOOD: Fantastic presentation and production values gives the game a fantastically epic feel at times (Palaven level in particular); Fun and varied combat that improves upon both ME1 and 2 by presenting the player with a greater diversity of enemies that require radically different techniques to beat;A decent yet highly flawed finale to a great trilogy, that feels really quite dated. GOOD: Fantastic presentation and production values gives the game a fantastically epic feel at times (Palaven level in particular); Fun and varied combat that improves upon both ME1 and 2 by presenting the player with a greater diversity of enemies that require radically different techniques to beat; Generally stunning graphics and crisp, clean textures; Most character interactions are superb with a mostly decent script; Around 90% of the story is brilliantly told and exciting to participate in; Voice acting is top-notch and fleshes out the characters well; Much improved powers progression over ME2 with a slight decrease in overall linearity; Weapon mods are a welcome return as are the armour upgrades from ME2; Seeing the conclusions of many of your choices in previous games play out is generally pretty well done; Multiplayer is very good and offers a wealth of customisation and character progression; Space Hamster, Auto-Fish feeder and Blasto! BAD: Journal is terribly designed and does not update when new items for a quest are found, so quest progression can be confusing; When opening quest log it does not default to top of screen so you have to scroll through all the quests you've completed whenever you open it which is irritating and totally unnecessary; Graphical pop-in during many different parts of the game creates an unfinished look in an other wise highly polished game; Characters vanish during cutscenes and necks twist in weird laughably bad directions to compensate for bad character placement during some cutscenes; Human faces look awful at times compared to other Alien races and detract somewhat from the emotion of many cutscenes; During cutscenes graphical bugs occur wherein pistols are holstered on back or are invisible where Bioware always expected players to apparently be using an assault rifle; Shepard has an awful script which is positively cringe worthy in most instances and again detracts from the quality of cutscenes; Story has many exhaustingly contrived instances, such as the sudden emergence of a weapon that can destroy all the Reapers highlighting some terrible writing in parts; The Ending is horridly put together and highlights Bioware's inability to conclude compelling stories (Space Jesus? Why? Deus Ex Machina anyone?); Many quest bugs which require reloading from previous saves to proceed; The one-button-for-every-action is at it's worse now that Bioware have introduced rolling to the combat - having the same button for running, going into cover, interacting with an item, rolling and reviving team mates reeks of bad game design and causes far too many frustrating moments (See Vanquish for how to do this correctly); In multiplayer there are many gameplay bugs such as falling through floor, enemies becoming invisible/invincible, not being able to forward roll and use heavy attack for minutes at a time and being stuck on the spot forcing you to quit out of the game; The galaxy map is now at its most redundant with sections cut off until you reach "that part of the game" meaning actual exploration in Mass Effect 3 is incredibly linear; Scanning for War assets is dull and requires almost no input from the player; Side-quests are incredibly shallow and mostly require you to scan a planet to find some lost religious texts for a species and then find the numbered NPC on a map of the citadel to complete it (bearing in mind the journal never updates, so you only know if a mission is complete if a new numbered NPC appears on the map); Other side-quest follow a sloppy pattern of coincidently bumping into old team mates from ME2 under increasingly dull and contrived circumstances; Zero customisation of your teammate armour; Weapon mods are uninteresting and are mostly just scopes and bigger clips; Character progression is still immensely shallow, especially for your teammates; All aspects of character progression are combat based and there are no class specific skills to give you an advantage in any moments out of combat so your class has zero identity outside a combat situation; No mini-games for hacking doors now, just stand and watch Shepard wave his omni-tool around for a good 20 seconds (fun?...no); Reaper awareness meter on galaxy map is badly implemented and just becomes a nuisance instead of creating a feeling of actual panic; War Assest acquisition is wholly artifical and is quite simply a bar to raise so you get more of a choice of the same badly written and horribly presented ending. Overall Mass Effect 3 is a fun game to play, but it's shallow, buggy, has some terrible scripting blunders and horrid design choices that really tarnish what could have been a superb game and a definite contender for my GOTY.… Expand
  10. YetiConfetti
    Mar 25, 2012
    10
    1. Bioware tried to listen to its fans, and it shows in the drastic differences between each game. Cut them some slack, it's impossible to account for everybody's personal preferences. 2. Bioware, I really hope you learn something from this catastrophe. I loved this game from start to finish, but I also agree with many of the complaints. Day 1 DLC, rushed and/or overly convoluted ending,1. Bioware tried to listen to its fans, and it shows in the drastic differences between each game. Cut them some slack, it's impossible to account for everybody's personal preferences. 2. Bioware, I really hope you learn something from this catastrophe. I loved this game from start to finish, but I also agree with many of the complaints. Day 1 DLC, rushed and/or overly convoluted ending, and worst of all - forced multiplayer. I want to hate this game...yet after putting 90-some hours into it I can't bring myself to say it was bad. 3. I recommend this game to those who are patient and open-minded. It's a dialogue-heavy shooter, which is already something of an oxymoron, but ultimately either the story or the gameplay will hook you. It's just a shame that at this point in the series it's easy to see which element is obviously receiving more attention from the developers.… Expand
  11. jimbodean
    Mar 25, 2012
    2
    Been a fan since the first article I read about mass effect 7 years ago. What a disappointment. ME3 has been dumbed down from the great rpg it was. I will agree that the combat is tight and smooth, but thats not the main reason why I chose to play it, even after I started to hear the ugly rumors. Had to find out for myself. "Official" reviews sing praise after praise, even while the fanBeen a fan since the first article I read about mass effect 7 years ago. What a disappointment. ME3 has been dumbed down from the great rpg it was. I will agree that the combat is tight and smooth, but thats not the main reason why I chose to play it, even after I started to hear the ugly rumors. Had to find out for myself. "Official" reviews sing praise after praise, even while the fan base has spoken very loudly of their displeasure. I couldn't agree more, after playing through myself. I don't even want to go into what I thought about the ending. I honestly feel ripped off. Now I see bioware tap-dancing and trying to put a positive spin on a turd, while condemning people's criticisms. Chalk one up for EA. You got my 50 bucks and could care less.… Expand
  12. gamerscorhunta
    Mar 25, 2012
    10
    After reading all of the user reviews, I question if they even know what they are saying. Would you petition an author to rewrite a book just because it didn't have an ending you liked? No. Mass Effect 3 has superseded all of my expectations and hopes I have grown since the first day Mass Effect 1 came out. The story is impressively extensive, and the combat has somehow improved upon theAfter reading all of the user reviews, I question if they even know what they are saying. Would you petition an author to rewrite a book just because it didn't have an ending you liked? No. Mass Effect 3 has superseded all of my expectations and hopes I have grown since the first day Mass Effect 1 came out. The story is impressively extensive, and the combat has somehow improved upon the second. Many critisize the ending, and many give the game a "0" just because BioWare released downloadable content day one that was on the disc. What do I say? Don't buy the content, haha! It is embarrasing to have such whiners in the community, I truly believe they are all great people, smart, and are intelligent, but I believe people are losing themselves over a franchise they were so obsessed with, that because the ending left some questions unanswered, that because the ending was so out of their reach, they want to have one cohessive thought, and that (for some reason) is to complain. The game itself is not broken like some idiots try to reason, which is beyond me. The story is a masterpiece among modern games, a pinnacle of unventured futures of scifi epics, one that can rival that of Star Wars and Star Trek. Do NOT let the negative reviews get you down, and just play it.… Expand
  13. roflz1337
    Mar 25, 2012
    2
    While I did enjoy most of Mass Effect 3, there are several issues that I found quite disappointing and has left a severely bad after taste in my mouth. First of all, the move from even further away from its RPG roots. For example, the dumbing down of dialogue. The middle ground options seem to have just been completely removed, only providing you a top or bottom choice most of the time.While I did enjoy most of Mass Effect 3, there are several issues that I found quite disappointing and has left a severely bad after taste in my mouth. First of all, the move from even further away from its RPG roots. For example, the dumbing down of dialogue. The middle ground options seem to have just been completely removed, only providing you a top or bottom choice most of the time. Next, is the lack of exploration. The only place to go to talk to people, a RPG "city" as you will, is the Citadel. Other than that, its pretty much run and gun.

    The other issue I had with it is the day 1 DLC. It is obvious this character was never meant to leave the game. He provides key story information about the previous cycle, why the markers exist, the reapers, and the fate of the Protheans.

    My by far most unforgiving issue and biggest disappointment with the game are the endings. The last 10 minutes of the game introduce a brand new character, creates massive plot holes, provide zero closure to anything you've done, have no way to challenge the new end game character's ridiculously insane logic, and have each ending 98% the same as the others. In addition, no matter what choice you make throughout the entire saga, it will have no effect on the end sequence. You will not get any cut-scenes or any form of text explaining how your choices effected the galaxy or what happens to any of your squad mates. Every Shepard will receive the exact same set of endings regardless of what you do. The only factor that plays any roll on the ending is the "effective military strength". Overall, I found the endings to be so empty, depressingly unsatisfying, and poorly written that they have ruined the entire series. Being a long time Mass Effect fan since the first, I wanted to play from the beginning again, but after seeing and knowing what awaits me at the end of 3, I can't even look at it.

    As I said in the beginning, I did still enjoy most of Mass Effect 3 and could look past its step back from its RPG roots still. Excluding the endings, rating it based soley off the journey up to the end point, i would give the game a 9/10. However, the endings are simply story telling suicide that are so bad they tarnish the entire series greatness. Due to that factor, I give the game overall a 2/10 for the amount of damage the endings do to the franchise along with the depressingly bad after taste it leaves.    … Expand
  14. H1T5Clixs
    Mar 25, 2012
    0
    Game is good until not only this game but the previous two installments are completely ruined.
    The Game ruins it and its predecessors with a fail ending that I cannot think of an ending that doesn't use the elements of the current ending that would be worse.
    Multiplayer is solid although won't be able to compete in the long run. Story is good until the end. Lack of Neutral option for chat    Game is good until not only this game but the previous two installments are completely ruined.
    The Game ruins it and its predecessors with a fail ending that I cannot think of an ending that doesn't use the elements of the current ending that would be worse.
    Multiplayer is solid although won't be able to compete in the long run.
    Story is good until the end.
    Lack of Neutral option for chat is lame.
    Lack of Planet Exploration.
    Terrible quest tracker.
    I would give the game an 8 or 9 without the ending but seeing as the ending destroys two of the best games I have ever played this game deserves a 0.    … Expand
  15. Artic_Flood
    Mar 25, 2012
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. For all the haters out there...GET OVER IT! Its a video game its not real life. Boo Hoo they didn't end the game the way YOU wanted. Grow up people if you dont like the way it ended thats just too damn bad. I happened to enjoy the ending. If you didnt understand what was happening at the end...I feel sorry for your ignorance. Since ME1 Shepard has been fighting indoctrination. By ME3 his indoctrination is nearly complete. Its little things that happen during ME3 that show you his indoctrination...like...the little boy who nobody else sees, i mean he was struggling to get on the shuttle and not one soldier helps him on. Do you know why??? Its because he's not real he's a hallucination brought on by Harbinger to try and crush Shepards will to fight. What about during the end when the laser hits Shepard and Harbinger leaves the beam. Why do the other soldiers retreat if Harbinger has left? or why when its asked if anyone made it to the beam do you hear that no one makes it? Or the fact that Anderson beats you to the Citadel control room even though he's clearly not ahead of you? How about how the Destruction choice (paragon) and Control choice (renegade) are represented by the opposite colors on the pathways? They're switched because the Reapers want you to "control" them not destroy them because control shows that you've become fully indoctrinated. The Mass Relays are still there...the Geth are still alive...VI's,AI's, all synthetic life is still alive.… Expand
  16. snOmis
    Mar 25, 2012
    10
    This game is amazing. I mean, the ending is a bit disappointing (Didn't they say there would be NO long lost "Reaper off button"?) but everything else is perfect. Great graphics, sound, and game play.
  17. spacebeagle
    Mar 25, 2012
    0
    Poor ending ruins the whole franchise,because of it I am selling the Mass Effect 1,2 and 3 and am not prepared to buy any more games produced by Bioware and certainly not any type of "Bandaid" dlc that will try to cover up the poor, illogical and identical "3" endings provided by the third game.
  18. TheOutlawXanadu
    Mar 25, 2012
    8
    First thing's first: Mass Effect 3's ending is truly awful. I won't go into detail as to why because a simple Google search will yield about a million articles on the subject; just know it's pretty bad. Unfortunately, some people have gone so far as to claim the ending makes the game worthless, and I disagree with that. For the most part, the game is amazing. It has by far and away theFirst thing's first: Mass Effect 3's ending is truly awful. I won't go into detail as to why because a simple Google search will yield about a million articles on the subject; just know it's pretty bad. Unfortunately, some people have gone so far as to claim the ending makes the game worthless, and I disagree with that. For the most part, the game is amazing. It has by far and away the most personal moments of the series and ties up some sub-plots wonderfully (Mordin's comes to mind). The combat is also really fun, although sometimes the level design is a little clunky. Really, the only criticism I have of the game besides the ending is the overwhelming amount of automatic dialog. It should also be noted that because of this, playing as a true Renegade might be impossible. Overall, Mass Effect 3 is a terrific game with one gargantuan flaw. I admit the ending is so bad I once considered never playing the series again, but after bringing myself back down to Earth a little, I have realized that reaction was ridiculous. It's still the same great trilogy it always was; you just gotta forget about the last 10 minutes.… Expand
  19. Conor1320
    Mar 25, 2012
    10
    Pay no attention to the negative user reviews. Fans are never pleased. The negative reviews only criticize one to two flaws in the game and render it a 0-2 rating... Just pathetic, how could you call yourselves fans? Why are you mad at Bioware? Is it because of the ending? First of all the ending is the work of the writer, the final 10 minutes is where the poor writing starts, and I admitPay no attention to the negative user reviews. Fans are never pleased. The negative reviews only criticize one to two flaws in the game and render it a 0-2 rating... Just pathetic, how could you call yourselves fans? Why are you mad at Bioware? Is it because of the ending? First of all the ending is the work of the writer, the final 10 minutes is where the poor writing starts, and I admit the ending was a letdown, but I still love BioWare and I still love ME3, so if you should criticize anyone then attack the writer regarding the final 10 minutes. Bioware has forged this magnificent story and lore for us all to enjoy and yet many of you attack them for minor details, I am ashamed to even think they are a part of the fanbase. Many loyal fans and I included still appreciate ME3 and all the story + lore shared by BioWare and I am not going to let some silly ending bring me down, give the scores the game deserves.… Expand
  20. mysoxs
    Mar 24, 2012
    10
    I beg everyone to go and watch the indoctrination theory it was nothing short of mind blowing. I understand why people have given this game 0 and 1 for the ending, but the fact is they (most likely) have been playing the game on the most physical and ultimately shallow level. Please watch this video it really made me rethink my previous rating of a 7, and realize what this series wasI beg everyone to go and watch the indoctrination theory it was nothing short of mind blowing. I understand why people have given this game 0 and 1 for the ending, but the fact is they (most likely) have been playing the game on the most physical and ultimately shallow level. Please watch this video it really made me rethink my previous rating of a 7, and realize what this series was really about. It gave it purpose again. I promise you it will make you look at the game in a completely different light. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ythY_GkEBck… Expand
  21. martinj77
    Mar 24, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. this game did not deliver. this whole series as been about choices. the whole point of bringing a character from one to 3 and choice impacting the endings. the ending is a kick in the balls. 100 hours+ of gameplay for nothing. the pandered to the casual gamers. it has gone from an rpg to a flaky copy of gears of war with every mission being about suviving rounds of enemys. having invested so much time in this game i and thousands like me feel let down by bioware. ea has got there money grabbing hands all over this. DAY ONE DLC!! that actually is a big part of story. and this horde rip off multiplayer. im sorry but this is not mass effect. not by a long shot. bioware has lost alot of credabillty. dragon age 2 was bad enough now this. the cancer that is ea has spread further. simply put the ending ruins this game. 3 **** choices. where none of you descions in the last 2 games matters. none. red green or blue. and whats with this stupid kid. shepard seen 1000s of people blended in the collecter base. and one kid dying gets to him. there where kids ob the collecter base aswell. plus why is joker leaving in the mass relay. he wouldnt of been able. just leaving shepard to die. plus i brought ashley with me on the last mision. she was right behind me when i was running towards the beam. how did she survive and get to the normandy. plus no reaper forces on the citadel. really. too many holes in the ending. plus geth, turian,krogan,salarian all traped in the solar system with no relays.… Expand
  22. Sprity
    Mar 24, 2012
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Disappointing ending aside...I really enjoyed Mass Effect 3. Though it does feel a bit stripped down compared to Mass Effect 2. There is only one hub world. Your journal doesn't update and give you new information to help with quests. A majority of the side quests are nothing more than fetching something from a planet by simply scanning it, while side missions that have you land on a planet often feel more like a tease and doesn't feel like there are as many this time.

    Other aspects like Paragon/Renegade and the RPG elements don't feel as necessary this time. It really is more of a 3rd person shooter now. Which I was fine with since my favorite parts of Mass Effect has always been the story and the universe Bioware created. All of which is expanded upon in this game, and that's why the ending feels so painful to many fans, cause it seems to throw it all away.

    Another questionable decision by Bioware is that it feels like they ignored Mass Effect 2 beyond Cerberus. Mass Effect 3 references the 1st game more than anything. The squad you had in 2nd game(assuming they survived) are put in small supporting roles and many simply have cameos. It makes me wonder why it was made such a big deal on whether they survived or not when they have no impact beyond the second game. And I think it can be assumed that Mass Effect 2 is more popular than the 1st overall, so when seems odd that the writers seem to ignore a great deal of it.

    And without spoiling the ending too much...I did not need some fluffy scene with Shepard skipping on a beach with Ashley or anything like that. But when your trilogy is about saving the galaxy from giant robots...one would expect it to end on a more positive note. At least with some closure. But unfortunately Shepard's goal for the entire series felt over shadowed, thus lacking any real victory for the player. There are a lot of games with bad endings, but when the series and story is so good, it makes it all the more painful.

    I know my review seems awfully critical, but really did love the game overall. It is still better most other games on the market.    … Expand
  23. Neoimperialist
    Mar 24, 2012
    5
    Right this minute, Bioware is holding the future of narrative video gaming by the tail. They have been holding it for five years, but the future is a rough beast and Bioware must seize it soon or it will break their grip and scamper away for someone else to catch. Bioware didn't just create a series of games in Mass Effect, they created a phenomenon in video gaming. Perhaps withoutRight this minute, Bioware is holding the future of narrative video gaming by the tail. They have been holding it for five years, but the future is a rough beast and Bioware must seize it soon or it will break their grip and scamper away for someone else to catch. Bioware didn't just create a series of games in Mass Effect, they created a phenomenon in video gaming. Perhaps without understanding it fully, they created the concept of a game that could be entirely dependent on the actions of the player. When taken to a futuristic conclusion, it implies a game series in which not merely the narrative conclusions are dependent on player actions, but one in which the story itself that the player experiences depends on them. A game that offers multiple stories and experiences rather than one that simply tweaks conclusions. A narrative template comprising a whole universe that could be enriched over and over with new content. It is a breathtaking idea if only Bioware has the vision to see it. Mass Effect is a prototype, an imperfect exemplar of what such a game series could be. It was a good enough illustration of the concept that it was immediately embraced by gamers all over the world, but it is nothing like a complete realization. The technology will certainly require improvement before complete realization can be achieved.

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

    With all that, Bioware is still on the razor's edge of inventing a whole new future for narrative video gaming if Bioware will commit themselves to seizing it. I have opined elsewhere that the franchise may be ruined already. That may or may not be the case, but the concept is alive and well if only Bioware will embrace it fully.    … Expand
  24. Elo441
    Mar 24, 2012
    0
    The ending ruins the entire series. I recommend that you avoid this game unless you want ME1 and ME2 to be ruined for you as well. Really disappointed in BioWare.
  25. Ppontes64
    Mar 24, 2012
    0
    This game does not belong on the shelves of public video game stores. It might as well be half a disk, since the disk itself you'd be getting would have essentially the same amount of content and care put into it. For all I know, the game may be fantastic. It might. However, I'll never know as long as it's incomplete.
  26. bgreen
    Mar 24, 2012
    7
    Rented at Redbox first to try it out. It was good enough to buy so I purchased. Not the best of the series but fun anyway. I have not got to the end yet so I cannot say how disappointed I will be by that; but overall gameplay is good, graphics solid. Guess I was hoping for a little more.
  27. Shrimpkebab
    Mar 24, 2012
    4
    The plot-hole filled ending poisons the whole series, i was planning on replaying me1-3 but the last 5minutes of the game destroyed the quality and replayability of the series.
  28. tjasian
    Mar 24, 2012
    1
    After putting 200 plus hours into this franchise i feel like i just got the finger from bioware. The ending is bad...any way you put it. Everyone around the internet keeps on saying that "just the last ten minutes were bad"...no not just the last ten minutes...the entire ending in its entirety is just terrible
  29. Brodesmus
    Mar 23, 2012
    0
    This game is excellent...until the last 15 minutes or so. The ending (there is only one with different colors) destroyed one of my favorite video game franchises. Mass Effect appealed to me because the choices that you made had weight, they affected the story in a tangible way, but no matter what you did in any of the games you always get the same choice of endings. Red, blue, or green.
  30. ancient_serpent
    Mar 23, 2012
    2
    I wish that the company had been as loyal to the fans as I have been to the series. After all of the gameplay and all of the care I took playing and replaying the first two games, all I get are three crappy choises that all amount to basically the same thing? I won't be wasting any more money or time with Bioware games if they think this is acceptable.
  31. mako_psy
    Mar 23, 2012
    9
    Most people seem to be jumping on a bandwagon about this game. Secretly they love it, but you know what teenagers are like, they want to impress everyone. Yes, the end isn't all sunshine and rainbows, and no it won't tailor itself to the decisions you made throughout the series - but that's okay! Is it really that bad to have an end that feels like something is happening for the greaterMost people seem to be jumping on a bandwagon about this game. Secretly they love it, but you know what teenagers are like, they want to impress everyone. Yes, the end isn't all sunshine and rainbows, and no it won't tailor itself to the decisions you made throughout the series - but that's okay! Is it really that bad to have an end that feels like something is happening for the greater good? No. That's what makes an awesome ending. I've been a fan of this series since it first came out and I still love it. I love each character and the intricate details within Mass Effect 3. Rating this game 0 is insulting when so many idiots go out and rate games like Skyrim a 10 for no reason other than joining in with the hype. You have to ignore what is being said and play it for yourself - you'll love it!… Expand
  32. megadude510
    Mar 23, 2012
    0
    Not only did Bioware decide to appeal to the greater masses by giving up the individuality and writing of the previous two games in the Mass Effect installment, but they have given up their talent. Mass Effect 3 reduces game choices to simple 2-decision dialogue bubbles, forces a multiplayer element into the game in order to get the "good" ending, and blatantly plagiarizes artwork fromNot only did Bioware decide to appeal to the greater masses by giving up the individuality and writing of the previous two games in the Mass Effect installment, but they have given up their talent. Mass Effect 3 reduces game choices to simple 2-decision dialogue bubbles, forces a multiplayer element into the game in order to get the "good" ending, and blatantly plagiarizes artwork from both a stock image site and Deviant Art. Notably, the former was used, (albeit poorly photoshopped), as the reveal of the identity of a character that had been left faceless for the entire series. The voice talent of many of the prominent figures from previous games are also notably absent, leaving one to wonder if Bioware had decided to cut corners, or if they just gave up. Enemy variety is reduced to a fraction of what it was before, weapons are scarce as ever to come by, and one strange element is how ammunition is once again in the form of bullets, when in previous games you had an unlimited amount. This is the future after all, isn't it? Day-one Downloadable Content is also present, which is senseless and blatant greed on the developer's part. This wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the fact that there was also DLC in the previous two installments, and a large portion of Mass Effect 3's character development is obtainable by playing those. The game is forced, as well as your decisions in it, unless you decide to fork the dough over to Bioware for the final installment in the series. If you're unhappy with the endings, which are all the same save for a different color of firework, don't worry! Bioware's publicly apologized and is working on a new ending. (Yes, you read that right.)… Expand
  33. Lombax
    Mar 23, 2012
    10
    Please, please don't let the nerd rage influence you. Mass Effect 3 is a 9 or 10 hands down. The ending was a little disappointing, but that certainly doesn't ruin the game at all. Plus Bioware caved to the entitlement issues of its fans and is making a new ending. This game is great all around and wraps up the story wonderfully.
  34. pyrocloud7
    Mar 23, 2012
    10
    I was perfectly impressed by this game. There is a distinct lack of certain character development options, but that is fitting for the theme of the game. I played through the entire trilogy and love ME3. Full blog at http://tinyurl.com/8a6lnzk
  35. TheQuietGamer
    Mar 23, 2012
    10
    When I first started playing this game I hated it, it felt to me like Bioware had sold out in order to make more people com to the series so they could make the most money, I thought this because Shepard did most of the talking and you only had one or two chances to choose a response, but that was just the opening moments and after the first hour or two you begin to realize that this isWhen I first started playing this game I hated it, it felt to me like Bioware had sold out in order to make more people com to the series so they could make the most money, I thought this because Shepard did most of the talking and you only had one or two chances to choose a response, but that was just the opening moments and after the first hour or two you begin to realize that this is still your story, your choices matter, and this is one of the greatest games of all time, it's true Shepard will do a lot of the talking, but you'll still get to make the big decisions in the conversation that define you as the main character, they just get the small talk out of the way so you can make the real decisions, and while I don't want to see that happening anymore in future Bioware games it just works for some reason here, and speaking of decisions you have some extremely tough ones to make, every choice you make truly effects the galaxy, and it kept me more emotionally invested in it than any other game ever has, and every choice you made in the first two Mass Effect games including the DLC come back here to either help or haunt you, and that truly makes the fact that this is your story all the more believable, and the relationships you've made through the first two games affect this one in such an emotional and powerful ways I can't help but love this, you'll find yourself falling in love with the characters all over again, and you'll also love the new characters just as much, another thing that puts this game above every other is the fact that this game captures the feeling of all out galactic warfare like no other game has, the battles are intense and truly give you the feeling of fighting in a war, and every decision you make carries wait and affects the war like no other game has, the combat is tight but not the tightest, basically it's no Gears of War in the combat, I'd even say that combat was smoother in Mass Effect 2, but it's far better then the first Mass Effect, and it is still addicting and fun to kill enemies, and the ending, while most people are complaining about it, I personally liked mine, granted I would have rather walked of happily with Tali off into the sunset and lived happily ever after with my friends, but it's still emotional and leaves a lot open for other games in this series, and hopefully more DLC and sequels (bring Shepard back please!), and the ending and the scene after the credits just brought a lot of question I need answered, it also has some fantastic multiplayer (similar to Gears of War's horde mode) that ties in well to the campaign, it does have some issues like one or two plot holes, glitches, it's not going top please newcomers all that much, and one or two other issues, but after playing this emotional masterpiece I can't help but give it a 10 out of 10, and when I think about this game and how it does things that no other game has ever done and I doubt ever will the issues mean nothing, this is truly a masterpiece and I'm just going to come out and say it the greatest game I've ever played, oh yeah and this is also the best looking game I've ever seen, it has some of the craziest moments and awesome set pieces that put the Call of Duty series to shame, and the voice acing is phenomenal, a true masterpiece and one of, if not the greatest game/games of all time, and a must play for fans.… Expand
  36. TheSilhouette
    Mar 23, 2012
    1
    And the series ends with an incoherent whimper: BioWare's MASS EFFECT 3 is a colossal let down. The final installment in the trilogy, it is a game plagued by small glitches, a broken journal system (where you're never quite sure where you need to go to fulfill your quest), auto-dialogue (as opposed to the branching dialogue choices of the first two games) and one hell of a laughableAnd the series ends with an incoherent whimper: BioWare's MASS EFFECT 3 is a colossal let down. The final installment in the trilogy, it is a game plagued by small glitches, a broken journal system (where you're never quite sure where you need to go to fulfill your quest), auto-dialogue (as opposed to the branching dialogue choices of the first two games) and one hell of a laughable ending that sinks the whole mess. People act like the ending is some kind of "artistic statement", but the "Final Hours" app shows the game's lead writer and project director were unsure of how to end their game as late as November 2011 (when the game was supposed to come out). As a result, they stole the storyline from Matrix 2 & 3 and jammed it into the ending of ME3. Suddenly our choices don't matter, and the ending cinematics are both lazy and baffling.

    This game is a red hot mess, and not at all what was promised by BioWare before release.    … Expand
  37. dentedwheel
    Mar 23, 2012
    10
    I thoroughly enjoyed the complete trilogy. There has been no game series that has gotten into my head more. As a 40+ year-old married dad, I almost felt guilty with my obsession with this. I played each game multiple times with many of the possible paths that were available. Amazing.

    As far as the ending. Honestly there was much to be desired. In retrospect, absolute closure would have    I thoroughly enjoyed the complete trilogy. There has been no game series that has gotten into my head more. As a 40+ year-old married dad, I almost felt guilty with my obsession with this. I played each game multiple times with many of the possible paths that were available. Amazing.

    As far as the ending. Honestly there was much to be desired. In retrospect, absolute closure would have been worse. Because of the current ending possibilities, the Mass Effect universe is still vital. There is much to talk about, much to think about.

    No matter how many negative scores or reviews that are given on this site, there is this simple truth. This game got under the skin of thousands of people. Not just time and money invested could explain the reaction to the endings. People became Shepard and really connected with the characters and the story. This alone is reason enough for me to give this game a perfect 10.

    I will now sit in the darkness and dream of what happened to my three loves, Miranda, Liara and (sigh) Tali. I hope you are all well.    … Expand
  38. leclercq21
    Mar 23, 2012
    0
    this is incredible!!! how can such a bad game get released? i hope someone get fired for it!!! it's incredible, i've never played a worst game in my life: the ending made no sense! what was the point of playing the two previous games if the choices don't matter anyway? it's awful! i hope bioware goes bankrupt!
  39. kN7
    Mar 23, 2012
    0
    Pretty much what everyone else is saying. Me thinks EA has some critics in their pockets. Did these guys even play the previous games? Did they get finished copies of the game, or did their versions end before the whole Citadel-gate fiasco?
  40. Papiglouton
    Mar 23, 2012
    1
    Terrible ending that ruin the whole game... The three ending cinematics are barely le the sames, only the colors are different... It's really a shame... Mass effect is dead with an ending like that.
  41. Jenny33
    Mar 23, 2012
    8
    I loved this game, its really epic and well done except for a few things: I loved how the romances were done, they had been deepened, I romanced Kaidan as a fem shep and it was fantastic, what bothered me though was the fact that liara got more attention and story as always, its like bioware wants her to be the main romance and I am no lesbian so I wont romance her, even though she is notI loved this game, its really epic and well done except for a few things: I loved how the romances were done, they had been deepened, I romanced Kaidan as a fem shep and it was fantastic, what bothered me though was the fact that liara got more attention and story as always, its like bioware wants her to be the main romance and I am no lesbian so I wont romance her, even though she is not supposed to have a gender she does look very much as a woman. Also it didn't matter if you cheated on your li or not as bioware has said which was disappointing as well. And the ending... I am not going to go into it but it was very badly done and none of the choices made through the games mattered. Play the game except the last 10 minutes and you will love it.… Expand
  42. Khadgar323
    Mar 23, 2012
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Great series and concluding story up until the last 10 minutes, disappointing enough to tarnish the rest of the series as well. What does the game do different than the previous titles? The action has even more fit and finish and is an absolute blast, some customization to weapons is given but a better variety of mods would have been welcomed. Voice acting is great (except for some odd journalist person out of nowhere with a nightmarish outfit) and the story will pluck your heartstrings. Quest tracking is awful, embarrassingly awful when you are unable to view your inventory for a quest item and the quest tracker provides no clue as to whether you've picked it up or not. This might no be an issue if you play this parts in large block of time but if you are taking frequent breaks between these side missions it is hard to keep track of that else you need to do before you return tot he hub. Also there is no announcement of time limited windows for completing side quests, I found out when I saw them disappear and forced me to load a previous save. To sum this up, the game is great, I would have appreciated more dialog conversations but it wasn't a deal breaking....until the end. I don't think this ending is sad, or depressing. It's just bad, cheapens the rest of the story and the universe the game is set in. If this is your first Mass Effect game I don't think the reaction will be as terrible, but if you've fallen in the love with the characters and story, beware.… Expand
  43. Jinxter
    Mar 22, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Let first say that I am a HUGE fan of this series, it was an amazing exploration of concept of making choices and how those choices shape the game you play. It was a true Space Opera that had characters that for the first time, made me 'feel' for them. I cared what happened to these characters, kudos to the voice actors for literally breathing life into these great characters. This game, allowed me to craft a character that made the impossible possible...s/he was a character that was a SOLDIER who NEVER gave up...who always strives to do what it right. This game allowed us to make choices and those choices affected each of the previous game's endings. I was hoping for more of the same in ME3. For the most part, I got it...however, at the very end of the game...the tone of the game changed. The Shepard I had roll-played up until the last 10 minutes of the game, ceased to exist, and what I was left with was a doppelganger...it looked like my Shepard, but this character gave up. This Shepard did NOT fight until the end...This Shepard 'accepted' fate. The last 10 minutes of this game was so out of character, so artistically different from what came before it, then I lost my immersion. It was so out of sync with what I had played before that all I was left with was a WTF in my mind eye. I found that I did not want to even finish the game out. These last minutes felt like they belonged to another game entirely. There were so many plot holes that the entire ending sequence felt unpolished, rushed, and tacked on. I swore I could see the gum, duct tape, and baling wire holding things together. I can understand artistic license to change things as you see fit...but this? It was thematically different enough that for me, I could not believe that this had been approved. THESE last 10 minutes of the game, changed what would have been an easy 9 score from me to a 1. Disappointment doesn't even come close to the feelings I had upon the completion of the game...and the Stargazer was also and odd choice. Why couldn't I get scenes showing where the rest of my crew went? How about a scene honoring Shepard for what they did for the Galaxy? This ending ruins this 3rd game, and nearly ruins the entire trilogy...I cannot give it a score higher than a 1.… Expand
  44. lotharz0r
    Mar 22, 2012
    9
    This game is brilliant. The changes made to the combat and overall feel of the game from Mass Effect 2 makes the game almost perfect. The story is great, and I also didn't mind the ending, like many others do. I didn't give it 10, because it seems like the dialogue towards the end does not really fit everywhere. Something is just not right. Other than this though, the game is brilliant!
  45. BusyBusyPanda
    Mar 22, 2012
    1
    We all know the ending was bad but my complaint is about the actual game bugs and there were bugs in this game. The very foremost is that the Shepard importer does not recognize Mass Effect 1 created Shepards so if you have a character that you have used since the first game the third game does not recognize it and you have to start a new face from scratch. I consider this a DOA criticalWe all know the ending was bad but my complaint is about the actual game bugs and there were bugs in this game. The very foremost is that the Shepard importer does not recognize Mass Effect 1 created Shepards so if you have a character that you have used since the first game the third game does not recognize it and you have to start a new face from scratch. I consider this a DOA critical error. How did this get past QA!? From the very start before the game even begins you have a broken line of code. That is unforgivable. During game play I encountered other problems such as party members getting frozen in ladders leaving you to fight the rest of the mission alone, invisible faces on Shepard, Garrus dissapeared more than once while talking to him, if you chose a specific plot arc and a character dies that character if they are your love interest the game pulls them back from the dead to have sex with you on the Normandy and then ending has more than one inescapable plot holes. I mean dead characters reappearing as if ressurected from the grave plot holes so big you could drive a Mako through them. This game felt over all rushed and I cannot recommend it to anyone unless you are someone who enjoys a bad game like some people like bad horror films. And yes I found the ending to be fundamentally in contrast to the advertising of this game. Choices ment nothing what so ever in the long run and that is just sad.… Expand
  46. a335w
    Mar 22, 2012
    0
    For me, plot is everything that makes a game. You can shoot aliens or people in just about any game. Once you've played one FPS or RPG and you learn the mechanics, they only very slightly from game to game. The biggest differentiation between games is the plot, the characters, and their story. These things are responsible for drawing the gamer in and making them care. For the plot to goFor me, plot is everything that makes a game. You can shoot aliens or people in just about any game. Once you've played one FPS or RPG and you learn the mechanics, they only very slightly from game to game. The biggest differentiation between games is the plot, the characters, and their story. These things are responsible for drawing the gamer in and making them care. For the plot to go so terribly wrong in the final minutes is mind blowing. Through this trilogy the plot was masterfully crafted, like a fine wine. I never noticed a single plot-hole until the last five to ten minutes of this game. The ending robed this series of everything I was led to believe it stood for, violates canon, presents flawed logic, and introduces inexplicable situations and plot-holes. It is hard for me to understand how the plot could be so finely crafted for one hundred plus hours, only to be spoiled in the final five to ten minutes of the final game of this trilogy. Furthermore, it's as if they cut the story off at its climax. There are no signs of denouement to be found for the main plot. As such, this game fails to deliver on the developer's promise that this game would wrap up the main plot and answer many remaining questions. I sincerely hope that this was not an intentional ploy to sell DLC. I hope that Bioware comes through on releasing a better ending, however, if they intend to sell it to me, I'm done. I would much rather they sell a complete game to me at $70, than to sell me an incomplete game for $60 and charge me $10 to properly complete the game. How underhanded and dishonest is that? I'd also rather they release the game months past its due date than release an incomplete game, but that is more tolerable. With plot being my sole purpose for buying and playing games, I cannot honestly rate my experience any higher. It is a shame considering I truly loved this series, until the final five to ten minutes of this game.… Expand
  47. MalFet1999
    Mar 22, 2012
    4
    As I write this review I am watching the credits roll after finishing my first play-through of Mass Effect 3. I am a huge fan of the series, having logged hundreds of hours in the first two installments. In those games I followed every story arc to it's end, had every conversation I could. I became invested, and I loved the universe of the Mass Effect series because my actions created theAs I write this review I am watching the credits roll after finishing my first play-through of Mass Effect 3. I am a huge fan of the series, having logged hundreds of hours in the first two installments. In those games I followed every story arc to it's end, had every conversation I could. I became invested, and I loved the universe of the Mass Effect series because my actions created the experiences I had there. For these reasons I am disappointed in this latest installment. Disappointed because the decisions of the first two installments take minor roles, and new game play options take center stage. This is a game that should have been made for the fans, not to garner support for Kinect and lay claim to a new multiplayer audience.

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

    The bottom line is this: the combat is engaging, dynamic and very fun, but the story is utter trash. My disappointment is so strong that I can't even allow my love of the first two games to influence this negative opinion at all. Multiplayer is a decent addition, and Kinect audio functions are novel, but as a whole this game is forgettable. I never thought I'd describe Mass Effect this way. I'm sure that other (former) fans feel the same way.    … Expand
  48. AGX
    Mar 22, 2012
    1
    Agree with a lot of people on this game. Pretty epic, yer seemingly lacking the content and depth of the previous games in the series. What really got me upset was the rush job of an ending though. For all the decisions you made throughout the series, and the numerous endings that BioWare had promised and used as a selling point, when they promised these uncountable heap of ending theyAgree with a lot of people on this game. Pretty epic, yer seemingly lacking the content and depth of the previous games in the series. What really got me upset was the rush job of an ending though. For all the decisions you made throughout the series, and the numerous endings that BioWare had promised and used as a selling point, when they promised these uncountable heap of ending they were blatantly lying which really upset me. They also won't own up to there lies either, and deflect constructive criticism. This game was overall a disappoint to me, and I won't trust BioWare as I used to until I read a numerous amount of user reviews. No BS critic reviews that paid off critics write.

    Buyer beware. Enjoy the first two games, and somewhat enjoy the Mass Effect 3 storyline, but hold off on completing the game until we are promised a legitimate ending.    … Expand
  49. ihQprinsessa
    Mar 22, 2012
    7
    This was a very mixed experience, i understand what other people are talking about, there isn't much to criticize about the core gameplay, maybe the fact that the encounters feel very triggered, step right in and boom, enemies pop and now you need to kill em. Repeat this but change the enemy composition. Made me feel bit like dragon age 2 where i felt there was a great spot for an enemyThis was a very mixed experience, i understand what other people are talking about, there isn't much to criticize about the core gameplay, maybe the fact that the encounters feel very triggered, step right in and boom, enemies pop and now you need to kill em. Repeat this but change the enemy composition. Made me feel bit like dragon age 2 where i felt there was a great spot for an enemy encounter and whoops there it was every single time. There really didn't exist that much choice in the dialogue. You pretty much got all you wanted eventually no matter which way you wanted it. And for the side quests, well i just ended up eavesdropping, and then delivering stuff to people who i happened to pass by and had an indicator on em. I felt i was being held by hand. And everyone wanted to get in bed with me it seemed. But i spent a good 28 hours on the game, and don't think i will more.… Expand
  50. Rand1985
    Mar 22, 2012
    10
    Perfect! I love the game and Mass Effect 1 and 2, it's one of the best games ever vor me!
    Bioware-games are huge and great an Mass Effect 3 is the best of them :-)
  51. 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.
  52. Fatspud
    Mar 22, 2012
    8
    All im going to talk about is the really pointless and aggravating multiplayer, because everything else possible has been said. why force me to play the multiplayer to get the best ending? in the end it seemed to make no difference, but still, the reason i play single player games is because i dislike other people, because they tend to be idiots. the multiplayer is also repetitive to suchAll im going to talk about is the really pointless and aggravating multiplayer, because everything else possible has been said. why force me to play the multiplayer to get the best ending? in the end it seemed to make no difference, but still, the reason i play single player games is because i dislike other people, because they tend to be idiots. the multiplayer is also repetitive to such a painful extent it hurts- playing it was like a chore. But hey, turns out it makes no difference, so i'll never have to play it again. yay.… Expand
  53. Slva911
    Mar 22, 2012
    10
    Nothing less then perfection. I managed to get a copy a few days early and I never thought the story and game could top what the last two games have delivered, but this keeps getting better and better! You really do feel the weight of those decisions you made. Its great to finally see the outcome of these shaping after waiting for 5 years in curiosity as to what would happen.
  54. MFresh
    Mar 22, 2012
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. "Blockbuster games" today tend to fall in line with one another leading to an inevitable outcome through predictable methods. Sometimes though, like a rock band at the peak of it's popularity, a game throws a curve ball and challenges the mainstay formula that the system has adopted. The Mass Effect franchise since it's inception has been the poster child for what a game can achieve as an art form: Rich storytelling, vivid environments, atmospheric music, and a gripping examination of the human condition. More than anything else Mass Effect has effected every player, every spectator by giving them the notion of choice; right and wrong...good and evil. With Mass Effect 3 Bioware took this idea and turned it on it's axis. The ending that has cause such an uproar since release is in all respects warranted because everyone knows what it means, but everyone is too upset to admit it. It is the reality that choice is irrelevant. Good and evil is a fallacy. Hope is useless. No matter what decisions are made, no one person can prevent the inevitable. For touching an emotional and philosophical nerve in me that few novels, or movies have, I take my hat off to the creators and writers of the Mass Effect universe. It could not have ended in a more fitting way.… Expand
  55. xHezz90
    Mar 22, 2012
    9
    After waiting months for this game to release, when it finally arrived I was over the moon I ripped open the packaging, quickly looked through all the extra's then slammed the disk into my PS3. As I waited for the day one patch to install I continued to look through the extra's and was delighted with them, with the day one patch all installed I started to play and was blown away by howAfter waiting months for this game to release, when it finally arrived I was over the moon I ripped open the packaging, quickly looked through all the extra's then slammed the disk into my PS3. As I waited for the day one patch to install I continued to look through the extra's and was delighted with them, with the day one patch all installed I started to play and was blown away by how much better the graphics to the game were (though the frame rate was not stellar it was still playable). I played for hours and hours, intrigued and astounded by the story line, the characters development and as always the amazing voice acting. After 1 week I got to the end of the game and that's when things started going down hill, the ending (without giving spoilers) was absolutely terrible, I was upset, bewildered and down right angry. 98% of the game was amazing, just for that to be destroyed in the last 10 minutes.… Expand
  56. SigmaDraconis
    Mar 21, 2012
    0
    I am a big fan of the series and even bought my first 360 to play the original on release. I have had some minor complaints about the series on the way but I never voiced them as they were minor inconsistencies and things that didn't really matter. However, the last 10 minutes of this game ruin the experience as a whole for me. It even makes playing the previous installments of the gameI am a big fan of the series and even bought my first 360 to play the original on release. I have had some minor complaints about the series on the way but I never voiced them as they were minor inconsistencies and things that didn't really matter. However, the last 10 minutes of this game ruin the experience as a whole for me. It even makes playing the previous installments of the game painful, know that no matter what you do, you will be pigeonholed into three, essentially identical and equally lame endings. If not for the ending this game would be at the very top of my list of favorite games.… Expand
  57. Kenjilore
    Mar 21, 2012
    9
    Game came out over two weeks ago now and I've been trying to decide what i think of it. While the ending felt a little forced and i felt a lot cheated it should be taken as a compliment to the game itself, one of the most moving and engaging experiences ever... perfection for any art form. just wish.... but we'll see with the DLC
  58. Kaisar_Villhelm
    Mar 21, 2012
    9
    I have to say that this is probably my favorite game in the series, as it causes the playing character to actually reflect on what his/her choices actually amount to after all three segments of the epic are finished. I understand that many people are very disappointed with the ending presented, and without spoiling anything, I want to state that I understand many of the complaints aboutI have to say that this is probably my favorite game in the series, as it causes the playing character to actually reflect on what his/her choices actually amount to after all three segments of the epic are finished. I understand that many people are very disappointed with the ending presented, and without spoiling anything, I want to state that I understand many of the complaints about the ending--personally I like a game to break its boundaries and have a tangible effect on how I feel as a gamer. The game play in this segment of the series is excellent, a true amalgam of the first and second games. The multiplayer aspect of the game also keeps the game fresh after the two (or more) mandatory playthroughs to see the effects of the paragon/renegade choices. With that said, however, I will say that I was disappointed with how many graphical glitches I encountered through my playthroughs. I saw many occurrences of invisible or skewed models in cutscenes and during gameplay.

    All in all, though, the game was a fantastic emotional experience, the ending included. Minus a few graphical issues here and there, I would honestly say that this game is worthy addition to the fantastic Mass Effect series.    … Expand
  59. matata
    Mar 21, 2012
    10
    Great game. Stunning story line and incredible graphics. The best of the mass effect series, this game is a must buy! The multiplayer is also great, but the tie to the campaign can be a pain for those without xbox live. Overall great game, competitor for game of the year 2012!
  60. korndawggg
    Mar 21, 2012
    10
    I am not going to waste my time explaining why this was another great game in a fantastic series. I simply want to post my rating so Bioware knows not every internet user hates their guts. It is absurd the reaction this game has gotten, as it was nothing short of a masterpiece of gaming. I have enjoyed every second of the 30+ hours of gameplay (up to and including the ending) and II am not going to waste my time explaining why this was another great game in a fantastic series. I simply want to post my rating so Bioware knows not every internet user hates their guts. It is absurd the reaction this game has gotten, as it was nothing short of a masterpiece of gaming. I have enjoyed every second of the 30+ hours of gameplay (up to and including the ending) and I understand a few of the complaints, but a few (possible) plot holes and a little convoluted conclusion does nothing to diminish the fun I had while playing through this great game.

    I am disappointed that, ultimately your decisions in the prior three games do not affect the ending much, but the story I experienced up until the ending would have been extremely different had someone else been making decisions through the games. I commend Bioware for yet another amazing game and cannot wait for their next one.    … Expand
  61. DamianWayne
    Mar 21, 2012
    1
    Should be renamed No Effect. Felt like a waste of time afterwards. Gameplay is just okay. Mass effect isn't exactly known for its action gameplay. All it really has is story, and it was doing incredibly well with that up until this game. Only pickup if you don't care about how it will end.
  62. isturbo1984
    Mar 21, 2012
    8
    I am very disappointed with the gripers of this game. while it does a developing mechanical issues... and the genre isn't as defined as some of the raging fans might want it to be... the game as a whole is outstanding.

    Let's talk about that ending, spoiler free: It wasn't the cliched "happily every after" ending. Get over it. Nor was it the macabre "everybody dies" ending that some people    I am very disappointed with the gripers of this game. while it does a developing mechanical issues... and the genre isn't as defined as some of the raging fans might want it to be... the game as a whole is outstanding.

    Let's talk about that ending, spoiler free: It wasn't the cliched "happily every after" ending. Get over it. Nor was it the macabre "everybody dies" ending that some people were expecting. It was a nested medium of the two, while having conflict resolution.

    It might help if some of the casual gamers who bought this game just because of the advertising and high school chatter would actually go back and play the first two. Find some middle-ground. This game shouldn't be in the red, lol. Be ashamed.    … Expand
  63. Comrade_Critic
    Mar 21, 2012
    8
    This is a great game. Visually it is a masterpiece. Content wise I too was disappointed with how short the game is and that includes release date DLC--which is a complete and utter rip off move. ME2 was by far the most fun of the series, but ME3 still delivers. And despite what the whiners say, the ending was a satisfactory conclusion to a great trilogy. My only real complaint is that theThis is a great game. Visually it is a masterpiece. Content wise I too was disappointed with how short the game is and that includes release date DLC--which is a complete and utter rip off move. ME2 was by far the most fun of the series, but ME3 still delivers. And despite what the whiners say, the ending was a satisfactory conclusion to a great trilogy. My only real complaint is that the game is too short. ME2 felt much more open for exploration, whereas ME3 is much more limited and closed off. I also wish there was more continuity between ME2 and ME3. All those characters I devoted so much time into building relationships with were mostly chucked within the first 10 hours of ME3. Ultimately though, I wish more games were like Mass Effect 3. Except for the release day DLC. That's a total dbag move.… Expand
  64. Gruntt
    Mar 21, 2012
    7
    A good game. Very emotional game i almost cried at some times and very well done dialogue once again. Everything is right about this game, all the classes get to use assault and sniper rifles along with shotguns. This game is so good until the ending. The ending is sooo bad and out of place that this game was a set back for me. BioWare needs to do something fast before they lose there loyal fans.
  65. soiledmattress
    Mar 21, 2012
    0
    There was something disturbingly familiar about the ending before me. the three choices was all deus ex machina

    "you're the reaper, shepard"

    the truth split my skull open, a glaring green light
    washing the lies away.
    all of my past was just pointless choices, words hanging
    with no meaning.

    i was the reaper

    funny as hell, it was the most horrible ending i could think of.
  66. rappstar
    Mar 21, 2012
    1
    In a vacuum, this game doesn't suck. Objectively, it was the weakest of the 3 and that is why it deserves the low rating. Therefore in context, this was just not a good game. Likely you already know the ending was so bad that it overshadowed so much of the rest of it. In an RPG, the story is kind of important to the overall enjoyment of the game. Part of the problem is that the storyIn a vacuum, this game doesn't suck. Objectively, it was the weakest of the 3 and that is why it deserves the low rating. Therefore in context, this was just not a good game. Likely you already know the ending was so bad that it overshadowed so much of the rest of it. In an RPG, the story is kind of important to the overall enjoyment of the game. Part of the problem is that the story was so weighed down from the previous 2 games that it collapsed under the weight. Nothing was new. It was boring and predictable in quite a few places. Somehow planet scanning even got worse! Also, there were major flaws that mechanically drug it down also. I don't recall a single mini-game. It was just walking around pressing "A" button. Without giving anything away, the mechanic in the downtime makes Sheperd an eavesdropping weirdo. He just walked around like a creepy guardian angel. The multiplayer is surprisingly fun and the combat is better in someways, but on the whole, its just not as good as its predecessors. That is what I think bothers so many people. I pre-ordered the CE from amazon. Currently, I am torn about sending it back and just forgetting the whole thing ever happened. Swing and a miss.… Expand
  67. gillster
    Mar 21, 2012
    0
    pathetic ending to a great franchise. i loved all the games and played all of them. spent countless hours keeping my self updated on this franchise. but in the end they give us the worst ending in gaming history
  68. Zsoldos5
    Mar 21, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I played all three games and this one made them all turn bitter and useless. The first one gave me true exploration and an uncharted galaxy in which I had full control and repercussions for my actions. Real effects and sacrifices. I was in full control of every aspect of my character, his weapons, class, armor, decisions, even right down to his face. In essence I had become Shepard, I saw me in the game. In the second one I further saw the repercussions of my actions, the good and the bad. Though I noticed that a lot of the independence found in the first was gone and replaced with more linear missions, less exploration and open-world type missions. But we did gain impressive battles and a much stronger foe, and my squad mates depended on my choices. While I missed the old style, I readily embraced the new with its flaws. Then we get to the third, the "ending we deserve". From the get go, the bugs are obvious, the loading screen takes forever and the game freezes randomly during exploration sections. Conversations are painfully linear without much options for a more in depth dialogue, and the paragon renegade choices are quite obvious and don't really present much of a moral challenge anymore during basic game-play save for a few occasions. The Kinect option was over-hyped and not nearly as much fun as you would think. On a positive note the enemies are challenging, exciting, and be quite formidable lending this game some respect in that area, and the scenery is spectacular. Being able to see many of the home worlds was a great decision. But the story line becomes confusing at times, many characters show up without introduction which were never seen in the basic games, only in the dlc. Kai Leng being the most annoying of all of them. But even this was forgivable once I saw the fleet reach earth and full on assault the reapers. In my opinion it was the most awe inspiring battle I have ever seen in either movies or games. Seeing so much at stake, and understanding the emotion of the moment, how all three games had worked toward this. It was momentous. The assault on London furthered the fight, bringing my Shepard ever closer to the heart of the enemy. The increasing attacks, the stress, it was brilliant. Then the suicide charge to the beam. The brush of death, and then the crawl to the beam to fulfill your destiny. It was a story of a legend! It was genius! And then silence, you hobble up to the platform to meet TIM and Anderson. You defeat TIM and open the citadel arms and you sit back with Anderson, both of you barely alive but victorious...and then they decide to destroy everything you ever fought for in the next 15 minutes! The crucible was just a ploy! A scam! Up comes Mister AI/god/starchild/*sshole who decides to tell you the real story which can be boiled down to just plain racism and genocide. The smartest sentient life in the galaxy wasn't much for logic, no debate, no discussion, just pick a color and die. He gives you some bs story and expects you to eat it all up with no questions. Then no matter what decision you choose, the galaxy is destroyed, Shepard dies. Then to top it all off your crew leaves you for dead and act like they don't give a damn about what you just did. This was my ending? All my resources, choices, actions, and friendships boiled down to a color and galactic destruction in every option? How can I not be upset and feel scammed. Even at the end Shepard speaks of hope being the driving mechanism of life, which the catalyst shoots down as pathetic and useless. Why did Bioware do this? To teach me a life lesson that no matter what we all still fail? life is pointless?that I should never pre-order a game ever again? Seriously, nobody thought this was a bad idea?… Expand
  69. Robbie1982
    Mar 21, 2012
    10
    In my opinion the negative feedback from user's for this game is unfair. ME1 was excellent apart from the bugs, and I would rate it 9/10. ME2 Felt dumbed down and I missed the mako and the customisation despite loving the more active paragon/renegade elements. I have really enjoyed ME3. Had more than a few goosebumps moments and felt connected with the returning characters. James didntIn my opinion the negative feedback from user's for this game is unfair. ME1 was excellent apart from the bugs, and I would rate it 9/10. ME2 Felt dumbed down and I missed the mako and the customisation despite loving the more active paragon/renegade elements. I have really enjoyed ME3. Had more than a few goosebumps moments and felt connected with the returning characters. James didnt seem to get fleshed out at all (dlc ?)
    Given the massive odds against shepherd I had no grip with the ending. My feedback on the game I played is it didnt seem obvious to me the multiplayer was tied to galactic readiness (sure I am not the only person who missed that ?) Still miss the customisation and stats !! and The last battle should have been more epic. Only take two members to finish saving the galaxy ? No way ! And why couldnt that final push have been the team meets up, and fights an epic battle to the transport beam ? I think that was a missed opportunity. The stores also need to realise when I have a level 4 upgrade and stop selling me junk. But I honestly feel this is a great game. And I love the multiplayer (although Expensive Bioware points for packs - is I have to say a total afront when I've paid the full 35 pounds for a PC game - Thats aimed at EA ) IMHO Awesome game. Given 10 because people are being harsh giving it 0. And if the fan vids about indoctrination turn out to be true, then that is an incredible twist and precedent. Regardless - great game.    … Expand
  70. Funkin25
    Mar 21, 2012
    2
    The game was perfect... until the last 10 minutes. The combat was awesome, the set pieces were great, war was burning the galaxy. Shepard's decisions were supposed to doom or save the galaxy. Fast forward to the end: you only get 3 endings, the endings have huge plot holes, and turn off the game with immense rage. This game's ending is an abomination compared to the rest of the seriesThe game was perfect... until the last 10 minutes. The combat was awesome, the set pieces were great, war was burning the galaxy. Shepard's decisions were supposed to doom or save the galaxy. Fast forward to the end: you only get 3 endings, the endings have huge plot holes, and turn off the game with immense rage. This game's ending is an abomination compared to the rest of the series (including the rest of ME3). The ending is so bad that I still have to give a score of 2.… Expand
  71. PEDRO_PLANTAIN
    Mar 21, 2012
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Mass Effect 3 is awesome. Its the best game I've played in memory. Its up there with Red Dead Redemption, Grand Theft Auto 4 and Five, Deus Ex Human Revolution and most games in recent memory. Pros- Great story including ending, good writing, great dialogue, good action sequences, cutscenes, gameplay, great difficulty settings. The music and sound is awesome. Some of the visuals are so stunning I wish I could have paused the game to take it in for a bit.

    Cons- A few glitches, (had to restart xbox 360 about 4 times during the whole experience.), some quests are not clear, combat is a bit messy with the cover system, most guns feel underpowered. Banshees feel a bit cheap.

    I give the game a 9 because of a few glitches. But I must say, after playing the game, I'm satisfied, the ending works for me and I feel like the gams is te best game i've ever played. Period. Almost cried when I had to kill Legion. Loved the last speech given to troops and saying goodbye to comrades. It reminded me of a AAA blockbuster summer sci-fi flick.

    This is a definite buy for any sci-fi fan. I enjoyed this more than the last 3 star wars movies or sci-fi flicks in recent memory. The only thing to hit me like this is The Matrix.    … Expand
  72. wizark
    Mar 21, 2012
    6
    In one word: disappointing. Where to even start with this game? I went into it still riding high on the fond memories of Mass Effect 1 and 2, expecting the advertised "spectacular conclusion to the series", but what I got fell terribly short. Honestly, I had to give this game as much as a 6 purely for the stunning graphics, it looks amazing. The storytelling is pretty bad, characters go toIn one word: disappointing. Where to even start with this game? I went into it still riding high on the fond memories of Mass Effect 1 and 2, expecting the advertised "spectacular conclusion to the series", but what I got fell terribly short. Honestly, I had to give this game as much as a 6 purely for the stunning graphics, it looks amazing. The storytelling is pretty bad, characters go to severe waste, and the whole thing is incredibly dumbed down from the RPG that Mass Effect 1 was. First off: dialogue. Throughout most of the game, I felt like my dialogue options were limited to "say X or say X while sounding a little more like jerk." There was hardly a decision to be made here. Apart from the limited options, the dialogue its self was poor. I thought I was playing a game based on my character's choices, but more often than not , Shepard took off on his own little non-interactive cutscenes with other characters. I'm sure many of us remember being disappointed with the way we could interact with the DLC squad mates (Kasumi/Zaeed) on the Normandy. In ME3, that's pretty much the way it works with everyone. You don't enter into conversations with them, you don't get to investigate any of their stuff in their rooms even. Shepard just stands there and talks to them in pre-done conversations on his own. Lame. I guess Bioware seemed to think that Shepard had grown a mind of his/her own and didn't need any input from the player. Past decisions were factored in minimally I felt, plot holes all around, things just happen and there's no real feeling of meaning to them. I know there's a galaxy wide war for survival going on, but that doesn't mean everyone in the galaxy is just going to change and roll along with it for you. Come on Bioware, are you even trying anymore? Oh, and Tali's "gift", seriously?… Expand
  73. Templar_Gamer
    Mar 21, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Shoddy controls? Check. Dialogue that was written by a Neanderthal? Check. Graphics that would make 2009 blush? Check. Disk locked content that doesn't add jack **** to the experience? Check. An ending that breaks all promises made by the developers, shoddily closes Shepard's story arc, and only gives you a choose between what color explosion you get at the end? Check, check, and DOUBLE **** CHECK! Do not buy, do not borrow, do not even pirate, it is not worth the hard drive space… Expand
  74. dpark189
    Mar 21, 2012
    2
    just wtf were they thinking? where are shepherd's emotions for his dying "friends," and why are previous decisions just glazed over and ignored? even putting those big issues aside, the ending was one of the most disappointing pieces of garbage I have ever witnessed. you go through 3 games, 5 years total playing this trilogy and you are given 3 choices? what was the point of all thosejust wtf were they thinking? where are shepherd's emotions for his dying "friends," and why are previous decisions just glazed over and ignored? even putting those big issues aside, the ending was one of the most disappointing pieces of garbage I have ever witnessed. you go through 3 games, 5 years total playing this trilogy and you are given 3 choices? what was the point of all those other choices that were posed as "big deals," when they don't even come into play at the end? never mind how screwed everyone is at the end, the ending choices themselves end up screwing everyone or taking away from their autonomy as sapient beings one way or another! How did a game series so good just down right destroy their reputation in one fell swoop? Then there are the plot holes. I won't spoil anything too badly here, but if you have played the game then you know that there are irreconcilable problems with many aspects of the ending. these writers need to go through some kind of common sense seminar or something because this is unacceptable. My recommendation to anyone who has not bought the game is to wait and see if there are any worthwhile dlc's that come out in the future, otherwise you will be angry as a guy who was just sold a turd in the guise of a game.… Expand
  75. redsoxfan2495
    Mar 21, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. First off, there are plot-holes galore. Huge gaping plot-holes. Squad mates who were with you on Earth magically appearing back on the Normandy. Joker randomly deciding to flee before the Crucible even goes off. Anderson saying he's behind you then magically appearing in the room ahead of you. The Illusive Man appearing on the Citadel with no explanation. Etc.

    Secondly, there is a complete lack of choice as to how the game ends. Nothing you've done in the previous 120 hours has any bearing on the options available to you in the end. Nothing. Your choices did not matter at all. No matter what you did you are offered three choices as to how to finish off the Reapers. They sound different, but the only difference between the three endings is that you get to watch a different colored explosion. Really, that's it. In a series that was all about real choices with real consequences this is completely unacceptable.

    Thirdly, you get no sense of closure. You watch the Reaper attack end, the Mass Relays blow up, the Normandy crash land on a planet, and possibly Shepard draw a breath, proving that he lives. Roll credits. What? Are you kidding me? Is my crew just going to die on that planet? Will Shepard ever see his love interest again? What will happen to Galactic civilization without the Mass Relays? Are all the peaces I brokered between the different races meaningless now that they're never going to see each other again? (In this way choices you made hours ago are completely negated.) What about that giant fleet that gathered at earth and is now stuck there? Are they just going to starve to death? I have no idea what the future holds for all the characters I've come to care so much about.

    Fourth, and perhaps most importantly, the ending goes completely against everything the rest of the series has stood for. For three games Shepard has been running around trying to convince everyone to work together against a common enemy. He has forged deep friendships with members of every species and solved centuries old conflicts (including, importantly, that between the Geth and the Quarians). They drive home the point that the Protheans were doomed by their homogeneity and that this cycle has a better chance because it consists of diverse races working together. Peaceful coexistence and cooperation are encouraged again and again and again.

    Then Shepard reaches the the Crucible and the Starchild says that war between synthetics and organics is inevitable. You have three choices for how to deal with this: genocide (kill all synthetics, including friendly ones, [red]), slavery (take control of the Reapers, [blue]), homogenization (merge all synthetic and organic life [green]). Shepard responds by fighting back and saying that there must be another way. His presence there is proof that cooperation is possible. He demands another solution that doesn't involve destroying the Mass Relays or synthetic allies like EDI and the Geth. Oh wait, that's not what he does at all. HE JUST GOES ALONG WITH IT AND PICKS ONE OF THE THREE AWFUL CHOICES. Are you @#$*ing kidding me Bioware? After all that Shepard just abandons everything he believes in without a fight and picks a color coded ending? This is about as believable as your whole crew suddenly turning into cowards and running away before the fight ends.

    Finally, the (only) ending is incredibly negative and depressing. If you want to say that I'm whiny and want an ending that's full of rainbows and unicorns and ice cream, fine, but hear me out. First consider how bleak the existing ending really is. The Mass Relays are gone. The civilization that you've come to know is torn apart completely. All the races you've just united really aren't going to interact anymore. The giant fleet hanging over the smoking ruin that was earth has no way to get home. Are they just going to starve to death? Where the hell is your squad? Will they ever get off that jungle planet? Are Tali and Garrus just going to starve to death (they can't eat the same food as us, remember)? We're left with small numbers of survivors cut off from each other on ruined planets. Call me crazy, but I don't think this is much better than letting the damn Reapers win.

    I don't object to the fact that this ending is possible. I object to the fact that its the only ending possible. As I've said, choice is a huge part of this series. If you did things a certain way in ME 1 you could convince the final boss to shoot himself in the head. If you were adequately prepared in ME 2 you could have a 100% survival rate on a "suicide mission." If I've been a solid paragon and completed every side mission for three games straight (which I did) I want the possibility of a happy ending. Screw this "the hero has to die" nonsense. This is Mass Effect! The hero doesn't "have to" anything! I want endings that differ in respects other than color of explosions, and I want at least one of them to be somewhat happy.    … Expand
  76. JingoJango
    Mar 21, 2012
    8
    Great game, but slightly disappointing compared with ME2. The thing I loved about ME2 was the believable world the game took place in, the character development and the feeling that there were real consequences to your actions. ME3 has far less depth, with side quests simply being fetch quests initiated by overhearing NPC incidental conversations. I was also annoyed by how easy it was toGreat game, but slightly disappointing compared with ME2. The thing I loved about ME2 was the believable world the game took place in, the character development and the feeling that there were real consequences to your actions. ME3 has far less depth, with side quests simply being fetch quests initiated by overhearing NPC incidental conversations. I was also annoyed by how easy it was to skip passed prominent characters from ME2 without ever meeting them. (Got an email from Thane, but by the time I returned to Citadel it had already been invaded and I can only assume he died, because he never was in that hospital) The addition of multiplayer makes up for a lot of these sins, which although it is just horde mode with no pvp, I'm finding it highly addictive. I don't agree with calls to change the ending, it is what it is, but can't shake the slight feeling of disappointment it failed to live up to the promise of ME2. Still great game that I would recommend to anyone.… Expand
  77. LadyDumrotten
    Mar 21, 2012
    8
    Mass Effect 3 is an epic masterpiece of storytelling in a video game that is crippled by anti-consumer policies and some sloppy corner-cutting in terms of playability. As someone who has been completely invested in this universe, I couldn't be more satisfied with the game's storyline and character development. It is an incredible work of popular fiction, on par with great TV series likeMass Effect 3 is an epic masterpiece of storytelling in a video game that is crippled by anti-consumer policies and some sloppy corner-cutting in terms of playability. As someone who has been completely invested in this universe, I couldn't be more satisfied with the game's storyline and character development. It is an incredible work of popular fiction, on par with great TV series like LOST or Battlestar Galactica and there's absolutely nothing else like it in video games. It's unfortunate then, that anti-consumer policies bog down what is otherwise an exceptional experience. First of all, some of the game's best and most essential single-player content has been put into a 10 dollar day 1 dlc to curb used sales. On top of that, an online pass is required to access the game's micro-transaction based multiplayer... which you need to play in order to get the best endings in the single-player game. You see what I mean by anti-consumer? I feel like this is especially insiduous and unacceptable. The developers have claimed that you don't NEED to play the multiplayer to get the best ending, but I just don't see how it's possible. I wasted hours of my life playing all the horrible fetch quests and running from reapers on the galaxy map just so I could scan a stupid planet (seriously, whoever designed this side-content... ugh) and get a good rating, but by the end it still wasn't enough. To top it off, it is clear that very little time was spent on the game's UI. That said, I still love this game and think it is an absolute must play. Bioware is clearly still an extremely talented developer and the problems in this game are nowhere near as serious as they were in Dragon Age II. I just hope they learn from the negative feedback and stop nickel-and-diming us to death. I doubt it'll happen though.… Expand
  78. AtlasMickey
    Mar 21, 2012
    10
    This is the best game I've ever played. I love the game 100% beginning-to-end, top-to-bottom. BioWare created a masterpiece. The ending requires your thought, attention, and patience, but it is worth it and very rewarding. It's a shame that so many fans who disliked the ending and have acted so immaturely.
  79. ughbjsadj
    Mar 21, 2012
    0
    Simply not worth 60 euros. I would have expected this kind of experience from some smaller and less established publisher - not Bioware. The game was in overall balless and shallow. I didn't mind the ending (although it sucked) but the fact that there were so few really good scenes in this play.
  80. WeenieHutJrs
    Mar 21, 2012
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Ok Mass Effect one of the best game franchises of all time delivered another outstanding game. Minus the less than stellar ending that we all wanted it, the game was fantastic. The action set pieces had me jumping out of my seat. (i.e. the part on Rannoch when you go head to head with a reaper) The story was always engaging and I never skipped a conversation. The multiplayer is fun for what it is but Mass Effect is all about single player. There were a few bugs like pauses between talking with people and enemies stuck in the ground. The overall experience is great and i hope this gets several GOTY awards.… Expand
  81. 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.
  82. ryan_howard
    Mar 21, 2012
    10
    Bioware has once again provided a excelent game with mass effect 3. From the amazing storyline, to the perfected shooter experience, the new customizable weapons, and the multiplayer that to be honest i was a little worried about they have came through once again and provided a great game that I would recommend to anyone.
  83. jacinto2222
    Mar 21, 2012
    10
    Absolutely amazing. Exactly what Mass Effect fans have been looking forward to since 2007. The combat has been fine tuned to near perfection and the overall structure and presentation of the story gives a throwback feel to ME1. A must play for fans of the franchise and others need to at least give it a go before denouncing it as the worst game ever created. The ending does take away fromAbsolutely amazing. Exactly what Mass Effect fans have been looking forward to since 2007. The combat has been fine tuned to near perfection and the overall structure and presentation of the story gives a throwback feel to ME1. A must play for fans of the franchise and others need to at least give it a go before denouncing it as the worst game ever created. The ending does take away from the overall experience but despite that single drawback the rest of the game is fantastic. The series as a whole is a must play.… Expand
  84. illogicalone
    Mar 21, 2012
    3
    Imagine you started reading a "Choose your own adventure" series of books. Then imagine you spent $180 dollars and invested over 100+ hours into the books. Imagine that you had serious decisions to make about things such as who lives and who dies in your story. Imagine that these books were very well written and full of unique encounters and situations. Then imagine no matter whatImagine you started reading a "Choose your own adventure" series of books. Then imagine you spent $180 dollars and invested over 100+ hours into the books. Imagine that you had serious decisions to make about things such as who lives and who dies in your story. Imagine that these books were very well written and full of unique encounters and situations. Then imagine no matter what decisions you made, every storyline ended the same way with a last second twist that you didn't really even care about and contradicted all the decisions you had made previously. Would you recommend these books? Would you go back and reread the books and make different decisions knowing you were going to dislike the ending and your decisions didn't matter? That's the dilemma with Mass Effect 3. It is like reading a good book/trilogy, only to find out the author didn't know how to handle all the different possibilities and ended up with one crappy ending.… Expand
  85. Fumi-chan
    Mar 21, 2012
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The uproar about this game is as legit as it can get. To sum it up in a few words: the game is glorious until the 10 last minutes. I'm not even gonna take into consideration the day 1 DLC locked in the disk and all the stock photos like Tali's face and the easter egg secret ending, those are small potatoes compared to the last few minutes of the game.

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

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

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

    And this is all the disappointed fans want. We don't want our own headcanon or ME fanfiction to become reality, we just want to either get a concise ending (which fans already did for Bioware with the indoctrination theory), or the promised 16 wildly different endings according to our decisions. If you want to make God-child catalyst canon, go ahead, Bioware. Just give us the choice you promised we'd have.    … Expand
  86. Asgard90
    Mar 20, 2012
    0
    I really wanted to like this game. I really tried to forgive the ending. But once I stopped making excuses and stopped leaning on the last two games,I came to accept that I truly hated the game as a whole and wish i hadn't played it.
  87. johnbeaman
    Mar 20, 2012
    10
    I think Hee-Haw said it best, "Gloom, despair and agony on me." Mass Effect 3 doesn't offer much in the way of happiness, and I walked away from this game feeling sick to my stomach. The Mass Effect trilogy took me on an incredible journey, and left me reeling in pain. In case you missed it, these are all good things.
  88. sclem
    Mar 20, 2012
    2
    I have been a huge fan of the entire Mass Effect trilogy. Most of ME3 carries on the trend, allowing the player to continue identifying with Commander Shepard...until the ending. Unfortunately, all decisions, choices, actions, and events leading up to the finale have no impact on the ultimate end. In addition, though Bioware specifically stated there would be "wildly different endings" andI have been a huge fan of the entire Mass Effect trilogy. Most of ME3 carries on the trend, allowing the player to continue identifying with Commander Shepard...until the ending. Unfortunately, all decisions, choices, actions, and events leading up to the finale have no impact on the ultimate end. In addition, though Bioware specifically stated there would be "wildly different endings" and that the multiplayer would be completely non-obligatory, those statements are false. The multiplayer is essential to gain significant war assets required for the "best" (same ending, slightly different final scene), and the "wildly different endings" is one ending with three different colored explosions that all do the same exact thing with the same exact result.

    #RetakeMassEffect

    Hold the Line.    … Expand
  89. ReviewCritic
    Mar 20, 2012
    5
    Let me explain to you what all of this hype is about: the ending. The last 10 minutes. I mean, until the ending, the game was O.K., not as good as the rest of the series, but still pretty good. AND THEN THE ENDING. IT WAS HORRIBLE. HORRIBLE. HORRIBLE.
  90. PAB_013
    Mar 20, 2012
    1
    I have been a die hard ME fan from day one, having spent countless 100s of hours playing through nearly every class, every side mission, exploring all romances, seeing every world, and painstakingly making every choice in the anticipation of how it all would come together right now. Sadly, I share the feeling of disappointment expressed by many of my fellow gamers. ME has become a shellI have been a die hard ME fan from day one, having spent countless 100s of hours playing through nearly every class, every side mission, exploring all romances, seeing every world, and painstakingly making every choice in the anticipation of how it all would come together right now. Sadly, I share the feeling of disappointment expressed by many of my fellow gamers. ME has become a shell of what it once was. Instead of getting an in depth story with interesting characters and relationships that I care about and the feeling that every decision, both big and small, would play a part in the shape of this world, I got a straight forward action game with little depth and characters who I don't know or care about(e.g. James, Kai Leng). Every mission from beginning to end consists of your goal to gain war assets and at some point someone dies or nearly dies. Which was emotional at first, but once you realize it's happening every time it losses its affect. There is also a clear de-emphasis on everything besides the main action, you can't do a side missions until their location is unlocked through progressing in the story. Side missions consist of over hearing conversations and going to seek out what they were talking about by scanning a planet or finding it during the main quest. If the item is passed over during the main quest, though, it can be purchased cheaply later on. The other side missions have replaced the scanning/resource mini game from ME2. It is poorly executed on several phases. Before you can scan a particular planet you have to ping it, which isn't a problem unless there are reapers in the neighborhood. In which case, if you can't find it in the first few tries the reapers chase you out of the system and you have to wait before you can come back and try again. Once you ping the correct planet you have the option to scan the planet, the same as scanning planets in ME2. This is a waste of time since there is only one spot and it points you right to it and about 90% of the time it is on the opposite side of the planet. There are also no updates added to your codex or galaxy map as you attain your side mission or the items associated with them, so you will be flipping to your codex before you go to your galaxy map to find which system and planet you need to travel to, and when you find the item for the mission you'll need to either complete it immediately or have a way to remember you recovered it, otherwise there's nothing to say not to go back. The reward for completing the missions is gaining war assets which along with completing multiplayer missions affects your total readiness for the final Reaper assault. In actuality, doing these have little affect on the ending of the game, which as many have already stated is very poor. All other mini games/puzzles have been removed. There is also lack of subtlety/emphasis in your relationships with everyone around you. Very early on in the story you are either given the option or it is blatantly obvious that a particular person is going to be a romance option, and other than that, with a few exceptions (mostly Garrus and Tali), they have nothing particularly interesting to say. Multiplayer consists of a horde mode which can provide a diversion from the main story but doesn't add anything particular interesting. Biggest gripe is the randomness of unlocking new weapons/characters/perks instead of letting me use my credits to choose how I would prefer to play. The combat mechanics and graphics, aside from the ridiculous "enhanced" character models, are the best of the series, but the de-evolution of the series, the feeling of being mislead (e.g. choices affecting the game, being able to get the best ending without playing multiplayer), and the sense that a money grab played a huge part the final product (they even message they give after beating the game is more or less an urge to buy dlc) felt like a slap in the face. I understand the need to make money but not to the extent compromising the essence of something that millions of people have come to love.… Expand
  91. Elevas
    Mar 20, 2012
    2
    A complete departure from the spirit of the series in that there's no impact from your prior decisions on the ending. There are a few great scenes; but overall, it's a travesty.
  92. Kouryou
    Mar 20, 2012
    10
    People take the ending of this game far too seriously and don't judge it based on its own merits- They expect a flash-bang ending, boom, shoot the bad guys and go home just like the first two. They don't want to think. They don't want to get philosophy in their explosions. They take this stuff far, far too seriously.
  93. greendino
    Mar 20, 2012
    1
    This game does everything important right. Mass effect still stands as one of the best series of this gaming generation. you could look past all the minor flaws. That was, until the ending. The ending manages to undo and/or invalidate essentially everything that shepard does throughout not just ME3, but the other two games as well. It leaves a bitter taste in your mouth that nothing canThis game does everything important right. Mass effect still stands as one of the best series of this gaming generation. you could look past all the minor flaws. That was, until the ending. The ending manages to undo and/or invalidate essentially everything that shepard does throughout not just ME3, but the other two games as well. It leaves a bitter taste in your mouth that nothing can wash off.

    I loved it. Then there was the ending....    … Expand
  94. CjN
    Mar 20, 2012
    10
    Mass Effect 3 is the best game in the trilogy; the combat has been improved since the last game. Itâ
  95. MantonX2
    Mar 20, 2012
    4
    If you are here trying to decide if you want to buy this game, then do yourself a favor. Honestly, any review you see that gives this game a 10 and calls it perfection, ignore. That's not realistic. Likewise, any review that says it's utter garbage and a 0, ignore. It to is not driven by reality. The rating system is not complex enough here for me to give a visual score so I will putIf you are here trying to decide if you want to buy this game, then do yourself a favor. Honestly, any review you see that gives this game a 10 and calls it perfection, ignore. That's not realistic. Likewise, any review that says it's utter garbage and a 0, ignore. It to is not driven by reality. The rating system is not complex enough here for me to give a visual score so I will put it here. Assume the game takes 30hours to beat. If I were to score the first 29hrs and 50mins this game would easily get an 7-8. If I curb my desire to have more RPG elements that were closer to the first ME then I could easily give it an 8-9. In a nutshell, the majority of players are going to love those first 29hrs and 50mins. It's a wild and at times emotional ride full of action and loss. The graphics aren't ground breaking, but they are more than enough to carry this game and convey the enormity of it all. The final battle is epic in scale and amazing even if I wanted to see so much more of it and all of those assets that I put into place during the game.

    That said, the final 10mins completely undoes everything that comes before it and that the franchise stands for. You go from being an active participant in the story of -your- Commander Shepard to a bystander. In those ten minutes, they undo almost every important fact that they disclosed and you realize that all of those huge and small decisions you made over 3 games and 5 years brings you to the exact same place as everyone else who played with only very small variations to the same exact ending. And in the process, they have ruined the entire franchise for me. For that, the ending gets a 0.

    Combined, I can't give ME3 more than a 4 even if it hurts my heart. Some are going to say that giving the ending a 0 is ridiculous, but let me ask you this. Ignoring the plot holes, inconsistencies, spurious and circular logic and the rest; does it seem right that I take my "Everyone Lives/Super Paragon Blew Up The Collector Base" ending ME2 Shepard into ME3 and my friend takes his "Man I screwed up and almost every squad member died and I handed over the Collector Base" joke ME2 Shepard and we both get the exact same ending without variation? For a franchise like ME, that's a completely broken end system and doesn't deserve a good or even mediocre score.    … Expand
  96. Zuk
    Mar 20, 2012
    0
    This game was on the verge of being the Sci-Fi epic of our generation - in the form of a video game trilogy! But, alas, BioWare got butterfingers less than 10 minutes from the conclusion. Rather than giving all of our hard work, all of the many stories told, and most of all a great damn hero in Commander Shepard a REAL send off? The type that they deserved? What happened?

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

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

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

    At some point, BioWare's writers simply dropped the ball.    … Expand
  97. chromiumTWIST
    Mar 20, 2012
    10
    A stunning spectacle of modern entertainment. Not only do you get to wrap up many key plots that have emerged within this fantastic trilogy, but the ending itself is a sight to behold. They forego the trappings of a modern WRPG, sacrificing all past choices, and giving you a hard hitting, lucid ending, instead. I can see more than a little 2001: A Space Odyssey, and more than enough DeusA stunning spectacle of modern entertainment. Not only do you get to wrap up many key plots that have emerged within this fantastic trilogy, but the ending itself is a sight to behold. They forego the trappings of a modern WRPG, sacrificing all past choices, and giving you a hard hitting, lucid ending, instead. I can see more than a little 2001: A Space Odyssey, and more than enough Deus Ex influences, which, overall, help the ending immensely. I wouldn't recommend it above any other.

    Hold The Line. Keep ME3 the way it is.    … Expand
  98. lolursomad
    Mar 20, 2012
    0
    The game was really good until the last 5 minutes of the game. It's really a shame that the ending ruins the entire franchise. Absolute disappointment.
  99. joshiasi
    Mar 20, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. For those who thinks the endings make sense are either high or being paid by EA/Bioware to thinking that the ending makes sense. I for one experience such a confusing ending for example on my final push to the port to the Citadel, I had Ashley and Garrus with me then in the ending CGI, Ashley shows up in a planet that the Normandy crashed in without getting scratched by Harbringer's beam. What kind of bad writing is that?

    Such a shame for such a great franchise. The ending just negates all what was good in Mass Effect 3. The ending felt like it was rushed to make deadlines as it did not follow what Mass Effect is all about. The game is about choices you make affecting the outcome. No matter what the choices you make in-game and in the previous installments did not matter at all. Its the same ending with 5% variation.    … Expand
  100. Glodis27
    Mar 20, 2012
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I've played Mass Effect since it first came out. I eagerly awaited Mass Effect 2, ordered books, the collector's edition, even the Prima guide. I've replayed it more times than I can count When Mass Effect 3 was announced, I was ecstatic. I rushed to secure a collector's edition, and by the time March 6th came around I was ready to hole myself in my basement and play til I finished. And I do love BioWare. Because of Mass Effect, I bought Dragon Age and KOTOR. I applaud them for all their brilliance in the past, but I strongly believe they stumbled at the finish line for Mass Effect.

    99% of the game was perfection. I had chills down my spine during the Fall of Thessia, I shed a tear when Mordin and Thane sacrificed themselves. It was such an emotionally gripping game. However, the final 5 minutes is what ruined everything. Casey Hudson promised us that our choices would matter. How do they matter in a simple choice: red, green, or blue explosion? He promised us 16 DIFFERENT endings. The entire series was about choice and consequence. It was about weighing options and making moral decisions. All of this was completely nullified by the introduction of a God Child and the whole Stargazer debacle. The ending is so full of plot holes - why is Joker running away from a fight? Why did my squadmates mysteriously disappear then reappear on the Normandy? How did Anderson get ahead of Shepard when he said he got into the beam after him? How did Hackett know it was Shepard when the chatter says that no one made it to the beam? I personally believe the indoctrination theory, but it becomes difficult to believe when BioWare remains silent. If tanking the metacritic scores, making noise, and banding together is what it takes for BioWare to notice and make a change, then I'm all in. Hold the line.    … Expand
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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.
    Read full review
  3. GameFocus
    Apr 18, 2012
    96
    The storytelling itself, the more refined combat, the voicework, the visuals, et all, stand as a fine example of some of the best this industry has to offer, and with my minor complaints aside, there's no doubt that Mass Effect 3 will be deservedly at the top of everyone's list come this year's award season.
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