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. mrbeavis19
    Mar 12, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I didn't come here to flame. I don't want to rant. I just...I don't really know what to say. I'm hurt, I'm disappointed, and I wish desperately that the game could have ended any other way. Everything else about the game and the series was quite simply, amazing...but the end.

    To say it leaves a bitter taste in your mouth is an understatement. As a fan of the series since the moment I picked up the xbox controller and started playing Mass Effect back in 2007, I really just can't feel anything but dissatisfied. Mass Effect was and still is my favorite game of all time. Mass Effect 2, less so (removal of many RPG elements, etc.) but that aside, Mass Effect 3 rekindled my hope that the series may end on a high note after all. The whole theme of the story was hope and survival. To fight, or find another way when there seemed to be no other option. So when the ending of it all boiled down to 3 horrible choices, I was crushed.

    There were so many moments in this game that made me feel something. Made me feel connected to the characters. Whether it was the depth of Shepard's love for Liara, his brotherly comradery and heart-to-hearts with Garrus and Kaidan, or his hatred for Kei Leng and the utter crushing blow of the defeat at Thessia, I felt something. And the dream sequences! They were a beautiful and haunting representation of what the stress must have been on Shepard. But through it all, there was emotional attachment and investment. I felt connected to Shepard. I was vicariously saving the galaxy. As a game design student, I can't overstate how incredible that is. That I became so attached to these characters, to this galaxy, so invested in this game. It was nothing short of incredible, but the same cannot be said for the ending. The ending made me feel too. It made me feel sick. I felt physically ill from the moment Shepard was blasted by Harbinger to the very end of the game. All that hope and sheer force of will...for what? For Shepard to just die like that? He deserves better. The galaxy deserves better. But he stands. He's still alive, if barely. There's still hope right? Then the Marauder. They're just toying with me now. Drawing out this agony. Why?! Then the Citadel. Anderson. I almost had to expect that to happen. I can accept it with a heavy heart. But I did all I possibly could to secure a good ending. But he can't reach the console. He can't be dead. So close. But wait. A light. Now he's on top of the Citadel...ok. Maybe there's still hope. The little kid? What is this? This is the Catalyst? Some cosmic force that created and controls the Reapers. That instantiated the cycle of extinction you're fighting against. And you're supposed to take him at his word when he tells you what to do? Just like that? No "find another way"? Shepard just takes this thing that's tried to kill him at its word and believes in what it has to say?

    And it all came down to those 3 horrible choices.

    Go back on everything you stood for and try to control the creatures you swore to destroy, ending your own life in the process.

    Somehow re-write the DNA of every living thing in the galaxy to achieve synergy with the synthetics? I'm not even going to go into how ridiculous and impossible that is. Oh yeah and that one kills Shepard outright too.

    Or, you can shoot the tube-thingy and kill the Reapers. Everything's cool right? Oh wait, that one kills all the synthetics in the galaxy. You're now effectively betraying EDI and dishonoring Legion's memory, not to mention screwing over the Quarians in their effort to settle Rannoch once again.

    Oh and to make this choice even more horrible and heart-crushing, every choice results in the destruction of not only the Citadel, but all the relays, effectively destroying the galaxy as you know it. The government will inevitably collapse and all the species are now stranded on Earth, where they fought the Reapers, or on their own homeworld or colony, cut off from the rest of the galaxy.

    No matter how you slice it, the end is a defeat. The galaxy is doomed without the relays.

    And then you get to watch color-coded cutscenes with very little variation. Joker leaves Shepard for dead on the Citadel, uncharacteristically fleeing the battle and somehow, Liara, who was with Shepard on the ground, is now stranded with Joker on some alien planet, doomed to a slow death when the Normandy crash lands.

    And the best ending this game can muster for all my efforts acquiring war assets and galactic readiness? Shepard, god knows where, laying in some pile of rubble...takes a breath. How? How would he have survived the explosion on the Citadel? Where the heck did he end up? I don't get it. I'm utterly crushed by how horrible this ending is.

    Had the ending been good, I would undoubtedly have given this game a 10. It was a masterpiece...until the end. It's like the Mona Lisa...with black paint splashed across it. I'm heart-broken.    … Expand
  2. BiowareLied
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    Bioware lied about the ending content and EA has their shills in the video game "journalism" industry pumping out propaganda at a frantic pace. Too bad the damage has been done.
  3. supertime556677
    Mar 12, 2012
    1
    The game was excellent, with more in depth side quests and far better combat than even the second game. The battles were challenging and as epic as one would expect for the finale of the Mass Effect series. Up until the last 10 minutes. The AI child refers to itself as both "I" and "we". They couldn't even proofread the ending script. That's not the worst part. Yes, the endings areThe game was excellent, with more in depth side quests and far better combat than even the second game. The battles were challenging and as epic as one would expect for the finale of the Mass Effect series. Up until the last 10 minutes. The AI child refers to itself as both "I" and "we". They couldn't even proofread the ending script. That's not the worst part. Yes, the endings are depressing. I'm fine with that. What I'm not fine with is the fact the ending contains major, obtrusive plot holes. Characters who are with you in the final battle someone come back from the dead and end up on the Normandy, which is for some reason in the midst of running from some random beam of color, in the span of 5 minutes. Really? Furthermore, the same characters are shown in flashbacks at the end, no matter if they've been dead since the second game or they're not even you love interest. That's just looking at the game alone. Comparing it to the rest of the series, the ending does not make sense. It is not artistic. It's not bad because its a tragic ending. It doesn't mesh with the story leading up to it. Why, if the citadel controls the reapers, did it not just allow them to jump in during the events of the first game? The ending is so bad that I regret giving $60 to EA/Bioware. I don't want to pay for DLC with a better ending. I expect to to not fork out $60 for a game with a nonsensical half-assed ending to a series that I spent well over 200 hours and $200 on. I gave the game a +1 since the first 99% of it was excellent. The ending was worth -9 though. Do not buy. Just replay the first and second games and save yourself the money.… Expand
  4. WhataTwist
    Mar 12, 2012
    4
    Please note that my score is on a purely subjective basis. It's my gut feeling about the game. That said, I was almost ready to call this my favorite game ever until the last 10 minutes rolled in. The ending was so bad, so cheap, so poorly written, and such a shock to the mind; that it basically ruined the entire series for me. I simply cannot imagine how they could have ended it on a morePlease note that my score is on a purely subjective basis. It's my gut feeling about the game. That said, I was almost ready to call this my favorite game ever until the last 10 minutes rolled in. The ending was so bad, so cheap, so poorly written, and such a shock to the mind; that it basically ruined the entire series for me. I simply cannot imagine how they could have ended it on a more sour, bitter, depressing note. And for that, I am TRULY sorry. What a waste. Ugh...… Expand
  5. atomiccow
    Mar 12, 2012
    3
    Normally it would be impossible for a 5 minutes of cutscenes to ruin 30 hours of gameplay. Unless of course that 5 minutes is the ending to a trilogy spanning 5 years and over 70 hours of playtime.

    If you're a Mass Effect fan who has stuck with the series since the first game then you would do best to stop playing at the last save point and save yourself the hopeless depression that will    Normally it would be impossible for a 5 minutes of cutscenes to ruin 30 hours of gameplay. Unless of course that 5 minutes is the ending to a trilogy spanning 5 years and over 70 hours of playtime.

    If you're a Mass Effect fan who has stuck with the series since the first game then you would do best to stop playing at the last save point and save yourself the hopeless depression that will follow should you play the ending sequence in this game.

    The ending is negligent betrayal by Bioware to its fans on the highest level. You'll be best of imagining your own perfect ending.    … Expand
  6. Eradith
    Mar 12, 2012
    5
    The ending ruins an otherwise great game. It makes no sense and BioWare did not live up to their hype nor promises at this point. I hope they will either explain it or fix it, because I'm not getting where they are trying to go with it. The worst of it, is that you could have done absolutely nothing in the previous two games or even in this one and would probably still get the same oldThe ending ruins an otherwise great game. It makes no sense and BioWare did not live up to their hype nor promises at this point. I hope they will either explain it or fix it, because I'm not getting where they are trying to go with it. The worst of it, is that you could have done absolutely nothing in the previous two games or even in this one and would probably still get the same old ending. Kinda sad considering the promises made in interviews.… Expand
  7. laholi
    Mar 12, 2012
    3
    Story, Characters, plot elements, cut scenes..all uninspiring. Combat even on hardcore settings is lack luster. Graphics are not that much improved over Mass Effect 2. Despite that, I loved the game, right up until the end. The very things that made me give most of the game a pass as I played through it, the time I'd invested in Sheapard, my love of the other charactors, my fealing ofStory, Characters, plot elements, cut scenes..all uninspiring. Combat even on hardcore settings is lack luster. Graphics are not that much improved over Mass Effect 2. Despite that, I loved the game, right up until the end. The very things that made me give most of the game a pass as I played through it, the time I'd invested in Sheapard, my love of the other charactors, my fealing of consequences for my actions; were all thrown away at the end. There are people that hate the ending for what it reveals about the reapers, and what "choices" You get to make. But even putting that asside, the feal is off, the quick ending cenimatics are hollow quick...impart no real informations. The game ends but I'm not sure what actualy happened, or if I even care anymore. Mass Effect 3, poorly exectued and contrived, First Day DLC: unforgivable..and Here is a Spoiler for you, They flash a little datapad up on the screen that says keep playing and spending your money buying are DLC's..excuse me? You leave me fealing robbed, then tell me not to worry because you'll be back for more money later?
    Mass effect..you're dead to me, such a loss :-/    … Expand
  8. trouble1019
    Mar 12, 2012
    4
    I pre-ordered this POS. I love the story and the Lore of this universe. I have never felt so cheated as I did when I found out about the Day 1 DLC. When EA admitted that the CORE aspects of the DLC had been integrated in the the game prior to certification, I wanted to return the game for a refund. I feel like EA took advantage of my loyalty and attempted to exploit it. So uncool EA..I pre-ordered this POS. I love the story and the Lore of this universe. I have never felt so cheated as I did when I found out about the Day 1 DLC. When EA admitted that the CORE aspects of the DLC had been integrated in the the game prior to certification, I wanted to return the game for a refund. I feel like EA took advantage of my loyalty and attempted to exploit it. So uncool EA.. Soo... UnCool… Expand
  9. Kinzler
    Mar 12, 2012
    1
    This review is from the perspective of a gamer who has diligently played all 3 games of the series and has easily sunk 200+ hours into the trilogy. As such, it is aimed towards that group of players.

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

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

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

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

    The day 1 DLC is an insult to consumers everywhere and the companies involved should be ashamed of themselves for withholding content so as to make a couple extra bucks. In conclusion:
    The game lacks much of the choice and atmosphere of its predecessors. It is apparent that this game was extensively stripped down so as to appeal to a wider audience. It lacks depth in nearly all of its gameplay departments and contains mainly needless additions. And last but not least, THE ENDINGS ARE COMPLETE RUBISH AND RUIN THE ENTIRE FRANCHISE!    … Expand
  10. alqualonde
    Mar 12, 2012
    1
    A fantastic game series totally obliterated by one of the most banal, non-sensical endings in history. If the lame ending of Dragon Age 2 pissed you off, the ending of ME3 will prompt you to send your PC tower flying through the window and skidding into the street, where you will leave it in hopes of being run over by a car so you might be able to forget this entire series existed. I'm soA fantastic game series totally obliterated by one of the most banal, non-sensical endings in history. If the lame ending of Dragon Age 2 pissed you off, the ending of ME3 will prompt you to send your PC tower flying through the window and skidding into the street, where you will leave it in hopes of being run over by a car so you might be able to forget this entire series existed. I'm so goddamned disappointed.… Expand
  11. nayerr
    Mar 12, 2012
    3
    I loved Mass Effect 1&2, but it ends there. Mass Effect 3 has got to be the biggest letdown in video game history. This game is nothing like the first 2. It's actually pretty straight forward, zero to no exploration, the mini games are gone & forming a space crew has gotten stale. The only thing this game has is great graphics, other than that it's garbage. BORING.
  12. Marleyboro
    Mar 12, 2012
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. PLEASE READ. I first wanna start by saying I understand everyones disappointment with the ending. But thats not why I'm writing this, I dont want to sit here and feed you line after line of clever ways to say the ending was bad. So to kick it off, first the graphics are the main reason i gave this a 9/10 in fact i wouldve done a 9.5/10 but this obviously isnt a .5 scale. The reason for this is that although the major portion of the graphics are good you'll soon see that there are some framerate issues (and i played on the 360 with the discs installed on my harddrive) not only will the game be framerate glitchy but it will also have sound cut in and cut out during cutscenes. Now theses problems obviously can be overlooked but the reason they "muddy" the experience is because overall the game is soooo impressive and when you add in these framerate issues and graphical hitches it easily stands out. Now for the story obviously you know the gist of it by now. (Reapers attacking Earth, and the rest of the galaxy, you play as Commander Shepherd and have to gather other races to help you defeat the Reapers blah blah) now what Bioware has done with the story in this third installment is very impressive. From the writing to the voice acting and the way its delivered is all top notch. My only problem with the story though is..yup you guessed it, the ending. NOO im not going to put down the ending harshly like everyone else has. But i will say FAIL BIOWARE. I'm not tryin to "hate" but obviously once you get to the ending you find that there are 3 different choices you can make..AND STOP!..first off why have RPGs adopted this "choice" fettish at the ending of theyre games (Fable 3, Dragon Age, Fallout etc..) and expect the player to approve of them, we get it we made choices throughout the whole damn game developers, now roll a cutscene that puts all of our choices into affect and sums up the story and allows our ending to be distinctly different from other players. Was that hard...i dont think so. Its not that the ending is broken i mean it sums up the story descently but i couldnt help but feel as i walked up to those three paths on the Crucible, that one of my favorite game franchises was giving in to the "pick a path and see what happens" kind of ending. So i think thats enough of "dogging" the story. But i wanna say one thing to people who think the ending ruined the triology. If you think thats true you arent a true Mass Effect fan, if 15 minutes of a 200 hour overall experience (combining all 3 games) ruined the series for you..I feel sorry for you. Mass Effect is an amazing franchise and deserves all the praise it can get...And a quick little suggestion if Bioware changes the ending. I suggest releasing a free DLC ending that if you like it you can enable it to override the current ending and then play through the game with the new ending. Thanks for Reading!!… Expand
  13. Gometdog
    Mar 12, 2012
    10
    Great game! Heavy competition for game of the year. Awesome multiplayer.
  14. MrBrown
    Mar 12, 2012
    2
    Your choices don't matter as the game pretty much only has one ending. This is terrible for the concluding game in a trilogy. How is it that the developers can market a game as being based in a world that responds to your decisions then pull this stuff! Rent before you buy or just plain rent.
  15. SisterSafetyPin
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    I've never had my love for an entire game series completely negated by the last games ending. I've never felt so.... ****ing angry about an ending that I considered immediately trading my Collectors edition back in for almost anything else... And I bought Fable 3.

    From game one of Mass Effect it was said that our choices matter; and that importing your character from ME1 to ME3 would    I've never had my love for an entire game series completely negated by the last games ending. I've never felt so.... ****ing angry about an ending that I considered immediately trading my Collectors edition back in for almost anything else... And I bought Fable 3.

    From game one of Mass Effect it was said that our choices matter; and that importing your character from ME1 to ME3 would create stacked outcomes...

    And yet none of that was true. It was said that playing Multiplater wasn't needed to get the best possible ending. But that wasn't true either. I completed every side-quest and was a full paragon... And the ending sucked.

    What a slap in the face *Bioware.* I'm now embarressed by how excited I was for this game. Because the ending has completely ruined my experience    … Expand
  16. cryochamber
    Mar 12, 2012
    10
    The game was beautiful. The gameplay was tight, the characters were well realised, the story was great. I loved every second of my time with the game and the multiplayer aint half bad and i can totally see Bioware going with it somewhere in the future. I personally liked the ending and found it really interesting, however i can understand why people may not like it, but these reviewsThe game was beautiful. The gameplay was tight, the characters were well realised, the story was great. I loved every second of my time with the game and the multiplayer aint half bad and i can totally see Bioware going with it somewhere in the future. I personally liked the ending and found it really interesting, however i can understand why people may not like it, but these reviews suggesting the game is worth a 0 or 1 is ridiculous because the rest of the game was fantastic and well worth my purchase and I bloody loved it!!!… Expand
  17. Wibbler
    Mar 12, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Mass Effect 3 endings were like eating a beautifully decorated and tasty 3 layer cake and finding a big fat **** in the last bite. Seriously this ruined any replay value for me.… Expand
  18. seagol
    Mar 12, 2012
    9
    This was by far the best mass effect experience until the final mission, during the whole playthrought it really was awesome but the end was a big let down, anyways, still a great game!
  19. RGM79
    Mar 12, 2012
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I want to start off by saying that I really enjoyed the game for the most part. But there were some mistakes made, so I'm going to talk about what I liked AND what I didn't like. There are SPOILERS in this review.

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

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

    The glaring flaw? Remember Fallout 3, where you died of radiation poisoning when someone immune to radiation was in your party? Same thing here. When the Catalyst goes all "Yo dawg, I heard you donâ    … Expand
  20. micro4
    Mar 12, 2012
    5
    Let me be vary clear i am not going to complain about the graphics the Homosexuality or the glitches. With the level of coding needed to facilitate a game like this with so many choices and paths to take it is expected. If you want a gay or lesbian Shepard more power to you. As a matter of fact on My second play-through i may just try that with my Female renegade, but we shall see.
    What    Let me be vary clear i am not going to complain about the graphics the Homosexuality or the glitches. With the level of coding needed to facilitate a game like this with so many choices and paths to take it is expected. If you want a gay or lesbian Shepard more power to you. As a matter of fact on My second play-through i may just try that with my Female renegade, but we shall see.
    What really made me drop to my knees and cry what really killed this game for me was the ending.
    Without giving anything away let me explain.
    All those choices that you made, all those people you met, all those romances you had, AMOUNT TO NOTHING. No mention no nothing. Let me be clear i have no problem with a bittersweet ending. If lets say Shepard had no choice and all he could do to save his world and the Woman/Man he loves is to end his own life then sure by all means but treat it as such. Better yet do it gently. Or make it after a grand final battle. No such thing happens. A lot of people were complaining about the negativity of the ending. If the end would have been handled with a little more care i would not be as angry sad and frustrated. Let me be clear this games took me 35 hours to complete combining the game play from all three that led to this finally i had a grand total of 126 hours of game-play mostly from 1 and 2 respectively. To then tell me that all that work and toil and sweat and sleepless nights amounts to nothing is more then just saddening. It is a swift kick to the nuts. A sudden pain radiating up your back toward your stomach. I actually played the ending again the first time just to make sure i did not make a mistake, and then a played it a third time just to be sure. I actually contemplated throwing this game out the window. Something i had never done before. However if you let your anger subside as i did after about a day. You will go back watch the end again let the credits finish rolling and hear how what you have done throughout the game has become the stuff of legend. Many cry foul at this but i see it as a nod from Bioware to keep going and persevere and try again. That and the Game itself leading up to the last ten minutes are what kept me from giving this thing anything less then a five. You will like the game, up untill you make your final push for the transporter. After that you will cry, you will be angry, you will be speechless. You will try again and again to find the truth and you will fail. Bioware has tried and failed to resist EA Greed. First Red Alert 3 and now this. I am done with you EA. Here is a quick list of the game series EA has ruined.
    Command and Conquer: RED ALERT
    Mass Effect 3
    007
    Command and Conquer
    Dungeon Master
    Sim (name here)

    These are just the ones I've played.
    These are big series too.
    Congrats EA with this you have pissed off Sci-Fi fans across the world.

    Bioware resist the EA greed and keep making good games .

    the following is for EA:

    **** YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    … Expand
  21. Kevinj37
    Mar 12, 2012
    8
    I love this game and Bioware games in general. Great story, great characters, I actually felt regret when I had to make a tough call in the Geth storyline. I haven't finished yet and I've been playing constantly since it came out- tons of content! Would have given it a ten, except I deducted one point for the DLC BS they pulled, and 1 point for the multi-player, which I can't accessI love this game and Bioware games in general. Great story, great characters, I actually felt regret when I had to make a tough call in the Geth storyline. I haven't finished yet and I've been playing constantly since it came out- tons of content! Would have given it a ten, except I deducted one point for the DLC BS they pulled, and 1 point for the multi-player, which I can't access because I don't happen to know any other players, and public games are inaccessible to first-time players (tried to join one and was immediately booted, presumably for my level). But, as far as the gameplay goes, this is among the best I've ever played.… Expand
  22. BizzleTheDon
    Mar 12, 2012
    8
    Honestly, Bioware cut corners on this game, and what could have been a hit with both critics (who are clearly paid for by major developers) AND fans, turned into a minor black eye on what is otherwise an excellent trilogy. This IS a good game, but it is flawed when it didn't have to be. A few more months and Bioware could've spent the time developing three alternate endings, as opposedHonestly, Bioware cut corners on this game, and what could have been a hit with both critics (who are clearly paid for by major developers) AND fans, turned into a minor black eye on what is otherwise an excellent trilogy. This IS a good game, but it is flawed when it didn't have to be. A few more months and Bioware could've spent the time developing three alternate endings, as opposed to copy and pasted versions of the same ending that completely eradicated any feeling of your decisions up to that point feeling like they mattered worth nothing. In addition to that, they also could have formulated answers for the clear plot holes in the game. (SPOILER ALERT!!: Who is the being on the Citadel who created the Reapers? What made them come to that decision? Why would the Normandy be in FTL Travel when clearly, they were orbiting Earth assisting the crew?) They also could have worked out to numerous kinks in the cover system, such as popping out of cover when you change weapons, or not returning to cover when popping out to fire.) Other issues include glitches that freeze your game or cause characters to disappear during talking scenes. I believe there was definitely a money grab mentality here. I point to a multiplayer that has very little depth in light of other XBL Shooters, but is a necessity to play if you want your galactic fleet to be at full strength. By forcing that on players, it assures that those who bought the game used will have to buy a pass to play the online Multi. Also, the entire "From Ashes" DLC could have been integrated into the game itself. In the end, there are many flaws with this game. However, none of them stop the game from being fantastic up until the ending. And if it helps: If you haven't played this game to the end? Take my advice: ONLY CHOOSE ONE ENDING AND DO NOT PLAY THE OTHERS. It will ruin it the experience.… Expand
  23. bigboy29
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    Gutwrenching, unfortunately. For a long term fan (played ME1 and ME2 multiple times to tweak my actions) - I find myself extremely disappointed and frankly - let down by how this ended. The game plays well, but honestly - if you are a long term fan - I cannot suggest you go down the road of hopelesness where actions do not seem to matter and it is not just that answers about ME main plotGutwrenching, unfortunately. For a long term fan (played ME1 and ME2 multiple times to tweak my actions) - I find myself extremely disappointed and frankly - let down by how this ended. The game plays well, but honestly - if you are a long term fan - I cannot suggest you go down the road of hopelesness where actions do not seem to matter and it is not just that answers about ME main plot are not given, there are a whole lot of new questions. But sorry - the series is now over. I got upset enough with this that from now on, I'll be buying BioWare games only 2nd hand. Someone in the company had to think this was acceptable and I am not supporting them anymore.… Expand
  24. Frug0
    Mar 12, 2012
    9
    The game is just brilliant. I've played 1&2 as well and although 3 seems a bit easier, I still love it. I am only disappointed that there are so many pathetic people, who scores that game so badly, only because of ending. DO NOT BE STEREOTYPICAL. Not every ending has to be happy. C'mon! I DEFINITELY RECOMMEND MASS EFFECT 3!
  25. Armiga21
    Mar 12, 2012
    5
    As a fan of the previous two games, I was disappointed with this final installment. The third installment is unfortunately rifled with a lot of dumbing down of the franchise. Conversation choices have been severely limited, as have the number of dialog choices; especially those which actually matter. This comes into play for the worst in the ending which is a huge disappointment, to sayAs a fan of the previous two games, I was disappointed with this final installment. The third installment is unfortunately rifled with a lot of dumbing down of the franchise. Conversation choices have been severely limited, as have the number of dialog choices; especially those which actually matter. This comes into play for the worst in the ending which is a huge disappointment, to say the least. The series hailed itself as choice since the beginning, but the way your choices end up affecting the ending seem to be arbitrary at best. It's also unfortunate multiplayer is required to get the best ending possible. I believe you can get it if you make very specific choices in the campaign (i.e. not all Paragon or all Renegade, you need a guide in your lap to mix and choose very specific ones) but chances are you won't get it without a guide. Multiplayer itself feels very tacked on and more of a mandate by the publisher, similar to how I felt on Multiplayer in Bioshock 2.… Expand
  26. zotune
    Mar 12, 2012
    8
    The new standard of decision-making and storytelling in games, Mass Effect 3 sets an example of a narrative which will make you consider your decisions thoroughly, or regret otherwise. The Clint Mansell composed music is emotional and the soundtrack pays homage to many sci-fi series of the past with its electronic touch - the presentation is also exquisitely refined with vastly improvedThe new standard of decision-making and storytelling in games, Mass Effect 3 sets an example of a narrative which will make you consider your decisions thoroughly, or regret otherwise. The Clint Mansell composed music is emotional and the soundtrack pays homage to many sci-fi series of the past with its electronic touch - the presentation is also exquisitely refined with vastly improved lighting and art design which far exceeds most games. That being said, besides an otherwise improved combat system, the enemies are quite dull and mainly runs towards you in a very outdated and unintelligent fashion. I also resent the idea of having to purchase the Day 1 DLC, especially in this case since it involves a major story arc which should have been part of the game in the first place - and I refuse to endorse the abuse of loyal fans who have become invested in the story thus far, and are being exploited monetarily in order to have complete narrative experience. To purposely leave out the answers to some of the most important questions in this otherwise wonderful sci-fi universe comes across as non-appreciation towards loyal fans, and I cannot with my principles intact overlook such an inconsiderate move upon giving a numerical score - in addition to the publisher's behavior towards Windows fans who were not able to buy the game for their Steam library along with previous installments and the rest of their collection, making the whole process very inconvenient for them as consumers. In regards to previous installments it is an improvement in certain aspects such as the leveling system, at the same time however, Mass Effect 3 also appears more dumbed down by introducing genre stereotypes such as characters who seem to have been put in place only to appeal to a more casual audience - instead of remaining true to the initial values of the series. To conclude, this is quite possibly one of my favorite sci-fi universes, and I cannot recommend the journey enough. Though towards the end of the ride I didn't truly feel like I was given complete closure, and the game wasn't quite the improvement Mass Effect 2 was either. All in all I don't think I'm alone in conveying my dislike for the way BioWare has decided to treat their loyal fans. I would still recommend the game to those who would like to see how it all ends, though I would add to that recommendation and advise to disregard the DLC, and perhaps buy the game at a later date - when it's much cheaper. Because otherwise publishers such as EA will continue to set a bad example by withholding important content for monetary gain in order to exploit gamers.… Expand
  27. Jalt08
    Mar 12, 2012
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Ultimately no matter what path was chosen, what actions were taken, who lived and who died, at the end of this journey, all that remains is your ship and your crew abandon you. The first 95% of the game is amazing, its everything I hoped for and more. The last 5% is the biggest slap in the face imaginable. If you have invested 100's of hours from the first game until this one, you will be left stunned and appalled that none of the choices you made, none of the battles you fought, nothing you did in those 100's of hours ultimately pays off in any of the three endings you can pick from. With the three endings and the DLC on day 1, EA/Bioware show that fan support means nothing more than a dollar symbol to them. While most of the joy lays in the journey to the end of the game, there is no replay value at all in this game, because no matter what journey you take, the ends are all ultimately the same except for color variations and if synthetics live or die.… Expand
  28. mrjohill
    Mar 12, 2012
    10
    Mass effect 3 is awesome and dont let any of these trolls tell you differently. emotionally engaging and technically excellent, you wont find another experience like it. one of the best games of all time
  29. Forst1999
    Mar 12, 2012
    9
    Story: Mass Effect 3's plot has a good pacing and can pull the right emotional strings. Nearly all of the trilogy's plot points are resolved in a satisfying manner, the character's plot pleased me as well. You will witness the consequences of your past decisions. The dialogues are better than ever. There is some automatic dialogue, but only in places where it serves the flow of theStory: Mass Effect 3's plot has a good pacing and can pull the right emotional strings. Nearly all of the trilogy's plot points are resolved in a satisfying manner, the character's plot pleased me as well. You will witness the consequences of your past decisions. The dialogues are better than ever. There is some automatic dialogue, but only in places where it serves the flow of the conversation, and it never is important or changes your character against your will. Only one thing bothers me in the story department: The ending could have used more build-up, the choices presented seem contrived, there are some illogical aspects. The ending is neither well-written nor satisfying. It doesn't kill the story, but yes, the ending isn't good. Gameplay: Combat is better than ever. Rolls, heavy melee, grenades and new powers benefit the fights greatly. The character system is deep and allows for more customization than any of the predecessors. The weapon system gained depth to, allowing for many upgrades, while never being as clunky as ME1 about it. The new scanning is actually fun, no comparision to the Mako or planet scanning. There is more variety in quests, some interesting boss battles and enemies that requires different tactical approaches. My only gripe here is the quest-log. It is quite confused, mission description are often very unclear. And rolling needs some practice.
    Technical aspects: The voice acting is phenomenal, the music is great, the graphics are good. Some animations are a bit off, but mostly they are fine. I only encountered one big bug, regarding my face import. Irritating, but i can live with it.
    So there are some minor inconveniences and a bad ending to a game that is utterly perfect in nearly every regard. 9/10 points.    … Expand
  30. Gatorsurfer
    Mar 12, 2012
    7
    There are no spoilers contained in this review so no worries. Also. this is my first and I feel I should give my honest opinions instead of just "review bombing."

    Pros: The combat works a lot better and it feels more fluid unlike the previous games that felt more clunky.Returning Characters from the different games. The story was "OK" and I really enjoyed the different characters through    There are no spoilers contained in this review so no worries. Also. this is my first and I feel I should give my honest opinions instead of just "review bombing."

    Pros: The combat works a lot better and it feels more fluid unlike the previous games that felt more clunky.Returning Characters from the different games. The story was "OK" and I really enjoyed the different characters through out the entire game. A lot more guns, upgrades armor and levels than in Mass effect 2. Cons: The MP feels out of place and doesn't really belong. It is very easy to get the "best" possible ending. It was very short, I finished about 100% of the game in nearly 20 or so hours. I feel the ending left a lot to be desired but it wasn't "THE WORST ENDING EVER OMG!!!!11!!" Also, the writing felt a little lack luster in places and there are fewer dialogue options across the board. The Day 1 DLC and Importing a character and getting to skip half of the leveling experience. I started at level 1 and was about 40 by the end and I heard you could import a Mass Effect 2 save and retain that level. Overall I say this was a good game but it still has it's flaws I personally enjoyed the combat and characters and it was a hell of a ride! I may do a insanity play through next.    … Expand
  31. mb22
    Mar 12, 2012
    8
    I got the ps3 version, which I now regret deeply, due to the somewhat laggy experience. The games progress and story is totally ok, aswell as the fact that you can just plow though if you want, or run about doing errand and scanning and god knows what to build up your army.

    The lag I mentioned? As far as I have experienced, its occurring mostly in the "in between moments", like in the    I got the ps3 version, which I now regret deeply, due to the somewhat laggy experience. The games progress and story is totally ok, aswell as the fact that you can just plow though if you want, or run about doing errand and scanning and god knows what to build up your army.

    The lag I mentioned? As far as I have experienced, its occurring mostly in the "in between moments", like in the Citadel and in the cutscenes. And its totally killing me in the menus at some points, but so far I have not seen it in combat. *knock on wood*

    Now dont get me wrong, its not a bad game, despite the fps issues. That (alongside some other minor bugs) is the only really bad thing if you ask me. I love the fact that you can choose if you want to do it like an actiongame, a story experience or something in between. The class choices are the same as before. If you want to get it, get it for xbox or pc, not for the ps3.    … Expand
  32. Sasori261
    Mar 12, 2012
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game was absolutely great until the ending. It was a terrible ending to end an amazing series, but that doesn't mean the game deserves a bad rating. Although I agree about the day 1 DLC, they don't force you to buy it! I also disliked how none of my decisions made any difference in the end, sure the geth are now extinct, and if I had chosen to, so would the rachni, but it never really mattered for the ending. They only supplied more resources for building the Crucible. So anyone that complains that the game is crap, try and make a game that's better than it, and you'll probably be shot down, just like your trying to do to Bioware and Mass Effect 3. So the game is pretty good until the ending, so don't let all the negative reviews stop you from buying the game.… Expand
  33. jclark123
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    Worst ending ever. Mass Effect has been ruined by this game. Hat's off to Bioware for destroying one of the most emotionally stimulating series of our time.
  34. Darkshivers
    Mar 12, 2012
    9
    The justification of these low scores are terrible and wrong. Bioware clearly put a lot of heart and effort into a game which takes over 30 hours to complete. The voice acting is brilliant, the ending isn't the best but it was well designed and impacted you well. The day 1 DLC was wrong, yes. It wasn't anything game changing other than a few spoilt gamers expecting it even though it'sThe justification of these low scores are terrible and wrong. Bioware clearly put a lot of heart and effort into a game which takes over 30 hours to complete. The voice acting is brilliant, the ending isn't the best but it was well designed and impacted you well. The day 1 DLC was wrong, yes. It wasn't anything game changing other than a few spoilt gamers expecting it even though it's neither game changing content or something you need. Mass effect is a brilliant game the quality, graphics of it are brilliant. The controls are generally glitchy but never complete broke the game. Some of the scenes saddened me and made you feel bad for the sacrifices shepherd had to endure. Anybody who reviews this game at 0 is clearly lying to them selves with no effort in actually playing the game completely before bombing it on meta critic. Mass effect 3 is hardly the best game that will come out this year but is one of the best story based games ever released.… Expand
  35. RavenWolfx
    Mar 12, 2012
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. First, I have to say that this a very entertaining game to play and I highly recommend it to Mass Effect fans. That said, there are a few issues with the game. Most of this review is **** about the stuff I would like changed, but it really is a great game. There are SPOILERS below.

    I would have really appreciated having a Krogan squadmate. Not that big of a deal, but disappointing.

    There are a lot fewer conversations choices in this game, specifically the Blue Paragon choices and Red Renegade choices. I did all side missions and spoke with everyone I could after every priority mission and I got maybe a dozen Blue/Red choices and freaking four of them were at the end. Several times your conversations with your squadmates is just said without any choices whatsoever. The whole Tali issue with not showing her face and getting a crappy stock photo really pisses me off. I was really hoping for a big pay off with getting the Geth and the Quarians to cease hostilities. When Tali takes off her mask for the first time on Rannoch, BAM! That is where we should have seen her face. But no.

    The Endings (the three that I have seen) are all kind of lackluster and similar. I brokered peace with the Geth, why do I have to destroy all sentient life (including EDI) to destroy the Reapers? Why does the Normandy always crash land on some planet? What the hell were they running from? Why do the Mass Relays have to be destroyed? If you choose the middle Ending (Synthesis), why does Joker not go,"WTF? Why am I turning green?" Why does Shepherd flash back to Joker, Anderson, Liara, and no one else (especially if you didn't romance Liara)? Can we get some kind of epilogue that tells us what happened to all our people? Such a let down after a great series of games.    … Expand
  36. jgzilk
    Mar 12, 2012
    9
    This is a masterpiece of a video game. All of you people who are freaking about this game, are the same ones who freaked about Elder Scrolls and such... These are amazing games, that take you on amazing journeys. I don't know what you want from games? If you can't enjoy Mass Effect 3, then you seriously need to analyze if you are just too jaded to be playing video games at all. This gameThis is a masterpiece of a video game. All of you people who are freaking about this game, are the same ones who freaked about Elder Scrolls and such... These are amazing games, that take you on amazing journeys. I don't know what you want from games? If you can't enjoy Mass Effect 3, then you seriously need to analyze if you are just too jaded to be playing video games at all. This game does not deserve a 1 or a zero and for anyone to give it such a designation just shows they nothing about games. You gamers are giving us all bad names, and it must stop. Is the game perfect? No. Is it the best game ever? Probably not. Is it a very good game? Yes, as someone who has been playing games since pong, yes, it is a good game, and it is like nothing else on the market.… Expand
  37. BadMassEffect3
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I LOVED me1 and me2. Me3 was EA caring solely about money. Day 0 DLC, Online pass, horrendous endings with no effort. A congrats you can pay more to continue. Awful, appalling. Save yourself, skip it, if I didn't get it through Gamefly I would make this the first Xbox game in my 7 years, that I would return. Shame on you,… Expand
  38. HonestJoe
    Mar 12, 2012
    2
    This is the most depressed I have ever felt after playing a video game. I must say I am seriously disappointed with the ending; it's as bad as Deus Ex: Human revolution.

    I was still playing through the game when news of the metacritic review bomb came out. At the time I thought that people were being unreasonable. But now I understand the anger and disappointment being expressed. The    This is the most depressed I have ever felt after playing a video game. I must say I am seriously disappointed with the ending; it's as bad as Deus Ex: Human revolution.

    I was still playing through the game when news of the metacritic review bomb came out. At the time I thought that people were being unreasonable. But now I understand the anger and disappointment being expressed.
    The ending soured the entire experience, to the point where it's the only thing I can think about when asked to give my opinion of the game.

    This will be the first bioware game I don't immediately replay in order to see what happens with different choices. It's an enjoyable game, but not one I will play to the end again.    … Expand
  39. Gokalex
    Mar 12, 2012
    9
    I didn't like how the game had day1 dlc, but that the only thing i didn't like (and btw if u just change an ini file u can unlock the dlc) anyways everything else is good about this game, multi-player is good, single-player was awesome, except how the multilayer affected the single-player, anyways i loved almost everything about it, even the ending, a real ending to a game for once.
  40. MetaZain
    Mar 12, 2012
    9
    Ignore the negative user reviews (the exaggeratedly negative). The game is incredible and should be recognized as such, the ending may be regrettable, but judging the game solely by ts last 5 minutes is unfair. If you have liked any of the mass effect series you will thoroughly enjoy the final chapter of Commander Shepard's journey. If you are new to the series GO PICK UP THE FIRST TWOIgnore the negative user reviews (the exaggeratedly negative). The game is incredible and should be recognized as such, the ending may be regrettable, but judging the game solely by ts last 5 minutes is unfair. If you have liked any of the mass effect series you will thoroughly enjoy the final chapter of Commander Shepard's journey. If you are new to the series GO PICK UP THE FIRST TWO although the game does a well enough job for accommodating for those who have not. The multiplayer is also fantastic, especially considering it is not the focus. I only ask those that are bombing this sight with negative reviews too stop, we still don't know what Bioware has in store.… Expand
  41. mdanielm
    Mar 12, 2012
    2
    The last 20 minutes of the game appear as brought over from another game; without any logic or closure. A typical deus ex machina with 3 arbitrary choices, and missing is the logical expected one.
  42. 01lduff
    Mar 12, 2012
    3
    great game but the last 20 min completely overshadows what good was in this game and as a result i found myself not satisfied with what could of been my fave game ever but i was left disappointing and as a result i will never trust bioware again to deliver on their promises
  43. sohoguy
    Mar 12, 2012
    8
    Played the game twice already, it's great. Dialogs, combat, graphics, sound, and, first of all, FUN factor - are all to notch. Only couple downsides for me:
    1. Game's TOO SHORT! took me 27 hours and 12 saves to complete , and I was doing side missions. If you count cut-scenes, it makes action too short. 2. Soundtrack is BAD. In comparison to ME 1 (or even ME 2) it plain sucks. I guess they    Played the game twice already, it's great. Dialogs, combat, graphics, sound, and, first of all, FUN factor - are all to notch. Only couple downsides for me:
    1. Game's TOO SHORT! took me 27 hours and 12 saves to complete , and I was doing side missions. If you count cut-scenes, it makes action too short. 2. Soundtrack is BAD. In comparison to ME 1 (or even ME 2) it plain sucks. I guess they hired Clint Mansell for his name (he's composer for Requiem for a Dream, Pi, Black Swan etc), but apparently has no idea how to make music for sci-fi video game. So game suffers from extensive use of simple arrangements and primitive harmonies. Some cut-scenes with music look like taken from soap opera, no wonder people reviewing them with anger (but it's because BAD MUSIC!)    … Expand
  44. geromite
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    The ends are shameeee!!!!!!! Why i built my own Sheppard and my own décision during 3 episode, for finally nothing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    I dont say more, its so scandalous, Bioware with EA , its the end of a part of rpg world, now welcome to call of duty rpg , multiplayer, lot of dlc included on dvd , take decision for... nothing, if you want an alternative ending buy the next dlc    The ends are shameeee!!!!!!! Why i built my own Sheppard and my own décision during 3 episode, for finally nothing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    I dont say more, its so scandalous, Bioware with EA , its the end of a part of rpg world, now welcome to call of duty rpg , multiplayer, lot of dlc included on dvd , take decision for... nothing, if you want an alternative ending buy the next dlc ending .    … Expand
  45. ThommyH
    Mar 12, 2012
    2
    The game was absolutely perfect, until the ending. With that ending, they essentially negated every decision you've ever made on any of the three games. Your choices became ultimately pointless. The ending not only didn't make any logical sense, it also contradicted that Bioware promised they'd deliver on the game. There is NOT 16 endings. There are 3 endings. Even that is a generousThe game was absolutely perfect, until the ending. With that ending, they essentially negated every decision you've ever made on any of the three games. Your choices became ultimately pointless. The ending not only didn't make any logical sense, it also contradicted that Bioware promised they'd deliver on the game. There is NOT 16 endings. There are 3 endings. Even that is a generous approximation, more like there is one ending with three different versions. If Mass Effect 3 was a standalone game, then this wouldn't be an issue. Sadly, it isn't. This is a colossal disappointment of an ending to a trilogy that garnered critical acclaim from fans and critics alike. The current ending ruins the entire trilogy. No, I'm not being melodramatic. Mass Effect is about choices, and Casey Hudson has even personally claimed that Shepard (aka, the player) decides the story, thus, there is no canon. However, this is entirely contradicted by the end of Mass Effect 3, there is no choice, no closure and no real 'ending' in the full sense of the term. More questions are raised than answers, there's innumerable plotholes and definite pilfering from other games. The game itself is absolutely incredible, let there be no doubt. UNTIL the ending which essentially brushes the entire series that predicates it aside. Disappointing from Bioware. I, for one, expected better.… Expand
  46. nepos13
    Mar 12, 2012
    2
    This is the first time I have ever felt compelled to review a game in my 28 years of gaming. I have played Mass Effect 1 and enjoyed it so much that I refused to trade it. I played Mass Effect 2, multiple times and I kept that one as well. I spent a lot of time working on my character, making the choices, really defining my experience, so I happily purchase my Mass Effect 3. I love theThis is the first time I have ever felt compelled to review a game in my 28 years of gaming. I have played Mass Effect 1 and enjoyed it so much that I refused to trade it. I played Mass Effect 2, multiple times and I kept that one as well. I spent a lot of time working on my character, making the choices, really defining my experience, so I happily purchase my Mass Effect 3. I love the game until the last ten or fifteen minutes. When the ending comes, it is not the disappointment of this series that is over, or joy that my characters journey is complete. It is of course the emptiness that every choice i made in the other games did not matter. I played all the side quests offered, even tried the day one dlc to see if that would make a difference. No... This ending is bad, the three choices offered are horrible. If I had known it would have ended like this, I would never have purchased it or wasted my time in such a manner. I tried changing several variables in the story...to no avail. I don't think I have ever been so let down by an entertainment medium since probably the Star Wars prequels or the Matrix in film.… Expand
  47. alandsidel
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    Like many others, I have been a loyal fan, looking forward to each new release in the game since the first. Mass Effect 2 had its rough spots (hammerhead, inventory "fixes", etc.) but at least the decisions you made in ME1, for the most part, had a measurable impact throughout the game, right up until the ending. By comparison, your choices in ME1 and ME2 have next to no impact onLike many others, I have been a loyal fan, looking forward to each new release in the game since the first. Mass Effect 2 had its rough spots (hammerhead, inventory "fixes", etc.) but at least the decisions you made in ME1, for the most part, had a measurable impact throughout the game, right up until the ending. By comparison, your choices in ME1 and ME2 have next to no impact on gameplay in ME3, and next to no impact on the ending either. I say ending, because no matter what choices you make in any of the three games, at the end, all your choices amount to the same thing.

    The ending cinematics are basically identical, as are the consequences. Absolutely no closure is given to any of the plot lines for you, your companions, or the galaxy as a whole. Not a single decision you make has a measurable impact on the outcome.

    Furthermore, the entire lead-in to the ending seems rushed. I was expecting an epic fight, perhaps several of them, either before or after the conclusion of the Earth plot line. Instead, the plot line ends at Earth, and there is only a single battle.

    Throughout the game, despite completing every single side quest, my readiness never went above 50%, and the "galaxy at war" map never did anything except state that it was unavailable.

    Endgame aside, there are other reasons that the gameplay itself is the worst of the three. Planetary exploration has been completely removed. No mako. No hammerhead. Nothing. Some planets have a single thing you can scan for a-la ME2, but most don't. The weapon customization makes the inventory system even worse than the ME1 inventory system. In the most important fights, no matter what kind of Shepard you are playing, there is only ONE option: Run and gun.

    It seems the developers idea of a challenging fight is simply "drop more tough creatures on the character, and then shake the screen. Also, make it impossible for the player to unambiguously decide if they want to run, hurdle, duck into cover, or anything else by using the same button for all three." For characters more focused on powers, finesse, sniping, or stealth, many of the fights are nearly impossible even on normal or easy difficulty settings.

    You can no longer carry a heavy weapon with you into battle, of any kind. When the developers think you need one, they will hide it on the battlefield somewhere, and after dying 5 or 10 times, you might find it. You have a flashlight now, but you cannot control when it is turned off or on. Very useful on dark levels that the developers didn't think were "dark enough" to warrant use of the flashlight.

    All in all, this game is a huge disappointment. There is not enough to explore, your decisions do not matter, and combat often steps over the line from "challenging" to "obnoxiously difficult" for classes other than the soldier. The choices available at the end all feel more like losses than victories, and don't differ from one another. Bioware says there are 17 endings but in reality, there are simply 17 slightly changed versions of the same ending.

    I've played through the first two games 8 or 10 times each, and I'm struggling to find a reason to complete a play through of this one more than once. If my decisions don't matter, then what's the point?    … Expand
  48. Darkhawk
    Mar 12, 2012
    1
    A) This game is fantastic and a lot of fun to play.
    B) The entire experience is ruined by that fact that you cannot import your character from previous games.
    If an entire trilogy is predicated on carrying a custom character across all games in the series, it's both laughable and offensive to fans that the third game would not permit that same custom face to be brought forward. Yes,    A) This game is fantastic and a lot of fun to play.
    B) The entire experience is ruined by that fact that you cannot import your character from previous games.

    If an entire trilogy is predicated on carrying a custom character across all games in the series, it's both laughable and offensive to fans that the third game would not permit that same custom face to be brought forward. Yes, it's possible to recreate your custom face using the editor. No, it's not fun and a major strike against BioWare quality assurance.    … Expand
  49. Swinns
    Mar 12, 2012
    7
    If you have Played any of the previous ME games, play this game now, it is a master piece. Until the last 15 minutes, it just raises more questions, don't provide and closure but feels like it was written by someone who didn't write anything else in the game. It feels like someone was trying to be profound but failed on the exicution. This games is a MASTERPIECE if you've enjoyed the lastIf you have Played any of the previous ME games, play this game now, it is a master piece. Until the last 15 minutes, it just raises more questions, don't provide and closure but feels like it was written by someone who didn't write anything else in the game. It feels like someone was trying to be profound but failed on the exicution. This games is a MASTERPIECE if you've enjoyed the last 2 games, but the ending took everything you did before udderly meaningless.… Expand
  50. ZanderKreegan
    Mar 12, 2012
    10
    I understand a lot of the negative reviews for this game. For many, the endings are unsatisfying, and the lack of character-driven story (at least compared to Mass Effect 2) leaves a bitter taste. But to this reviewer, I thoroughly enjoyed Mass Effect 3.
    The game does focus less on your squadmates, but it does so because the plot demands it. The focus of this game is a galactic war, not    I understand a lot of the negative reviews for this game. For many, the endings are unsatisfying, and the lack of character-driven story (at least compared to Mass Effect 2) leaves a bitter taste. But to this reviewer, I thoroughly enjoyed Mass Effect 3.
    The game does focus less on your squadmates, but it does so because the plot demands it. The focus of this game is a galactic war, not recruiting awesome people and developing them. In fact, many of your squadmates--and even other characters--have already been developed thoroughly, and the fact that BioWare managed to get more in is just a bonus to me.
    The gameplay is smooth, and the weight system is amazing. It allows a player to choose how they want to mix gunplay and powers, and really makes your character feel customized without too much tedium. I feel like they put a lot of time into making the game play very well and pulled it off.
    As for the story--and more specifically the endings--I feel like they did an amazing job integrating characters and choices from all three games. There are so many possibilities for every situation it's pretty amazing they made a game that works well at all. But the story flows well and very rarely does it feel contrived. There are many complaints about the endings, mostly because people found plot holes or disliked the disconnection from the characters, but I believe they work perfectly with the feel of all three games. They are about Shepard's choices, and the fact that sometimes what you've done up to this point, the people you've met, and the alliances you've fostered, don't matter. And all three games are about paradigm shifts, and that really is what this game is about, especially the end.
    A review wouldn't be complete without touching on the multiplayer. Overall it's fantastic and fun. It has a great flow and customizability and the power system makes it feel very unique. I also personally like that it's only cooperative. Their are some balance issues, but BioWare is constantly fixing those, so expect whatever character you play to be fun and powerful yet still give you a challenge.
    Overall ratings:
    Gameplay: 10
    Story: 10
    Multiplayer: 8 (for balance issues)    … Expand
  51. Dante11
    Mar 12, 2012
    7
    First of all everybody in this site has to calm down....I finished the game yesterday and created an account here just to comment on this game...First of all, i'm rly disapointed from the so called gamers who on 6 march gave this game a 0 without even playing it or those who may have just downloaded it!!I want to say smthg to u people....U cant talk not even complain because u haven'tFirst of all everybody in this site has to calm down....I finished the game yesterday and created an account here just to comment on this game...First of all, i'm rly disapointed from the so called gamers who on 6 march gave this game a 0 without even playing it or those who may have just downloaded it!!I want to say smthg to u people....U cant talk not even complain because u haven't spent a $ on this game and everything u play is worth a 10 no metter what!!!Second i have to say that the game is really good!!The combat is great and gives u nice moments,the cinematics are beautiful and the decisions u take IN THIS GAME seem relevant in crucial moments...The script sometimes was rly boring but it had moments of excellence....I found the design very good and sometimes jaw-dropping.The graphics are those of ME2 with some better details maybe...So all and all is a very solid shooter but not a solid RPG (and i'm sorry to say this)....Side missions are rly good but u never get the sense of need to explore more because there is nothing too explore only scanning isnt enough.So it is a good shooter but a poor RPG!!!Third:The decisions of the previous games doesnt really matter in a big way and thats was a really big letdown for everybody i think...im not putting spoilers here but take my word on this.U feel really happy when u see that smthg u did in the previous games shows up,but that doesnt happen often and thats a big letdown too!!Fourth and most important thing: the ending.This is the best trilogy ever created with the worst ending.Dont get me wrong i liked the idea and that was my idea of a great ending but the execution of it was bad really bad and many people know what I'm talking about!!I'm a big fan of the series and have played the whole trilogy so i understand all the others who gave this game bad votes...The first day DLC is a scandal...And the ending is almost as scandalous....But after 1 night of thinking i have come up with my conclusion!!THEY DID THIS ON PURPOSE...u would say why??Because they want more money and they want u to buy an another DLC that maybe will show what really happens when ME ends ;)!!Im sorry to say this and i would be disgusted if smthg like this happened!!Ultimately im judging this game on a ME rating scale...and that's a 7...if this game was a stand alone with a declared sequel it would be easily a 9 or 9.5!!Thank u for reading I'm sorry for my poor vocabulary but I'm not American nor British.Cheers to all!!!… Expand
  52. Agarwel
    Mar 12, 2012
    6
    Very difficult game to judge. The 99% of the game is awesome - dialogues, storytelling, characters and mainly the decisions from the previous games really matters here (at least mine were present. Even the fact that I collected all "Arasi Writing" collectibles in the first game played some small role in ME3). But the last 1% of the game is huge dissapointment. The ending is terrible. NotVery difficult game to judge. The 99% of the game is awesome - dialogues, storytelling, characters and mainly the decisions from the previous games really matters here (at least mine were present. Even the fact that I collected all "Arasi Writing" collectibles in the first game played some small role in ME3). But the last 1% of the game is huge dissapointment. The ending is terrible. Not because the story itself. Not because it isnot a "sugar and rainbows" happy ending. But because it will not tie up the game. And dont tell you at leasts the results of the final battle. But the problem is that these last minutes will make a lasting impressions of the game. So even when I was enjoying myself for more that 40 hours, now I feel really dissapointed, tricked and not motivated to play this game ever again.… Expand
  53. Mogwai76
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    Well all the hopes i had for the 3rd game, after the dissapointment of the second, were for nothing. Instead of going back to what made the first game in the series great, Bioware created an even more dumbed down version of the game in an attempt to wow the masses. Cutscene, Cutscene, Cutscene, dull combat, rinse and repeat. Add to that a co-op mode that you are almost forced to play ifWell all the hopes i had for the 3rd game, after the dissapointment of the second, were for nothing. Instead of going back to what made the first game in the series great, Bioware created an even more dumbed down version of the game in an attempt to wow the masses. Cutscene, Cutscene, Cutscene, dull combat, rinse and repeat. Add to that a co-op mode that you are almost forced to play if you want the "best" possible ending in the single player and it's clear that Bioware just wants to keep copies out of the second hand market. This game has gone down the path of Dragon Age. a great concept, but a bad implementation.… Expand
  54. decoder
    Mar 12, 2012
    10
    This game is just a masterpiece, the mix between nice graphics and low requirements makes it hardware friendlily as never before, great story and great combat, good job bioware.
  55. SelphieNutter
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    In the weeks leading up to the 9th of march I was so excited, I was driving my friends crazy counting down the day's to the release of Mass Effect 3. I was a huge fan of the series, but that all changed after playing through Mass Effect 3. This game has broken my heart, everything I loved about the original game gone, all the choices made in the previous games were for nothing. TheIn the weeks leading up to the 9th of march I was so excited, I was driving my friends crazy counting down the day's to the release of Mass Effect 3. I was a huge fan of the series, but that all changed after playing through Mass Effect 3. This game has broken my heart, everything I loved about the original game gone, all the choices made in the previous games were for nothing. The graphics are mediocre at best & although I am not bothered if a game has great graphics as long as the gameplay is amazing. I can honestly say that this game has no replay value whatsoever, Mass Effect has always given you the option of choice. That was it's main focus the reason so many people were drawn into the series but this game has gone against everything that Mass Effect is. Mass Effect 3 is just a 3rd person shooter with a leveling up system that follows a linear storyline. Everything that made no1 an amazing RPG has been ripped away & fed to the verran, I am amazed because Bioware claims to listen to it's fan base but clearly that is not true. The game was clearly rushed out & I am amazed that any testers working on the game could miss half of the bugs that are in the game. The multiplayer is okay but it is also rather tedious especially when your character chooses to take cover rather than revive a downed team member. As far as i'm concerned this game does not even deserve a 1 from me, I am heartbroken over this, I can not believe I wasted my money on a collectors edition. If Biowares intention was to enrage & alienate it's entire fan base then it has succeeded yet again, first Dragon Age now Mass Effect. I can honestly say that this will be the last Bioware game I ever buy I am not willing to see them ruin yat another amazing game series.… Expand
  56. Ob1Kn00b
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    If Bioware hadn't rushed this out, and put in a proper ending, then I wouldn't have created an account just to voice my displeasure. As it stands, Bioware destroyed several hundred hours worth of enjoyment in all of thirty minutes. They took a series that has, from the beginning, been grounded in enjoyable science fiction, our choices having impact, and a powerful main character thatIf Bioware hadn't rushed this out, and put in a proper ending, then I wouldn't have created an account just to voice my displeasure. As it stands, Bioware destroyed several hundred hours worth of enjoyment in all of thirty minutes. They took a series that has, from the beginning, been grounded in enjoyable science fiction, our choices having impact, and a powerful main character that consistently defied the odds... Then they turned said main character into a braindamaged invalid unable to question orders of a random star-child-god-thing. They removed any actual choice, as in the end each ending is just the same thing with different colors. Science fiction went out the window for random crystal-crazy metaphysics and some omnipotent star-child.

    First Dragon Age 2. Then issues with TOR. Now, issues with a finale I have been waiting years for. No, I don't think I'll be buying anything from Bioware again. They can talk all they want about EA not having changed them... But there's been a lot of bad since they came along.    … Expand
  57. MaxxSwan13
    Mar 12, 2012
    10
    Somehow my review was deleted. So im saying it again. I pity the fool who hates on Mass Effect 3! V. V. V. V. V. V v.
  58. Hellion
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    The only hint people need is NOT to buy the game. Only way you will get Bioware to take notice of all the crap that is wrong with their series..creatively and technically. Ending terrible..Engine framerate terrible on PS3. No excuse for these companies anymore..its the greedy people at the top of the food chain taking advantage of the consumer by cutting back talented people. Heck I evenThe only hint people need is NOT to buy the game. Only way you will get Bioware to take notice of all the crap that is wrong with their series..creatively and technically. Ending terrible..Engine framerate terrible on PS3. No excuse for these companies anymore..its the greedy people at the top of the food chain taking advantage of the consumer by cutting back talented people. Heck I even loved the terminator boss in ME2..what happened to that? Gamers, consumers, unite and stay clear of anything Bioware puts out in the future.

    Save your money and buy the art book instead. It will be worth something down the road..more then this game ever will be. Only praise goes to the artists who did a magnificent job in creating the universe..hell even Bioware didn't credit them in the book.    … Expand
  59. Ninjastyle
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    An entire game experience ruined by the last 15 minutes of the 3rd game the endings have no meaning what so ever. You just UNITED the entire galaxy against the reapers no matter the race or if synthetic or not and yet the ending is about how there will allways be war between synthetics and organics? wtf? wtf? wtf? wtf? there is 1 **** synthetic race that you just gave true SENTIENCE to andAn entire game experience ruined by the last 15 minutes of the 3rd game the endings have no meaning what so ever. You just UNITED the entire galaxy against the reapers no matter the race or if synthetic or not and yet the ending is about how there will allways be war between synthetics and organics? wtf? wtf? wtf? wtf? there is 1 **** synthetic race that you just gave true SENTIENCE to and they became the nearly as Awesome as Legion from it. Evry part of this game was epic except it started lacking more and more choices like we had in the previous games the part towards the ending was RUSHED allso you started noticing less and less to do before a priority mission well **** in the end it was just NEXT Priority mission. all in all my dissapointment with the ending was so big I was liturally furious for several hours it has ruined the best game i've played to date. How VERY sad on biowares part that they've failed so Insanely.… Expand
  60. MrBeasticles
    Mar 12, 2012
    10
    I dont see why its getting all of the stick from everybody, sure if you have done every single paragon thing/ saved everybody throughout the trilogy there could be a different ending for you yes. But even with the other endings you still save the galaxy, all or most life with the cost of yours and many others.... i dont see what the problem is? i found it to be a perfect ending, to aI dont see why its getting all of the stick from everybody, sure if you have done every single paragon thing/ saved everybody throughout the trilogy there could be a different ending for you yes. But even with the other endings you still save the galaxy, all or most life with the cost of yours and many others.... i dont see what the problem is? i found it to be a perfect ending, to a perfect trilogy.… Expand
  61. Deadbolta
    Mar 12, 2012
    4
    Up until the last 15 minutes or so, this game is incredibly enjoyable. There were so many moments where I was up out of my chair rooting for characters, or solemnly watching someone sacrifice themselves. Having been a bit of a perfectionist in the previous 2 games, I set about playing this game with the same sort of vigour, making sure to check every single planet for war assets andUp until the last 15 minutes or so, this game is incredibly enjoyable. There were so many moments where I was up out of my chair rooting for characters, or solemnly watching someone sacrifice themselves. Having been a bit of a perfectionist in the previous 2 games, I set about playing this game with the same sort of vigour, making sure to check every single planet for war assets and scouring every level/area for anything that I could find. So it was with great sadness that in the end I discovered that all of these discoveries, and all of the choices made over the span of 3 games, were nothing more than a little number displayed on the screen. The 'endings' are very reminiscent of those presented in Deus Ex: HR, except at least in that game we get somewhat of an epilogue.… Expand
  62. Kdall
    Mar 12, 2012
    5
    Boy I never thought I would have to rate a mass effect game below a 9, but in all honestly, I loved the game up until the very end, yes they did dumb it down quite a bit from ME1, and even that was acceptable to me. But the ending was so atrocious that after I just kept thinking "WTF just happened" in my head. I also felt like one of the coolest thing about bioware games, the moralBoy I never thought I would have to rate a mass effect game below a 9, but in all honestly, I loved the game up until the very end, yes they did dumb it down quite a bit from ME1, and even that was acceptable to me. But the ending was so atrocious that after I just kept thinking "WTF just happened" in my head. I also felt like one of the coolest thing about bioware games, the moral choices you are presented with, were completely pointless, the ending I recieved had absolutely nothing to do with any of my choices, nor did it make any sense what so ever. I will gladly state that I would of rather of seen a cliche action movie ending than what I saw.

    PS. I've played both KOTOR 1/2, DA 1/2, Jade Empire, and ME 1/2/3, I'm not a bioware hater considering I've pretty much bought every game they've made for the last 10 years, it's just shameful how bad the ending was...    … Expand
  63. Unhappy_Bear
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    The Ending(s) kill the game.

    Playing the game I was blown away. Beautiful locations, good writing, slick voice acting, fun game play. While playing I kept thinking, "How can the score not be 98-100? How can any critic not give this game 100/100?" I felt proud of the character I was playing, I really liked the characters I was interacting with. I was happy that I'd spent 80+ hours    The Ending(s) kill the game.

    Playing the game I was blown away. Beautiful locations, good writing, slick voice acting, fun game play. While playing I kept thinking, "How can the score not be 98-100? How can any critic not give this game 100/100?" I felt proud of the character I was playing, I really liked the characters I was interacting with. I was happy that I'd spent 80+ hours putting together an import character. How could people not be as amazed as I was?

    Then I played the last 20 minutes. And... All that good will, all that enjoyment was just gone. Up until then I was really excited to replay the game with another class, another love interest, another play style. Up until then I was looking forward to (like ME1 and 2) getting all the DLC and playing them to death. Now I can't even honestly recommend this game to anyone. The story just seems to suddenly change into a different game in the last 20 minutes. I really don't think I can convey how stark the break in narrative tone is in the ending. It's incomprehensible that the writers who had delivered such an amazing story up till then decided this was the "right" ending. On endings... In ME1 you were were going to win no matter what. About the only unknown was Wrex on Virmire. Otherwise the ending was set. ME2 they upped that a lot, making the survival of the characters you had come to like (even your own character) contingent on your choices. But you could work at it and get the ending where you bring them all back alive, and that felt good. And then this. There is simply no possible satisfying ending (for me at least, you may like pathos and pointlessness). There is no really heroic ending, even a well written heroic sacrifice would have been preferable to what we are offered.

    Since this managed to pretty much undercut all the enjoyment of the previous games (no small feat), managing to make me loss interest in a series I had adored, I give it a 0/10. If you have asked me to rate it any time before the ending, it was an easy 10/10. But now, since I'm unlikely to ever play it again (and may not even want to replay the previous installments) I have to give it the lowest rating. How else can you score a game that makes to regret having played it, that is so problematic that the corrupts the fun of the previous games in the series?    … Expand
  64. kotwr424
    Mar 12, 2012
    9
    Mass Effect 3 is a great game everything about it has been executed to near perfection. The story gets tied together very nicely old and new character's make their appearances once again. The graphics are more smooth than ME2 but just barely noticeable. The only issue I had with the models is the hair color for Dark Brown looked more like dark chocolate and was barely different from blackMass Effect 3 is a great game everything about it has been executed to near perfection. The story gets tied together very nicely old and new character's make their appearances once again. The graphics are more smooth than ME2 but just barely noticeable. The only issue I had with the models is the hair color for Dark Brown looked more like dark chocolate and was barely different from black (only flaw and its minor). The game had my emotions torn at times with me thinking carefully about my decisions. The Pro's are far more than the Con's but however the only thing keeping me from giving this game the 10 it should have gotten are the Con's and they're HUGE in my book. First off, there seems to be no point in space exploration and it has slowly been taken out of the game after each installment, no more random scanning a planet and getting a mission or so i've seen now its all for my EMS. Second Day one DLC, does this bother me a lot no not at all but after reading the rumors and seeing the "Proof" it kinda pokes at me a little atleast the cerberus network gave us zaeed's mission free. Third It felt like there was truly no need to play ME1 or ME2 at all I can just upload a MP char and get a similar outcome, speaking of which. Fourth The outcome of the game aka the ending........Although I understand the ending's, I got closure (for one character), I'm vastly disappointed in BioWare and the writing staff that gave us the Previous two games. There was no suicide mission type choices, no epic ending, in a sense we got Matrixed, Inceptioned, ripped off? This is my opinion I enjoyed the 35 hours I played of Mass Effect 3 more than any game since Mass Effect 2. The endings however have left a very tainted view of BioWare saying one thing and giving us another, this will sadly be the last BioWare game I buy, I no longer have an active ToR account since I feel no desire to play it anymore after ME3 ruined the ME franchise for me and any other game they've made. I'll also not be re-playing this game at all since i see little to no value in it. I may be among the few that have voiced there disappointment/rage/anger etc or the many I'm not sure but BioWare has lost a consumer that I'm sure they'll replace with another in me.… Expand
  65. professorofreed
    Mar 12, 2012
    10
    This flame war is silly. Mass Effect is a stellar game! Look at the critic reviews and don't waste time with the people who are trying to knock the score down for malicious and hateful purposes. ME3 is just as good, if not better than the first two. Although, I really loved #2!
  66. twizbuck
    Mar 12, 2012
    9
    This game is a perfect 10, until the last 20 minutes. The ending takes every decision you made along the way in all three games and renders them all obsolete. You don't have a good ending where you and your squad lives and there's a big party to celebrate with your chosen romance, nor one where you fail and the reapers win. Both of which should've been incorporated. There's no weight ofThis game is a perfect 10, until the last 20 minutes. The ending takes every decision you made along the way in all three games and renders them all obsolete. You don't have a good ending where you and your squad lives and there's a big party to celebrate with your chosen romance, nor one where you fail and the reapers win. Both of which should've been incorporated. There's no weight of your decisions on the ending, and it really makes me regret playing this series...… Expand
  67. drogon1
    Mar 11, 2012
    0
    Ugh, made my first review ever on Metacritic, and gave ME3 a 5/10, but forgot to set the slider. So the text of the review says 5/10, but the review itself is 10. So I will make this a 0/10, to average the two out to 5/10, which was what I intended.
  68. Jayna
    Mar 11, 2012
    2
    What's behind the puzzling endings for such a great game series. Were they artificially trying to make people feel from their game? Were they trying to keep any new games from being made with the same characters? I am not a bot. I am not a EA hater. I am not part of some vast conspiracy. I just hate the endings. If they would fix the endings. I would change my score. But they wont and iWhat's behind the puzzling endings for such a great game series. Were they artificially trying to make people feel from their game? Were they trying to keep any new games from being made with the same characters? I am not a bot. I am not a EA hater. I am not part of some vast conspiracy. I just hate the endings. If they would fix the endings. I would change my score. But they wont and i wont. It deserves a 8 it gets a 2 for such really stupid endings.… Expand
  69. tankwilliams
    Mar 11, 2012
    10
    Loved absolutely every minute of this game. Extremely well made, great story, and a great end to the Mass Effect Franchise, I wouldn't miss this if I were you. There are a few glitches, but they are nothing to get bogged down about, they are very minor.
  70. Shaymau5
    Mar 11, 2012
    10
    Superb game in almost every aspect. It upgrades dull and slow combat from the second game and brings it to life. Very fast paced and very responsive. Engine is brilliant with the loading screens being rapid in almost every transition. Story was very gripping per usual with any Bioware game. The RPG elements are outstanding and enjoyed every piece of content this game has thrown at me fromSuperb game in almost every aspect. It upgrades dull and slow combat from the second game and brings it to life. Very fast paced and very responsive. Engine is brilliant with the loading screens being rapid in almost every transition. Story was very gripping per usual with any Bioware game. The RPG elements are outstanding and enjoyed every piece of content this game has thrown at me from the beginning. Absolutely loved this game. It's a great end to a brilliant trilogy. - On a side note, the ending is really down to your opinion, most negative reviews are from complete trolls who bash the game down to it's last 10-15 minutes. Some fans were disappointed and some weren't. A game should not be viewed negatively for it's ending because that is down to personal opinion. 99% of this game is brilliant yet it should be negatively scored down to it's last 1%? Quite simply these trolls need to grow up and get out of the habit of making drama over EA/Bioware.… Expand
  71. BoMBuR
    Mar 11, 2012
    3
    Mass Effect 3 is a big game with detailed universe and environment. But without Drew Karpyshyn story became too simple and dialogues are worse than in first ME game. Another consequence is ridiculous DRAMA, such as story line with the boy, dreams... All these moments looks very unnaturally and clumsy. I think that main problem of ME3 is that it became shooter with RPG elements, butMass Effect 3 is a big game with detailed universe and environment. But without Drew Karpyshyn story became too simple and dialogues are worse than in first ME game. Another consequence is ridiculous DRAMA, such as story line with the boy, dreams... All these moments looks very unnaturally and clumsy. I think that main problem of ME3 is that it became shooter with RPG elements, but honestly shooting never was the reason why everybody played in first Mass Effect.… Expand
  72. Swimming_MANGO
    Mar 11, 2012
    9
    I literally just finished the game a few minutes ago, and I have to say, this is one of the best games I have ever played. Bioware did a fantastic job of neatly wrapping up the Mass Effect universe, plain and simple. Anyone that thinks otherwise, while entitled to their opinion entirely, isn't taking into account the scale of the actions in the game. I won't spoil anything, but almostI literally just finished the game a few minutes ago, and I have to say, this is one of the best games I have ever played. Bioware did a fantastic job of neatly wrapping up the Mass Effect universe, plain and simple. Anyone that thinks otherwise, while entitled to their opinion entirely, isn't taking into account the scale of the actions in the game. I won't spoil anything, but almost every major story mission has huge consequences that already alter the game world tremendously, and the ending is simply more extreme. The ending now brings me to my next point. Unlike popular belief that the choices you made in the earlier games do not have any impact, contrary to a statement by Bioware, they really do. There are subtle occurrences that can and will alter the game's multiple endings drastically.
    Now that the controversy around that has been dealt with let me get on with the game. The game is spectacular! The gameplay is nearly identical to Mass Effect 2, but nothings wrong with that, because it works. The combat is fluid, with a slightly tactical edge to it, and even on Normal difficulty, will force you to think, and solve through each combat situation because it is quite challenging compared to most games' normal difficulty. There are several more weapons added into the game, improving on that part of the second game, and even adds simplistic modifications to them to allow for increased stats as you see fit. Outside of the combat, Mass Effect still is heavy story based game, and the story is fantastic, epic, impacting, and fills the player with a sense of desperation, and dread (a rare accomplishment in most games). The multiplayer is some of the best I've seen in a long time, being far more enjoyable, and fun then anything else in a long time, and I mean who hasn't wanted to play in the Mass Effect universe as Turian, or Salarian, or Quarian, or Krogan?
    There are really only a few things that can be said to harm the games rating. At times, the frame rate will get a bit choppy, but thankfully never have I experienced frame rate issues while in combat, and on one occasion the animation for jumping through a Mass Relay played when it should have loaded the next cluster of planets in a system. Aside from these minor issues, there is also downloadable content that can be bought on launch day that contains an overpowered character, and an overpowered weapon. To truly experience the full game, this content is necessary, and its unfortunate to see Bioware forced to do this because of their publisher, EA.
    The game, even with these flaws accounted for, is still nearly perfect. It's clear that Bioware was aiming to make a perfect 10/10 game, but unfortunately due to EA, and the minor graphical issues, the game looks perfect, sounds perfect, plays perfect, and feels perfect. I wish I could give the game a perfect rating of 10/10 but because of its flaws I have to give it the one less regardless of how minor they feel. Bioware has done an outstanding job with Mass Effect 3. I'm proud to call myself a citizen of Edmonton, Bioware's headquarters in Alberta, Canada. A fantastic way to conclude the trilogy.    … Expand
  73. Nosghy
    Mar 11, 2012
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game is just incredible throughout the process, except the ending, which can be frustrating for some. But overall it's great, epic and unique.

    At the end of the game, the only thing that really bothers me is that we lose the relays. In other respects, I think it's a good ending to the saga.    … Expand
  74. thewaffleness
    Mar 11, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I have loved the Mass Effect Series from day one. The first Mass Effect was a masterpiece. The second one built even more on to that solid frame. Mass Effect 3 was just a step back in the series. The gameplay was fun and I did enjoy the interactions with former and current squad members (R.I.P Mordin and Thane). This game however just ruined the entire with its ending. The first reason is that your decisions over the entire series means nothing in the end. It all boils down to three choices. After all that hard work I put into the entire series I felt like it didn't matter. Next the ending makes no damn sense. It so far out there I felt blind sided. As a Mass Effect fan I feel betrayed by Bioware for making this game and honestly I think EA is what ruined it. EA has ruined the Mass Effect series and they are ruining the gaming industry as a whole. EA and Bioware owes everyone who bought this game an apology.… Expand
  75. rayken154h7
    Mar 11, 2012
    0
    Really enjoyed the game. Spectacular ending. Amazing grande finale to a series I've come to cherish. I'm starting my second play through. After that I'll probably play it 4 more times for good measure.
  76. Issen323
    Mar 11, 2012
    10
    I've previously really enjoyed the mass effect series. Played the whole thing, taken the time in each game to explore every facet of the universe, explore each nook and cranny; and ultimately enjoy the ending i (felt) like i carved wth my character. ME3 let me into the mass effect universe again which i was happy about, it let me make differences, resolve rivalries and most importantlyI've previously really enjoyed the mass effect series. Played the whole thing, taken the time in each game to explore every facet of the universe, explore each nook and cranny; and ultimately enjoy the ending i (felt) like i carved wth my character. ME3 let me into the mass effect universe again which i was happy about, it let me make differences, resolve rivalries and most importantly form a connection with characters both new and old. Graphics were fine, there was some texture pop in, and characters randomly dissapearing but i accept that as just part of the course for a game of such scale. Sound and music were fine too, alot of recycled music and effects but hey they worked, they still do. Gameplay was fine, typical ME gameplay, i liked the alterations to the skill try that let you customize it abit more. Customizations for weapons could have been made abit more so that they actually made a noticeable difference rather than passive alterations. But overall no real complaints with gameplay, not groundbreaking, but a tried and tested formulae.

    Story: this is where my problems lay. I like the idea of the reapers, the whole cyclic nature of the galaxy shepard lives in.. and even all the characters. I liked vega, even though he was a massive stereotype. I had nothing against that reporter wearing skin tight pvc, but i thought she was just a gimic and could have been implemented alot better. BUT what i didnt like was the ending... i spent the entire game making decisions that i felt mattered to be slapped in the face with that pile of rubbish. Normally i'm not one to really care, because hey.. its a game. But i spent a good portion of my life playing mass effect, and i feel abit screwed over by poor writing in the end! Its like buying a brand new car only to find out the air conditioning makes the car smell of fish, not soul destroying, but damn annoying. Everything boils down to an a'la deus ex:human revolution style ending, rendering everything you did previously useless. I just feel cheated by the designers that they sold (and i bought), massively marketed, pushed and succeeded in pushing something shoddy like this. I just fear its a sign of the times we live in when designers think its fine to end a story like this. Its not fine to create and sell something that ends like this.    … Expand
  77. sweatyvols
    Mar 11, 2012
    2
    Wow, this game probably had the worst ending ever. I am not going to give any specifics, but it will be the same no matter what you have done throughout the last two games. The choices you make in this game are also pointless. The futility of choices is somewhat apparent during the game because you only have two options the whole time (paragon is always on top and renegade is always onWow, this game probably had the worst ending ever. I am not going to give any specifics, but it will be the same no matter what you have done throughout the last two games. The choices you make in this game are also pointless. The futility of choices is somewhat apparent during the game because you only have two options the whole time (paragon is always on top and renegade is always on bottom). However, this does not even come close to the nut punch that is the end. I am in no way joking when I say I almost laughed at how bad the ending was. It is apparent that they had no idea how to deal with all the possible choices so they create a deus ex machina that makes it easy for them. Given my disappointment with this game, I am unlikely to ever purchase one of BioWare's games again. This is truly sad because I loved the first two games.

    I will admit that I thought the gameplay was good and the ride was pretty damn fun, but that is essentially negated by the cop-out ending. The game also had several surprising bugs and there were lots of skips during the cinematics (which the game is full of). Aside from the atrociously bad ending, the game suffers from many other instances of terrible writing. This really makes me think the game must have been rushed b/c I loved the story in previous entries. It could be because much of the story is borrowed from science fiction books I like and the writers didn't know what to do when they had to figure out something for themselves, but I am just going to assume they were rushed. If you played the previous mass effects this will likely be one of the biggest disappointments imaginable. If you did not, you will probably not be bothered that much    … Expand
  78. alivealie
    Mar 11, 2012
    9
    There is something very wrong with the number of negative scores for this game. Having just completed my first play through, and having been a long-time fan of the series, I can assure those of you on the fence about this game that it is spectacular and worth the price of admission. I will not say that those who have (obviously) united against this game (or more likely, against EA andThere is something very wrong with the number of negative scores for this game. Having just completed my first play through, and having been a long-time fan of the series, I can assure those of you on the fence about this game that it is spectacular and worth the price of admission. I will not say that those who have (obviously) united against this game (or more likely, against EA and Bioware) do not have good reason to complain. The fact that Mass Effect 3 was released with day 1 DLC is a disappointment, a nickle and diming tactic, and the game is not without its own small flaws. But when those flaws are placed against a strong gaming world with great action and set-pieces as well as a remarkable emotional payoff, I can only urge the skeptics out there to ignore all the anger and cannon fodder against this game, say to hell with the DLC, and pick this one up.… Expand
  79. Knjo0101
    Mar 11, 2012
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I gave this game a mixed review because it left me with mixed feelings the ending left a sour taste in my mouth. The combat in this game is relatively unchanged from the second. Many people complained that the choices made in the previous games are not well fleshed out in this game. That is somewhat true. If you did not save the council they are not present. If you killed Wrex on Virmire he is still dead in this game. Most of the characters from mass effect 2 make only a cameo appearance in this game which I though was somewhat of a let down. If you choose to have a romance option with characters in Mass Effect 2 (such as Miranda) and continue them in mass effect 3 they feel less that satisfying. If you continue with characters who are in this game such as Kaidan, Ashley or Liara they are much better. So to sum it choices from the other games matter is some areas and not so much in others which is part of my mixed feelings for the game. I did not think the graphics where all that bad, but some of the animations were terrible. For example watch Shepard puch Khalisa-al-Jilani for the third time in the Tabloid Journalism segment. That was a horrible animation and just one of a few. The other thing I do not understand is making Shepard gay. I know they probably did this for politically correct reasons and that fine I guess, but when he was not gay in the previous 2 games and they decide to just all of sudden let him decide he or she is gay in this game does not make a shred of sense. Mutilplayer is for the first time is an option and is not really a make or break deal for me. It is somewhat of a toned down version of horde mode on gears of war. You must survive waves of enemies with intermittent objective in some rounds to earn credits. They can be used to purchase packs which contain items, weapons, or other characters that can be unlocked to play as. It is actually a fun option to play multiplayer to see how some of the other classes play, and it is fun to play as other races for once. Overall the multiplayer is a way to boost your "galatic readiness." rating which can help to achieve a better ending. Its simple and fun but is not required to get a better ending so I was ok with having the option in the game. Now for the story of the game itself. For the most part it is fun helping solve the different political turmoils of the other races of the galaxy in an effort to take back earth and rid the galaxy of the reapers and there cycle of harvesting life every 50,000 or so years which was the theme of the entire game. Rallying your allies and fighting the reapers along the way seems like it is building towards an epic conclusion. The dialog and other scenes along the way I felt helped to convey the moral turmoil of just how grim the situation was for the entire galaxy. Completing these sequences and doing sidequets boosts effective military strength which(EMS) which can bemodified to be higher if you play mutiplayer. Sidequests in this game are underwhelming compared to the other games though. Fetch quests essentially. Once you get to the ending there is very little to be happy about though. The last 10 mins of the game are horrible. Supposedly there is up to 17 endings but they all revolve around one of three choices you must make. Destroy the reapers, control them, or sythesize with them. Dues Ex rip off anyone? once you make your choice the very short cut scenes vary slightly depending on your total EMS. The explanation for the reapers is also stupid. They are a race of all powerful hybrid synthetic and organic beings sent every 50,000 years to harvest advanced life to prevent it from creating synthetic life that will overtake organic life. By harvesting advanced organic life it ascends to an advanced organic existence as a reaper and ultimately saves organic life in the process? Really? How did your Normandy allies back on this ship crash landed on a some jungle planet after you activate the catalyst? The endings are so confusing and offer little variance. Previous choices seem to matter none. Why were the mass relays destoryed? What happens to everyone because of that? I would have loved to have seen what happens with Shepard and his or her love interest and the other races of the galaxy There is so much thats is bad and confusing about this ending and it is filled with plot holes. To be honest I would have preferred a good happy ending where Shepard settle down and lives out his or her life as hero. This is like what if the lord of the rings just ended with Sam and Frodo swallowed up by lava and the fate of everyone that helped them is left in limbo and they said the end. That is essentially what you get here. There is a hint if you had a high enough EMS the Shepard is still alive if you choose destroy option which I hope they expand on to fix the crappy ending to this game. This would have been a 9 if not for the bad confusing ending.… Expand
  80. AsmodeusAzarak
    Mar 11, 2012
    5
    An incredible game ruined by a very poor ending. If you don't care about the story you may have a great time, but if story is important to you, and you have been following the series you will be disappointed.
  81. Darman-1136
    Mar 11, 2012
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It's hard for me to decide how to put a number rating on Mass Effect 3 (ME3). I'd been gleefully anticipating the release of the game the day I completed Mass Effect 2 (ME2) and as slowly progressed through ME3, I could barely contain my joy at finally seeing the end of a game where MY choice mattered. What I got was a punch to the stomach and a feeling of despair that won't diminish for the foreseeable future. The ending makes a complete mockery of all the choices I've made this past five years of the course of three games that I poured my heart and soul into. ME3 is an amazing game. Until the last five minutes. You're given the choice (depending upon your effective military rating; the endings differ slightly depending the score) of either controlling the Reapers, destroying the Reapers, or Synthesis; which means the Citadel (which happens to be the Catalyst you've been hunting for during the game to complete the Crucible) absorbs your part synthetic/part organic essence and channels it throughout the galaxy via the Mass Relays to make all life a half and half hybrid. What? If you choose to control the Reapers, you must become one. You choose to destroy the Reapers, it kills ALL synthetic life in the galaxy; including the geth and the Mass Relays are destroyed. You choose synthesis you die. No closure. The game ends in a cutscene with the Normandy outrunning the Mass Relays destruction, which makes no sense as Earth is saved with this option and the Reapers flee, so what are you running from? The Normandy then crashes onto an unknown planet with some of the crew leaving the ship, and I'm assuming starting a new life? Cutscene ends with an old man and young child. The old man is telling your story, the story of "the Shepard," and how you saved the galaxy from destruction. This game, I'm sure, was a lifelong dream to make for the folks at Bioware. This has been they're baby for almost a decade and they are the creators, so they're voice carries weight when it comes to how they want the game to end. But as a fan who has put so much into this series I cannot wrap my head around how they thought these choices were a viable option to end a game of this magnitude. We get to make all these decisions with the life of the galaxy hanging in the balance and then at the end we don't get to see the fruits of our efforts? What happens to all the alliances we forged? Does peace reign? Do petty hatreds resume? My Shepard doesn't get to settle down and live his life with Ash (my choice of romantic interest in my main play through)? The ending to this game, for me, ruins further playthroughs I might attempt starting with replaying Mass Effect 1 (ME1.) Why would I waste time making the galactic decisions I do when there's no closure at the end. Maybe these endings give the folks at Bioware closure, but it doesn't for me. I guess I'll rate it a five. ME3 is a 9.5 game. If you discount the last five minutes. My grade: Disappointed, but for numbers sake I'll give it a five. I guess.… Expand
  82. Ryokuji
    Mar 11, 2012
    8
    Lets give a fair review here. Mass Effect 3 is a fantastically put together game overall. That being said it does have some shortcomings, which is why I give it an 8/10. The multiplayer is sub par and gives little in replay with lvl 20 being the cap and nothing really being gained from "Promoting" a character other than a tiny addition to your singleplayer game. And some of your pastLets give a fair review here. Mass Effect 3 is a fantastically put together game overall. That being said it does have some shortcomings, which is why I give it an 8/10. The multiplayer is sub par and gives little in replay with lvl 20 being the cap and nothing really being gained from "Promoting" a character other than a tiny addition to your singleplayer game. And some of your past choices have no real noticeable influence within the game. On the upside the game is open to many types of players which is great to open the audience. You can play shooter straight forward who cares about story, pure story with simple combat and conversation control, or a balance between the two. Now with the story, overall still stays strong throughout minus some disappointments with the ending, my only real issue is that there is a lot that is left unexplained that on how your influence will effect future generations. Personally I think the trilogy ended strong and its a fantastic game even if you haven't played the first two. Give it a shot and don't let all these people scoring it low for no reason discourage you.… Expand
  83. ISA_SCOUT
    Mar 11, 2012
    10
    This game is amazing. Easily one one the very best games I've ever had the great pleasure of playing.The story is absolutely one of the best,and it's really a shame that people who are giving it bad reviews are mainly doing so because of the day one DLC but instead their missing out on one of the greatest games this generation. Hell, their missing out on one of the greatest games ever madeThis game is amazing. Easily one one the very best games I've ever had the great pleasure of playing.The story is absolutely one of the best,and it's really a shame that people who are giving it bad reviews are mainly doing so because of the day one DLC but instead their missing out on one of the greatest games this generation. Hell, their missing out on one of the greatest games ever made period. If you have reservations cast them aside and play the game for yourself. you don't even need the DLC(which I've played) because it's not relevant to the main story. I can personally guarantee that if you love the old star wars, star trek, and battlestar galacticca this game will absolutely blow you away. Oh, and people a 1 or 2 is for a game that isn't even playable grow up or shut up. Thank you.… Expand
  84. Ixziga
    Mar 11, 2012
    10
    As always, Mass Effect pushes the boundaries of game experience. The characters, lore, and depth of the universe and the sheer quality of every square inch of the game is the pinnacle of video gaming. The single-player and multi-player are both near perfect for what they are, and I'm not budging in saying that this is the greatest trilogy in the gaming world to date. That said, the endingAs always, Mass Effect pushes the boundaries of game experience. The characters, lore, and depth of the universe and the sheer quality of every square inch of the game is the pinnacle of video gaming. The single-player and multi-player are both near perfect for what they are, and I'm not budging in saying that this is the greatest trilogy in the gaming world to date. That said, the ending of the series confuses the hell out of me. Whereas I thought the ending would be about the bond between Shepard and his squad-mates in their flawed attempts at trying to survive the impossible together, this game completely deviates from that. The ending of ME3 is suicidal in that it destroys it's own legacy, a legacy greater than any other game I've played. Not sure if I can ever play Mass Effect again.… Expand
  85. Matteo217
    Mar 11, 2012
    10
    Its astonishing how many trolls and whiny little kids there are on this website crying about stuff that is minor at best. This game is nothing less than the end to the most Epic Space Trilogy of all time. The campaign kept me hooked from the moment the game took off and the story was spectacular. Now I know the nerds and trolls are going to bash the crap out of me for whatever I'm going toIts astonishing how many trolls and whiny little kids there are on this website crying about stuff that is minor at best. This game is nothing less than the end to the most Epic Space Trilogy of all time. The campaign kept me hooked from the moment the game took off and the story was spectacular. Now I know the nerds and trolls are going to bash the crap out of me for whatever I'm going to say or think, but I'm going to tell you the God's honest truth and break down the hate for this game. Firstly The Ending: I personally believe that the ending was fantastic and really left me feeling overwhelmed by my accomplishments and I felt sad for the characters that I grew so fond of in ME2 that died. The game left you with a real sense of drama and fulfillment. Now to address the hate, the most common thing I see written is that the 3 endings are too similar and do not show enough variation. The problem I have with this is these people that say this, I know 100% have either replayed only the last mission 3 times or have data mined the game on PC and watched the cut-scenes. Why do you people not understand that when you spoil the endings like that for yourself you are setting yourself up for supreme disappointment. If you legitimately played through the entire game and didn't skip conversations and really built upon the amazing character backgrounds then you would have loved the ending and really appreciated the way things left off. â… Expand
  86. ArchLich
    Mar 11, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A good game until you reach the end. The ending is so poorly written that I can not conceive it was written by experienced professionals. The ending ruins the whole series.

    The game has multiple good elements but seems to fall short in other areas. Some of the minor issues include: The fact that the choices of sacrificing people to save others is trivialized by the poor presentation and that every second conversation from Shepard sounds like a poorly veiled come on to other characters.

    An especially low note in the game is Kai Leng. Kai Leng is a horrible stereotyped Mary Sue which nearly ruined the game. His boss battles are lame and should never have been included. The game designers failed to follow a basic game design rule: If you don't want a PC killing a NPC then don't have them fight. Simple, no? They follow this with the Illusive Man (uses holographs instead of being there in person) but they fail with Kai Leng. Just when you thought that cliched character was the worst part the game in roles the game's ending. It involves a ghost child AI which is the citadel but was never foreshadowed. (Nor does it make sense as there would be no need for Mass Effect 1 or 2 if this was true. After all an AI secretly existing in the Citadel could easily notify the Reapers without the need of outside Reaper prompting). Besides this obvious flaw the game then presents 3 possible endings: 1) Mass murder of all synthetic life 2) Take control of the Reapers
    3) A childishly simplistic option of merging synthetic and organic life without wiping all current beings. How this is possible is never explained nor does it make any sense in the end.
    Also the Mass Relays are destroyed in every ending and the Normandy crashes in every ending. This is disheartening but also means that you have destroyed the main means of intergalactic transportation and destroyed every spaceship in the galaxy. Hurray? So in closing all the endings means you have saved galactic civilization by destroying all galactic civilization. WTF? This game if viewed individually would be a 6 or 7 out of ten. When viewed in light of what it does to the series a 4 is generous.    … Expand
  87. ShadowEXP
    Mar 11, 2012
    7
    I really do love ME1, with its flaws it was still an awesome game, for me the best one in the series.
    Then came ME2 i still really liked it, but there was something about it that made it not as good. It might of been that it was more action heavy.
    Then came ME3 oh dear. About 80% is shooting. I was on normal difficulty but ended up changing it to narrative. I just could not be bothered. I    I really do love ME1, with its flaws it was still an awesome game, for me the best one in the series.
    Then came ME2 i still really liked it, but there was something about it that made it not as good. It might of been that it was more action heavy.
    Then came ME3 oh dear. About 80% is shooting. I was on normal difficulty but ended up changing it to narrative. I just could not be bothered. I just wanted to get it done to finish the series. Also sometimes the talking can be a bit choppy when it takes about 2 seconds for someone to talk. Any way. THE ENDING. OMG WHY?
    I expected to do what i was doing from beginning. Destroy the reapers, Save the galaxy and settle down with ma babe Ashley. BUT NOOOOOOO. We get s**t. This is not gonna get out of my head for about a month. I'll start thinking of alternatives and dream about it, what could of happened. It makes me annoyed that they couldn't just have you save the galaxy and have a happy ending. I don't care what it takes. Bioware has to do something. Make a alternative DLC ending or something of god. I think if they spent there time a little wiser the game could of been great. I would like to go back to ME1 and have a perfect game all the way through to ME3 to satisfy me but its over now no going back.
    Might as well talk about MP now. Its pretty fun did have all my items get deleted tho which was pretty annoying. Other than that it is quite entertaining. Overall they could of done better instead of taking a week to make 1 ending and copy and pasting it about 16 times. And one more thing. Why wasn't the history of the galaxy told at the end like what happened to the galaxy after the events?    … Expand
  88. Glitch200
    Mar 11, 2012
    1
    Horrible storytelling with more plotholes than i can count. Terrible endings in which the only thing that changes is the energy beam colors. 2001 graphics and enough bugs to turn this game into a painful experience for all that play it.
  89. ce111
    Mar 11, 2012
    6
    I'll start off by saying that I am a big fan of the Mass Effect series. I was fairly pleased with the majority of the storyline and dialogue in this game. The tone of this game is a lot more grim than the previous two games but I feel that is appropriate given the circumstances. Sometimes the voice acting can get a bit cheesy and some of the situations seem like they were ripped from a badI'll start off by saying that I am a big fan of the Mass Effect series. I was fairly pleased with the majority of the storyline and dialogue in this game. The tone of this game is a lot more grim than the previous two games but I feel that is appropriate given the circumstances. Sometimes the voice acting can get a bit cheesy and some of the situations seem like they were ripped from a bad action movie. The game play has had some tweaks and combat feels a bit more tuned. There are still bugs galore though and the AI still seems terrible despite claims of upgrades to it. Most bugs aren't extremely noticeable; heck sometimes they are downright funny but then you get the really frustrating bugs such as getting stuck and having to restart. Those bugs are one reason why this game lost a point. Another reason is how it seems that the events of the previous two games don't seem to have made as big a difference as I thought they would. Pretty much all of the key character's from the previous games make an appearance. Some are a big more significant than others but its certainly nice to see. The biggest problem I had with it was the ending. Its as though they were driving along on the nice little path of a storyline and then decide to just blindfold the driver at the end and hope for the best. The endings all make very little sense and just create more loose ends than they tie up. Hopefully we see more content in the future that makes things a bit more clear but until then I feel very disappointed with how the game ends. A little obscurity isn't necessarily a bad thing since it is nice to have the fans piece together certain aspects. But when the fans are left feeling cheated then its clear that something isn't quite right.
    So in closing, its not a terrible game by any means but it certainly isn't the game that the Mass Effect series deserves. For all the lore and background of the series very little of it is truly represented and the game feels more like an action game than a sci-fi roleplaying game.    … Expand
  90. InfiniteSheldon
    Mar 11, 2012
    10
    Those who have rated this game below a seven simply do not know how to review games. Straight simple. I'm seeing a lot of ones and zeroes that don't make any sense; not really sure what people are crying about. 1) Graphics: Improved
    2) Sound/Music: Improved 3) Multiplayer: Functional and Enjoyable
    4) Combat Gameplay: Improved--Melee does stuff now, cooldowns make more sense, less ammo    Those who have rated this game below a seven simply do not know how to review games. Straight simple. I'm seeing a lot of ones and zeroes that don't make any sense; not really sure what people are crying about. 1) Graphics: Improved
    2) Sound/Music: Improved 3) Multiplayer: Functional and Enjoyable
    4) Combat Gameplay: Improved--Melee does stuff now, cooldowns make more sense, less ammo starvation, certain biotics more balanced than previous two games.
    5) Inventory/Weapon Management: Improved--you can now mod your equipment with a greater variety of equipment depending on your style of play, and there's a wider variety of armor with different buffs.
    6) Skillset/Powers: Improved--definitely more skills/powers than ME2, trimmed the fat from ME1, and gave a whole number of different options for branching out abilities that simply were not present before.
    7) DLC: Incomplete as of yet, but From Ashes is better than Zaeed's DLC
    8) Day 1 DLC: An unfortunate reality of gaming these days. This isn't the first and won't be the last. It may even become the norm. It is however unnecessary for the story, free with the Collector's Edition, and given the delay from the initial forecast for the game's release--right on time. 9) Same-sex romance options. Didn't hear any complaining about girl-on-girl. The male homosexual fanbase now has something more to relate to. Kaiden's advances on Shepard are a little surprising, but no so much now that I remember that he turned down a threesome with FemShep and Liara in the first game when he told me to choose between him and her. These sorts of things make RPGs great; the choices and the consequences that come with them. I can see why homophobes would drop their review score because of this. Because they're bigots.
    10) The story. Here's where people are weeping the most. Apparently some things don't make sense or allegedly retcon what was learned in the first two games. Having played through both of them eight times apiece making different decisions each time, I know that's not the case. Some say that there's no story to the game, but there's more of a story than ME2. And as for choices affecting the final outcome and endgame scenario for ME3, it's no less complete than the influence of ME1 on ME2. If you liked ME2 you should like ME3 if a story is what you're looking for. The game delivered. Everything that people were crying about was addressed. More outfits/armor than ME2. More romance options. Improved Reputation system. New exploration system (and from how much bawling there was about the Mako missions of ME1 and planet scanning of ME2, this is a welcome alternative, but I was one of those people who loved the Mako). It was exciting, gave us more information, more character development, wrapped up a bunch of plotlines seamlessly and had its share of epic battles. One thing that I did miss however was Aria's reclamation of Afterlife. Maybe that's going to be DLC. I want to see that. And maybe we'll get some ME2 characters recruited in DLC as well. So given all the improvements and the adequate story progression based of the progression from ME1 to ME2, I do not see how this could rate any lower than a 7 even if you hate what the story actually is. Personally, I love it. But even if I didn't, I know how to rate the game fairly. I think a lot of people are pissed about what they didn't get instead of enjoying what they did--and they got a fantastic game epic in scope and delivery. Replayability 10/10: Multiplayer and Paragon/Renegade plotlines stemming from the previous games Graphics 9/10:Beautiful cutscenes, breathtaking environments, but people still kind of look molded from clay for some reason. Sound 9/10: Includes music, sound effects and dialogue. Dialogue is great, everyone has their own unique voice (vs. Skyrim where five voices occupy 9 population centers). Sound effects are well done, music isn't my favorite but done well for drama. Where it falters is volume. I know it's hard to hear conversations in a nightclub, but It's a little annoying having to manually adjust volume levels to hear cutscenes in Purgatory. Also, depending on camera angle or POV, people near your character are quiet. Perhaps this is an issue due to my lack of surround sound. Story 8/10: I had hoped for a more meaningful impact on my story when it came to my decisions about the Rachni and the Geth in the previous two games, and recruiting the ME2 characters would have been nice but perhaps overkill. Fun: 10/10: Intense, high-stakes battles. Multiplayer component works great and promises to provide for the long haul. New romance options worth exploring. Great replayability encouraging playing through the previous two games. Wonderful cutscenes. Hilarious and sometimes touching dialogue. Thane will be remembered fondly. Overall 10    … Expand
  91. kburstall
    Mar 11, 2012
    1
    Take away the compelling story from the mass effect series and what are you left with? Most people would agree we're left with little more than a sub-par shooter. Bioware often gets a pass on this because the story elements are so strong and interesting. NOT THIS TIME OUT. The story and especially the incomprehensible nonsense ending make for a tale that sucks the awesome not only out ofTake away the compelling story from the mass effect series and what are you left with? Most people would agree we're left with little more than a sub-par shooter. Bioware often gets a pass on this because the story elements are so strong and interesting. NOT THIS TIME OUT. The story and especially the incomprehensible nonsense ending make for a tale that sucks the awesome not only out of this game, but also out of the rest of the franchise which have been building up to an epic ending, where literally NONE of your choices throughout the entire series make an impact.

    Not having this strong story to keep you going, be prepared to suffer through this sub-par shooter.    … Expand
  92. nlover4
    Mar 11, 2012
    10
    It seems that this game is either a hit or a miss for most people. I love this game and I see nothing wrong with it. I do not understand the 5.0 rating from the users. This game has good graphics, good story, and good gameplay. What more could you ask for?
  93. Zorrac555
    Mar 11, 2012
    0
    I'm extremely disappointed with the way that DLC has been handled with ME3. While some may argue that the DLC is supplemental and the game is complete without it, as a consumer I still feel like I'm being sold an incomplete product. I feel compelled to send a message to publishers and developers that some consumers won't stand for this. Its a pity, as I enjoyed ME1 and 2.
  94. victortoyos
    Mar 11, 2012
    10
    Awesome, just what I though it would be!I`m simply loving this game :) Played 1 and 2 again so i could get back in the story. Awsome :D 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 youAwesome, just what I though it would be!I`m simply loving this game :) Played 1 and 2 again so i could get back in the story. Awsome :D 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.… Expand
  95. CazNeerg
    Mar 11, 2012
    7
    Until the last ten minutes or so, Mass Effect 3 is an easy 10. And as a general rule I never consider a game to be a 10, because there is always room for improvement. But as a capstone for a trilogy, the majority of the game was not only beautiful and moving on it's own merits, it did a truly astonishing job of reaching backward and making almost every choice you made in the first twoUntil the last ten minutes or so, Mass Effect 3 is an easy 10. And as a general rule I never consider a game to be a 10, because there is always room for improvement. But as a capstone for a trilogy, the majority of the game was not only beautiful and moving on it's own merits, it did a truly astonishing job of reaching backward and making almost every choice you made in the first two games feel like it really mattered. But then you reach the aforementioned last ten minutes. Without spoiling anything, I would have to say that in the context of a different game, the ending wouldn't have been terrible, but it wouldn't have been great either. It would be a solid seven. In the context of how well it fits into the rest of the trilogy, in terms of tone and overall philosophy, or in the context of how complete and coherent the presentation is, reasonable minds can disagree on how well it caps the trilogy, but I would have to say that objectively, the score range for the end should be 0-5, certainly no higher, and I lean heavily toward zero. But I am going with a 7 overall, because as astonishingly ill-conceived and poorly implemented as the end is, the other 95% of the game is still truly epic and moving, and I can't bring myself to discount that, no matter how much the atrocious ending makes me feel like I should.… Expand
  96. MarkJones
    Mar 11, 2012
    10
    I'll start with the bad. Problems include familiar lip syncing issues, an improved but still troublesome cover system, what I assume to be a problematic introduction to gamers new to Mass Effect, and the underwhelming and increasingly controversial ending - which I'll return to later.

    Everything right with the game overcomes all of negative. The story was more engrossing than ever. The    I'll start with the bad. Problems include familiar lip syncing issues, an improved but still troublesome cover system, what I assume to be a problematic introduction to gamers new to Mass Effect, and the underwhelming and increasingly controversial ending - which I'll return to later.

    Everything right with the game overcomes all of negative. The story was more engrossing than ever. The voice acting; inspired. The sound and music was perfect. The loose integration of a genuinely fun, cooperative mutliplayer mode into the campaign was a stroke of genius. Buy now if you have played and completed Mass Effect and ME2, do not rent. If you haven't played the previous games: do so. Before you buy, arm yourself with good excuses for your significant other or boss as to why you've mysteriously disappeared. As for the end. The end may not be what some may have idealized during their struggle through the series. During the play-through, gamers will reflect on what they want for Shepard, what they define as victory. But the dialectic between agency and determinism can only be resolved by resolution. Everything which Shepard struggled for is preserved. Everything which Shepard struggled for is destroyed. Bitter sweet and beautiful.    … Expand
  97. NobleIre
    Mar 11, 2012
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'll begin this review with my own perspective on the game's ending, since that seems to be the source of most of the low user scores on this site (the controversy over the DLC aside). I'll admit, immediately after completing the game, I felt a little betrayed by the finale - the pseudo-philosophical climatic revelation and choice was quite unexpected, as was Shepard's inescapable death, and the lack of resolution for most of the player's allies left me cold. However, the more I reflected on ending and all of its permutations, the more I appreciated it. In my view, the lead-up, that last ditch charge towards the beam, the horror of the Citadel, the last moments with Illusive Man and Anderson, all worked on a very potent emotional level, no matter what followed. Catalyst's revelation of the Reapers' nature makes a great deal of sense in the context of the rest of the series, giving them motivation and character that transcends the typical pestilential invader trope - indeed, there is even a perverse sort of logic to the Catalyst's solution, preserving organic life as a whole by ensuring that no force can rise up to stamp it out forever, that adds an unexpected element of ambiguity. Then comes Shepard's choice and sacrifice - admittedly, Bioware could have done more to make the consequences of each choice visually distinct, but the choice itself is very powerful and fascinating in terms of its implications. At first, I was afraid that the truly transformational nature of each path nullified all of the other decisions the player makes throughout the course of the series, but that really isn't the case. Barring the "failure" ending, the galaxy lives on as a result of Shepard's triumph, deprived (at least temporarily) of the easy transport of the Mass Relays, but able to rebuild and self-determine all the same. It is a bit frustrating that the futures of your party members and allies are left unstated, but then, it would have been impossible to satisfy every player and all of their investments in particular characters - leaving their fates to the imagination was, perhaps, the most elegant solution. Finally, Shepard's "death" in each ending seems to have rankled a lot of people who would have grown extremely attached to their own Commander over the course of three games. I empathize with this, but I'm inclined to think that killing Shepard was a brave and powerful choice on Bioware's part. It would have been easy to have Shepard bounce up the the Citadel, shoot Martin Sheen, flip the Reaper kill switch, and waltz off into Garrus'/Tali's/Ashley's/Wrex's arms, but that would have diminished the sheer emotional impact and consequence of the finale. No matter what choice is made, Shepard ends a cycle of destruction that has lasted for millions of years and defines the character of the galaxy for the next million â… Expand
  98. sterma
    Mar 11, 2012
    1
    Bioware just positively GUT PUNCHED every fan of this game. The whole series was a dream sequence? Really what a freaking cop out! And to get the best score you HAVE to play the IPAD and Multiplayer version? Money grubbing SOB's
  99. andvaree
    Mar 11, 2012
    10
    ME3 took 36 hours of my life to complete, but it was well worth it. One of the best, most heart wrenching, sci-fi storytelling experiences of my life - video game, movie, book or otherwise. ...and - for me - the best video game ever!
  100. Neely
    Mar 11, 2012
    10
    You'll be thinking about your choices days after completion; a feat not many games in the industry can replicate. With this being said, the combat is better, and the multiplayer only adds more to an already robust package. And the story? The Mass Effect series will go down as one of the best written stories in all of video gaming history.
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
93

Universal acclaim - based on 74 Critic Reviews

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