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. DavyNichols
    Mar 9, 2012
    3
    I cannot in good conscious give Mass Effect 3 a good review. If you are a new fan you may be confused and overwhelmed by the brilliantly created and richly imagined universe and canon that Bioware develops. If you're an old fan then this game will leave you with a bad taste in your mouth. If you are strictly concerned with gameplay, then this game will have far too much story-driven plotI cannot in good conscious give Mass Effect 3 a good review. If you are a new fan you may be confused and overwhelmed by the brilliantly created and richly imagined universe and canon that Bioware develops. If you're an old fan then this game will leave you with a bad taste in your mouth. If you are strictly concerned with gameplay, then this game will have far too much story-driven plot and dialogue for you. That said the gameplay is solid through and through. Not perfect, but solid. Then again that's not why I picked up the Mass Effect series in the first place. The reason I cannot give this game a good review is that I am a story-concerned and ethical old fan. The ethics comes in with EA's (and Bioware's) shady business ethics. EA has released DLC critical to lore/story (not necessarily plot, there is a difference) and gameplay that you have to pay extra for. Unethical. Bioware's writers, producers and devs have lied to us for the entire production. The endings are not choice-driven and nothing you did in any of the three games matters in the end. The themes at the very end of the game (mind you a lot of the writing was brilliant) contradict the themes for the other two games and anyone who played through all three stories in this "character-driven" series will be nothing short of mortified with the pseudo-intellectual, quasi-philosophical ending (I believe the Russian word is "poshlost" meaning something that is meant to appear intelligent and meaningful without actually being either, thereby baiting critics to laud it so they can show how deep and intellectual they are). If the writers can't admit that they were trying to impress pseudo-intellectual critics instead of loyal fans, then they will lose my respect. If they can admit it, then they simply lose my trust. There are other parts of the game with questionable writing (Example: in the beginning you can practically hear the writers grunts as they try to start the story off in the clumsiest way possible). These are forgiveable blips as they don't ruin the series, but the ending destroyed the replayability value, not only for Mass Effect 3, but the first two games as well, which I was still playing every other month, because I enjoyed them so much. The gameplay, while still clumsy, is the best in not only this game, but any Bioware game to date and was highly enjoyable.

    In summation, I can say that if you are playing this game for gameplay, then there is far too much dialogue and story for that (which I personally love). If you are playing it for story and are new to the series, I'd recommend playing the other games first (or instead). If you are playing it for story and are a veteran of the series, then this game is not highly recommended. Or you can turn it off before the "poshlost ending". I don't expect them to fix the ending, but I don't expect to be buying another Bioware game anytime soon.    … Expand
  2. DuncanIdahoTPF
    Mar 9, 2012
    3
    Seeing the HUMONGOUS disparity between what users are rating this game and what critics rate the game CLEARLY exposes the fraud of some game review sites via bribes. I have seen the instances of these bribes for high profile games increase severely over the past few years. I basically agree with Sheprdlovr's review, this game is very poorly put together overall. The graphics look terribleSeeing the HUMONGOUS disparity between what users are rating this game and what critics rate the game CLEARLY exposes the fraud of some game review sites via bribes. I have seen the instances of these bribes for high profile games increase severely over the past few years. I basically agree with Sheprdlovr's review, this game is very poorly put together overall. The graphics look terrible compared to any decent titles in the past few years. I feel robbed of my 60 bucks for this game, with the Star War's mmo being even worse.… Expand
  3. Synch
    Mar 9, 2012
    3
    The game was fun up until the end, at which point, the fun stopped, and the crushing disappointment set in. Not a proper way to end the trilogy in the least, and all the more disappointing given the quality of the rest of the game.
  4. ulrith
    Mar 9, 2012
    3
    Turned a really fun game and an awesome franchise into dog @#$% in the final 5 minutes. WORST. ENDING. EVER. (and this is from someone who has seen MANY terrible endings)
  5. Untamed9889
    Mar 10, 2012
    3
    This game would have been a solid 10/10 for me if it were not for those horrid endings. They managed to keep me entertained and invested in the story until the last five minutes. Getting stuck with 3 terrible endings with the same consequences is a terrible way to end one of my favorite game series. Never buying another Bioware product unless this is rectified.
  6. mcfan
    Mar 11, 2012
    3
    Where are the true different endings ? And god damned, where is the exploration ? I always searchâ
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. alukanin
    Mar 13, 2012
    3
    Everyone's complaining about the ending, but I don't give a **** about that. The game itself is pretty bad overall. There's almost no RPG in it and the action part is pretty clumsy and tiring. Better not waste time playing this and play Binary Domain instead if you want a good story in a GoW-like 3rd person shooter.
  10. 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
  11. 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
  12. 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
  13. Xtrepe
    Mar 12, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This could have been the crowning achievement in regards to RPG gaming. A game that ends a fantastic sci-fi tale that you can craft over the course of three fantastic games. Every minute of playing this game was a joy. The sorrow and triumph was all I could have asked for and more...until the end. Which utterly erases all the 100's hours of work you have placed in this game. There is no closure, you never find out what your sacrifice brings, aside from the total destruction of the galaxy. All the deeds are turned to dust in less than ten minutes. I must salute you Bioware, you killed the greatest video game trilogy in under ten minutes, bravo.… Expand
  14. Matrixcvd
    Mar 12, 2012
    3
    I experienced quite a few bugs, which did impact game, dialogue not working right, etc. Bottom line regardless of what you think of the endings, the build up to the "final" battle was suppose to be the best part "Save Earth", don't bother playing after 20 hours its just not worth it. Think Halo2, its just a joke how awful the back end of this game is, the missions are pathetic, theI experienced quite a few bugs, which did impact game, dialogue not working right, etc. Bottom line regardless of what you think of the endings, the build up to the "final" battle was suppose to be the best part "Save Earth", don't bother playing after 20 hours its just not worth it. Think Halo2, its just a joke how awful the back end of this game is, the missions are pathetic, the content on earth is short, and really just a total let down. So the end gameplay sucks, nothing interesting, or at least content that tries to differentiate itself from bulk, its all bland and boring. Which makes the ending options really forgettable, there is no point in playing through the game differently. So to recap, after the initial sequence on earth, there is nothing emotionally driven about the content, its all vapor, there is no challenging sections (scaled for difficulty), and the endings are loose, trival, and without an emotional connection to tie things apart, or together. I could care less if my character is killed, but its the story that ties the content together and there IS NO STORY to feed off of, 2/3 of the game had me in tears, i blew through the dialogue toward the latter stages and ending because there was nothing there. what a waste of time. I picked up ME series late, after all the DLC hit for ME2, so I knew it was a long slog and a wait to see ME3, but the content for ME2, knowing full well the inconclusive nature was much better than the, "climax" of ME3. If the bar is set high, then sometimes you get hit with the bar, I had more fun toward the end of Kingdoms of Amalur, than this game, which is a terrible mocking. ME3 end with bad taste, disappointment, and general disgust, and not cause of how the game ended, but the quality of the final battle, the lack of emotional/character content, and the complete package just sinks after such a great start.… Expand
  15. BethanyAnne
    Mar 12, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It's all about the ending. On my playthrough, I had done all but one of the "fetch it" quests, and had an apparently full readiness bar. I felt like it would be hard, but that I had prepared as much as I could. I had a couple of save games to go back to, so I could see if there were different choices I wanted to make.
    It went well, then I got to the Citadel... and WTF? No more team, no armor, no powers.... and a brand new godchild? And then it got bad.
    A "3" is generous. Never again, Bioware. Ya got me twice, first DA2, then this steaming pile. Won't happen again.    … Expand
  16. maverick0023
    Mar 12, 2012
    3
    None of my friends have liked the ending. I wish I could meet in person some person who did like the ending and really get a good explanation to how anyone could think how the game ended was a good idea.

    It ruined the franchise for me and now I do not want to touch anything ME related. That being said the gameplay was fun, so ya if you do not care about story (which why would you play ME    None of my friends have liked the ending. I wish I could meet in person some person who did like the ending and really get a good explanation to how anyone could think how the game ended was a good idea.

    It ruined the franchise for me and now I do not want to touch anything ME related.

    That being said the gameplay was fun, so ya if you do not care about story (which why would you play ME then) I guess you can like the game    … Expand
  17. Jimbop47
    Mar 12, 2012
    3
    Best of the series EXCEPT FOR THE ENDING! The foundation of this series was choice and it has been destroyed. Hopefully Bioware has some plans to address this in DLC otherwise ME3 is an epic failure.
  18. hades252
    Mar 13, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Honestly I find anyone giving this game a 9 or 10 mind boggling. That ending was completely trite, trash, garbage, the **** worst ending to any game I've ever played. A huge disappointment. It should immediately have 2 points knocked off just for that, and that's being EXTREMELY generous. The game was glorious, I loved every minute of it, until those last 5. The gameplay was good, I loved the story and the action and then... biggest god damn let down of the century. Unless I dunno, you missed out on the rapture or something oops that still hasn't happened. Anyway. Anyone giving this game a 10 either hasn't beaten it, is fan wanking, or is a troll. I absolutely loved the series, easily one of my favorites and then they slap me in the face with the first day DLC which is already on the disc and an ending so abysmal it's forcing me to knock it down to a god damn 3. What they did right, game play was good, I enjoyed the animations, MOST of the story was thoroughly enjoyable and evoked emotion, I was legitimately distraught at the deaths of Mordin, Thane, and Legion, and getting to romance Steven Cortez and Kaiden Alenko as Male Shepard.

    And then... they **** it ALL up, in 5 minutes. Took me over 30 hours to beat the game, all that I loved, and they **** it up in 5 god damn minutes. How is that even possible, how could they have gone so **** wrong. And honestly I don't even care that Shepard dies, I care about the **** trash where we see 3 people get off the Normandy in the aftermath and oops who the **** cares about all the rest. What the **** happened to all the people we spent learning about, building attachments too, we not only are forced to watch Shepard die with that bogus pick your poison ending but we get no closure for more than half of the characters we spent collecting and working with for the preceding games only to become side notes in this one.    … Expand
  19. zurupeto
    Mar 13, 2012
    3
    This game was so not what I wanted Mass Effect 3 to be that I was actually shedding tears of frustration by the end of it. As the story unfolded, I lost control of the Shepard I'd spent hours and hours creating through the first two games as he continually did and said things my Shepard would never have done, without any input from me. The narrative has a couple of really goodThis game was so not what I wanted Mass Effect 3 to be that I was actually shedding tears of frustration by the end of it. As the story unfolded, I lost control of the Shepard I'd spent hours and hours creating through the first two games as he continually did and said things my Shepard would never have done, without any input from me. The narrative has a couple of really good highlights, but is weak on the whole, and the available endings are not only dissatisfying, but in many ways nonsensical. The visual and sound design are strong, but aren't enough to carry the rest. Were it not the conclusion to one of the most promising video game franchises of all time, I'd say this game was simply unremarkable. But it is, and it's beyond disappointing, offering me nothing of what I loved from ME1 but lip service. Mass Effect 3 will be remembered in infamy, if at all, and it's release definitely heralds a truth I've been fearing: the death of the Bioware I'd relied on for exceptional games.… Expand
  20. Toyomo
    Mar 14, 2012
    3
    I must agree with many others, the ending ruins the game. I was skeptical that the ending could indeed be as bad as everyone has claimed-I was wrong. Gone is the choice that exemplified this series. Gone is the hours of fun (not work) that preceded this game. Gone is the sense of accomplishment, however minor, that marked the completion of the previous Mass Effect games. Truly, whatI must agree with many others, the ending ruins the game. I was skeptical that the ending could indeed be as bad as everyone has claimed-I was wrong. Gone is the choice that exemplified this series. Gone is the hours of fun (not work) that preceded this game. Gone is the sense of accomplishment, however minor, that marked the completion of the previous Mass Effect games. Truly, what disgusts me about this game is I feel betrayed by the developers. The sense of control over your character's actions, and the consequences of your decisions are for naught. In the end, nothing you have done matters. If you are new to the series, flip a coin for every choice; they are meaningless. Once I was an ardent Bioware supporter, no longer. My ties with bioware are cut, beginning with credit from Gamestop for this game, followed by a cancelling of SWTOR and a refusal to play any other Bioware games.… Expand
  21. thomc
    Mar 15, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. !!!SPOILER ALERT!!!
    I LOVED Mass effect 3 right up until the ending which for me destroyed the replay value of the entire trilogy, since nothing I did during the three titles mattered at all in the end. It was all for nothing. The game premise is about morality, choice and submersion. You end up caring about your Shep, your crew and the entire galaxy almost like a second life outside your daily life. I know I did anyway. The concept of the game I thought, was that the choices we made helped shape the future of you as the hero, your crew and the galaxy. That idea was blown right out the airlock during the last 10 min. or so when my Shep totally caved in and accepted Star Child's three suicide choices. My Shep would never have acted like that. My Shepherd would have pulled his gun and planted on between the eyes of that stupid IA or what ever it was..I really don't know how to finish this last sentence, because the end didn't make any sense to me..I'm not really sure what happened.. Other than that, this was by far the best game in the trilogy, if it wasn't for the lazy written ending. I wanted to give this game a score of 1 just to spite EA and Bioware, but that wouldn't be fare. So I'll give it a 3. If the ending lived up to the rest of the game I would have given it a 10 no doubt.    … Expand
  22. frostajulie
    Mar 16, 2012
    3
    First I have to say in fairness their were emotional highs and lows over the course of this game that have never been matched by a video game in my life I laughed at myself even as I cried when characters I had grown attached to died. But all that goes to crap when you get to the end. The ending makes every single action and choice you have made in the previous 3 games irrelevant. NoFirst I have to say in fairness their were emotional highs and lows over the course of this game that have never been matched by a video game in my life I laughed at myself even as I cried when characters I had grown attached to died. But all that goes to crap when you get to the end. The ending makes every single action and choice you have made in the previous 3 games irrelevant. No matter what everything ends the same and no matter what you do that ending is bad. Full of plot holes and bad. All those promises about choice mattering and a variety of endings are LIES if you don't believe me find the same 3 endings on youtube. All the same all bad. I can't even look at any of the 3 games without feeling sick. The replayability of the entire series ends when this game ends because you know no matter what you do THIS is how it ends and that sucks all the will to play right out of you. Don't ruin your previous 2 games by playing this piece of garbage. There are also a couple of buggy missions where enemies don't spawn and you have to restart and NOT kill the enemies, and Shepard does not run he/she floats with no footfall sound the lip syncing is immersion breaking its so bad. My advice to new fans get a different game. My advice to old fans. RUN AWAY! And don't look back… Expand
  23. RobertLangford
    Mar 17, 2012
    3
    Fans of the game (I was one) are flabbergasted the complete failure to deliver by Bioware. Gamers that, like me, followed this incredible trilogy (ME1, ME2 and ME3) got emotionally involved with the richness of the in-game characters and their interactions. All along and from the beginning of ME1, they were told by Bioware that choices that they made along the story arc would eventuallyFans of the game (I was one) are flabbergasted the complete failure to deliver by Bioware. Gamers that, like me, followed this incredible trilogy (ME1, ME2 and ME3) got emotionally involved with the richness of the in-game characters and their interactions. All along and from the beginning of ME1, they were told by Bioware that choices that they made along the story arc would eventually have an impact on the ending. This was not the case. In the end (the last fifteen minutes or so), the main character of the game is presented with three choices, but these have practically no relationship with the rest of the game and how it was played. The impression is that Bioware decided to cut costs and rush the ending, as the three ending options are equally shoddy, with pseudo-philosophical explanations that don't make much sense. There is no resolution and the players are left with the impression that all they have done up to the end was a complete waste of time and effort. Most importantly, the players are left emotionally empty. It's a very confusing and depressing feeling let me tell you. The game could have had an epic ending with variations from the very bad (everyone dies) to the very good (everyone survives and there's a victory party) and an in-between bittersweet ending with lots of tears... But Bioware dropped the ball just before the finish line. I give this game a score of 3. These points are for the technical and artistic aspects, which are ok and good respectively. The main part of the points in my mind would have gone to the story; it gets 0 for the stupid stupid stupid endings. ME3 should have been the ultimate conclusion to the trilogy, a high point of sorts, but turns out in the end to be a dud.… Expand
  24. KelaSaar
    Mar 17, 2012
    3
    Mass Effect 3 is a marvelous game that manages to destroy the entire trilogy in its last 15 minutes. The first 95% of the game is really quite good. Bioware manages to put together some spectacular set pieces and really fun action scenes. The combat is also for the most part better than it has been in the previous games. They also do a good job brining in things from the previousMass Effect 3 is a marvelous game that manages to destroy the entire trilogy in its last 15 minutes. The first 95% of the game is really quite good. Bioware manages to put together some spectacular set pieces and really fun action scenes. The combat is also for the most part better than it has been in the previous games. They also do a good job brining in things from the previous games, and let you make some really cool decisions. The dialog and voice acting is quite excellent for the most part. There were parts that were hilarious and parts that I will admit I cried at. I did have some minor problems with this portion of the game, though. The â… Expand
  25. gamster1234
    Mar 18, 2012
    3
    Mass Effect 3 is a mere shadow of the game that its predecessors were. There are so many glaringly poor design choices made throughout. Things that worked perfectly well in Mass Effect 2 have been "fixed" so that the overall experience is frustrating. From side quests being dumbed down to poorly updated quest entries on the journal to the limited speech options, it is almost like BiowareMass Effect 3 is a mere shadow of the game that its predecessors were. There are so many glaringly poor design choices made throughout. Things that worked perfectly well in Mass Effect 2 have been "fixed" so that the overall experience is frustrating. From side quests being dumbed down to poorly updated quest entries on the journal to the limited speech options, it is almost like Bioware wanted to ruin this game.… Expand
  26. LeifofRohan
    Mar 19, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Huge Mass effect fan. Took five days off of work to play Mass Effect 3. Great game until the last ten minutes of the game. Where the story does. Complete 180 and your choices don't matter. Ruins the whole build up of the series.… Expand
  27. CheeseHead
    Mar 19, 2012
    3
    While I enjoyed Mass Effect 3 and would recommend it for people to try out, the ending was a crushing blow to the face: none of my decisions mattered, nothing was explained, all the endings were virtually identical, Bioware used a "in your face, deus ex machina" to wrap it all up. The ending did not stay true to the game, the trilogy or the fans. Worst of all, the ending ruins anyWhile I enjoyed Mass Effect 3 and would recommend it for people to try out, the ending was a crushing blow to the face: none of my decisions mattered, nothing was explained, all the endings were virtually identical, Bioware used a "in your face, deus ex machina" to wrap it all up. The ending did not stay true to the game, the trilogy or the fans. Worst of all, the ending ruins any replayability for most fans. Of course there were several positive things to the game, but since many are considered spoilers I will not be posting them. It's painful for me to do this, but since the ending is truly all that stays with you (and not in a good way) I must give this game a negative rating.… Expand
  28. solvill
    Mar 19, 2012
    3
    It's sad to see this great game end this way. The ending, or rather lack of one, is appalling. Absolutely none of the decisions you've made in the game, or in ME1/ME2 make any difference, and the end result is always the same just with different color, it leaves you with a feeling never wanting to touch Mass Effect again. The end of the game offers no closure or what's even worse doesn'tIt's sad to see this great game end this way. The ending, or rather lack of one, is appalling. Absolutely none of the decisions you've made in the game, or in ME1/ME2 make any difference, and the end result is always the same just with different color, it leaves you with a feeling never wanting to touch Mass Effect again. The end of the game offers no closure or what's even worse doesn't make sense at all… Expand
  29. AngryBooch
    Mar 19, 2012
    3
    Mass Effect 3 was the first game I played where the ending ruined the experience of the entire series for me. I've had it happen with television series to a lesser extent such as Lost and Battlestar Gallactica, but the ending to this game goes counter to the entire message of the Mass Effect games before. It's soured me on the entire IP. When developers such as Bungie and Epic can endMass Effect 3 was the first game I played where the ending ruined the experience of the entire series for me. I've had it happen with television series to a lesser extent such as Lost and Battlestar Gallactica, but the ending to this game goes counter to the entire message of the Mass Effect games before. It's soured me on the entire IP. When developers such as Bungie and Epic can end their respective sci-fi trilogies of Halo and Gears of War with actual closure and can better convey the theme of great sacrifice for the sake of tomorrow than the critically acclaimed storytellers at Bioware, something is seriously off.… Expand
  30. freshtoothpaste
    Mar 20, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I was a huge fan of the series; it was and is a fun, largely open, mostly RPG game that let you watch characters evolve in a galactic landscape over several fun, exploratory adventures. For me at least, part of the fun was the replayability. As you made different decisions, the ending of the game subtly changed; mostly to the point of how easy or difficult the ending was.

    This game, though, failed to meet the hype associated with it. Mass Effect 2 set up the promise of Mass Effect 3. In ME2, the characters that survived (both main party and secondary) had everything to do with the amount of effort you put into the game. That sets up the promise of ME3, to do the same but on a larger scale. Unfortunately, by the time you get to the end, you end up with a game that's closer to the linear Mass Effect 1 ending. Your decisions, in the last ten minutes, don't really have much effect on the outcome. Even the animations for the ending are identical (except for the color). Now, this wouldn't be a big deal, except that the promise/premise of the entire series has been creating your own moment at the end. Having said all that, though, the ending itself (even having similar ones) isn't that big of a deal. What is a big deal are all the strange inconsistencies in the last part of the game. Squad members who die (or were implied to die) suddenly reappear. Your ship, engaged in battle one moment, is suddenly running from a destructive beam that strands it on a strange planet. The lead character suddenly loses their will to argue, without making note of it, in the last few minutes. I was willing to forgive the glitches in the game. The unfinished, sometimes reused sprites. The overuse of stock photos. The lack of depth in the game. The problems with importing custom lead characters; if you had a custom face for the character, it will likely break when you try to import it.

    I think this game is made mostly for people looking not for an epic RPG, but maybe more of a simple version of Halo style space combat. If that's what you want, just to shoot things in space, then this is probably a good title. You can ignore the story, play multiplayer, and marvel at the backgrounds.

    If, however, you're looking for a satisfying story-based RPG, then this game isn't it. Not really.

    Which leaves me, a former fan, feeling kind of, "meh," about the whole experience. That's probably on purpose; EA loves third person shooters. They're much easier to develop and work on than expansive, multi title RPGs, I'd wager.

    SPOILER - look for yourself. The animations are the same
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPelM2hwhJA    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
93

Universal acclaim - based on 74 Critic Reviews

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