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. Blackskullxx
    Mar 16, 2012
    1
    This series has changed my ability to become completely immersed in a video game. this game delivered many things on game play. The combat was fun and over all mission game play was fun, however; the "scanning" type missions where quite unfun, they could have absolutely improved that. If it where not for the ending, I would of rated this 9 or 9.5/10.

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

    Every thing that you have herd about the ending is true, it is disappointing at best. The terrible-ness of the ending overshadowed this game and almost made the 100 or so hours I have put into the series. I wont get into details for the sake of spoilers, but I will say that the ending has absolutely no closure, it is a half-ass job and has no sense of originality or personalisation (which was a very bad time to take that aspect out of the series). 1/10    … Expand
  2. AGX
    Mar 22, 2012
    1
    Agree with a lot of people on this game. Pretty epic, yer seemingly lacking the content and depth of the previous games in the series. What really got me upset was the rush job of an ending though. For all the decisions you made throughout the series, and the numerous endings that BioWare had promised and used as a selling point, when they promised these uncountable heap of ending theyAgree with a lot of people on this game. Pretty epic, yer seemingly lacking the content and depth of the previous games in the series. What really got me upset was the rush job of an ending though. For all the decisions you made throughout the series, and the numerous endings that BioWare had promised and used as a selling point, when they promised these uncountable heap of ending they were blatantly lying which really upset me. They also won't own up to there lies either, and deflect constructive criticism. This game was overall a disappoint to me, and I won't trust BioWare as I used to until I read a numerous amount of user reviews. No BS critic reviews that paid off critics write.

    Buyer beware. Enjoy the first two games, and somewhat enjoy the Mass Effect 3 storyline, but hold off on completing the game until we are promised a legitimate ending.    … Expand
  3. stevev45
    Mar 16, 2012
    4
    I have never seen a game of this quality botch an ending so badly. This ending single handily brought the game down from about an 8 or 9 to 4. It
  4. DamianWayne
    Mar 21, 2012
    1
    Should be renamed No Effect. Felt like a waste of time afterwards. Gameplay is just okay. Mass effect isn't exactly known for its action gameplay. All it really has is story, and it was doing incredibly well with that up until this game. Only pickup if you don't care about how it will end.
  5. LazyGamerATN
    Mar 28, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I will not lie, this game didn't do it for me. Unlike most, I had actually started with Mass Effect 2, played through it 4 times, then moved onto the first one, played through it 4 times, and then used those caracters in Mass Effect 2. Reason? I wanted to see how it changed the game. No such feeling for this game. Bioware just simply gave up with this one. I love the lore, absolutely love it, and I loved the idea of the Reapers, as well as the mystery surrounding them. But this game did not do justice to that love. First of all, it starts out awkwardly, without explanation of what happened after ME2, a little awkward, but it can be over looked. Next (Spoiler warning!!!!!) you uncover the plans to a superweapon that will end the invasion that just started a few minutes ago. WTF? After playing up the Reapers as a race of destructive beings that are nigh unkillable, you immediately find the solution, on Mars of all places. No, too easy, no thought involved in that one. A personal gripe of mine as that after they played up the whole "consequences of having romanced 2 people in the prior games", all that happens is you choose, that's it. No emotional turmoil, no conflict of interest, nothing. And they ruined the caracters. No emotional link with them in this game what so ever, except maybe Liara. Animations: recycled from ME2, and they glitch like crazy during cutscenes. Unacceptable. And don't even get me started on the ending. No closure, nothing you did matters, and plot holes the size of the Great Lakes. However, the game does have some upsides, notably the combat. Improved upon the satisfying style of ME2, included some of the RPg elements from ME1 (at a seriously cut-down scale mind you), and varied ennemies with different tactics. Story missions had good designs, and the multiplayer, despite being unoriginial, benefits from the flare of Mass Effect combat (biotic comboes mainly). From a gameplay perspective, a satisfying result, but from a story and technical perspective, it wreaks of laziness and lack of creativity, and depth, something that IMO, ME1 revolutionised, and ME2 perfected, and that ME3 now recycles and downgrades.… Expand
  6. Udead4
    Jul 8, 2012
    4
    Overall the game was very disappointing for me, and this is sad because I have played the other 2 ME games and consider myself a Mass Effect fan (maybe it should be considered). A few parts were very well done and this is what made the game bearable for me. The Tuchanka and Rannoch mission chains were the games saving grace and the writing was in most cases stellar. Which makes theOverall the game was very disappointing for me, and this is sad because I have played the other 2 ME games and consider myself a Mass Effect fan (maybe it should be considered). A few parts were very well done and this is what made the game bearable for me. The Tuchanka and Rannoch mission chains were the games saving grace and the writing was in most cases stellar. Which makes the debacle at the end of the game even harder to understand. The ending was nothing short of a travesty. It took away my desire to replay the game and even the other two games. When a game does that I would consider a 4 a very generous score...… Expand
  7. f_type
    Apr 12, 2012
    7
    "The people who are crying about the ending are overreacting," was my initial impression while I was still working my way through this game while having to read a forum post, website update, or blog about fan outcry about the end of the game. As I was still playing through the mid-point of the game, I thought it was fantastic. The visuals and sound are great, the combat is fantastic, and"The people who are crying about the ending are overreacting," was my initial impression while I was still working my way through this game while having to read a forum post, website update, or blog about fan outcry about the end of the game. As I was still playing through the mid-point of the game, I thought it was fantastic. The visuals and sound are great, the combat is fantastic, and everything you love about the series is better than ever. You'll encounter some epic moments, and see all of your decisions come to fruition. My only issue, up to that point, was some outcomes were nearly impossible to change, and were based on some of the most mundane decisions made earlier in this game or in the two prior games. I thoroughly enjoyed the game... until the final moments. Unfortunately, I learned that the fans weren't overrating. The ending is, simply put, bad. In fact, I would go so far as to say it was one of the worst endings I've ever seen in my 2 decades of gaming (yes, including those old "Congratulations! You beat the game!" endings). For all the talk of decisions and choices, the final moments of the game were simply hollow and the ending was anything but an ending, full of plot holes and unanswered questions. For a series that spanned 3 excellent games (minus the end of this game), I was baffled as to how BioWare felt that the final parts of the game were at all satisfactory. I know I'm just preaching to the choir here, but it's all true. Mass Effect 3 was simply fantastic, until the final moments.… Expand
  8. Oxcart
    Nov 18, 2012
    4
    Very few times in gaming history has a title received so much controversy, so much vitriol, and been the subject of the undiluted ire of so many gamers. The source of the fury? The ending to a five-year, three-game story arc that had, by that point, drawn in so many gamers that it had transformed from game series into legend...it had literally undergone the Halo Effect, where anVery few times in gaming history has a title received so much controversy, so much vitriol, and been the subject of the undiluted ire of so many gamers. The source of the fury? The ending to a five-year, three-game story arc that had, by that point, drawn in so many gamers that it had transformed from game series into legend...it had literally undergone the Halo Effect, where an under-the-radar game ends up being such a huge franchise and dynamo of its own that it begins eclipsing itself. But the difference lies in the games: where Halo is a shooter with a lot of story laid into it, Mass Effect is fundamentally a story with a game built through it. Halo would have to try hard to screw up; as long as it provides the action and the intensity, it wins. Mass Effect never had it so easy. But that doesn't forgive what happened with the finale. Mass Effect 3 is, and may well end up being the textbook example of, a game that was set up to be great, only to be destroyed by the marketing department. The original ME laid the groundwork of a story where the player's actions MADE the story, DECIDED the plot, and were the end-all and be-all of the game. There were so many directions for the plot to go, all decided by the player. ME3 was the original ME's evil twin: a game that started off with hundreds of possible threads, only to ultimately file down to a single possible outcome, a game where all of the player's decisions, past and present, were rendered irrelevant. A great game was sacrificed on the altar of Marketing, as they tried to turn Mass Effect into something it wasn't: a mass-appeal shooter. The mutation began in the second installment, as shooter elements began overtaking role-playing elements. We gamers took this in stride, accepting the changes as some streamlining and minor changes (and, truthfully, some of the elements removed or changed were never our favorites). But something else happened: the storytelling began to be streamlined and dumbed-down as well. ME3 just finished ME2's trajectory -- straight into the dirt. In the quest for money (by trying to appeal to the largest audience), they converted Mass Effect into a nearly-brainless shooter, one which was loosely tied together with story in the game, and required story-seekers to look outside the game for real content -- they turned it into Halo: a game with a massive backstory that is only visible in the game if you know to look for it. Of course, all of this was prior to the Extended Cut DLC -- the amazing concession the gaming industry made to the Voice of the Gamers...which, really, was just placating enough to keep the masses of gamers from taking their beloved money elsewhere. EA knew it was in danger of alienating millions of money dispensers, and sought to make enough amends to avoid losing that cash. Overall, however, after all the changes the game has undergone, while it's still not particularly worthy of the Mass Effect mantle, ME3 is no longer the total pariah it had been. Decisions are back to having some value, and the previously-mandatory mobile game's value has been decreased, bringing fate back into the hands of the game...mostly. I held off on writing a review of this game when the Extended Cut was announced, otherwise it would've been another "boycott EA" pitchforks-and-torches rant. Now, while I'm still not pleased with the game's conclusion, it's not horrible, either, and at least does enough of a job to warrant a mediocre rating. Taken on its own, perhaps it would be considered a better game. But that's not possible. ME3 is part of a series, and a heavily connected series at that. If one of the Halo games had been a dud, it wouldn't significantly impact the others or the series as a whole; they just fix it next time, and judging it against its peers is unnecessary. But ME3 has to be held against the standards set by its predecessors...and it doesn't. Compared to the games that came before, ME3 just doesn't have what it takes to stand alongside. No matter what changes they made to the ending, it will always be a step behind. Thanks, Marketing department. Next time, stay out of the development process.… Expand
  9. mazariamonti
    Mar 17, 2012
    1
    a game that completely destroys everything you've done over the first two, it's a complete slap in the face. Not to mention the graphical issues, bugs, multiplayer being very repetitive, and other things. but the ending, oh god the ending.
  10. nguthomas
    Mar 29, 2012
    8
    Don't get me wrong. The game is as good as its predecessor...except that the endings are awful and most of them are the same. Will Indoctrination DLC get a better ending or not? We're going to find out.
  11. zennyrpg
    Mar 17, 2012
    4
    The game was 10/10 until the end. The game itself had some flaws, particularly the new characters were not as fleshed out/ interesting as they could have been. But it also had some of the most satisfying, unbelievable triumphs I've ever witnessed. The Rannoch mission and its multiple conclusions convinced me that "this is the greatest game I've ever seen." Sadly, the ending killed it- butThe game was 10/10 until the end. The game itself had some flaws, particularly the new characters were not as fleshed out/ interesting as they could have been. But it also had some of the most satisfying, unbelievable triumphs I've ever witnessed. The Rannoch mission and its multiple conclusions convinced me that "this is the greatest game I've ever seen." Sadly, the ending killed it- but its still "bearable" as long as you can accept that you get the same crappy ending regardless of your choices in the previous or current games. Hopefully DLC will include more options/ more epicness for the ending.… Expand
  12. mythandoryx
    Mar 18, 2012
    4
    Don't get me wrong, ME3 is an AMAZING GAME! It's just the ending that pisses me off. I've spent five years on this franchise working hard making all the right choices in order to have a closure that suits my expectations! However, the ending made me feel as if none of that mattered! I've lost interest in continuing the game or even replay it anywhere in the near future. I was alsoDon't get me wrong, ME3 is an AMAZING GAME! It's just the ending that pisses me off. I've spent five years on this franchise working hard making all the right choices in order to have a closure that suits my expectations! However, the ending made me feel as if none of that mattered! I've lost interest in continuing the game or even replay it anywhere in the near future. I was also frustrated by BW's Day-One DLC policy! It made me feel cheep! As if I'm nothing but money-milking machine for the Big Gaming Kahunas. THE ENDING MUST BE CORRECTED! BW is a great company that makes great RPG's. I'm confident that they won't disappoint their fans for long. Maybe!… Expand
  13. 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
  14. vguara
    Mar 20, 2012
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. As I see it there are 2 opinions dominating the reviews here. People who wanna complain some aspects of the game (especially the ending) and therefore give very low scores to the game and people who believe it is an improvement from the already great ME2 and one of the best games ever and most likely have not played until the end.
    I am on neither group. I am one of the few people to give an slightly above average score. And I am a big fan of the series, played all 3 games with the DLCs, read the books and the comics.
    Don't let the trolls fool you, it is a good game, it is based on the second game, it cannot get much worse. But there are serious flaws that could have been corrected from the second game or were poorly changed from the second game (which I consider to be the best of the 3).
    Most of the good points were already on ME2 and for those I give the slightly above average score. Besides what was already on ME2, the biggest improvements IMHO are the weapons mod system which merged the first and second game beautifully and the fact that you can see more of your past decisions taking effect in this game than there were from the first game into the second. So I will focus on what could be better
    First of all, I understood the story at the beginning because I played all the DLCs, but those who have not played it are going to get a bit lost, the game itself does not provide much insight for new players or those who have not played the last DLC from the 2nd game (Arrival).
    Second, quest organization is terrible, you can't track your current progress on each quest and are often wandering around the citadel looking for the quest giver who you completely forgot the face or location.
    The only "city" (as the place you get quests and buy stuff in) in the game is the citadel, just like on the first game, which was a major let down for me, the second had Elysium and Omega in addition to the citadel and where great.
    The game basically focus on 2 big quests inside of the main quest which is defeating the reapers. Those quests are making an alliance between the Krogans and the Turians and doing the same thing between the Geth and the Quarians. Of course there are other quests like on Thesia and the Cerberus headquarters, but they are single mission quests not like the first two mentioned. I feel like the second game was much longer and had more quests than the 3rd.
    The number of squad members has reduced, this would have been explainable if the purpose was the develop each story with more depth, but that doesn't happen, loyalty missions are out and there are no squad member specific missions, in addition to this point, there is the day 1 DLC From Ashes, which adds the Prothean squad mate to your team, I am not getting into the point of how low it is to release a day 1 DLC, but the new character could add much more depth to the story and could come with more than the recruit mission.
    The developers still haven't thought a good way to make space exploring more engaging and interesting, on this game this aspect has been put on the third plane, of course it makes sense considering the plot, but they could come up with good ideas to put it in the game in a interesting and coherent (according to the story) way.
    Multiplayer is the most difficult thing for me to comment, I liked the fact that they've added multiplayer to the game and even more that it somewhat affects the singleplayer campaign. But it could have more maps (there are about 6) and more game modes.
    Lastly on my list, the thing that has put everyone on edge on the internet, the ending. And here I agree with almost everyone, it was a let down. This has nothing to do with the fact that Shepperd dies and almost every scenario except one, this was almost expected, but the fact that your decisions have very little to no impact on the ending besides the "war effort" value. You have three (or two) options regardless of your decisions and the ending sequence is almost the same: the reapers are destroyed or leave earth (it earth is not destroyed, depending on your war effort value), the normandy escapes from a beam and falls on a planet full of plant life, depending on your war effort some people survive (or all of them). But there are no explanation on how your decisions impacted the outcome, many questions are left unanswered which led to many theories on the net (look up on youtube). It is a game worth playing specially if you played the other two, but the ending destroys replay value which was one of the most fun things about the second game.
    Sorry for any English mistakes as I am Brazilian.    … Expand
  15. Hafaza
    Mar 20, 2012
    4
    As a longtime fan of the Mass Effect series it is painful for me to give this game such a low rating. The fact is that while the majority of the game is very good, though not without its shortcomings, the finale of Mass Effect 3 is atrocious; riddled with plot-holes and contradictions, vague, unsatisfying, non-sensical, and ultimately left me feeling bitter and empty.

    The most obvious    As a longtime fan of the Mass Effect series it is painful for me to give this game such a low rating. The fact is that while the majority of the game is very good, though not without its shortcomings, the finale of Mass Effect 3 is atrocious; riddled with plot-holes and contradictions, vague, unsatisfying, non-sensical, and ultimately left me feeling bitter and empty.

    The most obvious strength of ME3, like previous installments, is its characters. The voice actors bring them to life masterfully (if of course you ignore the shameless inclusion of a certain IGN personality), and they are rounded and interesting enough to make you genuinely care about them. The story is fairly simple, but easy to follow, and grand in its scope; after discovering the plans for an ultimate weapon, you must rally the races of the galaxy, resolve long-standing grudges, and bring them together to combat the Reapers while this weapon is constructed. There are some exciting, cinematic moments, and it is very satisfying to see events and characters from the previous games melded into the narrative, even if some of these are only token, or cameo, appearances. The combat is very similar to ME2, with various tweaks that improve the system. It's much more challenging this time around, and I found myself constantly experimenting with my load-outs right up until the final moments.

    The quest system is very poorly implemented. Many scanning side quests will be heaped on you just by overhearing conversations as you walk through the Citadel, and there is no way to track your progress. With the lack of any real context, it makes the side quests rather tedious. There are also very few characters available as squadmates, when compared to the previous games. Two of which are only available about half way through the game, and another only if you buy the From Ashes DLC. Generally, I couldn't help but feel that many elements of this game were clumsily put together, but it all seems to work nonetheless.

    These gripes, however, are irrelevant when held against the ending. What truly makes it such a travesty, aside from all the ridiculous lapses in logic that the ending is rife with, (and all the lies it now seems we were told by Bioware prior to release), is that it totally overshadows and negates the many positive aspects of the series that have come before it. All the characters you've come to care about, all the relationships you've built, all the hard choices and sacrifices you've had to make, and all the problems you've solved, ultimately all mean nothing. This is the reason for such a low-scored review, and the reason why so many others are doing likewise; the aspects that made Mass Effect great are all scrapped and tarnished in the final hour in favour of a pseudo-philosophical, nihilistic, non-sensical conclusion. Bioware even have the audacity to leave you a little message after the credits role telling you to buy more DLC. Disgusting.

    The 30 hours of enjoyment you'll get from most of the game are not enough to justify the final emptiness it will leave you with. It is simply not worth it.    … Expand
  16. AsymetricForce
    Apr 1, 2012
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I have Been thinking about the ending quite a bit, and I propose a new theory: Sheppard, Anderson and The Illusive Man did not make it to the control panel by accident, they were invited by The Reapers! (Close Encounters of the Crazy Kind!). So hear me out: If the Indoctrination Theory is wrong, then an alternative "Organic Theory" is in order and it goes like this: The Reapers cannot simply destroy all space faring life because they MUST receive INPUT from an ORGANIC to do so as they are the CREATOR of the Reapers! To this end they have sought out the most charismatic/Paragon (Sheppard), Militaristic (Anderson), and Maniacal/Renegade (Illusive Man) and have guided all of their paths to the control panel to determine which of them will DETERMINE the final fate of all cycles! Why all cycles? Because the catalyst VI mentions that Sheppard is the first organic to arrive to his location ever (please keep reading for more on this). If you look at the final sequence it is obvious all three men are under some level of control from the Reapers, and yet they are not a Thrall. They can still make decisions, and do so in the ending sequence according to their own will (agenda) be it to control, destroy, or combine (evolve), but only one can met the Reaper/Catalyst VI. The Reapers are standing by to see which of these men will dominate the others (classical Darwinian theory) and he who wins the battle, wins the right to choose! I think most players would choose as I did given my choices throughout the three games: To evolve the species at the end of this cycle. I recall Javik mentioning that in his time there were Protheans who believed they could control, destroy or work alongside the Reapers. Are these not the same choices being presented to the chosen three? They who have been determined, skillful, and strong willed enough to make it to this crucial point! As an aside, Wiki the number three and check out all of the interesting possibilities as to why Bioware chose this special number! I believe the first cycle's organics created the Reapers to prevent greater disaster as organics were either threatened by machines (or maybe something else), just as the Protheans worked to build the Crucible in their time to do in the Reapers which now threatened them (a cycle within a cycle?). So what does it mean? It means the Reapers are loyal to the creator (organics) and are simply following protocol in the logical manner that machines do. They are not being "mean" in destroying the space faring races, they are simply "doing" what they were built for. Again, without organic PERMISSION the Reapers have never been able to fully complete their original programming which is why all three men arrive to the control panel in the order that they do (because it is ALLOWED). So what is the threat that the reapers and citadel were created for? Simple: The Mass Relays are the threat! Something, Synthetics, Cthulhu maybe?, has come through the relays many cycles before, and the Reapers were the weapon that destroyed them and remained afterwards to guard against this threat and/or to destroy the relays. Whatever came through the relays will come again and the Reapers use the Space Faring Races as "fuel" to keep them going until the threat or relays can be destroyed for good by an organic giving them permission to do so via the catalyst! Sheppard being there with the catalyst VI allows him/them (Reapers) "more hope than he(they) knows" which is to say that for the first time in all cycles the Reapers can do what they were programed to do as an organic is there to decide for them the fate of the remaining organics in this cycle. Sheppard allows for the destruction of the relays, the elimination of the threat for which the Reapers were built, the completion of the Reapers programming (so they are no longer needed), and the survival of the races (even if now separated) is ensured!! As an aside, We are also assuming that time is linear after entering the portal, however, if this is not the case then it seems logical that the Normandy would attempt to regroup (as mentioned by the remaining commanders after Hammer's fall) to fight another day which explains that sequence after the choice is made. As with other lore, books, movies, the final choice to destroy, evolve, or control is up to the player and does involve real choice! That and the fact that half of us cant decide if we want chocolate or vanilla, window or isle, or blue tie vs. black tie, this seems to be more choice than we can normally handle! I'm curious to know what others think of this alternative proposal to explaining the current ending :). Upgrading my score to nine as this would be a cool way to end the series and quite explainable and consistent with what Bioware has been saying about the final act! Cheers, --ASF--… Expand
  17. Notonlytheend
    Apr 3, 2012
    4
    This is a true disappointment. It would be easy to blame a generic deus ex rip off ending for my disappointment or day 1 DLC that was poorly handled. Or even the insulting ABC choices that lead to the same cut scenes. In reality, the problems come from a shift in design and goals of a company that once triumphed the greatest RPG's the world has ever seen. It's a problem of sacrificing whatThis is a true disappointment. It would be easy to blame a generic deus ex rip off ending for my disappointment or day 1 DLC that was poorly handled. Or even the insulting ABC choices that lead to the same cut scenes. In reality, the problems come from a shift in design and goals of a company that once triumphed the greatest RPG's the world has ever seen. It's a problem of sacrificing what you're best at not for the sake of innovation, but for the sake of being more appealing. When this happens, the little things that make a game great get missed. For instance, Mass Effect moved from twelve squadmates to six (unless you bought the DLC so I'm not counting it). This was supposed to give greater conversation in the mission and lead to a more intense interaction. But that was not the case. Further, when you do re-encounter old squadmates, they don't even join you for a single mission. They may follow you around the citadel, but never do you get the full interaction; it feels rushed and forced. Another major loss is that of actual side missions. Where once I traveled to planets and few to the surface to retrieve key items, I now scan a planet while reaper chase me like the ghosts from Pac-man. There's no exploration. Multiplayer was obviously tacked on to prevent us from selling the game back. But most insulting of all is the fact that Bioware lied. Straight up, unmistakably lied. They promised no ABC ending and that's what they gave us. They promised complete resolution and they left thing purposefully cryptic. It's not the fact that they did these things; it's that they lied. "There are many different endings. We wouldnâ… Expand
  18. SirMoonfox
    May 21, 2012
    0
    Too have spent hours playing across three game, just to be able choice the color of an explosion and weather or not Joker has his toy, is just wrong.
  19. Vehement
    Jun 24, 2012
    0
    Hate ME3 with a passion. I swallowed ME2 because the non-existing storyline was compensated by great characters (Mordin, Garrus, Thane, Samara, Illusive Man). All the major characters in ME2 are irrelevant to ME3, because all but one becomes brief, un-join-able NPCs and their deaths are inconsequential to the story. While Tali returns as playable, her role is moot in the storyline.Hate ME3 with a passion. I swallowed ME2 because the non-existing storyline was compensated by great characters (Mordin, Garrus, Thane, Samara, Illusive Man). All the major characters in ME2 are irrelevant to ME3, because all but one becomes brief, un-join-able NPCs and their deaths are inconsequential to the story. While Tali returns as playable, her role is moot in the storyline. What is worst is that all the new team members are bland.

    The Collector story from ME2 is pointless other than vaguely explaining indoctrination and introducing the Illusive Man, who goes from a major protagonist to antagonist in ME2 to a side character in ME3. He even went from a racist to a racist who turn himself to another race. Ironic?

    Bioware ripped out the great character developments in ME3 and left us with a bad story. "Hey guys! I found something that looks like a blueprint to something. It might be a weapon but we don't know. This blueprint is from a race that was wiped out by the very entities threatening us, so we should gamble and put the entire galaxy's resource into building it!." WORST PREMISE EVER! The details of the device should have been placed before the making than after the making of the device!!!

    What the hell was Shepard doing for the past 6months or a year between ME2 and ME3? I can keep going like the story of IT, But all the other bullcrap can be viewed in bioware's social forum. Bioware you disappoint me. Time for me to go back to Bethesda.    … Expand
  20. NateStC
    Jul 24, 2012
    3
    While the story, voice acting, and cinematics may be great, it still doesn't make up for the fact that as a game it is horrible. In ME2 they went for a more tactical combat approach and it worked. This time they tried to throw in some Gears of War style faced paced action into the combat and it completely screwed everything up. Every battle field is littered with cover that your characterWhile the story, voice acting, and cinematics may be great, it still doesn't make up for the fact that as a game it is horrible. In ME2 they went for a more tactical combat approach and it worked. This time they tried to throw in some Gears of War style faced paced action into the combat and it completely screwed everything up. Every battle field is littered with cover that your character gets on the wrong side of half the time, and there is so much debris it makes it nearly impossible to navigate, even outside of combat. To make things even more difficult, the controls are clunky, making it even further difficult to move anywhere.
    Another thing that ruined the tactical combat is that in half of the combat scenarios, you have enemies flanking simultaneously from literally every direction, making it nearly impossible to stay alive even on the easier combat settings.
    Every single combat situation is nothing more than a clusterf***.
    There are tons of side missions, which I love! But alas, they screwed that up as well. There is so much dialogue it is impossible to keep track and even decipher all the tasks you're given. The mission journal offers little to no information on objectives, and don't ever update as you progress.
    This is an incredibly disappointing game. Were I to hold it up against the other games in this franchise, I'd have to give it a 1 out of 10. But to be fair I've graded it on it's own, not up to the hype or expected greatness Bioware commands. Ultimately the game feels unfinished. They focused so much on the dialogue and story it feels like they only got half way through testing the actual gameplay then shipped it to market. I can't imagine it is even fixable through patch. Shame on you EA and Bioware for such a pathetic display.    … Expand
  21. NoX81
    Nov 30, 2012
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Too many harsh user reviews on here. True this game is let down by a lack of weight in the repercussions/benefits of decisions which do not carry over as was hoped from previous games, and the ending for me was a bit of a let down but overall its still a good game capturing the mass effect atmosphere with some darker undertones. The game lacks the vital end game that Mass effect 2 had and the player is never given enough control of the overall outcome which was something which was really felt in Mass Effect 2, decisions mattered. In Mass Effect 3 your given the illusion they matter until you find that they dont, they really should have, if they did, this would have been a great game. Simply it lets itself down by not following what made the first two great and found following one of the all time best games to tough an act to follow. Still enjoyable though and i hope there are further adventures to be had in the mass effect universe with bioware.… Expand
  22. Rox22
    Dec 14, 2012
    9
    Utterly breathtaking visuals. The levels/areas are just so incredibly detailed and grand in scale, but that seems to be theme of the game as a whole: Grandness. For me this game was a light step down from the last two games. It just didn't feel like you had the same sense of freedom that Mass Effect 1 & 2 offered you. But, I do get that it was the point and due to the narrative. The storyUtterly breathtaking visuals. The levels/areas are just so incredibly detailed and grand in scale, but that seems to be theme of the game as a whole: Grandness. For me this game was a light step down from the last two games. It just didn't feel like you had the same sense of freedom that Mass Effect 1 & 2 offered you. But, I do get that it was the point and due to the narrative. The story is just beyond grandness and it just builds and builds until ...... you get a really anti-climatic ending?! Thankfully the Extend Cut DLC does fix this and gives the ending it should have gotten (even though they still could have done better.) Overall: A fantastic finish to a wonderful trilogy and I look forward to where Mass Effect franchise will head to next.… Expand
  23. THIJAKA
    Dec 16, 2012
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Mass Effect 3 is an incredibly controversial game, it has seen a lot of hate for all the flaws it has, these include a lack of dialogue options compared to the original two, more action oriented gameplay and a unsatisfying ending, for the most part these criticisms are valid, but even though there are many problems with the game I have no trouble in saying that Mass Effect 3 is a masterpiece.

    The Characters: Mass Effect 3 for all the things it did wrong, it did many things ozzing with greatness, first of the greatest thing about the game is the characters, Garrus, Liara, Mordin, Legion, Thane, Anderson and my personal favourite character in the third installment ; EDI. They all have masterful moments, these moments range from being incredibly sad and emotional to moments which put a massive smile on your face.

    The Story: Mass Effect 3 has a damn good story (for the most part), and even though the story is a far worse RPG than 2, and especially Mass Effect 1, this doesn't mean that the story is any worse, people complain about the game compared to the previous two, but fail to realize that Mass Effect 3 is its own game, and is just as good, but in many different areas. The story is about taking down the reapers and gathering alliances to stop them, this will take you on an incredible journey full of beautifully executed moments, some of these moments I'd dare say are some of the greatest moments in media history.

    Gameplay and Presentation: Mass Effect 3 has once again greatly improved the gameplay for the series, the shooting mechanics have been tweaked and are better than ever, which still not masterful by any means, with a few bugs here and there, they controls are still pretty damn good. The Presentation hasn't improved so much from Mass Effect 2, but then again Mass Effect 2's feel and artistic style was near perfect, so there's no complaints here. Unlike Mass Effect 1, where you would land on a planet, which where always the same planet, just re textured , with the same facilities and artistic design, Mass Effect 3's location all feel diverse and wonderfully crafted.

    The Ending: The original ending was a highly disappointing conclusion, the extended cut made things a lot better, and despite the plot holes gave me a sense of closure

    Conclusion: Mass Effect 3 is a wonderful game, with great characters, great stories and great artistic design, and despite its flaws, and Casey Hudson's artistic integrity, Mass Effect 3 is a tremendous game and deserves to be played.    … Expand
  24. Auritone
    Mar 14, 2013
    4
    I... What... This is... I can't... (adopting James Earl Jones voice) NOOOOOOOOO!!!! There simply aren't words that can adequately describe how incredibly disappointed I was with this title. The sheer dumbing and scaling down and utter contrived nonsense of this game simply defies belief. To summarize: The conversation wheel is reduced to mostly two choices, which most of the time are justI... What... This is... I can't... (adopting James Earl Jones voice) NOOOOOOOOO!!!! There simply aren't words that can adequately describe how incredibly disappointed I was with this title. The sheer dumbing and scaling down and utter contrived nonsense of this game simply defies belief. To summarize: The conversation wheel is reduced to mostly two choices, which most of the time are just verbal variations of the very same choice. The Citadel has been reduced to four very small "rooms" which make you feel like you're in a dorm rather than a huge construction floating in space. The story makes little to no sense what so ever (and that's well before one of the worst, most contrived, horribly written, and senseless endings in the history of writing). Side missions consists primarily of Shep playing UPS-guy. Here's how it works: Eavesdrop on total stranger, go to system, scan planet, find object, go back, deliver found object to total stranger, the end. And if you thought Bioware couldn't make scanning planets more absurdly boring than it was in ME2 (where it actually served some kind of purpose), then you're in for a surprise. Imagine playing Tetris with only square blocks which take up the entire grid. That's scanning planets in ME3. You don't really do anything. The shooting levels are extremely linear and makes the whole game feel more like an attempt at a Gears of War clone with longer cutscenes (and a still dysfunctional AI) than Mass Effect. Oh, and did I mention the sheer amount of auto dialogue? Then there's Tali's face... Oh God, how lazy can you get? Then there's the IGN chick. WHAT!? And then there's the ending... You know, the one where all the decisions you made throughout the three games come together and gives you a plethora of different endings? Well, no! No choices you ever made make even one iota of difference. Everybody gets the same three completely ridiculous, contrived, senseless, and grotesquely illogical choices of endings. Remember we were told that the Reapers were beyond human comprehension? Well, it turns out they were right. Noone can possibly comprehend the assenying, senseless stupidity which is the Reapers and the Catalyst (or smurfboy aka deux ex machina).
    To sum up: Mass Effect 3 is a boring 3rd person shooter with long cutscenes and a completely senseless story and one of the worst conclusions ever in gaming history. The only reason I can swing my way up to a four, is the production value which is excellent and the fact that there is actually two missions in this game that has the old Mass Effect feel of choice and consequence. But twice simply isn't enough when we consider that was the whole premiss of the game.
    The story of the Mass Effect franchise is the story of how game companies all now seem to aim for the lowest common denominator (aka "as long as I can shoot stuff and don't have to actually think or do anything, I'm happy") rather than aim for excellence.    … Expand
  25. suuusuuu
    Mar 10, 2012
    0
    The ending to an epic trilogy stretched out through 5 years. The build up, the emotional investment, the fun from playing... all is taken away by an ending sequence which doesn't even bother to be longer than 5 minutes. Your choices affect nothing, Your accomplishments are meaningless. Even if you manage to prove them wrong, you're not given a chance to state that. This is an RPG game.The ending to an epic trilogy stretched out through 5 years. The build up, the emotional investment, the fun from playing... all is taken away by an ending sequence which doesn't even bother to be longer than 5 minutes. Your choices affect nothing, Your accomplishments are meaningless. Even if you manage to prove them wrong, you're not given a chance to state that. This is an RPG game. The plot is one of its main components, hell, they even added a narrative mode, where the fights are brain-dead and Shepard can tank missiles forever. To end the trilogy in this way is a joke. It just feels like Bioware suddenly decided to screw over the fans giving them a deus ex machina ending where your decisions don't matter at all.… Expand
  26. 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
  27. 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
  28. HALover9000
    Mar 10, 2012
    3
    I really didn't like this game. I don't know what else to say. The writing was mediocre at best, the gameplay was worse the first two, and it was generally bad.
  29. Laice
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    I was looking forward to Mass effect 3.
    On steam. Since i don't fancy installing the Origin spyware (One that scans your pc to find out all the other games you are using, then adds them to your origin account to stop you using steam?) I Shall not bother.
    As soon as people close their wallets to a company like EA that pumps out DRM after DRM after DRM and RUINS series, the world will be a    I was looking forward to Mass effect 3.
    On steam. Since i don't fancy installing the Origin spyware (One that scans your pc to find out all the other games you are using, then adds them to your origin account to stop you using steam?) I Shall not bother.
    As soon as people close their wallets to a company like EA that pumps out DRM after DRM after DRM and RUINS series, the world will be a better place.
    R.I.P Command and Conquer
    R.I.P Mass Effect

    Oh and do you remember classics such as Theme Hospital? Dungeon Keeper? EA killed off Bullfrog entertainment, Westwood studios, Maxis. I wonder what games we would have seen from them now if they hadn't been gulped up?    … Expand
  30. BrianPK80
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    Game opens with a showstopper bug. It has to get a zero for now. If you have played Mass Effect 1 and 2, you will be shocked when, upon waiting for over two years for the finale, you load it up and the first thing it tells you is it can't import your main character's face. Continuity with the main character's storyline and appearance naturally was a main selling point of the series.Game opens with a showstopper bug. It has to get a zero for now. If you have played Mass Effect 1 and 2, you will be shocked when, upon waiting for over two years for the finale, you load it up and the first thing it tells you is it can't import your main character's face. Continuity with the main character's storyline and appearance naturally was a main selling point of the series. While zero may be a low score, it represents its current unplayability. It's like the third chapter in a movie where the lead actor has been replaced by an unknown. There is no way this wasn't known at Bioware/EA. It was suppressed. They lied to their customers point blank about a major whopper of a defective feature. Apparently, I've heard they're blocking people who call attention to the issue on their Facebook. Anyone sick of corporate fraud with no accountability should understand why having this arrive and be unplayable requires a zero rating.… Expand
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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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