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
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. domyalex
    Apr 8, 2012
    5
    Big, big fan of Mass Effect 1 & 2, but 3 is a huge let down; feels more of a shooter than an RPG (resembles Gears of War in space) and the ending... gaw...
  2. Hydraulic
    Apr 8, 2012
    10
    Please don't hate me: I give this game a 10 because 99% of Mass Effect 3 is amazing and I'm certain that BioWare will inevitably come to their senses and fix the broken 1%.

    As to all of you who love Mass Effect but give low Metacritic scores just to get back at BioWare for the ending, just give it a 9, and then say it was because of the ending that you didn't give it a 10.
  3. Sergio76
    Apr 8, 2012
    9
    This is a very good ending to a great trilogy. It is incredible how many details from previous games are mentioned in the game and the game combines a good balance of shooter and RPG
  4. cat5alive
    Apr 8, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. So seems money's thin. Cerberus Financial reposessing Normandy tomorrow. Gotta wrap quick. Nothing for hero to do but jump in front of the bus. Red one, green one, or yellow one. Decisions. Decisions.… Expand
  5. mctavish
    Apr 8, 2012
    10
    something wrong when games like mass effect or modern warfare 3 have 3.5 average user score , and games like too human have 7.1 average user score . Metacritics should do something to link gametag with user id and if you don't finish the game, you can't post any valoration relative to the game.
  6. SGRevan
    Apr 8, 2012
    9
    The Mass Effect trilogy receives it's latest and last chapter. After starting up the game I immediately noticed big differences. You have 'less say' in the dialogue options. Comparing it to Mass Effect 1 it's a huge leap backwards. Why would you take away something that made the first one so great?! Don't get me wrong, you still have times where you have to choose between outcome A or B,The Mass Effect trilogy receives it's latest and last chapter. After starting up the game I immediately noticed big differences. You have 'less say' in the dialogue options. Comparing it to Mass Effect 1 it's a huge leap backwards. Why would you take away something that made the first one so great?! Don't get me wrong, you still have times where you have to choose between outcome A or B, and believe me when I say that those choices are immensely difficult, that because you realy care about the characters and story... also Mass Effect 3 hugely improved on the combat system, it's near perfect. You realy enjoy using the weapons and powers to take town hordes of enemies... this all on a great galactic scale while explosion and reaper invasion-sounds hurl around you. Epic, I'd say. The Multiplayer has this great combat aswel, minus the epicness that you get in the single-player ofc. ... After having several friends telling me the ending is completely out of place... I finally got to the end. I have to say, it's not THAT bad... It's still epic and the climax is there! ... but I do have to agree, it gives no closure on Shepard or everyone else around him/her. Mass Effect 3 is a great game, you notice the hard labor that Bioware made for making this title, and the Original Score + the graphical design and presentation makes this one hell of a trip into the sci-fi universe of Mass Effect. So all in all, I know the ending could've been much better, but since EA announced they will give us more closure in the near future, I believe it will make this game jump that one step higher on my personal scoreboard.… Expand
  7. DANNOMAN_88
    Apr 7, 2012
    8
    OK- had to review this, just finished the game, and then looked at all of the bad reviews, had to throw in my 2 cents.

    This game is not a 0 or a 1 - not a 10, but a very good game. I suspect everyone giving it a 0 or 1 mostly hated losing a loved character that they invested so much time in and the ENDING. To me, the game felt similar to ME2, but more dramatic and BIG - I was blown away    OK- had to review this, just finished the game, and then looked at all of the bad reviews, had to throw in my 2 cents.

    This game is not a 0 or a 1 - not a 10, but a very good game. I suspect everyone giving it a 0 or 1 mostly hated losing a loved character that they invested so much time in and the ENDING. To me, the game felt similar to ME2, but more dramatic and BIG - I was blown away with some of the impact this game had. I really enjoyed it. I can understand how people did not like the ending, but this was a story arc that was planned from the beginning, and I can accept that the developer decided that the story arc ended like this. If Shepherd was able to live, I guess that people would be giving it a similar score to ME2. I overlooked some of the cheesiness and warts that the game has, and enjoyed the journey. I give it an edge over ME2. On one hand - much better combat, and real emotional impact for me. One the other hand - poorer writing, less free will, and some unnecessary searches for random 'war assets' that only took away from the game. THE GOOD: 1. The cinematic quality was very good. 2. The battles and action is so much better than ME1 and 2, where I felt battles were not as good as the role-playing elements. Every battle in ME3 felt felt exciting and like I had some valid options. The diverse enemies kept me on my toes. I was stuck early in the game on Regular difficulty, redoing a battle like 10 times, until I got used to the new more realistic battles, and then I was able to play most of it on a harder difficulty, and I really enjoyed the fights, instead of just trying to get through them to get back to the story.
    3. Throughout much of the game, my actions from ME2 and ME3 MATTERED - I was SO pissed off and emotionally invested when my actions from the games turned out to wipe out a group of people in the game and had one of my members commit suicide. I was really upset, but that really added to the idea that my actions have ramifications. Wow, I at the time I thought that I was doing the right things, but in hindsight I could see how my decisions led to the bad result. THE BAD:
    1. Too short.
    2. The game does take away some control - your character has less leeway - the story and the cinematic quality of the game sacrifice some free will.
    3. EA's and MSoft's money grubbing ways. I will rarely play a new game - I will play a used copy most of the time. I will never buy downloadable content on XBL for this game or another game. I will probably never pay to play games on XBL. Why? Horrible value! I don't want to be bled dry by the greedy big names. Look at the appstore model - a bunch of free and affordable entertainment. I don't regret buying this.    … Expand
  8. Deathmonger
    Apr 7, 2012
    3
    Yea, I'm gonna blast it. Hopefully Bioware will get the message, and in two years when their revenues are shot, they will for sure get it then, because I am done spending money on any of their products. ANY, including SW:TOR. This game had DLC day one. You had to play multiplayer to max war asset multiplier. Same engine, same graphics, nearly same gameplay--so all that would improveYea, I'm gonna blast it. Hopefully Bioware will get the message, and in two years when their revenues are shot, they will for sure get it then, because I am done spending money on any of their products. ANY, including SW:TOR. This game had DLC day one. You had to play multiplayer to max war asset multiplier. Same engine, same graphics, nearly same gameplay--so all that would improve or stay status quo is plot/story, where they failed miserably. False advertising in that "choices would matter. Ending would not be A, B, or C." Bioware asked for feedback, then ignored it and will release free DLC extending the ending, yet fixing nothing. I cannot recommend this game to anyone. Go buy Bethesda products (Elder Scrolls/Fallout) or Anet (Guild Wars/Guild Wars 2, or heck, even Aion).… Expand
  9. deadmeat2k
    Apr 7, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Bottom line: Bioware and EA has pulled it off brilliantly to mess up the whole series with the final instalment of the ME trilogy. A highly disappointing conclusion to the trilogy, which in many ways goes against the essential principles, which made ME1 and ME2 such good games.


    ME1 and ME2 were, in spite of their flaws, for me a brilliant game-play experience. Although the two first games suffer a bit from too many illusional choices, which actually do not influence the development of story, it never felt as a problem for me, and at least some of the critical choices made would have a very real impact on how the game progressed. This is however completely different in ME3, where virtually all choices made throughout the game, including the meticulous build-up of a joint strike force, in the end proves to be without any kind of significance. Furthermore the relations built up throughout three games to the Normandy crew as well as other friends, is in the end completely pointless, as there will be no reward for the 100+ hours of game-play and decision making throughout the three games. To make matters worse, no amount of DLC content will ever be able to salvage the story and correct the horrible story writing. In terms of game-play mechanics ME3 otherwise feels very polished and refined in many aspects, compared to its predecessors. Many missions and fights are likewise quite memorable. Unfortunately this is seriously messed up near the end of the game, where several combat situations have been very poorly designed. It is namely the introduction of survival mode combat sequences, which seriously messes up the experience. Waves of enemies charges in, and your combat skill will essentially mean very little as to how well these sequences are completed. Stay alive for XX minutes or fail is the essence â    … Expand
  10. DavidB
    Apr 6, 2012
    5
    Despite the general critical acclaim, I thought this was a terribly disappointing game. I loved the first two Mass Effect games - the second one is an absolute masterpiece - and it's baffling how Bioware - who got everything so right in Mass Effect 2 - could get so many things wrong in this final part of the series. The focus is on combat - and other aspects of the game have suffered.Despite the general critical acclaim, I thought this was a terribly disappointing game. I loved the first two Mass Effect games - the second one is an absolute masterpiece - and it's baffling how Bioware - who got everything so right in Mass Effect 2 - could get so many things wrong in this final part of the series. The focus is on combat - and other aspects of the game have suffered. Gone is the feeling of freedom and expansiveness of having a whole galaxy to explore - aside from main quest missions, there are no planets on which you can land, no hidden adventures to discover. And too many of the main quest missions felt unremarkable to me, indistinguishable from each other, and at times it was hard to care about what was going on. The way that side missions have been implemented in the game feels very unsatisfactory and doesn't feel fully realised at all. Don't even get me started on the way the journal works - or doesn't work; it's virtually impossible to stay on top of what you need to do, or where you need to go to do it. Item management is also a nightmare: you need to buy weapons in the game, but you're buying them in the dark, because the game offers nothing as useful as being able to compare what's on sale with the weapons your squad already has. Item management, quest management, the way that side missions work, all felt poorly realised to me. There are no new characters - oh no, sorry, there's one: a hulking space marine whose name I've forgotten he's so unremarkable. He's like a cast-off from Gears of War, dull as dishwater, as out of place in a Mass Effect game as Jack Bauer would be in an episode of The Wire. It's not all bad - the game does throw up some memorable moments, and it looks stunning - the graphics and lighting effects are excellent. But there are not enough memorable moments, and too much of the game feels like a betrayal of all that has gone before it. Mass Effect 3 feels like a game trying to be all things to all people, and ending up as a bit of a dog's breakfast. If I'm being honest, this game broke my heart. And I haven't even mentioned the ending...… Expand
  11. ZHenderHill
    Apr 6, 2012
    9
    With all the negative hype surrounding the ending of the Mass Effect trilogy, it seems as though most players have overlooked the fact that ME3 still featured the finest gameplay of the series, as well as some of the most absorbing story lines. BioWare (now publicly maligned, but still undisputed kings of the RPG) finally got the weapon/armor customisation and resource finding to the pointWith all the negative hype surrounding the ending of the Mass Effect trilogy, it seems as though most players have overlooked the fact that ME3 still featured the finest gameplay of the series, as well as some of the most absorbing story lines. BioWare (now publicly maligned, but still undisputed kings of the RPG) finally got the weapon/armor customisation and resource finding to the point of being fun, the combat was more streamlined and gorgeous than ever (biotic detonations will always make me squeal with delight), and pretty much every mission I was emotionally rocked. Mass Effect stands as one of the best series of games I have played, and this was the best of the three. Admittedly, I did initially take the stance - like everyone else - of denouncing the game after experiencing the ending . Upon first impressions it came off as rushed, flawed and meaningless, leading me to become one of the fans that fell under the spell of the infamous "indoctrination theory" that floated around. It is a hopeful alternative to the Occam's razor that BioWare didn't put enough effort into the ending as they should have. It was definitely a disappointment video-game wise, but was also rich with existential arguments which had me pondering/arguing with friends for days after. In the end I'm not hating it as much as I thought I would. Regardless, it doesn't ruin the rest of the series - as everyone seems to be saying - or even the rest of the game, which remains one of the most exhilarating gaming experiences of recent memory.

    And the multiplayer isn't too shabby either!    … Expand
  12. scoopedLOL
    Apr 6, 2012
    0
    RIP Bioware. I mean.. EAWare.. HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE
  13. guillermop
    Apr 5, 2012
    0
    Mass Effect 3 is the culmination of all your adventures as Commander Shepard. Unfortunately, Bioware screwed the pooch with the worst ending to anything ever. All your choice in the first two games? Irrelevant!

    Did you want to feel a sense of triumph? Too bad, you get to choose between lime, blueberry and cherry flavors. On top of it all, the hacks at Bioware defend this steaming    Mass Effect 3 is the culmination of all your adventures as Commander Shepard. Unfortunately, Bioware screwed the pooch with the worst ending to anything ever. All your choice in the first two games? Irrelevant!

    Did you want to feel a sense of triumph? Too bad, you get to choose between lime, blueberry and cherry flavors.

    On top of it all, the hacks at Bioware defend this steaming pile with claims of "artistic integrity". EA (the worst company in america!) lets its PR dogs out, to get companies to call gamers entitled. The only positive to come out of the fiasco of this game is the farce of gaming "journalism" has been exposed

    Multiplayer is designed to frustrate you into spending money, unlike other games where you choose your unlocks, or are rewarded for play style , you're at the mercy of a random number generator here. And when you really think about it, since nothing in SP matters, MP doesn't matter either

    Never has being a gamer been more detestable    … Expand
  14. TheAwesomer
    Apr 5, 2012
    7
    Great game, Wicked action sequences, good story.. But it where this ME really failed was the in the decision making part of the game. It was incredible weak and None of the choices you made really mattered. I wouldnt play it again.
  15. TheFinalMaster
    Apr 5, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. i was so upset by the ending that i moved the cover behind all my other games so i couldint see it.....
    and even if the indoctranation theory is correct that means my mass effect universe is screwed because i would of chosen the controll or synthesis endings NOT the destroy ending    … Expand
  16. BubblegumImp
    Apr 4, 2012
    8
    To say that Mass Effect 3's ending is polarising would be a great understatement. You either love it or hate it. That said, the ending does not render the rest of the journey null and void. The 30-odd hours it'll take your Shepard to reach the conclusion of this game rank amongst the most memorable experiences in gaming history. Wonderfully fleshed-out characters, beautiful alien worldsTo say that Mass Effect 3's ending is polarising would be a great understatement. You either love it or hate it. That said, the ending does not render the rest of the journey null and void. The 30-odd hours it'll take your Shepard to reach the conclusion of this game rank amongst the most memorable experiences in gaming history. Wonderfully fleshed-out characters, beautiful alien worlds and a rich universe have always been trademarks of the series... and the ending does little to diminish the fact that the Mass Effect trilogy is one of the best sci-fi properties ever created. Films such as Star Wars, Star Trek and Alien have crafted amazing worlds... but none have allowed you to create your own place in the universe quite like Bioware's trilogy.… Expand
  17. TheInnocent
    Apr 4, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I wish I could score this game twice. Once would be for the gameplay, options, dialogue, and general playability. That score would be very high; I am a big fan of the Mass Effect series, and I thought that this one was pretty good, considering. The second would be for the ending, and it would be negative. Dear Game Developers, please read this. I don't want you to try to leave me thinking at the end. I don't want to turn off the game and say, "well, that sucked." I want to end happily riding off into the sunset with my lady (Tali, in my playthrough). I WANT TO SURVIVE THE END OF THE GAME. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THAT? Why can't I be the conquering hero? Why can't I use my paragon points to change the outcome? I know that I am not completely representative of the gaming community, but I want a happy ending. Bioware took three games to utterly fail to give me that, and left me feeling deeply unsatisfied. I am disgusted by the shoddiness and sheer badness of the ending. In fact, I would suggest that all video game writers consider the seven year old test- would a seven year old be happy with at least one of the endings?
    On an unrelated note, I add my voice to those that have spoken about the shoddy, tactless attempt to add in different sexuality and gender options. It seemed utterly forced. In the end, the ending made it feel like Bioware didn't care about me. It didn't care about how I felt after I played.    … Expand
  18. lady_astro08
    Apr 4, 2012
    1
    This game was amazing.....till the end. I felt hallow and sick because of this ending. I'm going to pretend it never happened. No choice, major plotholes and no closure.
  19. highlifewest
    Apr 4, 2012
    9
    while not as good as mass effect 2 this game is still a imminse acheivment for bioware great setpeices good combat and a amazing story continued. The reapers are amazing enemies in this game and used well. brilliant characters and a fiiting conclusion. Ending not wat it should be but with so much good u willl have a great time anyway
  20. MajorLeeFubar
    Apr 4, 2012
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I had purchased Mass Effect 1 and 2 in addition to all the DLCs because the games were very good. The first one focused on the ME universe while the second focused more on your squad. They each had teething problems, but they were well done.

    ME3 had some great scenes such as the Genophage issue between the Krogan and the Salarians as well as the Geth and Qurian conflict, however, after that it seemed to fall apart. It was if two different writing teams were involved. Bioware was pushing this whole idea about take back Earth, instead it was just a straight run with waves of enemies. If you felt you were going to make the tough decisions such as the ME2 sUicide mission, it doesnt even come close. You would think that all the decisions made previously, the major conflict resolution such as the Geth and krogans and the war assets would make an impact at the end. Nope, nothing they are counted as war assets which remain at 50% unless you play the coop multiplayer. They are counted as points and you don't see anything of them, except for the Krogan at the end for a brief cameo. Of course, don't get me started about the ending which Bioware lied about, essentially saying the end will be different and we won't give you a choice A,b or C, when in fact they do, instead they are red, green and blue.

    I could go on, but I am sure by now, you will see the gist of it. I canal understand people who say they played the entire game including the ending, they cannot say that it was rushed or just a complete mess.    … Expand
  21. Audiovideodisco
    Apr 4, 2012
    3
    As a big Mass Effect fan, this game was a must have for me. I loved every minute of each game. The action in this part has improved over the second one, the graphics look better and the story is still top notch. While playing the game, i noticed my options (choices) were less than the other parts, but I didn't find it to be a big problem. The thirty or so hours were great, until I got tilAs a big Mass Effect fan, this game was a must have for me. I loved every minute of each game. The action in this part has improved over the second one, the graphics look better and the story is still top notch. While playing the game, i noticed my options (choices) were less than the other parts, but I didn't find it to be a big problem. The thirty or so hours were great, until I got til the ending...

    Sadly but true, the series took a dive I couldn't have seen coming. The ending felt unfinished, non sensical and just plain out of place. Normally, I replay the Mass Effect series multiple times. I haven't felt like playing this one any more. The ending truly was the downfall for the series.    … Expand
  22. Ambrose
    Apr 4, 2012
    9
    Just started playing at the weekend , 1st time playing ME games, truly amazing. This must be the future of entertainment. Anyone who gives this game less than 8 has ISSUES, irrespective of the ending . its all about the journey my friends. Enjoy
  23. LiquidGamer
    Apr 3, 2012
    7
    The battle begins but it didn't end the way anyone wanted (which can be seen from the user score). I have never seen such outrage from a game before, the gaming community went crazy over this title and the fate of those in the series. The first levels seemed beta'ish and unfinished. The rest of the game was great... But, why in the hell would you get rid of the Elevator scenes thatThe battle begins but it didn't end the way anyone wanted (which can be seen from the user score). I have never seen such outrage from a game before, the gaming community went crazy over this title and the fate of those in the series. The first levels seemed beta'ish and unfinished. The rest of the game was great... But, why in the hell would you get rid of the Elevator scenes that replaced load screens??? Why??? And the vehicle aspect... gone? Why? A great game that did not stand up to everyone's expectations. Did it make the game of the month on the podcast... Take a listen... http://liquidgamer.podbean.com/… Expand
  24. 1234worm
    Apr 3, 2012
    9
    Get it straight, Mass Effect 3 is mainstream. It's not going to have meticulous weapon and armor switching, it's not going to have open unstructured environments, it's going to be heavy-handed and blunt at times, It's depiction of relationships is blunt to put it kindly. It's going for mass appeal. ME3 is built to be accessible and fun. You'll be killing enemies in style until theGet it straight, Mass Effect 3 is mainstream. It's not going to have meticulous weapon and armor switching, it's not going to have open unstructured environments, it's going to be heavy-handed and blunt at times, It's depiction of relationships is blunt to put it kindly. It's going for mass appeal. ME3 is built to be accessible and fun. You'll be killing enemies in style until the ridiculous upswing in difficulty for the final few waves of enemies. All the characters play it a little too straight and the narrative isn't quite as enrapturing as ME2, but this is made up for by your ability to influence the game-world. The effects of your choices from past games are a little underwhelming, but the pay-offs for plot points from the past games like the genophage and the quarian geth conflicts are excellent. While the missions have never been more linear some of the areas, particularly those levels that take place during reaper attacks or the the climax on tuchanka are breathtakingly large in scope. There's a futility to what you are trying to do throughout and this is reinforced by these scenes of chaos and destruction. Mass Effect 3 is to the point, with smartly designed levels (i don't think i ever came close to getting lost) and refined cover based shooting, as always powers are way cooler (if you want to have fun play vanguard). The combat has never been better, although easy, it's never unwelcome. The stories are meaningful, the characters feel real. the games never played better. It's not going to be the complex rpg shooter bioware once promised (the way they makes games has changed a lot since KOTOR), but it is a different take on cover based shooters that for me is way more fun than gears of war.
    The ending is the most important ending of a video game, ever. i've never cared about the end of a game this much. Even though it's a bit of a Sopranos ending, it's gotten a similar media swell to that ending and they do say that any press is good press. I don't really think it's good to end your story with something so controversial it creates an uproar from your most loyal fans but even if you hate the ending you have to admit no other ending would have brought this kind of attention. I've been obsessed enough with the ending that I wrote this entire review, full of important points, as fast as I possibly could so I could talk about the ending. I've never been so consumed by the ending of a game. Bioware are either idiots, or the most despicable geniuses in the history of video games. Either they see a thematic reason to make the end of their final game contradict everything the series has ever been about, or they're geniuses who came up with the greatest twist ending of a video game and challenged the idea of what games could achieve as an art form. of course if they are geniuses and the games final message to the player, which promises future content, was the first step of their diabolical plan they have destroyed video games claim to status as an art form by excluding the true ending of the series in an attempt to make more money by selling it as DLC. Even if they decide to give it away it will only prove that they felt for remorse for what was going to be the most mind-bending thing to happen in a videogame. So evil geniuses or idiots, either way, it's a game you have to play.    … Expand
  25. Noobara
    Apr 3, 2012
    8
    Mass Effect 3 is for the most part a brilliant game and manages to balance RPG elements and Shooter mechanics even better than its predecessors. The story is for 99% of the game fantastic and concludes many of the story lines from the first 2 games. The most talked about flaw with the game is it's poor ending. the one everyone is going on about and rating the game so poorly because of. YesMass Effect 3 is for the most part a brilliant game and manages to balance RPG elements and Shooter mechanics even better than its predecessors. The story is for 99% of the game fantastic and concludes many of the story lines from the first 2 games. The most talked about flaw with the game is it's poor ending. the one everyone is going on about and rating the game so poorly because of. Yes the ending is not Bioware's finest moment of story telling and it might spoil the experience slightly for many people, but it should not completely put you off playing what is such a good game for the previous 30 hours of gameplay. The other major flaw with the game is that many of the characters from ME2 are strangely absent, and it would have been nice for them to feature more. Especially for PS3 owners who have less attachment to the ME1 characters than X-Box owners. Although the game lets it self down at the very end its still a game everyone should play - however its best played after completing the other 2 games as you will be far more attached to the story if you've already spent hours with Shepherd and his/her crew.… Expand
  26. SpaceCoyote
    Apr 3, 2012
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. So much of a game, so much to say, but I think I'll start before it even released. The Cerberus Daily News feed was supposed to have new articles immediately prior to the release of the game. Instead, it got a couple tweets of news, for fewer days than was originally promised. This would have been massively disappointing, were it not for the Emily Wong tweets. For those who weren't following, twitter became a live news source for the initial invasion taking place in Southern California. The story IT told was really cool and helped set the tone for the game itself. As for the game, the single-player portion may not have explored as many of the characters as I'd have hoped, but it DOES give the humor and OH *#^@ moments that I've enjoyed since the beginning in 2007. Finally however, there are plot inconsistencies that creep in to break some of the fiction. Things like Shepard restraining a Justicar and not being killed for it, or the Batarians learning FTL travel...from ruins on a planet in a different star system that required them to know FTL travel to get to in the first place. These are relatively minor but still, that sucks. They are the small blemishes that slightly mar the campaign as you attempt to save the galaxy. Then comes the part where you save the galaxy. At the end of ME1 and ME2, I had a sense of excitement for what the future held in the ME Universe, and how I could save it. There are NO endings that allow you to do that. With the destruction of the mass relays, (which for some reason doesn't necessarily destroy the systems they reside in) there is NO hope that the galactic community can continue to exist as it had because they are isolated in their own systems. I have no problem with Shepard being killed in the process, soldiers give their lives for lesser causes, but no matter what I do, the Citadel and the relays are destroyed, fundamentally altering how societies can interact. Garrus can't return to Omega to clean house after the war and Tali can't go back to her home world cuz they're both stuck on Earth. Or at least they should have been since they were in my squad and NOT on the Normandy which, oh yeah I forgot, had retreated to either FTL or a relay jump for some reason and ALL of my squad was there and not with me somehow. The last 20 minutes of the game, however you decide to end it, are disappointing. No matter what you do, you can't save the Citadel, you can't preserve the galactic community, and you're crew ends up in the exact same forest (though to Joker's credit, he was able to crash the SR2 delicately enough so as to NOT disturb any of the trees). Other decisions that don't matter but probably should have... ME1: Save the council or let them die. Anderson or Udina Save the Rachni or don't ME2: Blow up the Collector base or give it to Cerberus 3 of those decisions come in the final 10 min of each game, they are all among the most influential decisions Shepard ever makes...but the councilors all speak to you in the same manner. Udina will always be the human councilor, Anderson will always be an Admiral, the rachni will either be the ones you saved or some others will fill in the blank, and Cerberus will gain technology for the base or from salvage. DISAPPOINTING! Multiplayer was ok, tho I never got excited for the combat or gameplay of Mass Effect. In the campaign, I happily set it to story mode and blaze thru enemies so that I can get to the conversations quicker. But about the conversations and multiplayer...I felt as though there were fewer lines of dialogue in ME3 compared to ME2. I understand there is only so much room on 2 discs for content, but how much more fulfilling could the campaign have been if the multiplayer portion wasn't included? Could there have been more dialogue from characters left off the Normandy? Could my choices have made more of an impact? Could Tali have had an actual face instead of a stock internet photo? I may be wrong about the amount of dialogue created, but I'm not mistaken in my disappointment with many of the features I had hoped for. Overall a 7. I almost cried in my 1st playthrough when I thought I could save the Geth and the Quarians and ended up driving my good friend to her death. I've had to collect my jaw from the floor many times, and the humor of Joker, EDI, Wiks, and Mordin are amazing. But despite putting over 120 hours into a single character, no matter what I did or chose was enough to save the galaxy.… Expand
  27. Balrock
    Apr 3, 2012
    10
    Overall one of the best rpgs ever created. No other series or game has forced me to sit there and think about the consequences of my decisions like this one. I even spent 20 minutes explaining the backstory of a decision to my girlfriend to get her opinion on what was the right thing to do. No matter what the haters of the ending say, they all played the game to the ending for a reason.Overall one of the best rpgs ever created. No other series or game has forced me to sit there and think about the consequences of my decisions like this one. I even spent 20 minutes explaining the backstory of a decision to my girlfriend to get her opinion on what was the right thing to do. No matter what the haters of the ending say, they all played the game to the ending for a reason. They loved the series and enjoyed this game enough to see it's conclusion. The action points are fun and tense, the return of multiple previous teammates is entertaining, even the resource gathering mini-game from previous entries has been further improved to not make it so boring/repetitive. Overall, this game is an improvement in every area from the previous entries.
    As for the ending, I think lots of people are confusing anger at the ending vs. not having multiple endings. I believe the presented ending is well written and a nice conclusion to the series. I won't argue that there are some portions of the ending that are not well explained but I leave that up to Bioware to explore in future DLC and Mass Effect releases. However most people seem to be upset because no matter what you've done in the previous games, it minimally affects the outcome. This is a valid complaint but not one that should earn the scorn and purposefully low ratings this game has received.
    As for the multiplayer, I found it to be entertaining but ultimately very repetitive with later difficulty levels being set a little too high. The baseball card pack way of upgrading your gear is good in that it keeps you coming back for more and prevents you from obtaining and maxing out the best guns too early. However I swear that they purposely coded it so that you don't receive upgrades to guns you actually use. This can lead to grinding and frustration as you attempt to get the one gun/upgrade that your pining for. Added to this frustration is the difficulty of the gold difficulty levels. Gold difficulty is set up so that it can only be beat in one of two ways. Method one: obtain 3 dedicated friends, you all level your characters to max level, and then you all obtain the maximum level in the best guns in the game. This will give you less than a 50% chance to beat gold. Method two: One person goes as a specific race of a specific class, you fight a specific enemy in a specific spot on a specific level, and you manipulate the game design based on the abilities of that one class. This will give you a 75% chance of beating gold. Since the first method requires the highest levels of the best guns you're pigeon-holed into doing the second method so many times you get burnt out until you don't want to play anymore. So a good first attempt at multiplayer but definitely needs work.    … Expand
  28. 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
  29. dcsoda
    Apr 2, 2012
    10
    This game combines the great elements of 1 and 2 wonderfully. Decisions have tremendous weight and I never realized how much these characters meant to me until this game. The scores on here are an absolute joke. I can't think of many video game experiences me or anyone I know in real life has enjoyed more.
  30. skylardez
    Apr 2, 2012
    3
    The third game totally betrayed the sense of Discovery, that the 1st on had, and even the second one. i have to echo what has been said here, the animation was AWFUL, and embarrassing for a company of this caliber to release as finished work.
Page:

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

All reviews »
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.
    Read full review
  2. Polygon
    Apr 26, 2012
    100
    As a bombastic action-RPG with no previous context, Mass Effect 3 is a dark, engaging game with great combat, a well-written story, and all the epic space-opera you could want. But for those who have played through Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2, it's something much more.
    Read full review
  3. GameFocus
    Apr 18, 2012
    96
    The storytelling itself, the more refined combat, the voicework, the visuals, et all, stand as a fine example of some of the best this industry has to offer, and with my minor complaints aside, there's no doubt that Mass Effect 3 will be deservedly at the top of everyone's list come this year's award season.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »