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. Chronocross
    May 28, 2012
    0
    I'm a huge fan of the series. I loved this game about 75% of the way through then it completely fell short. It is sad that a good series can be taken and destroyed. Let this be a lesson to companies that changing your writing team for something is not a good thing.
  2. BeatrixKiddo27
    Jun 10, 2012
    3
    Mass Effect was my favorite game series ever. I was a huge fan on Bioware, owning almost all of their games. Mass Effect 2 is my favorite game of all time. I was so excited for the ending to the planned space opera trilogy, and for the most part, it was amazing. Throughout the entire game, I was in awe of the amazing scenes played out. This game was larger than anything before in theMass Effect was my favorite game series ever. I was a huge fan on Bioware, owning almost all of their games. Mass Effect 2 is my favorite game of all time. I was so excited for the ending to the planned space opera trilogy, and for the most part, it was amazing. Throughout the entire game, I was in awe of the amazing scenes played out. This game was larger than anything before in the series, and you face some of the biggest intergalactic issues, such as the Geth & Quarian war. The gameplay is tighter, the character interaction great, 95% of this game is a masterpiece. Then you reach the infamous ending. This ending ruined everything, this game, and the trilogy as a whole. It is somewhat amazing that in 10 minutes, Bioware is able to destroy a series. When you think Mass Effect, you think player choice and impact. This ending takes that all away, and makes literally every choice you made prior pointless.

    Rather than give an ending that made sense, one that was hinted at by the games, they decided to try to transcend the game into an artistic statement. Instead they created plot holes, and divided their fanbase.

    Oh well, there's always Uncharted.    … Expand
  3. Duratan
    Jun 19, 2012
    0
    Mass effect is a game that tries to appease old fans and be a natural starting point for new fans sadly it fails at both new fans will feel overwhelmed by the situations while old fans will feel betrayed by the lack of differences in choices, i will elaborate on both but i would like this time to say the there will be spoilers

    spoiler alert new fans wont understand the gravity of the    Mass effect is a game that tries to appease old fans and be a natural starting point for new fans sadly it fails at both new fans will feel overwhelmed by the situations while old fans will feel betrayed by the lack of differences in choices, i will elaborate on both but i would like this time to say the there will be spoilers

    spoiler alert

    new fans wont understand the gravity of the geth quarian conflict and wont feel the much passion when the shepard (the protagonist) talks about the sacrifice of a squad-mate that occurred in the first game, its also a bit overwhelming to be dumped in to this world with a lack of understanding of the different races

    older fans will play a much more dumbed down version of the game, as the organization that you may have helped in previous game will be your enemy no matter what you did before, the game is also much more linear then previous games, and your a pigeon-holed in the the ending no matter what happens

    if your new to the series, you will still be taken on an emotional roller coaster that you may enjoy and this game should be rated a 6/10

    however if your a new fan the ending (at least for me) actually makes the two previous games worse meaning that this game should be given a negative score, as i am a fan of the previous games i will give it the lowest possible score of "0", as im not allowed to give the game a negative 20 for ruining the other two 10/10 games in the series    … Expand
  4. elwindoo
    Jun 28, 2012
    9
    Sometime u gotta love the objectivness of people.You play agame for some hours and u are literaly mind blown till the end.Then u negate everything u played till then.Why?Is there a reason to give 0 or 1 when u have enjoyed 98% of game content?Shows the maturity and objectivity of people on metacritic.Game was awesome and the dlc gave it justice.Some of the people wanted LI reunion andSometime u gotta love the objectivness of people.You play agame for some hours and u are literaly mind blown till the end.Then u negate everything u played till then.Why?Is there a reason to give 0 or 1 when u have enjoyed 98% of game content?Shows the maturity and objectivity of people on metacritic.Game was awesome and the dlc gave it justice.Some of the people wanted LI reunion and happy rainbow ending.Got the second,and for the first part gave which they didnt get gave a 0.They just proven that they played the game for its sex and not the story.Is it a 10?no,it is certainly a 9,a masterpiece of our time… Expand
  5. Keltic
    Jun 29, 2012
    5
    The EC just expanded the current endings, while it did make them better or in honesty just made them the endings they should have been on release day it does not address the issues that many people have in that the endings are set in stone and really all your effort in previous games was for nothing. Also if Bioware was going to make a genuine effort to appease fans of the series surelyThe EC just expanded the current endings, while it did make them better or in honesty just made them the endings they should have been on release day it does not address the issues that many people have in that the endings are set in stone and really all your effort in previous games was for nothing. Also if Bioware was going to make a genuine effort to appease fans of the series surely they could have provided a few more endings with the possibility of happier conclusion, It is after all a fantasy/sci fi game and not based on reality.
    I gave 5 out of ten for ME3 purely due to what i felt was the shortness of the game and what i felt were poor endings.    … Expand
  6. maltizar
    Jul 3, 2012
    1
    Okay... if you hadn't noticed, playing this game, you'll either love it and be annoyed by the people that hate it or love it and hate the game and be annoyed by the people who love it.

    One of the major requirements is the experience of the previous two games which means it's not all that great of a stand alone game. The ending is not for everybody, so even if you did play the previous    Okay... if you hadn't noticed, playing this game, you'll either love it and be annoyed by the people that hate it or love it and hate the game and be annoyed by the people who love it.

    One of the major requirements is the experience of the previous two games which means it's not all that great of a stand alone game. The ending is not for everybody, so even if you did play the previous games, there's no guarantee you'll like it. The story is disjointed. There are game aspects that those who played the previous games won't understand because they didn't read the books or they didn't read the comics and even that's not going to mean you're going to like it.

    Gameplay is the greatest improvement. There are better games with better controls, but it's obviously the biggest improvement. That said, it lacks gaming systems like minigames, quality side missions and boss battles. It's like it's a game designed by people who wished they were writing a novel instead of making a game.

    It's a space RPG with no exploration. It's a bland shooter that doesn't revolutionize anything whose targeting systemyou either like or don't.. It's a "choose your own adventure" with limited choices. It's a space sci fi space opera that fails to live up to the greats.

    I was going to give it a 5, then I remembered that you have to download a different ending because the first one was really bad instead of disjointed and contrived. You also have to pay for a downloadable 7th character. To unlock the all the endings, you have to either download the Extended cut or play multiplayer to unlock the endings just on the disc. Some of the plots, you have to play the previous games. They're better, so going back to play another game to play this one seem pointless considering it doesn't matter in terms of resolution. If you do play those games, you end up playing better quality games not restricted by a badly timeline.

    Storywise, the resolution is seperate from the rest of the series, which is a shame because the rest of it was pretty darn good. I'd say, save your money. If you haven't played it by now, you'd have a better time playing one of the first 2 games. It'll be in the used game pile soon, anyway.    … Expand
  7. ulysees33
    Aug 14, 2012
    10
    A fantastic game. It increases the stakes on every level and raises the bar for gaming. Taken as a trilogy it's a major achievement and unlikely to be superseded any time soon. When you factor in the different choices and outcomes, and the male / female, hetero / homo, renegade / paragon options, it's obvious that the games places an outstanding amount of flexibility in the player's handsA fantastic game. It increases the stakes on every level and raises the bar for gaming. Taken as a trilogy it's a major achievement and unlikely to be superseded any time soon. When you factor in the different choices and outcomes, and the male / female, hetero / homo, renegade / paragon options, it's obvious that the games places an outstanding amount of flexibility in the player's hands to craft their own experience while still managing to tell a coherent and meaningful narrative that is genuinely moving. There may be specific features of the action, role play, art direction or story that aren't to everyone's taste - it's impossible to please everyone all the time - but to give this game anything less than a very positive review is simply nuts. As for the ending (s), I found it deeply satisfying. Rarely has a game franchise had such an impact on me - Final Fantasy or Metal Gear Solid are the only equivalents that come readily to mind. Plus a very good multiplayer, add on content and mobile content as well...! To make an original universe that is so ambitious and achieve so much seems genuinely unprecedented and puts gaming at the forefront of creative media. The only equivalent in movies at the moment would be the Nolan Batman films but I would say that even they pale in comparison. Bring on the DLC.… Expand
  8. Socratease
    Jan 22, 2013
    1
    First off, i would like to point out that the ending has been talked about to death. So instead of pointing out how it committed story telling suicide (which it did), i`m going to focus on the rest of the game. 1. The Intro. Seriously, WHY would shepard, the renegade badass (in my playthrough) just sit around WAITING for the reapers to arrive for those few months in between ME3 andFirst off, i would like to point out that the ending has been talked about to death. So instead of pointing out how it committed story telling suicide (which it did), i`m going to focus on the rest of the game. 1. The Intro. Seriously, WHY would shepard, the renegade badass (in my playthrough) just sit around WAITING for the reapers to arrive for those few months in between ME3 and arrival? That doesn`t seem very shepard like. And why should i give a sh-- about some random kid?

    Verdict: bad writing.

    2. Cerberus. So, a rogue terrorist organization goes from having only a hundred and fifty members just a few months ago to being the empire of star wars with almost limitless troops.......

    Yeah, sure. tell me another one, casey.

    Verdict: bad writing

    3. Kai-lang. I have never been so annoyed by an emo prick of a video game character as i was by Kai-lang. As razorfist, my favorite youtube reviewer put it: if for the past decade the illusive man had access to a gravity defying emo space ninja with a katana that slices through mother f---ing planets, and with magic plot device powers that allowed him to track the movement of every sentient being in the galaxy, then why in F--K would he resurrect commander shepard?!

    Verdict: bad writing

    4. Harbinger. Did harbinger just say screw it and go on a fishing trip when it came time for the invasion? Why was he portrayed as the ultimate badass reaper in ME2 only to be given a rediculous cameo in ME3?

    Verdict: bad writing

    5. The ''arrival'' of the reapers. Okay, stop me if you`ve heard this one: Why did the reapers cross the void? To get to our galaxy, you gleefully respond. But HOW did they get to our galaxy? That`s right: They couldn`t have. Remember ME1? Remember when we stopped saren from activating the citadel so that the reapers could pour through? Remember the arrival DLC, where we blew up an entire solar system to stop them? So answer me this: if all the posible relays the reapers could have used were destroyed: HOW. IN. FU-- did they get here? Answer: they didn`t. Verdict: laughably bad writing

    6. So the quariens go to war whether you pushed them towards it or not in ME2.

    And the point of having the option to say: good luck in the war, or: The reapers are coming, i`m going to need every ship i can get was.......?

    Verdict: far too heavy an emphasis on the illusion of choice, and not enough emphasis on MEANINGFUL choice.

    7. The god d--n kid. I know this has been voiced at least a million times, but i`m going to say it anyway: why should my character, who has seen hundreds of innocent men, women, and children being liquified into a human reaper give even a marginal sh-- about ONE KID? They might as well have had giant flashing letters on my screen that said: FEEL SAD NOW.

    Verdict: atrocious writing

    And my verdict for the entire game is: Terrible. The most badly written game in the series with the most badly written ending in the history of video game trilogys.

    Don`t buy it. Not even if it`s in the bargain bin. EA doesn`t deserve your money or your time.    … Expand
  9. Gargus
    Mar 7, 2013
    1
    I'm not here to rip on ME3 just for the sake of doing so or because its what's cool to do on the internet like so many others.

    Basically ME3 is the worst of the series in every way possible compared to the other 2 games because it doesn't build or improve anything. It simply just tries to hurriedly finish the series for the sake of a cash in on the title. 1- There is no sense of    I'm not here to rip on ME3 just for the sake of doing so or because its what's cool to do on the internet like so many others.

    Basically ME3 is the worst of the series in every way possible compared to the other 2 games because it doesn't build or improve anything. It simply just tries to hurriedly finish the series for the sake of a cash in on the title.

    1- There is no sense of exploration. The game as efficiently as possible holds your hand every step the way and has you actually being on the ground doing things the least amount possible. Side missions are carried out by quickly scanning a planet ala ME2 and then firing a probe. That's it. You don't explore, you don't get to check out uncharted worlds simply for the sake of curiosity or anything. Scan, shoot probe, side mission done all without even leaving the galaxy map. This tactic accounts for the majority of side missions. ME1 you could explore the galaxy drive around in that horribly handling buggy and had a sense of discovering things, ME2 you could land on planets and explore doing side missions with some not even firing a single shot like the crashed cruiser balanced on the mountain peak but all of those things are gone in 3. The game just holds your hand and ushers you from mission to mission.

    2- You don't get to actually chose anything, everything is pre determined for you. Even if you chose the renegade or paragon path you get the exact same result and no one treats you differently and you get no alternative paths depending on your karma scale which makes it all incredibly pointless and just window dressing for the fact the story is entirely linear and so is your character.

    3- The characters are all the same ones, only less compelling. There are a couple new characters but they are highly disposable and not even worth messing with. James for instance is basically just a guy who talks 90% of the time like a generic white guy, 10% of the time he throws out some Mexican phrases like saying "loco" a lot in his generic white guy trying to impersonate a Mexican guy and he looks like he was taken from the show jersey shore. When a old character returns you can see it coming a mile away. For instance you go into a area where the mission briefing talks about geth then you can see 45 minutes before which old character is going to come back. All the characters themselves seem hollow and rushed, they lack the personality that made them endearing in the other games and most are there only long enough to be overly obvious in a very specific mission or they simply show up for 3 minutes of camera time practically winking at the player with a nod and then are gone.

    4- The story compared to the others sucks. The other games had side stories, character stories, side missions with their own short stories and so on. ME3 on the other is basically this "Everything is going to be destroyed". That's pretty much it because no matter where you go or what you do its always about the war specifically and nothing else. I also got sick of hearing phrases like "were here to save lives", "were doing this to save lives", "this weapon will save lives", "we need to stick together to save lives", "billions of lives are on the line and were here to save them", etc and after about 8 hours I was sick of hearing about the war and saving lives.

    5- The game play was basically just one big shooting gallery and hiding behind chest high walls. Every single fight is basically you hiding behind chest high walls to peak out and fire a few rounds only to hide back behind said wall. It was incredibly boring and has been done to death in dozens of other games. The combat was mindless and mediocre. It felt like they put absolutely no effort into the combat at all and rushed you through it in order to get to the next scene of hearing Sheppard say "saving lives".

    6- The ending was atrocious. This is a series that prides itself on story, characters and dialogue. We all spent over 100 bucks playing all 3 games and spent over 100 hours playing all 3 games but bioware seemed to say "This is the end of the trilogy so who cares about the ending". The ending is the most important part of any story of any kind because its the very last thing you leave the person with and its supposed to be a reward, the climax to everything leading up till then, basically the ending is the most important part of any story. But the ending of ME3 was over in just a minute or so despite the dozens of hours of dialogue, cut scenes and story in the rest of the series they got lazy at the end. It gives no satisfaction at all. I can honestly say it is the laziest segment of the series. I did like though they had the balls to do what they did with Sheppard, but the ending still sucks and doesn't make you glad to have finished the series.    … Expand
  10. houyi111
    Apr 30, 2013
    0
    The game has been out for over a year, long enough for me to recover and think how do I rate this game. To be honest, I want to give this game a 10 before the ending, i still remembered how exciting when playing the last mission on earth and how emotional I got towards the final push. Then the original ending, which is total crap and I want to give the game a -10 after finished the gameThe game has been out for over a year, long enough for me to recover and think how do I rate this game. To be honest, I want to give this game a 10 before the ending, i still remembered how exciting when playing the last mission on earth and how emotional I got towards the final push. Then the original ending, which is total crap and I want to give the game a -10 after finished the game the first time, it deserved a negative score. the ending made me depressed and lost interesting in playing games for months, the reaction and PR bxx**** from bioware towards ending and fans was just disgusting and made me sick. For me, the ending was just rushed, no excuse, no deep meaning behind it. if a video game can give me so much negative feelings, i can only rate it with negative score, in this case, a zero.… Expand
  11. dogboat333
    Jan 15, 2014
    9
    Look, the main reason people hate this game is because of the ending, and... yeah, it sucks. I can sum it up without even spoiling it: red, blue, or green. Then there was the Day 1 DLC with Javik, the complete failure to get Talimancers like me to shut up with Tali's lazily photoshopped face, and the watering down of the third to make it a 3rd person futuristic Call of Duty game.

    But...    Look, the main reason people hate this game is because of the ending, and... yeah, it sucks. I can sum it up without even spoiling it: red, blue, or green. Then there was the Day 1 DLC with Javik, the complete failure to get Talimancers like me to shut up with Tali's lazily photoshopped face, and the watering down of the third to make it a 3rd person futuristic Call of Duty game.

    But... I still loved this game. So much awesome... even if the action is overdone, it's still awesome. Game Play; fantastic. Soundtrack; fantastic. Characters; fantastic. Story; fantastic... until those last ten minutes, of course. This may not be everyone's cup of tea, but this is fantastic.    … Expand
  12. KotorFan3231
    Nov 12, 2013
    10
    This is definitely one of the best games i have ever played, and personally one of my favorites of all time. The story and characters are above average in fact they are the best i have ever seen in any game to date. There is so much emotion in the dialogue, the action is intense, well presented, and cinematic. The choices your character makes are more impact full. There is one instance inThis is definitely one of the best games i have ever played, and personally one of my favorites of all time. The story and characters are above average in fact they are the best i have ever seen in any game to date. There is so much emotion in the dialogue, the action is intense, well presented, and cinematic. The choices your character makes are more impact full. There is one instance in the game i won't spoil for anyone but it involves the Geth, and Tali, and one of the choices made me feel so much emotion i almost cried. Fortunately i ran into very little glitches. My personal favorite character from this game other than commander Shepard is The Illusive Man voice by Martin Sheen, he is well voiced, and character is well written. Now the only other problem with the game that i found was there were less companions, but each were interesting so that didn't bother me that much. For the people who say the ending ruined the game it didn't yes the original ending did not solve much it was just inconclusive but did not ruin the whole game. The ending did not interfere with my experience because overall the writing was extremely strong. There is a massive amount of content in this game. It took me Thirty plus hours. Overall i give this game a Ten, and it does not mean that the game is perfect it just means the pros far outweigh the cons.… Expand
  13. huss2215
    Nov 14, 2013
    9
    Graphics: The graphics are starting to look a little out dated but there are moments where they look amazing. Mostly when there’s blue lighting. 9.0.
    Sound: Professional Bioware voice acting as you know it, themes were great. 10.
    Gameplay: The gameplay feels a little more casual than usual, although it is very similar to Mass Effect 2 (at least for my character). RPG elements are    Graphics: The graphics are starting to look a little out dated but there are moments where they look amazing. Mostly when there’s blue lighting. 9.0.
    Sound: Professional Bioware voice acting as you know it, themes were great. 10.
    Gameplay: The gameplay feels a little more casual than usual, although it is very similar to Mass Effect 2 (at least for my character). RPG elements are similar, but the game doesn’t need any tweaks, it seems just fine. The problem with the gameplay is that it gets way to repetitive, and I went ahead and did every mission available. It feels like a chore at times, and some moments that are meant to be scripted events, look only decent. In my opinion they should have left the scripted events to the professionals at Naughty Dog, but there are still okay moments, but nothing that will drop you out of your seat. Mass Effect 2 was better in almost every way. The way the game builds relationships is a lot more strict than in the previous game. Still with some of those cons, Mass Effect 3’s gameplay is still a must play, especially those like myself who transferred their saves since the first title. 8.5.
    Story: The story was a pretty good story, and near the ending it did get ridiculous but it was still okay. I didn’t really understand all the outrage just because of the ending, it was still a proper way to end a trilogy assuming that was Biowares goal. 8.0.
    Lasting Appeal: The game is still worth the buy, I clocked almost 30hours, doing everything. 10.
    Overall Score: 9.1 out of 10.    … Expand
  14. DragonBall
    Mar 13, 2014
    9
    I won't go into detail, but I have to say this: the ending of Mass Effect 3 is easily the lowest point in the trilogy. The Extended Cut DLC makes it better (I recommend you download and install that before playing), but even then it's still a low point. Other than that, it stands up to the high bar that the previous two games set. However, just like with Mass Effect 2, I recommend that youI won't go into detail, but I have to say this: the ending of Mass Effect 3 is easily the lowest point in the trilogy. The Extended Cut DLC makes it better (I recommend you download and install that before playing), but even then it's still a low point. Other than that, it stands up to the high bar that the previous two games set. However, just like with Mass Effect 2, I recommend that you play through ME1, transfer your save to ME2, then transfer your ME2 save to ME3. It just makes the game that little bit better. The Mass Effect trilogy is an absolute must play.… Expand
  15. Khaosom
    Apr 8, 2014
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'm not going to be like alot of people and sugar coat anything. I rated this game fairly low compared to the first two in the series for multiple reasons which will be described here. The game plays just like Mass Effect 2 with an upgraded melee system which isn't a bad thing. Second thing, which is why I didn't rate the game entirely horrid, is the level system changes. Instead of straight skills you no have more choices in how your skills level, if they inflict higher damage or last longer or even have a larger radius. Now on to the part I'm sure most have heard by now but if like me was still hopeful was wrong. Apparently there are multiple endings to the game, but from what I've seen NOTHING you've done in the game or previous others makes a difference, aside from finishing the crucible. At the end of the game no matter how big of a galactic fleet you've acquired, who you have on your side, the side quests you've finished, who lived in part 1 and 2, you're put with 2 choices(from what I've heard pre update was 3) the choices are destroy ALL mechancal life including yourself, or kill yourself and take control of the reapers. Yes in the previous two games the choices are kind of an illusion, that don't have a direct impact, but in this game the choices have no impact. I don't mind them killing off you're character, ending the series, just so they can't pull a Halo, but it would have been nice to have a game where you can win with a third choice of killing the reapers using your own fleet, since apparently all the reapers moved to earth. The second choice for the ending of taking over the reapers is a mind rape to me because apparently you become the Catalyst which was you're objective to find the entire game, and in doing so remain sentient on The Citadel, yet no one can speak to you or know you're there after that. The issue here is that the original Catalyst, the creator of the reapers, is speaking to you, giving you your two choices. So it telling me that I become it yet can't communicate like it does was a huge let down. Aside from this there are several other major things that could have been an ending to the game that would have worked, part 2 and 3 never happened I'll list them here... The first is part 2 and 3 never happened, at the end of part 3 you awaken after being saved from dying in space from the Collector attack on the normandy in part 2. Second is similar but instead of part 2 also being a dream only part 3 is and you awake in a reaper controlled facility and part 3 is an attempt to Indoctrinate Shephard. Third is this game is a dream that you're having while the Alliance tries to figure out how Cerebus rebuilt you in part two.

    All this being said, Bioware really dropped the ball with this game, which honestly seems to have become a forte of the company with their games, see Dragon Age origins, and dragon age 2.    … Expand
  16. GrumpySteve
    Dec 15, 2014
    5
    This is easily the poorest offering Bioware has given us in many a year, and by far the worst of the Mass Effect trilogy. The original, ME1, was one of my all-time favorite CRPGs. I didn't like a lot of the changes they made to ME2 so much, because they made it more like a FPS and less like a CRPG, but I was able to tolerate the changes because the story was still pretty good. MassThis is easily the poorest offering Bioware has given us in many a year, and by far the worst of the Mass Effect trilogy. The original, ME1, was one of my all-time favorite CRPGs. I didn't like a lot of the changes they made to ME2 so much, because they made it more like a FPS and less like a CRPG, but I was able to tolerate the changes because the story was still pretty good. Mass Effect 3 unfortunately retains and even furthers the FPS feel of the game, eroding what little RPG element is left, and doesn't even make up for this with story this time -- the story is terrible.

    Probably the #1 issue I have with ME3 is that, far more than the others, it felt like a game on rails. There were very few options, very few choices, and almost no cases where the "choices" they gave you felt like they made any difference. Gone are any real stories relating to your crew-mates. There are none of those. It seems totally random which past crew mates Bioware gives you back again and which ones refuse to re-join you. There are hardly any conversations on the ship with your crew-mates any more, and no chance to do things like learn about them or earn any loyalty. The crew stories are basically gone, and replaced by nothing -- there are no other story elements in their stead.

    Another problem, at least on the Xbox, is the menu system, which is absolutely horrid. For some unfathomable reason, Bioware combined the Journal and the Codex, which is absolutely infuriating - it glows with "new entries" even when they are only just codex entries and not new quests. The side and main quests share the same menu now, which makes for an almighty mess, and there is no "completed" mission menu so by the end of the game you have this list that is like 80 items tall, and the UI always puts you in the middle of it, buried in the "completed" missions, forcing you to scroll up 20 or 3 items to get to the active quests. And then there is the issue that they tell you what planet something is on but NOT the system or the cluster, and they don't mark most quests on the galaxy map, so you have to randomly hop around from sector to sector trying to find quest locations. This is really stupid, as the girl assisting you even says she has marked stuff on your galaxy map (but she just hasn't). This feels like Bioware were just being jerks trying to make my life harder than it needed to be.

    Finally, I will rant a little bit about the ending. If you've heard anything about it, you've probably heard the rumor that the ending is horrible. All I can say about this is - the haters are UNDER-selling it. The ending is absolutely terrible. I'm not sure who at Bioware thought they should end their epic trilogy with a Morton's Fork type of dilemma, but I found it very forced and very unsatisfying. Also, the explanation for "everything that has been happening in galactic history" was really, REALLY lame.

    In the end, it felt like Bioware had a bunch of different ideas, wasn't sure which one would work, half-implemented all of them, and then slapped it together into a package and called it "done." There was too much mindless combat, and not enough interesting conversation options in this game. It's a poor successor to the first two MEs and does not deserve to share their name. The only good thing I can say is that the voice acting is still pretty good, and the basic way combat worked was enjoyable (although HIGHLY repetitive). The game is playable, but only as a shooter. Not for the story or RPG elements. Those things, which are normally Bioware strengths, were the major weaknesses of this game.    … Expand
  17. banda89
    Jun 28, 2015
    9
    I will admit it, I was one of the people that didnt like the ending of ME3. But still I didnt make a great deal about ir, obviously I wished for a Fairy Tale ending where everyone is alive and all its happy, but it didnt, oh well.
    Minor and sutile improvements, Horde like Multiplayer, intense campaign, everytihng its there. Just hoping ME: Andromeda will be awesome
  18. Tom_Weiss
    Mar 7, 2012
    5
    the developers forgot the most important aspect of their own game - the face that the user creates for his/her Shepard, which cannot be imported. And the face mesh in ME3 looks cartoonish - the game looks like it was developed by a completely different crew that did not bother to give visual continuity to the game.

    And if that was not enough - several key characters look unlike anything    the developers forgot the most important aspect of their own game - the face that the user creates for his/her Shepard, which cannot be imported. And the face mesh in ME3 looks cartoonish - the game looks like it was developed by a completely different crew that did not bother to give visual continuity to the game.

    And if that was not enough - several key characters look unlike anything in ME1 and ME2, one, Ashley, looks like a transvestite so bad the model is.    … Expand
  19. mastirkal
    Mar 7, 2012
    0
    I'm sorry to say, the game's game play in all other aspects were amazing, but the ending, if we are reviewing based on overall experience completely ruined it for me... I had a ME1 and ME2 import and I did every quest I could and I enjoyed it to holy hell, but the ending was just such a misfire I couldn't even look at this game afterwards. I got early access via a hong kong server so I'veI'm sorry to say, the game's game play in all other aspects were amazing, but the ending, if we are reviewing based on overall experience completely ruined it for me... I had a ME1 and ME2 import and I did every quest I could and I enjoyed it to holy hell, but the ending was just such a misfire I couldn't even look at this game afterwards. I got early access via a hong kong server so I've had the last few days to do this and I simply cannot play anymore, not because it was a bad "game" but because in the end the story it was trying to tell completely collapsed for me.… Expand
  20. saintsofboredom
    Mar 17, 2012
    7
    Mass Effect 3 is a good game, but abandons many of the series's staples about half way through the game. The conversation wheel was which was a staple of the last two game is all but abandoned about half way through the game for more linear conversations. Talking to squad members on the Normandy in between missions is turn into a series of stocked conversation with no way to pick theMass Effect 3 is a good game, but abandons many of the series's staples about half way through the game. The conversation wheel was which was a staple of the last two game is all but abandoned about half way through the game for more linear conversations. Talking to squad members on the Normandy in between missions is turn into a series of stocked conversation with no way to pick the dialog. Another staple that is lost are the Paragon and Renegade points. They are instead replaced with Reputation points which are earned despite the decisions you make. Another minor problems include a less detailed mission journal, which does not tell the how far you have progressed on your missions, but instead just give you a summary of the mission. Changes to the combat system such as weapon selection and modding are a welcome median from the two or three weapons per category in ME2 and the ridiculous over abundance of weapons and mods from ME. The weight vs. power recharge times is great way to make sure players are not over powered with weapons and unlimited fast recharging powers. The new ability to roll away make the actual combat more like Gears of War with powers, which is not a bad thing. The ending(s) does leave something to be desired, mainly an overall explanation of what is happening after you make your final choice.… Expand
  21. Bannu
    Mar 7, 2012
    0
    This score is based on the view of the build up to Mass Effect 3. If Mass Effect 3 was a stand alone title, with no prequel or setting up of a sequel, then I'd give it maybe a 5. But this game is utter trash as far as gaming standards are concerned.

    First off, the gameplay experience is weak. Is it fun? It's time consuming and better than doing homework, sure, but is it actually fun?    This score is based on the view of the build up to Mass Effect 3. If Mass Effect 3 was a stand alone title, with no prequel or setting up of a sequel, then I'd give it maybe a 5. But this game is utter trash as far as gaming standards are concerned.

    First off, the gameplay experience is weak. Is it fun? It's time consuming and better than doing homework, sure, but is it actually fun? Not for me, I am sure plenty of drones will enjoy this game for what it is, but looking beyond it, it's just a 3rd person shooter, with a leveling system, and a plot-holed filled story-line. And here comes the problem and why anytime I reach the point where I can say: This game isn't that bad, I realize that this game has a story and it's insulting my intelligence.

    Mass Effect 1 set up this neat little plot/mythology about Reapers and their times in history where they'd come out and wipe everything out. Through the entire game you kind of feared the Reapers, if not, out right terrified of the idea of them. There are tales of how merciless and prompt they were, wiping out civilizations in a matter of moments. They seemed omniscent. Pretty good stuff.

    Mass Effect 2, it did nothing for the plot really, but at least it had some fun forever-alone stuff you could do in it. Like continue developing relationships with characters, explore, etc. And the Reapers seemed to be scarcely mentioned.

    Now in ME3, the Reapers are finally here, in the hour of twilight. And what do they do? They suck at their job. They come off as inefficient. They seem like machines given AI to wipe out stuff, but in a rather slow and terrible fashion. I won't spoil anything, but yea, the Reapers, for having this reputation of being amazing, are terrible at everything, even dying.

    Sure, if you play it as a game, most everyone will like this. If you play it with the mind set that you want to play a video game worth your/my money, and you have an ounce of intelligence, you will find this game disappointing on all levels. Bioware has proven to not care about you, being innovative, or ethics.    … Expand
  22. frkonalsh30
    Mar 8, 2012
    0
    Here we go again Bioware. In an attempt to appeal to the masses you alienate the base. Brushing aside my problems with character loads, glicthces, game play and lackluster story development, you decide to go the way of political correctness and interject as much Homo mumbo jumbo into it as possible to appeal to a niche audience. Simply ridiculous that the gaming industry (long immune toHere we go again Bioware. In an attempt to appeal to the masses you alienate the base. Brushing aside my problems with character loads, glicthces, game play and lackluster story development, you decide to go the way of political correctness and interject as much Homo mumbo jumbo into it as possible to appeal to a niche audience. Simply ridiculous that the gaming industry (long immune to this type of BS) have finally decided to sell out. This is the last dollar you get from me.… Expand
  23. nix1331
    Mar 6, 2012
    5
    well im about 15 hours in and so far not so good. there are some technical issues on consoles but i guess that could be overlooked if the game looked a bit nicer, but ya the graphics are not that good especially the face and mouth work,which normally would not be a big deal but ME3 focuses a lot on character interaction and watching npc robot faces all with such similar voices too.ughhh.well im about 15 hours in and so far not so good. there are some technical issues on consoles but i guess that could be overlooked if the game looked a bit nicer, but ya the graphics are not that good especially the face and mouth work,which normally would not be a big deal but ME3 focuses a lot on character interaction and watching npc robot faces all with such similar voices too.ughhh. on pc im sure it will look considerably better but not on consoles.the combat is good and it seems they really focused on that instead of the story.....o the story.....its ok i guess but not anywhere as good as the final mass effect deserves and is incredibly easy....i dont know why game developers are making games with no challenge anymore.....why have a difficulty setting when only a retard would struggle with anything less than hard.....i guess people want an interactive movie more than a real game with challenge. multiplayer is pretty good but nothing we havent seen before in other big games. i keep reading that all the questions left open from the other games would be answered.....but sadly that does not seem to be the case, so far any attempt at this is has been short and dry. i really hope this picks up as i progress right now its pretty disappointing and from what i hear of the different endings (that they suck and rip off the first dues ex game) that disappointment seems like it may continue to the end… Expand
  24. JAMR92
    Mar 8, 2012
    6
    This was an unfortunate step backward for the franchise, it's lost a large amount of its charm. Now mind you, this isn't as bad as the whole Dragon Age 2 fiasco, but Mass Effect was once a magical experience. That feeling of a fun sci-fi rpg has been cast aside for an action movie pornography that tries too hard to have a great story and in the process became a mediocre B movie. TheThis was an unfortunate step backward for the franchise, it's lost a large amount of its charm. Now mind you, this isn't as bad as the whole Dragon Age 2 fiasco, but Mass Effect was once a magical experience. That feeling of a fun sci-fi rpg has been cast aside for an action movie pornography that tries too hard to have a great story and in the process became a mediocre B movie. The animations do not look like that of a triple A title and its now Gears of War in Space, except with dialogue and romance options. If I wanted to play a visual novel I would Bioware. The game is heavily flawed and one could see why it's being so poorly received, the overly positive reviews are incredibly unsettling and makes me disgusted to see these gamers through away their dignity and integrity to defend a game and company, who do not deserve to be defended.… Expand
  25. lasertank
    Mar 8, 2012
    0
    ME3 killed the franchise. The plot is linear and it lacks of depth. Decisions you made in ME1 and ME2 do not influence any story structure of ME3. The only outcome of those decision is the boring "readiness" value. Totally disappointing ending and epilogue. Why the reaper keep the extinction cycle? Most puzzle are not answered in ME3. The Crucible? It's totally a story disaster, whichME3 killed the franchise. The plot is linear and it lacks of depth. Decisions you made in ME1 and ME2 do not influence any story structure of ME3. The only outcome of those decision is the boring "readiness" value. Totally disappointing ending and epilogue. Why the reaper keep the extinction cycle? Most puzzle are not answered in ME3. The Crucible? It's totally a story disaster, which killed the atomsphere of the whole plot.… Expand
  26. konros
    Mar 8, 2012
    4
    Good combat, much more tactical than in previous titles and of course multi-player. And very bad narrative. The main rule of story-writing is obvious - the more the better. It resulted an enormous amount the cutscenes, most with badly written and boring dialogs. The shortcuts in dialog system imply better quality of writing. Unfortunately, Bioware has failed this as there is hardly aGood combat, much more tactical than in previous titles and of course multi-player. And very bad narrative. The main rule of story-writing is obvious - the more the better. It resulted an enormous amount the cutscenes, most with badly written and boring dialogs. The shortcuts in dialog system imply better quality of writing. Unfortunately, Bioware has failed this as there is hardly a handful of cutscenes which are able to make an impression on the player. It more looks like space soap opera, than AAA-movie.… Expand
  27. TezJaggs
    Mar 8, 2012
    0
    This game is a DISGRACE to the Mass Effect series and Bioware are a DISGRACE of a developer. They have totally ripped the RPG elements out of this game to make it a FLASHY BANG shooter for the ignorant mainstream and have betrayed their loyal fanbase. The dialogue with squad members all gets the Kasumi/Zaeed treatment which is a DISGRACE to RPG fans. All this series is now is a mediocreThis game is a DISGRACE to the Mass Effect series and Bioware are a DISGRACE of a developer. They have totally ripped the RPG elements out of this game to make it a FLASHY BANG shooter for the ignorant mainstream and have betrayed their loyal fanbase. The dialogue with squad members all gets the Kasumi/Zaeed treatment which is a DISGRACE to RPG fans. All this series is now is a mediocre third person shooter without ANY of the RPG elements that made this series successful. I absolutely hate Bioware now and will be boycotting them from now on. DO NOT BUY THIS GAME. The 'professional' critics have been bribed to give this game high scores. IT IS A DISGRACE TO RPG's.… Expand
  28. skulltac
    Mar 6, 2012
    1
    So is Bioware even trying anymore. This game really is just a letdown for me. I really enjoyed Mass Effect 1 a ton, but playing this game is really quite depressing. Everything seems just off. All of the animations are terrible, the voice acting is beyond horrendous. (Seriously I was cringing while listening to some parts.) And one of my biggest complaints is the release day DLC. What thatSo is Bioware even trying anymore. This game really is just a letdown for me. I really enjoyed Mass Effect 1 a ton, but playing this game is really quite depressing. Everything seems just off. All of the animations are terrible, the voice acting is beyond horrendous. (Seriously I was cringing while listening to some parts.) And one of my biggest complaints is the release day DLC. What that essentially means is that they have they content out and ready and it could've been on the disk but whatever I'm sure people would love to spend TEN DOLLARS for a new ending.

    Please don't waste your money on this game. It's almost as big of a let down as TOR which guess what. Was ruined by Bioware.    … Expand
  29. Biss
    Mar 28, 2012
    0
    What a sh**y ending. No chance of a good ending, even if you have make only correct choices over all 3 games. Bioware has lost all his skills. First gameplay and now storytelling. Nothing more is left of a once great development studio.
  30. Barazon
    Mar 8, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Forget most of the things that made the first game great and the second game decent. Gone is the excellent interaction with your squad (but you can improve it if you spend $200 on a Kinect!). The Tali reveal is just a photo on your desk, not an in-game character graphic showing her face. Instead of going with what made the series great, they're trying to catch the players who love first-person shooter multiplayer games, quick cash grabs with pay-for content on the release date, etc. Hey maybe they'll release some interaction with Tali without her suit if only you spend some extra $$$.

    I honestly don't know how Bioware became so disconnected from what has made their games great for the last 15 years. I've purchased and played almost every game that they've published: Baldur's Gate (1 and 2, plus expansions), Neverwinter Nights (1 and 2, and expansions), Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age (1 and 2, plus expansions), Mass Effect (1 and 2, plus expansions).

    I'm not saying they don't deserve to make money, but can they really be so clueless as to not realize how their longtime fans would react to pay-to-play content available on the release date of the game?! Releasing that content for free would have been the equivalent of free positive advertising, instead of the negativity that it did generate. Unless they remember what made their games great, and realize that making great games, first and foremost, will lead to great sales, I probably won't be playing any more of their games.    … 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

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.
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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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