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. PlanByHero
    Apr 26, 2012
    6
    LOVE the game! HATE the ending!

    There has to be more to it than what we're being told. The whole thing is so completely out of place in the context of the previous games that it has to be some sort of clever ploy by Bioware so they can spring some DLC with the real ending. If this is the actual ending then it's an absolute disgrace and a complete slap in the face for fans. If & when they    LOVE the game! HATE the ending!

    There has to be more to it than what we're being told. The whole thing is so completely out of place in the context of the previous games that it has to be some sort of clever ploy by Bioware so they can spring some DLC with the real ending.

    If this is the actual ending then it's an absolute disgrace and a complete slap in the face for fans. If & when they fix the ending I'll adjust my score.    … Expand
  2. greywolf00
    Jan 6, 2013
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Been a long time fan of the series but I feel this is by far the worst of the trilogy. I'd give it a 6.5 if I could. Spoilers below but will try to keep it vague.

    Pros: Felt like they did a good job building up to an epic conclusion.
    A lot of dialogue and the decision about the genophage was the hardest decision I had in the series.
    For me, ending did a good job tugging on emotions.

    Cons: They completely killed any meaning behind choices. Choices from previous games are whittled down to very small/short parts which are then boiled down to a readiness number for ending purposes.
    In the end you really realize there was no purpose behind any choice.
    Ending does a poor job of wrapping up the series and really felt flat.    … Expand
  3. Rexnos
    Mar 15, 2012
    6
    It's really unfortunate that Bioware decided to end their series like this. As enjoyable as the first 2/3rds of the game was, it will only be remembered for its WTF ending. The coop was also a solid addition in my opinion. I'd love to see more horde modes with RPG mechanics.
  4. ChriM3
    Mar 16, 2012
    6
    I am a huge fan of Sci-fi and RPGs, but this one is such a boring experience...can't believe it got a great score by all critics.
    It's a full load of cinematics (which can't even be skipped) and then when you finally get to play, you have to do always the same old stuff you did in ME1 and ME2 over and over again.
    Played for 5 hours and don't know if I wanna play it again...pure boredom :(
  5. TheTelePlus
    Apr 22, 2012
    6
    Coming into ME3 I was very much expecting a car crash, an unplayable, uninteresting mess not even worth my time. I guess that shows you really can't trust either end of the spectrum these days, Critics were praising it as the second coming of the Christ where as the vast majority of fans were claiming it was the worst game since Superman64. In reality ME3 is neither of these. Where as ME1Coming into ME3 I was very much expecting a car crash, an unplayable, uninteresting mess not even worth my time. I guess that shows you really can't trust either end of the spectrum these days, Critics were praising it as the second coming of the Christ where as the vast majority of fans were claiming it was the worst game since Superman64. In reality ME3 is neither of these. Where as ME1 was an RPG that felt like a bad TPS and ME2 was just plain bad ME3 strikes the perfect balance between being an RPG and TPS, significantly more weapons and armour than ME2 also offer some nice replay value for completionists looking to collect everything. Unfortunately the story seems to have gotten worse in pretty much every way conceivable, sure there are some great scenes that tap into the ME1 and to a lesser extent ME2 nostalgia but they're just that, scenes. ME3 has the least amount of interactive conversations of the entire series, which just plain sucks. Most scenes play out similar to the Normandy conversations with Zaeed in ME2, the frequency of these is kind of annoying when you look back at ME1 which had an abundance of in-depth conversations with most of the throw-away characters, this in conjunction with it's terrible, terrible ending mean it's hard to recommend ME3 to fans of the series and really there are a great deal more, and better story driven TPS out there if you're coming to ME3 for a shooter. Then there's the multiplayer, let me sum up the multiplayer with a single clause. The multiplayer clearly detracted from the quality of the single-player and ME3 would have been a better game had it not existed. Overall It's hard to recommend ME3 to anyone, it relies too heavily on series nostalgia to be enjoyable for people looking to get into the series this late and isn't a particularly great shooter either. ME3 is one of the most severe cases of wasted potential I've seen in a while. Mediocre at best - 6/10… Expand
  6. Notv
    Mar 6, 2012
    6
    Bioware has done it again. The mediocrity and senselessness of the series has been revamped in order to attract the CoD audience. In this they probably succeeded. Unfortunately the graphics area diamond dozen. It is a doggy dog world when the reapers win at the end, leading to a crippling defeat of your entire crew. Scattered across the universe or committing suicide, Shepard has noBioware has done it again. The mediocrity and senselessness of the series has been revamped in order to attract the CoD audience. In this they probably succeeded. Unfortunately the graphics area diamond dozen. It is a doggy dog world when the reapers win at the end, leading to a crippling defeat of your entire crew. Scattered across the universe or committing suicide, Shepard has no choice but to do the best he can and end the game before Bioware tries to create another sequel. He commits shamefur Dispray by not doing much in the game and instead focusing on the tacked on multi-player portion and the tablet applications sold separate.

    Overall a fantastic way to waste some time and money. If you are one gamers who use Facebook, Reddit, 9gag, Something Awful, or Twitter, get this game. You will not regret it.    … Expand
  7. YavuzSelim
    Mar 10, 2012
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I really liked the game until the last 15 minutes.The last 15 minute of the game wasn't about the story It was about a crazy alliance soldier seeing a dead child.The endings were worse.I liked the gameplay of deus ex human revolution but it's end really disturb me.And Mass Effect 3's ending wasn't so different there were 3 endings and you are supposed to choose one of them.That wasn't mass effect series system and that's why I liked these games but now it's just another game for me… Expand
  8. Zigalicious
    Mar 7, 2012
    6
    The 3rd and final chapter in the Mass Effect series has some great scenery, outstanding combat lifted from part 2 and a decent, if cliched story but is marred by day one DLC(are you kidding me?) stunted facial animations and decisions that mean much less in this game than they did in the previous two. It still stands as a decent Bioware title, but you will be thinking the entire timeThe 3rd and final chapter in the Mass Effect series has some great scenery, outstanding combat lifted from part 2 and a decent, if cliched story but is marred by day one DLC(are you kidding me?) stunted facial animations and decisions that mean much less in this game than they did in the previous two. It still stands as a decent Bioware title, but you will be thinking the entire time that it could have been a little bit better.… Expand
  9. jamofalifetime
    Mar 7, 2012
    6
    The past year has not been of Bioware's finest. Dragon Age 2 and The Old Republic were both slated to be AAA titles and had some commercial success, but felt to me rather lackluster overall. Mass Effect 3 has proved to be just as lackluster. Whether it's the poorly decided business choice of adding day one DLC or the glaringly obvious retcons, it's hard to find much good to say aboutThe past year has not been of Bioware's finest. Dragon Age 2 and The Old Republic were both slated to be AAA titles and had some commercial success, but felt to me rather lackluster overall. Mass Effect 3 has proved to be just as lackluster. Whether it's the poorly decided business choice of adding day one DLC or the glaringly obvious retcons, it's hard to find much good to say about Mass Effect 3. The gameplay mechanics are much smoother and the multiplayer helps keep this game from getting too negative a review. It's not terrible, but a rather average effort.… Expand
  10. SierraTango
    Mar 8, 2012
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Graphics: 9/10
    Controls:9/10
    Replay: 9/10
    Story: 5/10

    I've played every ME since it came out back in '07. I remember buying the collectors edition when I was a senior in high school and putting more time into that game than Oblivion. I am truly invested in the series and have likened it to the star wars of my time. Now, as a senior in college, I've spent far more hours than I should have replaying both to truly get the fullest experience I can out of this series. I love each character and have never been more connected to these fictional individuals. This is the first time I've ever written a review on any game, usually I don't have the time for it. This game has really given me mixed emotions. Those of you who have completed the game understand where most of the anger is coming from, but all have to agree that overall it is a great capstone to a groundbreaking series. The graphics are crisp, controls are far tighter than that of ME 1 or 2, and most of the story is rock solid. My first major disappointment with the game was my inability to have my custom character properly port into ME 3. I had the same character, whose appearance I agonized over in ME 1, since the beginning and was hugely let down by this bug. Hopefully Bioware will find a fix, but its a poor way to initially start. Everything else is great as I stated above, but when that final 10 minutes roles through I was speechless. A game that I invested alot of time and energy in left me with mixed emotions when the credits rolled. My character maintained a LI with Ashley from the first game, something I was hugely excited for. I wanted to see this relationship evolve and grow and it did for the most part. The end threw this completely out the window. I have no knowledge of what happened to her or any of my other squad-mates, just a lack luster CGI video that's 90% the same, with minor endings (that last couple of seconds is wonderful if you get the perfect ending), but its anticlimactic. I'm not a juvenile so I don't expect happy endings, but closure would be nice. I'd be fine if Shepard, whose life I sculpted over 3 games and had the privilege to be involved in, lived or died. Its just upsetting that 3 ridiculous decisions that came way out of left field serve as the ending. For those few who read this completely just know that you should most certainly play the game. Its a treasure and one of the most powerful media experiences I've had short of the Terminator 2 ending (haha). Don't let that last five minutes dissuade you from enjoying the fruits of your labor, as Bioware ties up just about everything very well. Thane's story was quite touching as was Legion's and most assuredly Mordin. The memorial wall in the Normandy is also a nice touch. But please, if someone from Bioware reads this, or if someone else sees this, know that the ending greatly disappointed me. Instead of being an end, clear cut, it left me with more questions and over analysis. Overall its a wonderful game, but it seems that those story leaks earlier in the development phase really took a toll. It really seems like the ending was just thrown in there as a quick fix. Good gaming everyone and thanks for reading one guy's opinion.    … Expand
  11. animalrat
    Mar 9, 2012
    6
    The game simply falls short of expectation. If ME3 was a standalone game, it would be deserving of an 8 or 9, but Bioware had many reusable assets from the previous two games (engine, textures, character models, etc.), and it felt like all they did was add new dialogue to complete the trilogy. - Huge plot holes from the beginning
    - $10 DLC that's worth about $2 and should have been    The game simply falls short of expectation. If ME3 was a standalone game, it would be deserving of an 8 or 9, but Bioware had many reusable assets from the previous two games (engine, textures, character models, etc.), and it felt like all they did was add new dialogue to complete the trilogy. - Huge plot holes from the beginning
    - $10 DLC that's worth about $2 and should have been included with the game
    - Lack of character depth left me not caring about deaths
    - Reaper interaction was extremely limited
    - The galaxy, citadel, and things to do felt smaller than the previous games
    - 26 hours including DLC, side missions, and war assets

    This game could have been a lot more. I'm not hating on the series. I loved it as a whole, but the final installment left me feeling indifferent and was not the climactic ending I was anticipating. Perhaps I let the hype build my expectations too high, but I think it has more to do with the game being stripped of mechanics with each installment and publishers wanting to crank out profits every 1-2 years rather than letting developers invest time on quality.    … Expand
  12. Ticklefist
    Mar 13, 2012
    6
    Great and amazing game until the last 10 minutes. This isn't fan rage. It's simply a warning. You won't understand what everyone was complaining about until it's too late. The real tragedy is that Mass Effect 1 and 2 get caught in the blast wave and become worse games in the process.
  13. osimandias
    Mar 10, 2012
    6
    The Game is disappointment. This concerns poor writing, dialogue, robotic delivery of lines. You are funneled though the game; the sense of important choices from 1 and 2 is gone, which invalidates those two superb games. The combat is also not well done; even if it resembles 2 it is much more random, the enemies are attacking in hordes and show incredibly poor AI, the one thing that makesThe Game is disappointment. This concerns poor writing, dialogue, robotic delivery of lines. You are funneled though the game; the sense of important choices from 1 and 2 is gone, which invalidates those two superb games. The combat is also not well done; even if it resembles 2 it is much more random, the enemies are attacking in hordes and show incredibly poor AI, the one thing that makes them dangerous is their sheer number and power bar. They also get boring fast (A million husks! Incredible!) Somehow, maybe due to poor mixture of reload times and squad reaction, the combat itself does not work very well, 2 was way better and did not have this crappy balancing of powers and weight of weapons. The overall sense I get from this very dissappointing third entry is that its rushed and heartless, it showcases violence and sexuality in a way thats obnoxious and caters to the casual player. All in all this is not worth buying, the one thing that saves it is the high production values (though wasted) and sheer spectacle of it. This is what Matrix Revolutions was for the Matrix Trilogy: It forgets about 1, ridicules 2 by ignoring any plot points made in it and thus renders the whole series ineffective. I still hope I will wake up, Mass Effect 3 will be coming out tomorrow and be good. But it really is not; and its not because of trolling but because it is a mediocre title. Sad decline!… Expand
  14. Ziggs14
    Mar 11, 2012
    6
    True Mass Effect fan here. The Mass Effect series has been about three things for these past few years 1. a climactic battle with the reapers 2. character involvement and attachment and 3. Choice and knowing that those choices mattered and during the first 40 hours of game play this is EXTREMELY true and amazing. I was sitting on the 8.5-9 rating range as you unite the galaxy under aTrue Mass Effect fan here. The Mass Effect series has been about three things for these past few years 1. a climactic battle with the reapers 2. character involvement and attachment and 3. Choice and knowing that those choices mattered and during the first 40 hours of game play this is EXTREMELY true and amazing. I was sitting on the 8.5-9 rating range as you unite the galaxy under a singular purpose the adrenaline and almost pride you feel as an organic defying a set cycle of thousands of years and fighting the reapers planet to planet seeing the loss and sacrifice and desperate tooth and nail efforts of the galaxy to fight back....It was AMAZING and I congratulate Bioware on making that amazing effort...then I hit the final 20 minutes of the game and the game does a complete 180 degree turn and it goes against EVERYTHING I had just said previous, you are treated with a 5 minute space battle, not knowing what is going on just fighting through a linear path with no choice and at the end you are treated with three choices and I will tell you now, they are all very nearly a color palette swap and that is it. The choices you have made in previous games and this one are made completely and utterly irrelevant. And it leaves you in a dark place with many a more questions and no answers. To clarify Mass Effect 3 is an amazing game if you don't know the story and are just looking for an action game that has great story elements. But if you are a true Mass Effect fan like myself I implore you to stop playing when the ending sequence is started and make your own ending in your head it's the only way you will find closure. My character was was Justin Shepard a powerful vanguard who was fearless and would have gone down fighting next to his friends rather than cop out for the easy way. He deserves better, MASS EFFECT deserves better.… Expand
  15. mattsearle1897
    Mar 11, 2012
    6
    ME3 is an amazing game, it has great graphics and the best combat in the games so far, it delivers on every front, the build up to the final battle provides some of he best story in any game i have ever played. However! the ending to the game is possibly the most anti climactic in a game ever! It feels very streamlined and like a gloryfied quick time event. And out of the 3 choices you canME3 is an amazing game, it has great graphics and the best combat in the games so far, it delivers on every front, the build up to the final battle provides some of he best story in any game i have ever played. However! the ending to the game is possibly the most anti climactic in a game ever! It feels very streamlined and like a gloryfied quick time event. And out of the 3 choices you can make you get pretty much the same ending, each is possibly more depressing than a news report about some child being killed! its that bad! The whole game would have been the best experiance of my life (Better than sex! ;) hehe) but the ending made me feel like id just wasted the 3 days it took me to complete every mission and then the time i spent on the suprisingly good multiplayer trying to increase my readiness for the final battle, it made me feel hollow and empty inside and the real reviewers are making up crap, maby they've been paid off or sumin, but the game offers no closure im still wondering what happend to the normandy crew as the clip they show you is just about as understandable as someone tripping on LSD! all in all just because of 2 scenes in the game it has gone from a 10 to a 6! also, very few of your choices in previous games have any affect aside from one or two cameos, Bioware lied! i would still highly recomend this game as the journy to the final battle is better than any of the other two games but the last moments ruin the mass effect universe for everyone If you want a better ending read this and post it everywhere you can so bioware will take notice! http://social.bioware.com/1183972/polls/29101/… Expand
  16. Knjo0101
    Mar 11, 2012
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I gave this game a mixed review because it left me with mixed feelings the ending left a sour taste in my mouth. The combat in this game is relatively unchanged from the second. Many people complained that the choices made in the previous games are not well fleshed out in this game. That is somewhat true. If you did not save the council they are not present. If you killed Wrex on Virmire he is still dead in this game. Most of the characters from mass effect 2 make only a cameo appearance in this game which I though was somewhat of a let down. If you choose to have a romance option with characters in Mass Effect 2 (such as Miranda) and continue them in mass effect 3 they feel less that satisfying. If you continue with characters who are in this game such as Kaidan, Ashley or Liara they are much better. So to sum it choices from the other games matter is some areas and not so much in others which is part of my mixed feelings for the game. I did not think the graphics where all that bad, but some of the animations were terrible. For example watch Shepard puch Khalisa-al-Jilani for the third time in the Tabloid Journalism segment. That was a horrible animation and just one of a few. The other thing I do not understand is making Shepard gay. I know they probably did this for politically correct reasons and that fine I guess, but when he was not gay in the previous 2 games and they decide to just all of sudden let him decide he or she is gay in this game does not make a shred of sense. Mutilplayer is for the first time is an option and is not really a make or break deal for me. It is somewhat of a toned down version of horde mode on gears of war. You must survive waves of enemies with intermittent objective in some rounds to earn credits. They can be used to purchase packs which contain items, weapons, or other characters that can be unlocked to play as. It is actually a fun option to play multiplayer to see how some of the other classes play, and it is fun to play as other races for once. Overall the multiplayer is a way to boost your "galatic readiness." rating which can help to achieve a better ending. Its simple and fun but is not required to get a better ending so I was ok with having the option in the game. Now for the story of the game itself. For the most part it is fun helping solve the different political turmoils of the other races of the galaxy in an effort to take back earth and rid the galaxy of the reapers and there cycle of harvesting life every 50,000 or so years which was the theme of the entire game. Rallying your allies and fighting the reapers along the way seems like it is building towards an epic conclusion. The dialog and other scenes along the way I felt helped to convey the moral turmoil of just how grim the situation was for the entire galaxy. Completing these sequences and doing sidequets boosts effective military strength which(EMS) which can bemodified to be higher if you play mutiplayer. Sidequests in this game are underwhelming compared to the other games though. Fetch quests essentially. Once you get to the ending there is very little to be happy about though. The last 10 mins of the game are horrible. Supposedly there is up to 17 endings but they all revolve around one of three choices you must make. Destroy the reapers, control them, or sythesize with them. Dues Ex rip off anyone? once you make your choice the very short cut scenes vary slightly depending on your total EMS. The explanation for the reapers is also stupid. They are a race of all powerful hybrid synthetic and organic beings sent every 50,000 years to harvest advanced life to prevent it from creating synthetic life that will overtake organic life. By harvesting advanced organic life it ascends to an advanced organic existence as a reaper and ultimately saves organic life in the process? Really? How did your Normandy allies back on this ship crash landed on a some jungle planet after you activate the catalyst? The endings are so confusing and offer little variance. Previous choices seem to matter none. Why were the mass relays destoryed? What happens to everyone because of that? I would have loved to have seen what happens with Shepard and his or her love interest and the other races of the galaxy There is so much thats is bad and confusing about this ending and it is filled with plot holes. To be honest I would have preferred a good happy ending where Shepard settle down and lives out his or her life as hero. This is like what if the lord of the rings just ended with Sam and Frodo swallowed up by lava and the fate of everyone that helped them is left in limbo and they said the end. That is essentially what you get here. There is a hint if you had a high enough EMS the Shepard is still alive if you choose destroy option which I hope they expand on to fix the crappy ending to this game. This would have been a 9 if not for the bad confusing ending.… Expand
  17. RGM79
    Mar 12, 2012
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I want to start off by saying that I really enjoyed the game for the most part. But there were some mistakes made, so I'm going to talk about what I liked AND what I didn't like. There are SPOILERS in this review.

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

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

    The glaring flaw? Remember Fallout 3, where you died of radiation poisoning when someone immune to radiation was in your party? Same thing here. When the Catalyst goes all "Yo dawg, I heard you donâ    … Expand
  18. Truthful_Gamer
    Mar 13, 2012
    6
    I'm at the end of the game, and the frustration is overwhelming. My squad mates are so stupid they couldn't fight their way out of a wet paper bag. Even though I'm manually telling them to use their abilities.

    One hit kills abound from the reaper nearby, or the many banshees that close in on me because my squad keeps going down. And I'm playing on normal. The combat has been modified,    I'm at the end of the game, and the frustration is overwhelming. My squad mates are so stupid they couldn't fight their way out of a wet paper bag. Even though I'm manually telling them to use their abilities.

    One hit kills abound from the reaper nearby, or the many banshees that close in on me because my squad keeps going down. And I'm playing on normal. The combat has been modified, they may call it improved but it's a poor attempt at "Gearsifying" Mass Effect. Shep is now one of the clunkiest characters i've ever played, but BioWare seemed to think the new abilities of diving around and swat turns make him capable of taking down multiple Geth Primes in close quarters, or multiple Phantoms with Nemisis support without breaking a sweat. What i'm trying to convey here is that BioWare have overestimated their combat tweaks. I'm playing as an engineer, using my abilities as much and as tactical as I did during the first two games, but it's making no difference. My sister is playing as a soldier class, she is finding it much easier, which leads me to believe this game is tailored for action. Not RPG. And i've finished the first two on insanity, so I know it's not my skill that's the problem here, just that I appear to be playing with the wrong character.

    Dialogue options are minimal. Your limited to saying pretty much what the writers want you to say. Your choices from the previous games amount to very little. I should have known this was going to be hugely dissapointing when I went to import my character and I received the error that my facial data could not be recognised. Seriously, that should have been sorted out early on in development. It's what Mass Effect is about, "your" Shepard, "your" choices. Some choices did carry through, with pleasing effects, but others were just worthless. I saw very little to do with homosexuality in this game, though I have NO problem with homosexuality. So there is little to worry about for the homophobes out there. There was one character, and I liked him. You may not, but then you don't have to speak to him if you don't want to. Another thing with squad mate interaction is there are a lot of instances of conversations like the ones you had with Zaeed, where you'll press A to talk but they just say "good to see you", but even worse is they'll have full conversations with you, you dont choose what you say, you just have a pre-destined converation. Like with Zaeed. This will happen more than you'd like.

    And don't get me started on that hideously cliched Cerberus assasin. At least killing that Jackass was satisfying.

    Overall A clunky action game, which may be enjoyed by newcomers to the series. For the followers this game may enrage you. I'll leave you with this piece of dialog from the game. Tali: I love you. Shepard: Keela se'lai. Really? How about a simple "I love you too"?    … Expand
  19. fitscotgaymer
    Mar 13, 2012
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game... It is easiily a solid 8.5/9 for me as it goes, at least up until you hit the last 20 to 30 minutes of the game and it quite literally all falls apart. The game itself:- The combat mechanics are a lot more shootery than I am used to but still fun and enjoyable, and they feel like a natural evolution. The dialogue and interactions with NPCs is deep, rewarding, and emotive IMO (I totally fell in love with Kaidan all over again, and the game made me really miss Ashley too). And the locations like the Citadel feel bigger, more live a the massive places they are supposed to be. The graphics are decently done (though not fantastic). And the quests and storyline while on the short side is solidly done. And then we hit that ending. An ending so horrific that I couldn't face doing another playthru (importing my other 5 Shepards into the game. An ending filled with plot holes so big you could fly a house through them. I was critical of Dragon Age 2's ending, but at least it was coherent and made sense even if it wasn't great; this ending is just an incoherent nonsensical mess. The ending quite literally ruined the game for me, ruined the trilogy for me. It's that bad. It's that bad that it doesn't just ruin the game or the trilogy, but it literally destroys the whole franchise's future. It literally ends all galactic civilization with no clear reason for it. It felt like Bioware was taking out their anger about the game/script being leaked on the fanbase, and giving us a giant F'U with this ending. I don't mind at all that Shepard had to die, to be honest I kind of expected that he wouldn't make it out of the trilogy alive. But to destroy all galactic civilization too? And as a consequence the whole franchise? It boggles my mind. I can't in good concience give this game any more than what I gave DA2 (a 7 btw), just because of this appalling ending.… Expand
  20. hungryfellow
    Mar 15, 2012
    6
    It may as well have been the best game I have ever played in my life and I have been gaming all my life. Everything they do is PERFECT... until the last 10 minutes. The last 10-15min of the game is the thing I have ever come across in gaming it takes the greatest series of all time(in my mind) and just runs all 3 games into the ground for no apparent reason. Bioware has lied to andIt may as well have been the best game I have ever played in my life and I have been gaming all my life. Everything they do is PERFECT... until the last 10 minutes. The last 10-15min of the game is the thing I have ever come across in gaming it takes the greatest series of all time(in my mind) and just runs all 3 games into the ground for no apparent reason. Bioware has lied to and now turned on their fans who only ever truly cared about the ME series. DO NOT BUY THIS GAME WHATEVER YOU DO UNTIL... Bioware undoes the mistakes they made with the ending. Please don't pay them to screw over their fans.
    Thanks you everyone. :D    … Expand
  21. unknownhero1123
    Mar 15, 2012
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. In general Mass Effect 3 is a good game. However static journal entries, day one DLC that contained a very important lore character, and an ending that leaves questions without answers ruins this game. The ending is the major flaw in the game as it makes any choice you made during the whole trilogy void not to mention it's plot-hole heavy. you won't feel like making another playthrough after you beat the game for the first time.… Expand
  22. JBurnes3
    Mar 16, 2012
    6
    In a sense this game is like you're on a roller-coaster and at the end your feet catch a wire somewhere and get cut off. It was fun right there till the end, and now you're just like f*** that s***. Other than the ending my biggest complaint about this game is that they totally screwed up the "Mission Journal" (those of you that have played know what I'm talking about), however that canIn a sense this game is like you're on a roller-coaster and at the end your feet catch a wire somewhere and get cut off. It was fun right there till the end, and now you're just like f*** that s***. Other than the ending my biggest complaint about this game is that they totally screwed up the "Mission Journal" (those of you that have played know what I'm talking about), however that can be overlooked. Other than that the only thing left to complain about is how much less dialog choices there are compared to previous games, but I can overlook that too given how good the game is other than the ending(of course). There's more things I could complain about, but after that it's just more being nit-picky than anything else.

    Also contrary to popular opinion the day-one DLC is not actually crucial to the game, it certainly adds to the experience, but it needs to be criticized for being overpriced more than anything else.

    In summarization: the game is almost a masterpiece up until the surprise Cleveland Steamer you get at the end.    … Expand
  23. Kyriene
    Mar 19, 2012
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the game until about the last 20 minutes to hour. The action kept me right on the edge of my seat, the entire game was an emotional roller coaster. The game had me laughing until I could not breathe and turning around and bawling like a baby. I really could not have asked for a better game for the ending of this series.

    Then I got to the end of the game. I was prepared for an epic battle against the Reapers, I got a rainbow choice. None of the 'choices' presented to me were in anyway true to Commander Shepard, at least not the Commander Shepard that I came to know and love through three games. Though in the end there was really only a single choice with three different flavors.

    Now a lot of people think I am unhappy because I didn't get a 'happy' ending, or was unhappy getting a 'bittersweet' ending. That could not be further from the truth. I expected a bittersweet ending, where you had to choose between saving most people and saving Shepard, or Shepard's friends. I was expecting there to be hard choices, as there had been through out the previous games. I expected that if I didn't manage to have done everything right through the three games, I would have problems at the end. I fully expected to have to sacrifice my Shepard for the good of everyone. I hoped there would be a way for Shepard to live and go about her/his way with LI and friends, but I was never counting on that.

    What I never wanted to see, was the circular logic that the Reapers became, an AI god child controlling everything. The Galaxy set back at least decades, more like centuries, with the destruction of the Relays. I surely never thought I would see Shepard's crew leave her/him and run away, getting marooned on some planet we have no idea where. All in all the game was a 10/10 the ending killed that for me. I really wish Bioware had thought that out more than they did. I hope they will think things further through and do right by their fans and at least add explanations to the rainbow.

    Thanks.    … Expand
  24. wizark
    Mar 21, 2012
    6
    In one word: disappointing. Where to even start with this game? I went into it still riding high on the fond memories of Mass Effect 1 and 2, expecting the advertised "spectacular conclusion to the series", but what I got fell terribly short. Honestly, I had to give this game as much as a 6 purely for the stunning graphics, it looks amazing. The storytelling is pretty bad, characters go toIn one word: disappointing. Where to even start with this game? I went into it still riding high on the fond memories of Mass Effect 1 and 2, expecting the advertised "spectacular conclusion to the series", but what I got fell terribly short. Honestly, I had to give this game as much as a 6 purely for the stunning graphics, it looks amazing. The storytelling is pretty bad, characters go to severe waste, and the whole thing is incredibly dumbed down from the RPG that Mass Effect 1 was. First off: dialogue. Throughout most of the game, I felt like my dialogue options were limited to "say X or say X while sounding a little more like jerk." There was hardly a decision to be made here. Apart from the limited options, the dialogue its self was poor. I thought I was playing a game based on my character's choices, but more often than not , Shepard took off on his own little non-interactive cutscenes with other characters. I'm sure many of us remember being disappointed with the way we could interact with the DLC squad mates (Kasumi/Zaeed) on the Normandy. In ME3, that's pretty much the way it works with everyone. You don't enter into conversations with them, you don't get to investigate any of their stuff in their rooms even. Shepard just stands there and talks to them in pre-done conversations on his own. Lame. I guess Bioware seemed to think that Shepard had grown a mind of his/her own and didn't need any input from the player. Past decisions were factored in minimally I felt, plot holes all around, things just happen and there's no real feeling of meaning to them. I know there's a galaxy wide war for survival going on, but that doesn't mean everyone in the galaxy is just going to change and roll along with it for you. Come on Bioware, are you even trying anymore? Oh, and Tali's "gift", seriously?… Expand
  25. Segameister
    Mar 28, 2012
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. First off, I'm definitely a Fanboy of Mass Effect - FOR NOW. I'm desperately holding out hope that the ending changes or at least gives a decent option that is truer to Shepard's character and the series, as that will be the ONLY WAY that Bioware gets more of my $$ in the future. It completely fails on both fronts. I'm still replaying the game and really enjoying the multiplayer, but that ending really damages the series. Outside of the ending. The graphics and cutscenes on the Xbox look fantast and run very smoothly. The (shooter) gameplay is the best of the series, and while I like that the mining from ME2 was replaced with scanning in ME3, too many of the extra missions can be resolved by simply scanning the systems and avoiding reapers. In the end it shortens gameplay and is too cookie cutter. Up until the last scene and the 'vanilla' ending options, even the story was true to what the other games in the series offered for depth, although the Edi / Jeff thing felt rushed (better writing needed there), the rest of the game is geat storywise. Downside: the ending of a trilogy of this caliber is an abomination to the concept of writing. Don't let Bioware defense fool you, this ending is not 'artistic'. Artistic license should not be used as an excuse for making such a terrible ending.

    Overall though, this game doesn't rate a 1 or 2 / 10. The strengths put it up to a 6. I wouldn't recommend rushing out and buying it just yet if you were waiting. Let the price go down first.    … Expand
  26. Jayosh
    Apr 12, 2012
    6
    Mass Effect has been an extremely amazing series, and Bioware hyped this game as the extremely exciting climax to the series. I think they deliver to a certain degree. I want to praise the actual combat in this game and even though people are whining about the lack of RPG elements I do think it's still a very fun system. It also does a really good task at dealing with a lot of theMass Effect has been an extremely amazing series, and Bioware hyped this game as the extremely exciting climax to the series. I think they deliver to a certain degree. I want to praise the actual combat in this game and even though people are whining about the lack of RPG elements I do think it's still a very fun system. It also does a really good task at dealing with a lot of the perpetual issues presented in both 1 and 2 (Krogan genophage, Geth quarian relationship, etc.). I would want to get the game after reading what I said its just, so half finished. No clue how Bioware put so little work into this game and still took so long. There are some GREAT story missions, very exciting. It's just everything else is so rushed. This game fails to appease the newcomers of the series and even the veterans who love this series with a burning passion. Interested in this game? Play Mass Effect 1 & 2 they are great games. I would recommend this game but be aware of what EA did to destroy one of my favorite franchises.… Expand
  27. MentalKase6288
    Apr 14, 2012
    6
    Overall I give the 6 and here is why:

    Story: Excellent! Well up until the last 10min. Pretty much when you play this game and you meet the glowing child. Just restart your Xbox and you won't have the fanchise ruined. Gameplay: Good. Single Player: The power combinations come in handy for some of the more difficult enemies. Still don't care about the limited ammo becuase it goes    Overall I give the 6 and here is why:

    Story: Excellent! Well up until the last 10min. Pretty much when you play this game and you meet the glowing child. Just restart your Xbox and you won't have the fanchise ruined.

    Gameplay: Good. Single Player: The power combinations come in handy for some of the more difficult enemies. Still don't care about the limited ammo becuase it goes against the first game, exploration was significantly reduced. Miss some of the puzzle games that were introduced to in the last game (ME2). Also you seem to need to switch between disc a lot more than in Mass Effect 2

    Multiplayer: Fun. No PvP, all PvE. Focus's on teamwork. Biggest complaint is the "Store". All new characters and weapons are random with different pack just increasing your odds. Unfortunately you don't know what items, weapons or characters are Common, Uncommon, Rare, or Ultra Rare.

    Bugs: A few but Significant

    Most notable the face import issue for characters created in Mass Effect 1 and 2. None of my characters faces I generated imported into Mass Effect 3. Even post patch, just released 4/11, imported in properly. Many gamer have experienced items being re-lock in multiplayer and game freezes.

    This game is a must play but not necessarily a must buy for the casual gamer.    … Expand
  28. MrDaikon
    Apr 28, 2012
    6
    I expect more from this game ... being the final game in the series and all.. It was good until half way in and it seems like they recycle the same setup over and overall again, throwing in a banshee here and there. I didn't expect the game to take in all the decision and choices from the last 2 game, but to randomly throw email and phone-calls from past members is lazy. At least giveI expect more from this game ... being the final game in the series and all.. It was good until half way in and it seems like they recycle the same setup over and overall again, throwing in a banshee here and there. I didn't expect the game to take in all the decision and choices from the last 2 game, but to randomly throw email and phone-calls from past members is lazy. At least give me a scene where all my buddies and I run into the battlefield together. Being in a galactic war, the battle certainly didn't feel like it. still the same skirmish battles and is anything but epic. And there is no need for me to talk about the ending :(… Expand
  29. shachenau
    Apr 29, 2012
    6
    The gameplay itself is a vast improvement on its predecessors, keeping the actiony flow of Mass Effect 2 while both bringing back the more in-depth RPG elements of the first Mass Effect and relaxing some of the series' questionable class-based weapon restrictions. It is long, and for the most part, it is enjoyable, with a surprisingly well-implemented multiplayer facet that is vaguelyThe gameplay itself is a vast improvement on its predecessors, keeping the actiony flow of Mass Effect 2 while both bringing back the more in-depth RPG elements of the first Mass Effect and relaxing some of the series' questionable class-based weapon restrictions. It is long, and for the most part, it is enjoyable, with a surprisingly well-implemented multiplayer facet that is vaguely reminiscent of Payday: The Heist. These technical improvements do not stop it from being the weakest and least inspiring installation of the series, however, decorating its plot with a slew of empty "consequences" of actions past and its exploration with an absence of content-- Mako exploration was ill-received, and planet-scanning was ill-received, but instead of attempting a compromise or a new system, exploration was mostly rendered inconsequential. The Citadel remains the only re-visitable area of interest, while galactic exploration is turned into a mild annoyance and the rest of the explorable galaxy is turned into setpieces. There is one critical mistake made in this game, and that is that the integrity of the gameplay was sacrificed for the integrity of the setting and plot. The steps taken to make the Reapers feel like an actual threat simply serve to make various segments of the game annoying at best and frustrating at worst. Players invested in the first two games have a pretty substantial likelihood of being frustrated and upset by Bioware's insistence on compromising the more rewarding aspects of decision-making and exploration in exchange for a more "believable" setting, improved combat being the only net positive of this trilogy-ender.… Expand
  30. Exo212
    May 13, 2012
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. In all honesty, Mass Effect wasn't exactly the game it could have been. After creating to previous games, Bioware seemed to stop trying with the third. the only reason this isn't a five is that they brought Liara back. She was always a very engaging character with many dimensions, unlike Kaiden who only seemed to be a "canadian man-hunk" and Ash who was more the "Gun-babe". The non-cinematic cut-scenes left much to be desired, with frequent glitches such as my favorite-"the invisible eyelid"... you just can't engage in the emotion of a scene when you can see the entirety of someone's eyeball... In addition, none of the choices made in ME3 seem to make any difference, beyond how many "color-choices" you get at the end. It was gratifying to see how choices in previous games affected ME3, but the perceived *lack* of choice in the third game is infuriating, and the lack of follow-up from your choices beyond the color of a galaxy-wide explosion gains the ire of me and many more fans of the series. Highly disappointing, but I shouldn't have been surprised when I saw Dragon Age 2, but I thought that was a one-time thing... now I'm not so sure.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
93

Universal acclaim - based on 74 Critic Reviews

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