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. mrbeavis19
    Mar 12, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I didn't come here to flame. I don't want to rant. I just...I don't really know what to say. I'm hurt, I'm disappointed, and I wish desperately that the game could have ended any other way. Everything else about the game and the series was quite simply, amazing...but the end.

    To say it leaves a bitter taste in your mouth is an understatement. As a fan of the series since the moment I picked up the xbox controller and started playing Mass Effect back in 2007, I really just can't feel anything but dissatisfied. Mass Effect was and still is my favorite game of all time. Mass Effect 2, less so (removal of many RPG elements, etc.) but that aside, Mass Effect 3 rekindled my hope that the series may end on a high note after all. The whole theme of the story was hope and survival. To fight, or find another way when there seemed to be no other option. So when the ending of it all boiled down to 3 horrible choices, I was crushed.

    There were so many moments in this game that made me feel something. Made me feel connected to the characters. Whether it was the depth of Shepard's love for Liara, his brotherly comradery and heart-to-hearts with Garrus and Kaidan, or his hatred for Kei Leng and the utter crushing blow of the defeat at Thessia, I felt something. And the dream sequences! They were a beautiful and haunting representation of what the stress must have been on Shepard. But through it all, there was emotional attachment and investment. I felt connected to Shepard. I was vicariously saving the galaxy. As a game design student, I can't overstate how incredible that is. That I became so attached to these characters, to this galaxy, so invested in this game. It was nothing short of incredible, but the same cannot be said for the ending. The ending made me feel too. It made me feel sick. I felt physically ill from the moment Shepard was blasted by Harbinger to the very end of the game. All that hope and sheer force of will...for what? For Shepard to just die like that? He deserves better. The galaxy deserves better. But he stands. He's still alive, if barely. There's still hope right? Then the Marauder. They're just toying with me now. Drawing out this agony. Why?! Then the Citadel. Anderson. I almost had to expect that to happen. I can accept it with a heavy heart. But I did all I possibly could to secure a good ending. But he can't reach the console. He can't be dead. So close. But wait. A light. Now he's on top of the Citadel...ok. Maybe there's still hope. The little kid? What is this? This is the Catalyst? Some cosmic force that created and controls the Reapers. That instantiated the cycle of extinction you're fighting against. And you're supposed to take him at his word when he tells you what to do? Just like that? No "find another way"? Shepard just takes this thing that's tried to kill him at its word and believes in what it has to say?

    And it all came down to those 3 horrible choices.

    Go back on everything you stood for and try to control the creatures you swore to destroy, ending your own life in the process.

    Somehow re-write the DNA of every living thing in the galaxy to achieve synergy with the synthetics? I'm not even going to go into how ridiculous and impossible that is. Oh yeah and that one kills Shepard outright too.

    Or, you can shoot the tube-thingy and kill the Reapers. Everything's cool right? Oh wait, that one kills all the synthetics in the galaxy. You're now effectively betraying EDI and dishonoring Legion's memory, not to mention screwing over the Quarians in their effort to settle Rannoch once again.

    Oh and to make this choice even more horrible and heart-crushing, every choice results in the destruction of not only the Citadel, but all the relays, effectively destroying the galaxy as you know it. The government will inevitably collapse and all the species are now stranded on Earth, where they fought the Reapers, or on their own homeworld or colony, cut off from the rest of the galaxy.

    No matter how you slice it, the end is a defeat. The galaxy is doomed without the relays.

    And then you get to watch color-coded cutscenes with very little variation. Joker leaves Shepard for dead on the Citadel, uncharacteristically fleeing the battle and somehow, Liara, who was with Shepard on the ground, is now stranded with Joker on some alien planet, doomed to a slow death when the Normandy crash lands.

    And the best ending this game can muster for all my efforts acquiring war assets and galactic readiness? Shepard, god knows where, laying in some pile of rubble...takes a breath. How? How would he have survived the explosion on the Citadel? Where the heck did he end up? I don't get it. I'm utterly crushed by how horrible this ending is.

    Had the ending been good, I would undoubtedly have given this game a 10. It was a masterpiece...until the end. It's like the Mona Lisa...with black paint splashed across it. I'm heart-broken.    … Expand
  2. BiowareLied
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    Bioware lied about the ending content and EA has their shills in the video game "journalism" industry pumping out propaganda at a frantic pace. Too bad the damage has been done.
  3. supertime556677
    Mar 12, 2012
    1
    The game was excellent, with more in depth side quests and far better combat than even the second game. The battles were challenging and as epic as one would expect for the finale of the Mass Effect series. Up until the last 10 minutes. The AI child refers to itself as both "I" and "we". They couldn't even proofread the ending script. That's not the worst part. Yes, the endings areThe game was excellent, with more in depth side quests and far better combat than even the second game. The battles were challenging and as epic as one would expect for the finale of the Mass Effect series. Up until the last 10 minutes. The AI child refers to itself as both "I" and "we". They couldn't even proofread the ending script. That's not the worst part. Yes, the endings are depressing. I'm fine with that. What I'm not fine with is the fact the ending contains major, obtrusive plot holes. Characters who are with you in the final battle someone come back from the dead and end up on the Normandy, which is for some reason in the midst of running from some random beam of color, in the span of 5 minutes. Really? Furthermore, the same characters are shown in flashbacks at the end, no matter if they've been dead since the second game or they're not even you love interest. That's just looking at the game alone. Comparing it to the rest of the series, the ending does not make sense. It is not artistic. It's not bad because its a tragic ending. It doesn't mesh with the story leading up to it. Why, if the citadel controls the reapers, did it not just allow them to jump in during the events of the first game? The ending is so bad that I regret giving $60 to EA/Bioware. I don't want to pay for DLC with a better ending. I expect to to not fork out $60 for a game with a nonsensical half-assed ending to a series that I spent well over 200 hours and $200 on. I gave the game a +1 since the first 99% of it was excellent. The ending was worth -9 though. Do not buy. Just replay the first and second games and save yourself the money.… Expand
  4. WhataTwist
    Mar 12, 2012
    4
    Please note that my score is on a purely subjective basis. It's my gut feeling about the game. That said, I was almost ready to call this my favorite game ever until the last 10 minutes rolled in. The ending was so bad, so cheap, so poorly written, and such a shock to the mind; that it basically ruined the entire series for me. I simply cannot imagine how they could have ended it on a morePlease note that my score is on a purely subjective basis. It's my gut feeling about the game. That said, I was almost ready to call this my favorite game ever until the last 10 minutes rolled in. The ending was so bad, so cheap, so poorly written, and such a shock to the mind; that it basically ruined the entire series for me. I simply cannot imagine how they could have ended it on a more sour, bitter, depressing note. And for that, I am TRULY sorry. What a waste. Ugh...… Expand
  5. atomiccow
    Mar 12, 2012
    3
    Normally it would be impossible for a 5 minutes of cutscenes to ruin 30 hours of gameplay. Unless of course that 5 minutes is the ending to a trilogy spanning 5 years and over 70 hours of playtime.

    If you're a Mass Effect fan who has stuck with the series since the first game then you would do best to stop playing at the last save point and save yourself the hopeless depression that will    Normally it would be impossible for a 5 minutes of cutscenes to ruin 30 hours of gameplay. Unless of course that 5 minutes is the ending to a trilogy spanning 5 years and over 70 hours of playtime.

    If you're a Mass Effect fan who has stuck with the series since the first game then you would do best to stop playing at the last save point and save yourself the hopeless depression that will follow should you play the ending sequence in this game.

    The ending is negligent betrayal by Bioware to its fans on the highest level. You'll be best of imagining your own perfect ending.    … Expand
  6. Eradith
    Mar 12, 2012
    5
    The ending ruins an otherwise great game. It makes no sense and BioWare did not live up to their hype nor promises at this point. I hope they will either explain it or fix it, because I'm not getting where they are trying to go with it. The worst of it, is that you could have done absolutely nothing in the previous two games or even in this one and would probably still get the same oldThe ending ruins an otherwise great game. It makes no sense and BioWare did not live up to their hype nor promises at this point. I hope they will either explain it or fix it, because I'm not getting where they are trying to go with it. The worst of it, is that you could have done absolutely nothing in the previous two games or even in this one and would probably still get the same old ending. Kinda sad considering the promises made in interviews.… Expand
  7. laholi
    Mar 12, 2012
    3
    Story, Characters, plot elements, cut scenes..all uninspiring. Combat even on hardcore settings is lack luster. Graphics are not that much improved over Mass Effect 2. Despite that, I loved the game, right up until the end. The very things that made me give most of the game a pass as I played through it, the time I'd invested in Sheapard, my love of the other charactors, my fealing ofStory, Characters, plot elements, cut scenes..all uninspiring. Combat even on hardcore settings is lack luster. Graphics are not that much improved over Mass Effect 2. Despite that, I loved the game, right up until the end. The very things that made me give most of the game a pass as I played through it, the time I'd invested in Sheapard, my love of the other charactors, my fealing of consequences for my actions; were all thrown away at the end. There are people that hate the ending for what it reveals about the reapers, and what "choices" You get to make. But even putting that asside, the feal is off, the quick ending cenimatics are hollow quick...impart no real informations. The game ends but I'm not sure what actualy happened, or if I even care anymore. Mass Effect 3, poorly exectued and contrived, First Day DLC: unforgivable..and Here is a Spoiler for you, They flash a little datapad up on the screen that says keep playing and spending your money buying are DLC's..excuse me? You leave me fealing robbed, then tell me not to worry because you'll be back for more money later?
    Mass effect..you're dead to me, such a loss :-/    … Expand
  8. trouble1019
    Mar 12, 2012
    4
    I pre-ordered this POS. I love the story and the Lore of this universe. I have never felt so cheated as I did when I found out about the Day 1 DLC. When EA admitted that the CORE aspects of the DLC had been integrated in the the game prior to certification, I wanted to return the game for a refund. I feel like EA took advantage of my loyalty and attempted to exploit it. So uncool EA..I pre-ordered this POS. I love the story and the Lore of this universe. I have never felt so cheated as I did when I found out about the Day 1 DLC. When EA admitted that the CORE aspects of the DLC had been integrated in the the game prior to certification, I wanted to return the game for a refund. I feel like EA took advantage of my loyalty and attempted to exploit it. So uncool EA.. Soo... UnCool… Expand
  9. Kinzler
    Mar 12, 2012
    1
    This review is from the perspective of a gamer who has diligently played all 3 games of the series and has easily sunk 200+ hours into the trilogy. As such, it is aimed towards that group of players.

    ME1 & ME2 are quite possibly my two favorite games of all time. They created a universe in which you felt an emotional attachment to your Shepard. If this sounds absurd, tell me there wasn't    This review is from the perspective of a gamer who has diligently played all 3 games of the series and has easily sunk 200+ hours into the trilogy. As such, it is aimed towards that group of players.

    ME1 & ME2 are quite possibly my two favorite games of all time. They created a universe in which you felt an emotional attachment to your Shepard. If this sounds absurd, tell me there wasn't multiple times where you carefully considered what decision to make because you were concerned with the repercussions your Shepard could face. ME2 trimmed down on some of the RPG elements of the original, but overall I thought that this decision by Bioware helped improve the flow of the story and feel of the gameplay. Granted, ME2 didn't do a great job of incorporating your decisions from ME1 besides who you left behind while on Virmire but it was forgivable because it was assumed that all the lose ends would be tied up in ME3, the epic conclusion to this space saga. Sadly, however, I must report that ME3 does not live up to the pedigree of its predecessors. My first qualm with ME3 is the structure of the quests. The main plot quests are adequate but the side quests are terrible. The side quests lack any depth or meaning whatsoever and consist mainly of simple fetch-quests. The prior 2 games had side quests that were much more exciting and fleshed out. The shallowness of the side quests is a major detractor for ME3.

    The second glaring problem is the lack of player involvement in the conversation gameplay elements. In the prior two games, the player was constantly given meaningful conversation choices to make that, if they didn't necessarily change the outcome of the conversation, completely changed the tone and outlook of the conversation. The amount of involvement that the player is given in conversations in ME3 is outrageously limited and the sense of importance that dialogue options had previously is gone in the third installment. The lack of emphasis on conversation choices brings about the next major problem with ME3, its de-emphasis on characters. ME1 & ME2 both prided themselves on emphasizing that you were the leader of part of a team. They enabled you to have fleshed out conversations with your crew members and with other fascinating characters spread throughout the galaxy. ME3 abandons this. You can only converse with your squad mates when it is convenient for the game and there is almost no interaction with the other people that populate this universe. Try walking around the Citadel and engaging with someone. You will be hard-pressed to do so. The first two installments were not nearly as limiting. As a result, in ME3 you do not feel as attached to your crew and to the universe as you previously were. Quick problem: the absence of any civilian cities besides the Citadel in ME3 is a major letdown. Omega, Feros, Illium, and Tuchanka added nice flavor to the first two games. ME3 has no such variety and the Citadel is not capable of remaining interesting by itself. No let me turn my attention to the idiotic "Galaxy at War" system. Forcing people to play multiplayer so as to increase the galaxy at war multiplier is ridiculous. The boneheadedness behind this idea is almost incomprehensible. It was a terrible idea.

    Next up on the list of problems is the most important of all: The Endings. The ending of ME3 will leave you flabbergasted, speechless, and incredulous. The different endings are really not much different from each other at all. They conclude the story on a terrible, terrible note. There is no closure, just depressing consequences and glaring plot holes. The logic put on display by one particular character introduced at the end is just abhorrent and you are shoehorned into three choices that have no positive ending. I am not saying that every possible ending should have been a positive one but for a series that prides itself on choice a nice ending MUST have been included. Do not spend a lot of time playing multiplayer to get the multiplier up, none of the choices offered are much different and be ready to see consequences that do not make any sense based on people and things you had just seen a moment earlier. If you are looking for a positive ending, good luck. Additionally, the ending, whichever on you choose, does not incorporate any of your prior major decisions. The endings are so bad and they make me regret pouring as much time into ME1 & ME2 as I did.

    The day 1 DLC is an insult to consumers everywhere and the companies involved should be ashamed of themselves for withholding content so as to make a couple extra bucks. In conclusion:
    The game lacks much of the choice and atmosphere of its predecessors. It is apparent that this game was extensively stripped down so as to appeal to a wider audience. It lacks depth in nearly all of its gameplay departments and contains mainly needless additions. And last but not least, THE ENDINGS ARE COMPLETE RUBISH AND RUIN THE ENTIRE FRANCHISE!    … Expand
  10. alqualonde
    Mar 12, 2012
    1
    A fantastic game series totally obliterated by one of the most banal, non-sensical endings in history. If the lame ending of Dragon Age 2 pissed you off, the ending of ME3 will prompt you to send your PC tower flying through the window and skidding into the street, where you will leave it in hopes of being run over by a car so you might be able to forget this entire series existed. I'm soA fantastic game series totally obliterated by one of the most banal, non-sensical endings in history. If the lame ending of Dragon Age 2 pissed you off, the ending of ME3 will prompt you to send your PC tower flying through the window and skidding into the street, where you will leave it in hopes of being run over by a car so you might be able to forget this entire series existed. I'm so goddamned disappointed.… Expand
  11. nayerr
    Mar 12, 2012
    3
    I loved Mass Effect 1&2, but it ends there. Mass Effect 3 has got to be the biggest letdown in video game history. This game is nothing like the first 2. It's actually pretty straight forward, zero to no exploration, the mini games are gone & forming a space crew has gotten stale. The only thing this game has is great graphics, other than that it's garbage. BORING.
  12. Marleyboro
    Mar 12, 2012
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. PLEASE READ. I first wanna start by saying I understand everyones disappointment with the ending. But thats not why I'm writing this, I dont want to sit here and feed you line after line of clever ways to say the ending was bad. So to kick it off, first the graphics are the main reason i gave this a 9/10 in fact i wouldve done a 9.5/10 but this obviously isnt a .5 scale. The reason for this is that although the major portion of the graphics are good you'll soon see that there are some framerate issues (and i played on the 360 with the discs installed on my harddrive) not only will the game be framerate glitchy but it will also have sound cut in and cut out during cutscenes. Now theses problems obviously can be overlooked but the reason they "muddy" the experience is because overall the game is soooo impressive and when you add in these framerate issues and graphical hitches it easily stands out. Now for the story obviously you know the gist of it by now. (Reapers attacking Earth, and the rest of the galaxy, you play as Commander Shepherd and have to gather other races to help you defeat the Reapers blah blah) now what Bioware has done with the story in this third installment is very impressive. From the writing to the voice acting and the way its delivered is all top notch. My only problem with the story though is..yup you guessed it, the ending. NOO im not going to put down the ending harshly like everyone else has. But i will say FAIL BIOWARE. I'm not tryin to "hate" but obviously once you get to the ending you find that there are 3 different choices you can make..AND STOP!..first off why have RPGs adopted this "choice" fettish at the ending of theyre games (Fable 3, Dragon Age, Fallout etc..) and expect the player to approve of them, we get it we made choices throughout the whole damn game developers, now roll a cutscene that puts all of our choices into affect and sums up the story and allows our ending to be distinctly different from other players. Was that hard...i dont think so. Its not that the ending is broken i mean it sums up the story descently but i couldnt help but feel as i walked up to those three paths on the Crucible, that one of my favorite game franchises was giving in to the "pick a path and see what happens" kind of ending. So i think thats enough of "dogging" the story. But i wanna say one thing to people who think the ending ruined the triology. If you think thats true you arent a true Mass Effect fan, if 15 minutes of a 200 hour overall experience (combining all 3 games) ruined the series for you..I feel sorry for you. Mass Effect is an amazing franchise and deserves all the praise it can get...And a quick little suggestion if Bioware changes the ending. I suggest releasing a free DLC ending that if you like it you can enable it to override the current ending and then play through the game with the new ending. Thanks for Reading!!… Expand
  13. Gometdog
    Mar 12, 2012
    10
    Great game! Heavy competition for game of the year. Awesome multiplayer.
  14. MrBrown
    Mar 12, 2012
    2
    Your choices don't matter as the game pretty much only has one ending. This is terrible for the concluding game in a trilogy. How is it that the developers can market a game as being based in a world that responds to your decisions then pull this stuff! Rent before you buy or just plain rent.
  15. SisterSafetyPin
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    I've never had my love for an entire game series completely negated by the last games ending. I've never felt so.... ****ing angry about an ending that I considered immediately trading my Collectors edition back in for almost anything else... And I bought Fable 3.

    From game one of Mass Effect it was said that our choices matter; and that importing your character from ME1 to ME3 would    I've never had my love for an entire game series completely negated by the last games ending. I've never felt so.... ****ing angry about an ending that I considered immediately trading my Collectors edition back in for almost anything else... And I bought Fable 3.

    From game one of Mass Effect it was said that our choices matter; and that importing your character from ME1 to ME3 would create stacked outcomes...

    And yet none of that was true. It was said that playing Multiplater wasn't needed to get the best possible ending. But that wasn't true either. I completed every side-quest and was a full paragon... And the ending sucked.

    What a slap in the face *Bioware.* I'm now embarressed by how excited I was for this game. Because the ending has completely ruined my experience    … Expand
  16. cryochamber
    Mar 12, 2012
    10
    The game was beautiful. The gameplay was tight, the characters were well realised, the story was great. I loved every second of my time with the game and the multiplayer aint half bad and i can totally see Bioware going with it somewhere in the future. I personally liked the ending and found it really interesting, however i can understand why people may not like it, but these reviewsThe game was beautiful. The gameplay was tight, the characters were well realised, the story was great. I loved every second of my time with the game and the multiplayer aint half bad and i can totally see Bioware going with it somewhere in the future. I personally liked the ending and found it really interesting, however i can understand why people may not like it, but these reviews suggesting the game is worth a 0 or 1 is ridiculous because the rest of the game was fantastic and well worth my purchase and I bloody loved it!!!… Expand
  17. Wibbler
    Mar 12, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Mass Effect 3 endings were like eating a beautifully decorated and tasty 3 layer cake and finding a big fat **** in the last bite. Seriously this ruined any replay value for me.… Expand
  18. seagol
    Mar 12, 2012
    9
    This was by far the best mass effect experience until the final mission, during the whole playthrought it really was awesome but the end was a big let down, anyways, still a great game!
  19. 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
  20. micro4
    Mar 12, 2012
    5
    Let me be vary clear i am not going to complain about the graphics the Homosexuality or the glitches. With the level of coding needed to facilitate a game like this with so many choices and paths to take it is expected. If you want a gay or lesbian Shepard more power to you. As a matter of fact on My second play-through i may just try that with my Female renegade, but we shall see.
    What    Let me be vary clear i am not going to complain about the graphics the Homosexuality or the glitches. With the level of coding needed to facilitate a game like this with so many choices and paths to take it is expected. If you want a gay or lesbian Shepard more power to you. As a matter of fact on My second play-through i may just try that with my Female renegade, but we shall see.
    What really made me drop to my knees and cry what really killed this game for me was the ending.
    Without giving anything away let me explain.
    All those choices that you made, all those people you met, all those romances you had, AMOUNT TO NOTHING. No mention no nothing. Let me be clear i have no problem with a bittersweet ending. If lets say Shepard had no choice and all he could do to save his world and the Woman/Man he loves is to end his own life then sure by all means but treat it as such. Better yet do it gently. Or make it after a grand final battle. No such thing happens. A lot of people were complaining about the negativity of the ending. If the end would have been handled with a little more care i would not be as angry sad and frustrated. Let me be clear this games took me 35 hours to complete combining the game play from all three that led to this finally i had a grand total of 126 hours of game-play mostly from 1 and 2 respectively. To then tell me that all that work and toil and sweat and sleepless nights amounts to nothing is more then just saddening. It is a swift kick to the nuts. A sudden pain radiating up your back toward your stomach. I actually played the ending again the first time just to make sure i did not make a mistake, and then a played it a third time just to be sure. I actually contemplated throwing this game out the window. Something i had never done before. However if you let your anger subside as i did after about a day. You will go back watch the end again let the credits finish rolling and hear how what you have done throughout the game has become the stuff of legend. Many cry foul at this but i see it as a nod from Bioware to keep going and persevere and try again. That and the Game itself leading up to the last ten minutes are what kept me from giving this thing anything less then a five. You will like the game, up untill you make your final push for the transporter. After that you will cry, you will be angry, you will be speechless. You will try again and again to find the truth and you will fail. Bioware has tried and failed to resist EA Greed. First Red Alert 3 and now this. I am done with you EA. Here is a quick list of the game series EA has ruined.
    Command and Conquer: RED ALERT
    Mass Effect 3
    007
    Command and Conquer
    Dungeon Master
    Sim (name here)

    These are just the ones I've played.
    These are big series too.
    Congrats EA with this you have pissed off Sci-Fi fans across the world.

    Bioware resist the EA greed and keep making good games .

    the following is for EA:

    **** YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    … Expand
  21. Kevinj37
    Mar 12, 2012
    8
    I love this game and Bioware games in general. Great story, great characters, I actually felt regret when I had to make a tough call in the Geth storyline. I haven't finished yet and I've been playing constantly since it came out- tons of content! Would have given it a ten, except I deducted one point for the DLC BS they pulled, and 1 point for the multi-player, which I can't accessI love this game and Bioware games in general. Great story, great characters, I actually felt regret when I had to make a tough call in the Geth storyline. I haven't finished yet and I've been playing constantly since it came out- tons of content! Would have given it a ten, except I deducted one point for the DLC BS they pulled, and 1 point for the multi-player, which I can't access because I don't happen to know any other players, and public games are inaccessible to first-time players (tried to join one and was immediately booted, presumably for my level). But, as far as the gameplay goes, this is among the best I've ever played.… Expand
  22. BizzleTheDon
    Mar 12, 2012
    8
    Honestly, Bioware cut corners on this game, and what could have been a hit with both critics (who are clearly paid for by major developers) AND fans, turned into a minor black eye on what is otherwise an excellent trilogy. This IS a good game, but it is flawed when it didn't have to be. A few more months and Bioware could've spent the time developing three alternate endings, as opposedHonestly, Bioware cut corners on this game, and what could have been a hit with both critics (who are clearly paid for by major developers) AND fans, turned into a minor black eye on what is otherwise an excellent trilogy. This IS a good game, but it is flawed when it didn't have to be. A few more months and Bioware could've spent the time developing three alternate endings, as opposed to copy and pasted versions of the same ending that completely eradicated any feeling of your decisions up to that point feeling like they mattered worth nothing. In addition to that, they also could have formulated answers for the clear plot holes in the game. (SPOILER ALERT!!: Who is the being on the Citadel who created the Reapers? What made them come to that decision? Why would the Normandy be in FTL Travel when clearly, they were orbiting Earth assisting the crew?) They also could have worked out to numerous kinks in the cover system, such as popping out of cover when you change weapons, or not returning to cover when popping out to fire.) Other issues include glitches that freeze your game or cause characters to disappear during talking scenes. I believe there was definitely a money grab mentality here. I point to a multiplayer that has very little depth in light of other XBL Shooters, but is a necessity to play if you want your galactic fleet to be at full strength. By forcing that on players, it assures that those who bought the game used will have to buy a pass to play the online Multi. Also, the entire "From Ashes" DLC could have been integrated into the game itself. In the end, there are many flaws with this game. However, none of them stop the game from being fantastic up until the ending. And if it helps: If you haven't played this game to the end? Take my advice: ONLY CHOOSE ONE ENDING AND DO NOT PLAY THE OTHERS. It will ruin it the experience.… Expand
  23. bigboy29
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    Gutwrenching, unfortunately. For a long term fan (played ME1 and ME2 multiple times to tweak my actions) - I find myself extremely disappointed and frankly - let down by how this ended. The game plays well, but honestly - if you are a long term fan - I cannot suggest you go down the road of hopelesness where actions do not seem to matter and it is not just that answers about ME main plotGutwrenching, unfortunately. For a long term fan (played ME1 and ME2 multiple times to tweak my actions) - I find myself extremely disappointed and frankly - let down by how this ended. The game plays well, but honestly - if you are a long term fan - I cannot suggest you go down the road of hopelesness where actions do not seem to matter and it is not just that answers about ME main plot are not given, there are a whole lot of new questions. But sorry - the series is now over. I got upset enough with this that from now on, I'll be buying BioWare games only 2nd hand. Someone in the company had to think this was acceptable and I am not supporting them anymore.… Expand
  24. Frug0
    Mar 12, 2012
    9
    The game is just brilliant. I've played 1&2 as well and although 3 seems a bit easier, I still love it. I am only disappointed that there are so many pathetic people, who scores that game so badly, only because of ending. DO NOT BE STEREOTYPICAL. Not every ending has to be happy. C'mon! I DEFINITELY RECOMMEND MASS EFFECT 3!
  25. Armiga21
    Mar 12, 2012
    5
    As a fan of the previous two games, I was disappointed with this final installment. The third installment is unfortunately rifled with a lot of dumbing down of the franchise. Conversation choices have been severely limited, as have the number of dialog choices; especially those which actually matter. This comes into play for the worst in the ending which is a huge disappointment, to sayAs a fan of the previous two games, I was disappointed with this final installment. The third installment is unfortunately rifled with a lot of dumbing down of the franchise. Conversation choices have been severely limited, as have the number of dialog choices; especially those which actually matter. This comes into play for the worst in the ending which is a huge disappointment, to say the least. The series hailed itself as choice since the beginning, but the way your choices end up affecting the ending seem to be arbitrary at best. It's also unfortunate multiplayer is required to get the best ending possible. I believe you can get it if you make very specific choices in the campaign (i.e. not all Paragon or all Renegade, you need a guide in your lap to mix and choose very specific ones) but chances are you won't get it without a guide. Multiplayer itself feels very tacked on and more of a mandate by the publisher, similar to how I felt on Multiplayer in Bioshock 2.… Expand
  26. zotune
    Mar 12, 2012
    8
    The new standard of decision-making and storytelling in games, Mass Effect 3 sets an example of a narrative which will make you consider your decisions thoroughly, or regret otherwise. The Clint Mansell composed music is emotional and the soundtrack pays homage to many sci-fi series of the past with its electronic touch - the presentation is also exquisitely refined with vastly improvedThe new standard of decision-making and storytelling in games, Mass Effect 3 sets an example of a narrative which will make you consider your decisions thoroughly, or regret otherwise. The Clint Mansell composed music is emotional and the soundtrack pays homage to many sci-fi series of the past with its electronic touch - the presentation is also exquisitely refined with vastly improved lighting and art design which far exceeds most games. That being said, besides an otherwise improved combat system, the enemies are quite dull and mainly runs towards you in a very outdated and unintelligent fashion. I also resent the idea of having to purchase the Day 1 DLC, especially in this case since it involves a major story arc which should have been part of the game in the first place - and I refuse to endorse the abuse of loyal fans who have become invested in the story thus far, and are being exploited monetarily in order to have complete narrative experience. To purposely leave out the answers to some of the most important questions in this otherwise wonderful sci-fi universe comes across as non-appreciation towards loyal fans, and I cannot with my principles intact overlook such an inconsiderate move upon giving a numerical score - in addition to the publisher's behavior towards Windows fans who were not able to buy the game for their Steam library along with previous installments and the rest of their collection, making the whole process very inconvenient for them as consumers. In regards to previous installments it is an improvement in certain aspects such as the leveling system, at the same time however, Mass Effect 3 also appears more dumbed down by introducing genre stereotypes such as characters who seem to have been put in place only to appeal to a more casual audience - instead of remaining true to the initial values of the series. To conclude, this is quite possibly one of my favorite sci-fi universes, and I cannot recommend the journey enough. Though towards the end of the ride I didn't truly feel like I was given complete closure, and the game wasn't quite the improvement Mass Effect 2 was either. All in all I don't think I'm alone in conveying my dislike for the way BioWare has decided to treat their loyal fans. I would still recommend the game to those who would like to see how it all ends, though I would add to that recommendation and advise to disregard the DLC, and perhaps buy the game at a later date - when it's much cheaper. Because otherwise publishers such as EA will continue to set a bad example by withholding important content for monetary gain in order to exploit gamers.… Expand
  27. Jalt08
    Mar 12, 2012
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Ultimately no matter what path was chosen, what actions were taken, who lived and who died, at the end of this journey, all that remains is your ship and your crew abandon you. The first 95% of the game is amazing, its everything I hoped for and more. The last 5% is the biggest slap in the face imaginable. If you have invested 100's of hours from the first game until this one, you will be left stunned and appalled that none of the choices you made, none of the battles you fought, nothing you did in those 100's of hours ultimately pays off in any of the three endings you can pick from. With the three endings and the DLC on day 1, EA/Bioware show that fan support means nothing more than a dollar symbol to them. While most of the joy lays in the journey to the end of the game, there is no replay value at all in this game, because no matter what journey you take, the ends are all ultimately the same except for color variations and if synthetics live or die.… Expand
  28. mrjohill
    Mar 12, 2012
    10
    Mass effect 3 is awesome and dont let any of these trolls tell you differently. emotionally engaging and technically excellent, you wont find another experience like it. one of the best games of all time
  29. Forst1999
    Mar 12, 2012
    9
    Story: Mass Effect 3's plot has a good pacing and can pull the right emotional strings. Nearly all of the trilogy's plot points are resolved in a satisfying manner, the character's plot pleased me as well. You will witness the consequences of your past decisions. The dialogues are better than ever. There is some automatic dialogue, but only in places where it serves the flow of theStory: Mass Effect 3's plot has a good pacing and can pull the right emotional strings. Nearly all of the trilogy's plot points are resolved in a satisfying manner, the character's plot pleased me as well. You will witness the consequences of your past decisions. The dialogues are better than ever. There is some automatic dialogue, but only in places where it serves the flow of the conversation, and it never is important or changes your character against your will. Only one thing bothers me in the story department: The ending could have used more build-up, the choices presented seem contrived, there are some illogical aspects. The ending is neither well-written nor satisfying. It doesn't kill the story, but yes, the ending isn't good. Gameplay: Combat is better than ever. Rolls, heavy melee, grenades and new powers benefit the fights greatly. The character system is deep and allows for more customization than any of the predecessors. The weapon system gained depth to, allowing for many upgrades, while never being as clunky as ME1 about it. The new scanning is actually fun, no comparision to the Mako or planet scanning. There is more variety in quests, some interesting boss battles and enemies that requires different tactical approaches. My only gripe here is the quest-log. It is quite confused, mission description are often very unclear. And rolling needs some practice.
    Technical aspects: The voice acting is phenomenal, the music is great, the graphics are good. Some animations are a bit off, but mostly they are fine. I only encountered one big bug, regarding my face import. Irritating, but i can live with it.
    So there are some minor inconveniences and a bad ending to a game that is utterly perfect in nearly every regard. 9/10 points.    … Expand
  30. Gatorsurfer
    Mar 12, 2012
    7
    There are no spoilers contained in this review so no worries. Also. this is my first and I feel I should give my honest opinions instead of just "review bombing."

    Pros: The combat works a lot better and it feels more fluid unlike the previous games that felt more clunky.Returning Characters from the different games. The story was "OK" and I really enjoyed the different characters through    There are no spoilers contained in this review so no worries. Also. this is my first and I feel I should give my honest opinions instead of just "review bombing."

    Pros: The combat works a lot better and it feels more fluid unlike the previous games that felt more clunky.Returning Characters from the different games. The story was "OK" and I really enjoyed the different characters through out the entire game. A lot more guns, upgrades armor and levels than in Mass effect 2. Cons: The MP feels out of place and doesn't really belong. It is very easy to get the "best" possible ending. It was very short, I finished about 100% of the game in nearly 20 or so hours. I feel the ending left a lot to be desired but it wasn't "THE WORST ENDING EVER OMG!!!!11!!" Also, the writing felt a little lack luster in places and there are fewer dialogue options across the board. The Day 1 DLC and Importing a character and getting to skip half of the leveling experience. I started at level 1 and was about 40 by the end and I heard you could import a Mass Effect 2 save and retain that level. Overall I say this was a good game but it still has it's flaws I personally enjoyed the combat and characters and it was a hell of a ride! I may do a insanity play through next.    … 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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