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. deaconbluezzz
    Mar 13, 2012
    0
    It was a fantastic ride right up until the last 15 or so minutes, when Bioware must have decided we had been given 2 happy ending in a row, so now we have to pay. It was kind of like having the best Christmas morning of your childhood ruined by the Manson Family busting down the door after the last present is opened, and then stabbing your mom and dad to death in front of your eyes withIt was a fantastic ride right up until the last 15 or so minutes, when Bioware must have decided we had been given 2 happy ending in a row, so now we have to pay. It was kind of like having the best Christmas morning of your childhood ruined by the Manson Family busting down the door after the last present is opened, and then stabbing your mom and dad to death in front of your eyes with the kitchen utensils. Given the horrible feeling this game left me with, I can not in good conscience give it anything like a high rating. Sorry.… Expand
  2. Hevilath
    Mar 27, 2012
    7
    Sound design: Musical score is excellent. In previous games music resembles space-opera in ME3 music has different tone, more depressing which perfectly matches Sheppard current mission - save sapient life in Milky Way galaxy from Reapers. Voice acting is superb and guns sounds heavy as it should be. Great achievement.
    Graphical presentation: I'm little disappointed. After replaying ME2    Sound design: Musical score is excellent. In previous games music resembles space-opera in ME3 music has different tone, more depressing which perfectly matches Sheppard current mission - save sapient life in Milky Way galaxy from Reapers. Voice acting is superb and guns sounds heavy as it should be. Great achievement.
    Graphical presentation: I'm little disappointed. After replaying ME2 and switching directly to ME3 you can see low resolution textures on character models, maybe it is subjective but still is hard to distinguish different items on casual outfits. Some armor models looks better then others. Lightening and reflection on armor are far worse then in previous title. Backgrounds on early stages of game looks like it made in first Xbox times, but it seems as story progresses you loose track and graphic start to look better. Like I said - completely subjective feeling.. In the begging of game on Earth, when you look down you can see strange 2D people running from the building which reminds me first games on PS1 and there are some glitches - Sheppard have some problem with eyes in early stages of game ;)
    Gameplay: Action oriented, fast and rewarding. Your squad mates are usually helpful, but sometimes when you order them to shoot at Banshee they charge right in front of her dying in result. On harder difficulty levels this can be irritating. N7 Cerberus missions are taking place on Multiplayer maps and are quite boring - same with multiple fetch quests. I miss hiding gun animation and roaming freely.
    Story: First act of game is quite boring, but as you play you get more and more immersed into universe. Characters from ME2 and quests feel a little forced and doesn't have depth - example: Zaed or Kasumi, but this is minor accusation
    Ending: It's true. Rage is acceptable. Full of plot holes and doesn't explain anything. If you take it directly the ending could be explained as: Reapers has won - either they destroy everything, or you inflict so massive damage to galaxy that you wiped out all species and solar systems with reapers. The only explanation is Indoctrination Theory. We all could be indoctrinated by Bioware - if it's true, and we will now in April then it's most incredible achievement in gaming history - but still making DLC for incomplete game is horrible act - even when it will be released free of charge.
    To sum up: AWSOME!    … Expand
  3. Regnagleppod
    Mar 9, 2012
    4
    Right before you finished the game, this would probably be your favorite game of all time, however, the ending killed it all, a worst possible ending a Mass Effect fans could expect.
  4. MrGrimbo
    Mar 8, 2012
    4
    For the finale of a game series that has been sold as an evolving story where the player's decisions guide the flow, Mass Effect 3 fails to deliver. Any major decisions from the first 2 games (saving or killing the council, what to do with the rachni queen, whether to save or destroy Maelon's genophage research) all ultimately end up being represented as numbers on a chart and nothingFor the finale of a game series that has been sold as an evolving story where the player's decisions guide the flow, Mass Effect 3 fails to deliver. Any major decisions from the first 2 games (saving or killing the council, what to do with the rachni queen, whether to save or destroy Maelon's genophage research) all ultimately end up being represented as numbers on a chart and nothing more. Some dialouge may change and some cutscenes may have different faces in them due to these decisions, but ultimately the game moves forward in the same direction no matter what decisions you made. That is ultimately why this game is and always will be a dissapointment to me. Credit to Bioware for starting one of the most ambitious gaming projects ever. It's unfortunate that they seem to have lost ambition halfway through.… Expand
  5. DuncanIdahoTPF
    Mar 9, 2012
    3
    Seeing the HUMONGOUS disparity between what users are rating this game and what critics rate the game CLEARLY exposes the fraud of some game review sites via bribes. I have seen the instances of these bribes for high profile games increase severely over the past few years. I basically agree with Sheprdlovr's review, this game is very poorly put together overall. The graphics look terribleSeeing the HUMONGOUS disparity between what users are rating this game and what critics rate the game CLEARLY exposes the fraud of some game review sites via bribes. I have seen the instances of these bribes for high profile games increase severely over the past few years. I basically agree with Sheprdlovr's review, this game is very poorly put together overall. The graphics look terrible compared to any decent titles in the past few years. I feel robbed of my 60 bucks for this game, with the Star War's mmo being even worse.… Expand
  6. SGRevan
    Apr 8, 2012
    9
    The Mass Effect trilogy receives it's latest and last chapter. After starting up the game I immediately noticed big differences. You have 'less say' in the dialogue options. Comparing it to Mass Effect 1 it's a huge leap backwards. Why would you take away something that made the first one so great?! Don't get me wrong, you still have times where you have to choose between outcome A or B,The Mass Effect trilogy receives it's latest and last chapter. After starting up the game I immediately noticed big differences. You have 'less say' in the dialogue options. Comparing it to Mass Effect 1 it's a huge leap backwards. Why would you take away something that made the first one so great?! Don't get me wrong, you still have times where you have to choose between outcome A or B, and believe me when I say that those choices are immensely difficult, that because you realy care about the characters and story... also Mass Effect 3 hugely improved on the combat system, it's near perfect. You realy enjoy using the weapons and powers to take town hordes of enemies... this all on a great galactic scale while explosion and reaper invasion-sounds hurl around you. Epic, I'd say. The Multiplayer has this great combat aswel, minus the epicness that you get in the single-player ofc. ... After having several friends telling me the ending is completely out of place... I finally got to the end. I have to say, it's not THAT bad... It's still epic and the climax is there! ... but I do have to agree, it gives no closure on Shepard or everyone else around him/her. Mass Effect 3 is a great game, you notice the hard labor that Bioware made for making this title, and the Original Score + the graphical design and presentation makes this one hell of a trip into the sci-fi universe of Mass Effect. So all in all, I know the ending could've been much better, but since EA announced they will give us more closure in the near future, I believe it will make this game jump that one step higher on my personal scoreboard.… Expand
  7. mjthadw
    Nov 18, 2012
    10
    Mass Effect 3 is the second greatest game of all time, second only to Mass Effect 2 which is the greatest game of all time. There is nothing wrong with the original ending of this game, it fits perfectly with everything and the extended cut just made the ending 10X better than what it already is. The entire journey of Mass Effect has been the best gaming experience i've ever had and i'veMass Effect 3 is the second greatest game of all time, second only to Mass Effect 2 which is the greatest game of all time. There is nothing wrong with the original ending of this game, it fits perfectly with everything and the extended cut just made the ending 10X better than what it already is. The entire journey of Mass Effect has been the best gaming experience i've ever had and i've played about every console game out there. This game is the conclusion of your own commander shepard the way you chose to take him/her through this amazing well crafted story is met with praise and respect from your companions or the death and extinction of entire alien species. The voice acting is perfect while the soundtrack never fails to bring out your emotions. Plus Bioware releasing free multiplayer DLC with more to come just makes this experience worth every penny. I would give this game a 20 out of 10 but thats off the scale and thats all you need to know.… Expand
  8. SpaceCoyote
    Apr 3, 2012
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. So much of a game, so much to say, but I think I'll start before it even released. The Cerberus Daily News feed was supposed to have new articles immediately prior to the release of the game. Instead, it got a couple tweets of news, for fewer days than was originally promised. This would have been massively disappointing, were it not for the Emily Wong tweets. For those who weren't following, twitter became a live news source for the initial invasion taking place in Southern California. The story IT told was really cool and helped set the tone for the game itself. As for the game, the single-player portion may not have explored as many of the characters as I'd have hoped, but it DOES give the humor and OH *#^@ moments that I've enjoyed since the beginning in 2007. Finally however, there are plot inconsistencies that creep in to break some of the fiction. Things like Shepard restraining a Justicar and not being killed for it, or the Batarians learning FTL travel...from ruins on a planet in a different star system that required them to know FTL travel to get to in the first place. These are relatively minor but still, that sucks. They are the small blemishes that slightly mar the campaign as you attempt to save the galaxy. Then comes the part where you save the galaxy. At the end of ME1 and ME2, I had a sense of excitement for what the future held in the ME Universe, and how I could save it. There are NO endings that allow you to do that. With the destruction of the mass relays, (which for some reason doesn't necessarily destroy the systems they reside in) there is NO hope that the galactic community can continue to exist as it had because they are isolated in their own systems. I have no problem with Shepard being killed in the process, soldiers give their lives for lesser causes, but no matter what I do, the Citadel and the relays are destroyed, fundamentally altering how societies can interact. Garrus can't return to Omega to clean house after the war and Tali can't go back to her home world cuz they're both stuck on Earth. Or at least they should have been since they were in my squad and NOT on the Normandy which, oh yeah I forgot, had retreated to either FTL or a relay jump for some reason and ALL of my squad was there and not with me somehow. The last 20 minutes of the game, however you decide to end it, are disappointing. No matter what you do, you can't save the Citadel, you can't preserve the galactic community, and you're crew ends up in the exact same forest (though to Joker's credit, he was able to crash the SR2 delicately enough so as to NOT disturb any of the trees). Other decisions that don't matter but probably should have... ME1: Save the council or let them die. Anderson or Udina Save the Rachni or don't ME2: Blow up the Collector base or give it to Cerberus 3 of those decisions come in the final 10 min of each game, they are all among the most influential decisions Shepard ever makes...but the councilors all speak to you in the same manner. Udina will always be the human councilor, Anderson will always be an Admiral, the rachni will either be the ones you saved or some others will fill in the blank, and Cerberus will gain technology for the base or from salvage. DISAPPOINTING! Multiplayer was ok, tho I never got excited for the combat or gameplay of Mass Effect. In the campaign, I happily set it to story mode and blaze thru enemies so that I can get to the conversations quicker. But about the conversations and multiplayer...I felt as though there were fewer lines of dialogue in ME3 compared to ME2. I understand there is only so much room on 2 discs for content, but how much more fulfilling could the campaign have been if the multiplayer portion wasn't included? Could there have been more dialogue from characters left off the Normandy? Could my choices have made more of an impact? Could Tali have had an actual face instead of a stock internet photo? I may be wrong about the amount of dialogue created, but I'm not mistaken in my disappointment with many of the features I had hoped for. Overall a 7. I almost cried in my 1st playthrough when I thought I could save the Geth and the Quarians and ended up driving my good friend to her death. I've had to collect my jaw from the floor many times, and the humor of Joker, EDI, Wiks, and Mordin are amazing. But despite putting over 120 hours into a single character, no matter what I did or chose was enough to save the galaxy.… Expand
  9. carnage4u
    Mar 21, 2012
    0
    A fun game with a bad ending is a bad game. I would say the same for TV show of Movie. If the last act is very poorly done. I would give low marks.. The fact the quality drops so suddenly, so late in the game is more shocking than anything else.

    I would not recommend this game to anyone.
  10. ArchLich
    Mar 11, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A good game until you reach the end. The ending is so poorly written that I can not conceive it was written by experienced professionals. The ending ruins the whole series.

    The game has multiple good elements but seems to fall short in other areas. Some of the minor issues include: The fact that the choices of sacrificing people to save others is trivialized by the poor presentation and that every second conversation from Shepard sounds like a poorly veiled come on to other characters.

    An especially low note in the game is Kai Leng. Kai Leng is a horrible stereotyped Mary Sue which nearly ruined the game. His boss battles are lame and should never have been included. The game designers failed to follow a basic game design rule: If you don't want a PC killing a NPC then don't have them fight. Simple, no? They follow this with the Illusive Man (uses holographs instead of being there in person) but they fail with Kai Leng. Just when you thought that cliched character was the worst part the game in roles the game's ending. It involves a ghost child AI which is the citadel but was never foreshadowed. (Nor does it make sense as there would be no need for Mass Effect 1 or 2 if this was true. After all an AI secretly existing in the Citadel could easily notify the Reapers without the need of outside Reaper prompting). Besides this obvious flaw the game then presents 3 possible endings: 1) Mass murder of all synthetic life 2) Take control of the Reapers
    3) A childishly simplistic option of merging synthetic and organic life without wiping all current beings. How this is possible is never explained nor does it make any sense in the end.
    Also the Mass Relays are destroyed in every ending and the Normandy crashes in every ending. This is disheartening but also means that you have destroyed the main means of intergalactic transportation and destroyed every spaceship in the galaxy. Hurray? So in closing all the endings means you have saved galactic civilization by destroying all galactic civilization. WTF? This game if viewed individually would be a 6 or 7 out of ten. When viewed in light of what it does to the series a 4 is generous.    … Expand
  11. Tyrannis1964
    Mar 13, 2012
    5
    I loved every mass effect game up to this one I enjoyed this ones gameplay and combat but the story writing and endings hurt. such a great series has ended in literal sadness for a series I really and truly loved.
  12. VCCN
    Mar 15, 2012
    0
    After 7 playthrough of ME and 6 of ME 2 a nearly 400 hours and bunch of buck i spend on this franchise iË
  13. 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
  14. Gashmania
    Mar 16, 2012
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I am a massive ME fan I loved the first two games and played them countless times and put so many hours into these games and I was obviously excited when ME3 was announced thinking of what to expect from one if not the best sci fi games of all time. Then I played me3...I am not even going to speak about the ending as I think everybody has that covered. But this review is about everything else that I was annoyed with. In ME3 it felt rushed not like the other Mass Effect games because they were so well thought out and you could lose yourself in the great adventures that Shepard and the crew got into. Picking the way conversations flowed and picking to be a bad a$$ or a good guy in certain situations. It felt like Bioware got bored or ran out of ideas for ME3 and just pushed you all the way to the end with no real structure to the game. There wasnâ… Expand
  15. Slumbering
    Mar 17, 2012
    0
    The game would have been better if I waited until it was $10 because DLC is getting expensive. They made a pretty interesting platform for a game, but EA/Bioware have only a good concept of a game. After playing the 3rd of this trilogy I understand the concept. The problem without good closure for a concept is that unlike a book or movie I would not pay for an incomplete cinematicThe game would have been better if I waited until it was $10 because DLC is getting expensive. They made a pretty interesting platform for a game, but EA/Bioware have only a good concept of a game. After playing the 3rd of this trilogy I understand the concept. The problem without good closure for a concept is that unlike a book or movie I would not pay for an incomplete cinematic ending in an interactive game. The plot holes are not what a player should use to write his/her ending. As a dedicated fan I trusted the vision of the writers so much that I completed the first 2 games numerous times. Honestly they should have been shorter. How many times was I lead to believe my choices would matter? Before ME3 there was a lot of buzz from Bioware that I should believe my choices would matter. The choices, replays, times I wanted to engage myself with fictional moral choices were numerous, and it was that much time my life and money was wasted on these hacks.… Expand
  16. nightshade211
    Mar 17, 2012
    0
    The most important parts of a story are the beginning and the end. The end fails so completely that it can't be reasonably scored as an enjoyable game at all until it's fixed.

    And give us Tali's face in the game, not in a damn picture. How lazy can you get? I can photoshop Tali from a stock picture from the internet myself. Years and years of game development and that's your answer to a    The most important parts of a story are the beginning and the end. The end fails so completely that it can't be reasonably scored as an enjoyable game at all until it's fixed.

    And give us Tali's face in the game, not in a damn picture. How lazy can you get? I can photoshop Tali from a stock picture from the internet myself. Years and years of game development and that's your answer to a huge reveal like Tali's face?    … Expand
  17. Zulim83
    Mar 18, 2012
    0
    Great story, excellent gameplay... WORST ENDING EVER. This feel like a slap to the face to every Bioware fan that invested time in this game. The ending could be described as follow: PAY FOR THE NEXT DLC TO KNOW THE REAL ENDING! Absolutely and terribly disappointing.
  18. billyzero
    Mar 19, 2012
    1
    The last 15 minutes destroys the game and the entire franchise. The end contradicts the entire series and makes any future DLC irrelevant. It's far better to just pretend the mass effect series ended at ME 2.
  19. beans29
    Mar 19, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It is with a heavy heart I feel obliged to negatively review mass effect 3, I loved the series and ME3 does everything right up until the final ten minutes. The conclusion they have provided for this loved trilogy is nonsensical, leaves glaring plot holes and hammers home the fact that nothing you have done in the last one hundred and thirty odd hours of gaming makes any difference or impact to the ending, which is ridiculous in a game where the nature of choice and consequence is a key theme.

    The developers made several promises in the run up to the release, mostly revolving around how your choices would impact the ending and it wouldn't be just a "press a, b or c" ending omatic, which is precisley what it turned out to be.

    It is sad that the ending ruins any inclination to replay the series, if they were to change the ending into something more linked to the themes and offering a bit more choice I would be happy changing this 1 score to a 10, as up until the final 10 minutes, the game is an awesome, emotional rollercoaster, but the current ending is so bad it completely destroys it.

    Follow the Retake mass effect 3 campaign, raise some money for a great charity and maybe convince Bioware to fix what could have been a great game and an amazing send off to the series.    … Expand
  20. Bomberman
    Mar 19, 2012
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Don't get me wrong, the Mass effect experience is awesome in more ways then one. Telling us our choices would have an impact on the ending and that we would get 15 - 17 different endings is PURE BLISS!!!. Getting to the end of the game and finding out that not only is there only three very veery similar endings, but they completely butchered the lore of mass effect and managed to piss off this fan with the last 10 minutes of the ending. No longer will I be purchasing DLC, games nor any mass effect memorbilia that i was planning on getting until this situation is fixed and hopefully soon. Bioware, you have let me down completely.… Expand
  21. AzianJoeNad
    Mar 19, 2012
    10
    Mass Effect 3 took me through the most emotionally packed ride in my life. From the opening on Earth to the very end, it held my attention and awarded me with some the best scenes I have ever experienced. The game-play felt much tighter than Mass Effect 2 and supremely better than Mass Effect 1. It feels like Bioware took the best aspects of both games to produce one super poweredMass Effect 3 took me through the most emotionally packed ride in my life. From the opening on Earth to the very end, it held my attention and awarded me with some the best scenes I have ever experienced. The game-play felt much tighter than Mass Effect 2 and supremely better than Mass Effect 1. It feels like Bioware took the best aspects of both games to produce one super powered behemoth. Plus, the added a multiplayer which is oddly addictive and fun (especially with the inclusion of other species to choose from). The only real gripe I have for the game is the one new character who feels too much like The Situation. Otherwise the games greatest achievement is the vast amounts of great characters. For those who gripe about the last 6minutes, I will quote a wise song, "At the end of it all, gamers play what we play, not for game over, but what we take away". Trust me, you will take away a lot.… Expand
  22. Kinoru07
    Mar 19, 2012
    8
    The game mechanics have been improved from ME2 with improved AI on higher difficulty and the inclusion of better melee attack capabilities. Quest/sub-quest UI is one of the issues a player will contend with. As well as some cover issues.
    The game's story telling is very well executed until the last few minutes because it reduces the whole series re-playability. There are still some bugs    The game mechanics have been improved from ME2 with improved AI on higher difficulty and the inclusion of better melee attack capabilities. Quest/sub-quest UI is one of the issues a player will contend with. As well as some cover issues.
    The game's story telling is very well executed until the last few minutes because it reduces the whole series re-playability. There are still some bugs that Bioware will have to deal with across all platforms to make the game more enjoyable. Multi-player is fairly decent but needs some more development into it to make it worth playing on its own.    … Expand
  23. myaimistrue
    Mar 20, 2012
    4
    Up until the ending, this game is an 8.5, due to a myriad a minor issues like too much auto-dialogue, a worthless journal, some gameplay issues and a weak intro. It's ruined by the ending, which really is as bad as you've heard. It's 5 minutes pretentious, non-nonsensical garbage masquerading as avant-garde, postmodernist Cosmicism that negates all the decisions you've made, forcesUp until the ending, this game is an 8.5, due to a myriad a minor issues like too much auto-dialogue, a worthless journal, some gameplay issues and a weak intro. It's ruined by the ending, which really is as bad as you've heard. It's 5 minutes pretentious, non-nonsensical garbage masquerading as avant-garde, postmodernist Cosmicism that negates all the decisions you've made, forces Shepard to speak and act out of character to enact one of several virtually identical and equally ridiculous endings. It offers no explanation, no closure, no sense of accomplishment, no epilogue and makes absolutely no sense. All it does is leave the player feeling betrayed and robbed.
    I can't believe this ending was created by the brilliant writers of the first two games. Oh wait, that's because it's not: those writers write for The Old Republic now. It's not enough that you're expected to pay for day one DLC, if you want decent writing you have to pay a monthly fee for their MMO. I blame EA.    … Expand
  24. ughbjsadj
    Mar 21, 2012
    0
    Simply not worth 60 euros. I would have expected this kind of experience from some smaller and less established publisher - not Bioware. The game was in overall balless and shallow. I didn't mind the ending (although it sucked) but the fact that there were so few really good scenes in this play.
  25. johnbeaman
    Mar 20, 2012
    10
    I think Hee-Haw said it best, "Gloom, despair and agony on me." Mass Effect 3 doesn't offer much in the way of happiness, and I walked away from this game feeling sick to my stomach. The Mass Effect trilogy took me on an incredible journey, and left me reeling in pain. In case you missed it, these are all good things.
  26. rappstar
    Mar 21, 2012
    1
    In a vacuum, this game doesn't suck. Objectively, it was the weakest of the 3 and that is why it deserves the low rating. Therefore in context, this was just not a good game. Likely you already know the ending was so bad that it overshadowed so much of the rest of it. In an RPG, the story is kind of important to the overall enjoyment of the game. Part of the problem is that the storyIn a vacuum, this game doesn't suck. Objectively, it was the weakest of the 3 and that is why it deserves the low rating. Therefore in context, this was just not a good game. Likely you already know the ending was so bad that it overshadowed so much of the rest of it. In an RPG, the story is kind of important to the overall enjoyment of the game. Part of the problem is that the story was so weighed down from the previous 2 games that it collapsed under the weight. Nothing was new. It was boring and predictable in quite a few places. Somehow planet scanning even got worse! Also, there were major flaws that mechanically drug it down also. I don't recall a single mini-game. It was just walking around pressing "A" button. Without giving anything away, the mechanic in the downtime makes Sheperd an eavesdropping weirdo. He just walked around like a creepy guardian angel. The multiplayer is surprisingly fun and the combat is better in someways, but on the whole, its just not as good as its predecessors. That is what I think bothers so many people. I pre-ordered the CE from amazon. Currently, I am torn about sending it back and just forgetting the whole thing ever happened. Swing and a miss.… Expand
  27. soiledmattress
    Mar 21, 2012
    0
    There was something disturbingly familiar about the ending before me. the three choices was all deus ex machina

    "you're the reaper, shepard"

    the truth split my skull open, a glaring green light
    washing the lies away.
    all of my past was just pointless choices, words hanging
    with no meaning.

    i was the reaper

    funny as hell, it was the most horrible ending i could think of.
  28. Ppontes64
    Mar 24, 2012
    0
    This game does not belong on the shelves of public video game stores. It might as well be half a disk, since the disk itself you'd be getting would have essentially the same amount of content and care put into it. For all I know, the game may be fantastic. It might. However, I'll never know as long as it's incomplete.
  29. gordofredito
    Mar 26, 2012
    10
    People seem to be mad because the ending isn't "what they expected" and while BioWare could've done a better ending, instead of everyone getting the same 3 possible endings, you can't deny the game itself is beautiful and perfectly crafted, the gameplay is flawless and the multiplayer was a surprisingly pleasant addition.
    The story is perfectly made, however, BioWare was unable to put all    People seem to be mad because the ending isn't "what they expected" and while BioWare could've done a better ending, instead of everyone getting the same 3 possible endings, you can't deny the game itself is beautiful and perfectly crafted, the gameplay is flawless and the multiplayer was a surprisingly pleasant addition.
    The story is perfectly made, however, BioWare was unable to put all the pieces back together in the ending, which is slightly disappointing.
    But people are being way too harsh with the game, a bad ending doesn't make a good game the worst game ever. People are overreacting.
    And while it is obvious that EA took out the Prothean and made it DLC to make money, I actually found myself preferring Javik over all the in-game characters, a bit overpriced.    … Expand
  30. lets_play
    Mar 27, 2012
    10
    I purposely stayed from reading any reviews, listening to any gaming podcasts, going on any gaming websites, basically tuned myself completely out from all media involved in gaming form the first day ME3 came out on March 6th, until the day I finished on march 13th. My initial feeling of the game I just played and finished, was simply WOW! And there were plenty of those moments throughoutI purposely stayed from reading any reviews, listening to any gaming podcasts, going on any gaming websites, basically tuned myself completely out from all media involved in gaming form the first day ME3 came out on March 6th, until the day I finished on march 13th. My initial feeling of the game I just played and finished, was simply WOW! And there were plenty of those moments throughout as well. This is on a short list of games that put me on such a ride, emotionally. There is so much heart in this game, the character development is off the charts. The story was grim and the desperation was evident. As the story went on I really began to get a sense of how this would end up. Little did I know that, the result of my initial playthrough would result in one of the worst, of the possible endings, and I still accepted it, and liked it. Shepherd and these other noble heroes sacrificing themselves for the future, is nothing short of spot on. Almost immediately after finishing the game, I went to Metacritic because I wanted to see other people's reactions to the game, and what the "pros" in the industry had to say as well. Then I saw it and I was beside myself!!!! Terrible user scores and as I dug deeper into the why, I was appalled! I thought maybe, I had searched the wrong game as all I saw was a cry baby effect! Look the ending may have left something to be desired, but I will ALWAYS side with the right of the creative forces behind the art, to do what they want with THEIR art, and not with those that stomp their feet and hold their breath like loud obnoxious spoiled children. IMO, this is the epitome of all that is wrong with our society and unfortunately is becoming more and more prevalent in it. This sense of entitlement, and utter outrage when things don't go as we see that they should. Everyone has the right to make their voices heard, and they should, but there is a proper way to do it. And I really thought this community of gamers, was above the idiotic 99% mentality, when it comes to making our voices heard. Everyone of those that, IMO, went too far......hey go out and make your own game. You can make it ANY way YOU want! Just like those at Bioware can make their game anyway THEY want. Have we all really forgotten to put ourselves in other peoples shoes, for even a second and rationalize things, in the hopes of making sense of something we don't agree with? Or are we barreling down a moral slope where we just stomp our fists in anger and he who yells the loudest wins? Also, really!?!?! Zero scores form users??? Wow, I mean c'mon, even if the assertion that the ending was horrible, the other 30+ hours were amazing, or at least somewhere in the middle.
    Lastly, I just have to say that I've seen all the arguments why the ending was "horrible" and have to say I can only give credence to one and that is that it was too ambiguous. There wasn't the necessary closure and I'll get to that in a second. Thinking back on things that happened in the first two games, things the story told us, the ending makes PERFECT sense, and is one of the most well put together stories ever (in any medium). They were telling us all along how it was going to play out and it did. The clues were there all along, we just had to pay attention to them and be able to bring the memories of them back when we needed them, maybe that's why it was so confusing because it didn't (outright) spell everything out for us, but kept the heart of the game in tact right up to the final decision, in that it was always about making the best decision based on the knowledge we had about the situation and living with the consequences, or just making the decision based on what we just "wanted to do", point is it was up to the player, the information was put in front of us and it was up to us to decide 1) how to play the game, 2) how much to prepare for the final battle and 3) the final decision (along with the romances, relationship stuff as well.) But to all those that said it made no sense, it did (at least to me) and I'm good with that! I really feel sorry for you all that it upset you so much but that's life (it is) and should be dealt with accordingly. I know this series (which I hold as one of the greatest ever) took a LOT of all of us, time wise, emotionally, economically........but at the end of the day it's still just a game and Bioware doesn't OWE us anything. They, like us, can CHOOSE, to make the game how they feel it best, and we can choose to support their future projects how we feel is most appropriate. But yeah, I would have liked to see more of what happened to all those characters I came to love so much, but that's not 100% necessary either. We'll either find out (one way or the other) or I have a very good imagination and am able to think it through logically enough that I'd bet I'd be pretty close to being right! Thanks Bioware, for a GREAT game and series. It really was a wonderful ride!    … Expand
  31. hitman47
    Mar 28, 2012
    9
    Mass Effect 3 is a great game that keeps pace with the high quality of the rest of the series. Gameplay wise we all know the drill, and if you played the other games in the series you should be very familiar with it. The narrative is tense and you know the galaxy is at stake this time. I loved both the characters, with all their releations, and the tense plot. Allthough being a sequel theyMass Effect 3 is a great game that keeps pace with the high quality of the rest of the series. Gameplay wise we all know the drill, and if you played the other games in the series you should be very familiar with it. The narrative is tense and you know the galaxy is at stake this time. I loved both the characters, with all their releations, and the tense plot. Allthough being a sequel they could have fixed minor gameplay flaws from earlier games, like the semi-broken cover system that sometimes can be anoying and imprecise. The roleplaying elements could also have been more prominent, which I think the first one in the series did best. But all in all an amazing gaming experience. I strongly recommend playing on hardcore difficulty, because the enemy A.I. is smarter and more challenging which is a great thing. ME3 has some of the best enemy AI I have seen in a long time.… Expand
  32. GibsonJunkie
    Mar 29, 2012
    9
    I've really enjoyed this game. The graphics look great. I was able to import my save files from ME1 and 2. The combat is upgraded, and feels even smoother than in the second. The ending, which most people have a problem with, I actually really liked. I felt like as the game moved along, loose ends were being tied together while the plot still advanced, and characters met their end (orI've really enjoyed this game. The graphics look great. I was able to import my save files from ME1 and 2. The combat is upgraded, and feels even smoother than in the second. The ending, which most people have a problem with, I actually really liked. I felt like as the game moved along, loose ends were being tied together while the plot still advanced, and characters met their end (or not!) based purely on my actions. Honestly, my main complaint is being forced to run around with my gun out nearly the entire time, and some occasional issues during combat when I was unable to take cover for some unknown reason. Overall, I'll give this game a 9/10, for a few technical bugs, but an overwhelmingly intriguing plot, and a high replay value. Thanks for reading!… Expand
  33. pollyphonic
    Mar 30, 2012
    9
    I think people are going overboard with the ending. I know it sucks but it doesn't mean you have to completely slaughter the entire game. Apart from the ending, the game was one of the best games I've ever played. They got the mechanics right, graphics look crisp and the storytelling at its best. The game does need a lot more closure though.
  34. BurgundyRed
    Mar 31, 2012
    9
    ***POTENTIAL SPOILERS IF YOU HAVE NOT HAD THE CHANCE TO HEAR ABOUT THE BACKLASH OR EXPERIENCE THE GAME FOR YOURSELF*** Although ME3 is in fact imperfect, it's still a worthy addition to the series. The gameplay, visuals, soundtrack, etc. are all top notch. Bioware didn't deviate much from ME2, but they sure did put on an excellent display for the fans. I think the majority of people that***POTENTIAL SPOILERS IF YOU HAVE NOT HAD THE CHANCE TO HEAR ABOUT THE BACKLASH OR EXPERIENCE THE GAME FOR YOURSELF*** Although ME3 is in fact imperfect, it's still a worthy addition to the series. The gameplay, visuals, soundtrack, etc. are all top notch. Bioware didn't deviate much from ME2, but they sure did put on an excellent display for the fans. I think the majority of people that have issues with the ending are just not getting the big picture. "Disowning" Bioware... one of the funniest things I've seen or heard in my entire life. Nonsense. Move on! It's a video game, a form of leisure time activity, entertainment, a form of art, it's not a law or a living thing or a crisis. If I had a dollar for every time I was "disappointed" about a form of entertainment and I carried on the way the "cause" did, I'd be filthy rich. This isn't the first time people were disappointed and it certainly won't be the last. All you have to do is abstain from gaming and we'll all be better off. Why don't you go design a better series (with stellar ending) and I will be the first to line up and purchase it. If not, then go back to your home on W__re Island! (Uh oh, I left some blanks, I better not leave anything open to interpretation or I will be forced by thousands of infants to alter my statement!) Seems as though the people that didn't get the "ending" have been owned SO HARD by Bioware and could very well be one of the best moments in gaming history. The way this game ends makes the series that much better for me! Even if you dislike the ending, it's still a damn good game! This game is excellent for anyone that has enjoyed the series. It's not much of a departure from ME2 but if you liked that one then I am sure you will enjoy ME3. I can't wait to see what they had planned all along! Great job EA/ Bioware! Thanks for 4 plus years of Shepard. I've never experienced a gaming series anything like it!… Expand
  35. mrogers0130
    Mar 31, 2012
    9
    Great Series and all around a great game throughout until that little boy, child, god, reaper thing appeared on the citadel. Everything after that boys appearence is awfull. It was a terrible ending and all the endings are exactly the same. The real choice you have at the end is, What is your favorite color, red blue or green? However, the game is still great until the last 8 minutes. TheGreat Series and all around a great game throughout until that little boy, child, god, reaper thing appeared on the citadel. Everything after that boys appearence is awfull. It was a terrible ending and all the endings are exactly the same. The real choice you have at the end is, What is your favorite color, red blue or green? However, the game is still great until the last 8 minutes. The fighting is amazing, the characters are interesting, not as good as ME2, but still good and customization is widened. The multiplayer is also fun. Its not going to be able to compete with Gears horde, or halos firefight, or even cods zombies, but it is still fun none the less. The game all around is great, what keeps it from a 10 is the terrible ending, but the ending shouldn't take away from the great game and series that came before it. To all of those who gave it 1s... Settle down. Don't be so extreme. The game is good. The ending is bad, but your not rating the ending, your rating the entire game, and most of the game is solid… Expand
  36. LiquidGamer
    Apr 3, 2012
    7
    The battle begins but it didn't end the way anyone wanted (which can be seen from the user score). I have never seen such outrage from a game before, the gaming community went crazy over this title and the fate of those in the series. The first levels seemed beta'ish and unfinished. The rest of the game was great... But, why in the hell would you get rid of the Elevator scenes thatThe battle begins but it didn't end the way anyone wanted (which can be seen from the user score). I have never seen such outrage from a game before, the gaming community went crazy over this title and the fate of those in the series. The first levels seemed beta'ish and unfinished. The rest of the game was great... But, why in the hell would you get rid of the Elevator scenes that replaced load screens??? Why??? And the vehicle aspect... gone? Why? A great game that did not stand up to everyone's expectations. Did it make the game of the month on the podcast... Take a listen... http://liquidgamer.podbean.com/… Expand
  37. ZacOfTheZombies
    Apr 13, 2012
    4
    Mass Effect 3 presents a text book example of "Just finish it so we can sell it." The game is riddled with cut corners; Be it sprites in the game, stock photos, plot holes deep enough to fit the Reaper Armada in, and content cut from the finished product, everything combines to paint ME3 as a sloppy, unfinished product. The gamplay is the average coverbased shooter that ME is known for.Mass Effect 3 presents a text book example of "Just finish it so we can sell it." The game is riddled with cut corners; Be it sprites in the game, stock photos, plot holes deep enough to fit the Reaper Armada in, and content cut from the finished product, everything combines to paint ME3 as a sloppy, unfinished product. The gamplay is the average coverbased shooter that ME is known for. The RPG elements for the game are surprisingly better since ME2, more reminiscent of those found in ME1. The writing in the game is, like I said earlier, riddled with plotholes but still offers fleeting moments of genuine goodness which makes me wonder if someone else was in charge of them. And of course, there's the ending. Pre-release comments stated that ME3's ending wouldn't be just "an A, B, or C choice" and that "player choices would really matter", these statements are completely false. The game ends based on a final A, B, or C choice resulting in virtually identical endings, differing only in color. Mass Effect 3 dies not with a bang but a slow whimper that begs to just be forgotten.… Expand
  38. TookYoCookies
    Apr 22, 2012
    0
    Terrible ending, devolution of game play, auto dialogue.. It's clear EA wanted this game made to cater to the most broad, widest, biggest, general audience possible and in doing so destroyed what made the game good to begin with. The unique setting,story, and character interaction blended with third person shooter action made Mass Effect 1 and 2, two of the greatest games of all time, andTerrible ending, devolution of game play, auto dialogue.. It's clear EA wanted this game made to cater to the most broad, widest, biggest, general audience possible and in doing so destroyed what made the game good to begin with. The unique setting,story, and character interaction blended with third person shooter action made Mass Effect 1 and 2, two of the greatest games of all time, and lead to Mass Effect 3 being one of the most anticipated games of all time. Despite the great critical and commercial success of the first two entries in the ME trilogy that most game developers could only dream of, EA and Bioware wanted to broaden the target audience to appeal to a much wider demographic, and in doing so, shot them selves, and the ME fiction in the foot; effectively killing what could very well have been the greatest trilogy of games the medium had ever seen. The uniqueness of the game, and cohesion of the story, were sacrificed for something that only die-hard, mountain dew chugging Michael Bay fans would be proud of.

    In their commercially driven motivation for Mass Effect 3, Bioware made the mistake of thinking that making the game more like the handful of other action-oriented shooters out there would make this game better; which was a tremendous mistake. the unique blend of story, characters, player driven narrative, impactful decisions made by the player, and solid TPS action is what made the game so popular. Attempting to make the game like every other TPS game out there, turned a master piece into just another bland, white/black, piece of gaming mediocrity. The most sad part of it all, is just the fact that had they stayed the course, the ME universe wouldve remained a cash-cow for years and years to come. EA has showed incompetence on a major level in the past 5 years of gaming, and their lack of foresight on this game alone goes above and beyond "dropping the ball". This kind of blunder in any other industry would see entire executive boards sacked, and call for serious coming-to-jesus meetings within the company to determine where they went wrong and how to make it right. Time to stop focusing on marketing, and start actually making good games. Just because the critics on game review sites THAT YOU FUND, think your game is perfect; doesnt mean anything.    … Expand
  39. Mark_Walrusburg
    May 9, 2012
    1
    I cannot believe this is what happened to the series. I made three different Shepard's, plugged in hours crafting each one for a specific play through. I held off on playing the game until I was done with this semester of classes because I wanted to seriously throw myself in. I've been dreading it because of what I've been hearing about the fiasco of an ending. Well I finally sat down andI cannot believe this is what happened to the series. I made three different Shepard's, plugged in hours crafting each one for a specific play through. I held off on playing the game until I was done with this semester of classes because I wanted to seriously throw myself in. I've been dreading it because of what I've been hearing about the fiasco of an ending. Well I finally sat down and played it, DAY 1 DLC included on my purchase because EA believes unfinished games being released are a great way to introduce content. Well never again.

    I have been following Bioware since knights of the old republic and I've enjoyed nearly every game (Dragon Age 2 excluded) flaws and all. Mass Effect 3 however, has somehow managed to instill a serious and incredibly ANNOYING sense of betrayal. How can a game company betray me? I'm not asking as though, "HOW COULD YOU DO THIS ME BIOWARE??" It's more, "No no this makes no sense, you are not an individual capable of actually betraying me Bioware, you are a game company. The concept is ridiculous." But even so! It's as if an old friend suddenly spit in my face and left smiling after I handed him seventy dollars. It's that feeling that has me just so disgusted that I would even feel like that over a video game. I was genuinely invested in this series and now I'm left just mulling over from time to time how horrible it was at the end.

    My choices didn't matter, my time put into the series had no real effect on the outcome. Killing or saving the Rachni Queen has no real impact. Uniting the Geth and the Quarian's has no real impact. The replay value of this game in my opinion is non-existent. My three Shepards have no genuine purpose other than to succumb to the will of a genocidal star child that shows up at the last ten minutes of the game. Why are there such massive plot holes in this final installment? If the Mass Relays exploding don't wipe out billions of lives and strand countless more can't the writers see how sloppy their work is? I've never made a review before, and this is my first time posting on metacritic. This final game to a wonderful series has left me with a bitter taste and a hole in my wallet. My opinion may not matter EA, but my loyalty and money once so freely given to Bioware will be taken elsewhere. I strongly suggest others do the same.    … Expand
  40. NinerJonny
    Jun 28, 2012
    10
    Do not believe the negative trolls that have taken over this review site. This is one of the best sci-fi games ever produced and comes to an excellent conclusion. The new extended cut makes it that much better. If you pass this game up because of the negative idiots, you have no one to blame but yourself. Try the game and come to your own conclusion...
  41. Jirekianu
    Mar 9, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The endings are all massively disappointing. Your options seem to kill almost everyone, and the way the mass relays react to the energy surge seems to show them blowing up regardless of the option you pick. Shephard dies no matter how well you prepare or what you do. The galaxy at war map never **** changes. It's always "offline". Your readiness never shifts from 50%. So yeah, thanks Bioware. Thanks for building up such a great game and then giving me a rushed and **** ending.

    All of those complaints said and out of the way. I was really happy with the game. Enjoying everything that happened for the most part. Some of the dialogue was goofy at times and I don't mean in a sappy way. I mean it was showing poor writing. Whoever approved these endings needs to be **** fired. I would give this game a 9/10 if the endings weren't so terrible and half-assed.    … Expand
  42. masterplan
    Mar 11, 2012
    0
    They shipped a broken game. My score for the game reflects that. One of the Mass Effect universes key components was the character import across the games. This now doesn't work. Shame on BioWare & EA.
  43. 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
  44. alandsidel
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    Like many others, I have been a loyal fan, looking forward to each new release in the game since the first. Mass Effect 2 had its rough spots (hammerhead, inventory "fixes", etc.) but at least the decisions you made in ME1, for the most part, had a measurable impact throughout the game, right up until the ending. By comparison, your choices in ME1 and ME2 have next to no impact onLike many others, I have been a loyal fan, looking forward to each new release in the game since the first. Mass Effect 2 had its rough spots (hammerhead, inventory "fixes", etc.) but at least the decisions you made in ME1, for the most part, had a measurable impact throughout the game, right up until the ending. By comparison, your choices in ME1 and ME2 have next to no impact on gameplay in ME3, and next to no impact on the ending either. I say ending, because no matter what choices you make in any of the three games, at the end, all your choices amount to the same thing.

    The ending cinematics are basically identical, as are the consequences. Absolutely no closure is given to any of the plot lines for you, your companions, or the galaxy as a whole. Not a single decision you make has a measurable impact on the outcome.

    Furthermore, the entire lead-in to the ending seems rushed. I was expecting an epic fight, perhaps several of them, either before or after the conclusion of the Earth plot line. Instead, the plot line ends at Earth, and there is only a single battle.

    Throughout the game, despite completing every single side quest, my readiness never went above 50%, and the "galaxy at war" map never did anything except state that it was unavailable.

    Endgame aside, there are other reasons that the gameplay itself is the worst of the three. Planetary exploration has been completely removed. No mako. No hammerhead. Nothing. Some planets have a single thing you can scan for a-la ME2, but most don't. The weapon customization makes the inventory system even worse than the ME1 inventory system. In the most important fights, no matter what kind of Shepard you are playing, there is only ONE option: Run and gun.

    It seems the developers idea of a challenging fight is simply "drop more tough creatures on the character, and then shake the screen. Also, make it impossible for the player to unambiguously decide if they want to run, hurdle, duck into cover, or anything else by using the same button for all three." For characters more focused on powers, finesse, sniping, or stealth, many of the fights are nearly impossible even on normal or easy difficulty settings.

    You can no longer carry a heavy weapon with you into battle, of any kind. When the developers think you need one, they will hide it on the battlefield somewhere, and after dying 5 or 10 times, you might find it. You have a flashlight now, but you cannot control when it is turned off or on. Very useful on dark levels that the developers didn't think were "dark enough" to warrant use of the flashlight.

    All in all, this game is a huge disappointment. There is not enough to explore, your decisions do not matter, and combat often steps over the line from "challenging" to "obnoxiously difficult" for classes other than the soldier. The choices available at the end all feel more like losses than victories, and don't differ from one another. Bioware says there are 17 endings but in reality, there are simply 17 slightly changed versions of the same ending.

    I've played through the first two games 8 or 10 times each, and I'm struggling to find a reason to complete a play through of this one more than once. If my decisions don't matter, then what's the point?    … Expand
  45. nepos13
    Mar 12, 2012
    2
    This is the first time I have ever felt compelled to review a game in my 28 years of gaming. I have played Mass Effect 1 and enjoyed it so much that I refused to trade it. I played Mass Effect 2, multiple times and I kept that one as well. I spent a lot of time working on my character, making the choices, really defining my experience, so I happily purchase my Mass Effect 3. I love theThis is the first time I have ever felt compelled to review a game in my 28 years of gaming. I have played Mass Effect 1 and enjoyed it so much that I refused to trade it. I played Mass Effect 2, multiple times and I kept that one as well. I spent a lot of time working on my character, making the choices, really defining my experience, so I happily purchase my Mass Effect 3. I love the game until the last ten or fifteen minutes. When the ending comes, it is not the disappointment of this series that is over, or joy that my characters journey is complete. It is of course the emptiness that every choice i made in the other games did not matter. I played all the side quests offered, even tried the day one dlc to see if that would make a difference. No... This ending is bad, the three choices offered are horrible. If I had known it would have ended like this, I would never have purchased it or wasted my time in such a manner. I tried changing several variables in the story...to no avail. I don't think I have ever been so let down by an entertainment medium since probably the Star Wars prequels or the Matrix in film.… Expand
  46. Darkhawk
    Mar 12, 2012
    1
    A) This game is fantastic and a lot of fun to play.
    B) The entire experience is ruined by that fact that you cannot import your character from previous games.
    If an entire trilogy is predicated on carrying a custom character across all games in the series, it's both laughable and offensive to fans that the third game would not permit that same custom face to be brought forward. Yes,    A) This game is fantastic and a lot of fun to play.
    B) The entire experience is ruined by that fact that you cannot import your character from previous games.

    If an entire trilogy is predicated on carrying a custom character across all games in the series, it's both laughable and offensive to fans that the third game would not permit that same custom face to be brought forward. Yes, it's possible to recreate your custom face using the editor. No, it's not fun and a major strike against BioWare quality assurance.    … Expand
  47. MatDiF
    Mar 7, 2012
    5
    Mass Effect 3 is the latest installment of Biowareâ
  48. 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
  49. CaptKikuta
    Mar 19, 2012
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. My thoughts on the game without the ending, and a lil rant about the ending. I found the game play flawless, dialogue interesting, cinematic cut scenes very moving, game world breathtaking and an epic score of musical talent. It isn't hard to believe that the awe inspiring sight of a thresher maw being used to destroy a reaper was the highlight of the game for me and even at that high point it still managed to keep me glued for 3days. But at that stratospheric heights of the euphoria one feels when thinking they are playing the new benchmark for all RPG games, the cold vacuum of space sucks the air from your lungs and your are left to float aimlessly in the void. Leaving the amazement and wonder of the last 72 hours is reduced to a "Uh..wait a minute!?" moment. Personally, I feel that the game wasn't done justice and Bioware and EA should be apologizing for the awful, hideous and tone deaf sonata of an otherwise perfect symphony. (ps. An ending with simply a picture of everyone who survived giving a thumbs up would have been far superior to the dribble that was served.)… Expand
  50. Velox
    Mar 7, 2012
    1
    Bear in mind that I am about 7 hours into this title as I write this review. I am not waiting until I finish it, because I refuse to waste one more minute of my time on this game. I could not be more disappointed. It all started when I could not import my ME1+2 character face into the new game. This is a recognized bug which is being addressed. I'm not forgiving them for it becauseBear in mind that I am about 7 hours into this title as I write this review. I am not waiting until I finish it, because I refuse to waste one more minute of my time on this game. I could not be more disappointed. It all started when I could not import my ME1+2 character face into the new game. This is a recognized bug which is being addressed. I'm not forgiving them for it because they new about it well before release and chose to do nothing. And it's a horrible way to start a STORY based RPG. It's like watching your favorite TV show for years only to have them replace the main character with another actor in the final season. The Story, (Which is the main reason I play Mass Effect) is terrible. I won't give away anything here which makes it very hard to explain why it's so bad, but I dont understand how you can go from being the Galaxy rock star Shepard from the end of ME2 to this pathetic lowlife that starts out in ME3. And the dialog options are redundant. There was one point where my only 2 dialog options basically said the exact same thing. I'm paraphrasing here, but the options were something like, "No way in Hell!" and "Over my dead body!". I guess I'm not allowed to agree with that NPC's statement.

    Holstering your weapon has been removed. While this may not sound like a big deal, it really is. In the game environment there is a ton ammo, datapads, medpacs and all sorts of things you need to find and pick up. Since your toon is stuck in a rifle ready position, it makes it extremely difficult to find these objects. In the old games, holstering your weapon would open a free camera mode that would allow you to examine your environment. To me, this is an extremely frustrating aspect of this title. It's almost like a wannabe Gears of War. The Roleplay aspect of this game has been replaced with yet another crappy 3rd person shooter.

    This game has been "dumbed down" to satisfy the masses...unfortunately you are screwing over your initial fan base on the hopes that a new fan might pick up your games finale. I'm not sure what happened to the Bioware I've loved since Baldur's Gate, but I'm sure many of the poor decisions that went into this game were heavily influenced by their new EA overlords because this company hasn't been the same since that buyout.    … Expand
  51. thewindowkeeper
    Mar 7, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. As much of a fan of Mass Effect as I am, I cannot get around how much of a let down this game is. Most of the dialogue choices are all ready made for you. Most of the choices you made are reversed (SPOILER: I picked Anderson as counsel, not Udina, yet Udina is counsel). The RPG elements have been dumbed down to a shell of what they were, yet combat was improved. By improved, I mean making your powers charge slower depending on how much your equipment weighs. But, the worst offender is the story. Certain people die for no reason other than forced dramatic effect. All it does is enrage the players who have invested their time and money in the first two games, defining their own path for the universe, only to see that it ultimately did not matter what they did at all. It would all end up the same way, after all. Don't listen to the critics, listen to the fans. They know what makes a game good, and this isn't it.… Expand
  52. Nikus
    Mar 8, 2012
    0
    Having grown up playing Baldur's Gate, I am saddened to see what Bioware has become. I considered DA2 a disaster made by other team. I considered ME2 a fluke. However ME3 confirmed this trend. Fetch quests instead of deep, epic plots. Gameplay consisting of shooting wave after wave of enemies. Shallow characters pandering to "beach party" MTV crowds, cheap scenes that(I guess) should evokeHaving grown up playing Baldur's Gate, I am saddened to see what Bioware has become. I considered DA2 a disaster made by other team. I considered ME2 a fluke. However ME3 confirmed this trend. Fetch quests instead of deep, epic plots. Gameplay consisting of shooting wave after wave of enemies. Shallow characters pandering to "beach party" MTV crowds, cheap scenes that(I guess) should evoke some emotion but are completely hallow, mysterious aliens turned into "Giant nasty robots". ME3 lost all the charm of the ME1, and seems like a glorified shooter. Bioware no longer makes RPG games I am afraid. Sorry, but I am no longer your fan.… Expand
  53. swagmeister08
    Mar 8, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Apparently my last comment was deleted, allow me to explain I am not trolling. Mass Effect is a wonderful series, we grow to love our character and the universe as a whole only to have it ruined with the ending. ME3s gameplay was relatively awesome and the story was great, but any gamer that is seriously into this series will tell you that the ending was horrible and left you feeling like crap. Hopefully Bioware fixes this with some DLCs, also I couldn't import my old characters, they used a stock photo for Tali's face, the ending scene is done with another stock image, the ending is very reminiscent of Deus Ex Human Revolution and its just a terrible letdown by what was my favorite company.… Expand
  54. Mogwai76
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    Well all the hopes i had for the 3rd game, after the dissapointment of the second, were for nothing. Instead of going back to what made the first game in the series great, Bioware created an even more dumbed down version of the game in an attempt to wow the masses. Cutscene, Cutscene, Cutscene, dull combat, rinse and repeat. Add to that a co-op mode that you are almost forced to play ifWell all the hopes i had for the 3rd game, after the dissapointment of the second, were for nothing. Instead of going back to what made the first game in the series great, Bioware created an even more dumbed down version of the game in an attempt to wow the masses. Cutscene, Cutscene, Cutscene, dull combat, rinse and repeat. Add to that a co-op mode that you are almost forced to play if you want the "best" possible ending in the single player and it's clear that Bioware just wants to keep copies out of the second hand market. This game has gone down the path of Dragon Age. a great concept, but a bad implementation.… Expand
  55. 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.
  56. Allthegoodones
    Apr 1, 2012
    8
    So I had been following all the hype around this game prior to its release and had bought into it all because, and I'm certain even the disappointed will agree, this was by far the most engaging video game ever made. Even ME 3 was an amazing experience, the whole quarian vs geth storyline and the conclusion of it was easily the most powerful sub plot in a game i've ever experienced. TheSo I had been following all the hype around this game prior to its release and had bought into it all because, and I'm certain even the disappointed will agree, this was by far the most engaging video game ever made. Even ME 3 was an amazing experience, the whole quarian vs geth storyline and the conclusion of it was easily the most powerful sub plot in a game i've ever experienced. The ending though... what a grumble inducing affair it was! It was clearly rushed... even if this had been a single game that ending would not have sufficed. Bur for a trilogy, its down right criminal to end with a five minute cut scene. There had to have been a fully playable epilogue chapter. Shepard's death in itself wasn't the disappointment it was more the callousness with which this legend we had been building for years was abandoned is what broke all the hearts. Shepard dying is a fitting option for sure, adding invaluably to the replayability of the whole series. But bioware seriously needed to take a leaf from the RDR book wherein the protag dies in the penultimate chapter allowing for closure for the ones left behind. Ofcourse for those players who managed to make the decision throughout the series to keep Shepard alive in the end would be awarded with shepard as the Protag of the final/epilogue chapter as well. Alas, Bioware has dropped the ball on that opportunity and even if they come out with a DLC fixing this problem it will not hold the same value or meaning.
    Having said that, the game itself is remarkable and kudos to Bioware for undertaking this mystifying journey and bringing us along for the ride. In all honesty the plotline of the ME series has never been as strong as the subplots and relationships and feeling of camaraderie that the game was able to bring to players and as far as those attributes are concerned, let me just say that even though i sided with the geth initially, the very next day, after a sleepless night haunted by visions of Tali's heartbreaking death, i simply had to go back and kill the geth of instead. And its not just Tali... Garruss, and Liara... Mordin and Wrex... Ashley and Miranda and joker and Kelly and even EDI... these were more than just team mates, they were real friends who my shepard cared about and who cared about him. No one has ever been able to do that before, it is a feeling exclusive to the ME series and a feeling that i will crave to feel again until someone take the ME formula and improves on it to deliver a the masterpiece this game was until they botched up the climax. All in all, it was one hell of an experience and it would have been all that much better had Bioware given the time and effort to the ending that this game deserved. Even so i'm grateful for the effort they did put in. Now they need to work on a new ME series, one set in the aftermath of this one. They need to do it soon and they need to do it right.    … Expand
  57. dovacreep
    Mar 9, 2012
    1
    overall , if you haven't play the previous series, me3 looks badass. but if you did play me1 or me2, then me3 is bull****. Graphics: can't believe this game uses unreal engine (GOW, Batman AC, unreal tournament3,bulletstorm, etc), well at least why don't you bioware put destructible environtment into combat?it has physX ins't it?. luls movment (either in combat or exploration) animation,overall , if you haven't play the previous series, me3 looks badass. but if you did play me1 or me2, then me3 is bull****. Graphics: can't believe this game uses unreal engine (GOW, Batman AC, unreal tournament3,bulletstorm, etc), well at least why don't you bioware put destructible environtment into combat?it has physX ins't it?. luls movment (either in combat or exploration) animation, awkward face animation (they still using faceFX, peh), ugly textures. Combat : forgiven, but still annoying movement animation ruins it all. Story: bull**** from beginning till I die. First time in menu , i choose "action" so i could save the role-play storytell later. I said" wtf, cutscenes and flows are sucks" hmpf, maybe because i choose "action" so it's like options for retarded who chooses muscle over brain. okay. but when i try to play "RPG" like it should be, " wtf! it's sucks otherwise". so it doesn't matter what you choose, its bull****, conversation are forced into useless lines, this is like encourage people to do sexual harrasmnt, and they enjoying it, and what the hell happened to my previous crew? they're all KIA? Overall, DISAPPOINTING!!! forgive my rudeness, but mass effect franchise deserve better than this. this is why some people chose illegal copy instead. i gave ONE for the bravery bringing battle to earth.… Expand
  58. Veay
    Mar 29, 2012
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I found Mass Effect 3 a really enjoyable experience. Game expands on most characters in a nice way, it is constructed in a detailed manner, there are almost none continuity issues, combat is well-paced and pretty fun. Sound/music department is great, graphics is ok (nothing special).
    There are many issues though, much more important than the dumb ending. Only one quest hub, few interesting characters (cmon, i had to run with Garrus and Liara all the time, Tali and Ashely late in game, rest was crap), useless quest tracker (!!). They could expand on evading Reapers, managing fuel and scanning planets as well. I didnt like the idea of galaxy readiness either. The game could use some more mature attitude also, it just holds your hand too much imo.
    When it comes to that **** about ending - I dont really understand the whole fuss. It was dumb, I admit, especially the part where whole galaxy is left stranded orbiting around Earth with mass relays destroyed. I hate the star-kid idea as well - cmon, does every major rpg need this kind of closure, when you learn there is some new **** villain you never heard of before? But apart from this I liked Shepard - Illusive confrontation and the whole sacrafice thing that everyone anticipated anyways. It was pretty touching and allows for expanding history in the future - all of us want more ME anyway, right?    … Expand
  59. Nagato-noKami
    Mar 26, 2012
    0
    As a avid fan of the first two installments of the series, I have to say that ME3 was disappointing beyond belief. The story completely falls apart in the last ten minutes of the game. As the final secrets are revealed, the player is confronted by the horrible truth that THE STORY MAKES NO SENSE. Clearly, the lead writer was out of his philisophical and intellectual depth. ThisAs a avid fan of the first two installments of the series, I have to say that ME3 was disappointing beyond belief. The story completely falls apart in the last ten minutes of the game. As the final secrets are revealed, the player is confronted by the horrible truth that THE STORY MAKES NO SENSE. Clearly, the lead writer was out of his philisophical and intellectual depth. This combined with EA's dispicable grab for cash with the day one DLC has made me decide never to buy another game from this publisher.… Expand
  60. Jinxter
    Mar 22, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Let first say that I am a HUGE fan of this series, it was an amazing exploration of concept of making choices and how those choices shape the game you play. It was a true Space Opera that had characters that for the first time, made me 'feel' for them. I cared what happened to these characters, kudos to the voice actors for literally breathing life into these great characters. This game, allowed me to craft a character that made the impossible possible...s/he was a character that was a SOLDIER who NEVER gave up...who always strives to do what it right. This game allowed us to make choices and those choices affected each of the previous game's endings. I was hoping for more of the same in ME3. For the most part, I got it...however, at the very end of the game...the tone of the game changed. The Shepard I had roll-played up until the last 10 minutes of the game, ceased to exist, and what I was left with was a doppelganger...it looked like my Shepard, but this character gave up. This Shepard did NOT fight until the end...This Shepard 'accepted' fate. The last 10 minutes of this game was so out of character, so artistically different from what came before it, then I lost my immersion. It was so out of sync with what I had played before that all I was left with was a WTF in my mind eye. I found that I did not want to even finish the game out. These last minutes felt like they belonged to another game entirely. There were so many plot holes that the entire ending sequence felt unpolished, rushed, and tacked on. I swore I could see the gum, duct tape, and baling wire holding things together. I can understand artistic license to change things as you see fit...but this? It was thematically different enough that for me, I could not believe that this had been approved. THESE last 10 minutes of the game, changed what would have been an easy 9 score from me to a 1. Disappointment doesn't even come close to the feelings I had upon the completion of the game...and the Stargazer was also and odd choice. Why couldn't I get scenes showing where the rest of my crew went? How about a scene honoring Shepard for what they did for the Galaxy? This ending ruins this 3rd game, and nearly ruins the entire trilogy...I cannot give it a score higher than a 1.… Expand
  61. tetraconigo
    Mar 17, 2012
    2
    Waiting for the finale to the epic trilogy that is mass effect was agonizing. All the choices and hours invested over the past two games (and 5 years) were promised to carry over to the final game in a summation of our actions, good and bad, leading up to this point. This promise was completely broken as the ending played out and the obvious disregard for said promise was thrown out theWaiting for the finale to the epic trilogy that is mass effect was agonizing. All the choices and hours invested over the past two games (and 5 years) were promised to carry over to the final game in a summation of our actions, good and bad, leading up to this point. This promise was completely broken as the ending played out and the obvious disregard for said promise was thrown out the window. Instead, you are presented with three choices that are all entirely too similar, rife with plot holes and inconsistencies that would make the Bush administration blush. Major decisions throughout the series were ignored, leaving the player to have no real reason to agonize over the decisions in the first place. We are not entitled, whiny gamers, but simply gamers disappointed with a promise that was not kept. Bioware, make it right.… Expand
  62. Zellith
    Mar 19, 2012
    0
    This was my favourite trilogy until the last 10 mins. The last 10 mins just undermined and completely destroyed a franchise. The rest of ME3 is absolubtely stellar but the last 10 mins have just absolubtely eviscerated my will to play these games ever again. Rent - do not buy.
  63. Ninjastyle
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    An entire game experience ruined by the last 15 minutes of the 3rd game the endings have no meaning what so ever. You just UNITED the entire galaxy against the reapers no matter the race or if synthetic or not and yet the ending is about how there will allways be war between synthetics and organics? wtf? wtf? wtf? wtf? there is 1 **** synthetic race that you just gave true SENTIENCE to andAn entire game experience ruined by the last 15 minutes of the 3rd game the endings have no meaning what so ever. You just UNITED the entire galaxy against the reapers no matter the race or if synthetic or not and yet the ending is about how there will allways be war between synthetics and organics? wtf? wtf? wtf? wtf? there is 1 **** synthetic race that you just gave true SENTIENCE to and they became the nearly as Awesome as Legion from it. Evry part of this game was epic except it started lacking more and more choices like we had in the previous games the part towards the ending was RUSHED allso you started noticing less and less to do before a priority mission well **** in the end it was just NEXT Priority mission. all in all my dissapointment with the ending was so big I was liturally furious for several hours it has ruined the best game i've played to date. How VERY sad on biowares part that they've failed so Insanely.… Expand
  64. 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
  65. echoshard
    Mar 13, 2012
    2
    The last 15 minutes negates the previous +90 hours worth of gameplay. It's worse than a mediocre game, it invalidates all of the franchise. Proceed with caution.
  66. salartarium
    Mar 13, 2012
    0
    Seriously disappointed in the end to an otherwise great series. Bought $5 and $10 dlc for all the games, and spent countless hours trying to get perfect play throughs on ME1 and ME2 only to find out that my reward was almost useless war assets. Was seriously disappointed how however you played you still got pretty much the same ending video that yet was promised that the story would branchSeriously disappointed in the end to an otherwise great series. Bought $5 and $10 dlc for all the games, and spent countless hours trying to get perfect play throughs on ME1 and ME2 only to find out that my reward was almost useless war assets. Was seriously disappointed how however you played you still got pretty much the same ending video that yet was promised that the story would branch into unexpected ways. Even more disappointed that to get the "perfect ending"( doesn't really make sense why they would say that their ending is the "perfect" one) one had to participate in multiplayer in a game that is supposed to be a story driven rpg. In summation Mass Effect 3 was not worth the $80 i spent and the 6 month delay.… Expand
  67. 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
  68. sidneyhabour
    Mar 19, 2012
    1
    The ending... is all I have to say . I have to wonder what went through their minds when making this. Did they not learn from DA2? Nope of course not because in the end when you have space magic and money who cares about the customer reaction. Very sad to see the ending of the trilogy come to this.
  69. 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
  70. Gruntt
    Mar 21, 2012
    7
    A good game. Very emotional game i almost cried at some times and very well done dialogue once again. Everything is right about this game, all the classes get to use assault and sniper rifles along with shotguns. This game is so good until the ending. The ending is sooo bad and out of place that this game was a set back for me. BioWare needs to do something fast before they lose there loyal fans.
  71. Audiovideodisco
    Apr 4, 2012
    3
    As a big Mass Effect fan, this game was a must have for me. I loved every minute of each game. The action in this part has improved over the second one, the graphics look better and the story is still top notch. While playing the game, i noticed my options (choices) were less than the other parts, but I didn't find it to be a big problem. The thirty or so hours were great, until I got tilAs a big Mass Effect fan, this game was a must have for me. I loved every minute of each game. The action in this part has improved over the second one, the graphics look better and the story is still top notch. While playing the game, i noticed my options (choices) were less than the other parts, but I didn't find it to be a big problem. The thirty or so hours were great, until I got til the ending...

    Sadly but true, the series took a dive I couldn't have seen coming. The ending felt unfinished, non sensical and just plain out of place. Normally, I replay the Mass Effect series multiple times. I haven't felt like playing this one any more. The ending truly was the downfall for the series.    … Expand
  72. MajorLeeFubar
    Apr 4, 2012
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I had purchased Mass Effect 1 and 2 in addition to all the DLCs because the games were very good. The first one focused on the ME universe while the second focused more on your squad. They each had teething problems, but they were well done.

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

    I could go on, but I am sure by now, you will see the gist of it. I canal understand people who say they played the entire game including the ending, they cannot say that it was rushed or just a complete mess.    … Expand
  73. Mstango
    Apr 15, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Yes the ending is that bad and yes the fan outrage is wholly justified. Even putting the ending aside it is by far the worst entry in the series no planetary exploration, all the side quests are fetch quests, theyâ… Expand
  74. johnyod
    Apr 17, 2012
    0
    Lets take an incredible 3 course meal made by superb chefs, and then take a big fat steamer right on top of it. This is what mass effect 3 would be like, if it was food.
  75. Sumie
    Mar 7, 2012
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I loved Mass Effect 1 and 2 (okay, loathed the Mako and all that crap, but apart from that...) Mass Effect 3? Is a highly polished turd in comparison. The gameplay itself is better, smoother, prettier. The artwork is amazing. The plot? Ahahaha. BioWare decided to go all grimdark; nothing you do matters in the end, and you don't get a proper epilogue that tells you what happened to all your squadmates. No, you get a dude telling his grandson a story about "the Shepard." There is supposed to be some sort of payoff for the sense of urgency the game conveys so well, but no. You and your squaddies just get the shaft because of some badly written Space Magic. It's pretty much "a wizard did it."

    Another couple of words I think I'll just leave here, because everyone will know what I mean: Jessica Chobot. :P

    I won't be buying any more BioWare games on release day, and they've made it very obvious with their DLC and other marketing that they find the pay-to-win scenario extremely lucrative and worth continuing. So, sale rack it is from now on. For what it's worth, Garrus is one of my favorite characters ever in a game. That I enjoyed the characters (when they weren't being completely screwed over in ME3) is one of the reasons I'm not quitting BioWare completely.    … Expand
  76. Nile3
    Mar 9, 2012
    5
    ME3 did not feel as good as ME2. The story was a bit clumsy, the characters unfriendly and the relationship in-between them vacuous or unrealistic. I felt like I was watching a young girl playing with barbie dolls, but with a science-fiction plot instead of a pink play house. Don't get me wrong, the Sci-Fi idea behind all of ME is epic, I loved it. But this last chapter failed toME3 did not feel as good as ME2. The story was a bit clumsy, the characters unfriendly and the relationship in-between them vacuous or unrealistic. I felt like I was watching a young girl playing with barbie dolls, but with a science-fiction plot instead of a pink play house. Don't get me wrong, the Sci-Fi idea behind all of ME is epic, I loved it. But this last chapter failed to deliver because of the story-telling and the quite repetitive console-like gameplay.

    Here's how you beat the game: Move forward, shoot, repeat. You have nothing to think about or care about to beat the game.    … Expand
  77. Insid3out
    Mar 9, 2012
    2
    Mass Effect Trilogy

    Explained with the help of a bunch of apples. Imagine if i had one apple, this represnts mass effect 1, its all gravy but its clear it could get better. Imagine if i had two apples, this represents mass effect 2, its made some great improvements and despite some unvaried level design its a great game. Now imagine if i gave you no apples and TOOK A **** ON YOUR    Mass Effect Trilogy

    Explained with the help of a bunch of apples.

    Imagine if i had one apple, this represnts mass effect 1, its all gravy but its clear it could get better.
    Imagine if i had two apples, this represents mass effect 2, its made some great improvements and despite some unvaried level design its a great game.
    Now imagine if i gave you no apples and TOOK A **** ON YOUR FACE.

    This represents mass effect 3, it actually manages to destroy what made it successfull ala modern warfare 3.
    How a team of people actually **** up so MONUMENTALLY, is beyond me.

    In fact its simple there target market has become wider than a hookers oriface and also as ****ING FILTHY AS ONE. DAY ONE DLC, NO CHOICES, EVERYTHINGS ****ING IRRELIVENT, CANNON PLOT,CANNON ROMANCES, SPACE BROKEBACK ****ING MOUNTAIN, AUTO **** IN MY FACE DIALOGUE, THE CAST FROM JERSEY ****ING SHORE, GEARS OF WARS HORD MODE.

    IF YOU ACTUALLY SQUINT ALL THE WAY THROUGH ITS KIND OF LIKE A SPACE BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN GEARS OF WHORES.

    YOU FOOL ME ONCE SHAME ON YOU.
    YOU FOOL ME TWICE SHAME ON ME.

    THIS YEAR HAS MADE ME REALISE THAT COD FRANCHISE AND BIOWARE IN GENERALLY AFTER ****ING UP TO MAJOR FRANCHISES, ITLL BE THREE SOON WHEN THEY PUT PINK ****ING ARMY MEN IN COMMAND AND **** YOURSELF. THEY CAN ALL SUCK MY RINGO STAR.    … Expand
  78. Doxide
    Mar 17, 2012
    0
    I'm not even mad that the ending sucked. I'm mad that it sucked and DIDN'T MAKE ANY SENSE! It was like if Francis Ford Coppola died right before shooting the last scene of The Godfather. Then some idiot hack came in to take over and scribbled a final scene together by finger painting his feces on a canvas. And to top it all off Bioware has the goddam nerve to TELL US TO BUY UPCOMINGI'm not even mad that the ending sucked. I'm mad that it sucked and DIDN'T MAKE ANY SENSE! It was like if Francis Ford Coppola died right before shooting the last scene of The Godfather. Then some idiot hack came in to take over and scribbled a final scene together by finger painting his feces on a canvas. And to top it all off Bioware has the goddam nerve to TELL US TO BUY UPCOMING DLC IF WE WANT TO LEARN MORE! Tell you what Bioware, you can come over here and suck on MY DLC.… Expand
  79. ancient_serpent
    Mar 23, 2012
    2
    I wish that the company had been as loyal to the fans as I have been to the series. After all of the gameplay and all of the care I took playing and replaying the first two games, all I get are three crappy choises that all amount to basically the same thing? I won't be wasting any more money or time with Bioware games if they think this is acceptable.
  80. 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.
  81. solvill
    Mar 19, 2012
    3
    It's sad to see this great game end this way. The ending, or rather lack of one, is appalling. Absolutely none of the decisions you've made in the game, or in ME1/ME2 make any difference, and the end result is always the same just with different color, it leaves you with a feeling never wanting to touch Mass Effect again. The end of the game offers no closure or what's even worse doesn'tIt's sad to see this great game end this way. The ending, or rather lack of one, is appalling. Absolutely none of the decisions you've made in the game, or in ME1/ME2 make any difference, and the end result is always the same just with different color, it leaves you with a feeling never wanting to touch Mass Effect again. The end of the game offers no closure or what's even worse doesn't make sense at all… Expand
  82. lady_astro08
    Apr 4, 2012
    1
    This game was amazing.....till the end. I felt hallow and sick because of this ending. I'm going to pretend it never happened. No choice, major plotholes and no closure.
  83. MrFist
    Apr 10, 2012
    0
    CAUTION The author is not afraid of repercussion of this article, unlike â
  84. underseaboat
    Mar 8, 2012
    3
    Another crap space shooter rehash, this garbage is killing the gaming industry. When will you silly publishers stop funding this filth and start promoting innovation in games again? Games need depth, not pay-to-win multi player and push button - receive win single player.
  85. SulfurousChain
    Mar 8, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Let me just start off by saying i don't give a damn about the co-op, the single player has always been what I've purchased the game for (so this is a review of the single player). I've owned every single mass effect game since the very first one and i must have replayed them at least 4 times each (excluding this one) to get the perfect ending so that it could transition the perfect way into the next game. i even re-bought them on the computer so i could relive them again and make even better choices for the next game. the problem with this game is the fact that most and yes i mean MOST of the choices you've made throughout the previous games are either changed in the case of the Councillor i chose or completely discarded in the case of almost everything else. starting up this game i was really annoyed that they completely removed the idea that the (now) Admiral Anderson was ever the Councillor (and that's who i chose because Udina is a prick) it just erases you're choice and assumes you chose Udina so that he could betray you. as for the conversation mechanic (i first noticed this in the conversation with the illusive man where he decides he wants to control the reapers) the dialogue options are no longer choices to be made, it is just choosing how you word you're response (with only a few exceptions that don't really matter during the course of the game like: cure the Genophage or tell people you cured the Genophage and everyone belives you, like you cured the Genophage!), there is no more save him/ kill him its now "tell him to leave/ yell at him he needs to leave" and that continued to bug the living hell out of me for the rest of the game. as for the paragon/ renegade levels i despised the fact that you cant use a mixture, you go heavily one way or heavily the other, otherwise you dont have a high enough level of them to do anything with them starting about half-way through the game. not to mention that there we're a grand total of 0 paragon/renegade choices or interrupts that made a difference throughout the game ie: Kia Leng, he stabs at you, renegade interrupt you break his sword and then stab him and then say something/ no interrupt he misses and you stab him saying the same thing and doing the same motion as before. the followers were a disappointment as-well; just seeing alot of the followers and not being able to use them, or even see them more than once or twice throughout the game (excluding the last level where u see all of them, one at a time through a projector in a little conversation where there is one dialogue option each like: encourage/ remind what is at stake) and the fact that they killed off several of my favorite followers without giving me a choice to do anything about it really REALLY destroyed alot of enjoyment for me. one choice that i remember makes a difference is one between two followers. Tali and Legion, whichever one you choose wins, and the other one (along with their entire species) dies and there is no way to mediate it is very straight- forward "pick me or all the Geth die/ pick me or all the Quarians die" personally i went with tali and i guess that was the "good" choice but i felt like an **** because all the Geth had just said something along the lines of "Hey bro we're gonna help you out because your'e nice n'stuff" so i respond with "kill all Geth. as for the ending of the game, it took a grand total of ONE choice from the game (excluding the ending choice itself) and slapped it in there not any choices from any other game in the series but the one choice that made a difference the one Tali Vs. Legion, and guess how they acknowledged it, when the HD cut scene ends it shows the Normandy crash after being hit with a blue or red explosion (depends on the ending you chose), joker get out, and then your choice gets out... that's it. as for the ending choice itself you have the choice "between wiping out all synthetic life (and dying)" or "controlling the reapers(and dying)" and the only difference between them is: (control) the reapers get hit by a bluish explosion thing and then fly away / (destroy) the reapers get hit by a reddish explosion and fall over. overall it made for a very anti-climactic end to the series (or at least the Shepherd part of the series)… Expand
  86. FragCzar
    Mar 9, 2012
    6
    I've paid and played all of Bioware's ME and DA games (and DLCs), and both series have shown a consistent trend away from action RPG and toward something like an interactive movie. DAO and ME1 were standout games -- they had engaging stories, challenging missions, sufficient map variety, interesting characters and companions, *romance*, variable plot lines involving player decisions.I've paid and played all of Bioware's ME and DA games (and DLCs), and both series have shown a consistent trend away from action RPG and toward something like an interactive movie. DAO and ME1 were standout games -- they had engaging stories, challenging missions, sufficient map variety, interesting characters and companions, *romance*, variable plot lines involving player decisions. They were FUN games that left us wanting more (except the Maco -- we had enough of the Maco). ME2 and DA2, and now ME3, are not like those former games. Cinematics have gotten way too long (so they added the flashing LT/RT prompts to try to keep you from skipping them or leaving the room). Maps are tiny and are reused way too much (see DA2 for the worst of it). They try to cover up the scarcity of real playable content with filler side-quests like ME3's inane Citadel terminal hopping nonsense and tedious resource/war-asset scanning. ME3, in particular, adds more content filler by spreading out a simple character management menu over a four level ME3 ship with 30 sec load times between each level (do i really need to go all the way down to the shuttle bay to see my loadout?). And under all that filler the main ME3 mission is a scifi retelling of Henhouse Henery (Warner Bros). DAO and ME1 were well-crafted games that did not suffer for lack of Hollywood glitz or novelty shooter mechanics (not getting caught and killed by the ME3 cover system is the most challenging part of the game). They were compelling and tasty. Sadly, their successors are not -- their successors are Happy Meals.… Expand
  87. babyfarmer
    Mar 7, 2012
    3
    I loved the Mass Effect series. The second one got away from the RPG elements a little bit and played more like Gears of Mass Effect, and now they have just stripped the soul out of the series. The dialogue choices here have been vastly lowered, the skills have been dumbed down and streamlined so much that I would be hard pressed to even call it an RPG anymore. The writing is godawful,I loved the Mass Effect series. The second one got away from the RPG elements a little bit and played more like Gears of Mass Effect, and now they have just stripped the soul out of the series. The dialogue choices here have been vastly lowered, the skills have been dumbed down and streamlined so much that I would be hard pressed to even call it an RPG anymore. The writing is godawful, which used to be BioWare's strong suit. BioWare has been telling us for years now that the choices we made in the first 2 games would have direct implications in the finale. Aside from a few minor instances, this is just not the case. The game is brutally short, with little to no replay value. I haven't tried the multiplayer and probably won't, simply because I don't need to play another online shooter. R.I.P. BioWare, after the debacle that was Dragon Age 2, I was willing to give you another shot with this series, but you've blown it and I will not be contributing another penny to any game you develop in the future.… Expand
  88. iplaygamesalot
    Mar 7, 2012
    1
    ME3 is an abomination in comparison to its predecessors, it is sloppily made and poorly written and even has scenery proven by users to have been pulled off of google search ( one of the main characters Tali Zorah proven to have been a poorly photoshopped version of a stock photo). This game should have been aborted, the dialogue options are pants on head retarded and the combat isME3 is an abomination in comparison to its predecessors, it is sloppily made and poorly written and even has scenery proven by users to have been pulled off of google search ( one of the main characters Tali Zorah proven to have been a poorly photoshopped version of a stock photo). This game should have been aborted, the dialogue options are pants on head retarded and the combat is hindered by poor controls and bugs. Couple all this with $860 dollars worth of DLC (as well as a DLC ending that is the only one that doesnt absolutely suck) and we have a game that is better off left pirated or not bought at all. The endings are so bad that if you are a true fan of the mass effect series you would stop at 2 since the ending of ME3 is full of plot holes and forced endings that are supposed to be "so sad and edgy". The story of ME3 can be seen identically in games over a decade old such as Dues ex and Star Control. This is horrible for a triple A game released in 2012.… Expand
  89. coolranch
    Mar 7, 2012
    0
    So I go to the gamestop to pick up ME3 and I get my gaming area all ready with cool ranch doritos and fanta. I pop what I thought was gonna be game of the year into my 360 and the game literally has an easy button built in, just like what hamburger helper wanted. Then, to get a good single player ending you have to play the hamfisted in multiplayer. This is purely to penalize the gamersSo I go to the gamestop to pick up ME3 and I get my gaming area all ready with cool ranch doritos and fanta. I pop what I thought was gonna be game of the year into my 360 and the game literally has an easy button built in, just like what hamburger helper wanted. Then, to get a good single player ending you have to play the hamfisted in multiplayer. This is purely to penalize the gamers who buy the game used because you have to spend $10 on an online pass. Then, Tali's face was a badly shopped stock image. The removed fingers even still had the bones they didn't bother to remove. The games ending was stolen from a wallpaper. Bioware has NO RESPECT for the gaming community between DA2, SWTOR and ME3.… Expand
  90. Weazel112
    Mar 8, 2012
    3
    ...to kill a whole trilogy with one stupid final ending must be a new record of gaming history. Ever choice you did has TOTALY no effect or even a little tiny side effect of the ending.....gj Bioware...you proof yourself worthy to EA
  91. UltraD00d
    Mar 9, 2012
    1
    Don't get me wrong, this game is playable and I'm sure if you had no standards or simply didn't care you could pick up this game and have a midly enjoyable experience. BUT the atrocities EA and Bioware committed mean I cannot give this game a decent rating with a good conscience. So what is so bad about this game? Let me tell you:
    1. Day 1 DLC: Whether it was EA or Bioware (Biowhore, if    Don't get me wrong, this game is playable and I'm sure if you had no standards or simply didn't care you could pick up this game and have a midly enjoyable experience. BUT the atrocities EA and Bioware committed mean I cannot give this game a decent rating with a good conscience. So what is so bad about this game? Let me tell you:
    1. Day 1 DLC: Whether it was EA or Bioware (Biowhore, if you will) that decided to take this course I don't know, but releasing DLC on the day of release, particularly DLC which is important to the plot, at 1/6 the price of the game itself is unforgivable in of itself. It seems they are laughing in our face as we shell out money for something that should have been on the disc, available to everyone. It is obvious that it was done simply to milk as much money out of the fans as possible.
    2. Casualisation: The game was geared towards Call of Duty players in order to cash in on the series' success, while abandoning the loyal fanbase. Not much else to say here.
    3. Shoddy Writing: Many uninformed people think that the attacks on the Bioware employee Jennifer Hepler was simply a display of hate for the sake of hate. While they certainly did go overboard, it wasn't without good reason. She was the physical manifestation of the quality of writing coming from Bioware. Examples: Dialogue is awkward, the ending is notoriously bad, after seeing so many people die and killing so many himself, Sephard is emotianally effected by the death of a random kid above all. Overall you would expect something better from a Naruto fanfiction. 4. Laziness of Bioware: For a big budget, triple A game you would expect a certain level of effort from the developers. Bioware, however seemed to have taken shortcuts left, right and centre. There are images circulating the internet which demonstrate this quite well. For example, Copying a stock image for the portrait of a character who dies in the game, and copying another 7? year old image lying around in the internet for the ending.
    5. Ininspired Multiplayer: Another cash-in, Wave survival modes have been done to death, nowadays every game seems to have one. It seems this was added in to artificially extend the life of the game and make an excuse for future half-assed DLC releases.
    6. Gay Sex: people reading this may call 'Hurr durr homophobe" - but wait to read my reasoning. Homosexuality IS a sin. Being implemented in such as fashion acts to 'casualise' it, pressing on the impressionable 13 year old minds (whose uninformed mothers will be buying this game) that it is fine and acceptable. I do not hate **** I care about them, just as I do any other person. For this reason I oppose it.
    Even if this is an attempt to cash-in with the gay audience rather than a political agenda, it gets in the way of the average straight player and does not belong. I do not want to have gay passes made to me by my squadmates when I'm playing a game.
    7. Reviewers are sellouts: This goes for every major game release nowadays, but is absolutely appalling. While I'm not implying that EA is necessarily directly paying reviewers to give the game good reviews (not that I'd put it past them) there is certainly a feel that if you don't give it a good review the publisher early access to future releases. I have heard of cases where people have lost their job because they wrote how the felt rather than what they were told to write. This is why I'm writing this review in fact - to help get a bit of truth out.
    Instead of a proper, objective review we are fed tripe with 10/10 would play again bs.

    Due to all these aformentioned problems with Mass Effect 3, I cannot take it seriously, thus it receives a score of 0/10. The only reason it has earned a 1 from me is because the Biodrone tears are absolutely delicious.
    Have a good day sirs.    … Expand
  92. Deklan_Caine
    Mar 14, 2012
    2
    WARNING: SPOILER ALERT!

    As a prelude, let me just say that I'm a writer, and I make my living writing. I've been a writer since long before Mass Effect came out, and that's a huge part of what drew me to these games. What I loved about the ME series was how masterfully the story was woven in such a way that the authors (Bioware) crafted a tale that actually permitted input from the    WARNING: SPOILER ALERT!

    As a prelude, let me just say that I'm a writer, and I make my living writing. I've been a writer since long before Mass Effect came out, and that's a huge part of what drew me to these games. What I loved about the ME series was how masterfully the story was woven in such a way that the authors (Bioware) crafted a tale that actually permitted input from the readers (gamers) to determine how the story progressed. No matter what path you chose, the story was interesting and engaging, but your decisions always had clear consequences in the end, as the decisions of any protagonist should.

    Coming into ME3, I was a little nervous. After all, with the bar being set so high with the other two, could Bioware really deliver a fitting conclusion? I mentally prepared myself for the worst. But then, as I played through the game, my fears were gradually alleviated. Frankly, the experience was Epic with a capital E. I saw how the decisions my character had made in the previous games impacted the galaxy around him. The characters came to life and drew pure emotional responses from me as the plot continued to weave itself together. But the arc of the story was clear: Shepard was not going to survive. I was okay with that, and I was ready for that. And playing through the final mission on Earth, having final conversations with all of Shep's squadmates, the writer in me was satisfied. All the loose ends seemed to be tied up. The ending was in sight, it was just a matter of seeing what exactly would happen.

    I'll spare you the details, but in the last 5 minutes of what had essentially been a hundred hours (or more) of story, that story was destroyed. The sad thing is that the story all made sense, it all fit, except for that last 5 minutes. From the perspective of a player, I failed to accomplish my mission. To quote Ecclesiastes, it was all vanity and grasping after the wind. From a writer's perspective, it's like I crafted a beautifully written and engaging trilogy of novels, but made someone else who didn't know the story or care about the characters write the last paragraph of the last book.

    As I played through the game, I kept thinking: "This is how video games should be." Now, seeing the end, all I can ponder is what could have been. It was so close to being perfect! But it all unraveled in 5 minutes, FIVE minutes! I didn't want a "happy" ending where Shep lives and has kids and blah-blah-blah (although the option would have been nice, admittedly), I just wanted an ending that kept in step with the series and made sense to a reasonable person. But none of the "endings" meet those criteria. It's just that simple, and just that disappointing.

    The endings as they are, if accepted in a straightforward manner, are so nonsensical that anything, even a hallucination or even the Reapers winning, would be more fitting. At the very least I hope Bioware will own up to how mercileslly they butchered the end of such a great story. The optimist in me dares to hope that they actually do something about it; it would not be the first time a game was significantly changed with a patch, or that a game's ending was changed with a DLC pack. No one is going to forget the feeling of being betrayed by the end of ME3, but it would go a long way towards healing those wounds if Bioware would try to make things right somehow.

    As a writer, I understand the argument that the creator of a story has the right to determine the ending as they see fit. And I think it's valid. But even in the realm of printed fiction, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle "changed his story" and brought back Sherlock Holmes after the public outcry at the character's death. Even in the realm of literature, there's room for an author here and there to admit they were wrong and change their tune. I earnestly hope Bioware decides to do the same.    … Expand
  93. Gobon
    Mar 8, 2012
    1
    This game is such a massive disappointment. It was not worth the wait. Animations are still clunky. Humans still look horrible. Lazy usage of stock images. Forced drama at every turn. Why bother? Don't buy this game.
  94. Seruko
    Mar 8, 2012
    5
    The Story arch is not a fitting end to the series.
    Multiplayer is a requirement for unlocking 25% of the ending content.
    The weapon choices are 75% useless. 1-2 best choices in every category. Battles are heavily scripted and generally very good, occasionally scripting problems, like enemies popping into existence. Plot relies heavily on cut scenes, which are often extremely frustrating    The Story arch is not a fitting end to the series.
    Multiplayer is a requirement for unlocking 25% of the ending content.
    The weapon choices are 75% useless. 1-2 best choices in every category.
    Battles are heavily scripted and generally very good, occasionally scripting problems, like enemies popping into existence.
    Plot relies heavily on cut scenes, which are often extremely frustrating and invalidate player choices.
    Bioware keeps currency mini-game which is often nonsensical.
    Pacing is awful. No sense of urgency. Game often punishes player for not performing fed-ex style quests.
    RPG system feels tacked on to a mediocre shooter.    … Expand
  95. 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
  96. Sceptic
    Mar 9, 2012
    6
    As with the first the first two titles,Mass Effect 3's strength lies in its story,universe and characters.Though the combat elements have improved,the series will never be remembered for it.Some RPG elements have returned but there seemed to be far less choices,renegade/paragon qte's and exploration in this game which is disappointing.Also the new secondary mission structure was inAs with the first the first two titles,Mass Effect 3's strength lies in its story,universe and characters.Though the combat elements have improved,the series will never be remembered for it.Some RPG elements have returned but there seemed to be far less choices,renegade/paragon qte's and exploration in this game which is disappointing.Also the new secondary mission structure was in turn,repetitve,boring and at times confusing with all missions jammed into a single list.Side missions consist of scanning for stuff,then returning it to the Citadel or gaining War Assets.How dull...As for the multiple endings,it pains me to state that the endings I've experienced are totally unsatisfactory.The final choices are little different and game quickly ends without giving real closure.A minute or two worth of cutscene is a disgrace.I gave the first two games 10.Despite the excellent lore,characters and dialogue,as well as the good combat,this one is not getting that.… Expand
  97. HonestJoe
    Mar 12, 2012
    2
    This is the most depressed I have ever felt after playing a video game. I must say I am seriously disappointed with the ending; it's as bad as Deus Ex: Human revolution.

    I was still playing through the game when news of the metacritic review bomb came out. At the time I thought that people were being unreasonable. But now I understand the anger and disappointment being expressed. The    This is the most depressed I have ever felt after playing a video game. I must say I am seriously disappointed with the ending; it's as bad as Deus Ex: Human revolution.

    I was still playing through the game when news of the metacritic review bomb came out. At the time I thought that people were being unreasonable. But now I understand the anger and disappointment being expressed.
    The ending soured the entire experience, to the point where it's the only thing I can think about when asked to give my opinion of the game.

    This will be the first bioware game I don't immediately replay in order to see what happens with different choices. It's an enjoyable game, but not one I will play to the end again.    … Expand
  98. jamesfish05
    Mar 7, 2012
    1
    as a competitive call of duty player this is my favorite scifi game on the pc

    i like how there are aliens and you can have magical abilities, i also enjoyed having sex with every crew member and i liked the vega character the most because i can identify with him. he is very tough and looks very good. i want to be like him one day. hoo-rah. i also liked the story very much, its about    as a competitive call of duty player this is my favorite scifi game on the pc

    i like how there are aliens and you can have magical abilities, i also enjoyed having sex with every crew member and i liked the vega character the most because i can identify with him. he is very tough and looks very good. i want to be like him one day. hoo-rah.

    i also liked the story very much, its about reavers that are like space zombies and an illusion man that is your father or something. and there is a really cool assassin called mai king, she tries to kill you because she works for the reavers.

    its a very deep game, i hope they make a sequel one day because i want to know what happened to vega. or a prequel that is more about vega. they also make an animated movie that is about vega, which is awesome, ill totally watch it with my dad.

    11/10    … Expand
  99. mrrip
    Mar 7, 2012
    0
    Then ideas of things that you love changing into something really bad, you at first trying not to notice that or avoid it with hope that things will be better. Then I played ME 2 I thought that things will change and after developers review criticism of game develop a true masterpiece of game world. But then we saw a total failure of DA2 that become a fantasy clone of ME2. After that weThen ideas of things that you love changing into something really bad, you at first trying not to notice that or avoid it with hope that things will be better. Then I played ME 2 I thought that things will change and after developers review criticism of game develop a true masterpiece of game world. But then we saw a total failure of DA2 that become a fantasy clone of ME2. After that we got a clone of WoW in space (KoTOR) that is failure 2. And now ME3â… Expand
  100. MassEffectFShep
    Mar 8, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I had to wait a few hours after finishing the game before writing a review because I wanted to take some time to look back on ME1/ME2 and be as fair and objective as possible when collecting my thoughts on ME3. This game is amazing in several ways: (1) dialogue between familiar (and to some extent unfamiliar) characters feels more real and natural, (2) combat is a lot more interesting and, in some scenes, more challenging than both ME1 and ME2, (3) the cinematic scenes depicting various key events in the story are visually engaging and easy to connect with emotionally, (4) the romance interactions between Shepard and his/her LI is a vast improvement from both ME1 and ME2, and (5) the overall visual element of the game (the Citadel, the new worlds that you visit--Rannoch and Thessia for example, and the characters themselves) made it really easy to immerse yourself in the game. Having been a huge fan of ME1 and ME2, I was happy to see that Bioware came through in these areas. I had moments where I laughed, moments where I felt giddy, and plenty of moments where I cried (e.g., Thane's death). That being said, I was incredibly surprised at how much the ending affected me. Up until the very last moments in the game (I would say up until the part where the destroyer reaper vaporizes people around you while you painfully drag yourself toward the beam), I would have given the game a 10/10 hands down. I would have bowed down to Bioware for telling the greatest story ever told. And then there was the ending: (1) The number of plot holes left is an insult to the bajillion hours that I invested in the first two games, (2) the Deus Ex-style ending completely chaffed my soul, and (3) I received next to NO closure on all of the relationships that I've been building up until the point. What happened to the people on the citadel (e.g., Bailey, the council, etc.) What happens to my team? What happens to the two squadmates that I took with me in the final battle scene? What happens to the races that I just spent hours trying to unite in hopes of a more relevant and fitting ending? I loved the Deus Ex ending in Deus Ex because it fit with what the story was about up until the end; Mass Effect was more than just a morally ambiguous thought exercise on organic vs. synthetic existence--it's SO much more than that--so why condense it all to that? I don't need Shepard to live in the end (and I certainly don't need a happily-ever-after ending where nobody dies and everyone is all smiles at the end of the reaper invasion), but I sure as hell was under the impression that I'd have the choice. I put so much thought into paragon vs. renegade, which is arguably the main driving force in the plot up until the very last scene, and it seems like no matter what you do you are boxed into an ending that's uncomfortable, unclear, and unnervingly disappointing. I was amazed at how emotionally connected I felt to the Mass Effect series, and spent what felt like an eternity looking forward to the final part of the trilogy. In terms of ME3, I felt completely satisfied with the exception of the ending, which seemed totally out of place and unnecessarily broke my enthusiasm and passion for the game. Do I hate the entire series now because of the way it ends? No. Will I deny that all 3 games are amazing in multiple ways and have allowed me to be a part of an epic story? No. Can I jump on the 10/10 bandwagon for ME3? Absolutely not, because the ending of such a huge story is critical, and in my opinion it was an epic fail in this game. If I could go back in time, I would probably have not played the game past Shepard's last speech to his/her team--at least at that point you were excited/terrified/scared, but you also had the hope that other characters instilled in you, and the hope that you spent so much time instilling into other characters. So in the end, I can't give this game a positive review, although it kills me to know that it would have been such an easy thing to do if the ending had (a) more variation and more of an actual decision-making component to it (such that all endings aren't essentially the same--I know there is room for argument here, but I maintain that it can all boil down the same basic ending), (b) incorporated more of the choices that you have been making for the past three games, (c) more relevance to the personal side of Shepard (e.g., how Shepard has evolved over time and who Shepard has become), and (d) more closure on all of the characters, relationships, and decisions that you just spent three games experiencing. You almost did it, Bioware. So close and yet so far.… 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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