Mass Effect 3 PC
User Score
4.8 out of 10

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 4422 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,847 out of 4422
  2. Mixed: 379 out of 4422
  3. Negative: 2,196 out of 4422

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  1. RonaldOVOXO
    Mar 9, 2012
    1
    Awful game. Adding Multiplayer to a great Singer player game was so stupid of them the graphic has too much issues and the animation is disappointing..
  2. oliver1h
    Feb 7, 2013
    5
    What to say that has not been said already? Importing your save files from the previous games is a must... Meeting old friends, and doing missions with them was the biggest fun for me. The story was decent, even some characters were total clichés (Kai Leng the Asian space ninja for example...). The combat was slightly improved compared to ME1 and ME2, but the cover system remained a litttlle crunchy. RPG elements felt a little less developed than in ME2 (Renegade options for example were pure evil...They could have balanced the reputation system a little more...). Everything else basically remained the same as it were in ME2. I think the developers stayed on a safe ground on purpose. The music and sound effect were really good. Now let's talk about the infamous ending. Well they really screwed this up, and the "Extended cut" did not really makes it much better (When I first finished the ME3 my gaming experience was ruined...They can not make that back anyways with some cheap slide show, sugar coating stuff!) About the indoctrination theory! I think the developers at one point (might ...not sure) wanted to implement it, but they did not....The theory is now refused by Bioware and EA so it is not part of the original Canon. Overall a decent game that stays in the safe path, with a bad ending. Could have been the best science fiction game trilogy ever, but they failed!… Expand
  3. AlienSpaceBats
    Feb 4, 2013
    6
    Painfully disappointing, and I can't have been alone in expecting better. 50% of the game is mindless pandering and fan-service (unnecessary). Corners were cut and the game was clearly rushed out the door, worst: lies were told by members of the development team pre-release. Mass Effect 3 is a minefield of immersion-breaking lazy (or poor) coding, audio and graphic glitches, low res textures, no DirectX 11 support, horrible animations and embarassing, fan-fic quality writing. The dialogue wheel is now completely arbitrary and the auto-dialogue is very poor, the journal is an unusable mess (bordering on non-existent) and the game cannot correctly import a character file without it looking FUBAR. In terms of gameplay, the shooter element is better than ever (fluid, fast-paced), and action sequences are great fun (although BioWare's insistence to use the SPACEBAR for everything borders on the ridiculous). Dialogue in general is riddled with clichés (the line "I'll sleep when I'm dead" is actually spoken, without irony) and the less said about the god-awful ending the better. Despite all this, the game is enjoyable at key points and some semblance of what-could-have-been is glimpsed during the Sur'Kesh, Tuchunka and Rannoch missions, however this means the game peaks halfway through before taking a nosedive. Special mention should go to the soundtrack artists (Sam Hulick especially) and the fantastic cut-scene direction, Most surprisingly though, the much dreaded multiplayer (pre-release) turned out to be an excellent addition that for me has extended Mass Effect's life by 9 months (and counting).… Expand
  4. Rosco
    May 8, 2012
    7
    First of all, I would say that Mass Effect 2 isn't just the greatest RPG ever to grace the console but it's arguably the greatest game ever made. It delivered such a compelling, deep, rich, atmospheric experience that continues to live long in the memory. So my expectations where probabaly over ambitious for the third outing. And after playing the game over and over again, devoted hours of life I can understand the disapproval the game has gathered but would definetly say that Mass Effect 3 is by no means a game worthy of a '0.' Picking up from where the ME2 DLC Arrival left off, ME3 see's Shepard relieved of his duties as the consequences of his actions during the DLC, whilst on Earth the Reapers have launched an overwhelming onslaught leading Admiral Anderson to set Shepard the mission of uniting the galaxy's forces. Ofcourse the gameplay unfolds from here and you are able to import your saved data meaning that anyone who didn't make it from ME1&2 won't be in ME3. However, an early discovery is made after saving Liara, where she reveals that there is a potential weapon capable of destroying the Reapers; The Crucible. From here that's what it's all about. Travelling across the galaxy uniting forces whilst making major decisions along the way regarding the future of the Krogan race, the Geth and Quarians, aswell as taking care of personal loose ends including romantic options where you can decide who Shepard finally ends up with. Cerberus are also heavily involved under the guidance of The Illusive Man (TIM) who believes the Reapers should be controlled and not destroyed and throughout you have to deal with their attempts to take the Citadel as well as mounting an attack on their headquarters as a starting point towards the final battle. Your decisions along the way as you will already know are important in determining the ending to the game however even more vital is Effective Military Strength (EMS) which has a huge impact in final outcome of your Shepard's journey, this is mainly gained through online play. Regardless of who you sacrifice or save it all leads down to Citadel where a battered and blooded Shepard faces a final showdown with TIM,ultimately resulting in an old friends death, before all is finally revealed and the fate of the galaxy sealed. Lets just say you are in for rude awakening if you thought every decision you had to make was going to be crucial in determining how Mass Effect 3 ends. As you are transported to the pinnacle of the Citadel, the Catalyst approaches you in the shape of the young boy who dies at the start of the game who explains everything. Unfortunately the explanation isn't anything i could have possibly imagined but nonetheless he reveals that the Reaper cycle is an attempt to prevent organic life from wiping itself out by creating synthetic life leading you to face three options; 'Destroy,' 'Control,' or 'Convert.' All three result in the apparent death of Shepard however if you choose 'Destroy' and have the correct amount of EMS you can gain the 'perfect' ending where it shows a potentially alive Shepard breathing amongst the ruins of the destruction which results in the mass relays being destroyed and the Normandy ending up stranded on another planet... then after the credits have rolled an old man is shown with a young boy, who asks the elderly gent to tell him more stories about 'the Shepard' implying that Shepard's legend lives on. We all know the controversy regarding the ending and initially I felt as though I had been well and truly conned as all the assurances BioWare has given simply weren't on show. But after taking my time going through things again I'm not as bummed as I first was. The gameplay is awesome. It was always going to be the introduction of new weapons is cool and the shooting system worked superbly well in ME2 so only a few minor tweaks were needed in that department so I didn't have any complains there. The Normandy was fine although you don't get enough of it. Graphically it's not exactly a blockbuster movie. There are annoying glitches along the way but they don't prevent you from playing on, they just frustrate you at times. The plot. Well not so much the story as the ending(s). Let's face it BioWare sold us all short big time! Shepard dying doesn't bother me as much as others, sure it would've been great for him to get that happily ever after but it's the fact they have disregarded everything a player has gone through and delivered such a pointless and worthless ending that a trilogy such as Mass Effect doesn't deserve. Multiplayer was unnecessary but I was relatively impressed but not addicted to it as other games, but is a vital component for those of us seeking that 'perfect' ending. Simply, ME3 is a tremendous game with a terrible ending and as a result is one of the biggest disappointments to date. I await the extended epilogue in the hope of some REAL closure.… Expand
  5. GrumpyReviewer
    Apr 5, 2012
    8
    Tell you what. It's not better than ME2, which remains as the best in the franchise. But It's an absurd to say it's a bad game. It's a good game with a couple of bad choices. But it has the franchise's DNA, we cannot deny it. I understand that many purists will be offended with the overhaul but we should not be too picky. Criticize, yes; crucify, no. ME3 does not deserve, by all means, an average 3.8. It's not a 10, definitely, but it deserves a solid 8.0 in my opinion.… Expand
  6. whitespider999
    Mar 12, 2012
    10
    Mass effect 3 is a fitting conclusion to the mass effect saga. It boasts significantly improved gameplay fluidity and mechanics, as well as a more varied campaign. The story is emotional, hard hitting, and diverse. The games visuals have been improved a lot, and the pc version looks quite spectacular despite and aging core engine, and runs smoother than the previous games to boot. In terms of streamlining - which I hate - the game is in between mass effect 1 and 2, the major disappointment in the game is the planet exploring, which has been stripped down. Imported save games determine a lot, from entire characters no longer existing in the story to conflicts that play out entirely different.Multiplayer is fun, and is not required to get the best ending in the game. In the end, mass effect 3 is special. As good as mass effect 2 in storytelling, and almost as good as mass effect 1 in rpg-like skill/item medications and exp distribution. My favorite in an acclaimed series.… Expand
  7. kane148
    Jul 24, 2012
    8
    I really enjoyed this game up until the very end: the last 10 minutes or so were tedious and confusing, and the standard ending leaves you feeling very unfulfilled after all the time you've put into making tough choices and developing relationships with characters. Hopefully the extended edition will fix this problem. For most of the game however, I was happily immersed in the Mass Effect universe, and appreciated the epic scale of this final installment. ME3 seems to have backed away from ME2's simplistic upgrade system and re-introduces different weapon models and mods to allow you to customize your arsenal. I felt that it was a fair compromise between the unwieldy inventory of ME1 and the boring linear upgrades of ME2. While this game does have its share of flaws (lack of exploration, few side-quests, and the usual plot holes), it is a good game overall and well worth playing.… Expand
  8. Kenmei
    Mar 27, 2012
    6
    I feel like the biggest problem with this game was the blatant disregard for the consumer when they put together the story for this final piece. While I didn't think it was the worst ending to a Sci-Fi trilogy (Hello Matrix), I do think there were a few things that they could have done differently. The biggest problems I had with this game though were alot of the things they missed. The lack of side missions, the lack of places to explore, and the fact that Bioware thinks we are all idiots with the issue with the DLC really puts a stain on this otherwise great gaming trilogy. I am glad that they are going back to address the issue of the ending but, with everything else that accompanied this game, the series really took a step back from ME 2, which I still think is one of the best sequels of all time. Bioware really lost touch with their consumers with this game and I do believe that is the EA influence doing the devil's work. The issue with the DLC will forever taint this game, no matter what they do with the ending. Still the ending of this series can be salvaged and the fans can be appeased somewhat with an ending they might like. However, in it's current form and even if the ending somehow changes everyone's mind about this game, this is still the worst game in the Mass Effect series and it's truly disappointing for me to write that. The utter disrespect shown to us players by Bioware with the DLC is the worst thing about this game and that will never go away no matter what they do with the ending. Still, if you've gone this far with the series, I would advise you to give it a chance just to see what you think. Just know that this definitely doesn't live up to the first two games in the slightest.… Expand
  9. dumle
    Apr 30, 2013
    5
    Mass effect 3 disappoints in several important aspects. The writing in the game is extremely uneven which really drags a game like this down. Sure there are some cool moments here and there but the story is overall really weak and the game is full of awkward and cheaply written moments. And it doesnt help that the conversation wheel is dumbed down too the absurd.

    The dialogue options ar    e extremely binary and quite often they lead to the same result. The only difference is whether you get some paragon or renegade points in the end. And when you do get to make an important choice then the dialogue wheels poorly explained choices in simply not enough. The renegade/paragon options in the cutscenes also feels really cheap since you have no idea what kind of choice you are making.

    Overall the game lacks the kind of interaction you would expect from a roleplaying game and the games mission-design feel extremely linear and more like an action game than a roleplaying game. Another thing worth mentioning is that this game is much more combat oriented than previous games in the series. There are very few hub-based areas in the game and you will spend the majority of your time in combat missions. Now the combat is quite good for a roleplaying game. For an action game however the combat is extremely average. The combat is a pretty basic cover-mechanic based shooter with the normal peak-shoot-duck and wait for the shield to recharge type of gameplay. It is by no means a catastrophe but it simply cant carry an entire long game like this. And chances are that you will get bored of the combat before beating this game which is a shame since that is what you are going to spend your time doing.

    The focus on combat sadly also mean that a lot of the environments you are in are nothing more than boring grey/brown ruins which is kind of sad since there is a lot of cool places to the explore in the universe. You do thankfully also get to visit some pretty neat places in the game which is nice. The exploration in the game do however leave a lot of things to be desired. The maps are often extremely linear and the lack of side quest and stuff to find leads to you not feeling the need to explore. I should also note that both the item and enemy variety is quite limited which i really thought hurt the game. I believe that the limited enemy variety is particularly sad since games like this can make up all kinds of cool faunas and cultures to fight. You are sadly forced to fight the same quite boring enemies over and over again which doesn't really help the combat.

    The visuals are for the most part alright but there are some low-res textures in the game here and there that just look awful by contrast. I also have issues with the weird camera angel they have chosen for the game. Something you cant fix in the extremely basic options menu.

    Now despite being quite critical of the game i must mention that the game is by no means so bad that some people make it out to be. I would say that its extremely average. The game have a long list of flaws but it also have a decent amount of alright content in it. I picked it up for a cheap price and i dont regret doing that despite the games flaws. if you however go into this game expecting a traditional bioware rpg or a worthy continuation of the mass effect saga then chances are that you will be disappointed. I should also mention that the were some quite shady dlc practices involved with this game. But you should try to make up your own mind regarding that.    … Expand
  10. EastonReviews
    Mar 24, 2012
    0
    What is the problem with Mass Effect 3? Simple - not to mention it's poor gameplay, bioware did a terrible job making a halo rip off actually work. You probably have heard the story was terrible - you were right. The makers' storywriting skills caused the ending to be utterly dissapointing. But who knows if this WILL be the last Mass Effect game, the develepors may want to make more money (like they did with this) and make a whole new 50 sequels.… Expand
  11. chronoT
    Oct 18, 2012
    8
    HUGE fan of Mass Effect 1 and 2, the original gets a 9 while the second gets a 10 from me. This game was on its way to a 10 until it abruptly and terribly ended. What exactly happened Bioware, did the creators walk off the stage half way through the show? Its just a bit disappointing that the game looks and plays amazing just as Mass Effect 2 does but they made it shorter and ****ed the ending story of the series. Since release they have fixed the ending, released more content, and the biggest DLC to date, Omega, is to be released soon so my score for this game is certainly improving. Overall, this game DOES NOT warrant a 4.4 user rating and this goes to show too many people are careless and trollfull with their reviews.… Expand
  12. ChoicestGames
    Oct 27, 2012
    9
    It
  13. Orctownorc
    Oct 4, 2012
    8
    Mass Effect was always 'Shepard's Story', so it was impossible to identify that much with either the game play or the characters. While the overall story is sadly an over-hyped armaggedon (not good), the production values in this game are great, and the voice acting and performances were pretty well flawless. I follow the herd in mourning the way it ends, but personally I don't care as I never invested much in this franchise emotionally. The whole franchise is a long interactive movie. Thank God its over, and lets hope Bioware will take the basis assets and ideas and use them to build some better games that let the players tell their own stories. The cities were always WAY too small in this game. The levelling and RPG elements were never very good. But the visuals, the voices, the NPCs were all phenomenally good. This whole franchise to date has been nothing except design practice. With Mass effect the best is yet to come. Can't wait to see what they can cook up with Mass Effect in terms of a genuine RPG experience!… Expand
  14. Dethstar
    Mar 26, 2012
    5
    More of the same nonsense. I never was a fan of the series finding the camera angles and character control system very annoying. It is pretty I will give it that but there its another one for the big fans of the ME series. Nothing to recommend it to someone who never thought it was anything but a good game if forced to play console games for a week. Did not meet my expectations.
  15. frast2012
    May 4, 2013
    9
    I nareszcie nadeszła kontynuacja jednej( a dla mnie najlepszej) serii gier rpg.Cóż, nie wiadomo było czego się spodziewać, ostateczna bitwa mogła przekształcić grę rpg w zwykłą nawalankę co zmartwiło fanów. Gra jednak nie została aż tak ułatwiona i pokazuje rzeczy tak dobre jak w poprzedniej części do tego dodano do niej ogrom ciekawych rzeczy jak i odświeżono parę. Nie jest to jednak to sNie jest to jednak to samo co poprzednie części i nie zawiera to pewnego szoku jakości czy czegoś podobnego. Moja podwyższona ocena 9/10… Expand
  16. Duskspark
    Mar 14, 2013
    10
    A wise man once said "The journey is more important than the destination". Mass Effect 3's ending is far from that what you may have hoped, but the epic and intense overall singleplayer story and the surprisingly well functioning co-operative multiplayer are SO well done that the ending is less than a split-second of importance.
  17. Scritty
    Mar 17, 2012
    0
    Every iteration of Mass Effect BIoware seem to actively looking to "simplfy gameplay". From the herady heights of Baldurs Gate 14 years ago - to this generic simpletons game "Gears of War Lite". In another 20 years Bioware will be releasing a stunning graphical representation of Pong - and still having the nerve to call it an RPG. There is so little to Mass Effect 3 - gameplay wise I would rather spend my time on one of those free Java game sites. Rubbish - and made all the worse by the fact it bears the name of the once mighty Bioware - Along with the generic and shallow "Star Wars t OR" this game goes straight to the back of my games cupboard, to be tossed out when the day comes that I don't wince at the waste of £35… Expand
  18. MustisTheCat
    Aug 1, 2012
    8
    Very good game, but not as good as ME2. First off, it is even more simplified so it is not even a RPG anymore. Second, the searching for resources is dull. The graphics is merely average. There are much less NPCs to interact with and take on missions. The ending is dissapointing, even after the Directors Cut DLC. Where Me3 shines is general gameplay - the fights are very emotional, fast paced and offer a lot of ways to dispatch enemies. It feels like a movie - you interact with many things but you rarely have influence on anything. I`d rather call it an extended First Person Shooter. Nevertheless the multiplayer is very addicting with new stuff coming every few months. Overall the game is satisfying with some of the above average features. Solid title.… Expand
  19. Welterweight426
    Jun 4, 2012
    9
    People really need to stop bashing this game. Though the ending is rather bad, the rest of the game is fantastic. The story telling, the gameplay, the writing, its all fantastic. My only complaint to the game, besides the ending, is the lack of content in the multiplayer. Otherwise, this game is a must buy.
  20. Brumbek
    Dec 28, 2012
    5
    What an annoying game to review...the gameplay is solid. The combat is fairly fun and some of the side quest stories are really great. Plus reuniting with old friends is VERY fun. You do feel like you are making a difference as you play to save the galaxy. This game easily packs 50 hours of content. ********** But then there's the ending. No spoilers here, but it is COMPLETELY MORONIC. It pulls a Deus Ex Machina and violates its own lore. If you hated the Matrix 2 & 3's lunatic (Architect) storytelling, you will utterly despise ME3's storytelling. ********** So yeah...the game is great until the end...and the ending is so bad, so utterly insulting to all intelligent beings that I cannot, CANNOT recommend ME3. Like Jar Jar Binks, we wish it never happened.… Expand
  21. PStakhiv
    May 16, 2013
    8
    Yeah, after the outstanding ME1 & 2 this is definitely a let down when it comes to the story! Biggest disappointment of the year with the worst ending in history, but lets be honest it's still one of the best game of the year! They used deus ex machina to resolve the plot not once but twice! But it's not all bad combat is great, characters are still amazing, there are two memorable missions(unfortunately only two). Conclusion the game is great, the narrative is And also it send possible sequel in the oblivion… Expand
  22. 410MaXiMuS
    May 14, 2012
    10
    I'm going to be very blunt about this situation. The only reason this game is receiving low user scores is because your average joe simply isn't smart enough to understand the point of the story. SPOILER AHEAD:

    The Reapers are a sentient lifeform created long ago to wipe out & harvest every race in "cycles". At the end of each cycle, The Reapers come and destroy all natural life, except     what is needed to re-populate each species. They were created in the hope that eventually the cycles would condition the various races of the galaxy to work together and be able to safely evolve / co-exist without supervision. At the end of Mass Effect 3, Shepard has proved that the races can co-exist independently without interference. The Reapers will never return.… Expand
  23. roboticsun
    Jul 4, 2012
    8
    Mass Effect 3 is a well made experience to say the least. The overall combat action is very fast and fluid though there are quite a few animation glitches here and there but aren't serious enough to ruin things. The six basic classes are played differently, so the combat itself had replay values. The enemy AI are improved a bit but still feels weak most time. The pause function really ruined this game imo which made this single player game rather easy. The story is epic in scope compare to the previous two entries but some new plots are not well explained. I wont put spoilers here, but the game indeed will confuse you if you ever played the first two mass effect games. the newly released extended cut added more explanations, though I do not feel it helped much.The playable characters are significantly reduced compare to mass effect 2 which leads to a shorter story line. the playable contents in single player part are noticeably less than those in mass effect 2. you should be able to finish most single player contents in 30~35 hours. However, the game did add a quite fun multilayer portion to compensate the shorter single player game. there are lots of unlockables in multilayer, so it should keep you busy for one or two months. despite the flaws, I still would say mass effect 3 is a very solid game combining fun combat, epic storyline and interactive cinema. It's still a memorable adventure and a must play for people who loved storytelling in video games.… Expand
  24. xZippy
    Dec 1, 2012
    7
    I love the Mass Effect series, but the third game just didn't have that magic touch like the last two, especially the second one. The movement and combat got a few perks. Some of the new powers/characters/weapons/missions are good, and the story holds up alright, but the extra flare is just not there. The previous games had some great gameplay mechanics, but were sucked out of this game. It's like the game is Mass Effect 2 with some improved graphics, but much lazier organization, atmosphere and character development - it all just feels sloppier. There's no reason an avid Mass Effect should pass this up, as it's not that bad of a game. But it's very watered down. I haven't a damn clue what went through BioWare's heads with the horrible endings.… Expand
  25. daveyy12
    Mar 17, 2012
    5
    I agree with several of the other reviewers...This game is a let down, compared with ME2. The plot was weake and there were less challenges/puzzles. I played the "traditional" game and found two major irritations: (1) cut scenes were way too long and there was no way to pause the game (2) weapons available for players' use were positively wimpy. The game is ok, but didn't live up to the hype.
  26. frast
    Mar 20, 2012
    9
    And finally came the continuation of one (and for me, best) role-playing game series. Well, I did not know what to expect, the final battle can transform the game from a rp to normal shooter which can upset fans. The game was not quite as easier and shows things as good as in the previous section to this was added to the enormity of interesting things and refreshed a few. But this is not the same as the previous parts and does not include the quality of a shock or anything like that. My increased rating - 9/10… Expand
  27. voiders
    Apr 26, 2013
    5
    What to say? Im not a totally fan of Mass Effect fan, i bought the the trilogy at origin with a lot of expectations but i could not understand why this game are so famous. The entire series are so regular.
  28. Flash_Over
    Apr 17, 2012
    6
    Unlike some people who wrote hastily reviews, I on the other hand played the game VERY thoroughly and I have mixed feelings. I will first start with the Pros: Better graphics! Everyone loves better graphics and the improvements are very satisfying specially how the lights falls onto objects almost perfectly. Improved character builder! In the first and second Mass Effect games I was very sick of limited options and the poor quality of the faces especially on the female shepherd that made your character unpleasant to look at. Now in Mass Effect 3, if done correctly you can actually make characters that look tolerable. Weapons! More guns and best of all... these guns are upgradable with attachments and modifications. Plus Mass Effect 3 adds way more guns to the table then before, and guns from every species. Armor sets and more armor types with better color customization! This really brings more authentic RPG feel then before. Also the sounds, talent trees upgrades from leveling have all been improved! Also the plot of the Reapers finally attacking is really gripping and interesting. However the good things in this game end there. Cons: Poor dialog and the LACK of more dialog options compared to ME1&ME2. This kills that classic ME experience and makes you feel your watching a interactive movie.. then actually playing the game. You cant even ask or discuss things with you squad mates like before and when you can.. its limited. Relationships are a bust and pointless, and lack any sort of interest as its more of just one night stands then actually a relationship and feeling for that character. Multiplayer... I never found or figured out why this exists besides egging you on to buy more DLC for unlocks. Besides... the multiplayer is not good compared to other DEDICATED shooters. Day one DLC... that in in itself in self explanatory. This told me that Bioware wanted to milk more money from an already overpriced game. DLCs should be later additions.. not content Stripped from the original version in hopes of charging extra money. Limited sqaud mates. Compared to the first to MEs the lack of squad mates is astounding... even squad mates from an imported character and nothing more, but side story then anything else since none of them want to join you on your missions with the exception of Garrus(Which is was relieving). Poor animations of team members, they have no other movement animation, but one and if they need to run faster... they look like chickens with their legs moving so fast its funny. WAR ASSETS, these are pointless useless and DO NOT effect the final mission ONE BIT. As long as you have the minimal strength to launch the final mission and do all the story missions you will have the SAME ending as if you had ALL the war assets. The bad dreams about shephard over this little boy was... annoying, after all shepard and done and how much death he/she has experienced... this child is what bothers him/her? In order to make this more fitting I made a female shephard since women tend to feel more towards children. Now.. the notorious ending. I had mixed feelings about the ending, however the ending left more questions then conclusion. One thing was certain that the death of shephard and the the old mad at the end story telling to his the child that this has already happened. This tells me ME3 is the END of the series by killing off shephard and telling that this was all in the past. Ending choices... I felt the ending choices were backwards and each decision had a bad outcome, though the least devastating was the 'green' choice to merge synthetic with organic life. Over all I love the new additions this game and improvements this game gave me, though the story and the ending of the ME series was slap in the face to me. I give this game a 5, despite these short coming the game was undeniably still fun to play.… Expand
  29. Chapa9dj
    Aug 29, 2012
    7
    Many things went wrong with this ME, starting with all my decisions in previous ME's that didn't worth nothing in this game. It was all for nothing.
    They simplified way too much to appeal new users and added an unnecessary and crappy Multiplayer.
    I didn't like the idea of seeing some of my team dying without having any choice, this was by far one of the worst thing they did with the game    .
    The Soundtrack is pretty good but not that good compared to ME1 and 2, still is one of the strongest point in this game.
    .
    I took a lot of time to review it because i decided to wait for the Extended Cut and it was well worth it. Although it didn't clarify all my doubts and plot-holes in the game, it changed things a lot and made the endings make more sense. All in all its a great game, a bit disappointing, it could have been way much better than this.    … Expand
  30. GrandTrollArmy
    Apr 28, 2013
    9
    With an unsatisfying, rushed ending that they had to make an extended cut over, Mass Effect 3 falls short of a 10/10 rating. But despite the terrible conclusion to this beloved sci-fi trilogy, Mass Effect 3 at it's core is a great and fulfilling RPG that is most definitely worth the price of admission. A 4.7/10 simply because of a terrible ending is ridiculous. This page is filled with bickering fanboys who say that the ending "ruined the entire franchise for them." How many master-pieces in the past have had unsatisfying endings but were still great games? The cover mechanic works fine, combat is more satisfying than ever, the story is still strong and intriguing, but the unsatisfying, rushed ending BioWare implemented is a sign that they didn't put much thought into their conclusion. Porting your Mass Effect 2 character has had no issues with me, all of the decisions I made and side-quest I did in ME2 had an affect on ME3, but in the end, none of my choices in the entire franchise make an impact on the ultimate conclusion. None of Commander Shepard's relationships with the characters are cleared up in anyway, and there are tons of plot holes and in the in the extended cut they just make rushed conclusions as a big "Sorry" to fans. Players upon completion are greeted with a prompt practically saying "F**** you, game over, sorry, that's it, that's the end, now go play multiplayer."

    Multiplayer lacks variety but is still fun and satisfying to spend hours on.

    I can't help and feel that BioWare didn't put much thought into the ending. It seems like they came up with the ending five minutes before midnight release and rushed to put in the game. All endings look extremely similar and with only one or two colors changing to highlight your decision. They don't even bother to add different SGI sequences like they promised, unacceptable on BioWare's part, but it's still a master-piece, stays true to the Mass Effect franchise, and I recommend, if you haven't already, to buy the Mass Effect Trilogy pack for 60 and play through the entire franchise from start to finish, you will not regret it.    … Expand
  31. Nataraja
    Oct 2, 2012
    9
    I have enjoyed the ME franchise as it progressed and liked each one a bit more than its predecessor. The game, if you play it to its fullest, is as long and complex as its predecessors and the story is well written. I know that there were a lot of people who felt let down by the ending but I found it to be not only appropriate but tense and meaningful. I have yet to play the revised ending and have picked up the DLCs but not played those yet either. The multiplayer is an interesting addition and quite fun as an addition to the game. I guess, given the visceral negative reviews, that the mere presence of EA has given rise to instant dismissal of what I think is a well done game.… Expand
  32. GenuineOpinion
    Mar 24, 2012
    10
    Definitely not worth anything below a 6, those people are exaggerating out of rage for the ending, which is very much like Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Game play is sturdy, and in fact improved on everything from the first two games. It was fun.
  33. Mogul
    Mar 19, 2012
    9
    I'm a bit surprised by how many people seem to hate this game. In terms of gameplay, there are only minor differences between Mass Effect 3 and Mass Effect 2. The characters are still interesting, the combat is fun, and the overall story is solid (despite several annoying plot holes). There were several moments during the game where I had to step back a bit, and just look around and absorb how awesome something was. Sure, there are a number of things that I found annoying. For example, I loathe the new James Vega character. The new multiplayer mode is very repetitive, and generally stupid. There is also the incredibly awful ending, and the annoying fact that one of the best squad members is only available through day one DLC. This checklist of negatives, however, does not make Mass Effect 3 a bad game. I still found it to be well worth playing, and a quality addition to the Mass Effect series.… Expand
  34. Tridus
    Mar 25, 2012
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is a glorious middle bookended by a lame opening and a weak ending plagued by plot holes. People who say there's nothing wrong with the ending must not have been paying attention, because there's continuity errors you can fly Sovereign through. How did EDI go from being *in my party* on Earth onto the Normandy in the middle of the last battle? How did the Normandy get into the Mass Relay network to be ahead of the blast, during the last battle when they had no idea what the Crucible would do? It makes no sense. The ending itself is basically the same no matter what you did in the rest of the game at all, provided the green millitary bar was filled up enough. It turns out there's a God AI that's really doing all this, but didn't think of how to fix it until you showed up and is willing to let you doom all organic life to extinction if you want to. Why would it let you do that when it's been protecting organics for so long with the Reapers (protecting by destroying, yay!)? Makes no sense. It's a real shame because there's great stuff elsewhere in the game. The missions around Rannoch are awesome and some of the best in the franchise. That makes it hard to rate this game. Do you ignore the problems with the ending like the critics mostly did? Do you rate it into the ground like most of the users are doing? I'm trying to balance it off because I had 33 hours of fun along with the bad at the end, so I'm docking 2 points for that and another one for the lame opening with a kid that was thrown in as a ham-fisted attempt to add impact.… Expand
  35. Ghoster
    Aug 20, 2012
    6
    I give this game 6 only because ME2 had 10. It's not a bad game. It's pretty nice game. But TBH it's at least half worse than ME2 so cannot give more points.

    Worst thing about it is that they spoiled all good things they improoved from ME1 to ME2. Starting with map system, shooting, character improvements, ... It's really pitty ME ended with game like that. Could be awesome!
  36. skeith
    Apr 5, 2013
    9
    I do not think the story is as bad as most people think it is. I also think it its always up to the developers how to end the story. The overall gameplay is good, it is getting better since ME1 and ME2. Many of the scenes are touching and sad. It is a shame I did not play it on release. Thanks Bioware, for this epic journey.
  37. MrRiggs
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    Only Mass Effect fanboys will like this pew pew pew laser toy gun game. This game was overrated form the start. Good graphics is the only thing it has going for it, its a typical RPG generic shooter that brings nothing far out to the table, only get this if you like average games form a once good franchise.
  38. meediocre
    Apr 1, 2012
    8
    The good: great galactic apocalyptic story (albeit a bit weird at the end), excellent third-person shooter action with varied enemies and situations, lush environments, excellent voice-acting, multi-player is surprisingly addictive and frenetic.

    Slightly annoying: wearing a type of armour that boosts your shields has a visor, meaning that in some of the "emotional" cut-scenes you can't se    e Shephard's face! Also, I hate not having a button specific to "cover". The amount of times I got stuck to a wall or something and I didn't want to! Also, when you're speeding around in the Normandy and get spotted by the Reapers, it's not much fun trying to evade them as their ships are somehow faster. Finally my one criticism of the multi-player option is that the environments could have been more varied, plus it would have been nice to have to fight a combination of enemies, such as Cerberus and Reapers etc ..

    The bad: The game is possibly a little too easy, so it could have been slightly more challenging, especially at the end. The ending is, as you all know by now, a little bit "WTF", and I agree that its ambiguity is ultimately a bit frustrating.    … Expand
  39. Isaac_adhd
    Jul 28, 2012
    6
    besides the much complained about ending ME3 lacks a lot of good rpg gameplay that ME2 did have. In ME3 there are too many cutscenjes although the graphics are awesome. Another miss is that you cannot see if you have completed your quest correctly. This is only possible when you search for the person who gave you the quest.That and many more little off things make this a pale release when compared to it's predecessor who was already receievd as an alltime classic but maybe part 3 stole that status from it again...… Expand
  40. gas
    Apr 19, 2012
    0
    Im very happy to see that Metacritic decided to delete my long and detailed negative review i wrote time ago about this game without even a message or something about it.
    Its the first time it happens to me and i am really curious to know the reason about it, besdie the suspect its just EA paying Metacritic to remove bad reviews (sorry EA you cant buy the entire internet).
    Thats btw should     be enough to boycott Metacritic too, but i prefer to write to let ppl know about this kind of abuse.
    My score for the game was 4, i update now with a zero cause this.    … Expand
  41. idohaker
    Dec 12, 2012
    10
    this is mass effect the best game ever and mass effect 3 is out its a great game for the frenchise its batter then mass effect 1 but not mass effect 2,a year after the events of mass effect 2 commender sheperd is retired from is gob and after the reapers are invading for earth he is back you get to play a returning character from mass effect 1 and 2 the story is amazing if you have the 2 first game you can import your character from mass effect 2 and then the story is amzing without it the story will be fine but no so great.multoplayer is not so intersting but the gameplay is improved so becuase i dont care about the multiplayer i will give it 10/10 and say its in the second place on the best game for the frenchise the first is mass effect 2.so buy it… Expand
  42. RangerGxi
    Jun 24, 2012
    9
    This game was amazing! The character was deep and the final conclusion made my boner rip through my pants. The gameplay was solid, with great innovation from EA but the game still holding to it's roots. I really don't understand all the hatred this game receives. If you read into the indoctrination theory and follow the correct ending you will probably see the ending as one of the greatest ending's of all time. The ending ranks high on my favorite endings, among Fallout 3, Bioshock, etc.

    People who hate this ending are self-entitled brats giant expectations that are unrealistic. Each ending PERFECTLY reflected your decisions throughout the game. lol    … Expand
  43. BreakingBrad
    Jan 24, 2013
    10
    Mass Effect 3 is an epic and brilliant finale to a great trilogy of games. Let me just note, I am reviewing this game with the Extended Cut ending. The Mass Effect trilogy is the best series of games of all time, mainly because its choices are you choices and we do matters. Some may have found this to be disappointing, but not me.
  44. squidgee
    Mar 26, 2013
    8
    I think people are judging this game too harshly. Yes the ending is bad but does that ruin the game? No. I admit I was pretty shocked by the ending but I soon just accepted it and got over it. Really this game isn't as bad as everyone says. There are some design choices I don't particularly agree with, there are some balancing issues and the writing is a lot of the time rather cheesy and over the top, but aside from that it's a fairly solid game that provided me with a fair bit of entertainment.… Expand
  45. Trolovski
    Mar 12, 2012
    3
    While not as bad as Dragon Age 2, it's still very disappointing. The old Bioware we all knew and loved has officially died. The old fans of Mass Effect should skip this game. Those who haven't played first two games should skip it too. Combat and AI is terrible in single player and decent in multiplayer (thanks to DICE). Storyline makes no sense and endings are pointless, horrible. Nothing you ever did matters and "Take Earth Back" marketing is totally misleading. The game is full of glitchy animations, bugs, and controls are embarrassingly limited. RIP Bioware.… Expand
  46. Jouna92
    Jul 31, 2012
    9
    Amazing game! Amazing trilogy! This is story driven game and good one where you choose what is going to happen. This game have epic moments, characters, voice acting, music and more. Many people hates ME3 ending but I think that it aint that bad. Specially the extended cut dlc makes the ending way way MUCH better. It is great ending to the trilogy. One of the best game trilogys
  47. Vasot
    Mar 6, 2012
    7
    The game is not as bad as some people say but it is not that great either. I have to agree with some people that the gameplay is more of a brainless shooter. Even if you choose to play this as an RPG experience from the game settings the game feels like mostly Gears of Wars than a Action-RPG like it was with its prequels. Most battles are easy and game A.I is a bit stupid too....As aboyt the story of the game well it is Ok but some dialogues feel like a chore oi be honest there is nothing really that memorable from the game story perspective and you will probably feel disappointed from the game ending. Anyway it is not a bad game but not that great either in my opinion i was expecting something more epic and smart… Expand
  48. MusAddict
    Mar 7, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'm rating this a steady 4. Aesthetics are amazing compared to the first 2 games, but that's pretty much where the pros end. Paragon/Renegade are useless now (they are joined together into "Reputation"), the spacebar for everything got me killed a few times, diplomacy between the Geth and Quarians is not possible, etc. I could handle misc team members from ME2 dying if you didn't help them in time, I could handle that you only have 6 squad members, but the thing that turned me off to the whole series is the lack of effort given in the final ultimatum... Such terrible, non-redeeming options. It makes me not want to replay the series because I know the end is not worth it.… Expand
  49. ScottReid
    Sep 26, 2012
    10
    A few months ago I had never played a Mass Effect game before. To this date, right now, I have finished all of the games in the series. I'm seeing a lot of bad comments about Mass Effect 3, but personally I thought Mass Effect 3 was brilliant. The internet clouded my own judgement before I bought Mass Effect 3 a couple of days ago. The internet classed Mass Effect 3 as poor. All those bad comments made me think Mass Effect 3 would be poor. I wanted to see for myself. Now I can firmly say - the internet is filled with idiots. Mass Effect 3 is the best game I've played this year. Mass Effect 3 is an emotional adventure filled with shocks and excitement. Commander Shepard would be dissapointed with these people giving Mass Effect 3 a bad score.… Expand
  50. aznassassin
    Oct 20, 2012
    5
    First of I have to say, this score is not only indicative of the horrible, degrading and absolutely cheating of an ending that Bioware has cooked up. Its also of the main game also. The main gameplay mechanics have been dumbed down, this time being squad combat. There are less squad members, the new members are generic, unecessary and just plain boring, you cant see squad member health in the UI AND dialogue options have been reduced to nothing more than a simple response for every longass conversation instead of choosing an option for replying to every segment of these conversations. The gun modification/upgrade element is gimmicky and dont reflect the sophistication of the original game's upgrade system nor the simplicity and accessibility of the 2nd game. Its basically been made into an ugly customization window with boring weapon add-ons. Tho the one thing cool about this finale is the addition of MP AND the Omi-Blade melee attack… Expand
  51. Jaz
    Feb 24, 2013
    6
    The third part of the ME trilogy had to compete with two masterpieces. It failed. Combat is ok, but combat was never its strong point. The trend to remove RPG components like ME2 did, continues. For example in order to get side quests you don't even talk to NPCs anymore, you simply overhear conversations. But ME2 had a saving grace, its story was still very strong. ME3 doesn't have that and its not just the ending. Main story is predictable and boring. Last but not least, your companions are simply not interesting this time. Their stories too. An average game, nothing to really set it apart from other shooters.… Expand
  52. e_x_p
    Mar 7, 2012
    0
    Do not buy this game. I repeat: do not buy. Never have I been so appointed with a supposedly *blockbuster* game. The let down comes not only from the video game itself, but the company philosophies behind the production and marketing. Mass Effect 1 was a fine game to begin with; Mass Effect 2 dumbed down the gameplay but intrigued with a mass universe of options and story lines. Mass Effect 3 has neither. EA & Bioware decided to throw away the fine-grained RPG elements and hooking storylines all together. Instead, ME3 became a gimmicky and overhyped product behind EA's big corporate strategies. First they refused to release the game on Steam (Valve's premium gaming platform with high praires from millions of players) because Valve had *incompatible* policies for publishing games. What does EA want? Right, spy on its users with Origin. Secondly, the honest user reviews here are both the truth and a protest to EA's review-lobbying strategies (9.2 vs 2.9 which do you really believe). What happened when they realized the truth? Like a dictating government, they pushed Metacritic admins to remove unfavorable reviews. Even if it's true that EA, Rockstar, Blizzard and other big game companies all buy high reviews for their marketing, at least MAKE A GAME that deserves to be praised. Not this piece of junk. Steam removals such as Dragon Age, Crysis, and Mass Effect .... I am not going to buy another EA game again.… Expand
  53. bernlin2000
    Nov 12, 2012
    3
    A disappointing game that plays with the edges of the fundamentals of M1 and M2, but otherwise is non innovative. The major problem, though, is the plot, particularly the finale, which is very disappointing considering all the time and effort I (and many other players) put into the entire series. The ending is simplistic and the lead-up to it is long and tiring (the fight to the tower never seemed to end). If you've played the other two in the series, I don't think I'd recommend completing it...this is just too disappointing of an ending to recommend to anyone.… Expand
  54. Tata
    Mar 14, 2012
    5
    Updated Review: I saw the warnings here about the ending, so I thought I should be prepared for a really bad ending, but you can't prepare for this. It was much worse than I thought It would be. And people said that Witcher 2 had a bad ending (which I couldn't understand because I thought It was great). Well, atleast other parts of the game were from good to mediocre. The new characters are pretty good, with few exception. I was actually surprised that James is an actually great character, because I expected him to be flat. The combat is more like Witcher 2 with the rolling and finishing moves (which is a good thing!), if only it's a bit too easy on Insanity, but It's still affected by the bugs from Mass Effect 2 like ling of sight shooting, getting stuck or character not doing what you want (do 100 things with one button is not a good idea). The romance, well.. My romance option was Liara, and the first half of her romance was disastrous, but the second was very good. Note that I'm not homophobic or anything, but there is no way to detest or condemn a character that is gay, lesbian or not. Again, I don't have anything against homosexuality, but there is no choice given to you about this, unlike in Dragon Age where you could decide how you approach something like this, and here's another problem. Lack of choice. The paragon and renegade meter is finally mixed, but only like 1% of the dialogues have a middle option, making that pointless. The interrupts were most of the times, good. The cutscenes: A lot of them are good, but then, a lot of them is unnecessary, especially at the beginning of the game. There's also a lot of time where you can't interrupt the dialogue or the cutscene, hindering the replay value. There are also serious problems with smoke effects, as It can make even the best computers lag like hell. The character animations are probably the worst I've ever seen. There is a part where you have the option to hug a friend, but because of bad animation, you end up hugging the air. Really? The graphics are mostly good, but the background is a train-wreck. If you pay attention to the background, you can see a lot of low-res textures, or even immobile people, even if they are about to step, making them look like statues.
    While I had high expectation with this game, It's far from that, but still, It's much better than Dragon Age 2. My advice: Prepare for the worst ending you can possibly imagine (or you wouldn't dare to even imagine).    … Expand
  55. MadclownJack
    Mar 11, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I honestly did not get what all the fuss was about, until i took it upon myself to "dive" into the story and see for myself. And boy was it a shallow dive. First, the story. The story is so simple it verges on pointless. Hell, I'd go so far as to say this is the worst, blandest story of ANY game i have played so far. This is very, very bad. I won't go "spoiling" it for you, because frankly, i CAN'T. I don't remember what i did in this game, aside from amassing an army! I don't remember anything interesting about the missions, nor the side-quests. The Gameplay. Or in this case, the arduous art of playing a very boring game. I'd like to warn future players to finish EVERY side quest, before you take on a priority mission, because then you lose all the side quests you didn't finish, and with that vital characters. Read the manual. That is a **** move to keep you replaying the game and seeing how the gameplay is more of a unsatisfying chore as opposed to a fun experience, you'd do well to remember that if you wish to finish it. Pick your covers, because Shepard can't aim well and will get confused sometimes and get out of cover without your command. Also he's sluggish and badly centered so have in mind that shepard's shoulder or head can get in the way of your aim. The visual experience is the only thing that carries this game across. SOMETIMES. There was only one instance that i remember, while playing the game, that actually got me excited a bit. That's the Tresher Maw vs. Reaper on Tuchanka. It was a lovely sequence that kept me going, hoping there would be more such sequences. There weren't any. There was a mass of cliches and uninspiring story elements though. The graphics are just a little polished, nothing new. The animation is stiff and sluggish. Rent or Beware.

    Bioware, I **** on your honor. EA, I hope you lying, money grubbing bastards get your just deserts. And i hope you choke on it and rid us all of your blight upon this world.    … Expand
  56. RPGROB
    Mar 17, 2012
    0
    This game is a prime example of why the video game industry is dying--not by sales, but by soul. Release day DLC is an insult to consumers and this is exactly what this game has done. 60 Dollars isn't enough, they want more of your money upfront for the "full" experience, but we all know they will release DLC after DLC to try and milk as much money as possible from you. Just play Mass Effect 1 and leave it at that.… Expand
  57. thenthomwaslike
    May 2, 2012
    5
    i would have given it a 10 if i could bind my key for sprinting, taking cover, exiting cover, rolling, entering dialogue, interacting with objects, climbing up ledges, jumping off of ledges/ ladders and whatever the hell else the spacebar did in this game to separate keys. we have 128 keys, allow us to use them to avoid this ridiculously clumsy control scheme. I would have given it a 9 if their were any graphical options besides the resolution and anti-aliasing.

    i would have given it an 8 if day one dlc was not inside of the files and COMPLETELY necessary to the story.

    I would have given it a 7 if online multiplayer was optional to having a good story in the single player ( after finishing ALL of the fetch quests in the entire game i still had only 3200 "war assets" and thus was damned into receiving...

    the WORST ending of any trilogy i've ever seen/read/played. (this now drops the score TWO MORE points because it is a carnal sin in my book to destroy a story with a bad ending.) It's so illogical, anti-lore oriented, and obviously rushed. We are now at a score of 5. Since Bioware is responding to the outcry about how disappointed people were by the game by releasing free dlc to add clarity to the ending, this review will absolutely be subject to change.    … Expand
  58. Humboldt1337
    Jun 7, 2012
    1
    Worst. Ending. In. Video. Gaming. History.
    Exactly what the **** were you thinking Bioware?
    It is hard to imagine that this game was not just a massive troll on everyone who has played these games.
  59. Ansatsu83
    Mar 9, 2012
    2
    My review is based on the game as a whole. It is poorly planned, buggy, storyline left many unanswered gaps. The multiplayer is mediocre at best, the whole game is an extreme disappointment to the franchise. Bioware should have stopped focusing on that failure of a game known as "The Old Republic" and planned this one and given it their soul.

    The storyline just did not seem intriging, the     multiplayer has bugs where you can lose unlocked characters and equipment that you buy, sometimes for real money. A lot of players have lost a lot and are pretty angry at bioware.

    I encountered a bug when importing a character from me1, to 2, to 3. I romanced liara in 1, but it said I romanced ashley, which is false. I have never romanced Ashley in any of my play throughs. I loaded the same me2 file into me2 and played the storyline, it was definitely Liara as well.

    On top of this the game has horrible controls. I have no idea which moron decided to put the action button the same as the roll and take cover button but all I tend to do is barrel roll all over the place or stick into cover I don't want to while I try to activate a door or revive a team mate who was in cover.

    I recently lost every bit of gear I had unlocked on multiplayer, a level 4 pistol, a quarian engineer, a salarian engineer, multiple level 3 sniper rifles and assault rifles with multiple level 2 mods, a turian character, an asari vanguard, etc. I am done with mass effect 3 and I highly recommend every gamer stay away from this.

    The only reasons I am giving this a two out of ten, the graphics are still not bad, the worlds seem well constructed despite the controls being terrible. And you get to see Tali's face for once.

    I am sorry Bioware, you have failed us a second time in a couple of months, you have lost your edge just like Bill Roper and his constant failure of game development after Diablo 2. Some advise to bioware, leave your industry...    … Expand
  60. Gene
    Mar 8, 2012
    7
    I'll leave the moaning to others, here are the basics: Running, dodging, and hugging a wall are all handled by the spacebar, which means if you try running from an enemy close to a wall, you are just as likely to crouch behind it and have your face eaten, combat is way more twitchy and less tactical than either of the two previous games. Quick time events with no prompts, I went through half the game before realizing that those overlong death animations are actually quicktime events where I had to mash the F key. Story was very solid, I loved it up until the just before the end, and then was massively enraged. The writers spent way too much effort making s*** epic and mystical, and as a long time fan I felt robbed, although I don't think new players will feel effected. I just wanted an end to a war 5 years in the making and finding out what happened to all my friends, the loopy nonesense they gave for an ending just completely broke the flow of the entire series.… Expand
  61. YuRown92
    Mar 12, 2012
    10
    Mass Effect 3 is EPIC ending of space saga. I don't know their people, who don't like final of this game. Final is very interesting, very adrenaline, very clever. And... It is one of the best Action/RPG in all videogame's story!
  62. yogibbear
    Jul 29, 2012
    10
    Oh my god. No spoilers here. If I explain why this game is PERFECT (even pre-EC) I will ruin the experience for you. Just believe me when I say the gameplay is somewhere between ME1 & ME2. The missions and excitement leading up the end for this trilogy are a lot of fun. The multiplayer works, you don't have to play it, but it is better than I expected. The singleplayer is 10/10 ignoring the MP. The ending made me cry and you got me Bioware, oh how you got me good! You actually made me stop hating you after DAII (oh I'll just pretend like that game doesn't exist). I finally bothered to play this game and I should have done sooner. Somehow avoided all spoilers and I am SO glad that I did. The reason why this game gets a 10/10 and not an 8 or 9 is because the ending is perfection. People complaining about it were not paying attention! Seriously, pure genious! Shutup and take my money!… Expand
  63. Aeryx
    Jan 3, 2013
    5
    Mass effect 3 is solid proof that Bioware has no intention of continuing their honorable tradition of making great games. It's just generic releases now to make the most amount of cash before EA runs this company to the ground. The glaring inconsistencies, bad character writing and poor choices make this a disgraceful sequel to Mass Effect 1 and 2. If you feel that Dragon Age 2 was a downer compared to DA:O, multiply that by 5 and you have Mass Effect 3. How this game got positive reviews from "critics" only shows that they absolutely have no idea of what made the original games great. How the hell do they keep their jobs!? Unbelievable.… Expand
  64. ZootMan
    Mar 27, 2012
    10
    Y'all are a bunch of babies. The combat, dialogue and gargantuan set-pieces in this game easily carries it far beyond the useless complaints of the last 30 seconds. I played through renegade style in 14 hours, keeping closely to the meaty content of the game. I was not let down, as some were, who I suspect obsessed over every spec of backtracking the game litters itself with. For all the upset completion-ists out there- NEWS FLASH! THERE'S NO PLEASING YOU!!! YOU'RE THE PROBLEM! IT'S A PIECE OF GODDAMN ENTERTAINMENT! FIND SOME REAL WORLD PROBLEMS TO **** ABOUT!!! Worth your time, this game tape is. Play it, you should. Sigh.… Expand
  65. AthanasiosT
    Apr 12, 2012
    3
    Well, let's put it that way : ME1 was top of the list. ME2 comes second. I played ME3 because I felt I had to follow the story, but I was deeply disappointed. It's clearly the worst of the three (poor scenario, repetitive shooting, poor RPG elements) and really has a weird (being polite here) and non rewarding ending. Sorry Bioware....
  66. StarlessBB
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    Wow. Just wow.
    Bioware, EA, and gaming journalism in general have all reached a new low. It's almost sad, but I want to see where this tragic drama will end.
    I mean seriously, the gameplay is awful and the story is an abomination. I don't get it, i can't believe they could mess up as bad as they have. I hated ME2 back in the day for being too dumbed down, but even that was better than this    .
    The only way I could get enjoyment out of this game is if I played it with the same mindset as I would Superman 64. And really, I don't know whether I should find this funny or depressing. It's a joke to be sure, but it's what that joke means that's truly sad. This will be the last Bioware product I even pay attention to. And don't get me started on DLC that you need to get the best ending and other such snot.
    This game is awful. Truly, truly awful. And those 'journalists' whose pockets are being lined with EA money even as we speak should be ashamed.    … Collapse
  67. Nichtswisser
    Mar 8, 2012
    3
    Welcome to to the future of Bioware.. It really seems that all those guys that know what they were doing left Bioware and were replaced by characters inspired by the movie "Ideocracy". There is that otaku women which is probably a virgin and who seems to have a yaoi (gay male romances) fetish. Than there is that crazy dude I saw in a DA2 video and who came up with the "awesome button". And there is probably one EA suit dude who is never without his statistics why call of duty is so successful and who spams his opinion in every meeting that more explosions are needed. And with those 3 responsible for game design ME3 is what we got. Lots and lots of gay romances, just as much explosions, and the evolution of the "awesome button", the "awesome does all button"! And it really is awesome when you try to run away and instead take cover with your back exposed to the enemy! Yet just like with DA2, the most "awesome" button is the one which removes this **** from your hdd!… Expand
  68. Atech66
    Mar 11, 2012
    0
    Thank God.. this is why i use Meta for everything... no BS no paid off journalism just the freakin truth. We have been getting screwed this whole year .. Bethesda kicked my teeth in with Rag(e) and B(usted)rink and now EA screws the biggest pooch of all.. way to F go you money hungry half azzed dumb sh*ts. greed has taken over the entire damn industry without Indie games i almost didnt have a gaming year.. EA you suck.. if Diablo 3 is screwed up ( nothing to do with EA) Im giving up.… Expand
  69. m_elders
    Dec 16, 2012
    10
    Originally I gave this game a 9 due to the terrible ending, but the new (free) DLC has made the ending bearable. I'll admit, this game suffers what many of its kind due in that the gameplay is totally separate from the story, rather than an integral part of it (like Spec Ops: The Line or Flower), but I think it deserves a 10 because the story and gameplay are both great by themselves. If you liked Mass Effect 2, you'll like Mass Effect 3. If you haven't played Mass Effect 2, go play Mass Effect 2.… Expand
  70. Darkmark
    May 29, 2012
    8
    Besides from the poor class balance and the bad ending, this a great game. And with the epic story and nice gameplay i would say that it's still worth buying.
  71. AlexFili
    Mar 28, 2013
    10
    Mass Effect 3 takes all of the plot pieces in the previous two games and delivers on a massive scale. The first thing you see is Shepard being put on trial for the events between the previous games. Just as the council get going on their debate, the Reapers launch an assault on the Earth, destroying a large portion of it. Shepard literally has to fight his way off the Earth, getting through some Reaper forces and just trying not to get hit by gigantic lasers and all the explosions which are occuring everywhere.

    Once you leave Earth, you have to try to get the support of the alien races to prepare against the Reapers. Unfortunately, the Reapers have already started attacking Palaven, the Turian homeworld and Tuchanka, the Krogan homeworld. You have to get the Krogans on your side for the Turians to help. Later on you’ll be attempting to gain the support of the Salarians, Asari and Quarians.

    There really is a feeling of tension and excitement that the other games didn’t have. For once, the enemy is a large opposing force and the whole galaxy is feeling it’s effects. The war is happening on three fronts. There are the main attack force of the Reapers, which utilise other alien races in their army, such as the Turian-style Marauders and the Asari-style Banshees. Then there are the Cerberus troopers, which are being led by the Illusive Man and are attacking colonies for an unknown reason. On a lesser front you also have the heretic Geth, which are attempting to keep the Perseus Veil under control.

    In most single-player missions you’ll be darting in and out of cover, attempting to pick off enemy forces. The overall intelligence of the enemies in this game has improved dramatically. Different units protect themselves in different ways. For instance, the Nemesis uses a sniper rifle to deal large amounts of damage, while the Phantom attempts to defeat targets instantly with it’s sword. When put together this is a deadly combination. There are also enemies that utilise smoke grenades, shields, turrets and more. Fighting is hectic and tense, using squadmates powers is recommended.

    You have a total of six squadmates in the main storymode and an additional squadmate exclusive in the extra Downloadable Content mission. While there are overall less squadmates than Mass Effect 2, the relationships between them and the character are more pronounced. Between missions characters will move around the ship, get into discussions and think about certain things. In the Citadel, each squad member goes to a different place, where they can talk with the player.

    Commander Shepard is the player character (which can be Male or Female), who is tasked with making lots of choices. Some of the choices are very difficult and will require the player to think forward. The choices made in Mass Effect 1 and 2 will dramatically affect the story. Such as how you dealt with the Rachni Queen or if you saved Maelon’s data on the genophage cure. You have a total of six classes, each with different unique skills and strategies which apply to it.

    For each additional form of support gained in single-player, you will gain another War Asset, with a numerical value. These values effect the strength of the forces attacking the Reapers, determining the overall success of the final attack.

    Mass Effect 3 is a fantastic game and a definitive Sci-Fi experience. Fans of the series will not be disappointed.    … Expand
  72. BOSTONJOHN32
    Mar 19, 2012
    6
    Well i will start by saying that im amazed that critics scored this game nearly perfect but not many went into detail about ending, never mention it @ all or simply (and boldly) allowed readers to think the game was great from start to finish, then i happened 2 go "outside the bubble" and found smaller, more obscure reviews and the score factored in that the ending was "literary suicide" as one wrote. as quoted by r. ebert "if you had to ask what it symbolized, then it didnt" and i can say that this very much sums up the ending, struck in awe like many, i wasnt even sure if i had beat the game and had to check mt trophy in order to sort out if i did. thats just it, i felt like i did not know what had just happened and had to wait for the credits to scroll to know its over,and so i convince myself that ok maybe i just did not see the right ending and maybe i got the bad ending, "yes that must be it, w/ so many endings i must have screwed up along the way and got the bad ending" come to find out i got the desired and the most "definative" ending.. so then i go back and replay the mission etc and all the other endings are pretty much identical beside a different color or "end sequence" which consisted of a minute or so animation of walking another direction etc. i wont get into conspiracy theories or anything which is out of context but its kind of hard not to fall prey or offer self to some distraction or debate because we not only invested time, we invested emotion.. hours upon hours of carefully making right choices for a desired import etc, and for what? if i kind of got a heads up from critics that "decisions do not play as significant a role in mass 3 as it did in the prior 2" then i wouldve been able to prepare,lol.. but we are hearing words like art, story telling masterpiece also we were told by bioware that this would have multiple endings, a deeper consequence/decision mechanic, an end which would the opposite from lost, well no it may actually take the belt away from lost for the wtf just happened moment but the fact is that i shouldve known that a game which has a formula that works almost seamlessly, based primarily on decisions as well as story driven sequences which make the gamer care, think and DECIDE, it works so good that while i played every mass efect i made every decision carefully to prep my shep for the import into the next game, so if i am playing a game and already thinking of the next one then the system is almost flawless imo.. BUT it is obvious E.A had a bit of influence and brings me back to my point with this "formula", they deserted it and decided for MASS APPEAL rather than mass effect and i noticed this during the demo and how much emphasis was put on how one can play the game how one wishes and that the game can be toggled to suit any style, dont like stories? choose combat.. hate decisions? well you can toggle that too.. but wait, isnt that the part of mass effect which makes it like few others? and isnt that what i have spent many hours doing to have a desired and effective playthrough as well as end? was it just me or did it feel silly to scan planets this time around? as to say "hey dont want to waste time scanning for elements, well we fixed that too" huh? call me a loser, call me what you want BUT i enjoyed taking my time scanning for minerals and elements and launching probes with a feeling of purpose, because that was one of the many things which made me love this game, felt like what i did mattered and fulfilling. i can understand E.A 's stance from a business perspective, their knowledge and tactics of knowing that the fanbase of mass effect are going to buy this game regardless so lets find some fresh blood, but did the solid core and fan base have to feel jipped, let down, disappointed, confused and as well as angry in exchange for new profits/gains? well the core, the fans well we are mass effect. it breaths because we let it, we let it because it was great ,brought quality and emotion and stood apart from many other games and the exp was one like few others. but as much respect a game/developer may get through time can be undone in ten minutes.. i can not say that mass effect 3 was a bad game, but after putting in hours of decisions, careful choices to have it not effect anything in regards to the end , other than the war assets and "co-op"readiness , well i feel like it was more of a "okay hurry up and get this over with and go play co-op after" the fact remains that mass effect 3 is still a solid game, but an ending which was promised to be the finale we dream about also being admittedly rushed well how does anything rushed ever result to anything other than sub par to par? a game is about the exp, mass effect is about a unique and gripping exp BUT the end ruined both.. its obvious a lot has changed in the gaming industry in the past 5 years, mass effect supports this in every respect, reapers went from FEAR INDUCING to PAWNS… Expand
  73. Cell1e
    Jul 8, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Just finished this game. Mostly left feeling upset, frustrated and angry. I found the game to be dark, bleak and a struggle and to make it worth while I would expect a really exciting and fantastic ending which of course I was well aware I wasnt going to get but had hoped with the EC the endings would be at least a little bit uplifting. NOT ONE BIT!!! Two endings left my shep dead and one left her alive on a heap of rubble. No hugs, accolades or joy for us to see and experience.
    Why Bioware shafted us with these endings, why deny their loyal fan base the exciting and triumphant ends that most of us would expect and want after three whole games!

    Okay here are more negatives- The mulitplayer; we should NOT be FORCED to play multiplayer. Space Exploration- This has changed big time from ME1 and was for me nothing short of boring and annoying, especially running out of fuel ALL THE TIME and no signs as to which galaxies had fuel stations.I wasted a lot of time in the beginning looking for galaxies with fuel stations. Day One dlc- I bought it and to me it was so integral to the game, should not have been dlc. That was greediness on behalf of Bioware. Replay Value 0- For me there is abolutely no point in replaying this game, too much misery and no reward at the end. Cannot put myself through that again.

    What did I like? I loved the scenes between Shepherd and her friends, especially Liara, Kaiden and Garrus. The love scenes with Kaiden were very sweet and I loved them. However Bioware dropped the ball when Thane died and Thessia was ravaged and Shep was nearly killed Kaiden was nowhere to be seen. In a game such as this I would expect the love interest who declared his love for her to be beside her comforting her. He weasnt and he didnt. This killed immersion big time. Biware wanted to make a dark game with a lot of fighting and struggles but they should have given the player some hope, some reason to keep playing. They didnt. I loved ME1 but since that game Bioware have taken out every rpg aspect and turned ME into some type of shooter. So my score is going to reflect this and how I am feeling right now. Crappy!    … Expand
  74. faceless-1
    Dec 1, 2012
    4
    OMG well done EA. First u totally ruin Command and Conquer with CnC 4 and then you butcher Mass Effect. Story is full of plot holes and Crap, but the day 1 DLC and really failed ending even with extended cut. The game play almost 0 RPG elements feels like just bad clone of Gears of War. ME 1 was one of the best RPG games, but WTF is this????
  75. mckw
    Apr 29, 2013
    8
    Apart from the ending, let us not forget that it is still a great experience, I may have many gripes but I still had a fun and enjoyable time with this game. It does hit the high tension mark at times but ultimately it is a step back or two from the previous game. With smaller team roster and less interesting back stories to them (except Legion's which was pretty BA). The quest system is just bad and was really overlooked by developers, though I do prefer the scanning in this game compared to searching for ores in the previous game. Overall the experience of this franchise is a 10/10, however the end leaves you wanting and very disappointing.… Expand
  76. Chupwn
    Mar 16, 2012
    2
    I was expecting a game superior to Mass Effect 2. I really liked how doing the loyalty missions and side-quests impacted the final showdown. The ending unfortunately looked like it suffered from the developer running out of time/money/ideas. I'm noticing that every time you add a gimmick (aka multiplayer), you have to sacrifice something.
  77. Morring
    Apr 4, 2012
    0
    The whole game, except the last five minutes, is above average. It has some GREAT moments and some considerable shortcomings, The technical department is poor, the few improvements over the previous game are balanced by many flaws, which become obstacles during gameplay. Action could be a lot of fun, too bad you only have one button to crouch, run, and jump over obstacles. Most of the times you'll die it's going to be because of this. Some good moments about the plot, but some errors and contradictions are very easy to notice. The soundtrack, that's probably the only thing that really went right. Given all this facts I'd give it a 7/10 BUT: the ending. The plot becomes meaningless, all your choices: discarded. The explanations are incredibly dumb at best, and even if you assume it was all just a dream, or an indoctrination induced vision, it keep not making sense. Even if it did, you still don't see what happens to the galaxy you learned to love in the course of three games. What you get is the same cutscene, with an explosion of a different color based on a choice you make in the last 30 seconds of gameplay. This is no hyperbole, it's actually what you get. The whole plot is based on something the devs explicitly said they would'n do: add a "kill reapers" button. They aren't even above adding the cliche child dying seeking some easy drama, and getting shepard out of character a bit more. I'd make it 4/10 then, even with no reasonable plot it's still a nice action game with some control issues and a few good moments with your old companions, right? No, because a game is not just the final product. Everything reeks of the scent of some money-craving horrible beast. You get day one DLC that is already on disk. That character was intended to be meaningful to the plot, and you can see why: it's a prothean. But they just accepted to sacrifice some of the plot meaningfulness so that it could be an optional you could sell. As you finish the game, a message appears: you are reset before you start the last mission, and you're invited to buy some DLCs to further shepard's adventures. This behaviour is unacceptable. Remember when DLCs were stuff they made months AFTER the game was released, and you got to play THE WHOLE GAME simply by paying its price? Maybe it's me, maybe I should't have standards. But I do, and so do many people. That's why after a second playtrough I'm modifying my review and giving this a zero. That's why this game has such a low score. I understand you may really want to play this, but DO NOT BUY. These people can only understand money.… Expand
  78. VitaminK
    Apr 23, 2012
    5
    Was definitely a let-down but I dont think it deserves the 1-2 that a lot of people are giving it. I do think it lacked a lot of what was promised though and what made the previous games so solid.
  79. keefbaker
    May 7, 2012
    10
    Brilliantly designed and implemented game with superb depth and design. I wish all these people who were butthurt about the ending hadn't given it bad reviews as it was 40 of the best gameplay hours I've had. Even the multiplayer was superb.
  80. dam1730
    Jun 14, 2013
    9
    First of all, the user score for this game is in no way indicative of the quality of this game. Mass Effect games are very different in the world of gaming as they are a hybrid of several different genres. Obviously Mass Effect games are RPGs, but they also incorporate FPS, adventure, and even strategy elements all into one game. The best part of the Mass Effect series is that you get to know the characters well. Whether you like the character or not, you know them very well by the end of the series and become connected to some of them. Another great thing about the series is that every player has their own Shepard that they can come to identify with as well. Their are many things that I like in ME3 when compared to the other games in the series. First of all, the graphics look much better, especially in gameplay itself. The storyline is pretty good. If you've played the first two games of the series, you could probably predict some of what was going to happen, but after putting at least 50-60 hours into the first 2 games, this is probably to be expected since you knew this was the final entry of the trilogy. As far as combat goes, as with the other games, it can be as difficult or as easy as you want it to be. I've found different classes to be much easier to play because certain enemies are overly strong at the higher difficulty levels and certain classes make it much easier to defeat those particular enemies. The decisions of this game are heavily influenced by past actions, much more so than ME2 as ME1 and ME2 actions both have a large effect on decisions in this game. A lot of controversy surrounded the ending of this game, and it did certainly deserve some controversy, as when I first finished the game I sat and stared at the screen for 5 minutes in disbelief. I do encourage every player to look into the ending more, there's a lot of stuff out there which is interesting. For example, I find "indoctrination theory" to be a good explanation. The amount of emotion that this ending caused shows the amount of passion that this series creates. I really believe this series is a must play for anyone who likes games because I think it has a little something for everyone. This game is not perfect, if the ending were better if would be close. I give this game an 8.5, but it will show up as a 9. Lot's of angry people reviewed the game two seconds after they finished it and were upset. There are also people who fell in love with the original game and don't like how 2 and 3 play. ME1 is very different, and ME2 and ME3 are similar but with slight differences.… Expand
  81. kozzy420
    Mar 6, 2012
    10
    Very good game that is a nice improvement over ME2. Takes the best parts of ME1 and ME2 and then adds some of its own things also. This is a much darker Mass Effect game here, the atmosphere is also awesome. Story is well done of course and the characters are very well done. You learn to really care for these characters. Do yourself a favor and play Mass Effect 1 and then Mass Effect 2 and then get ready for the best game of the series in ME3! I did not think this could be as good as ME1 or better, but it is! Fantastic job Bioware!

    Day one DLC sucks and there are some bugs but overall its a near perfect story driven third person shooter with some rpg elements sprinkled on top.

    Biowares best game since Dragon Age Origins!    … Expand
  82. rpgMasterFan
    Mar 8, 2012
    0
    Poor shooting. Linear schematic. Mainly for the 13 year old. Dialogues for children, the world too. A simple, requiring no trivial for pseudo player. Graphics poor. The combat system poor. Pseudo dialogues could not be. Overall, kitsch and trash.
  83. ArMoRofGOD
    Aug 6, 2012
    9
    There are a few honest reviews on here who are not trolling bioware for the ending of ME3. Heres my honest opinion. Mass effect 2 was a terrific game, it had great progression, great squad missions and an amazing long ending all leading to a pretty great boss fight. One of the best games Ive ever played. Mass effect 3 brought some terrific editions to the series, the best of which is the mutiplayer. That aspect alone gives the game much more credibility but if you just into single player than your still in for a great game but not as great as ME2 but a long shot. The intro is epic, the art is amazing, the music is great, and its optimized so well it runs at an incredibly smooth framerate at 5760 x 1080 resolution which says a lot. The immersion was great during the midgame, missions are very fun and well thought out, the voice acting is great and beleivable, the characters make you care about the universe and saving it so all they needed to do was wrap up this great series with an equally great ending which isnt easy but weve come to expect it. Without spoiling the ending, it had one great moment that I loved and the rest of it fell very short. Nothing at all connected to the player from their choices and it feels very lazy and very non unique to me and left a sort of dissapointment in the end. Despite that though, it was a great experience and the multiplayer ahs kept me coming back fro more for almost 50 hours now. On top of that Bioware has been giving FREE updates with maps, characters, and weapons and they released a better ending for FREE. All this equates to a fair 8.5 or so but ill round up to a 9.… Expand
  84. vincesz
    Oct 10, 2012
    6
    Not a terrible game like people make it out to be (after hating the ending) but it's not as good as the last two either. For me ME2 reflects the pinnacle of the series and this was definitely the nadir. The main issue with this game is that it's been 5 years since ME1 came out and 2 since ME2, but there's been virtually no innovation since then. ME2 didn't have too much innovation either but it streamlined everything down and expanded on ME's strengths with a better class system and weapon's system etc. This game feels more like an expansion of ME2 rather than a full fledged stand alone title, sadly. There's also a very distinct 'cookie-cutter' feel here that makes it seem like you've played this game before beneath a different coat of paint. It doesn't really feel like a lot of love was thrown into the project, just following a formula and spitting out the results. It feels very artificial and contrived and there's very little in the way of surprises. It makes the whole thing feel a bit tired and boring. As negative as this all sounds it's still a decent game; you can't really suck when you copy ME2. Not as thrilling or as suspenseful and addicting as its predecessors.… Expand
  85. yeahright9
    Jan 5, 2013
    0
    Talk about a repetetive game... This one is ultimately boring, stagnant, repetetive, non-challenging... THIS GAME IS JUST BAD! So many flaws, it almost makes me want to curse it's predescesors, which were really good games.
  86. Gladio77
    Mar 9, 2012
    7
    I liked the first two very much. Although this is not a bad game it again is a dissapointment.
    I think because Bioware was such a good company in the past we all expected them to continue this forever.

    I conclude that after dragon age 2, knights of the new republic and this that they have lost their touch. Luckily enough with games as skyrim we have other options. A 7 for effort.
  87. Kosheus
    Mar 19, 2012
    10
    This is Mass Effect! Still. Aside of all critics.

    The only not_so_good_thing is the ending (logicless and dicsonnected from whole game). My hopes for ending DLC from BW. This ending cannot be the official ending of the trilogy. I can't beleive it.

    But overall (not considering ending) game is another great Mass Effect game.
  88. Triggerhappy
    Mar 22, 2012
    5
    I´d just recommend to wait with your purchase until the current controversy subsides. If you´re a fan of the series and want to play now, DO yourself a favour and look up how the game ends, spoilers or no, because you might face serious disappointment. There are polls up within Bioware´s social community that show anywhere between 80-90 percent of players disappointed with the ending. Just... wait. At the very least, you´ll get the game much, much cheaper one month from now. The user score is so low it´s scary, by the way, I think the game by itself still reaches a decent 5.… Expand
  89. Templar19
    Mar 22, 2012
    8
    Overall this was an amazing and emotional game. It is a lot different from 1 and 2, the graphics are beautiful and the game play and combat are more fun, however it seems really dumbed down compared to the other games, more like a gears of war style adventure game. Had there been more rpg elements, better quests, and a better ending i would give it a 10/10, the ending did ruin the entire series for me though...… Expand
  90. Zoso
    Mar 23, 2012
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The MISSING ending(!) is definitly the greatest story-telling/marketing/... twist in the history of gaming. I think Indocrination Theory nails it, and the negative fan feedback has been anticipated by BioWare in order to gain general media attention. Marlk my words, I'm 100% sure the ending DLC is ready and is soon going to be released.

    That alone would be worth 10+, even hough there are some minor issues with the game like: * the cover/run/look-aound-the-corner functionality getting mixed up at times * coop matches where you suddenly can't reload or do damage any more
    * some formerm team mates just being ticked off (i.e. there's no real story for some of them)
    * combat is too easy even on insanity * most of the missions are too short (shorter than ME2 missions)

    But ME3 is also the first game ever to make me cry (Mordin humming his song...), and all the bigger parts of the story (Tuchanka, Geth/Quarians, AND THE ENDING) work really really well.    … Expand
  91. Bulldozer
    Mar 30, 2012
    0
    This game could have been a masterpiece but the final result is only a forgettable mix of bugs, holes in a childish plot with the "wish" to be serious, a ton of shadows and emphasis everywhere, no exploration, no puzzles, flat dialogues and the worst ending in videogame history. In certain things it could deserve a 11 but in others not more than a -20 so my balance is 0. Nothing more than a "project" of a game, an interesting project never terminated and poorly done, or at least that's not good to be released like this.… Expand
  92. Invader-Nik
    Jul 18, 2012
    9
    Mass Effect 3 is the brilliant conclusion to the popular series. Do not listen to these bad reviews, the game was brilliant. I found the endings really good, they fitted the 'Mass Effect' spirit and made a stunning conclusion. I think a lot of people wanted a 'Shepard defeats the reapers and lives happily ever after" kind of ending. But then they would force Bioware for a Mass Effect 4 (something Bioware didn't want to do)

    Brilliant game, brilliant ending. 9/10    … Expand
  93. intruder313
    Jul 13, 2012
    8
    Bought it cheap but still did not touch the game until the Extended Cut appeared so my review is only of that version - I don't even know what was added to be honest.

    It takes a while to get going but I was rewarded with an occasionally epic midgame and a reasonable ending to the whole saga. The combat scenes are far, far too easy though so I recommend pumping it above normal difficulty    . It's also about the quietest game I've ever played so I had to drive my volume settings to about double what I normally use.

    Also I got the distinct impression that most of my travels were completely pointless since you fairly quickly reach the "Minimum" Force level to complete the game - I doubt greater values matter.

    The galactic readiness map is of course entirely meaningless in the Single Player game but that's not something I recall being made aware of. Just ignore it.    … Expand
  94. Lacho236
    Jan 7, 2013
    3
    The first Mass Effect had the best story. Mass Effect 2 had the best characters. Mass Effect 3 has nothing compared to it's predecessors, besides the combat and leveling system that is somewhat better than Mass Effect 2 and an updated graphics engine, but it is still an inferior game when you take all things into account. It brought more fluid action and more playstyle customization with leveling, but that's where it ends. Story? Weak and fails to deliver the fear and awe of the Reapers first two games had built up. They are supposed to be superior in every way, godlike, yet they end up being fought like a casual enemy. It makes as much sense as a bunch of musketeers going up against a squad of soldiers with fully automatic weapons. Characters? Old ones get re-introduced and you get some bad new ones. Dialogues? Now with only 2 options. The franchise never had the "grey" moral area, but at least it let you stay neutral at times, even if it was just an illusion when every option would get the same response. This game doesn't even give you that. It's either be the venerable empathic hero or the jerk anti-hero. They probably did it to save money they'd have to pay the voice actors. The 5-year long franchise ends with a deus ex machina A, B, C choice ending, loads of DLC and a plainest hint at an MMO if I've ever seen one. Good going BioWare, go ahead and ruin what's left of Mass Effect like you did with The Old Republic.… Expand
  95. Bestpony
    Jun 7, 2013
    8
    There's a whole litany of problems with ME3 and, well, just look at the user score here. That disastrous ending will be remembered 10 years from now (and the Extended Cut DLC doesn't really help), the writing is very uneven, the facial animations are almost nonexistent, the journal is next to useless, and then there's that dreadful business with day 1 DLC adding a character that is essential to the story and yet ends up being rather boring. And you know what? None of that matters all that much because ME3 still completely delivers on its promise of bringing an end to an epic story and doing so via a tight and very fun to play rpg/shooter game. You meet a ton of old friends (in fact, you meet pretty much everyone from the previous two games), you make some new ones (Vega, Cortez, and Traynor are all great and quite down-to-earth compared to the crazy suicide squad in ME2), there are memorable battles, tough choices, historic events, tragic sacrifices... pretty much everything I wanted from a Mass Effect game. It's a rushed product, made by a team that was obviously tired and wanted to be done with it as quickly as possible, which is unfortunate, but at the end of the day, it's a powerful conclusion to a great trilogy.… Expand
  96. thesisko
    Mar 6, 2012
    1
    Another turd by the BioWare sequel-machine. If you're looking for a B-movie plot combined with a weak and repetitive on-rails shooter this will suit you. But if you're a fan of BioWare's earlier work, such as Baldur's Gate and Dragon Age: Origins you're better off forgetting this development house existed and look towards more serious RPG developers like Larian Studios or Piranha Bytes. Also keep an eye out for Brian Fargo's upcoming "Wasteland 2".… Expand
  97. WingedAnomaly
    Mar 15, 2012
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'm not going to address the game so much as the public's response to it.

    The game is incredible, don't get me wrong. The graphics show up anything else even approximating this size and scope, the writing and voice acting is off the charts, the story is deep and involving, and the entire gameplay system has finally been honed down to a razor edge.

    Now let me address the complaints.

    1: The ending. Everyone is complaining about the ending. They criticize its writing, its pacing, how previous decisions affect it... but really, they're just angry because it didn't end the way they wanted. Well, I'm sorry if you didn't get your sunshine and bunnies, you got an emotional, intense ending that made you FEEL something. Would you have remembered it if Shepard blew all the Reapers away, nobody died and they all sang kumbaya? No. Nobody would. So shut the f**k up and take your whining elsewhere.

    2: Character placement and day 1 dlc. Do you honestly think Bioware had a say in this? Bioware creates Mass Effect, money-grubbing EA forces them to include Diana Allers, forces them to include multiplayer, forces them to include day 1 DLC. They handled it with grace, incorporating these elements without ruining the basic principles Mass Effect has always stood upon.

    3: Past decisions. I'm not sure what's going on here. Maybe people are surprisingly forgetful. Maybe they imported the wrong save. I'm seeing a lot of people complaining about inconsistency, but for me, everything was perfect. The only skip in the road was the game not explaining how Anderson went from Councilor to Admiral. Everything else was handled exceptionally well; I loved how the way you treated characters in Mass Effect 2 directly affected the way certain missions turned out in Mass Effect 3.

    4: Length. I don't see this one as much because the people who complain about it are just idiotic. This game was a HELL of a lot longer than Mass Effect 1, and the only reason Mass Effect 2 was longer was because you spent ten hours scrounging for minerals on every planet in the galaxy. If it took you less than 25 hours to complete this game, you were doing something wrong.

    I'm tired of scrounging through the 'ones' and 'zeroes' for complaints. And if you posted a 'one' or a 'zero', shame on you. Seriously. Even if you don't like the ending, even if you think it's short, even if you find SOMETHING wrong with it, you can't deny that this game did almost everything right. Compare it to Duke Nukem Forever. That game deserved low ratings. This one did not.

    So go find something else to pick on you pathetic vultures and stop tainting the public's opinion of an excellent game.    … Expand
  98. Levardos
    Apr 19, 2012
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I really don't feel like writing a lot about this game. But I must say that all of the negative reviews aren't really deserved. Mass Effect 3 offers what Mass Effect 2 did, plus more. AI of opponents is really improved. And we'll face variety of enemies, each using different strategy. Story-wise, the game looks good to me. And people hating on the ending... Well... I think it's just that nowadays, we are used to happy endings. And that's why most of people are so butthurt. Because they didn't receive what they were expecting, and hoping for. The ending has got me really surprised. I heard a lot of negative opinions about it, so I thought it's because it's a cliche of some sort. Like you know, Shepard using the crucible (If that's how it's spelled, played the game with polish subtitles so I am not sure.) to defeat the reapers and then celebrating it on a party with all of his/her friends. But they have offered us something completly different. Something unexpectable. There was no game-series that made me feel so emotional in the end. Sure, I'll admit that I was hoping that all of my choices through the series will have a more important effect at the end... So that is disappointing. And so are the plot holes. Like, why was Joker running away from there. How was Liara already on the normandy when moments earlier she's been with me there, before I teleported... But other than that, I am not really complaining. I felt happy, that I've sacraficed my life to be able to control the reapers, and make them stop the cycle. I felt happy for saving the universe. And at the same time I've been sad, before Shepard died. I've been sad that through the game I've lost Mordin, Tali, and Anderson. I've been sad that mass relays have been destroyed, and nothing will ever be the same in the universe. I've been sad that Liara (Which has been my love interest.) was left without me. Yet at the same time I've been happy seeing her still alive. Well, I sure would like few plot holes explained. But overall, I must say I did enjoy the ending. It was.. something no one could have prepared themselves for. And to be honest about one thing... I did enjoy all of the cutscenes more than I enjoyed killing enemies... Even if improved, it just got slightly repetitive since first Mass Effect. And well, even if my choices through ME1 and ME2 didn't have affect on the ending, they did have affect on things before the ending, and that was nice. As for the graphics, nothing has really changed here. Let's do a quick summary... Pros: -Offers what ME2 did, plus more. -Really surprising ending, even if it isn't what the majority of players hoped for. -Improved overall gameplay. Cons: -Graphics are nice, but they are pretty much the same as in ME2. No improvement here. -Few plotholes regardless the ending.… Expand
  99. Gargus
    Mar 7, 2013
    1
    I'm not here to rip on ME3 just for the sake of doing so or because its what's cool to do on the internet like so many others.

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

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

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

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

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

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

    6- The ending was atrocious. This is a series that prides itself on story, characters and dialogue. We all spent over 100 bucks playing all 3 games and spent over 100 hours playing all 3 games but bioware seemed to say "This is the end of the trilogy so who cares about the ending". The ending is the most important part of any story of any kind because its the very last thing you leave the person with and its supposed to be a reward, the climax to everything leading up till then, basically the ending is the most important part of any story. But the ending of ME3 was over in just a minute or so despite the dozens of hours of dialogue, cut scenes and story in the rest of the series they got lazy at the end. It gives no satisfaction at all. I can honestly say it is the laziest segment of the series. I did like though they had the balls to do what they did with Sheppard, but the ending still sucks and doesn't make you glad to have finished the series.    … Expand
  100. PC-Gamer-Fan
    Mar 6, 2012
    1
    Really bland game. An almost 1:1 360 port. No gamepad support on PC either yet Bioware can tell us they had to make day 1 DLC for 3 months but not enough time to support the 360 gamepad this UI is designed around!! You be the judge of how credible that statement is!

    Bland UT3 gfx & even worse average story which is little different to 1+2 just more of the same & confusing as well. ME1 g    ot away with it 5 years ago now its just whatever......

    If you like bland sub-std sci-fi with dated gfx & almost no PC enhancements then please buy as many copies as you can to let Bioware know they can get away with this & the approx â    … Expand
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Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
89 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 23 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 23
  3. Negative: 0 out of 23
  1. CPUGamer
    Apr 11, 2012
    90
    BioWare captures the scale of the conflict well, but always focuses on the people involved in it. It's pretty amazing just how badly EA disregarded the heart of the game – the characters and the world – when they began their marking blitzkrieg, but don't worry, it's oh so definitely there – Day 1 DLC, controversial endings, and questionable use of resources be damned. This is a fine, lovingly crafted game with a clear vision despite the realities of corporations and damning business practices.
    Read full review
  2. PC PowerPlay
    Apr 5, 2012
    80
    A game that's more shooter than role-playing, and a conclusion that's more spectacular than dramatic. [Apr 2012, p.47]
    Read full review
  3. Absolute Games
    Mar 31, 2012
    85
    Finishing a trilogy is always difficult. Tying off dozens of story threads which had been woven by players into many different tapestries is a daunting task. Mass Effect 3 is the first game that succeeded at this colossal undertaking.
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