Mass Effect 3 PC
User Score
4.8 out of 10

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 4424 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,848 out of 4424
  2. Mixed: 380 out of 4424
  3. Negative: 2,196 out of 4424

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  1. Psychoticspell
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    Bioware killed our beloved sci-fi rpg with the help of EA. I could pay for this game even if they make it pure action based. But with this level of retardness level of story and storytelling, it really upsets me as a Mass Effect fan. From now on I decided not to pay for any Bioware game.
  2. iamawesome
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    Seriously Bioware? The game by itself doesn't present anything new, innovative or overall - worth your while. It's been made merely for milking down todays completely uncritical masses. If you're dumb - you'll love it and spend cash on it. If you're someone that actually is capable of using your brain - you'll avoid it at all costs for your own good.
  3. ploomf
    Mar 9, 2012
    4
    I had to sign up just to review this game. This was such a huge disappointment. I love Mass Effect and have put countless hours into the first 2 games and I was so excited for Mass Effect 3. I had multiple Shepards ready to go but after the terrible ending I doubt I'll be importing them. I don't even want to replay the first two games anymore. The game was wonderful right up till the end, if it hadn't been for those horrible endings I would have given this game a much higher score. The combat was great, the story up till then was great, the relationship between Shepard and squadmates was great, it was a terrific game. Then the endings ruined it and made you feel like all the choices you made really didn't matter after all. They were bleak and depressing, didn't really even make sense, and left many more questions than answers. And everyone gets to choose from the same three terrible endings no matter what choices you made throughout the three games. It was just depressing. Shepards story deserved a much better ending than this.… Expand
  4. wm746
    Mar 9, 2012
    2
    This is very sad... Better go with Deus Ex: HR, Skyrim or the witcher 2 - A great franchise ruined by greed and ignorance to the buyers. I'm very dissapointed :-/ I hate you EA/BW!!! ME1>ME2>ME3 :-( I have no desire to support companies that don't want my support.
  5. UltraD00d
    Mar 9, 2012
    1
    Don't get me wrong, this game is playable and I'm sure if you had no standards or simply didn't care you could pick up this game and have a midly enjoyable experience. BUT the atrocities EA and Bioware committed mean I cannot give this game a decent rating with a good conscience. So what is so bad about this game? Let me tell you:
    1. Day 1 DLC: Whether it was EA or Bioware (Biowhore, if yo    u will) that decided to take this course I don't know, but releasing DLC on the day of release, particularly DLC which is important to the plot, at 1/6 the price of the game itself is unforgivable in of itself. It seems they are laughing in our face as we shell out money for something that should have been on the disc, available to everyone. It is obvious that it was done simply to milk as much money out of the fans as possible.
    2. Casualisation: The game was geared towards Call of Duty players in order to cash in on the series' success, while abandoning the loyal fanbase. Not much else to say here.
    3. Shoddy Writing: Many uninformed people think that the attacks on the Bioware employee Jennifer Hepler was simply a display of hate for the sake of hate. While they certainly did go overboard, it wasn't without good reason. She was the physical manifestation of the quality of writing coming from Bioware. Examples: Dialogue is awkward, the ending is notoriously bad, after seeing so many people die and killing so many himself, Sephard is emotianally effected by the death of a random kid above all. Overall you would expect something better from a Naruto fanfiction. 4. Laziness of Bioware: For a big budget, triple A game you would expect a certain level of effort from the developers. Bioware, however seemed to have taken shortcuts left, right and centre. There are images circulating the internet which demonstrate this quite well. For example, Copying a stock image for the portrait of a character who dies in the game, and copying another 7? year old image lying around in the internet for the ending.
    5. Ininspired Multiplayer: Another cash-in, Wave survival modes have been done to death, nowadays every game seems to have one. It seems this was added in to artificially extend the life of the game and make an excuse for future half-assed DLC releases.
    6. Gay Sex: people reading this may call 'Hurr durr homophobe" - but wait to read my reasoning. Homosexuality IS a sin. Being implemented in such as fashion acts to 'casualise' it, pressing on the impressionable 13 year old minds (whose uninformed mothers will be buying this game) that it is fine and acceptable. I do not hate **** I care about them, just as I do any other person. For this reason I oppose it.
    Even if this is an attempt to cash-in with the gay audience rather than a political agenda, it gets in the way of the average straight player and does not belong. I do not want to have gay passes made to me by my squadmates when I'm playing a game.
    7. Reviewers are sellouts: This goes for every major game release nowadays, but is absolutely appalling. While I'm not implying that EA is necessarily directly paying reviewers to give the game good reviews (not that I'd put it past them) there is certainly a feel that if you don't give it a good review the publisher early access to future releases. I have heard of cases where people have lost their job because they wrote how the felt rather than what they were told to write. This is why I'm writing this review in fact - to help get a bit of truth out.
    Instead of a proper, objective review we are fed tripe with 10/10 would play again bs.

    Due to all these aformentioned problems with Mass Effect 3, I cannot take it seriously, thus it receives a score of 0/10. The only reason it has earned a 1 from me is because the Biodrone tears are absolutely delicious.
    Have a good day sirs.    … Expand
  6. borfudin
    Mar 12, 2012
    1
    Mass Effect 3 is a travesty. The fact that it is mostly an excellent game isn't the point, and indeed makes what Bioware has done with the title even worse. Bioware has said that gamers new to the series can enter in with this game and be satisfied, and perhaps that is true. Having never played ME1 and ME2 and made decisions which felt extremely important at the time and been assured that those decisions would have lasting consequences, they would probably not feel the extreme sense of betrayal which many gamers (myself included) felt at the end of the trilogy. While technically it is a solid Action/RPG, perhaps even more so than the other games in the series, my dismal review reflects the fact that ME3 has lost its soul: it throws away the story-telling legacy of ME1 and to a lesser extent ME2, with a ridiculous Space Magic ending which should be a source of shame for whomever concocted it. Nothing the gamer has chosen appears to manner significantly when it comes to the actual outcome of the game, and the ominous and Chthonic Reapers appear to be a somewhat paradoxical cosmic joke. I am sure it will make a lot of money and as such validate the choices Bioware/EA have made, which is unfortunate for gamers everywhere. The Mass Effect trilogy began well and promised to be a truly unique experience, a science fiction universe for our generation, however it just ended up being about the money in the end. Unfortunate, but unsurprising, and perhaps that is the greatest let down of all.… Expand
  7. aznrap1st
    Mar 13, 2012
    2
    This was supposed to be the game that completes the mass effect series and gave closure to its loyal fans. Instead, this game was dumbed down to the levels of COD. Mass effect 3 focused more on shaking screens and big explosions than good story/gameplay. Through the whole thing, while we still had choices to make, it felt like my hand was being held between the times we could make choices in dialogue.
    The world was also disappointing. The normandy got smaller with fewer interactable characters and objects, and so did the citadel. There was less time spent exploring new places.
    When shopping for weapons, you don't see the specs of the weapons in the shop compared to the weapons you already own. You'll have to buy the weapons to see how it stacks up against what you already have.
    And like the others have said, the biggest screw up is that the choices that you make during me1, me2, and me3 don't matter in the end. All in all, the game was like a bad movie: They put all the good parts in the trailer, and the rest of the movie sucks.    … Expand
  8. Slva911
    Mar 22, 2012
    10
    Nothing less then perfection. I managed to get a copy a few days early and I never thought the story and game could top what the last two games have delivered, but this keeps getting better and better! You really do feel the weight of those decisions you made. Its great to finally see the outcome of these shaping after waiting for 5 years in curiosity as to what would happen.
  9. stone4420
    Mar 16, 2012
    0
    You know that time in ME1 when you had to choose whether or not to kill the Rachni? I sat there for a few minutes weighing the options. Remember when you had to decide whether or not to kill the council? Or when you had to decide to kill the heretic geth? Or whether or not to save the collector base, saving or killing the quarians and geth again, curing the genophage, Samara or Morinth??? Yeah none of that mattered at all. Hope you didn't actually get emotionally invested in any of those choices like I did or you might just break the disc after the impossibly poorly put together ending. I will never play ME1, 2, or 3 again because I know the ending boils down to red, blue, or green so all the decisions you made are pointles... Oh yeah and hope you didn't like any of your romances as they really really don't matter.… Expand
  10. turbo_chuffa
    May 17, 2012
    8
    Absolutely awesome game. Right up until the last 5 minutes, when it completely drops the ball and ends up smacking of a juvenille 4th rate sci fi novel. This is the weakest of the trilogy. They say the theatre of the mind is the most powerful theatre of of them all.. but that doesn't excuse the vague, lacklustre ending that BioWare saw fit to hack on to this otherwise brilliant original IP
  11. 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
  12. noobcannon
    Mar 9, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. i've had some time to reflect and punch a few holes in the wall to get my frustration out and i think i'm ready to put into words how i feel 24 hours after the "good" ending in mass effect 3

    to start, my RI was Tali. once i killed the reaper on ranoch i opted to upload the reaper code to the geth via legion. despite tali not wanting me to, i felt this was the best course of action for her, her people, the galaxy, and even the geth. i was able to talk the fleet out of counter attacking the geth while the code was being uploaded and tali still loves me. whew. this got me thinking however, what if my paragon was too low and the quarians did attack the geth. what would happen? i pulled up youtube to find out.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvATTDgDIqU

    this was the most moving and emotional punch in the gut i've ever seen in a video game. assuming this had happened in my playthrough, i'd have been devastated. moments earlier tali told me she loved me and i have just wiped out her entire people. heartbroken, she jumps over the edge. thought i was going to cry.

    where the hell was this level of emotion and effort in the ****ing end game bioware? as far as voice acting/ performance go, the quarians being wiped out and tali dying was so difficult to watch, yet so well done, i was completely blown away. that level of devastation and pain should've been put into the endgame and i don't know if i can ever forgive bioware for it. they took maybe the greatest game ever made, at least for me, and complelty half assed the last 5 minutes.

    now, i'll be clear, i wanted a happy ending, but if that's not how it was going to be then fine. i'll get over it. but to do it the way that they did, i, just, uuuuughhh. ......    … Expand
  13. CsendesMark
    Mar 9, 2012
    2
    This is *Gears of War* not Mass Effect, only an action game
    bad story, big gaps
    They went too much to the bad direction :(
    This game isn't give too much to the Mass Effect universe... only that silly ending.
  14. skulls
    Mar 12, 2012
    2
    There are so many things wrong with this game let me summarize them in a neat little list:

    1. The ending, despite assurances from bioware that "It's not even in any way like the traditional game endings, where you can say how many endings there are or whether you got ending A, B, or C." that is exactly what the ending is, pick A, B, or C and in all three endings you destroy all the mass r    elays, everybody dies, and nothing you do has mattered. Source: http://www.oxm.co.uk/37677/mass-effect-3-citadel-is-bigger-than-ever-endings-will-be-more-sophisticated/

    2. Nothing you did in the past two games matters. If you picked Anderson to be Councillor it doesn't matter they changed it, if you killed the Rachni queen it doesn't matter there's another one just for the hell of it, if you helped Cerberus at the end of Mass Effect 2 it doesn't matter you still have to fight them. Nothing you have done matters more than a few lines to admit that they know you wanted things to be different and they couldn't care less because this is their story not yours.

    3. The gameplay is nothing special. Point your gun at people and shoot then take cover while your health comes back. This has been done before and better. The role playing aspect of the game is laughably simple. There is no merging of the story and the gameplay. The story is told in cutscenes where you can choose what shepard says but as I said before it seems no matter what you say the same things are going to happen.

    4. Day one on disc DLC. They changed a single line of code to lock out paying customers from the prothean companion which was meant to be included in the game. There is no excuse for this blatantly greedy money grab that insults all of their fans.

    5. Multiplayer effects singleplayer. Games today all want to tack on some multiplayer component in order to boost sales or something stupid like that. But the multiplayer effects how well your forces do in the end and if you want the 'best' end which is still the same ending with a different color laser beam you have to play the multiplayer which has huge amounts of DLC if you want to win. Oh and if you join the wrong server you'll get banned from both multiplayer and single player though no fault of your own.

    Aside from the story, gameplay, animation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDpQn5EOre8, bioware and EA have responded to fan criticism with nothing but snide remarks and apathy banning anybody who insults their precious masterpiece. This company thinks they're above their fans. Do not buy Mass Effect 3, do not get Origin, this is the final nail in the coffin of Bioware.    … Expand
  15. OJFeynman
    Mar 7, 2012
    2
    I bought this on release because I liked Mass Effect 2. The game is broken in that if you use custom keybindings, you are no longer able to scan planets for minerals/artifacts. This is a huge QA failure. I am unable to progress without a severe handicap. There are other serious problems with this game, too. The graphics have taken a step back from ME2 technically, though they have added improved graphical filters. The game world is static, full of people who don't react to your presence and objects that you can't manipulate. For example, you visit the Citadel, which is supposed to be a bustling population center, but you can only interact with three or four characters there--I mean the others don't look at you, tell you they took an arrow in the knee, or even move, aside from simple idle animations. Incidentally, this is the same level design from ME2, minus interacting with citizens, stores, lifts, etc. On the Normandy, there are lots of crew members, but they do not acknowledge you. It all feels lifeless. The Normandy is the same as the one in ME2, except you can't talk with crew members or interact with many objects on the ship. For example, the only toilet that flushes is the one in the Captain's room. The ship is just utterly dead, which is too bad because walking around the ship was my favorite part. The combat is pretty much the same. It's not very strong, but combat is the last reason anyone would buy a Mass Effect game. The story looks to be serviceable, albeit generic. The writers had elementary problems with exposition that was fairly amateurish, "As you know, Shepard..." Anyway, my main gripe is key bindings. I am not sure why companies refuse to pay attention to inputs. It is truly mystifying. Is is so unfair that I can't get my money back for this. It is broken and I feel cheated.… Expand
  16. noobr
    Mar 14, 2012
    8
    The start of the game does a poor job at setting the atmosphere, this doesn't hold and the mid to later parts of the game are fantastic. But the end simply didn't work for a story with so much personal investment in the trilogy. I can say for sure that no game has ever elicited a stronger emotional response from me but ultimately it's left me feeling rather negative. Could have been utterly amazing but blew it at the last hurdle.… Expand
  17. Freestate
    Mar 10, 2012
    1
    Unfinished business.All the hype about the fate of your decisions is a lie.Mass effect Story and RPG turned into a naive shooter with a i´m a monkey ending! 5 years of entusiasm to the dump!
  18. Fore
    Mar 17, 2012
    10
    To preface I hated DA2. ME3 is not that bad a game. The story is alright except the ending needs to be tweeked a bit. Original ME was made for a console so this game has issues when played with a PC. The RPG part is weak but after DA2 its to be expected. EA is slowly killing Bioware. This will probably be my last Bioware RPG purchase. $60 for a 5/10 game is not a good buy.
  19. tallanx
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'll be quick and blunt. The game is fun, however the ending is horrible. And not because it's sad, but because none of the choices you made actually matters. Which would've been fine if they hadn't been constantly saying that our choices will matter. If the ending had been better I'd be giving this a 7 or 8.… Expand
  20. RageGT
    Mar 6, 2012
    10
    I've been playing games for a while, being 48 and all. I played both previous ME games to exhaustion. Mass Effect 3 is a great game. I didn't like DA2 but DA:Origins, TW1&2, the Gothics (1-3), Risen and ME series are on my top games list. (As are D1, BG1&2 and D2 too). ME3 fits that list very well. It has a very immersing SP and an awesome MP. I'm loving every moment of it. It's really a shame people are trying to pull the DA2 Effect on this great game.… Expand
  21. Fanton
    Mar 7, 2012
    1
    Second time that a sequel to Bioware ruins the game! Dragon Age 2 ended up with everything I would expect from a sequel to Origins and Mass Effect 3 now takes all the epic trilogy in a way ridiculous in every way (graphics, story and game play). Bioware from today I'll never buy anything produced by you!
  22. Morphine_OD
    Mar 19, 2012
    0
    Gave it 0 not just because the ending dismantles the whole third part of the franchise, but effectively renders vain and misguided the previous 2 installments. None of the choices matter, none of the endings are accurate and follow the established lore and rules of the game universe.
  23. Whity
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    Does not let me import my legal character of ME2 (it was also my character on ME1). It force me to install Steam like software with nearly no content. I've unsintalled both and lost 80$. Thx EA, next time I'll try to pirate your game before buying it.
  24. 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..
  25. phantomlord91
    Mar 27, 2012
    4
    A series with great potential ruined by a terrible ending that makes you wonder how was it approved to be in a game. It truly baffles me why the writers gave us this ending which is full of plot holes and has no closure whatsoever. It also offers no choice other than choosing the colour of the big explosion in the end, even though the developers promised before the game's release that the game would offer many different and distinct endings. It's truly a shame to see a great company like bioware become nothing but liars and incompetent of creating a decent video game in years. Dragon Age 2, Star Wars The Old Republic and now Mass Effect 3. It's sad to say but the old good bioware is dead, gone forever.… Expand
  26. fruitscs
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    I loved the previous two games, but there was so much wrong with this game. What was supposed to be an amazing finale to an epic journey turned out to be an amazing disappointment.
  27. ascammerdarkly
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    I am writing this review in protest of Mass Effect 3's day one DLC. Mass Effect 1 and 2 were some of the most memorable games I've ever played, and I very much looked forward to playing Mass Effect 3. After hearing about the day one DLC I rescinded my pre-order. I believe EA Games/Bioware are fleecing their customers with this type of business practice. I believe this is an attempt to capitalize on a series that has loyal followers who will not be able to resist the [spoiler censor] teammate. I consider 60 dollars a hefty price to pay for a PC game, and trying to squeeze another 10 dollars out out the fan base on day one is just atrocious business. I was actually planning on replaying the first two games, buying the well-regarded mass effect 2 DLC, and then playing through the third on day one. It seems like EA/Bioware is trying to whittle down our tolerance for this kind of tomfoolery, DA/ME2 had free content with new purchases, this time around it's story-significant day-one content for extra money, what next? I am drawing this line in the sand for myself, and I hope others join me in earnest.… Expand
  28. sparklesf
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    This game has been ruined by EA. The Bioware that made Mass Effect 1 and 2 is gone. Mass Effect 3 has been made to cater to the lowest common denominator. While the first one was a little rough around the edges, the second was perfect. Three however, is too far. In terms of visuals, they are too dark, made to look like the current CoD games. This is an RPG, not an seasonal shooter. Please EA, get your hands out of where they shouldn't be, and let game studios make games for their fans, not for your wallets.â… Expand
  29. uddehh
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    Greedy people demanding 10 bucks for dayone dlc. That is not acceptable. For all paying customers is should have been free. Just like in ME2. Also, the RPG elements are very much cut down, making this game more COD-alike. PC version has worse graphics. Outrageous!
  30. Itlazonix
    Mar 6, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. We synthetics are killing organics so organics don't use synthetics to kill organics. This game is half retarded. I'd like to give it points for looking nice but this is just a generic action movie padded with a ludicrous amount of dry romance novels.… Expand
  31. Soulwatcher
    Mar 6, 2012
    1
    Bioware should be ashamed of them selves. The game is mostly CS with very little action and to top it off there are very few choices that you make that effect the game.
  32. Alienfreak
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    Metacritic started to remove User Reviews. Not only gaming magazines and sites are nowadays bought with EA advertising money but also User Review pages delete User Reviews to please the great EA overlord. This is really poor. So I'm gonna repost my review and lower the rating from 2/10 to 0/10 due to the influence EA obviously tries to take on the consumer's opinion: ----------------------------------------------> First things first: NOTHING YOU DO DURING THE ADVENTURE CHANGES THE ENDING!!!!111111 The end videos are static and you do not even get the text boxes Dragon Age had. Even if you spend your money on DLCs it changes nothing. Also no matter who you had a romance with in ME2 its not gonna change anything. If you had a romance with Tali in ME2 don't count on her being nice to you in ME3. ---- This game is really a letdown. --- HAMMERHEAD LEFT OUT AGAIN TO BE PAID DLC!!!!1111 --- HUUUUUGE PLOTHOLES EVERYWHERE!!! Seriously. Whoever that writer guy is should take a serious break and start all over again with trying to make a good plot that makes sense and somehow manages to draw the player into it --- End sequence picture and Tali's face are just random pictures Bioware stole/licensed off the internet (google has them) --- A lot fewer People you have as squadmates to save money for EA --- Less than half the playtime of ME2 to save money for EA --- Really bad graphics when compared to many titles that come out nowadays. Not even any graphics settings on PC. Bad Frame Rates --- Repetitive gameplay from minute one. --- Repetitive enemies --- Bad AI --- Badly designed dialogues and options not telling you what you gonna say. --- Fewer places to visit so it saves a lot of money for EA! You can only buy stuff in the citadel. --- No character special missions so it saves EA a lot of money but less stuff for you to do --- Really bad presentation. Like the Normandy coming in like a WW2 bomber and dropping a bomb? Srsly!? A whole fleet opening fire and it looks more like 80mm mortars hitting something!? --- The endings are just lol. If you think you've seen bad endings try the ones from ME3. Biggest let down for a triology ever --- Bad Voice Acting --- Many bugs --- Uninteresting Characters Collapse… Expand
  33. oatzsquatz
    Mar 7, 2012
    3
    PROS: - Shiny new cutscenes - Wonderful Clint Mansell soundtrack - Better combat, particularly melee (plays like the melee in Dragon Age 2, one button does everything), improved powers - Smarter enemy AIs CONS: - One button does everything in combat - Ridiculously **** dialogue - Forces sexuality into everything (I could give concrete examples, but I may give away spoilers). I will say this much: EDI, and, this small segment of dialogue: Shepherd: I hope you're alright, Kaiden Kaiden: Are you flirting with me, Commander? This is literal dialogue and not a joke - Rubbish, rubbish, dialogue. Cringe worthy. Nearly all the time. Some characters do save the ****show, like Garrus. - They actually used a voice changer (blatantly obvious) to use less voice actors (if you don't believe me, once you get to the Citadel you will be able to hear it) - Rehashed animations from the last game (lack of innovation) -Filters, filters everywhere -Cheap emotional pulls and attempts at emotional manipulation EVERYWHERE. It's like they used this to replace bad writing. - SEVERELY LIMITED DIALOGUE OPTIONS. If I wanted to play a shooter, I would have. Two dialogue options? Most dialogues with no options whatsoever? Poor show. -Totally retconns the lore established in the previous games Overall this game shows a shocking lack of attention to detail and blatantly ignores what the fans wanted (contrary to what the developers claim all the time. No one wanted this). The voice acting is stiff and so is the animation. Complete lack of innovation and the only thing they improved was the fighting - to add to this, they even used well-known stock images as some of their sources and the copies are glaring - look up "winter on mars" and you should see what I mean, if you've beaten the game. They force sexuality on the player, and if you reject it then the characters hate yours. This series has ended on a bad note. For fans of the series, it sucks majorly. For people who want a shooter, play Call of Duty or Gears of War instead… Expand
  34. Dreskar
    Mar 7, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game is good, very good and yet... that ending, oh yes I do mean one ending, they are all the same sadly. [Its a made up story from a man to his son/grandson.] Though you also get to chose one of three endings at the very end that completely invalidates the other two games within the series and is very insulting. It is in essence a Deus Ex Machina moment, and I kid you not it is literally a God Child that created the reapers that shows up at the end and gives you one of three choices, your galactic readiness, your war supplies, and weather you were paragon or renegade means nothing, absolutely nothing to the story. Though if your readiness and supplies are high people survive which is confusing since I thought it would have an impact on the actual fight but it doesn't at all. Ah if you want to play Mass Effect 3, by all means knock yourself out, just stop before you play the final mission if you want to have a great game experience, otherwise play Mass Effect 1 and 2 which are far superior games.… Expand
  35. kingofparades
    Mar 7, 2012
    3
    I loved mass effect. It had it's flaws, but it seemed like the start to a promising series. And yet somehow, bioware managed to make each game a parody of the previous one. The gameplay is weak, the writing is atrocious. The game pretends that it's trying to be progressive with it's same-sex relationships, but more than anything it just seems like it's fetishistic gays, which is frankly offensive. Worst of all, it feels like previous choices didn't actually make any difference. Mass Effect 2 disappointed me: Mass Effect 3 makes me feel WRONGED.… Expand
  36. kishe
    Mar 8, 2012
    2
    Dumped down gameplay, dumped down story and dumped down everything. The bioware we used to know and love is dead, replaced by this EA/Bioware abomination that is only interested in profit.
  37. belaziel
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Review number 3, since my first two reviews were deleted.

    This was a serious letdown. Closure was not provided. Instead, I was forced to relive my choices from Deus Ex.

    I'm thoroughly disgusted with Bioware's lack of effort to ensure story continuity and that the much touted "user choices" had absolutely no meaning whatsoever, outside of a *slight* change in each of the 3 basic endings.

    Time, effort, emotional investment...all out the window.

    Bioware has forever lost a customer.    … Expand
  38. Michos
    Mar 12, 2012
    8
    ...Every day, with every post i see on BSN, I'm starting to be more and more certain: bioware planned everything. They are geniuses, and the knew how fans are going to react. They hid the clues, they knew we are going to unravel the thing, piece everything together. I pity people who are going to finish the game in the future, because they'll not experience the evolution that is happening on the forums, and in everones mind. I recommend every single person who finished the game to join Bioware Social Network in 'Story and Camaign discussion'.
    I'm raising my rating from 1 to 6 now, and when everything people think is confirmed, I'm going to give the game 10 out of 10. BW, you are amazing.    … Expand
  39. aimichan
    Mar 9, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The culmination of all the time and money spent on the past two games, the Shepard's we've carefully crafted, all go down the drain into three basic, very similar endings. The implications of the endings might be different, but what we, the viewers see, is pretty much the same thing each time. In truth, seeing the endings made everything good about the game go down the drain as well. I can't see myself playing this game, or the past two games ever again because I know now, how horrible the ending is, and not because there is no rainbow sunshine choice(which I feel should have been there regardless), but because no matter what choices I make in the series, the outcome is all the same in the end. A choice on what color lights I want to destroy the relays with.

    Thanks for the horrible experience Bioware. Do not buy this game. It's a waste of time and money.    … Expand
  40. Alcoholmaid
    Mar 10, 2012
    0
    I've expected alot from Mass Effect 3. I've loved the previous games, especially the second in the series. I've played it 6 times through. There is nothing positive that can be said about ME3. The graphics stink like console, the animations are bulky, the cutscenes are bugged, the writing is just terrible. Oh, the writing, say thanks to BioWare's "senior" writer, Hamburger helper.
  41. Rectifier
    Mar 10, 2012
    4
    Finished the single player campaign last night and also played the multi-player for several hours.

    Problems I had with the game:
    The time skip is confusing, even to people who played ME1 & 2. Seems like a lot of plot development off-screen that is never explained, like why does everyone hate Shepard at the beginning of the game? Has no real impact in the ME3 story arc but alienates and     confuses players who, like me, played ME1 and 2, or just picked up ME3 to start with. For example, I wasn't aware there *was* a time skip until I was told by a character and that Shepard had "done stuff" to warrant his status on Earth at the beginning of the game. Even when you are told that its been 3 years you're like, "Okay...3 years from what?" I basically had to do research to even know that this was a time skip and not something entirely different. When your audience has to do external research to understand a major plot point, its a problem.

    Some of the decisions you make in the game have real consequences, such as letting a villain go or deciding to donate resources. One kind of these decisions are actions in conversations which are indicated by mouse clicks. This adds depth to the interactive story, but some of the choices are poorly worded, such as being nice to a specific character or a stern tone to another, and suddenly your character enters a romantic relationship... Or you just killed a side character and the verbal clue was a vague and minor disagreement... Other times these decisions require split second reactions. This is fine, but since the last time you made a decision without deciphering its intent for 5 minutes killed a person, these "gut reactions" actually take away from the story more often than not. Basically you're afraid to react quickly because of consequences in other conversations and can't use the system as intended. However I place blame on vague writing and lack of context for your character's decisions.

    The combat is decent, it has enough depth to satisfy most people and allows for wacky builds like a "powers only" character. Multi-player is okay but the only available mode is co-op survival, I was surprised that player versus player modes don't exist considering that the Gears of War franchise has shown 3rd person shooters can do so successfully for years. A little disappointing.

    Most of the talk has been about the endings for the game. I tend to agree with what appears to be the consensus that the endings are disappointing and frustrating. Considering that an RPG, even an action RPG, is defined by its story, Mass Effect 3's ending does not deliver.

    The game boils down to three main endings and two extra endings. The extra endings are one where everyone loses and one where Shepard chose to kill the Reapers but possibly survived. The main endings are one where Shepard kills the Reapers and dies, one where Shepard controls the Reapers but dies, and one where Shepard sacrifices himself to make everybody half-organic half-machine.

    He is told these choices by a hologram, who, very poorly, explains why the Reapers have been committing genocides. In fact, the hologram seems ignorant of multiple events WITHIN THE GAME that contradict his logic and states assertions on the future without any justification. The worst part is that Shepard ACCEPTS THIS. In a game about INTERACTING with the story and causing MEANINGFUL changes to the plot because of it, the player cannot argue with the childish logic spouting from the hologram and has to make one of the holograms choices. All of the choices are deus ex machina, not to mention the plot hook itself to begin with, and the fact that the hologram is the Reaper's God... The ending almost appears to be the same quality as most fan-fiction, unintelligible, self-serving, and amateurish at best. I find it hard to believe that the same studio that released Planescape: Torment or the Baldur's Gate series could fudge an ending so badly, but then again I have heard unflattering remarks about the Dragon Age sequel from last year.

    Conclusion: If you enjoy third person shooters with rpg elements but no story, its great. Otherwise, Mass Effect 3 suffers from a story that is an insult to intellectual thought. The main offenders are the plot holes, vague choices, caricatured personalities, and the awful ending.

    In any other genre I would still rate this a 6/10, but since storytelling and character development is what defines every role playing game, then I cannot give that score. Since the gameplay deserves a score of 6 and the story deserves a 0, Mass Effect 3 earns a dismal 3/10.    … Expand
  42. dmy
    Mar 11, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The March 6th was the happiest day yet of the year 2012 -- the long awaited (and preordered) ME3 was out. The March 9th was the saddest -- I've completed playing the story. Now let me tell why it was so sad I wanted to cry.
    Last thing first -- the endings. So Deus Ex-ish choices... and three same-looking animation sequences that are mostly completely irrelevant to what was going on before. It totally killed all the previous story, the feel, all what I expected to see. Next is the 12-year-old game play tucked into an M-rated title. It made me chuckle to see ALL the human characters wearing underwear, even when it is completely inappropriate by the story. Why not make less body area available to viewing but let it go naked and let the power of imagination do the job for you? This worked perfectly for Tali, you know, until we saw that stock photo. Guys, are you seriously thought that nobody will notice that?.. It is Tali we are talking about, the one that gave both male and female gamers so much to dream about! There is more to go on with, but I think I won't make it into 5000 chars limit if I do.
    In the strive to make the game "more accessible for new players" (why? are you saying we pay too little -- $60 for a title plus extra bucks for DLCs, that army of fans you _had_?) you went too far. It is not acceptable product from the point of view of ones that really loved the series' story and feel. Those who like to play CoD and GoW will surely like the "less story, more shooting" way it was going with ME->ME2->ME3, but they won't bring any value to the community -- they won't draw, they won't make fan fiction stories. Why? Because there is little of that story left in ME3. As a conclusion... If the company wanted the buck -- here, you have it, every one fan has bought (preordered, I think) a copy. But you lost something you cannot buy back with the bucks you got -- faith in BioWare as a trademark of high quality role-playing games, loyalty to ME series and active community you once had.    … Expand
  43. Dralium
    Jul 7, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I gave 0 last time. now the ending makes it less worst. I won't write a new review since I think like everyone else. Don't buy, rent. and stop when you kill the illusive man. no point going further.… Expand
  44. stonek89
    Mar 11, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I don't even know what to say. Ending is... sad. It's disappointing. It is just wrong. The choices in previous two games are irrelevant. I wanted to see each decision's influence on the ending. Instead I get just single number that determines version of the outcome. Mass relays destroyed, civilizations separated. It just doesn't feel like a victory. I regret buying this game. It was supposed to be "epic". And it is. AN EPIC FAILURE.

    I wanted to play again ME1 and ME2, with different decisions and see the results in ME3. Now it seems... pointless.    … Expand
  45. MunchySnacks
    Mar 12, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. As a huge fan of the other 2 games in the series I think that ME3 was a huge let down at the end. I can't deny that the game leading up to it was fun and full of good choices. I think that getting the Quariens and the Geth to work together was the best moment in the series. However that only made the ending more of a let down for a game all about choice and being able to change peoples minds the game does not give you that chance when it is most important. Not only can you not make the 3rd paragon choice with the illusive man on the first play through it is also not based at all on your actual paragon status that I could have let slide actually if not for the whole uninteractive conversation with the star child. Why couldn't I point out to him that the Geth and Quariens are making it work!? This was supposed to be a game that honored player choices but instead just gave you a big middle finger to the one choice you actually wanted to make the most.… Expand
  46. Upiorzyca
    Mar 15, 2012
    4
    The beginning was mediocre, little choice of where I go but it gradually turned into a really enjoyable game though it pains I would lose a lot of content if didn't pay for additional content. The characters were not obnoxious and pacing of the story was good, writing of characters passable. I enjoyed some of them. Developing relationships between crew, not only romances and friendships but also growing animosity. All well and good. Some missions repetitive and boring (rushed much?) but still kinda strong 7, 6 if you count out DLC.

    Up until the ending...I have hard time believing that people who wrote Mass Effect universe suddenly had a writing stroke and spawned this horrifying abomination of an ending. Screw the limited choices but the sheer story telling behind is stripped of all logic. It resembles incoherent symbolism of Lynch meeting Van Trier with pseudo metaphysical babbling. I didn't want artistic cinema with dubious, implying ending full of symbols and mystical wisdom. It's a fricken space opera. A pulp genre. I wanted a straight up epic finish to the series, happy â    … Expand
  47. SteamConvert
    Mar 6, 2012
    5
    It's definitely worth playing, but I really wish I hadn't paid full price. I'll keep things short. Multiplayer is ok and kind of necessary given the shortness of the main campaign. They doubled down on the circus soldier rolley-slidey cover based combat and the weapons don't always feel satisfying when they hit. I'll keep it spoiler free, but let my 5/10 stand for my opinion of the story. Ultimately it's a Bioware game and a good one at that. I'll still replay ME 1-3 now and then in the future, but I'm no longer interested in seeing where the ME universe is going from here having played this one.… Expand
  48. spiderfish
    Mar 13, 2012
    3
    Literally goes from a 10/10 to a 3/10 in the last 10 minutes of the game. What color would you like to destroy the universe with? I literally wasted hundreds of hours wasted on this trilogy.
  49. Aiden_Cora
    Mar 10, 2012
    3
    I can't believe I'm actually going to say this but... the game is rather bad. Or rather, the endings (all of them) spoil the entire game and story experience. After ME 2 (which I rather liked) I did not expect an increase in RPG elements, nor the return of a proper inventory system. I was prepared for more of ME 2 play style and in that regard the game delivered what it promised. The story is decent (as far as I'm concerned) and the side quests make more sense than in ME 1, but the ending... OH MY GOD!! I am a grown man, I realize that this is just a game but still, the disappointment is really very very high. Totally uninspired, plot holes all over the place plus the whole Catalyst idea pulled right out of someones a*ss! Unbelievable, and totally unacceptable. Shame on you!… Expand
  50. 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
  51. Zpiff
    Mar 18, 2012
    5
    I absolutely loved the game, felt emotionally attached to all my characters and couldn't wait to see how my favorite gaming series of the last decade would be concluded... Now I wish I had stopped ten minutes before I did.

    The ending has completely ruined the experience for me, not only for ME3, but also the first two games. It's impossibly difficult to invest in a game you know will le    ave you an empty and broken husk at the end.

    As someone so bluntly put it in a forum post: It's like eating a magnificent three-course dinner, only to be served fecal matter for dessert, forcing your body to expunge it all at a lethal velocity. No matter how good the rest of the meal tasted, you'll leave on an empty stomach and with a terrible taste in your mouth. I wish this wasn't true. I really do.    … Expand
  52. Holo_Benkai
    Mar 13, 2012
    1
    False advertising, lies and an ending that ruined the entire franchise. Nice work! I only gave it a 1 as the game up to the ending was fun - for a 3rd person shooter. If I had never played ME before and chose "action" mode over RPG and did not give care about the characters, I would have scored it an 8+ but as it stands, it's a travesty and a slap in the face.
  53. KETTLECORNASU
    Mar 10, 2012
    0
    Did you like mass effect 1 with its far reaching decisions or building the ultimate team of badasses in mass effect 2? I did, and was led to believe that my decisions in mass effect 1 and 2 would have implications in mass effect 3. Guess what? They dont. Have you ever wondered what would happen if an excellent cover shooter like Uncharted or Gears of War had been developed by a bunch of retards? If so, this is the game for you. The gameplay is absolutely effing atrocious. For all the money that went into this game, it feels like it was programmed by Andre the Giant slamming his spastic head on the keyboard. One button serves about 18 different purposes meaning you will die a lot. The hardest difficulty setting is too easy. The gameplay also applies to the multiplayer. Bioware decided that you can only get the best ending if you sink A LOT of hours into the multiplayer. This is them really taking the piss because the cover shooting (gone is the RPG elements, meaningful conversations and minigames from the first two games) is crap. The graphics... Everything has been purposefully darkened to hide the fuzzy details on a visual engine that is now aging very badly. The graphics will not blow you away but neither will they disgust you. They are very average. Nothing special. Remember how you could be a paragon or a renegade? That was good, wasnt it? Bioware got rid of them both now to the point where they are utterly indivisible from each other. This game is disgusting. I am very glad I rented it. Make sure you buy it used. Notice how all the professional reviewers are giving it 10/10? Also note that EA and Bioware are advertising heavily on their front pages. These reviewers are all bought and paid for. The one thing in this game I thought might be cool was that Jessica Chobot was in it. I was hoping I would be able to gun her down like the **** mutt she is but you cant even do that either. I hope Jessica Chobot gets eye cancer, aids or both. She is a talentless hack with a push up bra. Her being in this is a gimmick and that sums up this game. A bunch of failed gimmicks. Because this game has no redeeming features whatsoever, I am voting it a zero.… Expand
  54. Relian
    Mar 6, 2012
    10
    It looks to me like someone is waging a campaign against Bioware. It's fairly easy for someone to create a zillion accounts on Metacritic and rate something as a 0 on all of them. Just write some blurb text or how you "hate the ammo system" or the "ending" etc.

    This is why user reviews can never be trusted, especially on places like Metacritic where you don't have to have a registered c    opy of the game to vote. Nobody in their right mind would give this game a 0, and yet hundreds of people have. These people are either deeply biased against Bioware or they are insane. I mean giving this wonderful game a 0 because you didn't like the ending? The combat isn't quite as fun as the previous ones? Seriously? 6 or 7 maybe, but 0? ...

    My oppinion on the game so far is that it's just as awesome as the previous two. If you enjoyed ME 1 or 2, you'll probably enjoy this one.    … Expand
  55. LLB
    Mar 7, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. After buying Mass Effect 1 recently with the full intention of going through the full Mass Effect trilogy, I really got captivated and engaged by the series' gripping plot, well-written characters and fluent, pseudo-realistic story. The controls on the PC were brilliantly tailor-made (this goes for both 1 and 2) and I really enjoyed my time with them.

    Then this comes along.

    After the disappointments of Dragon Age 2 and Star Wars: The Old Republic, I got some worrying thoughts about this game from the start, and this was admittedly down to the completely negative effect EA have had on Bioware. This is to an extent that EA's CoD-centred demographic has affected Bioware to an extent that Baldur's Gate 2 is 10x more in depth than this game.

    Baldur's Gate 2 was released 12 years ago.

    That's unacceptable.

    Horrendous controls, frankly stupid mechanics and omissions courtesy of Bioware, catastrophic textures which are clearly ported over from the Xbox, sub-par voice acting, torrid animations (Anderson's running animation is a particular highlight), almost complete lack of RPG elements which aren't backed up by the porrly orchestrated action sequences and an absolutely APPALLING storyline and script.

    Here's a particular example.

    My particular hand crafted Shepard character is a hardened war-hero. He's seen some **** to put it informally, he's seen countless squadmates...

    But ONE death. Of a child (of which there already would've been many during this Reaper fight) who has no relation to him. THIS, forms the stimulus for the plot. It's unbelievable storytelling from Bioware, in that they would obviously try to be edgy whilst forgetting that their plot in the previous games was already gritty and edgy- in a good way.

    Overall this has left me incredibly disappointed at what could have been, and also that the Bioware of old is gone. This is the future of their development, but they are guaranteed perfect scores from most media outlets because they're Bioware. They're famous. Regardless of quality they are who they are and apparently that makes them more worthy of other masterpieces which are much more worthy of people's time- The Witcher 2 is a perfect example of a beautifully crafted RPG.

    This doesn't come close. Absolutely appalling game.    … Expand
  56. Lord_Dorkon
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    What happened to Mass Effect? This was supposed to be the thrilling conclusion to a wonderful space epic. Instead we are given a game which feels like it was written by two different groups. The first 90% of the game (story wise) is compelling and exciting. However the ending and the last hour or so leading up to feel like they were written by someone with no understanding of how to truly write at all. Plot holes opening up all around you and with the endings ripped off from Deus Ex makes me wonder what exactly Bioware/EA were thinking when the final script was approved. The endings completely go against the spirit of the series and more than that they are all essentially the same my making every other choice up to that point completely null. I find it even more offensive that almost all of the RPG elements have become so watered down as to be unrecognisable. The conversation wheel which longtime fans of the series such as myself have come to know and love rarely shows up now. And even when it does all it offers is two ways to say the same thing. Even worse, your choices in the previous two make no really substantial difference in this entry either. Even the illusion of choice is gone. You almost don't get to converse with your crew at all. Instead your interaction is mostly limited to selecting them like you do with Zaeed Massani in ME2 and they talk a little bit while you just stand there. This becomes a big problem because ME3 throws in with no real introduction or background characters who are completely new or have only been featured in the Expanded Universe. I like the voice acting and appreciate that the world feels more alive now with background characters talking to one another when you walk by, that is when the sound doesn't drop out. It's unfortunate that the coders haven't learned anything, all the cut scene glitches are back in full force. Including the one where everyone uses the same assault rifle during the cut scene, regardless of whether or not they can even use one. It's nice to see all characters from the first two one last time, a little family reunion if you will. It's a shame that almost none of them will be joining your squad again. I do like the direction ground combat has taken though the removal of heavy weapons is another negative in my book. The day one DLC feels more like game content that was cut out rather than an actual add on. And having this nearly story essential DLC on day one is just plain greedy.

    Mostly though I just can't get around the endings. It feels like a punch in the gut to those of us who were big fans of the first two. It's so out of left field that I almost expect M. Night Shyamalan to be responsible for this travesty. It's almost like ending The Lord of the Rings with Frodo riding a nuke into Barad-dûr with a cowboy hat on. I almost wish it would have been a Dallas-"It was all a dream" ending.    … Expand
  57. TekFox
    Mar 9, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game was great. I started out smiling, excited to get back into the universe of Mass Effect and the armored shoes of Commander Shepard. I continued smiling and grinning the whole game, everything was well written and made more or less sense, sure there were some McGuffins in the writing, but whatever, it's hard to write everything perfectly . Then the ending rolled around, we get a some sort of Deus Ex Machina, Shepard looses all of his character. The worst is that none of your choices matter, doesn't matter whether you went full-on renegade or paragon, whether you made sure every side quest was complete, whether you did everything right or everything wrong throughout the rest of the game and the other games, you get the same option of three endings that everyone else got. Congrats Bioware, you used to be my favorite game developer (You've held that spot since VALVe fell from grace). Guess I'll look for shelter in the arms of Bethesda now.… Expand
  58. Anomaly88
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    I was disappointed with the treatment this once great game received. First of all, I'm not a homophob but including gay relationships in a game is unnecessary. Stop trying to appeal to everyone, this is not COD this is not WOW, but I guess now it's becoming just like them. Corporate greed is the main force that ruins great titles today, it can literally turn a creative idea into complete watered down mass appeal piece of **** Plus making your customers get out of their way to use Origin just to "prevent piracy" is just a fatal mistake. This excuse for a game is not even worth pirating. Every great business model is based on great customer service and customer satisfaction, which EA completely lacks. Maybe you should look at the way Valve does their business and then figure out why they are becoming more loved by the fans every coming year.… Expand
  59. someasianguy
    Mar 9, 2012
    3
    I do not blame Bioware for the insult that is ME3 - I blame EA, for they have obviously leaned on Bioware to push this out way before it was truly ready, and the ending is where that rushedness is most obvious.

    The storyline gets you going at places, and the cinematic scenes can be quite attractive at times, but you can just feel the DLC spam waiting to pounce. When it comes to sci-fi gam    es, the original KOTOR and ME1 trumps this anyday, hell, the KOTOR gfx arn't that far off ME3.… Expand
  60. rfz88
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    Registered to write this review and rate, but will continue with more titles eventually, so dont remove this, ffs.


    i did not like this at all, too hyped, origin was forced upon me (yes i knew this already but still it has to be mentioned how horrible it is, i hate ea) also tons of dlc and preorder bonuses that should all have been included in the base game for everyone, not to mention     all the day 1 dlc. Horrible is all i can say.

    oh and yeah, the gay thing. Really? Disgusting.    … Expand
  61. gregathit
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    I admit to being a bioware fanboy for darn ever......until now. I was willing to over look plot holes and other issues as every game has them. But to be railroaded into the worst end of a video game I have ever heard of....inexcusable!!! This whole series has been about rallying the galaxy to fight the reapers. It has been about choices. Then at the end...none of it matters. Choose your color of pretty lights red, blue or green and by the way...everything is destroyed. Where is the button to press to kill the reapers without killing the Geth, EDI and yourself? Hell, the whole thing has space magic happening all over the place so why don't we have this option too? Why can't I have my CAKE!!!! :)

    The only way we who have already spent our money have to vent is by down rating this game. Besides, with the endings that are currently in place no impartial reviewer would rate this game any higher than an 80. I would gladly rate this game a 10/10 if the endings didn't suck so hard. I have lost count of how many times I have played ME1 and ME2. With the ending of ME3 I can't work up the desire to make another play through. I don't even want to play the first 2 games as I know that it is just a waste of time in the end.

    Bioware...fix this train wreck! I beg you, fix it now or say goodbye to many future customers.    … Expand
  62. Valc
    Mar 9, 2012
    3
    The ending. Oh god. THE ENDING.

    Why Bioware, WHY!?!?

    I loved this game, seeing all my old comrades, everything leading up to the deciding moment where I'd save Earth and ultimately the galaxy. Then Bioware took a dump on my monitor.
  63. FelicityDaniels
    Mar 9, 2012
    1
    While some improvments have been made in the area of customisation everything else is a massive let down. From the dumbed down content, to the horrific writing to the ending that is an obvious ploy to sell players a new ending as DLC. Bioware is dead. All that remains the corpse being violated by EA's corporate phallus.
  64. Sirinoeles
    Mar 10, 2012
    1
    The trilogy is ruined. This game is worse then ME1 & ME2 in any possible way. And I want to ask: why in the world ppl would kill their best franchise? Why threw away everything their games were loved for and replace it with things that console games are hated for? Do they really think that bad console games are more popular then good pc-games? I'll disappoint u, Bioware, in our country only 1/4 of all gamers have consoles. Many ppl who can afford console (like me) don't buy it. U know why? Because most of console games are crap! They just are. U wanna make this crap? Ok. But I won't buy it any more. No more mass effect or dragon age - no more disappointments.
    P.S. Kill your writers or buy them new brains.    … Expand
  65. sanora
    Mar 10, 2012
    0
    Do you want to play one of the most engaging stories of this era? Do you want to become emotionally invested in your characters?

    Do you want that all to amount to a Dixie cup filled with cold diarrhea because of the final 10 minutes of the series?

    Mass Effect 3, and by extension Mass Effect 1 and 2, are some of the most engaging pieces of fiction I've ever had the absolute joy in partak    ing in. However the final ending, and I say it singular because essentially there is only one, is so bitterly disgusting and so insulting that it has ruined this player's experience entirely. Any subsequent play throughs will be halted before the final 10 minutes take place. It really is that insulting.… Expand
  66. randomness1000
    Mar 10, 2012
    1
    Mass effect 3 a epic conclusion? More like a epic disappointment.
    I felt that the ending was a major slap in my face and leave a bitter taste
    in your mouth!
  67. Nemo48rus
    Mar 10, 2012
    4
    Almost disappointment of the century, but that's only because SW:TOR was even worse. Everything I loved in Mass Effect has been ripped away from this game. I enjoyed the first Mass Effect a lot. It was one of the best sci-fi rpgs, I have experience in a long time. I felt I knew each character and could understand them. The immersion was huge, but when every main character dies in a cliche or illogical fashion, you become truly sickened with the game and the company that made this abomination. Even the new characters had no life. They were just ripped from jersey shore and thrown into the game. However what truly made the game a steaming pile of **** was the Deus Ex endings. In Deus Ex the endings were amazing and original. Bioware saw this and decided to steal the ending from this game and give it explosions, a kid, and terrible writing. This game is an abomination even fro Mass Effect fans.
    XYNTA    … Expand
  68. jimbo32
    Mar 15, 2012
    1
    The train-wreck of an ending combined with the single-player storyline results depending (somewhat) on multiplayer participation make this - easily imo - the worst BioWare game I have ever played. I've been playing BioWare games on my PC for nearly 15 years, and have never been so disappointed. Combined with the Day One $10 DLC and the company's accompanying lies, I'll be thinking hard before ever buying another one of their games. (For those not aware, BioWare stated that the "From Ashes" DLC was developed after the game was finished and in QA. Players poking around in the data files on the game disks have since found a bunch of the DLC-related models and voice-overs.)

    Edit:
    With all the speculation regarding the endings pretty much done due to BioWare's recent statements, I'm revising my review downward. This is the ending the company wanted, and this is the ending we need to accept. So ME3 now gets a 1/10 from me. If they do something about it at some point, I may revisit the score. But as of now, I'll never be buying another EA title again.    … Expand
  69. svladimir
    Mar 14, 2012
    10
    My first rating was 2. It's almost 6am now, I've just finished the game and changing rating to 10. Why it was 2 in the first place ? 1) the game mechanics is different from the first and second games, I was just expected it to be the same 2) the game was really slow, a bit frustrating, in the beginning 3) clumsy animation sometimes 4) reduced dialog options 5) quite often it's somewhat hard to draw the parallel between a dialog option and what a personage actually says 6) the game is much less RPG than the first 2 games. And why I am changing it to 9 ? 1) it's another game and if to decide for yourself that it's not a true RPG and rather an amazing huge sci-fi story you can be a part of - it plays so well ! 2) while a bit slow in the beginning the game starts rolling towards the end, during last 10 hours (yes, non stop) of the game I could hardly find time to go to toilet :) 3) I TOTALLY love the ending. This is how a BIG saga shall end. Yes it's not truly RPG when all your heroes count etc... but again, the game itself is not a true RPG game. And I really like the story ! It's all explained so well, I didn't hesitate making my last choice and very satisfied with it, this is the only way how it should be, I think. 10 out of 10, easy. Thanks BioWare for an amazing experience.… Expand
  70. MrFistr
    Mar 21, 2012
    1
    I'm really sad with what BioWare/EA have done to the Mass Effect franchise. After playing the first ME, I was totally into the series - and I'm NOT a single-player RPG type of gamer. I anxiously awaited ME2 - which I personally thought was a pretty damn good sequel to the first. It was more polished, with the use of Spacebar functions for movement, cover, etc. Unfortunately, ME3 was a total disaster; It looked rushed, animations looked clunky (which I immediately noticed as soon as I started playing the beta) and the writing was just terrible. A big disappointment !… Expand
  71. vhati
    Apr 26, 2012
    6
    Mass Effect 3 is an average game.

    Is it fun, yeah, in the same way that most other games where the story doesn't matter is fun. That is where ME3 fails. The story. Guess what every choice you made in mass effect #1 #2 and #3 don't matter. You get the same ending as everyone else. With no closure.

    Let it be perfectly clear, your choices mean absolutely nothing. If someone died in a     previous game, someone who is basically that person only a stunt double shows up and says basically the same thing and does the same thing.

    Does having geth as allies matter over krogen? No it doesnt. You dont ever fight beside your allies, the they only show up in a single cutscene. How many endings are there? Just 1 regardless of what people tell you, all 3 endings are 99% the same, as regardless of the choices you make, the exact same things happen. The game plays just like all other bioware games, where they are a series of short stories tied to a larger story, but the short stories have no effect on any other the other stories in the book, or the larger story of the book.

    Do i recommend the game. For a budget purchase, yeah, you will get some fun out of it. If you can put aside the weak story and terrible ending. The game lacks that something that shows up when a developer really cares about their product. Take the witcher 2 for example. The witcher 2 is a better game in every area when compared to ME3. Bioware should be ashamed, their game comes off soulless when compared to TW2.    … Expand
  72. Rycr
    Mar 6, 2012
    10
    I love this game. So much. This game is the pinnacle of everything BioWare has learned about storytelling throughout the Mass Effect series. While the first game was heavy on plot-driven storytelling and the second was heavy on the character development, Mass Effect 3 has both in spades. The cutscenes vary between epic and heartwrenching, the dialogue is great, and the voice acting has improved. The fate of all life in the entire galaxy rests on Shepard's shoulders, as it has since Mass Effect 1, but for the first time in the series, it's easy to get a sense of just how heavy that burden is.… Expand
  73. megakoresh
    Mar 11, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I would agree with most people here. 99% of the game deserve 10/10. If I could be reasonable and objective I would, but this game means too much for me so I can't. It has really ruined the entire trilogy with the ending. Until the very end I was sure I would want to play the whole trilogy several times over, once I finish. But after I did, I know. I do not want to be playing this game anymore. For what? If nothing of what we did throughout all 3 games matters and we get this over-the-top mystically philosophical crap in the end anyway, then what's the point?… Expand
  74. Swisspease
    Jun 29, 2012
    9
    I am re-reviewing this game due to the Extended Cut release. I had originally given this a 4 due to the horrible ending with the Extended Cut I feel Bioware did well in trying to wrap up a difficult story. Bioware can't make everyone happy but I am satisfied with the Extended Cut and look forward to replaying this game over and over now.
  75. TurtlesAWD
    Mar 17, 2012
    0
    Lack of player agency is the theme of this game. Between all the reduced roleplaying options and scripted combat events, you'll get constant cutscene killed by enemies as though they're the dragonborn. Then there's every time they bring out Kai Leng, a book antagonist, and you get to watch Shepard flop around, not use any biotic or tech powers you may actually have, and generally be terrible until Leng leaves. This is how Bioware does a recurring antagonist. I felt more like I was reading a book about Kai Leng than playing a game about Shepard every time they trot this guy out.… Expand
  76. Afterforever
    Mar 9, 2012
    3
    Cover system isn't nearly as bad as ME1 but worse then ME2. Jennifer Hale voice acting is brilliant. Visually ME2 beats ME3. My imported Shepard looked like almost completely different person. In the end all those choices you made over 120 hours of gameplay (3 games) don't really matter. It all boils down to the decision you make in last 15 minutes of the game and no matter what you do, it leaves a lot of unanswered questions about what happens to Shepard friends and brothers-in-arms. Bleh.… Expand
  77. Docjam
    Mar 7, 2012
    6
    I'm lukewarm for this game. While the gameplay is good and the story is passable as a stand alone game, it is wholly disappointing as the highly anticipated conclusion to the Mass Effect trilogy. The first game was very ambitious and had a lot of promise. It toted that decisions made in the game would affect the fate of the galaxy, and with the second game, it was much hyped that these decisions would carry through multiple games and have meaningful consequences. One of the largest failings in this game is that once again, Bioware failed to deliver on those consequences of decisions. If someone had been killed off, someone who fills the same role just with a different name takes their place and does the exact same thing. Not to mention I am quite disappointed that despite my efforts to save my Mass Effect 2 squadmates that I found interesting and had grown attached to, none of them save the ones that were also in the first Mass Effect can become part of my squad. Several survive their missions and become "war assets" and yet, they cannot fight with me? Why? It feels so cheap and lazy of Bioware to have just pushed them aside in favor of some morose looking guido. The squadmate I romanced was reduced to cameos, Legion, who I had barely gotten to utilize in Mass Effect 2 due to the timing of his recruitment, yet had grown to like and was very excited to use again, "sacrifices" himself, just like Mordin, just like Thane, it gets old just killing off characters instead of rewarding people for having saved them in ME2 as optional squad members.

    On another note, I have no problem with homosexuality, that's your own choice.. but I think Bioware has gone TOO far with pushing it in your face in this installment. It doesn't feel natural to the characters. In Mass Effect, homosexuality was limited to just the Asari and it wasn't true homosexuality in that case anyway. Same in Mass Effect 2 though Aria makes a comment suggesting Shepard find a nice girl, or a nice boy, and Kelly is bi. Suddenly in Mass Effect 3 EVERYONE is now gay. I have a gay squadmate, I have a gay yeoman, I have a gay shuttle pilot, NPC's all over are talking about their same sex spouses, there's a gay female soldier in purgatory.. it's like there's some galaxy wide reaper indoctrination effect that makes everyone homosexual so all organics stop breeding and the reapers win no matter the outcome of the war (only the Krogans seem to be amped about breeding). In Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2, I commonly had female NPC's flirt with me, in Mass Effect 3, I have yet to have a woman flirt with my maleshep aside from my romance interest from Mass Effect 2 and the news reporter on my ship. I THOUGHT Trayner was an option, but she says she's a lesbian instead. Meanwhile I have men hitting on me left and right.

    Bioware tries way too hard for this demographic and it feels forced and detracts from the gameplay. Having Kaiden be potentially gay and a few other NPC's would have been enough. Bioware obviously hasn't learned their lesson on this from Dragon Age II. Same gender romance options should be available as OPTIONS, but never thrown in your face everywhere you look,. An entire character's background story should never revolve around their sexual orientation either (as it was with Cortez)    … Expand
  78. MassEffectFShep
    Mar 8, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I had to wait a few hours after finishing the game before writing a review because I wanted to take some time to look back on ME1/ME2 and be as fair and objective as possible when collecting my thoughts on ME3. This game is amazing in several ways: (1) dialogue between familiar (and to some extent unfamiliar) characters feels more real and natural, (2) combat is a lot more interesting and, in some scenes, more challenging than both ME1 and ME2, (3) the cinematic scenes depicting various key events in the story are visually engaging and easy to connect with emotionally, (4) the romance interactions between Shepard and his/her LI is a vast improvement from both ME1 and ME2, and (5) the overall visual element of the game (the Citadel, the new worlds that you visit--Rannoch and Thessia for example, and the characters themselves) made it really easy to immerse yourself in the game. Having been a huge fan of ME1 and ME2, I was happy to see that Bioware came through in these areas. I had moments where I laughed, moments where I felt giddy, and plenty of moments where I cried (e.g., Thane's death). That being said, I was incredibly surprised at how much the ending affected me. Up until the very last moments in the game (I would say up until the part where the destroyer reaper vaporizes people around you while you painfully drag yourself toward the beam), I would have given the game a 10/10 hands down. I would have bowed down to Bioware for telling the greatest story ever told. And then there was the ending: (1) The number of plot holes left is an insult to the bajillion hours that I invested in the first two games, (2) the Deus Ex-style ending completely chaffed my soul, and (3) I received next to NO closure on all of the relationships that I've been building up until the point. What happened to the people on the citadel (e.g., Bailey, the council, etc.) What happens to my team? What happens to the two squadmates that I took with me in the final battle scene? What happens to the races that I just spent hours trying to unite in hopes of a more relevant and fitting ending? I loved the Deus Ex ending in Deus Ex because it fit with what the story was about up until the end; Mass Effect was more than just a morally ambiguous thought exercise on organic vs. synthetic existence--it's SO much more than that--so why condense it all to that? I don't need Shepard to live in the end (and I certainly don't need a happily-ever-after ending where nobody dies and everyone is all smiles at the end of the reaper invasion), but I sure as hell was under the impression that I'd have the choice. I put so much thought into paragon vs. renegade, which is arguably the main driving force in the plot up until the very last scene, and it seems like no matter what you do you are boxed into an ending that's uncomfortable, unclear, and unnervingly disappointing. I was amazed at how emotionally connected I felt to the Mass Effect series, and spent what felt like an eternity looking forward to the final part of the trilogy. In terms of ME3, I felt completely satisfied with the exception of the ending, which seemed totally out of place and unnecessarily broke my enthusiasm and passion for the game. Do I hate the entire series now because of the way it ends? No. Will I deny that all 3 games are amazing in multiple ways and have allowed me to be a part of an epic story? No. Can I jump on the 10/10 bandwagon for ME3? Absolutely not, because the ending of such a huge story is critical, and in my opinion it was an epic fail in this game. If I could go back in time, I would probably have not played the game past Shepard's last speech to his/her team--at least at that point you were excited/terrified/scared, but you also had the hope that other characters instilled in you, and the hope that you spent so much time instilling into other characters. So in the end, I can't give this game a positive review, although it kills me to know that it would have been such an easy thing to do if the ending had (a) more variation and more of an actual decision-making component to it (such that all endings aren't essentially the same--I know there is room for argument here, but I maintain that it can all boil down the same basic ending), (b) incorporated more of the choices that you have been making for the past three games, (c) more relevance to the personal side of Shepard (e.g., how Shepard has evolved over time and who Shepard has become), and (d) more closure on all of the characters, relationships, and decisions that you just spent three games experiencing. You almost did it, Bioware. So close and yet so far.… Expand
  79. Techstepper
    Mar 9, 2012
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'll try to be objective
    Positive moments of the game:
    - Cool story. I played ME from part 1 just because of storyline
    - They finaly showed Tali's face :D
    - Epic soundtrack
    - - Graphics are good enough

    Negative moments of the game:
    - Day 1 DLC
    - BOOOORIIIING gameplay. There's and opinion that gameplay was made for CoD fanboys.
    - Role-play system - epic fail. Actually, it failed in ME 2. ME 1 had good one.
    - Gathering of war assets is so dull. Scan=>Gather=> FLEE FROM REAPERS (Repeat this over 9000 times)
    - The main hope of trillions of people, veteran soldier, the Savior of Galaxy can be a gay and sleep with his own shuttle's pilot. THIS IS RIDICULOUS!
    - And of course it's MOTHER****ING ENDING. All your choices in previous parts are TOTALLY USELESS. I guided Shepard through all of ME like my own son or friend just to watch him dying? All technologies was wiped out with destruction of Mass Relays?? Normandy crashed in the middle of **** nowhere??? This is **** I will never fogive BioWare. God, let them make DLC with normal ending

    This could be a great game, but ending ruins everything for me    … Expand
  80. zenoxis11
    Mar 9, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I made a metacritic account for the sole purpose of reviewing this game which was an abysmal letdown. I would have given it at least an 8/10 but there are so many problems it's not even funny. The story while being highly immersive and making you invested in your character and your teammates doesn't make up for it's absurd amount of flaws. Graphical glitches abound, pointless pauses in conversation, mission glitches that get stuck preventing you from continuing forward.

    But the biggest were the endings or should I say ending. The purpose of an ending is to give closure not raise more questions. Ignoring the fact that the ending has plot holes everywhere, it's still so poorly written that it's incredible anyone at Bioware thought it was acceptable. Is that to say the game is poorly written? Of course not, it's very well written, but the end that's supposed to explain the series is so badly executed it detracts from the experience as a whole. As a player, we should have to ask questions like, why isn't the normandy fighting the reapers on earth in the end, or why are the squadmates on the ground suddenly on board the normandy, or why are the mass relays always destroyed regardless of the choices made? To anyone playing this game currently, do not play past the conversation on board the citadel with anderson and he illusive man, everything afterwards gives no closure whatsoever and in fact forces the player to follow Bioware in the hopes that they'll achieve the closure they want. This is simply terrible decision making on the part of Bioware. I would have easily given this game an 8/10 if I ignored the glitches and absurdly bad ending, and while it can be argued that the game should be viewed as a whole, the ending's negative impact was strong enough to suck any joy I had in the experience getting there. So NO, 3/10 is the best I can do    … Expand
  81. Aldeide
    Mar 9, 2012
    1
    I'll pass on the utterly disgusting textures because that's not why I'm playing Mass Effect for. I couldn't care less. I play it for the choices you can make. I replay it because I'm curious as how my choices change the events. I took the time to have a savegame prepared for ME3. The game had its moment and I actually enjoyed it until the last 15 minutes that wasted countless hours on the previous instalments. I did take the time to look at the different endings and felt like looking at some sort of freaky mix between Deus Ex:HR and Battlestar Galactica endings'. Now go and make some more money with an alternate ending DLC that will actually deserve the name of a "choice-driven" game.… Expand
  82. grandhammer
    Mar 9, 2012
    1
    Ending ruins the game for me. The game itself plays well but the ending is horrible, worst ending to a game I have played and ruins not just 3 but 1 and 2. Save yourself the cash and just stop at 2. Im a huge BW fanboy but they messed this one up BIG. Check out they're forums and see its not just a few of us.
  83. Dickie
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    Before ending 95/100
    After ending 0/100

    No replay value whatsoever since I played these games for the actual story.

    I would have been willing to wait longer and pay extra for a garanteed gem. Right now i feel like i wasted both money and time.
  84. sebashepin
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    ME1 was the first game i genuinely bought, the game was so incredible it single-handedly pushed me into Steam. I really can't stress how much i liked the last two games, writers seemed like they gave a f*ck about what they did.

    This is the biggest letdown i've felt in a videogame, i wish i hadn't even thought of buying it. To all who still have faith on the plot (as in, haven't played ME3    ) stay the hell away from ME3. Assume it ended on ME2. Please, really. I know the game starts awesomely but it gets terrible faster than you can expect it to.

    Please, don't play it. If you have that much curiosity, watch the 3 (yes 3) endings on youtube. Please, i'm trying to spare you. Please    … Expand
  85. gamer2012
    Mar 9, 2012
    1
    This is truly embarassing that I have to write this about a once amazing game developer. Mass Effect 3 is a shell of what it used too be. yes Mass Effect 1 had boring elevators and vast open areas with nothing there but it was a true RPG when you look at Mass Effect 3. STORY, gameplay, endings, multiple DLC it's sad that Bioware has become EA's slave.
  86. gamezconsumer11
    Mar 10, 2012
    1
    EA/Bioware promised me a chance to an uplifting constructive result of clearing the game with minimum casualities through preparation and planning. I was led to believe something that was not delivered to me in the final product. I do not feel anything for a virtual character but I do enjoy building the character through 3 games of the series and get the results that I was led to believe possible. Had EA/Bioware advertised this series as a tragedy, I would not have bought the product. I will be selecting future products very very carefully from this company. I will not be buying any future EA/Bioware products as well as warn other consumers of this fraud. This game is simply destructive: it destroys your entire experience.… Expand
  87. Luck1N
    Mar 10, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I loved Mass Effect series. I played first and second game so many times. It was my favorite game series, I bought every possible DLC, even those **** "Appearence customizations", just to have the feeling I support BioWare in it's great work.

    ME3 gameplay wasn't perfect, but it was really good. Seeing old crewmates, watch them dies in some cases, but I was OK with that. But then came that ending... Those ends really ruins everything. Not only feeling from a game, but from whole series. Why should I play those awsome games again, when everytime i get that awful end? Why should I stop Saren, defeat Collectors and trying to stop Reapers, when in the end, all galaxy is almost destroyed and technologicaly behind today's Earth?

    Great job BioWare, you just killed the holly grail of all gamers.    … Expand
  88. Blazicus
    Mar 10, 2012
    1
    In a world where every port i've ever played comes ready to go with gamepad accessibility ME3 didn't bother. They did bother to release PAY-FOR DLC right on the day of release which speaks volumes about whats happened to Bioware since they soldout to the publishing giant EA. No gamepad support? Fail.
  89. JPLazyNinja
    Mar 10, 2012
    5
    On the Gameplay/Combat side this game holds its own when compared to Gears of Wars- the mother of all cover-based shooters. And there in lies a disturbing tendency- ME3 is feeling more like Gears of Wars and less like Mass Effect. The RPG and story aspects are much more marginalized in this installment to speak nothing of its conclusion to this series.
  90. quaib
    Mar 10, 2012
    0
    An absolute disappointment. Bioware has not made one good game since Baldur's Gate, and maybe KOTOR (NOT the awful MMO recently published). The company has decided to cash in on the casual market, and ruined any credibility they managed to gain over the years. Amongst anyone with any taste in games at all they are a laughing stock. Mass Effect 3 takes the cake... DLC before it was even released, developed before the game was released and yet sold separately. Laughable endings, worse than those in DX: HR (although I can excuse those because unlike this POS, DX: HR was actually good). The whole sex in videogames that bioware are pushing is ridiculous, but in this one they also force homosexuality, to make things even more awkward and ridiculous. In conclusion, you're better off helping yourself to some hamburgers or some end of the line classics with the money that would be wasted on this.… Expand
  91. Rocharox
    Mar 10, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. First, this game promised so much as in terms of "FUN" that we, loyal fans following Shepard all the way and making sure HE/SHE STAYED ALIVE can only feel bad about the endings we got.
    But don't just take my word for it, see the other 900 people who came here only to share their sadness over this very poorly executed game.
    Shepard movements are confusing, you get rushed through the history, you see lots of characters who were really empathetic die for no reason, while others are left standing without you having an option.
    Some ME2 characters just had cameos, and the worst of all:
    THE ENDINGS. All the endings are crap, and don't make justice to one of the greatest games on history.    … Expand
  92. Singu
    Mar 10, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game delivers a lot of good moments and for a nutcase like me who spent far too much time on the first two games it felt very good to have my choices in those games revisited in ME3. Gameplay is smoother than ever, and the classes and their abilities show that they've polished an already great thing going on from ME2. Sound was great. Both the music and the environment is brimming with quality, and it takes your auditory senses and immerse them in this world. In general I would say that the game is perfect, and my emotional involvement with the story was made even deeper by the time the final act of the game was finishing up. So, with all this praise there is no big secret that the score reflects what comes next. The ending(s) where horrible. There was a moment of actual physical pain experiencing them, because I was so emotionally involved with the world they had invited me into. I shouldn't experience a feeling of betrayal from something like a fictional story in a game, but that's how I feel. Maybe my love for the game was too strong, I don't know, but the hurt is there and it's reflected in the score I give it.… Expand
  93. Korisana
    Mar 11, 2012
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Mass Effect 3 was meant to and succeeds in ending the Shepard storyline. While Bioware has fine-tuned aspects of the game, such as less time consuming planet exploration, other areas have not been as lucky. As of about a week after release, there are noticeable bugs and glitches which include randomly getting stuck in open areas and graphical glitches. None really detract from the game-play but they are fairly noticeable. An area in which Bioware succeeded with ME3 is storyline. The main plot is well done, for the most part, and does make you feel as if the galaxy really was coming to an end with the Reapers. Side quests, however, have suffered brutally in ME3. Gone are many ME 1/2 side quests which involve landing on a planet or ship for a small map-based mission. Instead, you pick up random side quests simply by over-hearing NPC's talking on the Citadel. you then head to a destination, scan a planet, launch a probe and head back. That's it. The biggest mistake Bioware has made in ME3 is the ending. The entire series as been fun and a wonderful "Space Opera" type of story. However, it all falls apart in the final few minutes. Specifically the choices you have to make. While the choices and Shepard's eventual fate is dark, fitting in with the overall theme of this third game, overall they don't make sense. Nothing is explained about what happens after your victory or defeat. There is also a distinct lack of continuity in the ending. In the final part of the game, all of your ME3 squad is on Earth, yet somehow several are see emerging from a crashed Normandy just before the credits roll.

    Overall the game is worth buying if you can deal with major story issues at the end.    … Expand
  94. Anthony_2012
    Mar 14, 2012
    5
    This is a quality title that is very much let down by a sub-par ending. My Example would be that it starts like the matrix and finishes almost the same as Matrix revolutions.

    It is a great game let down by a incredibly weak ending which to me colors the game in a bad light especially since the company Bioware stated it would end differently. I expect lies from politicians not a video game     company..… Expand
  95. Redwing2b
    Mar 21, 2012
    7
    I will not deny the fact that the game is a great game and so is the series, but with one major issue. I don't remember any of all the great moments of the series or the 3rd game. Why? All I remember is the last 20 minutes and the ending and how I was left feeling like something was seriously wrong. I wont spoil it, but the choices we all made shaping our characters all boil down to just three possible ending choices. Each choice is literally identical to each other save for the color. I mean literally the only difference is the color. For those who have not played yet you will see exactly what I mean when you get there and see the ending. Save for a few very slight differences. I will not say that the endings are totally bad, but that only works if the theories running around out there end up being true. The plot holes are too many to just be written off as this is the ending deal with it. Things do not make any sense, and we the players are left feeling totally put out by the series we love so much. All the choices, all the customization, all the freedom we had through the entire series are all thrown away in the ending. What we are left with is a hollow shell of what the Mass Effect series really has been. The signs are there that something is wrong with the ending. The tone, the feel, the way it pushes the player into literally a corner and says here make a choice that ultimately doesn't take into account all the choices and hard work you did over the course of three games. I was left searching for clues, much like everyone else, I was talking, searching, and sharing my thoughts on the game and the ending. So I must give props to Bioware and EA, if you wanted us all talking about the ending and the game long after it was over, you did it, but not in a positive way I'm sad to say. Sure the reviews on Metacritic can be flooded with BS bad reviews, but the real reviews I think are easy to spot. I loved the Mass Effect series and I recommend people play the 3rd game, its amazing and really makes the player feel part of the entire situation. It's just lost right at the end and it makes me sad to say that honestly. I rated it a 7 because the ending took so much away from the experience it literally made me upset. All the fun, all the deep enriching choices, all the torment over making hard choices, it all was leading to a final battle that ultimately was a let down, with little to no closure. I wanted to see the forces I worked to bring into the fight actually kicking some butt. I wanted to see the entire race of beings come in and unleash fury on the reapers, but I say none of that, instead I get a great space building to a battle that just sorta fades away. The ending for me was not bad per say but it clearly was wrong in how it feels. Something is missing, something is wrong, something more is coming. This can't be the end, it just feels so terribly wrong. When I look back on the experience I say it was worth it, but I struggle now to remember all the great and tough moments all because the ending clouds it all up. Makes me sad, and I pray that I am right in that there is something more the developers intended that is coming, I pray.… Expand
  96. Elo441
    Mar 24, 2012
    0
    Great series...until the ending. The ending is so terrible, it not only ruined this game for me but also ME1 and ME2. Over 100 hours of gameplay and you're forced into one of three very similar "endings" that bear little resemblance to the thematic and gameplay elements that made the rest of the series so good.
  97. Raynulf
    Mar 26, 2012
    4
    The Mass Effect series as a whole is an amazing piece of storytelling, backed by enjoyable and interesting gameplay and a cast of well crafted characters. The rating given reflects the complete experience of Mass Effect 3. Had the game concluded with the themes and narrative quality of the majority of the game, it would rate 8/10.

    The game is immersive, reasonably well paced and takes pai    ns to reintroduce the majority of 'fan favourite' characters at least for a cameo and is thoroughly enjoyable, if by no means 'perfect'.

    In terms of gameplay, the combat is much improved, with the protagonist being far more mobile on the battlefield - however linking all movement commands to a single button which is interpreted situationally can be immensely frustrating - and the enemies are tactically more varied and force rapid shifts in player tactics. Unfortunately, the opponents are far from varied: Throughout the game there are essentially two factions you fight against in almost every encounter. Despite the focus on one-squad-vs-the-horde throughout the game, it does introduce a little variety in the form of shooting-gallery turret sections and a section in virtual reality.

    As a roleplay game (RPG), Mass Effect 3 is far more restricted than its predecessors, with fewer dialogue options and ultimately less choices, however the immersiveness of the first two acts will cause most players to generally forgive this, at least on their first play-through.

    If there is a complaint to be had (excluding the ending), it is in the fact that little of the prior decisions made in the series are actually taken into account within the Mass Effect 3 storyline: Species the player rendered extinct can be found throughout the game, artifacts the player destroyed utterly can be found on display, and so forth. While it is by no means uncommon or even unusual for sequential games to make assumptions and establish a 'cannon' series of events, the fact that Mass Effect 3 was specifically marketed as this not being the case causes it not to live up to expectations in that regard.

    Additionally, regardless of player choice, Mass Effect 3 will force feed the protagonist with a lot of previously nonpresent anguish over certain events, which is very much out of keeping with the concept of player-determination.

    Still, despite these flaws, it easily rates 8/10 for the first two acts, when viewed on its own merits. And for these first two acts, I would recommend this game to any fan of the Mass Effect series, with the caveat they immediately stop playing the game afterwards, and do not complete it.

    And then, theres the ending.

    On the chance that somehow, someone is not aware of this fact: A lot of customers are not happy with the ending (to put it mildly), and frankly, their dissatisfaction is perfectly justified.

    The final act of the game dismisses the overall game theme of player choice and consequences thereof, railroading the player along a series of events - some agreeable, many not - until the point the game ends. Specifically the game, not the story.

    In the final hour of one of the greatest epics told in the computer game medium, Mass Effect 3 utterly fails to deliver, from a narrative, psychological and philosophical perspective. Themes established from the beginning are discarded, new and inexplicable characters are introduced the very end, illogical and circular 'exposition' contradicts established story and background and last but not least, established characters are forced to act completely against their nature as the player is shoe-horned into an A/B/C choice, regardless of their prior actions through the series. Even the very narrative style is switched in the very last minute.

    To make matters worse: The ending also, for no reason, destroys the entire premise of the game universe with utterly inexplicable and near-identical, emotionless CGI animations.

    So sadly, despite 5 years of excellence in the series, 15 minutes of cutscenes (with no player control) quickly and thoroughly ruin the overall experience, and the game must be rated with that in mind.


    As a disclaimer: Bioware are, and hopefully will continue to be, an excellent developer, who have produced some of the most enjoyable stories in the gaming media, which is one of the reasons the terribly written ending to ME3 is so surprising.

    I would recommend people do NOT boycott the brand, or anything equally extreme, but instead avoid pre-ordering their products or relying on pre-release reviews, and instead wait for peer reviews, such as these here on Metacritic.    … Expand
  98. Fr0s7y
    Mar 17, 2012
    0
    Would have been a solid 8 or 9 had the ending not succeeded in ruining the entire story that the trilogy had been building up to. Quite saddening to see the disappointments BioWare continues to churn out (Dragon Age 2, and now this), and I can't help but think EA is the culprit. I miss the days when BioWare actually meant quality roleplaying games.. Unfortunately, it seems those days are long over.… Expand
  99. RyanAbes
    Mar 11, 2012
    3
    Honestly, this game was an utter disappointment. It was going somewhat well (would have got maybe a 6-7 from me) up until the ending. The endings are so bad, so... well... completely out-of-place and unsatisfying, that it justifiably knocks 3-4 points off of it's entire score. Yes, there is fan outrage. And I think justifiably so. It is a short game, it ignores all of your decisions (uniting species that have been warring for hundreds, if not thousands of years); there is no reason to be a completionist in this game, it honestly isn't worth it.

    Want to find out what happened with your LI's? Search youtube. Want to know how the series ends... search youtube. Want to buy the game? Don't bother, search youtube...

    The most disappointing end to one of the best series that has come out in the past few years. My biggest regret is there are no returns for PC games.    … Expand
  100. op8
    Mar 18, 2012
    0
    ADVICE (to ppl who have'nt finished the game): Stop playing 10 minutes before the end....seriously!! ...you will be happier. The ending will infect your brain with a malignant non-operable cancer that will then ruin the ENTIRE trilogy for you, meaning any replay of any of the games will feel utterly pointless.Mass Effect should deserve a 90% score for being one of the best action sci-fi trilogies we have available to us, but goddamnitt, why did they have to ruin it with such a ridiculously lazy ending!!… 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.
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  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]
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  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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