The ratings separation over this game tells you where the critics allegiances lie... ALL POSITIVE REVIEWS???? Give me a break - even if the ending would have been fantastic, there were still a lot of issues with the game. My biggest issue is that Mass Effect is a game of choices that all lead up to different outcomes. Both of the first games had them and that was what fans came to expect. The fact that this one opted for the easy, tacked on ending just shows how rushed it was. So sad to see a stellar franchise end on such a tragic note, sacrificing creativity and quality in the face of corporate greed. It wasn't even just about the story of the ending. There is a scene where Shepard and Anderson are supposed to be looking out at a view of Earth and Anderson says "what a view" and it is literally the WORST low resolution bitmap image that I have ever seen in a game. In the ending sequence... How is that not rushed and a slap in the face to all of the people who gave them their money and trust. I truly feel sorry for the employees that worked on Mass Effect 3, knowing that it was such a bomb of a game. They likely wanted to speak up, but like many people in this economy, didn't jeopardize their jobs. Well, they have to live with that now - It probably won't be the first thing that they mention when someone asks what they worked on... Then, looking at the user reviews, you see a very different picture. Split right down the middle, with an incredible amount of negative reviews. I wonder if EA employs a division to write positive reviews to offset this.… Expand

Yea, I'm gonna blast it. Hopefully Bioware will get the message, and in two years when their revenues are shot, they will for sure get it then, because I am done spending money on any of their products. ANY, including SW:TOR. This game had DLC day one. You had to play multiplayer to max war asset multiplier. Same engine, same graphics, nearly same gameplay--so all that would improve or stay status quo is plot/story, where they failed miserably. False advertising in that "choices would matter. Ending would not be A, B, or C." Bioware asked for feedback, then ignored it and will release free DLC extending the ending, yet fixing nothing. I cannot recommend this game to anyone. Go buy Bethesda products (Elder Scrolls/Fallout) or Anet (Guild Wars/Guild Wars 2, or heck, even Aion).… Expand

They shipped a broken game. My score for the game reflects that. One of the Mass Effect universes key components was the character import across the games. This now doesn't work. Shame on BioWare & EA.

This game is a joke. Why build a series, made famous by the power of gamer choice, only to throw the story players crafted out the window with a crap ending? Why build up the suspense of finally seeing Tali's face only to rush a crappy photoshop job of a stock image photo? EA has ruined Bioware just like it ruins every other gaming company it consumes.

Awesome game with great graphics, fun action and characters. Except for an awful ending that negated or ignored most things Shepard had done in the games.

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

Linear, boring, repetitive and overly scripted missions, no dialogue options, worst reputation system ever, no challenge whatsoever (even on the highest difficulty), multiplayer maps as single-player missions, no side-quests, no bosses, and worst plot ever.

Subpar all the way, the boys and girls at Bioware went out to the back shed and slapped this garbage together in their spare time. Instead of investing time and effort into making it a great RPG they tried to make it a shooter, an RPG and a movie to widen its appeal and give them more money. In places ME3 has its moments, but they are few are far between, the graphics are nothing to get excited about, the plot detached and the choices you can make have little or no overall impact regardless of play mode. They have forgotten thier roots and the established lore of thier own game. I would rather pay for and be forced to read all of the twilight novels than play this dreadful game.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I love Mass Effect, and I love this installment. It's great. It feels the most polished and entertaining of the series. I don't have any issues with the gay or lesbian scenes, I didn't feel like a political agenda was being shoved down my throat. What I do take issue with, however, is the ending. Without giving too much away, it destroys the universe everyone has come to love over the years. Your choices mean nothing, and, no matter what you do, it will always end in one of the same ways. Even though throughout the entire game, they're pushing you to get as much aide as possible, it doesn't mean anything if you don't get the bar completely filled. Mass effect tries to be Deus Ex, and it does a terrible job of it.


If something was added to amend the ending, I'd give the game an 8 or a 9. Till then, I left the game feeling cheated of what was an otherwise spectacular experience.… Expand

This is 50% cutscene (interactive movie) and 50% clunky shooting. The shooter controls are poor - cover, run, jump, strafe etc are all one and the same button. This makes battles frustrating - you die simply because you crouch when you wanted to run away/ can't quickly un-stick yourself from cover if you want to leap over a barrier. The game uses non-stop, unskippable cinematics to give the illusion of immersion. Plot holes the size of Jupiter (if you played the first 2 games). You'd struggle to call this an RPG - no real choices that influence the game - everyone gets 99.99% the same content and dialog. All choices in previous games result in just small cameos or one line of extra(or less) dialog. The quest journal is useless. Zero replay value due to depressing, pointless ending that provide no answers, the game badly needs a wrap up or epilogue.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I wish I could score this game twice. Once would be for the gameplay, options, dialogue, and general playability. That score would be very high; I am a big fan of the Mass Effect series, and I thought that this one was pretty good, considering. The second would be for the ending, and it would be negative. Dear Game Developers, please read this. I don't want you to try to leave me thinking at the end. I don't want to turn off the game and say, "well, that sucked." I want to end happily riding off into the sunset with my lady (Tali, in my playthrough). I WANT TO SURVIVE THE END OF THE GAME. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THAT? Why can't I be the conquering hero? Why can't I use my paragon points to change the outcome? I know that I am not completely representative of the gaming community, but I want a happy ending. Bioware took three games to utterly fail to give me that, and left me feeling deeply unsatisfied. I am disgusted by the shoddiness and sheer badness of the ending. In fact, I would suggest that all video game writers consider the seven year old test- would a seven year old be happy with at least one of the endings?
On an unrelated note, I add my voice to those that have spoken about the shoddy, tactless attempt to add in different sexuality and gender options. It seemed utterly forced. In the end, the ending made it feel like Bioware didn't care about me. It didn't care about how I felt after I played.… Expand

Oh, man. So bad. The ending is horrible, but you already know that if you haven't been living under a rock. I couldn't have been worse if "it had all been a dream", it couldn't have been worse if everyone spontaneously broke into song for the grand finale of ME - the musical episode. Or if they'd just had the wisdom to cut out the last 20 minutes. That said, that's not why I am rating this a 0.

The gameplay suffered badly from ME1 and even ME2: the main story skeleton is an unbelievable gimmick, and off that hang side missions that are at best so-so, with no choice in dialog and pretty bad animation (I mean, really, the running female Shepard?!)

The side missions frequently have inconsistencies (characters appearing/disappearing, physically unlikely scenarios (someone should educate the writers about mass and energy, and how if I spent half an hour defeating a mech that can kill me with one shot, a cutscene that shows everyone standing in an open shuttle looking at said mech pointing his guns at me but not shooting for a minute is pretty stupid).

I won't whine about how this could have been a great game, but it's sad to see how cheaply and easily this game could have been ten times as good.

It's a testament to how bad management can ruin great properties by killing what makes the teams that produce them good.… Expand

While I enjoyed everything about Mass Effect 1 (and to a lesser extent, 2) it is really disappointing to see Bioware put so little effort into the conclusion of what should've been their next Baldur's Gate. The writing is childish, the illusion of choice is offensive, and the homosexuality and DLC is shoved in our face. There is nothing wrong with being homosexual, but when it's done badly it needs to be said. You did not paint homosexuals in a good picture, Bioware, even my gay friend was offended when he saw some of the scenes. This wouldn't be such a large issue had you not made relationships and sexual intercourse such a large part of the game's presentation. The $800 DLC is also unforgivable, when we buy the game we want the full game, not some shabby half-done piece of crap reaking of your laziness. Oh, and while I'm at it, I might as well tell you guys; Your choices in the previous game DO NOT MATTER. If you didn't make the choices they wanted you to make they are instantly retconned and replaced with what they wanted you to choose.

For shame, Bioware. For shame.… Expand

What's behind the puzzling endings for such a great game series. Were they artificially trying to make people feel from their game? Were they trying to keep any new games from being made with the same characters? I am not a bot. I am not a EA hater. I am not part of some vast conspiracy. I just hate the endings. If they would fix the endings. I would change my score. But they wont and i wont. It deserves a 8 it gets a 2 for such really stupid endings.… Expand

It's a shame that Bioware couldn't end this trilogy on a high note. The game is an absolute mess both in story and basic design. The Day 1 DLC is just salt on the wound. They also managed to remodel existing characters and model new characters using the likenesses of Jersey Shore cast members which look horribly out of place. Don't waste money on this!

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Apparently, after DA2 and TORtanic, BioWare have now pinched-out another classic game, enhanced with Day-1 DLC, linear gameplay, ORIGIN for the PC, and a tripartite ending choice that makes many gamers, after having invested dozens upon dozens of hours of gameplay with the franchise, want to commit hari kiri. . . . Apparently, eschewing much player-choice in this latest sequel to the MASS EFFECT series, BioWare have included their "awesome-button" with this dreck, which might be better named MASS APPEAL 3, due to limited exploration, near-complete disregard for historical player-choice and odd design implementation. Aside from some XBOX technical guffaws, such as my femShep falling through the world during the Tuchanka Eve series with the Hammer activations, extensive plot-changing cutscenes with minimal player-input have derailed a MASS EFFECT series that was originally a player-driven RPG and not a combat-heavy, awesome-button homage to stilted dialogue choices with nearly-identical outcomes. How BioWare's continuity department envisioned MASS EFFECT 3's wrangling with philosophical, social and moral issues such as implied xenophobia, homosexuality, interspecies coupling and the biological-species-rule, while omitting or ignoring coherent closure with a myriad of player-driven endings is mind-numbing. Simply put, it is apparent that more design and interplay have been woven into the story arc regarding Shepard's "top or bottom" status than the ending of the entire trilogy. In other words, BioWare had the will, the time and energy to craft homosexual plot threads and allude to interspecies sexual trysts throughout the subtext of MASS EFFECT but could NOT be bothered to make any ending that had consistency with lore, player-choice, the intrinsic MASS EFFECT experience? This following observation might be simplistic; BUT, what kind of DLC should I buy for a universe that no LONGER EXISTS? -In other words, shall I play the game AGAIN and see if it turns out any differently? /facepalm.… Expand

Just can't recommend the game right now with its current ending. It requires too much investment in the series to get a non-nonsensical ending that defies the series' basic mechanics. If the ending is fixed, then I would recommend the game in an instant, but at the moment it's just not worth the time

I feel awfully betrayed that the series went from and expansive sci-fi space opera with consequential choices; to a fairly streamlined action adventure with RPG elements. Its attempts at emotional manipulation are slightly hamfisted, not ineffective but very clumsily implemented and unrelated to my character's background - which I imagine Bioware has forgotten about at this point. The writing and designs for some characters also seems out of place, Vega is expected to be a bulky man but not to the extent that he's a jersey Shore cast member, the addition of Jessica Chobot and redesign for Ashley also complement this lovely little tan-orange motif. My largest qualm is with the Day 1 DLC - which I strongly oppose - by all means create new characters that are not plot-integral. But when you create a squad member who is heaily tied to the universe's lore and mystique and then aim to charge an extra $10 for it on top of the game's already hefty pricetag you know you fit a stereotype.The romance system is fine, although I'd like to be able to talk to my companions without the intention of making out with them. I won´t claim this is a bad game, however compared to the first installment it has lost much of its former glory. Buy it if you want, but if I were you I´d either rent it first or wait for the price to drop.… Expand

This Game needs a couple of lable warnings MULTIPLAYER AND PURCHASED DLC REQUIRED FOR THIS GAME. The final chapter of a very endearing series, to me, left me mostly disappointed. There is no transition in the beginning of the game from ME2 to ME3. You are given a huge plot hole to start the game that took me about ten hours worth of game playing to move on and get over it. The graphics are the same except that it has a much darker look closer to the original ME1. . The weapon's inventory system is mostly about giving you different benefits and not so much on upgrades. Just like ME2, you can only add upgrades to Shepard's armor and it is also all about having different benefits. The rest of the game plays out like what you expect from Mass Effect; get missions, blast away enemy, have some engaging cutscenes for the conclusions. Combat is definitley better. It finally ranks up there with the other top third person shooters. As far as story goes, Bioware still shows why they make the best "interactive cinematic experiences with a more intricate storyline backed up by great voice acting. But in this game, interactive takes a back seat to watching more cinematic cutscenes. The Love Interests don't make an emotional connection in any meaningful way. And the ending? There isn't any that will revel to you your final decision. I feel for the other fans to have to end the series like this. For me, it was disappointing.… Expand

I loved the Mass Effect series. The second one got away from the RPG elements a little bit and played more like Gears of Mass Effect, and now they have just stripped the soul out of the series. The dialogue choices here have been vastly lowered, the skills have been dumbed down and streamlined so much that I would be hard pressed to even call it an RPG anymore. The writing is godawful, which used to be BioWare's strong suit. BioWare has been telling us for years now that the choices we made in the first 2 games would have direct implications in the finale. Aside from a few minor instances, this is just not the case. The game is brutally short, with little to no replay value. I haven't tried the multiplayer and probably won't, simply because I don't need to play another online shooter. R.I.P. BioWare, after the debacle that was Dragon Age 2, I was willing to give you another shot with this series, but you've blown it and I will not be contributing another penny to any game you develop in the future.… Expand

The plot-hole filled ending poisons the whole series, i was planning on replaying me1-3 but the last 5minutes of the game destroyed the quality and replayability of the series.

Right before you finished the game, this would probably be your favorite game of all time, however, the ending killed it all, a worst possible ending a Mass Effect fans could expect.

I have a lot of issues with this game, but these are my biggest issues:

1. Multiplayer is broken. If you don't have FiOS and live at most a few blocks from Bioware's datacenter, you WILL get disconnected from games, *EXTREMELY FREQUENTLY*. If you're lucky, you can finish 1 out of 10 games. If you think your connection is good enough for online gaming, and can play hundreds of other games with zero difficulties whatsoever, think again: this game will absolutely destroy your connection. This is a MASSIVE disappointment coming from such a rich company.

2. The endings are horrid. Never in my 20 years of PC gaming have I seen a game build up so well, but die out with a putter like that. It made the whole experience sour for me.

My advise is that if you haven't finished the game yet, but have started, stop now -- don't finish it. And don't play multiplayer. If you avoid these two aspects of the game, you will continue to have faith in the Mass Effect franchise, and will hope for some kind of future game in the Mass Effect universe that isn't such an unmitigated failure.… Expand

My review is way too long, so here's a link to the full review: http://www.amazon.com/review/R20FQY6HQ2S1ZR/ref=cm_aya_cmt?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B004FYEZMQ Now here's the beginning of my review: So, letâ

From start to near finish, probably the best ME out of the trilogy, minus a few annoying characters (the Jersey Shore wanna be Freddy Prinze Jr. jerk Jame Vega and the horribly voiced acted Jessica Chobot look a like Diana Allers). And right there, you'd expect it all to mesh nicely and finally end on a high note. The thing is, it doesn't end on a high note. Or a mediocre note. Or even a note that makes any lick of sense whatsoever. There's absolutely nothing that makes me believe that this is how the ME universe was supposed to originally end. If this is what they added in at the last few months that they asked for before releasing earlier this month, then it was the biggest mistake they could have made. Because basically it invalidates everything you've done from ME1, ME2 and most of what you've done through ME3. So you'll excuse me if I think that, despite the overwhelming number of good things in this game, the 90% so to speak, it's that last very heavy and very important 10% at the end that ruins not only the entire franchise/trilogy for me, but the game here as a whole. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be leaving this negative review score here. P.S. I'm not a troll. But I am a very disappointed fan.… Expand

EA claimed that free, day-one DLC for new owners and online passes were meant to reclaim revenue "lost" to used sales. I never really agreed with those tactics; if EA thinks used sales are a problem, they should persuade the consumer to buy their games new, not twist their arms. However, it was never about used sales, it was about control. Their enemy isn't just the aftermarket, it's consumer choice, and the way they handle DLC for ME3 proves that. If you don't pay extra for the deluxe edition of Mass Effect 3, you have to shell out ten bucks ON DAY ONE for what seems like significant and interesting portion of single-player content for the game. New, used, doesn't matter, if you didn't spend extra up front, they'll juts try to squeeze it out of you later. EA are extremely anti-consumer, and as much as I love Mass Effect I'm glad they won't be able to use the series to bend me over a barrel any more. EA, you may make a little extra money now, but the customers you mistreat wish for you to fall apart and make way for better, more innovative publishers who will treat them right.… Expand

Really enjoyed the game. Spectacular ending. Amazing grande finale to a series I've come to cherish. I'm starting my second play through. After that I'll probably play it 4 more times for good measure.

Mass Effect 3 is great in some parts, but horrible in others, balancing out to an average game, I docked 1 point off because you're paying $60 for something that isn't a full game (Day 1 DLC)
+ Great Storytelling
+ Great Story concept
+ Blends shooter elements with RPG, sort of like an action oriented Fallout
/ Story wasn't that great, they could've definitely done better, the story drags out too long for each level
- Horribly awkward romance sequences
- RPG elements are somewhat useless (I always found myself just swapping between the Frost and Shock bullets, rarely doing anything else)
- Dialogue branch is too Black and White, not much room for an in-between
- Side-Quests are too linear
- Levels structured too much like other linear games such as Uncharted and Gears… Expand

Mass Effect 3 has to be the most disappointing thing since EA's acquisition of Bioware. This game is just so dumbed down to the max. It is not as what the so-called publishers describe it. The only thing good about this game is just seeing the Mass Effect 2 characters.

The game was absolutely perfect, until the ending. With that ending, they essentially negated every decision you've ever made on any of the three games. Your choices became ultimately pointless. The ending not only didn't make any logical sense, it also contradicted that Bioware promised they'd deliver on the game. There is NOT 16 endings. There are 3 endings. Even that is a generous approximation, more like there is one ending with three different versions. If Mass Effect 3 was a standalone game, then this wouldn't be an issue. Sadly, it isn't. This is a colossal disappointment of an ending to a trilogy that garnered critical acclaim from fans and critics alike. The current ending ruins the entire trilogy. No, I'm not being melodramatic. Mass Effect is about choices, and Casey Hudson has even personally claimed that Shepard (aka, the player) decides the story, thus, there is no canon. However, this is entirely contradicted by the end of Mass Effect 3, there is no choice, no closure and no real 'ending' in the full sense of the term. More questions are raised than answers, there's innumerable plotholes and definite pilfering from other games. The game itself is absolutely incredible, let there be no doubt. UNTIL the ending which essentially brushes the entire series that predicates it aside. Disappointing from Bioware. I, for one, expected better.… Expand

Horrible textures, horrible lighting, horrible controls, horrible story, Day 1 DLC, $70 price tag for PC game, Horrible Origin. This game screams console port for the PC.

What a sh**y ending. No chance of a good ending, even if you have make only correct choices over all 3 games. Bioware has lost all his skills. First gameplay and now storytelling. Nothing more is left of a once great development studio.

ME3 is the sad end of a great series. And I don't mean the now-infamous ending of the final Mass Effect game. I mean a series of games from Baldur's Gate, to KotOR, to the first two installments of the Mass Effect trilogy.. I mean the end of BioWare's run as the pre-eminent storyteller in electronic gaming. Many Metacritic users have written fantastic ME3 negative reviews, so I'm not going to elaborate on those. I recommend traveler's review dated March 29, 2012; it's one of the best examples I've seen. My bottom line: ME3 was destroyed by a Reaper--not Harbinger, but Whoremonger. Whoremonger, who has no passion for story or character. I mean Whoremonger the Money Whore.… Expand

The game is absolutely top notch until the ending is reached and you're presented with 3 choices. 3 choices which completely dismiss any decisions you've made prior in any of the 3 games. There are 3 ending scenes with no closure and a convoluted, out of character plot which disregard the franchises key themes. This destroys any motivation you may have to replay this game-or any of the other ME games.… Expand

The quality of the script really went down hill with the third entry. Bioware may think they are making a more "dramatic" game by feature overbearing music cues to pull on your heart strings and having characters deliver short emphatic quips, but all they have really done is take an interesting universe and made it seem more like a generic Hollywood blockbuster. There is still a lot to admire, but most of it is just inertia from the rich world they have already established.… Expand

To sum its all up as neatly as I can think of it this way, the game isn't based totally on graphics and game mechanics. Its always been about story and choices you make for the story so the ending really needs to be held to the same standard. Yes leading up to the ending it was a great game but the ending just wasn't up to the quality of the rest of the series so that's why it leaves people feeling upset.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. There is probably nothing I can say that hasn't already been said. Up to a very specific point, the game is beautiful, poetic, and engaging. Games that produce a swell of emotions in the player are rare, and the Mass Effect series does this better than anyone else. When you come across familiar characters, you feel a joy akin to running into an old friend. When they die, you feel a genuine sense of loss. The music is perfect, the combat is tight, and the visuals evoke a sense of scale that truly befits the often-used but rarely deserved adjective "EPIC".

But like I said, this is only up to a very specific point, and that point is when Shepard enters the beam of light and is transported to the Citadel. The plot holes introduced in the last 10 minutes of the series are so numerous, the inconsistencies and contradictions so prevalent, the choices so limited, and the 16 "different" endings so homogeneous, that it bears little resemblance to anything that led the player to this point.

The outrage that has been generated by this game's ending is like nothing before, and the massive discrepancy that exist between the player and critic reviews is very telling. I'm sorry, but I cannot recommend this game.… Expand

What a joke. Mass Effect 2 was easily my favorite game this gen and I couldn't have been more letdown playing through this game the first time. I'm working through my second play through and I just can't make it. I'm selling it back and never buying a Mass Effect game again. Easily the worst and most disappointing ending of a game I've ever seen and I refuse to pay EA for a better ending. They ruined it for themselves and I'm not letting them get any more of my money.… Expand

The only hint people need is NOT to buy the game. Only way you will get Bioware to take notice of all the crap that is wrong with their series..creatively and technically. Ending terrible..Engine framerate terrible on PS3. No excuse for these companies anymore..its the greedy people at the top of the food chain taking advantage of the consumer by cutting back talented people. Heck I even loved the terminator boss in ME2..what happened to that? Gamers, consumers, unite and stay clear of anything Bioware puts out in the future.

Save your money and buy the art book instead. It will be worth something down the road..more then this game ever will be. Only praise goes to the artists who did a magnificent job in creating the universe..hell even Bioware didn't credit them in the book.… Expand

Repetition, repetition, repetition, talking, talking, talking, cut scene, wonky gun fight, cut scene, rinse and repeat. Save your money and buy Mass Effect 2 for a third the price! ME3 is practically the exact same game as ME2, besides the new online multiplayer "horde mode", but even this new multiplayer mode loses it's appeal quick, and i mean QUICK. Wait for ME3 to drop in price, or run out and buy ME2 used.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. We donâ… Expand

I score reviews based on how I feel about the game after finishing it, and it is very, very difficult to see past the terrible ending, multiple plot holes, and the utterly stupid "big reveal" of the Reaper's motives in Mass Effect 3. The ending, coupled with the Day 1 DLC (which is wrong no matter how you spin it) really leaves a bad taste in my mouth. The way it's presented makes no sense whatsoever and runs completely counter to the idea that your choices throughout the game matter. The ME series spans 5+ years of generally excellent media, and for it to end in a three way deus ex machina like it did is just mind blowing. It sucks saying that, because the 90% of the game leading up to the end is really, really good, even if it played more like a 'best of' compilation than a completely new game. A quick note about the multiplayer: it's *kind of* good, but in other ways it's really, really bad. Gameplay wise it's a fun (if overpowered), Halo-esque shooter, but the community is beyond terrible, kicking players who are just starting out or have a low N7 score, and verbally berating those who either do too well or too poorly. Also, based on what happened to Mercenaries 2 when EA shut down it's servers, I have little hope for the future of ME3.… Expand

After completing the game one has to wonder whether Bioware diverted all their resources to Star Wars - The Old Republic. One can only hope that is the excuse for this ending to the series. Regardless of the excuses or, perish the thought these "endings" were actually planned out, the Nihilistic ending made me regret having spent time even bothering to develop a character. Perhaps it's a joke. Or a calculated business move to offer DLC that lets you have an ending where you actually have some impact. As such this mess is such a shame for what had been such a promising series. In my humble opinion it is that bad. And it's sad. Not the sadness of any ending but the saddest thing in the world: Wasted potential. The wasted potential from a sloppy meaningless ending to an otherwise previously well executed series. I have lost the will to replay Mass Effect due to the ending. If that was Bioware's (and/or EA's) intentions, then well played EA/Bioware. I won't bother to return. If this is the same attention they plan for other games then I wish them well. I will not be playing them.… Expand

A) This game is fantastic and a lot of fun to play.
B) The entire experience is ruined by that fact that you cannot import your character from previous games.

If an entire trilogy is predicated on carrying a custom character across all games in the series, it's both laughable and offensive to fans that the third game would not permit that same custom face to be brought forward. Yes, it's possible to recreate your custom face using the editor. No, it's not fun and a major strike against BioWare quality assurance.… Expand

Well all the hopes i had for the 3rd game, after the dissapointment of the second, were for nothing. Instead of going back to what made the first game in the series great, Bioware created an even more dumbed down version of the game in an attempt to wow the masses. Cutscene, Cutscene, Cutscene, dull combat, rinse and repeat. Add to that a co-op mode that you are almost forced to play if you want the "best" possible ending in the single player and it's clear that Bioware just wants to keep copies out of the second hand market. This game has gone down the path of Dragon Age. a great concept, but a bad implementation.… Expand

I loved Mass Effect 1&2, but it ends there. Mass Effect 3 has got to be the biggest letdown in video game history. This game is nothing like the first 2. It's actually pretty straight forward, zero to no exploration, the mini games are gone & forming a space crew has gotten stale. The only thing this game has is great graphics, other than that it's garbage. BORING.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. So BioWare has decided to show us yet another big fat middle finger, aye? You know, when Dragon Age 2 came, sure it was an atrocity RPG wise especially after a great revive to its genre in form of DA1, I still enjoyed it somewhat, at the very least it didn't kill the franchise. But Mass Effect 3? I'm gonna need some time and space here to successfully describe the depth and seriousness of my emotional distress caused by ME3. In the beginning, there was ME, new well written sci-fi RPG that we had craved for so long, the game offered us freedom of choice to some degree and to this day it's kept its value and replayability. Then came ME2 which to me was even better news because I kinda liked a bit more action paced style we were given while at the same time we also got the same freedom of choice (oh there could have been SO MANY dead characters at the end if you wanted...). The classes were more distinguished and more original in the way they played and even the side-quests on various planets were rather refreshing and not as repetitive as they were in ME1. Safe to say, I've played and finished both ME and ME2 quite a few times (ME twice and ME2 5 or 6 times actually) and I certainly loved the series. I anticipated ME3 fiercely like any other real fan of the franchise. I pre-ordered collector's edition of course so From Ashes wasn't an issue for me, I played through the game and there it was... all that love I had for the previous games, for the franchise... was gone. 90%... neigh 95% of the game is great, amazing even. All the plots tie up nicely and I enjoy most of the characters (although the newcomers aren't anything special and I'm terribly pissed I didn't get to spend the last game with Miranda...) but then it all gets thrown out the proverbial window... What does it matter that I not only saved most of Quarian race AND Tali AND convinced them to coexist with the Geth!! when at the end it doesn't have any impact at all? Giving us three identical sterile endings and marooning everyone in the galaxy at Earth's doorstep is not only an illogical ending, but the worst step that BioWare has ever made in their history of designing games. Pathetic attempts of Ray Muzyka to "defend" this excuse of a proper ending to the series are laughable and heretical at that. So, guys, you gave us the middle finger, now it's our turn. Thank you for ruining what could have very well been the three best consequent RPG titles ever made. Seeing as you gave us no choice in the end, I don't think I have any choice now with the rating either.… Expand

The rest of Reddit is making their voices heard against this travesty of a sequel so i feel like it's my duty to help warn people of it's subpar quality.

I'm not going to just say, it's **** because it has some merits, however those rest solely in adequate shooting mechanics that games have done better, back in 2006.

The ending leaves people with almost no closure, instead paving the way for DLC and the inevitable next game in the universe to cash in on the name. The choices you make have no impact on the end result, nothing done over the course of THREE ENTIRE GAMES makes any difference to your ultimate ending, absolutely inexcusable and lazy.

The characters added in are sterotypical in their inclusion (guy has to have xbox hueg muscles, chobot has to have **** bigger than what she actually has and have them poking out in a suit that's supposed to represent what a crew part of a branch of the military would wear as standard issue.

The animations and graphics are also inferior to ME2, that i don't understand, how can a game, released 2 years after it's last installment, actually move BACKWARDS in terms of animation and graphics, i'd be happy if they remained the same; Instead, we get hands that look like they came from the PS2 and we get animations that aren't even taken from ME2, they're just haphazard animations that look slapped on without any refinement.

Reddit can not and wil not let this game get the praise and perfect reviews it so unjustly is getting, how can a game that has a number of flaws still get almost perfect/perfect reviews?

If people think these aren't being paid for, pressured for, or just written by plain old terrible "journalists" then they are retarded.

and you are retarded if you buy this game.

le Reddit will never bow to the pressure of people who insist on buying **** games… Expand

graphics arenâ

I have never seen a game of this quality botch an ending so badly. This ending single handily brought the game down from about an 8 or 9 to 4. It

As a avid fan of the first two installments of the series, I have to say that ME3 was disappointing beyond belief. The story completely falls apart in the last ten minutes of the game. As the final secrets are revealed, the player is confronted by the horrible truth that THE STORY MAKES NO SENSE. Clearly, the lead writer was out of his philisophical and intellectual depth. This combined with EA's dispicable grab for cash with the day one DLC has made me decide never to buy another game from this publisher.… Expand

Before anyone calls me a "troll" for giving this game a zero, allow me to explain. Originally I thought this game deserved a 5/10. I found about half the content enjoyable, if a little bland. The music was lacking in atmosphere, the dialogue is ropey and the graphics buggy! (my characters head revolved like an excorcist moment!) Then came the gameplay, removed almost completely from anything remotely RPG and lacking depth. The A.I are atrocious, constantly glitching through walls and running backwards into enemies. Despite this, I was enjoying an average 5/10 game. Then came the release day content that was included on the disc, pointless multiplayer, ridiculous flirting for no reason, massively boring sections of corridor shooting monotony, and the fact I had to swap disc four times within 40mins!!! This is yet another over-hyped and over-rated lazy effort from bioware. I waited and only paid £15 for it and still felt cheated. If this is the supposed "natural evolution of the RPG" I worry for the future of decent, in depth games. My last grievance, that really dropped the score, was the blatant copying of Gears Of War. The cover system I can accept, but now add roady-running, rolls, jumps and melee. Also now a hammer of dawn impression! Give it a rest Bioware and get your own ideas.… Expand

We all know the ending was bad but my complaint is about the actual game bugs and there were bugs in this game. The very foremost is that the Shepard importer does not recognize Mass Effect 1 created Shepards so if you have a character that you have used since the first game the third game does not recognize it and you have to start a new face from scratch. I consider this a DOA critical error. How did this get past QA!? From the very start before the game even begins you have a broken line of code. That is unforgivable. During game play I encountered other problems such as party members getting frozen in ladders leaving you to fight the rest of the mission alone, invisible faces on Shepard, Garrus dissapeared more than once while talking to him, if you chose a specific plot arc and a character dies that character if they are your love interest the game pulls them back from the dead to have sex with you on the Normandy and then ending has more than one inescapable plot holes. I mean dead characters reappearing as if ressurected from the grave plot holes so big you could drive a Mako through them. This game felt over all rushed and I cannot recommend it to anyone unless you are someone who enjoys a bad game like some people like bad horror films. And yes I found the ending to be fundamentally in contrast to the advertising of this game. Choices ment nothing what so ever in the long run and that is just sad.… Expand

this game is not good an very bad desighn is copy to mass effect 2 story is very bad and etc One of the melee bosses you will see can run in a wall for 5 seconds straight, and just walk around spouting the most ridiculous ridiculous and stupid words that made me feel dirty from how amateurish the game felt, and because of some bug or "skill" he's able to swallow bullets with no damage sometimes, it is the worst combat concept I have ever seen. This game is flawed in its core, the story's foundation is flawed from the beginning… Expand

Bought it, noticed that my savefile from mass effect 2 was ignored, as I had to remake Shepard's face, returned it.

if you are going to make a trilogy, at-least make it work properly 'bioware'

Please note that my score is on a purely subjective basis. It's my gut feeling about the game. That said, I was almost ready to call this my favorite game ever until the last 10 minutes rolled in. The ending was so bad, so cheap, so poorly written, and such a shock to the mind; that it basically ruined the entire series for me. I simply cannot imagine how they could have ended it on a more sour, bitter, depressing note. And for that, I am TRULY sorry. What a waste. Ugh...… Expand

#1 No controller allowed for PC
#2 The grfx suck balls for a game released in 2012
#3 The story is boring by THE FIRST CUTSCENE (in other words it starts boring)

EA ate this developer (BioWare) and they turned the good things going on there into mush. Mass Effect 2 and now Mass Effect 3 are crap and it is a damn shame because any real gamer who played Mass Effect knows how cool it was and knows how awesome it would have been if BioWare had just been left alone to do their thing. If EA never came along with their whore money then we'd probably just be seeing Mass Effect 2 right now and it would be epic, but instead we've already had 2 sequels and a Dragon Age game in the amount of time it used to take BioWare to make one real game. Add to that, Dragon Age 2 was as appetizing as cold puke.

Well, that is what you get when EA comes around with their whore money. You get sold out. You get a game like "The Simpsons". This game sucks and I hate EA, like every other real gamer out there. Killzone 3 was far better than this drivel, this crap fest, and Killzone 3 wasn't the best showing.

ME3 is a masquerade of a dead developers old ideas. ME was awesome, but it is dead and EA has been wringing money out of a corpse, much like a record label does to its dead artists. And, that is exactly what EA does, it buys talent and then whores it to death using only the name of something that was once great. EA may have a hundred thousand talented developers but it doesn't matter one bit. It is well known that EA rushes their games to the market in order to get cash. Their MO is buy a popular game and whore it out. That's what you have here ME3 is an ugly whore of pimp daddy EA, just wants your cash, doesn't give a crap if you come back for more ME4 or 5 because they'll have new whores soon.

And, BioWare can kiss my ass too. Sellouts.
Enjoy your yachts and whatever else you bought.
I don't care. You aren't getting anymore of my money.

You can feel in every corner of this game from the menu to the action that this is not a BioWare game. ME 3 is ME2 with a different story, there is absolutely no difference between the two. If you liked ME then you will hate this, just like ME2.

Why are you so tasteless EA?
Why can't you make a game that does more than taste like stale cardboard?
I've got nothing against you except for the fact that you just SUCK at making anything fun.… Expand

A massive disappointment, where is the rpg system? And can we speak about the awful story? A series that has declined every step. The dialogue is embarrassingly like the decision-making-system. Bioware has ruined a great game and a great saga, generating a simple tps...

Let me start off by saying, I adore the Mass Effect universe, and loved both the first and second games. Mass Effect three, on the other hand, feels like a watered down version of the previous titles. The areas are smaller, exploration is all but gone, and combat is easier than ever. I blazed through the game in no time, and felt cheated at some of the 'emotional' payoffs the story team tried to unload on me. Compared to other games available on the Xbox 360, its still a very decent game, but compared to the other Mass Effect games, this is inexcusable, and I'll never get the resolution that this series rightfully deserved.… Expand

BEEN UNABLE TO PLAY FOR OVER 2 WEEKS DUE TO KNOW BUG.EA SUPPORT IS NO HELP AT ALL. BIOWARE JUST KEEPS SAYING NOTHING BUT WE WILL HAVE IT FIXED SOON. WASTE OF MONEY. plus little i did get to play was just a horrible rehash for all those stupid people who love the same thing over and over and over....

I recall going to gamestop on the release day of Mass Effect 1 and picking up what turned out to be one of the best games I have ever put inside my xbox 360 game tray. It had story which showed truly got me involved in the game with the decisions I made actually making a difference in the way the story formed. the dialogue was superb and the voice acting was nothing but. In addition, the levelling system was fantastic with tons of different perks and skilltree options for the player to choose from. I obviously chose to purchase ME2, only to be somewhat disappointed by the lack of the great dialogue, options and skills which made the original such a joy to play. I soon realized that these choices were made in order for this game to appeal to a larger audience. I decided to give Bioware another chance at making the final game of the series. I was even more disappointed with the horrible dialogue which was used in the game. The choices give the player a false sense of freedom, when in actuality, the choices barely affect the story. In addition, Mass Effect 3 includes many gears of war-esque cheesy dialogue, which really got me thinking: "what happened to the great writers that amazed me in the first game of this series". The gameplay was also clunky with weird animations which just made the entire experience awkward. My entire experience with this game was ruined and I hope Bioware can find it's legs and create the great games which we are so used to them creating. cheers.… Expand

Repetitive Gameplay, little has changed since ME2 gameplay wise; don't know why reviewers have given this game such praise when it's clearly no different innovation-wise and more of the same The only reason I even bought this game was for the Story and so far it's alright but I regret buying it since i could of easily of watched a let's play on youtube, saved my money and avoided this outdated mess of a cover system… Expand

Meh.

I have been a huge fan of this series and bought the collector's edition of all 3 games, but after finishing Mass Effect 3 I have not only lost all interest in the series, but will never be playing another BioWare game. The ending negates everything you did in all 3 games, and doesn't take into account anything that you did along the way, it just comes down to 3 arbitrary choices, all of which are bad, and make no sense. And it is too bad, because I honestly thought this was the best game I ever played until I hit the end, but seeing the 3 endings provided (really one ending with some variations) has left an empty feeling in my stomach, and ruined the entire story for me. I will not pay for any more download content (which is how the game ends telling you to wait for download content that will be coming), nor playing another BioWare game ever again. I just don't understand how the game could not only not allow the choice that the whole series is built on, but also not even seem to understand what you had accomplished in the game. If you are a fan of the series and have not picked it up, don't, let your good image of this game not be tarnished by this awful ending!… Expand

In an attempt to make this game appealing to new coming fans- they completely and utterly DESTROYED the necessity of the first two games...literally no POINT in playing them...NONE. Sad death of a legend.

Another crap space shooter rehash, this garbage is killing the gaming industry. When will you silly publishers stop funding this filth and start promoting innovation in games again? Games need depth, not pay-to-win multi player and push button - receive win single player.

as a competitive call of duty player this is my favorite scifi game on the pc

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

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

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

11/10… Expand

Completely killed the entire series with only three extremely poor and stupid ending choices. It doesn't matter what you do in this game of any previous games because they mean absolutely nothing.

Ignore the critics. alright guys mass effect, i'm sure everyone is going to get it one day. but reviews should be based on the retail price at release so here we go. ME3 is just like ME2, you get the goodies of character interaction, voice acting, and the awesome story. the combat has gotten a little clunkier as seen by the demo, but its not too bad. the reason mass effect is getting such a low score is how long it is.. you can do it all in 30-40 hours after that might as well sell the game compare that to skyrim's 170 hours, or dragon age origins 70 hours.
do yourselves a favor, save $ and wait until this hits the $20 price it should have started at. personally i'l be picking up batman arkam city since it is a good price now (30)

side note, didn't do multiplayer yet, but from the demo it will be boring in a day just play Horde in gears and you get the idea.… Expand

The first 95% of the game is good, and the last 5% is so atrociously bad and out of character for the series that it will have you going "WTF was that crap?" for months after you finish playing - if the reason you've played Mass Effect has anything to do with its story or characters, that is.

The only element up to par with ME2 is the combat, which has been further streamlined and polished. The sidequest system is a step back from ME2 - you just wander around until you overhear somebody give you a mission. The quest log/journal system is as poor as ever, and planet scanning is still a lousy mechanic. Strangely, there are also fewer and less interesting characters to interact with or have in your party than there were in ME2.

Also, the plot is formulaic and boring. The plot overall is basically just a rehash of what Bioware already did in Dragon Age: Origins, and the overall mission/character structure is monotonously identical to previous ME games (if you pick a romantic interest - even if it's an old one that you ALREADY had a relationship with - you can't really do anything except get a PG sex scene right before the final mission).

And oh dear God the ending. Wow. It's bad enough that I'm giving this game a LEGIT 0/10. This is NOT a troll score. The ending quite literally RUINED the entire series for me - I doubt I'll ever play a ME game again, and this is coming from someone who has played at least 6-8 times to completion on ME1 and ME2. I don't want to go into extended detail about why the ending is so awful, so here's the abbreviated version (not a comprehensive list):
- It's a Deus Ex Machina ending of the worst kind
- It basically has nothing to do with your actions earlier in the game or earlier in the trilogy
- It radically alters the entire framework of the narrative within a span of about 30 seconds, without any apparent reason to do so or any explanation
- In a series about relationships with characters and a grand story where your choices matter, the climactic ending to the entire series has basically nothing to do with character relationships or your previous choices AND the final choice you are given is not explained and seemingly inconsequential.

It's not hyperbole to say that the climactic ending to this series is simply you being asked the question "Do you like Red, Green, or Blue better?"

Horrible, horrible, horrible. Yes, it's Bioware's artistic right to make an awful ending. But the fact that Bioware made it and calls it "art" doesn't mean it is good. It's not. It's as far away from good storytelling and writing as you can get. It's just nonsensical.

Without the ending, this game is probably an 8/10. With the ending, it's utter trash that spoils a great 3-game story arc for no reason.… Expand

Your choices don't matter as the game pretty much only has one ending. This is terrible for the concluding game in a trilogy. How is it that the developers can market a game as being based in a world that responds to your decisions then pull this stuff! Rent before you buy or just plain rent.

It hurts me so much to write this, but I don't know whether I should blame BioWare or EA for this massive disappointment. I have been counting down the days till ME 3 was released, to continue this amazing story, just to see it get raped and dumbed down for, what I like to call, "Call of Duty metal heads." it seems like all the decisions I made in the prior games are being overlooked just to force the story arch to fall into place. So many scenes are over dramatized, and poorly sequenced. Approximately 65-70% of the side missions are bland, fetch and deliver quests. Also, so many graphical hitches, pop ins, poor texture renderings, voices get cut off mid conversation.

The only good thing about the game for me is definitely the battle engine. Very smooth and fast paced, guess that's why the CoD metal heads love it.… Expand

Let me just start by saying that Mass Effect 3 is one of the best games I've ever played until more and less 20 min before the end. Unlike the criticism that your ME1 and ME2 choices didn't matter much in ME3, I think that BioWare made a terrific effort in taking into account all your choices and delivering you some rather unexpected consequences for them (save for some minor plot gaps, i.e., I romanced Liara in ME1 and again in ME2 in the Shadow Broker DLC, but when I reunite with her in ME3 she says that we haven't been together in years. wtf?). Again, this applies only if you exclude those last 20 minutes. For those who have been following the series since ME1, the game is an emotional roller coaster that delivers several truly memorable moments (sad, hopeful and hilarious) in a way that truly represents the unique spirit of the series. In fact, there are several missions in which I felt that my previous actions actually mattered for the story (e.g., curing/sabotaging the genophage, the krogan-turian aliance, the war between the geth and quarians, etc). But then again, all of this only applies before those last 20 min. After this moment, its a freakin downhill ride in plot quality. Even though I seem to felt that my actions would actually have big consequences, the end boils down to a deus ex machina plot device, delivering three options none of which my Shepard would take. What's more, these three options are regardless of any previous choices that I've made and their outcome is nearly the same but with different colors (oh, and there is a variation where earth is destroyed and not saved). The ending also does not deliver a single bit of closure to the Shepard's story. If these endings are supposed to be very open so that "our imagination can complete the rest", I wouldn't need to play the whole damn game in the first place! I could have just imagine how it would end from ME2! If I'm playing a trilogy until the end, I would expect (at least!) to know what the hell happened, because I sure did not understand what happened next. In the supposed perfect ending, Shepard seems to survive a massive explosion of the citadel (as shown by a 10sec footage of him coffing in a pile of rubble) but how?! And how did my teammates made it to the normandy in time (seemingly in perfect condition when they get out to the tropical planet) and why is joker fleeing at full speed from the "blast wave" from the mass relays? In the Arrival DLC, we are told that the destruction of a mass relay would wipe out the entire system it orbits, which means that earth was also wiped out by the mass relay in the Sol system?! But apparently the soldiers on earth seem to survive... A so joker is running from...? what? Whether you control or destroy the reapers or you chose synthesis, the outcome of those choices is exactly the same for me, because we get to know so little about what happens in the future! And don't tell me it is supposed to be THAT open, unless BioWare is thinking of making a new game that resumes from those disparate resolutions in three whole new different ways, which is unlikely. I loved the game until that final mission, where I just stared at the TV trying to digest such a bad plot ending and getting absolutely no satisfaction at all. I usually finish ME games twice (paragorn and renegade), but ME3 is so emotionally taxing in the end and leaves such a depressing feeling, that I am not sure that I'll be able to go through that again. And all they had to do was a decent ending. Not one where Shepard would invariably live, but at least one where players could understand what the hell just happened!… Expand

I thought ME1 it was a brilliant start to a great new franchise with loads of potential. ME2 was watered down to the point where I barely wanted to play it. I hoped it was just the sophomore slump so I slogged my way through it. But ME3 I just cannot play. It runs rough around the edges and is really just an even more watered down version of the game I was hoping for overall. Think back to ME1 everybody...now think about your experience with ME3. Ya, it's not good for ME3. IDK what else to say that hasn't been said, and I can't think of anyone I'd recommend this game to.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. At first I was wondering why the game had such a bad fan review, the game was amazing, I did not care that there was day 1 DLC the combat system was an improvement over mass effect 2, there were more guns to chose from and the graphics were improved. then I got to the last 5 minutes of the game and I find out they did a copy of Deus Ex's ending where all the choices you chose in mass effect 1, 2 and 3 did not matter at all. thank you bioware for wasting 60+ hours of my life and making me spend over $200 on this trilogy that i cant play anymore now that I know the game ends so poorly. If bioware puts a patch that fixes the awful endings (like bethisda did for fallout 3) I would give this game a 10/10.

-GAMEPLAY 10/10
-GRAPHICS 9/10 (a bit to dark at some points)
-STORY(other than ending) 8/10 (would have been a 10/10 if they gave you more chat options like in previous mass effect games)
-ONLINE 7/10 (it was ok and it came with a story the same length of other mass effects so it can be ignored)
-ENDING 0/10 (wtf was bioware thinking? this also removes any chances of a new trilogy after this because the mass relays are destroyed.)… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Let first say that I am a HUGE fan of this series, it was an amazing exploration of concept of making choices and how those choices shape the game you play. It was a true Space Opera that had characters that for the first time, made me 'feel' for them. I cared what happened to these characters, kudos to the voice actors for literally breathing life into these great characters. This game, allowed me to craft a character that made the impossible possible...s/he was a character that was a SOLDIER who NEVER gave up...who always strives to do what it right. This game allowed us to make choices and those choices affected each of the previous game's endings. I was hoping for more of the same in ME3. For the most part, I got it...however, at the very end of the game...the tone of the game changed. The Shepard I had roll-played up until the last 10 minutes of the game, ceased to exist, and what I was left with was a doppelganger...it looked like my Shepard, but this character gave up. This Shepard did NOT fight until the end...This Shepard 'accepted' fate. The last 10 minutes of this game was so out of character, so artistically different from what came before it, then I lost my immersion. It was so out of sync with what I had played before that all I was left with was a WTF in my mind eye. I found that I did not want to even finish the game out. These last minutes felt like they belonged to another game entirely. There were so many plot holes that the entire ending sequence felt unpolished, rushed, and tacked on. I swore I could see the gum, duct tape, and baling wire holding things together. I can understand artistic license to change things as you see fit...but this? It was thematically different enough that for me, I could not believe that this had been approved. THESE last 10 minutes of the game, changed what would have been an easy 9 score from me to a 1. Disappointment doesn't even come close to the feelings I had upon the completion of the game...and the Stargazer was also and odd choice. Why couldn't I get scenes showing where the rest of my crew went? How about a scene honoring Shepard for what they did for the Galaxy? This ending ruins this 3rd game, and nearly ruins the entire trilogy...I cannot give it a score higher than a 1.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I have loved the Mass Effect Series from day one. The first Mass Effect was a masterpiece. The second one built even more on to that solid frame. Mass Effect 3 was just a step back in the series. The gameplay was fun and I did enjoy the interactions with former and current squad members (R.I.P Mordin and Thane). This game however just ruined the entire with its ending. The first reason is that your decisions over the entire series means nothing in the end. It all boils down to three choices. After all that hard work I put into the entire series I felt like it didn't matter. Next the ending makes no damn sense. It so far out there I felt blind sided. As a Mass Effect fan I feel betrayed by Bioware for making this game and honestly I think EA is what ruined it. EA has ruined the Mass Effect series and they are ruining the gaming industry as a whole. EA and Bioware owes everyone who bought this game an apology.… Expand

The facial modeling is awful; essentially everyone in the game has a screwed up looking face. The story is some weird romantic kinky **** This is not what AAA games should look like. 0/10: I don't think this game should exist.

Bad ending to the series, even worse the developers are charging for day 1 dlc. could have waited another month if it meant getting my full game. Some design of the game was alittle off and some voice acting was very cheap

Very few times in gaming history has a title received so much controversy, so much vitriol, and been the subject of the undiluted ire of so many gamers. The source of the fury? The ending to a five-year, three-game story arc that had, by that point, drawn in so many gamers that it had transformed from game series into legend...it had literally undergone the Halo Effect, where an under-the-radar game ends up being such a huge franchise and dynamo of its own that it begins eclipsing itself. But the difference lies in the games: where Halo is a shooter with a lot of story laid into it, Mass Effect is fundamentally a story with a game built through it. Halo would have to try hard to screw up; as long as it provides the action and the intensity, it wins. Mass Effect never had it so easy. But that doesn't forgive what happened with the finale. Mass Effect 3 is, and may well end up being the textbook example of, a game that was set up to be great, only to be destroyed by the marketing department. The original ME laid the groundwork of a story where the player's actions MADE the story, DECIDED the plot, and were the end-all and be-all of the game. There were so many directions for the plot to go, all decided by the player. ME3 was the original ME's evil twin: a game that started off with hundreds of possible threads, only to ultimately file down to a single possible outcome, a game where all of the player's decisions, past and present, were rendered irrelevant. A great game was sacrificed on the altar of Marketing, as they tried to turn Mass Effect into something it wasn't: a mass-appeal shooter. The mutation began in the second installment, as shooter elements began overtaking role-playing elements. We gamers took this in stride, accepting the changes as some streamlining and minor changes (and, truthfully, some of the elements removed or changed were never our favorites). But something else happened: the storytelling began to be streamlined and dumbed-down as well. ME3 just finished ME2's trajectory -- straight into the dirt. In the quest for money (by trying to appeal to the largest audience), they converted Mass Effect into a nearly-brainless shooter, one which was loosely tied together with story in the game, and required story-seekers to look outside the game for real content -- they turned it into Halo: a game with a massive backstory that is only visible in the game if you know to look for it. Of course, all of this was prior to the Extended Cut DLC -- the amazing concession the gaming industry made to the Voice of the Gamers...which, really, was just placating enough to keep the masses of gamers from taking their beloved money elsewhere. EA knew it was in danger of alienating millions of money dispensers, and sought to make enough amends to avoid losing that cash. Overall, however, after all the changes the game has undergone, while it's still not particularly worthy of the Mass Effect mantle, ME3 is no longer the total pariah it had been. Decisions are back to having some value, and the previously-mandatory mobile game's value has been decreased, bringing fate back into the hands of the game...mostly. I held off on writing a review of this game when the Extended Cut was announced, otherwise it would've been another "boycott EA" pitchforks-and-torches rant. Now, while I'm still not pleased with the game's conclusion, it's not horrible, either, and at least does enough of a job to warrant a mediocre rating. Taken on its own, perhaps it would be considered a better game. But that's not possible. ME3 is part of a series, and a heavily connected series at that. If one of the Halo games had been a dud, it wouldn't significantly impact the others or the series as a whole; they just fix it next time, and judging it against its peers is unnecessary. But ME3 has to be held against the standards set by its predecessors...and it doesn't. Compared to the games that came before, ME3 just doesn't have what it takes to stand alongside. No matter what changes they made to the ending, it will always be a step behind. Thanks, Marketing department. Next time, stay out of the development process.… Expand

After putting 200 plus hours into this franchise i feel like i just got the finger from bioware. The ending is bad...any way you put it. Everyone around the internet keeps on saying that "just the last ten minutes were bad"...no not just the last ten minutes...the entire ending in its entirety is just terrible

a game that completely destroys everything you've done over the first two, it's a complete slap in the face. Not to mention the graphical issues, bugs, multiplayer being very repetitive, and other things. but the ending, oh god the ending.

Mass Effect 3, the epic finale to one of best sci fi trilogies created. The finale though, completely ruins what was one of the best series ever. It's not just the ending. Although yes the ending destroys all semblance of immersion, canon, good story telling, and much more, it's not only the ending that makes Mass Effect 3 a terrible conclusion. First off, the gameplay or lack thereof. The conversations are nothing like they used to be in the previous two. Whereas in the previous two you could input Shepard's descisions on the tiniest of choices, in Mass Effect 3 it's almost gone. You make some dialougue choices throughout the game, but most of the choices are made for you (I was playing on rpg mode by the way.) The quests are mainly filler consisting boring fetch quests. Although the side missions that are playable and have you on the ground are quite alot of fun to play and are the best moments in the game. Oh, and my final gripe the multiplayer. The online although alot of fun, SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN NECESSARY TO OBTAIN THE BEST ENDING IN THE SINGLEPLAYER. I remember hearing one of the developers at Bioware talk about how the multiplayer could impact the finale, but wouldn't be necessary to obtain the best ending. What happened to that? What happened to the various amounts of endings? What happened to amazing choices? What happened to Mass Effect? I don't know to be honest, but it's quite sad to see what was one of the best series in gaming from one of the most talented developers in the industry, deliver a product this... dissapointing. I remember playing the first Kotor and the first Mass Effect games, and being amazed at the amount of choices I could make, and the impact I had on the characters. Hell, in the original Kotor towards the end you could completely turn on your old squadmates and reclaim your title as Lord of the Sith with the aide of one of your former crewmates/love interest. In the original Mass Effect if you played it right you could convince of one the main villians to kill himself in order to help the galaxy. This, though is not the Bioware of Kotor or ME1. In ME3 none of your choices throughout the entire series matter when it comes to the ending. None. All you get are three different **** color explosions with the same exact pros and cons regardles of what you choose. This game was horrid. Perhaps, the ending dlc Bioware is making shall remedy the ending. Even if it does though, the dissapointment I felt while playing through Mass Effect 3 and viewing its ending shall not. I have lost a great amount of faith in Bioware as a good developer. It's sad to see what could've the most epic conclusion in gaming go so poorly.… Expand

I really didn't like this game. I don't know what else to say. The writing was mediocre at best, the gameplay was worse the first two, and it was generally bad.

Poor shooting. Linear schematic. Mainly for the 13 year old. Dialogues for children, the world too. A simple, requiring no trivial for pseudo player. Graphics poor. The combat system poor. Pseudo dialogues could not be. Overall, kitsch and trash.

Wow, this game probably had the worst ending ever. I am not going to give any specifics, but it will be the same no matter what you have done throughout the last two games. The choices you make in this game are also pointless. The futility of choices is somewhat apparent during the game because you only have two options the whole time (paragon is always on top and renegade is always on bottom). However, this does not even come close to the nut punch that is the end. I am in no way joking when I say I almost laughed at how bad the ending was. It is apparent that they had no idea how to deal with all the possible choices so they create a deus ex machina that makes it easy for them. Given my disappointment with this game, I am unlikely to ever purchase one of BioWare's games again. This is truly sad because I loved the first two games.

I will admit that I thought the gameplay was good and the ride was pretty damn fun, but that is essentially negated by the cop-out ending. The game also had several surprising bugs and there were lots of skips during the cinematics (which the game is full of). Aside from the atrociously bad ending, the game suffers from many other instances of terrible writing. This really makes me think the game must have been rushed b/c I loved the story in previous entries. It could be because much of the story is borrowed from science fiction books I like and the writers didn't know what to do when they had to figure out something for themselves, but I am just going to assume they were rushed. If you played the previous mass effects this will likely be one of the biggest disappointments imaginable. If you did not, you will probably not be bothered that much… Expand

I know that this score my seem harsh to some of the hardcore Mass Effect gamers out there, but i was so disappointed with Mass Effect 3 that in my opinion it doesn't deserve a better rating. I have way to many complaints to list here, but the things that really annoy me about this game are simple. Bioware have gone from ripping of other sci-fi tv shows, games, books etc to ripping of Gears of War and badly at that. Also, why do they feel the need to do a Dragon Age 2 and overly sexualize the characters. For a female gamers such as myself, I dont need to see Miranda's bum when I am having a conversation and dont want to play a game that degrades women. Therefore I have marked Mass Effect 3 down from the score I gave it and was highly disappionted as I like the other Mass Effect games.… Expand

ME3 is an abomination in comparison to its predecessors, it is sloppily made and poorly written and even has scenery proven by users to have been pulled off of google search ( one of the main characters Tali Zorah proven to have been a poorly photoshopped version of a stock photo). This game should have been aborted, the dialogue options are pants on head retarded and the combat is hindered by poor controls and bugs. Couple all this with $860 dollars worth of DLC (as well as a DLC ending that is the only one that doesnt absolutely suck) and we have a game that is better off left pirated or not bought at all. The endings are so bad that if you are a true fan of the mass effect series you would stop at 2 since the ending of ME3 is full of plot holes and forced endings that are supposed to be "so sad and edgy". The story of ME3 can be seen identically in games over a decade old such as Dues ex and Star Control. This is horrible for a triple A game released in 2012.… Expand

I'm changing my previous review in light of the new Extended Cut. I'm changing it to ZERO!

Despite the Extended Cut this game still has the worst ending in the history of video games. They actually took the time to polish the turd instead of addressing the numerous and serious flaws in the game. Bioware has completely lost all credibility in the last few years. Not only because their new games are rushed and come nowhere near the level of excellence they used to, but because they treat their fanbase like **** and lie to them.… Expand

Takes the best parts of Dragon Age 2 and combines them with Mass Effect 2 to give you this five-star lesson in why people will read through ANYTHING to finish a story they enjoyed the beginning of, even if they thought the last 2 thirds were...lacking. combat and story feel like 2 seperate games, as if one was thrown in to space out the other, while both being sub-par. 0 replay value.

A fantastic game series totally obliterated by one of the most banal, non-sensical endings in history. If the lame ending of Dragon Age 2 pissed you off, the ending of ME3 will prompt you to send your PC tower flying through the window and skidding into the street, where you will leave it in hopes of being run over by a car so you might be able to forget this entire series existed. I'm so goddamned disappointed.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The endings are all massively disappointing. Your options seem to kill almost everyone, and the way the mass relays react to the energy surge seems to show them blowing up regardless of the option you pick. Shephard dies no matter how well you prepare or what you do. The galaxy at war map never **** changes. It's always "offline". Your readiness never shifts from 50%. So yeah, thanks Bioware. Thanks for building up such a great game and then giving me a rushed and **** ending.

All of those complaints said and out of the way. I was really happy with the game. Enjoying everything that happened for the most part. Some of the dialogue was goofy at times and I don't mean in a sappy way. I mean it was showing poor writing. Whoever approved these endings needs to be **** fired. I would give this game a 9/10 if the endings weren't so terrible and half-assed.… Expand

Poor gameplay, decision taking, writing and innovation. The saving of the game are probably the graphics, which when weighted against the bad things of the game, don't seem to get the score up. No entitlement in the decisions you take. Bad and uninspired characters that decline the quality of the storytelling. A really bad game, overall.

This game is nothing but spamware that infects your hard drive. It then tempts you into spending more money to "fix it". Disgraceful. Bioware used to be a great game company. No more...

This game was rushed out the door, and it shows. The characters all look plastic and fake, there is seriously something wrong with the faces and how they don't match up to what is being said. The animations are lazy and jarring, the dialogue is uninspired and trite. It also becomes evident very quickly that this game has taken the "roleplaying" elements of the previous two games and turned them into a choose-your-own-action movie. What a waste. The action is big, dumb and meant to impress the ADHD call-of-duty crowd, but likely won't because it too is sluggish and sub-par. Not to mention the idiotic and confusing "galaxy at war" and "war assets" systems whose mechanics are obscured to the player, but are purported to have some nebulous impact on the end game. I can't wrap my head around so many bad design decisions. Why?… Expand

I was looking forward to Mass effect 3.
On steam. Since i don't fancy installing the Origin spyware (One that scans your pc to find out all the other games you are using, then adds them to your origin account to stop you using steam?) I Shall not bother.
As soon as people close their wallets to a company like EA that pumps out DRM after DRM after DRM and RUINS series, the world will be a better place.
R.I.P Command and Conquer
R.I.P Mass Effect

Oh and do you remember classics such as Theme Hospital? Dungeon Keeper? EA killed off Bullfrog entertainment, Westwood studios, Maxis. I wonder what games we would have seen from them now if they hadn't been gulped up?… Expand

I may not have played Mass Effect before, but on friend recommendation, I tried it just this once. I've heard of Bioware's reputation of late. I find it to be very true in this case. This game is rancid. Do not waste any of your money on it. As many have said, it needs work in story, character, voice acting, and gameplay. Ohhh yes, it needs substantial work in gameplay. I literally had to try as hard as I could to play through the game for the frist four hours, but after that I promptly threw the game into a fire and hid in a corner.… Expand

This game could have been a masterpiece but the final result is only a forgettable mix of bugs, holes in a childish plot with the "wish" to be serious, a ton of shadows and emphasis everywhere, no exploration, no puzzles, flat dialogues and the worst ending in videogame history. In certain things it could deserve a 11 but in others not more than a -20 so my balance is 0. Nothing more than a "project" of a game, an interesting project never terminated and poorly done, or at least that's not good to be released like this.… Expand