The new standard of decision-making and storytelling in games, Mass Effect 3 sets an example of a narrative which will make you consider your decisions thoroughly, or regret otherwise. The Clint Mansell composed music is emotional and the soundtrack pays homage to many sci-fi series of the past with its electronic touch - the presentation is also exquisitely refined with vastly improved lighting and art design which far exceeds most games. That being said, besides an otherwise improved combat system, the enemies are quite dull and mainly runs towards you in a very outdated and unintelligent fashion. I also resent the idea of having to purchase the Day 1 DLC, especially in this case since it involves a major story arc which should have been part of the game in the first place - and I refuse to endorse the abuse of loyal fans who have become invested in the story thus far, and are being exploited monetarily in order to have complete narrative experience. To purposely leave out the answers to some of the most important questions in this otherwise wonderful sci-fi universe comes across as non-appreciation towards loyal fans, and I cannot with my principles intact overlook such an inconsiderate move upon giving a numerical score - in addition to the publisher's behavior towards Windows fans who were not able to buy the game for their Steam library along with previous installments and the rest of their collection, making the whole process very inconvenient for them as consumers. In regards to previous installments it is an improvement in certain aspects such as the leveling system, at the same time however, Mass Effect 3 also appears more dumbed down by introducing genre stereotypes such as characters who seem to have been put in place only to appeal to a more casual audience - instead of remaining true to the initial values of the series. To conclude, this is quite possibly one of my favorite sci-fi universes, and I cannot recommend the journey enough. Though towards the end of the ride I didn't truly feel like I was given complete closure, and the game wasn't quite the improvement Mass Effect 2 was either. All in all I don't think I'm alone in conveying my dislike for the way BioWare has decided to treat their loyal fans. I would still recommend the game to those who would like to see how it all ends, though I would add to that recommendation and advise to disregard the DLC, and perhaps buy the game at a later date - when it's much cheaper. Because otherwise publishers such as EA will continue to set a bad example by withholding important content for monetary gain in order to exploit gamers.… Expand

Mass Effect 3 is the perfect ending to a masterful trilogy that's gone from strength-to-strength with each title. It's the conclusion you're hoping for, with each decision demanding that you think twice before pulling the trigger. Thanks for the memories, BioWare... It's been emotional.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I think it's a shame that these so called "fans" have given Mass Effect 3 such a low score here in Metacritic. They are giving it anything from 0-6 simply because the last 20 minutes or so were disappointing. And yes, they are disappointing but I'm not going to rant on Bioware simply because I felt that the end destination of this series was less than satisfactory. They say "that its not the destination that matters, but the journey there is what truly matters". And you know what? I agree.

This game was payoff after payoff. It was the coup d' etat from Bioware--one which closed out the series in utter perfection (for the most part)--and I enjoyed it immensely. The graphics were fantastic if a little bit dated. The presentation was flawless. To say that this is one of the most cinematic games of all-time is an understatement. The score was fantastic. Clint Mansell and series mainstay Sam Hullick bring this finale to life, invoking all the right emotions at all the right times. This is a very balanced orchestral. At times it is somber, other times it is sinister with a hint of ominous danger. The gameplay was perfectly balanced. ME1 was more RPG than shooter and ME2 was more shooter than RPG, but ME3 is what Mass Effect has always sought to be: a perfect hybrid of shooter and RPG elements. If I could've changed something about the gameplay, I would add more side quests that weren't so reliant on avesdropping on people from the Citadel. Also, scanning for War Assests completes over 10 side quests, which is a shame, because exploring more locations during this time for turmoil (ex. The hanar, elcor, and volus homeworlds were being attacked as well; I would've loved to see the actual conflict on these places rather than overhearing it).

Anyways, the story is amazing, just as you expect from this stellar series. Most of the characters--both major and minor--return in ME3 in some form or another. These appearances, wheter it'd be a major crewmate or a cameo role, are almost always rewarding. Seeing what has become of these characters is a very satisfying aspect of this game. All of the characters, except for a select few, are given finality and closure. There are some sappy scenes to be had in ME3, but they are handled with deft precision and skill.

These scenes, if you're a true fan of the series and if you are very connected to these characters, will have you crying like very few stories can. Bioware has hit a homerun for making us care about these characters in such a personal way. It is very hard to say "goodbye" to these people that you've known for the past half a decade or so. To you & me, these people are family, friends. We care about them and the universe they inhabit.

Maybe that's why people are so angry about the ending. Bioware had a great concept for its ending, but their execution of said concept was mediocre at best. Had they put in a "happy" ending and had they shown how these characters' lives are affected by your final decision, then I think Bioware wouldn't have received any criticism whatsoever. A more elaborate ending cinematic, as well as some 5-10 minute expositional epilogue could've worked wonders for this game and the universe that both Bioware and players have built over the course of so many years. That being said, the ending closes out Shepard's story with well-enough finality that I can accept it, despite the obvious plot holes and uncertainties that are brought up by some aspects of the endings.

Am I disappointed by the ending (s)? Yes, to a certain extent, but I won't let that ruin my appreciation for this game and this series in particular. Bioshock and Fallout 3 had terrible endings. Did these games get under a 5.0 in "User Score" here on Metacritic? No, they did not. Both of those games are complete and utter materpieces and they received their own share of criticism for their endings, but not to the extent that ME3 has endured. Nevertheless, gamers want Bioware to change the ending to Mass Effect 3, even though it is not our story, it is Bioware's. Irrational Games never changed their ending and yet Bioshock is still revered as one of gaming's finest moments. Bethesda Studios, on the other hand, caved into the peer pressure of the gaming community and they tried to rectify the backlash they initially received by releasing the "Broken Steel" DLC that got rid of the original ending in favor of the new one. Gamers rejoiced, and now Fallout 3 is rightfully acclaimed as one of the greatest games of all-time as well. Will Bioware follow the example of Irrational Games or that of Bethesda Studios? We'll see. But, no matter what, I feel that Mass Effect 3 is a masterpiece and the perfect finale to one of the greatest, if not the greatest, series in the history of gaming. Thank you, Bioware, for all the memories. I can't wait to relive the trilogy, again and again, until the end of time...or gaming.… Expand

Terrific addition to the series! Mass Effect 3 is a perfected version of the second game of the trilogy. Mass Effect 2 was terrific and one of the best games I've ever played. For them to be able to add another one to the series with better game play and a better plot is an amazing achievement. Small, yet likable additions have been made to the combat; such as powerful melee attacks, and far more maneuvering and dodging capabilities. In terms of the plot, the characters are always unique and interesting. Although at first glance it may seem tedious, talking to other members of your team never seems to get boring, as they all seem to have relatively interesting back stories. And ignoring the occasional cliches in the dialogue, credit should also be given to the voice actors, who conveyed emotions extremely well.

Some of the most important improvements to game lie in the character customization. Now, players can customize weapons and armor far more extensively. A large variety of perks are available which can improve any characteristics of the weapons and armor. Shops are now available inside the player's own ship, which makes it far less laborious to buy upgrades to weapons and armor.… Expand

What can you say about a game so perfect and amazing that it makes all other RPG and action games look bad.Except for Skyrim,there is nothing made to date that even compares to this game.Look,the war scenes sound better than any war game ever made,more real, more authentic and that's just the sound part of the game.If you go into this game without ever playing past Mass Effect games then you come away from your gaming session,blown away beyond belief running to the store to get Mass Effect 1 and 2 on the 360 just to play,go into circles with your choices,let downs,saves,changes,ect..Then you start over,make different decisions and see another game.Now,if your involved and your ready for the next episode then your going to be in disbelief not expecting what's in store for you.I can't praise this game enough.They are very different kinda games but if you had me choose between this game and Skyrim,I wouldn't bat an eye to tell you to get that other shxx out of my face and give me my mass effect trilogy.I guarantee everyone that there will never be a trilogy EVER like this one in the rest of gaming's future.Mass effect 3 is nothing less than PURE GENIUS!10...10...10...10… Expand

This is the most depressed I have ever felt after playing a video game. I must say I am seriously disappointed with the ending; it's as bad as Deus Ex: Human revolution.

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

This will be the first bioware game I don't immediately replay in order to see what happens with different choices. It's an enjoyable game, but not one I will play to the end again.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I had 24 hours of the best single player I've played on the 360. But, the ending is just so unbelievably awful (up there with Matrix Revolutions). It leaves you with the feeling that all the decision making of the past 3 games was completely pointless; it has spoiled the series for me and it's a shame because it was amazing up until then. How do Bioware and EA expect to sell the DLC after this is beyond me.… Expand

It's really a shame people give the game a low score just because the last 5 minutes of the game aren't good. You have to review the game has a complete package, the action is the best in the entire trilogy, weapons are much better, the story is very emotional, the war is at grand scale at different places, and every decision you take is crucial to the life of many characters or races. Plus the ending will be fixed, I have hopes that it will be, it was all indoctrination there are so many facts that prove it. We can say a game sucks, just because of a writer or some writers went all weird on the story when the other people that worked hard on other aspects did an excellent job.… Expand

It's great to see a game that allows such a wide range of experiences between people experiencing it.

For instance, I experienced a game where you could choose to have relations with a wide range of characters in cut-scenes, or choose not to, on top of being a well-written epic about war, loss, hope, faith, and human redemption.

Others, somehow, experienced a game where you're forced into gay bondage and have to spend every second of the game staring at naked floppy penises spinning around you like the Wicked Witch during the tornado in The Wizard of Oz.

How two such different experiences can be had from a single video game is breathtaking!… Expand

Having played through several times now, I am adjusting my score down. Whilst there are some brilliant parts of the story the ending is a wimper which makes no sense due to poor programming and writing. I don't care if the 'Extended Cut' pieces some of it together - it is poor finishing and Bioware should be ashamed of their sloppiness.

The cinematic experience of this game is one of the best and most absorbing in any game I have played. The technical accomplishment of this game is limited compared to the sequels and the production was clearly a sequel rather than a progression. The ending was powerful though I can understand how many conisder it a cop-out. This excellent series deserved more because of the high standard it set itself.… Expand

Here we go. My most anticipated game of this year. I have been waiting for this game since Mass Effect 2 mentioned it on its loading screen. I have been playing for 25 hours. I have completed it. From my reviews of the previous Mass Effect games, I highly regard them as one of the greatest Sci-fi stories of this generation and of all time. To make it short, I am a huge fan of this Sci-fi video game series. Mass Effect 3, for the past 4 months, have consumed me with anticipation and hype and I can tell you that for the most part, it was worth it but let me remind you to put emphasis on "the most part". Mass Effect 3 is a great game. The gameplay is the best in the series, the scope and ambition is huge, the story is still great and the characters are still great. All that is probably the big bulk of the game. But I am hesitating to my own surprise. After completing it, I felt completely bitter sweet. It wasn't horrible but It wasn't satisfying. I have read the comments made in this site about the game's ending and how it was a complete let down. From all the the comments, I was still confident that Bioware wouldn't disappoint with the ending of a prolific 3 game trilogy. To my own dismay, the thing that completely prevented me from giving this a 9 or 10 was the ending. It wasn't bad but it gave me such an empty feeling and I didn't like it one bit, especially when I have been lovingly crafting my story ever since the beginning. It felt so abrupt and it made me feel like all my accomplishments from the previous two games and my play through of ME3 inadequate and it left a lot of questions hanging for this series. Maybe its just me. Maybe this is the ending Bioware was planning since the beginning of the game and I wanted a satisfying ending because my Shepard has been working his/her (I have two Shepards) ass off. I wasn't satisfied at all. I have read theories about the ending that made me hopeful but as of now, they're still theories, not facts. The only positive thing that I could say about it is that I have never seen an ending quite like it and doesn't follow the typical Hollywood like ending which made me respect the ambiguity of it. Other than the ending, there are other problems the game suffers from. The dialogue option is very dumbed down to my surprise. If you want a conversation with your squad made on your off time, you only get the option wheels when at certain points of the story. The option wheel is dumbed down as well as I felt there was less dialogue options than in the previous games and the quick time paragon/renegade trigger and the charm/intimidate options are very occasional. All of this makes a very linear story that gives you smaller options on what path you can choose. There are still bugs from the previous games that ME3 suffers from like the random lighting, slow texture resolutions and occasional lag. Oh and the lip-synch is quite off too. The ending is the thing that most people and fans have been complaining about and I agree but unlike most of them who gave this game a straight 0 because of the ending, I still enjoyed this game. I love the story in this game, albeit the bitter sweet ending and it can be very intense, especially when you're doing Priority missions where you gather the entire galaxy for war. The combat is fantastic and will test your strategic skills when having gun fights. The characters are still the characters I know and love from the previous games, some matured from the past 2 games. Garrus is still my loyal sidekick and best friend, Joker is actually at his funniest in this game because I was laughing at his jokes and comments all the time and Liara is still one of my favourite video game heroines. Even when the dialogue option is dumbed down, it was still fun hearing conversations from the npc's. The multiplayer is fun but Mass Effect 3 doesn't really need it and I know that Bioware intended to put multiplayer in the series since the first game. Before I end this review, I should probably mention the one day DLC. I do agree that it is steep in price and felt like a cop out. The mission was absurdly short for a DLC and the character squad mate that you get should have been in the main story but to be honest, I really like the Prothean squad mate. I think he's probably one of the best squad members I have ever recruited because he's pretty much a walking renegade on vengeance mode. Shame you have to buy him (if you bought the game in standard). Overall, this game is really good. It could've been great if not for the bitter sweet, empty pay off it gives you after all your hard work, especially if you've completed the previous games and its limited choices you can make but it's combat, characters and progressing story makes up for it. I'm glad I waited for it and I'm glad that I played it.… Expand

These negative reviews are very strange. I loved the game! It includes a compelling story and much improved gameplay from the past two games. There is so much to do. I could have done without the need for multiplayer to ready the galaxy for battle and the load times can be annoying, but those are minor. Chill out, haters!

Please don't give the game 0/10 because you don't like the DLC. I have no DLC and the game is absolutely incredible, even better than ME2. You want to buy this, you will not regret it!!

One of the better games I've played in the last decade; Mass Effect 3 improves on the other preceding titles in virtually all manners barring some subjective ways others may deem inaccurate or useless. To explain: The combat is much better and smoother, conversations are more realistic and just in general top-notch, the characters both new & old are vastly improved, voice acting (especially from Mark Meer) is vastly superior and the emotion runs high in the story throughout. Most importantly, the story is much better than Mass Effect 2's, although it falls short (barely) of Mass Effect 1. I strongly suggest buying it for these reasons alone, but there is more... The multiplayer, which is unexpected to say the very least, had me underwhelmed when I first saw it disclosed, but when I played the demo, and now in the retail, I have grown to see it as an integral component to the game and like the rest of it is of massive quality. The supplementary "Galaxy at War" is also interesting, if underdeveloped, and I would like to see it improved in future DLC. Lastly, I should mention what I found to be bad: -Animations when taking cover can sometimes glitch and freeze characters or make them look lifeless (i.e. you have full control but while on the wall they don't breath etc) -Some old friends in the textures popping up; this is rare, and happens almost universally after you finish an N7 mission. -I would have liked if it was more difficult, it's easy (to an extent) for a gamer of my skill (Average, possibly slightly above-average). -A few plot holes, easily forgivable given their minimal impact/enjoyable repercussions Other than those small gripes, the game is outstanding, and is well worth the price of the retail and even the Collector's edition; if you own an Xbox or PC (I do not recommend for Playstation due to lack of Mass Effect 1) you owe it to yourself to play -experience- Mass Effect 3 for yourself. Don't listen to the 10's who blindly love the game, or the reds/0's who give their gripes with EA/Bioware/DLC as reasons for hate, carefully evaluate what the critics say and compare it with a rental or a purchase; I promise you will not regret it… Expand

Great game. Picked up ME 2 just to finish another toon. I was a little leery at first and I almost jumped on the boycott wagon. I thought for myself and managed to snag a CE. Loving it. Combat is dynamic. Lots of room to improvise. MP is also a blast. If you are a fan of the series pick this up if you haven't already. Oh and ignore the troll reviews. It was a raid done for the lulz only.

I am a fan of Mass Effect since 2007,and i have to say,Mass Effect 3 is not only my favorite of the trilogy,its probably my favorite game of this generation.Great graphics,amazing sound effects and soundtrack,the gameplay is fun and exciting,espetacular story and characters.Don't listen to those haters,Mass Effect 3 is an unforggetable,near perfect experience.One of the very few games that i actually cried (that only happen with me on 2 other games,Zelda Ocarina of Time and Metal Gear Solid 4).The multiplayer(which i was against it) is amazingly fun.But the best thing about ME3 is easily its story and characters,and both are one of the best i ever seen in gaming.Its an must buy game and trilogy.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. First let me say that this is a great series and until the last 10 minutes of the game, this was the best game in the series. Most of the game really felt like a fitting end to the series. The gameplay is amazing, the visuals are stunning, and this game provokes more feeling in the player than any game(or book or movie for that matter) I've ever experienced. You make choices that allow people to sacrifice themselves, and you care about these characters. You are filled with hope and despair, joy and sadness, all at the right places. Then there is the ending. I won't say anything specific about what happens at the end, but I still checked the box for spoilers because even what I will say will be considered spoilers by many. None of your choices mattered. There are three endings and which you get or are successful are all based on your Effective Military Strength number. What's worse is that the endings aren't even functionally different. They destroy the ME universe and the franchise. I felt completely numb after finishing the series for a while and then the anger started to grow. The one good thing I can say about the ending is that there is a movement to change it so we might end up getting the ending we deserve.… Expand

Both good and bad. Plenty of settings to keep noobs and experts happy. The problem with this game though is that at points you can run round aimlessly and the pace is so slow it's really annoying, but then the game steps up everal gears and the pace becomes frenetic. The biggest gripe however are the endings, despite having 3 on offer, no matter which you chose, 90% of the ending is EXACTLY THE SAME.… Expand

Mass Effect 3 is still a great game, however, it falls short in the end. There are some great additions, and just a little too many subtractions. I love the way the guns sound and 'hit' in this game, that was a great little mod. They got rid of 'heavy' weapons except in certain plot points, also nice. You can actually carry all weapons, and not just a select few according to your class, nice. Biotic powers are great as well, love the new sounds and moves. Sprinting is essentially unlimited, which is more realistic, especially for a cybernetically altered soldier like Shepard. They slimmed down the 'scanning for resources' minigame, definitely better. Did away with the silly hacking minigames and just showing the omni-tool animation, this is cool too. So all said and done the gameplay is improved on almost all levels. Love that they brought Ashley/Kaiden back. Sucked not to have a romance option in Mass Effect 2. However their interactions with Shepard could of been a little more. More is always better when it comes to character development, especially when it comes to romances in a world where you're all set to be the savior of the galaxy. Shepard needs something 'real' to fight for. They do have Shepard say this, just wanted more interaction is all.

Now for the bad. It feels like a lot of the dialog choices were taken away. Way too many instances where there is only 'good' and 'evil' selections. That 'neutral' option is needed sometimes because it just fits better. Rarely any 'paragon' or 'renegade' choices (the blue and red text ones) to use in the dialog as well. The graphics still suck in a lot of places though. Don't know why they couldn't of fixed this somehow. The textures are blurry and lackluster for almost all 'clothing' in the game. The armors are mostly great, but anybody who isn't wearing any has a skewed look to them.

Day 1 DLC, honestly I could care less. I bought the collector's edition so it came with the game. I paid more money yes, but so what ? I like this game and didn't mind shelling out for it. The story is still great, though like many others I'm not in love with the ending either. I won't sit here and say they should come out with DLC to 'fix' it. It's not so terrible that it ruins the entire game. However I will say that the game would of received a rating of 9 from me had it ended somewhere closer to what I would of liked to see happen. Sorry.

All in all, still a great game, but arguably so.… Expand

Fantastic game and it's pathetic marking low just because of the ending. You are looking at the game as an overall product. Resistance 3 was a great game but the ending sucked and that didn't have the scale and scope of ME3. This is an impressive achievement thank you Bioware

**** aside this a fantastic game. The graphics are beautiful, gameplay is some of best third person shooter controls I've played next to Gears of War and the soundtrack is spot on. Voice acting is great too but he writing can be a bit cheesy. The new multiplayer mode is also surprisingly brilliant. Probably the best survival mode I've played in a game yet. That being said the game's not without it's problems. Day one DLC is never a good thing and it cut's out a very important part of the story. The fact that most controls are on the A button is kinda awkward too, I found myself taking cover or rolling over and over when trying to revive a teammate and then have them bleed out on me. The biggest problem I have with the game is the ending and I'm sure my fellow Mass Effect fans will agree. Everything story-wise up until the last 10 minutes is fantastic. But then the ending kicks in. Without spoiling it all I can say it's a confusing, plothole-filled mess that kinda just says **** you" to all your decisions in the past games and only gives you one conclusion but with a different colour. Bioware have said they're listening to feedback over the ending so here's hoping to some future DLC that will resolve everything.… Expand

'm not a big fan of Mass Effect 3's ending. I thought it was convoluted and anticlimactic for anticlimatic's sake. Though a lot of about the ending actually does work. I loved the fade out while I was rushing down to the last destroyer with my brother's in arms. I loved the fade in to Shephard badly injured and slowly walking towards her/his destiny awaiting him/her deep inside of The Citadel. I loved Anderson and Shepard communicating for opposite ends of The Citadel discussing what was going on. The long walk way up into The Illusive Man's secret hideout. It was all very atmospheric and epic and kind of beautiful. I thought the paragon/rendegade prompts were good as well during the "standoff". And I actually liked the twist that the little boy was The Catalyst. But the 3 choices he gives you were indeed pretty lame. And the lack of exposition following said decision was just plain bad. You can't end a game that encompasses over 140 hours of gameplay and millions of decisions made by the player with just 3 crew members walking off of the Normandy and just cut to the credits....EVEN IF you're planning on releasing DLC. There is a lot of room for criticism for that horrible decision made by whoever at Bioware that made it. I can't believe that ending got all the way to the final product. Its actually kind of sad. But, it DID NOT ruin the game or the series for me. Because it wasn't the fact that Shephard was destined to die (or not...we still don't know do we) that actually is kind of good when you think about it. Its life. Sometimes no matter what decisions you make you can't fight your fate and what is going to be is just going to be. Your destiny is something you must embrace. Which is why I chose the middle option and made Shephard sacrifice herself. Yes, HERSELF. Female Shephard is a MILLION TIMES better than male Shephard and I'm a dude. From the voice acting (Jennifer Hale is amazing and the guy voices male Shepard is very boring) to character design she is just so much more fun to play with. Seriously if you haven't played the games thru with Fem Shep you are doing yourself a HUGE disservice as I have found the game way better controlling her. But back to 3, the game is incredible. There are so many jaw-dropping moments and sheer brilliance (if you haven't played thru with the From Ashes DLC you are missing out on what I find to be the best addiction to the game - Javik and his story). The improvements in shooting and offensive strategy are borderline limitless. And I had a remarkable experience playing the game. To think someone can really give this game a 0-5 based off the ENDING ALONE is proposterous. Are you guys really even Mass Effect fans? Or narcissists?… Expand

Are you kidding me?.. This game is AWESOME! it is different from the others and that's ok. Bioware manages to inject newness into a stellar franchise, at first i was a bit annoyed with the imported facial features being updated, but im begining to realize how awesome that feature is also, it allows the game to have an updated older feel for my Shepard. Bioware has certainly done it again! AMAZING game!!! Why so many zeros, i have no clue but there seems to be some sort of battle going on here. Definately a 10!… Expand

I bought the game at midnight and played it solid until about 10am, thats because the story and writting is just so damn good that I want to see what happens next. I haven't beaten it yet, and while I know alot of people have I am trying to enjoy it and do the side missions, and the fetch quests, and really take in the Final chapter of Commander Shepard and his crew. Point being this game is EXTREMELEY fun and takes care of the true fans and new comers alike. If you loved ME 1, 2, then you owe your self to see this through. Those that are bad mouthing this game seemed to be expecting a pure run and gun action game and nor a RPG. Once more, play this game and see what an amazing feeling it is to see choices you made in 2007 (ME 1), 2010 (ME 2) and now come to an Epic close. Have fun!!!… Expand

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

Don't listen to the haters. Either they're crybabies over, not getting a CE, the day one DLC "From Ashes", or they overreacted to the leaked ending WITHOUT ever playing through the game from the start themselves. Which is nearly guaranteed since the video leaks happened a week or two before release anyway.

This is a fitting conclusion to an EPIC trilogy, and it closes well enough. Obviously, you can't please everyone! Yet I think I writers did a good a job bringing it to life. For a saga as huge as Mass Effect, They came through. If the whiners can write a better story, then go, stop whining, and MAKE YOUR OWN DAMN GAME. Since ME3 wasn't good enough for your amazing tastes, and they are so much more talented than the people that make these games anyway... ;)… Expand

This game is amazing. Easily one one the very best games I've ever had the great pleasure of playing.The story is absolutely one of the best,and it's really a shame that people who are giving it bad reviews are mainly doing so because of the day one DLC but instead their missing out on one of the greatest games this generation. Hell, their missing out on one of the greatest games ever made period. If you have reservations cast them aside and play the game for yourself. you don't even need the DLC(which I've played) because it's not relevant to the main story. I can personally guarantee that if you love the old star wars, star trek, and battlestar galacticca this game will absolutely blow you away. Oh, and people a 1 or 2 is for a game that isn't even playable grow up or shut up. Thank you.… 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.

Story: Mass Effect 3's plot has a good pacing and can pull the right emotional strings. Nearly all of the trilogy's plot points are resolved in a satisfying manner, the character's plot pleased me as well. You will witness the consequences of your past decisions. The dialogues are better than ever. There is some automatic dialogue, but only in places where it serves the flow of the conversation, and it never is important or changes your character against your will. Only one thing bothers me in the story department: The ending could have used more build-up, the choices presented seem contrived, there are some illogical aspects. The ending is neither well-written nor satisfying. It doesn't kill the story, but yes, the ending isn't good. Gameplay: Combat is better than ever. Rolls, heavy melee, grenades and new powers benefit the fights greatly. The character system is deep and allows for more customization than any of the predecessors. The weapon system gained depth to, allowing for many upgrades, while never being as clunky as ME1 about it. The new scanning is actually fun, no comparision to the Mako or planet scanning. There is more variety in quests, some interesting boss battles and enemies that requires different tactical approaches. My only gripe here is the quest-log. It is quite confused, mission description are often very unclear. And rolling needs some practice.
Technical aspects: The voice acting is phenomenal, the music is great, the graphics are good. Some animations are a bit off, but mostly they are fine. I only encountered one big bug, regarding my face import. Irritating, but i can live with it.
So there are some minor inconveniences and a bad ending to a game that is utterly perfect in nearly every regard. 9/10 points.… Expand

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.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. First, I have to say that this a very entertaining game to play and I highly recommend it to Mass Effect fans. That said, there are a few issues with the game. Most of this review is **** about the stuff I would like changed, but it really is a great game. There are SPOILERS below.

I would have really appreciated having a Krogan squadmate. Not that big of a deal, but disappointing.

There are a lot fewer conversations choices in this game, specifically the Blue Paragon choices and Red Renegade choices. I did all side missions and spoke with everyone I could after every priority mission and I got maybe a dozen Blue/Red choices and freaking four of them were at the end. Several times your conversations with your squadmates is just said without any choices whatsoever. The whole Tali issue with not showing her face and getting a crappy stock photo really pisses me off. I was really hoping for a big pay off with getting the Geth and the Quarians to cease hostilities. When Tali takes off her mask for the first time on Rannoch, BAM! That is where we should have seen her face. But no.

The Endings (the three that I have seen) are all kind of lackluster and similar. I brokered peace with the Geth, why do I have to destroy all sentient life (including EDI) to destroy the Reapers? Why does the Normandy always crash land on some planet? What the hell were they running from? Why do the Mass Relays have to be destroyed? If you choose the middle Ending (Synthesis), why does Joker not go,"WTF? Why am I turning green?" Why does Shepherd flash back to Joker, Anderson, Liara, and no one else (especially if you didn't romance Liara)? Can we get some kind of epilogue that tells us what happened to all our people? Such a let down after a great series of games.… Expand

This game will be remembered for a long time for all the polemic that did. But I need to say something to all the fans: "This is a excellent saga, a excellent game and maybe we are not satisfied with the end but you will be agreed with me that you love the characters, the history and all the universe of Mass Effect".
For me and for too many fans around the world, Mass Effect is one of the better sagas of video games until now. Long live to Commander Shepard.… Expand

The Mass Effect trilogy receives it's latest and last chapter. After starting up the game I immediately noticed big differences. You have 'less say' in the dialogue options. Comparing it to Mass Effect 1 it's a huge leap backwards. Why would you take away something that made the first one so great?! Don't get me wrong, you still have times where you have to choose between outcome A or B, and believe me when I say that those choices are immensely difficult, that because you realy care about the characters and story... also Mass Effect 3 hugely improved on the combat system, it's near perfect. You realy enjoy using the weapons and powers to take town hordes of enemies... this all on a great galactic scale while explosion and reaper invasion-sounds hurl around you. Epic, I'd say. The Multiplayer has this great combat aswel, minus the epicness that you get in the single-player ofc. ... After having several friends telling me the ending is completely out of place... I finally got to the end. I have to say, it's not THAT bad... It's still epic and the climax is there! ... but I do have to agree, it gives no closure on Shepard or everyone else around him/her. Mass Effect 3 is a great game, you notice the hard labor that Bioware made for making this title, and the Original Score + the graphical design and presentation makes this one hell of a trip into the sci-fi universe of Mass Effect. So all in all, I know the ending could've been much better, but since EA announced they will give us more closure in the near future, I believe it will make this game jump that one step higher on my personal scoreboard.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I have been a fan of the M.E. universe since the beginning, and this game it the jewel on the crown!! I cant believe all the negative reviews!! #1 WHO CARES if the game doesn't recall every little decision youve ever made in ME 1 &2!! Honestly! it concludes the story that matters DEFEATING THE DAMN REAPERS which is the main focus throughout all of the series! #2 this story picks up shortly after the 2nd one ends...maybe if a few more people actually played through and payed attention to all of the cinematic and cut-scenes they would realize that. #3 The graphics engine and overall game-play are extremely well polished! The game does an amazing job of making you feel the weight and pressure of your choices and the task at hand....if you fail...everyone in the galaxy dies.... I think if people stopped criticizing the fact that "ME3 didn't remember the fact that I banged Miranda last game" and actually let themselves fall into the depth of the story, they would realize that it actually makes you feel like your making a difference or failing the galaxy.... I thoroughly enjoyed the game and still a loyal fan..I cant wait to see what the future of the ME universe holds. Long live Bioware!… Expand

Some of you people need to grow up with your 0's. Obviously this game is not getting a 0 It makes you people looks childish.
Anyway---another great installment in the series, if you liked the others you will surely enjoy the third.

This is a great game. The ending is fantastic; brilliant actually. This game is a continuation and culmination of the story of Mass Effect 1 and 2, which has remained consistent and well told from the very first moments of ME1. All the ending requires of the player is that you as a player engage a little bit of your own depth and intellectual curiosity. If you are unable to engage those qualities, than you have bigger problems than being dissatisfied with the ending of the greatest space saga of the last 30 years. There are some minor flaws in my mind; forcing the player into "multiplayer", you really have to. And also some of the 'enhanced' cover mechanics are buggy, and don't work as they should. BUT it is still a great game and without a doubt will be looked at by future generations as a seminal work of fiction in the early 21st century.… Expand

Mass Effect 3 provides a stunning end to the trilogy. The voice acting is top-notch, and the attention to details of previous installments is gratifying (if you've imported your Shephard). The game looks great and the combat is more streamlined from ME2, with a much needed heavy melee option. The story is very well done, and wraps everything up quite nicely. Definitely worth the wait.

This is a great game. Visually it is a masterpiece. Content wise I too was disappointed with how short the game is and that includes release date DLC--which is a complete and utter rip off move. ME2 was by far the most fun of the series, but ME3 still delivers. And despite what the whiners say, the ending was a satisfactory conclusion to a great trilogy. My only real complaint is that the game is too short. ME2 felt much more open for exploration, whereas ME3 is much more limited and closed off. I also wish there was more continuity between ME2 and ME3. All those characters I devoted so much time into building relationships with were mostly chucked within the first 10 hours of ME3. Ultimately though, I wish more games were like Mass Effect 3. Except for the release day DLC. That's a total dbag move.… Expand

I went into this game extremely sceptical and critical because of the last game, which I hated. But I am happy to say that ME3 has made me a believer again. Its took me about a week to get through it all, and I still miss the deeper RPG elements, and planet exploration from ME1, but at the same time, I gotta admit, ME3 actually does feel like a return to form in many ways, and now that it can stand on its own two feet as a solid Third Person shooter comparable to GoW, its actually a pretty fun game. In fact it can get quite tactical on the harder difficult settings, due to the much smarter A.I. So game-play wise I was impressed.

As for the ending, I quite liked it. It was a bit ambiguous, left open to interpretation, perhaps even too vague for some, but at the same time it did actually end, and thankfully, it wasnt your fan service, typical Hollywood ending in which everyone rides flies off into the sunset together. Instead it ended with some pretty big metaphysical questions about the purpose and evolution of life. So I was satisfied with the finality of it all, even if smaller individual questions didn't quite get the attention that some fans feel they deserved. Personally though, most of the story and characters arcs that I cared about did come to a conclusion during the course of the game, before the final push, so I didnt feel like there was much else left unanswered that bothered me. And really, the revelation at the end didn't leave much room for the smaller concerns. The bigger picture took priority.

I think the developers set out to make the ending, open-ended. To encourage fans to examine the various endings and creatively discuss their meanings. Problem is, it seems many fans wanted a more closed ending. A final CGI cutscene with black and white conclusion to their personalised story, so that they wouldn't have to spend any more time pondering what it all meant. But that ending would have left less room for fan creativity and hypothesis. Which in my book would have been an uninteresting ending, because sci-fi is supposed to be about stimulating the imagination. Having said that, they probably could have done better with the final couple of scenes and individualised them a bit more to represent one of the three choices that we made.
But anyway, I liken the endings to 2001 A Space Odyssey, not in content or context, but in the way that the individual viewer (gamer) makes of it what he will. I.E. the ending is only limited by the scope of our own imagination.

Still peeved off about the day 1 dlc though, and all the weapons and armour DLC cut out of the game for use in other promotions. Also there seems to be a couple of achievements I cant get because they require online play. Oh and the MP component was pretty pointless, since i'll never play it again. Wished they had spent more time on SP content instead.… Expand

are you people serious....the only reason this game is getting zero is because of homophobes who don't even want the option for same sex relationships...and whiners who are still butthurt from the day 1 dlc thing...i agree its stupid...but a game dosen't deserve a zero just for that...especially if you never played it

Everybody needs to take a chill pill. Don't bash the game because of personal opinion towards subjects unrelated to the game's final product. The point of a User Review isn't to complain about a company, its about to rate a game so potential buyers know what they're getting themselves into.

Anyway, I think the game is solid, but is the weakest in the series. However, that isn't saying much since i'd give the last two games 10/10's. Mass Effect 3 really is a great game with a breathtaking storyline, but it missed the mark in terms of how innovative the game truly could have been. The differences between the first and second games were huge. So many things had changed for the better, and, in my opinion, some things had been changed for the worst. Instead of correcting mistakes made previously in Mass Effect 2, EA chose to use an almost identical mold for the third game. The potential of learning from the first and second games' mistakes was virtually ignored. I suppose in the end though, the game was fun and it was worth the buy. I just they did more with it. As for the dreaded ending that everybody is up in arms about, it isn't as bad as people claim it to be. The game's grand finale is whatever you make of it. Chances are it wont end the way you had imagined it would and therefore you might not like it. The fact of the matter is, the developers designed an ending that they believed was appropriate. Whether or not you accept that is up to you. I didn't think it was all that bad. The Pros:
+4 Points for a great story
+2 Points for solid gameplay
+2 Point for the new multiplayer

The Cons:
-1 Point for lack of originality
-1 Point for using the Mass Effect 2 formula… Expand

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.

Never before has a game trilogy come together like this, the story is epic the gameplay is refined, and the scale is unlike the biggest blockbuster hits. Some of the side quests can be a little silly and there are some technical bumps but they don't distract from the main, amazing experience.

After the first of this series, I was hooked. The Mass Effect franchise was the thing a cared about most in video games, and I was not disappointed with ME3. The game starts off quick and hooks you immediately and the story progresses as fast or a slow as you want it to depending on how many of the side quests you partake in. Some of the side quests did feel boring but the boring ones were quick, so the gripe is a small one. But the priority missions are where its at, there insanely fun and none of the missions disappointed me. There are three main enemies in this game, each diverse and different from one another (Cerberus, Geth, and of course the Reapers). The multi-player is fun and a great little edition, this is still very much a single player game though. And despite what most people are saying, in my opinion the decisions you made in ME2 and the original do impact your game. If you expected them to have a massive impact then I guess you'll be disappointed, but it does affect the way certain characters treat you, and which characters carry on into Mass Effect 3. Another complaint I keep hearing about is the ending, I could see where people would complain about the ending of ME3, but I thought it was a beautiful way to end the series. The ending would have been more well received if Mass Effect 3 was a movie, because its not your typical video game ending in any way shape or form. Aside from some short but boring side quests there is one more gripe, you will often times find yourself rolling instead of jumping in and out of cover, this for me was really annoying and is pretty much the reason why I'm giving the game a 9 instead of a 10. But overall, this was a fantastic way to end the series and I was not disappointed in the least, a must buy in my opinion.… Expand

First thing's first: Mass Effect 3's ending is truly awful. I won't go into detail as to why because a simple Google search will yield about a million articles on the subject; just know it's pretty bad. Unfortunately, some people have gone so far as to claim the ending makes the game worthless, and I disagree with that. For the most part, the game is amazing. It has by far and away the most personal moments of the series and ties up some sub-plots wonderfully (Mordin's comes to mind). The combat is also really fun, although sometimes the level design is a little clunky. Really, the only criticism I have of the game besides the ending is the overwhelming amount of automatic dialog. It should also be noted that because of this, playing as a true Renegade might be impossible. Overall, Mass Effect 3 is a terrific game with one gargantuan flaw. I admit the ending is so bad I once considered never playing the series again, but after bringing myself back down to Earth a little, I have realized that reaction was ridiculous. It's still the same great trilogy it always was; you just gotta forget about the last 10 minutes.… Expand

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

To say that Mass Effect 3's ending is polarising would be a great understatement. You either love it or hate it. That said, the ending does not render the rest of the journey null and void. The 30-odd hours it'll take your Shepard to reach the conclusion of this game rank amongst the most memorable experiences in gaming history. Wonderfully fleshed-out characters, beautiful alien worlds and a rich universe have always been trademarks of the series... and the ending does little to diminish the fact that the Mass Effect trilogy is one of the best sci-fi properties ever created. Films such as Star Wars, Star Trek and Alien have crafted amazing worlds... but none have allowed you to create your own place in the universe quite like Bioware's trilogy.… Expand

My favorite part of the trilogy. Had high hopes and it delivered in almost every aspect. It's amazing to see all the various stories, conflicts and character arcs started in ME1 5 years ago get proper resolutions

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.

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

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

A stunning spectacle of modern entertainment. Not only do you get to wrap up many key plots that have emerged within this fantastic trilogy, but the ending itself is a sight to behold. They forego the trappings of a modern WRPG, sacrificing all past choices, and giving you a hard hitting, lucid ending, instead. I can see more than a little 2001: A Space Odyssey, and more than enough Deus Ex influences, which, overall, help the ending immensely. I wouldn't recommend it above any other.

Hold The Line. Keep ME3 the way it is.… Expand

Okay, NOW I realize why people would be disappointed, though I disagree with those saying the game is god awful. Yes, EA monetized the crap out of this game, but that's no where the game fails, that's just bad business practice of the publisher funding the game's development. First, the positives. The combat has been refined and is pretty much as good as it can get at this point, although the new weight system hits infiltrators and non-power based classes REALLY hard. So I have to pick between having all my guns and almost never being able to use Adrenaline Rush now? That's stupid! (Wow, this got negative fast). That negative aside, the AI has been improved and enemy variety and behaviour has improved significantly, it's just slightly irritating most of the time it's cerberus and not the Reapers you're fighting (How did Cerberus build an army of millions in barely half a year, when they're known as a terrorist organisation?). Weapon modding is back and now it also has a visual effect as well as a gameplay effect, which is cool. It's not as deep as ME1's weapon modding system, but it spares us of that horrible inventory system and combined with ammo powers it integrates very well into the gameplay. Also, we get more gun variety and armour variety, which is always a good thing. So essentially combat is much better than before, so why is this game only a 7? It's Mass Effect! It should like a 9 or a 10, right? Well, unfortunately here are many negatives that hold this game back. The intro is boring and sloppy, especially compared to ME2. The reason is one, no dramatic opening and two, a crap ton of auto-dialogue (I'll be getting to that in a minute, believe me). As I'm re-familiarizing myself with the game mechanics I can't get invested into the story because in order to get invested into the story I must have reasonable knowledge of the game mechanics. Placing a major plot point at the time of a tutorial is probably the worst thing you can do with the intro. ME2 did this right, where I only had to run and move the camera in a controlled environment, so I could get invested in the story. The more advanced mechanics were saved for later when nothing as important was happening. The next negative is auto-dialogue, and it's over abundance. WHY? WHY WOULD YOU PUT IN LOADS OF AUTO-DIALOGUE IN A GAME BASED AROUND DIALOGUE CHOICES? That makes NO sense and just robs the player of the feeling that their Shepard is really theirs, and destroys immersion and the freedom the player previously experienced. The next negative is the abandonning of the build-up of ME1 and ME2, specifically Harbinger and the Dark matter plot. For those that don't know, ME3 was supposed to have a plot that revolved around dark matter but was abandoned for the whole "Synthetic vs Organic" thing. This leaves returning players confused as to what's going on and de-means the previous games. Not good. As for Harbinger, he was clearly set-up as the main villain in ME2, why reduce him to a glorified heavy hitter at the end? WHY? Everyone was looking forward to confronting the Harbinger why rob us of that? More abandonning of the build-up of the previous games. So second from last we have the problem that the story itself is more linear and interrupts and dialogue choices don't affect a conversation like they used to. They are generally just there for flavour and that's it now, which a shame considering how genius interrupts were as a concept and how well ME2 did them. And now to everyones favourite part, the ending. Where to begin... Well, even with the EC (Extended cut) it makes ZERO sense, and completely contradicts the themes of the Mass Effect franchise. It's disgusting. Your choices don't matter (As if EMS made your choices matter anyway LOL) apart from this one final choice and they don't even commit to Shepard dying. The EC provides the bare minimum character closure required and closes a few plotholes but it ends up trading them for more plotholes so it really is not much better and the character closure has been done before and BETTER with Dragon Age: Origins. Now THAT was an ending. This game is still very solid and enjoyable even if it is has some serious flaws. It still has those "Magic Mass Effect" moments, and the characters are as cool and well-written as ever (Apart from Vega) with their arcs coming full circle now, but compared to the other two ME games it doesn't even come close to reaching their levels of greatness. There are other complaints, such as the shafting of the ME2 cast, and a lot of fridge logic moments, and the fetch quests, but I could keep going for hours. All you need to know is this game is solid, but if you were expecting an amazing finale, prepare to be disappointed.… 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

Its astonishing how many trolls and whiny little kids there are on this website crying about stuff that is minor at best. This game is nothing less than the end to the most Epic Space Trilogy of all time. The campaign kept me hooked from the moment the game took off and the story was spectacular. Now I know the nerds and trolls are going to bash the crap out of me for whatever I'm going to say or think, but I'm going to tell you the God's honest truth and break down the hate for this game. Firstly The Ending: I personally believe that the ending was fantastic and really left me feeling overwhelmed by my accomplishments and I felt sad for the characters that I grew so fond of in ME2 that died. The game left you with a real sense of drama and fulfillment. Now to address the hate, the most common thing I see written is that the 3 endings are too similar and do not show enough variation. The problem I have with this is these people that say this, I know 100% have either replayed only the last mission 3 times or have data mined the game on PC and watched the cut-scenes. Why do you people not understand that when you spoil the endings like that for yourself you are setting yourself up for supreme disappointment. If you legitimately played through the entire game and didn't skip conversations and really built upon the amazing character backgrounds then you would have loved the ending and really appreciated the way things left off. â… Expand

When I first started playing this game I hated it, it felt to me like Bioware had sold out in order to make more people com to the series so they could make the most money, I thought this because Shepard did most of the talking and you only had one or two chances to choose a response, but that was just the opening moments and after the first hour or two you begin to realize that this is still your story, your choices matter, and this is one of the greatest games of all time, it's true Shepard will do a lot of the talking, but you'll still get to make the big decisions in the conversation that define you as the main character, they just get the small talk out of the way so you can make the real decisions, and while I don't want to see that happening anymore in future Bioware games it just works for some reason here, and speaking of decisions you have some extremely tough ones to make, every choice you make truly effects the galaxy, and it kept me more emotionally invested in it than any other game ever has, and every choice you made in the first two Mass Effect games including the DLC come back here to either help or haunt you, and that truly makes the fact that this is your story all the more believable, and the relationships you've made through the first two games affect this one in such an emotional and powerful ways I can't help but love this, you'll find yourself falling in love with the characters all over again, and you'll also love the new characters just as much, another thing that puts this game above every other is the fact that this game captures the feeling of all out galactic warfare like no other game has, the battles are intense and truly give you the feeling of fighting in a war, and every decision you make carries wait and affects the war like no other game has, the combat is tight but not the tightest, basically it's no Gears of War in the combat, I'd even say that combat was smoother in Mass Effect 2, but it's far better then the first Mass Effect, and it is still addicting and fun to kill enemies, and the ending, while most people are complaining about it, I personally liked mine, granted I would have rather walked of happily with Tali off into the sunset and lived happily ever after with my friends, but it's still emotional and leaves a lot open for other games in this series, and hopefully more DLC and sequels (bring Shepard back please!), and the ending and the scene after the credits just brought a lot of question I need answered, it also has some fantastic multiplayer (similar to Gears of War's horde mode) that ties in well to the campaign, it does have some issues like one or two plot holes, glitches, it's not going top please newcomers all that much, and one or two other issues, but after playing this emotional masterpiece I can't help but give it a 10 out of 10, and when I think about this game and how it does things that no other game has ever done and I doubt ever will the issues mean nothing, this is truly a masterpiece and I'm just going to come out and say it the greatest game I've ever played, oh yeah and this is also the best looking game I've ever seen, it has some of the craziest moments and awesome set pieces that put the Call of Duty series to shame, and the voice acing is phenomenal, a true masterpiece and one of, if not the greatest game/games of all time, and a must play for fans.… 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

Mass Effect 3 is probably the best game in the series and deserves nothing less than a 10 on a rating scale.the Graphics are superb,and the story is top notch,and let's not forget about the awesome musical score that keeps you're heart pumping and the controller going crazy in you're hands.I know this review is very late,but I wanted to wait until all the bugs were addressed with patches before I give my final review.also the multi-player is awesome and a great addition to an already awesome game.too all you Trolls on here giving ME3 awful reviews,get over you're BS and stop bashing this game.… Expand

Two points off for two flaws, there is almost no exploration and the ending is crap. The rest of the game is fantastic, especially Tali's mission. Got to love Tali.

Unbelievable gameplay just as in the first two installments. Felt like I was reading a book, watching a movie, and playing a game simultaneously. Always good. My opinion of this game has hit all sides of the spectrum, but in the end the truth is realized. This is a truly spectacular game/story/epic. While the ending may be questionable, one cannot discount the spectacularity this title contains.

Please don't hate me: I give this game a 10 because 99% of Mass Effect 3 is amazing and I'm certain that BioWare will inevitably come to their senses and fix the broken 1%.

As to all of you who love Mass Effect but give low Metacritic scores just to get back at BioWare for the ending, just give it a 9, and then say it was because of the ending that you didn't give it a 10.

The gameplay (i.e. combat) is good. The graphics are amazing. The presentation and story is bad. Sidequests involve either flying somewhere and shooting Cerberus people in a combat zone, or using the Galaxy map to scan planets. That's it - scan planets. You don't actually VISIT the planets, you just scan them, which allows to to magically recover artifacts, and rescue entire races. By pressing the scan button. These sidequests are picked up by eavesdropping on people's conversations in the Citadel (which, by the way, is the ONLY hub in the entire game... funny how everyone wants to meet you on the Citadel - there's nowhere else to go). "Hey dude, heard you talking on the phone to your buddy, saying you needed an antidote to a Reaper poison... I just happened to travel to a planet, and bring you back the antidote... here ya go." "Orly? Thats... awfully convenient... thanks?" You do get to meet your allies from Mass Effect 2, but it's more like "Oh hey Grunt/ Samara/ Jacob, how're things? What's that, you'd like me to kill some stuff for you? Sure. OK, we've killed all the stuff... guess I'll catch you later." It is nice to see how small decisions from ME1/2 played out, but you only really get to see it in small ways, like extranet messages. And finally, the ending seems to have been written by someone with no grasp of concepts like "logic", and is probably the most unsatisfying experience I've ever had with a franchise I used to love. Oh, and the DLC? With ME2, DLC like Shadow Broker was great since it added to the game and expanded on the universe and the characters - this Leviathan DLC is basically pointless for people who have finished the game. In short, the game looks great, but really disappoints - the polar oppoosite to the game that started it off, the first Mass Effect.… Expand

I know that they are those that were disappointed by the ending they got. There were in fact 7 different endings and the options you had for the ending was based on your military readiness when you went into battle, as well as choices you made in the game. Yes, all the endings did leave unanswered questions, and it was not the classic storybook ending we seem to expect in games, books, and movies today. You know, the heroes hugging and high-fiving each other and walking into the victoriously into sunset. However, I credit Bioware for doing something outside of the standard â… Expand

The graphics are better. There are more RPG elements: The power progression is more interesting, the weapon load out allows for more variations while being constrained by weight, the shops sell more interesting items, and you must dominate the whole universe against the enemy onslaught. The acting is just as superb if not better; perhaps the full body animations are better. The fighting is intense. In almost every way this game is an enhancement upon its predecessors. The only problem I've encountered was in the import of my character which I played from ME1 through ME2: I had to re-customize the characters facial features as they didn't import correctly. I'm sure this will be rectified, but it's a rude goof that only effects the most long term of fans. This game is awesome in every other way. It goes beyond AAA standards.… 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

I gotta say, this is my favorite Mass Effect so far, except for the last 5 minutes.The ending of this series is so incredibly cheesy and half baked. Honestly this game is a perfect 10 for me, but the ending is horrible. Just have your sibling play the end for you and assume that Sheperd died saving humanity from the reapers, because you will feel so much better about the series if you do.

This was a very mixed experience, i understand what other people are talking about, there isn't much to criticize about the core gameplay, maybe the fact that the encounters feel very triggered, step right in and boom, enemies pop and now you need to kill em. Repeat this but change the enemy composition. Made me feel bit like dragon age 2 where i felt there was a great spot for an enemy encounter and whoops there it was every single time. There really didn't exist that much choice in the dialogue. You pretty much got all you wanted eventually no matter which way you wanted it. And for the side quests, well i just ended up eavesdropping, and then delivering stuff to people who i happened to pass by and had an indicator on em. I felt i was being held by hand. And everyone wanted to get in bed with me it seemed. But i spent a good 28 hours on the game, and don't think i will more.… Expand

Ok, I played all three games for the first time in the span of three weeks. ME3 was hardly terrible, but I can see why it seems like a major disappointment to the fanboys since ME2 was such a leap beyond the seriously-flawed ME1? Expectations were ridiculously high. The gameplay was fine, and the looting not tedious and meaningless. I suppose the passive quest selecting took time to get used to. The bosses were adequate. The visuals and audio were trouble-free on my PC version. The gay stuff might have been off-putting to some - sorry, the signs were there in the first two games so it just seemed like a natural Ἱευ Expand

As with the first the first two titles,Mass Effect 3's strength lies in its story,universe and characters.Though the combat elements have improved,the series will never be remembered for it.Some RPG elements have returned but there seemed to be far less choices,renegade/paragon qte's and exploration in this game which is disappointing.Also the new secondary mission structure was in turn,repetitve,boring and at times confusing with all missions jammed into a single list.Side missions consist of scanning for stuff,then returning it to the Citadel or gaining War Assets.How dull...As for the multiple endings,it pains me to state that the endings I've experienced are totally unsatisfactory.The final choices are little different and game quickly ends without giving real closure.A minute or two worth of cutscene is a disgrace.I gave the first two games 10.Despite the excellent lore,characters and dialogue,as well as the good combat,this one is not getting that.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Ahh, Mass Effect 3, kinda like England's Marmite Love it or Hate it (excluding or include the rubbish ending). Generally, I thought the ending was a random ''punch in the face'' to all of us ME fans, the fact that the decisions we made in ME and ME2 didn't create as much as an expected extreme impact to establish the worth of this game. I was literally so angry when I did more research into the endings and the extended ones, they were fine, but even the Ex. cut left too many plot holes, story line inconsistencies, Bioware probably decided to rush this game for a full year only, it took them to make ME1 (for 3 years app.) and ME2 for 2 and half good estimated years. Whatever happened to originality in the rich trilogy, had been likely decimated by Bioware's methods of adding no sense into not telling us SPECIFICALLY who created the Crucible? Which cycles started it? Where did the Leviathan come from? What is the Catalyst's true motives? Why wasn't there an option where your Shepard could have convinced the Catalyst that too much has changed, hell, even an option of asking which cycles from millions of years ago came up with the Crucible and how did they know it could either destroy, control or merge the Reapers would be far more satisfying than being given the option to chose any ending? Simply, Bioware has got a lot of sh*t on their heads to sort out when the fourth Mass Effect game comes out. But what really, and REALLY did made me give this game a 9 was, despite the rubbish endings and senseless unexpected variables, was the emotional impact it actually made through the character dialogues and the legendary, significant soundtracks of ME1's (Battle of Eden Prime) and (Vigil) and ME3's best soundtracks ''Leaving Earth'', ''Stand Strong Stand Together'' and ''Once and For All'' created the sense of hope, the beauty of intergalactic diversity and the the amount of tears ''Leaving Earth'' will leave you to shed. The game play at least involved, and the weapon variety from ME 3 seemed to have made a form of a comeback which was really good. On the overall, however, the game was decent, despite the endings, I really was uncomfortable with the fact that people and ME fans of the previous two had critically trashed this game. Look at it aesthetically, with an open mind and think that despite the bad endings, there were still some action-packed game flows and emotionally-striking moments. Hopefully though, the fourth Mass Effect game can provide the magic that Bioware had in the previous two installments before the final game with Shepard.… Expand

Now, I noticed that a lot of people are giving this game a really bad score. I personally really enjoyed the game primarily because the Mass Effect Universe is one of the most detailed sci-fi universes to date. Now, this game was fantastic. Story wise, it was there, 100% just as it was in Mass Effect 1. Gameplay wise, it was also there, 100% just as it was in Mass Effect 2. Now, the reason I am not giving this a perfect 10 was that there was something missing. The game did not have enough things to do. 22 missions, including the final missions, 7 N7 missions that were more like side quests, and only a few places to go. Now, in about 20 hours, I completed everything, thinking that this was really short for Mass Effect. Mass Effect 1 was pretty much a pool to swim in and so many things to do. Mass Effect 2 had a lot of scanning and traveling around, plus so many characters to meet. In the third one, it really just did not have as much content as all of the other games, but where it lacked in amount of content, it made up for the sheer joy the game brought me. Going around and taking down the Reapers was a challenge and there were so many satisfying moments throughout the game making it worthwhile. Now the endings were something interesting. I wont spoil it, but they are pretty cool endings if you think about the changes each one brings about to the whole galaxy. A lot of the people that are complaining about the endings are just whining because they really could not end the game on their own terms. That was the sacrifice of taking down the Reapers. There are really no happy endings when you face a powerful force that wipes out all of organic life. **** just aint easy when you are up against that. The scale of the situation makes the whole game seem so epic and the end, even though it is interesting and not an easy ending to deal with, is worth it. I highly suggest playing a very innovative series and a credit to the Sci-fi genre.… Expand

If you liked the first two, you'll love this one. There has been no drop in quality on any front. The gameplay, story, writing, and brilliant set pieces all shine as usual. However, there are 2 major things that bother me on an "ethical" level, if I can be so bold as use the word. Inputing a serial number on a console game is ridiculous, and release-date DLC flies in the face of what DLC is supposed to be (extending the life of a game). The former is by far the worse, and signals another step towards an attempt to stamp out used games.

Negatives aside, giving this game a 1 or a 0 is completely unfair. I get that it's an act of protest, but give credit where credit is due. This is a beautifully crafted game and a love letter to people who have been hooked by the last 2 games as much as I have. PLAY IT!… Expand

Mass Effect 3 is undoubtedly the best game I have ever played. It does a brilliant job of concluding the series and everything you have ever done in the previous games adds up to a smart and satisfying finish. It's combat, never its strongest point, is spot on with tight controls and great action. The rpg elements of the first game are also back, without the terribly annoying inventory clearing required before. The dialogue is also fantastic and your choices have the utmost importance. Occasionally, I did find that some lines were delivered awkwardly, but that was more of an issue with the sound mixer than with the actual voice actors. Furthermore, I have had occasional glitches and bugs as well, but they did not detract from the overall experience. One of the big complaints I have found so far is the ending. In my honest opinion, the ending was fantastic. it challenges the preconceived notion of a happy ending in true scifi form and, while the fate of civilizations and characters are not clearly defined, it is up to the player to conclude these threads with their own imagination, not a wall of text or a montage of cutscenes. Furthermore, there are 16 unique endings, each subtly different from the next and each depends on your actions throughout the games in the form of the EMS meter, which collects war assets gained from allies and friend made in every mass effect game. It isn't as fantastic as every character ever met playing a direct role in your endgame, but honestly, it was a great way to deal with a gargantuan series. Mass Effect 3 is fantastic and before anyone gets turned off by the user score, they should at least give it a try.… 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

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I had high hopes for ME3, Ive been a fan since the beginning. I like the game so far, gameplay is vastly improved, dialogue is strong, everything that was bad about the first two games was corrected in ME3. I feel like I have less dialogue choices now. there's no middle option, so that detracted my experience a little bit. Overall, this game is quite enjoyable, and a nice fitting end to Mass Effect. I like the characters, some have developed, The little retcons here and there are annoying but bearable, but it is kind of sad. Gameplay is fantastic, plays a bit like a Gears of War clone, but it still plays better. The sound and music are phenomenal, and the Graphics have improved, but could be better. Im giving it a 7 because despite the pros of the game, EA/Bioware have destroyed this game. their marketing strategies, dlc, day one dlc that has a pretty important character, and the feeling that it's about making money rather than making a great game. dont get me wrong, it's a fun game, but it could have been even better than what it was if the meta stuff was removed. EA, you are a terrible company. Bioware, you have lost a fan. this is my last EA/Bioware game I will ever buy, despite the fun I am having, you have lost a fan.… 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!

All I have to say on this matter.

These reviews... they're some of the best trolling I've ever seen! Marvelous. As for the game, it's very good. It also has a poor framerate.

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

First off, find this guy's review. orctowngrot ------ I don't have to write everything I would like, but he does a nice job at saying what I feel. Okay, I haven't reached the end, so I can't comment on that. But what I can say is that even if I didn't make it to the end, I could stop now and walk away smiling. Mass Effect 3 is a great GAME. It's not the best piece of literature out there, it's not the perfect game by any means, and I'm fully expecting the ending to be a little lame. Because you know what? Compared to the meat of each of the first two, their endings weren't exactly spectacular. Mass Effect 3 in no way deserves a 0, or a 1, or even a 5. The gameplay is great, the emotion is great, the storytelling is great, the... You get the idea. If you liked the first two, play this game. If the ending winds up being off, who cares? You'll still have a great 50+ hours of fun before then. (Note: I actually wouldn't recommend this to someone who hasn't played the first two. There is a lot of backplot that wouldn't be nearly fullfilling [read: not at all] if you are coming in cold turkey.) 9 b/c I can't give is 9.5, and there are definite flaws and bugs. P.S. I don't know what people are on when they are saying their previous choices don't matter. Even if they "don't" matter, there is certainly a great illusion that they do. I'll take the awesome smoke and mirrors that you very much.… Expand

I honestly can't see why anyone would negatively review this game. Yes the game has day one DLC, stop crying. If the DLC had been held for a month no one would have cared. This game is irrefutably amazing so stop giving it a bad score because it deserves every ounce of the 94 critics have given it.

This game is a satisfying end to one of the greatest sci-fi universes of all time. Single player is smooth and game play is very fun, however the story is where Mass Effect shines through. The game knows how to keep you interested when you may be tired of the game play. I was also very impressed by the quality of the multiplayer. It may not be as good as Gears or Nazi Zombies but for a game that has always been devoted to singleplayer they pulled off an amazing transition to coop multiplayer. In summary, ignore the haters, buy the game. Don't miss out on one of the greatest games of this generation just because some people are stupid.… Expand

If you liked Mass Effect 1 and 2, you will like this game. It's more of the same combat, with the return of more of the rpg elements from the first game. Planet scanning has been largely removed, and while this game is somewhat more linear than its predecessors, its still a fun, immersive, and generally well put together game.

Make no mistake, ME3 a good game and finale to one of the monumental video game series of this generation. Apart from the some Michael Bay'ed ultra bombasta-fest material that will make anyone with a monikom of taste and discretion want to retch (think ending of ME2 10-fold), this game hits hard on almost every level. What I don't abide is EA's approach to effecitively force gamers to purchase add-ons to experience the complete story -- a god awful milk-them-for-all-we-can strategy to compartmentalize and monetize what should be a cohesive and inclusive package. If you buy this game, know that you are in for a penny, in for a pound and are essentially voting for this sort of corporate malarky to continue.… 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

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I am not one who is hard to please, but Mass Effect 3 had one of the worst endings I have ever come across in all the years I have been playing games. The overall story was good, I was engaged and immensely interested in what would come next. For most of the game I felt like the decisions I made in the past two games had actual weight, and well before actually finishing the game I couldnâ… 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.

while not the perfect game, mass effect 3 is an amazing game. the right amount of rpg and action and cinematics that put some hollywood movies to shame. great control, smooth visuals, its hard to pick many faults but the positives outweigh the negatives. if you liked mass effect 2 you will like the third and final chapter of this space opera.

A fantastic and highly-satisfying conclusion to one of the best RPG series of all time. I bought the collector's edition of the game and have been unable to tear myself away from it since 12:01am on release day.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I've had a long time to ruminate on this one, having beat the game shortly after it came out. Firstly: the ending stinks, badly. It felt completely jarring and totally unearned and incongruent, especially on my play-through. Also the entire starchild plot is terrible. His presence in the tutorial, the dream sequences, all of it: crap. That being said, everything else about this game is excellent. I've been playing the Multiplayer quite a bit, and I think that alone is worth the price of admission. The shooting mechanics are hands down the best in the series, and when paired with the mostly thoughtful class and enemy design, creates an excellent experience in both single and multiplayer. The story, excepting the parts mentioned above, is excellent, allowing for all sorts of different payoffs from the previous games in the series. If you're willing to grit your teeth and bear a crap ending, or if you're just interested in the unique and innovative shooting mechanics that make the multiplayer so fun, its definitely worth your time and money.… Expand

Until the last ten minutes or so, Mass Effect 3 is an easy 10. And as a general rule I never consider a game to be a 10, because there is always room for improvement. But as a capstone for a trilogy, the majority of the game was not only beautiful and moving on it's own merits, it did a truly astonishing job of reaching backward and making almost every choice you made in the first two games feel like it really mattered. But then you reach the aforementioned last ten minutes. Without spoiling anything, I would have to say that in the context of a different game, the ending wouldn't have been terrible, but it wouldn't have been great either. It would be a solid seven. In the context of how well it fits into the rest of the trilogy, in terms of tone and overall philosophy, or in the context of how complete and coherent the presentation is, reasonable minds can disagree on how well it caps the trilogy, but I would have to say that objectively, the score range for the end should be 0-5, certainly no higher, and I lean heavily toward zero. But I am going with a 7 overall, because as astonishingly ill-conceived and poorly implemented as the end is, the other 95% of the game is still truly epic and moving, and I can't bring myself to discount that, no matter how much the atrocious ending makes me feel like I should.… Expand

The game itself is not bad, it isn't. There are some moments that are written rather plainly, like something our of a poorly written piece of fanfiction. There are bugs and that sort of thing, but the bottom line is the game is quite good. The soundtrack is arguably one of the best VG soundtracks to ever be released. The galactic readiness system is well done, and detailed. Some of the writing is amazing, the ending of a few side characters arcs for example. But this is all overshadowed by the extremely poor endings. Not only are the endings poorly written, in that they are all basically the same thing, but they can hardly be called endings. They give no sense of closure or an explanation. There is no epilogue, there is no finality. It's almost as if Bioware got tired of writing and just pumped the endings out withing five minutes of finalizing the product. It's a truly terrible way to end an otherwise good game, and fantastic trilogy. To say that the endings leave a bad taste in your mouth, would be an understatement. I cannot rate ME3 any higher than this, for a game that has such an emphasis on story and the development of the character's relationships to end like this, is abhorrent.… Expand

A beautiful, thrilling and flawed conclusion to the Mass Effect trilogy. ME3 does not disappoint when it comes to intense action set pieces and an epic story. The abundant drama in this game feels earned after playing the previous games in the series and it is nice to see the decisions made in those games impacting on this one. Multiplayer is a surprisingly effective addition, with a great range of character classes, races and unlockables to keep you hooked. The main problem with ME3 is the character interaction. Shepard's team is not as memorable as before, with few new faces onboard. Conversation options with them are fairly shallow and you miss the loyalty missions of ME2. The exclusion of the latter is understandable since Shepard is on a tight schedule to stop the Reapers. But it is still disappointing. Overall, though, I still greatly enjoyed playing this game and hope to play it again soon. Mass Effect has been the greatest video game trilogy of all time and ME3 is a worthy end to the saga.… Expand