Mass Effect 3

The series is a landmark achievement in gaming, and Mass Effect 3 is a fine conclusion. It’s not the prettiest game, and it has more than it’s share of controversy attached to it, but it’s the ending to a gaming experience that should not be missed.

But if you are either a fan of Mass Effect, or if you're simply looking for an action/RPG that builds some legitimate lore and backstory while mixing in its explosions and headshots, then this is the series you should start with. Just, start at the beginning if you haven't already. Go through the series properly, then hit up Mass Effect 3 so that you can see the progression and understand just why this is one of the best and most satisfying sci-fi franchises in gaming history.

When you're in the gaming industry for a bit you realize one thing very quickly; don't believe the hype. Mass Effect 3 is the exception to that rule as it doesn't only meet its expectations -- it blows them away. It's an emotionally charged and often touching tale that doesn't skip out on the action one bit. Most importantly, it's a fitting ending to a world and characters we've spent the last five years getting attached to.

Mass Effect 3 is simply brilliant – a peerless sci-fi epic that has created an incredibly high standard in video game storytelling. The few small flaws are overshadowed by the excellent experience the game provides. It is the pinnacle of one of the greatest sci-fi stories of our time, with breathtaking aesthetics, a well-crafted and excellently told story, memorable and realistic characters, and incredibly well-designed gameplay. Anyone who has invested any amount of time in the previous games will enjoy watching the final chapter of Shepard's tale unfold, and among the feelings of excitement and joy as they meet and fight alongside old friends for the fate of the galaxy, they will also feel just a tinge of disappointment and heartbreak as they bid farewell to the colorful universe and memorable characters BioWare has created.

For those willing to brave a conclusion that isn’t spoon fed to them by idiots, Mass Effect 3 is a breathtaking, gorgeous piece of software. Its few quibbles aren’t enough to detract from the monumental achievement in storytelling that Bioware has released. Let’s just hope they don’t cheapen it with an MMO.

For those willing to brave a conclusion that isn’t spoon fed to them by idiots, Mass Effect 3 is a breathtaking, gorgeous piece of software. Its few quibbles aren’t enough to detract from the monumental achievement in storytelling that Bioware has released. Let’s just hope they don’t cheapen it with an MMO.

For those willing to brave a conclusion that isn’t spoon fed to them by idiots, Mass Effect 3 is a breathtaking, gorgeous piece of software. Its few quibbles aren’t enough to detract from the monumental achievement in storytelling that Bioware has released. Let’s just hope they don’t cheapen it with an MMO.

I have never given a “5 out of 5″, and I probably never will, can anything ever be truly perfect? But I can promise you I gave it some very serious thought in this case. Very serious. I’ve ended up cheating and giving it a 4.75 out of 5, which I’m not technically allowed to do. (*Sorry Ed.!) What is Mass Effect 3 like overall? Put it this way; if you buy this and don’t like it I’ll personally refund you. If you own a system capable of playing this and do not buy it I actually feel bad for you. Seriously. Please do yourself a favour and spend your hard earned cash on this piece of gaming genius. Please.

I have never given a “5 out of 5″, and I probably never will, can anything ever be truly perfect? But I can promise you I gave it some very serious thought in this case. Very serious. I’ve ended up cheating and giving it a 4.75 out of 5, which I’m not technically allowed to do. (*Sorry Ed.!) What is Mass Effect 3 like overall? Put it this way; if you buy this and don’t like it I’ll personally refund you. If you own a system capable of playing this and do not buy it I actually feel bad for you. Seriously. Please do yourself a favour and spend your hard earned cash on this piece of gaming genius. Please.

I have never given a “5 out of 5″, and I probably never will, can anything ever be truly perfect? But I can promise you I gave it some very serious thought in this case. Very serious. I’ve ended up cheating and giving it a 4.75 out of 5, which I’m not technically allowed to do. (*Sorry Ed.!) What is Mass Effect 3 like overall? Put it this way; if you buy this and don’t like it I’ll personally refund you. If you own a system capable of playing this and do not buy it I actually feel bad for you. Seriously. Please do yourself a favour and spend your hard earned cash on this piece of gaming genius. Please.

Bei kaum einem anderen Spiel fällt es derartig schwer in wenigen Worten zusammenzufassen, welche Tugenden das Spiel auszeichnen und welche Fehler es mindern. Kurz und knapp wäre man versucht zu sagen: Hier ist der erste Kandidat auf den Titel „Spiel des Jahres 2012“. Trotz einiger kleiner Mängel ist Entwickler BioWare ein Kunstwerk gelungen, das in dieser Form einzigartig ist. So viele Emotionen, so viele Möglichkeiten, so viel Action, so viel Diplomatie, so viel Freundschaft, so viel Ehre, so viel Verzweiflung, so viel Krieg – „Mass Effect 3“ vereint all diese Dinge zu einem unglaublich packenden RPG-Shooter, der in dieser Form einzigartig und grandios ist.

All told, Mass Effect 3 is an absolutely amazing game, one that successfully puts a bow on the Mass Effect trilogy while still leaving us hungry for even more. It looks and plays great, but Mass Effect 3’s true strength lies in its ability to tell a deeply-woven story. Better yet, the sheer ambition shown by BioWare in announcing an intersecting trilogy complete with save importation becomes fully realized in Mass Effect 3. BioWare deserves applause for not only having the courage to attempt something like the Mass Effect trilogy, but for pulling it off with such exceptional poise and skill. Mass Effect 3 isn’t the best game ever made. But it’ll certainly be in the conversation for a very long time to come.

All told, Mass Effect 3 is an absolutely amazing game, one that successfully puts a bow on the Mass Effect trilogy while still leaving us hungry for even more. It looks and plays great, but Mass Effect 3's true strength lies in its ability to tell a deeply-woven story. Better yet, the sheer ambition shown by BioWare in announcing an intersecting trilogy complete with save importation becomes fully realized in Mass Effect 3. BioWare deserves applause for not only having the courage to attempt something like the Mass Effect trilogy, but for pulling it off with such exceptional poise and skill. Mass Effect 3 isn't the best game ever made. But it'll certainly be in the conversation for a very long time to come.

Does Mass Effect 3 live up to the hype that came with it the months, weeks, days and hours before it was released? Yes in short, because it completes one of the best trilogies in videogames today. It ties up loose ends and concludes the story nicely. It builds upon what the previous games had and provides an experience that fans of the franchise can get behind as well as new people to the franchise. By having Role-play, Story, and Action for the differing modes you can play the Single Player Campaign on, you give something for every type of player. With the addition of multiplayer, which is necessary in any kind of game that has a shooting element to it this game, provides the player with many opportunities to keep playing well after the single player campaign has ended. Whether you are a fan of the franchise or someone new who heard about the game and all the hype, I am here to tell you it’s worthy of the hype and you should buy this game right away.

Does Mass Effect 3 live up to the hype that came with it the months, weeks, days and hours before it was released? Yes in short, because it completes one of the best trilogies in videogames today. It ties up loose ends and concludes the story nicely. It builds upon what the previous games had and provides an experience that fans of the franchise can get behind as well as new people to the franchise. By having Role-play, Story, and Action for the differing modes you can play the Single Player Campaign on, you give something for every type of player. With the addition of multiplayer, which is necessary in any kind of game that has a shooting element to it this game, provides the player with many opportunities to keep playing well after the single player campaign has ended. Whether you are a fan of the franchise or someone new who heard about the game and all the hype, I am here to tell you it’s worthy of the hype and you should buy this game right away.

Mass Effect 3 is meer dan de som van zijn delen. Ja, de game heeft zijn foutjes. Maar die foutjes wegen niet op tegen het prachtige en meeslepende verhaal dat je met de game in huis haalt. Het einde van de game zal bij sommigen de wenkbrauwen doen fronsen, maar wij kunnen met zekerheid stellen dat Mass Effect 3 de beste game uit de trilogie is. Halen die handel. Dit is dé beste game die 2012 tot nu toe heeft gekend!

A culmination of all the choice, character and intrigue of Mass Effect. A satisfying end to a spectacular adventure.

Bioware have pulled all of the tools out of the box to craft Mass Effect 3, the penultimate conclusion to an elaborate and ambitious trilogy. For me the success of Mass Effect is greater than the sum of its parts. I believe my satisfaction is somewhat coloured by my love for the Mass Effect Story. Is that a bad thing? For me no, but it is for the individual gamer to decide. Will the ‘first time’ Mass Effect player feel as drawn to the story, engaged by the characters, and satisfied by the gameplay? Yes they will, but in a less steadfast way than I, and many others who have played all three games, will. For me, as a player, I signed on to the Normandy and all its foibles back in 2007. I have not been disappointed and my commitment has been rewarded with an exceptional conclusion to what I feel is one of the best video game series I have ever played, and I think that many others will end up feeling the same way.

Mass Effect 3 is a remarkably satisfying conclusion to a beloved trilogy, and a poignant and memorable role-playing action game in its own right.

Avec une mécanique de jeu largement basée sur celle de son prédécesseur, Mass Effect 3 ne procède au final qu'à quelques ajustements pour perfectionner une recette déjà diablement efficace. Mais si l'expérience pad en main a un petit air de déjà-joué, l'aventure qui nous est proposée n'en demeure pas moins passionnante, vivante, épique : l'importance de la mission qui nous incombe est vite palpable, tout comme l'urgence de rallier toujours plus de peuple afin de permettre la survie des différentes espèces de l'univers. Alors certes les développeurs ont profité de ce thème façon "course contre la montre" pour délaisser quelque peu l'aspect exploration des précédents opus, mais ils sont par la même occasion parvenus à mieux maîtriser la narration de l'aventure pour faire monter la tension jusqu'à l'affrontement final. Bref Mass Effect 3 est une expérience vidéoludique peu commune, qui ne s'appréciera toutefois à sa juste valeur qu'en ayant d'abord joué aux deux premiers volets.

BioWare have pulled out all of the stops for Mass Effect 3. At its core it is the decision making, relationship building RPG story experience but wrapped inside a coating of tight combat mechanics, breathtaking cinematic pieces and highly emotional engaging content set in a universe that is struggling to survive. I’d love nothing more than to shower you with examples from the game but it wouldn’t be right - you need to experience Mass Effect 3 yourself.

By the time I reached the end, Mass Effect 3 had secured the trilogy's spot amongst my favorite science-fiction stories in any medium. This is the ME series' Return of the Jedi, in that while the third part may be the weakest overall in story, that "weakness" is only relative to its stellar predecessors. It's an action-loaded adventure with at least a few really tough calls to make, and a more than satisfactory conclusion to a memorable and well-told saga.

In the end, Mass Effect 3 still hits hard. Reading about how some people came close to crying or completely just broke down during certain moments actually doesn’t sound ridiculous. BioWare captures the scale of the conflict well, but always focuses on the people involved in it. It’s pretty amazing just how badly EA disregarded the heart of the game – the characters and the world – when they began their marking blitzkrieg, but don’t worry, it’s oh so definitely there – Day 1 DLC, controversial endings, and questionable use of resources be damned. This is a fine, lovingly crafted game with a clear vision despite the realities of corporations and damning business practices.

Wie so viele Fans war auch ich von der vergleichsweise mauen Demo enttäuscht. Doch jetzt, nach dem ich Mass Effect 3 durchgespielt habe, kann ich mich beruhigt zurücklehnen. Wow, was für ein Spiel! Was für eine tolle Geschichte, die zudem in einem Finale gipfelt, das die Science-Fiction-Trilogie mehr als würdig abschließt. Gut, Mass Effect 3 ist wie schon sein Vorgänger mehr Action- als Rollenspiel. Aber daran müsste man sich ja mittlerweile gewöhnt haben. Ich rate selbst dem traditionellsten Genre-Puristen: ausprobieren!. Sonst verpasst er ein grandios erzähltes Weltraum-Epos, das in seiner Dramatik und Wucht derzeit seinesgleichen sucht. Und nicht findet.

Mass Effect 3 definitely has a lot to live up to, as the previous games set new benchmarks in terms of story, gameplay, graphics and more. The new game manages to reach almost all of them, with great gameplay mechanics, impressive visuals and a surprisingly addictive multiplayer. Sadly, its story disappoints right at the end and the closure delivered isn't enough for fans who've already gone through previous titles. You'll feel great throughout the game's journey, but the destination isn't exactly what you'd expect.

Un mot pour résumer Mass Effect 3 ? Jouissif ! Plus immersif, plus dynamique mais également plus profond que ses prédécesseurs, celui-ci constitue la conclusion parfaite pour une série tout simplement exceptionnelle. Shepard s'offre donc un final en apothéose mêlant le meilleur des deux premiers opus et porté par un scénario extraordinaire. Le terme épique prendra alors tout son sens et on ne peut désormais que prier pour que la licence perdure.

Un mot pour résumer Mass Effect 3 ? Jouissif ! Plus immersif, plus dynamique mais également plus profond que ses prédécesseurs, celui-ci constitue la conclusion parfaite pour une série tout simplement exceptionnelle. Shepard s'offre donc un final en apothéose mêlant le meilleur des deux premiers opus et porté par un scénario extraordinaire. Le terme épique prendra alors tout son sens et on ne peut désormais que prier pour que la licence perdure.

Un mot pour résumer Mass Effect 3 ? Jouissif ! Plus immersif, plus dynamique mais également plus profond que ses prédécesseurs, celui-ci constitue la conclusion parfaite pour une série tout simplement exceptionnelle. Shepard s'offre donc un final en apothéose mêlant le meilleur des deux premiers opus et porté par un scénario extraordinaire. Le terme épique prendra alors tout son sens et on ne peut désormais que prier pour que la licence perdure.

If it weren't for the ending and lack of overall polish, Mass Effect 3 would have been hands down the best game in the trilogy. As it stands, it is instead just a very strong entry with a lot of memorable moments.

Тем не менее, даже при эпическом размахе каждому не угодить, и BioWare это осознавала. Завершить культовую трилогию непросто; завязать узелки на десятках сюжетных нитей, сплетенных игроками в уникальные полотна — колоссальный труд. Mass Effect 3 стала первой, кто не рухнул под тяжестью этого снежного кома.

En approfondissant le background, la direction artistique, les personnages, la narration et la mise en scène, le studio canadien a su extraire l'essence de la licence et la refourguer puissance mille. On aime cet univers, on s'attache à ses personnages, à son histoire, pour ressentir une implication rarement atteinte dans un RPG. On virevolte au gré des explosions, des batailles épiques, des sacrifices glorieux, des morts tragiques, porté par la narration et l'écriture fantastique de Bioware qui, à peine éraflée par quelques clichés mal venus, souffre d'une inexplicable faiblesse au niveau de la fin. Si celle-ci partait d'un bon concept, elle échoue à apporter ce qu'elle aurait dû apporter, à cause d'un traitement confus de sa toute dernière cinématique ; étonnant, au vu du reste du jeu. Quoiqu'il en soit, Mass Effect 3 est un divertissement de haute voltige, à se procurer et à dévorer.

Mass Effect est une série qui a viré de RPG mâtiné TPS à TPS saupoudré d’un zeste de RPG. Alors certes on se retrouve devant un flot d’incohérences, la montée dramaturgique du scénario est aux abonnés absents mais même avec ça, les dialogues sont tellement bien écrits et les retrouvailles avec les personnages emblématiques de la saga tellement bien amenés que l’on tombe sous le charme de Mass Effect 3 en faisant fi des aléas et de ses errances scénaristiques. Le multi met les deux pieds dans la faiblesse de Mass Effect 3 en ce qui concerne sa partie TPS à proprement parler. Cela restera un TPS assez moyen et très redondant dans ses approches, mais lorsque l’on y ajoute la garniture, une garniture savamment préparée depuis deux épisodes, le jeu prend une toute autre tournure. Un plaisir immense qui ne trouvera sa quintessence que si on y a goutté dès le premier épisode..

S'il ne revient pas sur les attraits RPG du premier volet de la série, Mass Effect 3 parvient désormais à proposer un savant mélange de de ses deux prédécesseurs au niveau de son gameplay et de l'approche en général. En revanche, le titre se veut plus liberticide, avec une exploration moins exacerbée que par le passé, dans le souci de servir un scénario plus pressant, plus dynamique et également plus épique. Le titre profite également de choix moraux extrêmement tranchants qui auront une incidence relativement importante sur l'histoire. Bref, cette conclusion demeure satisfaisante pour les fans, bien qu'elle aurait pu être davantage soignée si l'on pointe du doigts quelques interférences qui manquent de perfectionnisme.

It might sound like I’m being too negative. But there’s no debate whether Mass Effect 3 is a good game. It has good combat, an effective atmosphere, satisfying resolution, and a few great characters. Co-op is surprisingly entertaining. Bioware has finally settled on a good balance of RPG elements, too. It’s easy to dismiss most of the nitpicks. It’s the best game in the series for all these reasons.

Appealing to a new audience is never a bad thing, but doing so for the last game in a trilogy probably wasn’t the best idea. The game doesn’t really suffer too much for that, but the end product just feels…lacking.

So, wow, Mass Effect 3. How to summarize it? It closes off the plot arc. People who are entrenched in that universe will probably be interested in learning what happens to all the characters you’ve interacted with and perhaps grown to empathize with, but the ultimate ending is, without spoilers, unsatisfying to say the least.

Where its wonder was once defined by the traversal of uncharted worlds, here it’s defined by big explosions and space battle cutscenes. This is a spectacular galactic war, and Shepard will lose a lot to end it, but the series has also lost something in order to depict it.

I love this series, and I still enjoy this game. But I don’t enjoy it because Mass Effect 3 is a great game; I enjoy it because of the scenario and characters built up over the last few years. Standing alone, Mass Effect 3 is a cover shooter with a few decisions and side quests to complete along the way while the Reapers take their sweet time incinerating Earth. As much as I love chilling with the old cast once more, I can’t believe I have to prove myself to the same clans whose asses I’ve saved over the past few games time and time again, and STILL people are like, “Reapers? Don’t know what you’re talking about Shepard.” So while the writing and pacing may detract a bit from what should be the most epic of space conflicts, you’ll still have a good time blasting the hell out of aliens, robots, and your former employer. It just doesn’t feel like as big of a step forward as the second game was from the first.

I’ve played thousands of games in my lifetime, and I’ll play thousands more. Mass Effect 2 will undoubtedly continue to put the large majority of them to shame, while Mass Effect 3 will be remembered as an exceptional experience marred by no small amount of issues, both technical and by design. Make no mistake — what BioWare does well, it does better than the vast majority of other developers. I was equally exhilarated and disappointed by Mass Effect 3, and though I mostly enjoyed Commander Shepard’s final chapter at the time, I’m now left pondering everything that it could have been, yet sadly never will be.

That’s the story of Mass Effect 3, turned from potential masterpiece into a game sabotaged by greed and the „it’s good enough” approach. It’s unbelievable how easy BioWare passed over the opportunity for greatness and, despite the sales, I have a feeling that their reputation as great RPG makers is going downhill fast. Especially after this “back to back” performance with the fiasco called Dragon Age II.

Unterhaltsam, actionreich, ernüchternd - das ist der konsequente Abschluss einer Saga, deren Qualität mit jedem Teil sank. BioWare gelingt es wieder einmal nicht, so zu begeistern wie in alten Zeiten. Es macht Laune, die Kräfte seines Teams zu bündeln und auf die Feinde loszulassen. [...] Man trifft alte Bekannte und fühlt sich auf der Normandy fast wie Zuhause. Für all das schätze ich diese Saga. Aber das ist der inhaltlich schwächste, weil eintönigste Teil eines futuristischen Abenteuers, das sich in die falsche Richtung entwickelt hat. Irgendwann geht einem das primitive Geballer einfach auf den Keks: Nicht weil es Geballer ist, sondern weil es zu eintönig ist und zu selten die situative Spannung erstklassiger Shooter wie Killzone oder Gears of War erreicht. Anstatt die Taktik der Kräfte weiter über Konter zu vertiefen oder mal die schrecklich dumme KI zu verbessern, setzt man auf brachialen Nahkampf und einen Koop-Multiplayer mit blöder Wellenaction!

Unterhaltsam, actionreich, ernüchternd - das ist der konsequente Abschluss einer Saga, deren Qualität mit jedem Teil sank. BioWare gelingt es wieder einmal nicht, so zu begeistern wie in alten Zeiten. Es macht Laune, die Kräfte seines Teams zu bündeln und auf die Feinde loszulassen. [...] Man trifft alte Bekannte und fühlt sich auf der Normandy fast wie Zuhause. Für all das schätze ich diese Saga. Aber das ist der inhaltlich schwächste, weil eintönigste Teil eines futuristischen Abenteuers, das sich in die falsche Richtung entwickelt hat. Irgendwann geht einem das primitive Geballer einfach auf den Keks: Nicht weil es Geballer ist, sondern weil es zu eintönig ist und zu selten die situative Spannung erstklassiger Shooter wie Killzone oder Gears of War erreicht. Anstatt die Taktik der Kräfte weiter über Konter zu vertiefen oder mal die schrecklich dumme KI zu verbessern, setzt man auf brachialen Nahkampf und einen Koop-Multiplayer mit blöder Wellenaction!

Unterhaltsam, actionreich, ernüchternd - das ist der konsequente Abschluss einer Saga, deren Qualität mit jedem Teil sank. BioWare gelingt es wieder einmal nicht, so zu begeistern wie in alten Zeiten. Es macht Laune, die Kräfte seines Teams zu bündeln und auf die Feinde loszulassen. [...] Man trifft alte Bekannte und fühlt sich auf der Normandy fast wie Zuhause. Für all das schätze ich diese Saga. Aber das ist der inhaltlich schwächste, weil eintönigste Teil eines futuristischen Abenteuers, das sich in die falsche Richtung entwickelt hat. Irgendwann geht einem das primitive Geballer einfach auf den Keks: Nicht weil es Geballer ist, sondern weil es zu eintönig ist und zu selten die situative Spannung erstklassiger Shooter wie Killzone oder Gears of War erreicht. Anstatt die Taktik der Kräfte weiter über Konter zu vertiefen oder mal die schrecklich dumme KI zu verbessern, setzt man auf brachialen Nahkampf und einen Koop-Multiplayer mit blöder Wellenaction!

If you’re on the fence about finishing the series, jump in immediately. There’s too much of the Mass Effect you love here to miss out. As for the endings, BioWare is no doubt hard at work figuring out how they can turn this around by selling you another kidney. For many, the canonical damage has already been done. The Mass Effect series is a snake charmer. We all swayed to its tune, ignoring fundamental gameplay missteps along the way, because the narrative was so mesmerizing. But what happens when a snake charmer hits that one sour note at the worst possible time? Venom.

Mass Effect 3 est un très bon jeu. BioWare a réuni le meilleur des deux premiers épisodes, en a tiré la quintessence, et voilà Mass Effect 3. La mise en scène est fantastique (surtout au début et à la fin, il est vrai), mais malheureusement les textures mériteraient une plus grande résolution. Un grand travail a été apporté aux musiques et à l’ambiance sonore en général, et ça se sent. On regrettera en revanche un mode exploration passable, et des dialogues franchement mauvais, voire embarrassants. Quant à la gestion de la fin, elle est plus que passable. Ces trois derniers points sont suffisants pour abaisser la note. BioWare continue son long chemin de dégradation de la qualité d’écriture de ses jeux, au profit d’un gameplay plus péchu et de mise en scène "AAA".