1966 réponses à ce sujet

[Rustedknight]

 
Combat 9/10, RPG elements 8/10, Story before ending 9/10, Ending -25/10 Overall 1/10
 
Mass Effect 3 was a great game. I got to see my decisions from the previous games have an impact. The game play was fun and enjoyable. The game had poignant, tear-jerking moments. It had emotional ups and downs that drew me along with the story. I, playing as Commander Shepard, united the galaxy in the face of an overwhelming enemy and impossible odds. The game even had a fun multiplayer component that felt like part of the story. Yes the game was perfect right up till almost the end. Almost to the end, but in those last few moments of the game it all comes to nothing.

It is not that the endings were sad; it’s that the endings don’t make sense. A sad ending I could have lived with. The deaths of Mordin, Thane, and Legion were all sad, but they fit in the story and had meaning. I could have accepted Shepard’s death or even the destruction of most of the earth, but to have everything I as a player had become so emotionally invested in completely destroyed was a huge let down.

At the end of Mass Effect I dove straight into a NG+ play through. At the end of Mass Effect 2 I loaded up one of my alternate play throughts from ME. I bought all the DLC for both games. I really wanted to have the same response to Mass Effect 3. As it stands now though there wouldn’t be any point. I don’t understand why a developer would want to so completely salt the earth of their own IP in this way. The ending dissuades me from wanting to play the game again. In fact it makes me want to tell people who haven’t played it yet to stay away. It even manages to reduce the amount of enjoyment I get from the multiplayer component of the game.

This makes two disappointing games in row for me from Bioware, the other being DA 2. It is sad that the number of big name developers I can trust to deliver a satisfying experience is becoming so small.

[Adacas]

What can I say nothing that hasn't been in one place or another prolly.

My Score is 100 out of 100 I'll overlook the occasional character
looking at the wrong thing cause whatever doesn’t bother me that much. My score
swiftly drops to 1 out of 100 in the last 10 minutes of the game. The ending is
total crap. I actually woke up today after finishing the game yesterday evening
feeling ill and pretty depressed. A game should not make a person feel like
that, especially a game that you have invested so much time in.
Just sad and I hope
something is done to fix this because I am not the only one, but I know BioWare
knows this.

So in conclusion 100/100 till the last 10 min then subtract
99 points from the overall game for the ending.
End score 1/100

Modifié par Adacas, 10 mars 2012 - 08:26 .

[BlackDragonBane]

 I give this game a 90/100 and the lack of perfect score is more out of some glitches I encountered more than what the fan-base is butt-hurt about in regards to the endings

Yes, there was a lack of any real closure when it came to the races and your companions at the end, but I find nothing wrong with the endings themselves. Those that are spewing that your choices didn't matter obviously did not care ENOUGH about the choices they made across the entire series to understand the three choices given at the end.

I ended up choosing the Synthesis solution and it was hard because I took into account, personally, all the choices I made from start to the very end. I was in tears as I literally sat there for about five minutes trying to figure out what I  wanted to do. I was all for destroying the Reapers and would have chosen the option if it had not carried the extra consequence of the destruction of ALL SYNTHETIC LIFE, which included EDI and the Geth. Alana (name of my femshepard) had managed to broker peace between the two and the Geth were helping the Quarin re-inhabit their home world, as informed by Tali during a conversation. I couldn't bring myself to destroy them nor EDI, who I had grown fond of since Mass Effect 2. It was conflicting not to destroy the Reapers and having to sacrifice Alana in the end, but it was a good ending for the story I built for her. I think people were expecting more of a clear-cut, game driven decision thing but honestly, if you didn't take into account EVERYTHING you did through the games before you chose one of the three options, then you nullified your own decision making, not the game.

Honestly, I'm GLAD there isn't a happy ending to this. Shepard surviving two suicide missions was enough, a third would have been anti-climatic and cliche. Shepard was mortal, not some Mary Sue god who could survive everything thrown out at them with not a scratch on them. I've seen the ending where it's suggested that Shepard manages to survive, which I think is stupid because, logically, Shepard would have bled to death after Harbinger's laster inflicted severe injuries, plus taking that shot from the Maurader before hitting the Conduit and the strain of resisiting indoctrination during the Illusive Man's ranting. I would like to see an epilouge of some kind that explains what happens after with the fleets and races stranded in the Sol system as well as to why the Normandy was fleeing Earth, with (supposedly) my companions in tow.

I have two more Shepard lined up, a Synthetic hating Female Infiltrator and a xenophobic, power-hungry Male Vanguard lined up to change up my decisions and see the changes, as well as alter my endings to see what is different. The connections between the Citadel, Reapers, and the Catalyst was an interesting plot twist and I did not view the Catalyst as a god, but as an advanced AI who was left with a task by whatever built it, a testament to the ideal that Synthetics and Organics would never find peace until the Reaper cycle was broken because of that peace being achieved.



Moving on to gameplay

I encountered very few glitches with the Single-player campaign, though a few turn-ins on the Citadel were impossible to find. The markers never triggered nor did I ever run into the people specified for the objective.

I am also pretty sure my Alana achieved FULL reputation, with at least 90% being Paragon Rep and yet I was unable to trigger the last Paragon dialogue option with the Illusive Man, which would have likely changed my outcome from the rumors I'm hearing. I like the change to the reputation system, but it can be a little confusing at times.

I was also kind of expecting some kind of speech from Harbinger before he opened fire on me before the Tower Conduit in London. That would have been chilling as I was dodging taking lasers to the face.

Multiplayer has several glitches, usually with movement or animations. I've seen other players stuck in walls, gun firing with no sound or just constantly firing, stuck in cover... some minor things that aren't really game breaking but it can be a pain when you're on the last few stages.

I also find Banshee's in multiplayer to be VASTLY overpowered when fighting Reapers, not only are they coupled with Brutes, but it takes forever to take down their barrier, even with the Disruptor or Warp Ammo perks equipped for the match. Other than that, I like the co-op setting of the multi-player and it's easy to get a full group going (on bronze difficulty anyway). I wish the classes could invest in at least one bullet power on the level up tree because fighting things with just normal bullets when they have armor, shields, or barriers up, if you don't have an ammo upgrade for the match, can be especially tedious and the only real solution I found is the missles or grenading them to death. Put me in a team before Geth Primes or ATLUS units and we'll do fine but when there's a Banshee on the field with Brutes, chances of survival drop dramatically.

I'd also like to express that multiplayer could sorely use more armor customization options, like changing the style of the armor, like you can in single-player. It would create more diversity plus I hate playing with a helmet on. Majority of the head gear is just unappealing and the non-human races do not need to wear a helm, so why only humans?

Overall, it's a solid game with wonderful story-telling, heart-wrenching scenes, and endings that leave the triology on a note of finality, even if somethings are not exactly clear to the fan-base. I'm likely one of the few who actually found enjoyment in how it ended, despite the tears. I'm glad I got to chose how my Shepard went out, though it was a decision I still have mixed feelings about given how I played.

I applaud Bioware for its effort and enjoy a grim ending to a wonderful series. If they decide to do something more, I hope that Shepard is not directly involved any more because alive or dead, the Commander deserves retirement after saving the galaxy three times in a row.

[EDIT] I was SEVERELY disappointed I was jilted AGAIN on a steamy and intimate romance scene with Garrus. Like really, pulled it off with all other companions but not Garrus. I feel utterly cheated in that regard.

Modifié par BlackDragonBane, 10 mars 2012 - 08:40 .

[Segameister]

Score: 6.0 (pending review of a real ending)
Strengths - gameplay mechanics were fantastic.  The multiplayer is also well done, but it may not have enough depth to keep me interested for too long.  Story was fantastic up until the ending, Jack's character growth was fantastic, Mordin and Thane deaths put tears in my eyes, the little things concering my relationship (hand-holding 'playing' for example) and team members just 'chatting' at random were excellent examples of deep writing.  The combat and final battle storyline until the boy shows up again was fan-tast-ic.
Weakness - Story: Aria was definitely under utilized, I expected more from her character.  Ultimate weakness that ruined the series was the ending.  Bioware: you're kidding right?  We'll see a patch or DLC with real ending choices in a couple of weeks?  Also, the banshees and brutes are a bit too tough, the scale is too far off the difficulty curve compared to the other enemies.
Commentary:
Wow, this was a phenomenal game story wise, until the last 10 minutes ruined it. RUINED IT ALL.  All 3 games now feel like a complete waste of time.  Does anyone remember that season of Dallas where Patrick Duffy wasn't on the show and the ratings tanked?  The solution the show's writers found to bring him back in feels just like that. 
Bioware talked about all of our choices meaning something, but in the end they are all truly meaningless.  Of all the endings I could have comprehended for this 3 game story arc, this would never have made the list.  Either ending is the equivalent of playing a fantastic game of chess for weeks with a strong opponent, only to have a 3rd person show up right near the end of the game and swipe all the pieces off of the game board. 
I'm ok with Shepard not living as a strong possibility or planned ending, but not this way.  The series storyline was set in the 'physical' the entire time, until the ending, where it turns to the spiritual.  Why was that necessary?  Would it have been so hard to write and ending where the races won due to the physical work they did in the games leading up to the final battle (to varying degrees of success)?  Depending on whether Shep was meant to live or die, some partying or a funeral after the credits would have been nice.   IF Shep could live, then that would be where the game steps off for DLC, instead of backtracking to before the last mission - that is a joke.  If I know how the game ends, why would I care about DLC?  Storywise that's the equivalent of me wasting my money.

All of the extensive work that went into building this expansive universe could then be used for future games and new stories.  How on earth (no pun intended here) is that going to possible now?  A universe where all the races have had the snot beat out of them by the defeated Reapers would have made for some great story opportunities.  The universe would be a very different place that it was when the ME story began.

[PineappleSalad]

All right, I was meaning to do this since I started the game (and for some things, since the demo came out), so here goes. There will be spoilers, I'm sure.

Sound

First, the sound editing. It is AMAZING, right from the start menu. This may sound like a weird thing to compliment, but sound effects have such a huge impact on one's gameplay experience, and I'm not simply talking about the sound effects of the enemies, guns, etc. Yes, those are fantastic too - the banshee's screams and the sound of the reapers' cannons in particular are incredibly unique and easily recognizable outside of the game's context - but little details like having absolutely no music playing during most of the final battle on Earth, or the memorable noise that is emitted once the player presses the start button on the menu. The sound effects are crazy good.

The music was also good, combining music from the other games with the haunting pieces composed by Clint Mansell. I was impressed by how two completely different styles of music managed to coexist so well, and I must also say that many of the scenes wouldn't have had the same impact without the beautiful OST. The track "I Was Lost Without You" is so melancholy and sweet that it's enough to make my eyes start watering the second it starts playing. I seriously think that the sound and music are what made the game a truly emotional experience for me, which is exactly how it should be. So good job on that.

However, that's not to say it was all perfect, though it's close to it. Without having subtitles on, I seriously would have missed at least a fourth of the dialogue in the game, especially in the Citadel. When it's crowded and there are a bunch of NPC conversations going on at the same time, it's really distracting to hear three distinct voices all talking about something completely different from one another, which sucks because voice actors work really hard and it's a shame to waste their talent by having their dialogue incomprehensible, or even worse, ignored. Also, I had a problem with sentences being cut off before someone was done speaking, but I'll address that later.

Visuals and Graphics

The graphics and settings for the game were very nice. At first, I was put off by how much darker the Normandy looked, and how much drearier the colors were in comparison to Mass Effect 2, but I adjusted, and learned to appreciate the mood that this set for the game. Many of the locations were absolutely beautiful. I loved Sur'Kesh, the ancient Krogan city in Tuchanka, the temple in Thessia, and the Presidium commons.

I did have a bit of an issue with the new graphics, however, particularly for humans. The face customization was a little annoying at first, since my Shepard from Mass Effect 2 looked like a completely different person after importing my save file, but after a bit of tweaking I was able to make her look even better than before. I do appreciate that the hair, lips, eyes, and other facial features had better surface textures and a more realistic appearance than they did in the previous two games. While the face was okay, however, the body was a bit strange. In ME2, Shepard had a lean, athletic build; in ME3, she looked too skinny to be in the military. The arms in general for people looked strange, particularly around the elbows; anytime Shepard ran or crossed her arms, I was distracted by how strangely they bent. This is a pet peeve more than anything, but I figured it was worth mentioning.

But anyway. Settings are fantastic, body animations could use some work, but overall visuals are great. The indoctrinated forces were especially well done.

Gameplay

I hated the interface in Mass Effect 1, as it was ridiculously complicated and impractical. The interface in Mass Effect 2 was an improvement, except for the fact that it was so over simplified that it left parts of the game feeling kind of empty (weapon selection, skill selection, etc.). In Mass Effect 3, this was improved greatly. I'm not big on customizing weapons, but it was nice to be able to modify my weapons, control what I wanted to carry, etc. It was more complex than ME2's extremely limited inventory without becoming a complete mess like in ME1's inventory. The same goes for powers: I liked that I could customize exactly how my powers would grow.

Battles took a bit of getting used to. I like that the cover mechanics have been tweaked to allow Shepard to roll in and out of cover, but unfortunately there were many times when she would run into another point of cover when I wanted her to run forward, or when she would roll in random directions when I didn't want her to. I feel like the controls were a bit over sensitive in many regards, which made controlling her a bit awkward at times. Overall, however, I enjoyed the improvements and adjustments. I found myself relying more on my allies and their biotic/tech powers than I had before, which is something I appreciated.

Glitches

Hoo boy. Let's just make a list here, shall we?

• The framerate for the PS3 caused some terrible slowdown issues. Nothing game breaking, but irritating nevertheless.
• When I was about halfway to 3/4 of the way finished with the game, my galactic readiness and Effective Military Strength dropped to zero for absolutely no reason. I tried restarting my save file, but to no avail. I ended up having to exit my single player game, play a multiplayer match, and then return to my single player game in order for it to return to normal. I'm glad it fixed itself, but it made me extremely unhappy to think that I might have had to replay 15-20 hours of my game just to get a "good" ending (more on that later).
• When on a date with Garrus at the Presidium, there was a weird glitch where Shepard's face appeared in the background, and when Garrus moved his head, a bizarre effect would occur where his face would leave a trail. I've seen this in both my version (PS3) and in the PC version, so I know it's not just me. You can see it in this video at 2:06. http://www.youtube.c...yxIpJAj0#t=126s
• Sometimes someone would speak, and for absolutely no reason, the sound would suddenly cut out. Their mouth would be moving, and the subtitles would show what should have been said, but there was no voice until the next line. This happened A LOT, and really would have affected my experience negatively if I didn't have subtitles on. I never had an issue with this in Mass Effect 2.
• Sometimes Shepard would be in a conversation with someone, and suddenly would turn her head to the side as far as it would go. She would have entire conversations like this. Amusing, yes, but it's a little disconcerting having her and Liara talk about something serious and personal while both women refuse to look at each other.
• During the fight with the reaper on Rannoch, my screen was covered in a white pixellated blotch whenever I tried to look at the reaper. Naturally, I died not too long afterward, since I couldn't see a thing, and this fixed the glitch. If dying hadn't fixed it, I don't know if I ever would have been able to get past that part.

Those are all that I can think of at the top of my head.

Characters and Story

For the vast majority of the game, the story was fantastic. It was grim, but considering that the reapers were destroying the whole of galactic civilization, it was appropriately so. I honestly felt incredibly stressed and panicked at times while playing, because of how emotionally gripping and tense some of the plot points were. After playing the first two games and learning to love the characters that have fought alongside Shepard, I found myself really caring about them and their families, their lives, and their future. This caused me to be more invested in the story than ever before.

What did bother me a little bit was the crew selection. I was glad to have almost everyone that survived in ME1 back in my party, but was a bit disappointed not to ever fight with Wrex. He was one of my absolute favorites, and while I understand the reason why he didn't join the Normandy's crew (i.e. his survival is necessary if the Krogan are to be united and civilized once more), this fact is undermined by his presence at the final battle on Earth (more on that later). Also, I wasn't really a fan of the new additions. I liked EDI in ME2, but thought her domination of a human body was frankly ridiculous. James...I didn't really care for. He was just sort of there, and I honestly almost forgot he was in the game a number of times. I felt his presence was completely unnecessary, as there was a plethora of characters from ME2 that could have been brought back aboard the Normandy. Not all of them, but at least one or two would have been nice (excluding Garrus and Tali, for obvious reasons). Having them appear in cameos was okay from time to time, but having none of them join up was disappointing. I DID like Javik, however, and still think that he should have been in the game right off the bat, rather than by DLC. His presence enhanced the story, I felt.

Aside from that complaint, I felt that the character development was fantastic. I had Shepard romance Kaidan in ME1 and Garrus in ME2, and was pleasantly surprised by how much more naturally the romantic bits were integrated into the story. Instead of the old formula where Shepard has 3-4 specific conversations with her paramour before sealing the deal right before the final mission in the first two games, the relationships have developed into realistic interactions between two lovers in a war-torn environment. I liked that other characters actually had little quips here and there, and that there were numerous conversations where the dialogue reflected their status as a couple. This was a huge improvement in my opinion.

I absolutely loved the story, as I mentioned earlier. The missions regarding the Turians and Krogan were the most compelling to me. I liked the complexity of the political negotiations between the two races; neither side wanted to give aid to their enemies, but neither side could survive without the aid their enemies provided. I thought that it was a brilliant way to end the animosity between the Krogan and Turians, and the curing of the genophage was a great way to create closure for fans of the series. The conclusion of the Tuchanka story arc was the most satisfying point of the game for me, as it granted hope for the Krogan to flourish and actually reestablish a rich, artistic culture in place of the rampant violence that had come to define their race. I liked the conclusion to the Geth and Quarian conflict as well, but it didn't strike the same emotional chord.

While I have mostly praise for the storyline, there are some elements that I personally did not care for. One in particular was the introduction of Kai Leng. He exists purely as a Diabolus ex Machina, to create a conflict when the plot requires it, rather than allowing conflict to develop naturally. He is the reason why I disliked the Cerberus story arc immensely. There is no background to his character whatsoever, no point to his existence. I have no idea of what his motivations are, why he is working with Cerberus, why he hates Shepard so much, and therefore I have absolutely no reason to care about him. In fact, when I defeated him at the Cerberus base, I felt satisfied not because I had gained closure on a story arc, but because I was relieved that I wouldn't have to see this pointless villain ever again. Let me say it again: Kai Leng was worthless and his existence makes the game suffer.

On that train of thought, I also thought that the Illusive Man's actions and motivations really didn't make much sense at all. He claims in the beginning that the reaper technology for creating husks is a means for human improvement and evolution, but never explains how or why. And then it's never mentioned again for the rest of the game. Actually, in hindsight, many of the Illusive Man's actions are never adequately explained. I much preferred the mysterious, aloof, and ethically questionable character he is in in ME2 to the crazed lunatic of ME3.

Which then brings us to...

The Endings

I don't know if there's much I can say here that hasn't already been said by numerous other people, and probably in a much more eloquent eloquent and organized way than I ever could, but I will say that I was incredibly disappointed in the ending. It's not the fact that Shepard dies that bothers me. In fact, I was pretty much expecting it after about an hour or two into the game. It's the fact that even the absolute best ending the player can get is absolutely unfulfilling, as none of the decisions throughout all three games have any bearing on it whatsoever. It doesn't matter if you were a paragon or a renegade, it doesn't matter if you cured the genophage or killed Wrex back on Virmire. It doesn't make sense for a video game series with a protagonist who constantly beats impossible odds to suddenly force her to give in to what some unknown entity tells her she has to do. She is limited to three choices, none of which are at all appealing (and honestly, none of the endings really vary from each other all that much anyway), and instead of fighting back and creating her own fate like the Commander Shepard I have known for 4 years, she simply chooses one of the options presented to her. I also found that there was an incredible lack of closure for the player, as instead of tying up any remaining loose ends, it created more loose ends and plot holes.

I also think that the introduction of the Catalyst at the very end was incredibly weak. I have no context as to who the Catalyst is, other than the fact that he controls the reapers. If he controls the reapers, is he some sort of god? Is he merely another sentient being waiting out in dark space? What is his history? What does he have to do with anything? None of this is ever explained, and Shepard never questions it. He also never explains WHY the created will always fight their creators, or why chaos is inevitable without the reapers to continue the cycle; Shepard is just expected to accept it.

And for that matter, why was this Catalyst kid put in there at all? Why wasn't Harbinger the one that Shepard conversed with at the end? After the events of ME2, it's reasonable to expect that Harbinger, the oldest and most powerful of all the reapers would play a vital role in ME3. Instead, he's only mentioned in passing a couple of times, and appears briefly at the very end. Why does the most important villain of the second game have almost nothing to do with the conclusion of the story? I was hoping that he would tell Shepard about the history of the reapers, the reason why they must harvest advanced organic races every 50,000 years, orsomething.

On top of that, there's the fact that the game was meant to be an incredibly tense, emotional ride. I had old friends die, witnessed the destruction of several planets, and fought terrifying enemies. The game was intense, and caused me to feel actual physical stress by what I was experiencing in the game. Now I have no problem with that, because it made the immersion into the story that much more real for me, but when emotions start building up like that, it's important to have some sort of cathartic release. Unfortunately, the ending was so out of place and anti-climactic, and so I was left feeling just as stressed and on edge as I was when fighting the swarm of banshees, brutes, marauders, and cannibals below the Citadel, except now I was left with feelings of disappointment and disbelief on top of all that. I'm not saying the game needed some sappy happy ending tacked onto it, as that would be no more appropriate than what was provided, but this ending left me with no sense of accomplishment or satisfaction, no justification for what I had been feeling through the entire game. It just...ended. And that's a shame for a series which up until that point had a phenomenal story throughout its entirety.

There are many, many other things about the ending that I could criticize, but it's late, I'm tired, and my thoughts aren't as well collected as I would like. So I will leave it at this: Mass Effect 3 is a fantastic game. The missions are fun. The story is intriguing. The characters (well, the important ones at least) are well developed and memorable. I really, truly enjoyed playing through it all the way up until the last 5-10 minutes. And yet those 5 minutes are enough to make me not want to play through the game for quite a while, because I can no longer play through any of the missions without thinking, "All of this is pointless. Shepard will die, the mass relays will be destroyed, and the galaxy will never again be united. Why even bother?" It's an incredibly sad irony when a game that encourages defying the odds and keeping hope alive ends up leaving me feeling hopeless.

Overall: 8/10 - Great sound production, music, visuals, and gameplay, fantastic plot aside from the stuff with Kai Leng and Cerberus which could have been fleshed out more, but a terribly unsatisfying end.

Modifié par PineappleSalad, 10 mars 2012 - 05:46 .

[captainchimp]

I forgot to add to my review a few things. I applaud the inclusiveness with the romance options in this game. I feel that was a positive addition. I feel the shoehorning of Jessica Chobot felt really out of place and disruptive to an otherwise immersive experience. I still feel the ending didn't reflect my choices through the game, and felt rushed. Each one was rather interchangeable with only a few differences. There was no real sense of closure, and no denouement towards the relationships with all the characters created over the course of three games. I appreciate that the role playing aspects downplayed in ME2 were brought a bit more to the fore in ME3. On the whole, I feel while ME3 is a good game, the important things, such as the ending, really detract from an otherwise fine product.

[Odd Bet]

My Mass Effect 3 score: 90/100

I have done a lot of thinking about the game since I beat it a couple days ago. Ultimately, I absolutely loved it. Honestly, BioWare, I love this game more than any other game I have ever played. I think I was more emotionally invested in this game (and series) than I have ever been in all but a few other pieces of media (truly, the movie Weekend is the only other one coming to mind).

The atmosphere, everything from the visuals to the sounds, was amazing. During the monastery and the catacombs, I wanted to just turn off my computer because I was so on edge, despite nothing happening. Every aspect of the settings helped to convey the emotions of the scene, be they fear, awe, sorrow, or hope. I spent the majority of the game in a state of utter immersion, totally lost in the fantastic world you had created. I cared about everything around me, and when I saw the destruction of the Reapers, it hurt. The new monsters were also genius, especially the banshees. Hearing that scream gives me chills and immediately has me scanning the field so I can find them before they get into melee.

The pacing was also spectacular. At no point did I feel like I either had too much or too little to do. It always felt like there were interesting options for me to pursue, but I never felt like the game threw too many options at me for me to decide. I played the game straight through over the course of three days, and I was never bored, never felt like I was forcing myself to play.

The combat was tight and enjoyable. I played as a vanguard and found it extremely satisfying. I had a variety of powers, interesting ways to use them, and an endless assortment of baddies against which to test them. I think my favorite moment in any video game combat has to be when a brute is about to charge me, and I charge into instead, nova, and destroy it. Nothing more satisfying. The enhanced depth of the power system was awesome, with the choices presenting real decisions, with different strategies implied and resulting in divergent playstyles. This is the first Mass Effect where I have tried different combinations of powers, weapons, and armor to find what I felt worked the best.

Of course, the real strengths, and the main selling points for me, of Mass Effect are the story and the characters. The story was perfect in conveying the sense of urgency and despair. I don't think I've ever been so choked up, so many times while playing a video game. The deaths of your friends all forced me to take a step back and take some deep breaths before I could play again. Even thinking back on them, my throat tightens a little. Hearing their voices in the dreams was deeply emotional. Throughout the game, I was moved by Shepard's reactions, seeing the pressures of the galaxy weighing on him. Mark Meer did a fantastic job with displaying a vast range of emotions with sincerity and believability (yes, I prefer Mark to Jennifer, though I think they are both great, and I know this puts me in the minority).

One point for which I really want to commend BioWare is the Kaidan romance for male Shepard. It was beyond perfect. The dialogue was sweet without being cloying, emotional without being trite, and by far the most realistic romance I've experienced in a video game. The line "I lied, I didn't really come here for a quick drink." is perhaps my favorite line in any game to date. The way Kaidan supports Shepard in his dark times was amazing, and I can't thank BioWare enough for creating such a great romance.

All of the characters, from squad members to small bit parts, were great, and the voice acting was spot on. I never felt like a line didn't work or wasn't said correctly. In all, the story and characters are a true testament to the talent and hard work of the Mass Effect team.

Now that I've explained what I loved about the game, I unfortunately have to explain why I gave it a 90 and not a 100. If you've read this far, you probably can already guess, since it's the one aspect I haven't touched. The endings.

I went into this game expecting Shepard to die. I had no problem with that. I expected Shepard to gather his allies, fight a bloody battle against the Reapers, and when he had nothing else left to give, that would be when he gave his life to destroy them. Sure, the everyone lives ending would have made me happier, but I'm fine with a sad ending that leaves my hopes unfulfilled. It hurts, but it's the hurt of having experienced something true, though I had a hard time not crying during the final talk with Kaidan thinking about this possibility.

Like many others, my problem with the ending is that it seems to come out of nowhere and make little sense. I felt like my choice didn't really matter, because it wasn't really my choice. Nothing I had done in any of the games mattered at this point. The Guardian just gave me my options and told me to choose, the game basically forcing me to break my Shepard's philosophy that he had kept for three games, to never give up, that there is always hope, to never just take what is given, to never do just what is expected, and that nothing is impossible. Maybe my Shepard, and myself, I suppose, was naive, but I don't really think it's the place of a game to disabuse me of naivete. I have real life for that.

Obviously, the end with the Normandy is a huge issue. It is not explained at all, and Kaidan, who I assumed was dead on Earth, steps out of the ship, totaly unscathed and apparently not at all caring that I'm most likely dead. At that point, I felt like the ending wasn't mine, that it wasn't even the same game any more. The story I had spent hours crafting for my Shepard just vanished with no closure, without even a mention of its passing.

Because I do not want to end on a bad note, I will say that the quality of the game persisted through the ending. Shepard's conversation with Anderson was heartbreaking, as was his attempt to activate the console. The sound of defeat in his voice when speaking with the Guardian made me feel weak with despair, yet also like I wanted to just make things all better for him. Despite its major failings, the ending did not fail to make me feel for my Shepard, I just wish he had a conclusion that was worthy of his amazing story.

I doubt anyone has made it this far, but if you have, thanks for reading. I have loved this series since BioWare first started releasing info about ME1, and I don't think anything will ever stop me from loving it. I would be infinitely pleased if BioWare did something about the endings, but despite my feelings about them, they just can't ruin such and amazing series. The characters all feel like they are my friends, Shepard's story feels like my story, and what a truly awesome story it has been. So, BioWare, for that I thank you. I truly cannot express enough how much I loved and enjoyed this game and this world you created.

[wombat777]

I realize that many others have certainly posted more eloquently than I will, but my take on the ending was sort of like this:
Imagine reading a book and you go through the narrative in a sensible sequential order, say, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, end. To me, ME3's narrative was more like this:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, Lemon-flavored stucco top-hats worn by gophers in bright pink pantaloons dancing sexy sambas with Bambi.
The end of the game bore NO relation in any narrative sense to the thread of the game as developed -- at least not to my eyes (and not to blow my own horn, but I am one of those rare birds -- I actually am able to support myself as a writer, and I made it through one of the toughest English Lit programs in the USA -- all by way of saying I'm not blowing smoke up your a**).

[macroberts]

 Hi BioWare and Chris, 

I hope you guys read these reviews. And if you read this one, I appreciate you taking the time and hearing the reactions of your fans.

I just finished the game last night, did it blind and spoiler-free. I've had some time to think it over and I've decided I'll add to the reviews here. 

First up, it's been an absolutely incredible journey. I got ME1 and ME2 on sale a while back, and immediately fell in love with the story, the universe, the whole lot. All your staff deserve praise and credit for the effort and time you've all put in to make this experience for us. And for that, I thank you. 

I usually like to give scores at the end, but since you asked for it Chris, I'll give it now. I'm giving it a 8.5 out of 10.

To the analysis then. The gameplay was incredible. I was not bored at all at any stage of the game. The variation with the enemies made the game a great experience. Whoever came up with the idea for asari banshee husks deserves a raise, those things scared me enough to respec my vanguard and take warp ammo and max the heck out of that (although I'm not sure if it actually helped at all, but whatever =P). The weight system made sense, and in my mind is a good addition, forcing the player to pick between powers or gung-ho boom-stick-ness.

Power tree revamp was also great. It made me think about what I actually wanted, rather than just "oh I'll drop points in here and she'll be right." As was the weapon mods system, I liked that too. The weights system, the levelling, and the mods changed the rather mindless levelling calculus of the previous games into something you'd actually want to have a think about. 

Music. Ohhhh the music. It was fantastic. Your composers did a fantastic job in ME1 and 2, and it seems the team in ME3 didn't stray far from the script and continued the fine, fine work. Mansell's piano theme in the beginning and the end were completely incredible bookends to the story, and the song is now on forever repeat on my music player of choice (DDE soundtrack, don't fret =) ).

There are a few things I would have liked to be different. I'd have liked the journal from ME2. The new journal makes it hard for me to figure out what I'm supposed to be doing or where I'm supposed to be at. Scanning too, I'd have made a bit easier. Too often I ping three times in a 5 planet system and I have to run like the devil is on my heels (and I guess he is). 

I'm going to cut the multiplayer bit in here because I'm not sure where it should go. But between alerting every Reaper in existance and collecting War Assets, it became clear that you really couldn't get the best ending unless you structured your scanning in a way which refreshed the Reaper Awareness level after every mission. So I do think multiplayer becomes fairly crucial to getting the 5000 effective assets for the 'best ending', so to speak. It's a good thing the multiplayer is so completely fun then. There's a few lag issues and matchmaking issues here and there (I mean, being matched to a person that doesn't speak your language and who hosts the game so far away makes it hard to play right), but all in all it is an enjoyable experience.

Now to the most important part of the game for me, the plot and story. There are going to be ups and downs in this bit. =)

The ups, well, that would be the whole journey to the endgame. The game did a fantastic job in conveying to me the desperate times Shepard and co find themselves, and the sacrifices that need to be made. The game's handling of Mordin's death was fantastic and very much with the character. Legion's sacrifice was also very well-written. 

But it was Thane's final fight that was the single most emotionally charged moment of the game for me. This scene is the most emotional scene I have ever experienced in a game, ever. Once I got Thane in ME2, I had him in every single squad after, all the way to the Human Reaper (with Garrus, he's cool too). I saw him as a bro to my Shepard. I loved his character's philosophy, and how he actually struggles with it. And when he dies, and his last prayer was not for him, but actually for me, I sat still and teared up. Manly tears, but tears nonetheless (I still tear up, thinking about it). It brought home to me the sacrifices my Shepard and his crew were having to make. 

Above all, the game did an incredible job in building up the desperation and the emotion, the stress and the anger, the fear and the helplessness that Shepard feels. And I felt them too. Hell, at times, even I doubted whether or not my Shepard can do this. EDIT: Full credit to the every single one of the voice actors, particularly the Shepards, who managed to convey every single emotion I was felling through every scene, and added to this experience.

And so we come to the down, and one which has been mentioned in other posts too. The ending itself wasn't as horrifically bad as some have put it. The plot or story part of the ending I thought could have done with a bit more of a fleshing out. It needed more detail, more information. I actually quite like the way the story has explored with the idea of synthetics vs. organics cycle, but I'd have liked to see more of it, hear more about it. I think the game was geared more towards defeating the Reapers, and this was built up from ME1 and ME2, but not enough time was spent exploring that other avenue of story. Even if this theme wasn't fully explored in ME1 and 2, it could have been the focus of ME3 a lot more. I appreciate the little things like conversations with EDI and overhearing Adams and Chakwas, but it wasn't throughly considered enough to really employ that kind of ending on the gamer.

But my main concern was the lack of a catharsis. I've posted something about this in another thread, but I'll talk about it again here. At the end of ME3, we as the player didn't get a massive cathartic moment that had been building up since the moment when someone died on Virmire. As I said earlier, ME3 (and indeed, the whole Mass Effect franchise) did a fantastic job in building up emotions within the player. The level of fear, sadness, anger, and desperation reached unprecedented levels within me the closer I got to the end. You connected with the characters, you talked to them, you made friends, and hell, you made lovers. And you saw them make sacrifices all along the way, for your cause. By the time I was charging up to the beam all I was thinking about was "To hell with this, I'm going to finish this now, for all the people who died, and all that are living, bring it on you (expletive)." 

But the ending didn't give me the explosion of emotion I expected, and that is somewhat disappointing. I'm not complaining that the ending was too sad (and lets be honest, the galaxy is two steps from hell (heh), there's hardly going to be rainbows at the end of this mess). In fact, I'd have welcomed a bittersweet ending. That would actually fit the sadness, desperation, and fear that had been building up within me as I played ME3. But I didn't get to release these emotions as I would have liked. In a way, I was incredibly surprised that this wasn't done, as the game had done such an absolutely brilliant job at building these emotions. But I think that a cathartic moment is what ultimately made the difference between a great game, and the best game ever.

All in all, the game was an incredible experience. The fights were tense and challenging, the story held up well, and most importantly the game did a top-notch job (probably the best job ever in gaming history) of making you care about the characters, care about the situation, and actually feel emotions in a game other than the usual "Hah, I shot your head off, I win" or "Hah, I beat the boss" pride and joy which permeates throughout the gaming industry today. In particular, Thane's final scenes completely carried the game for me. But having gotten that far, having had us invest so much emotion into the game, I was surprised and a bit disappointed that the last step, the catharsis, wasn't taken. This is the reason why the score is 8.5, and not 10. 

Still, I thank you once more for a fantastic experience. It was a good journey.

Thanks for reading the review, and I appreciate the time you've taken to do so.  =)


macroberts

Modifié par macroberts, 10 mars 2012 - 08:49 .

[BaronScrewtape]

Before the ending of ME3:
ME1: 90/100
ME2: 93/100
ME3: 96/100

After the ME3 ending:

Entire Series: 1/300

They ruined everything for me. Shepherd could have sat his ass down on some rock somewhere and twiddled his thumbs for all that his decisions effected the end.

[GSS115]

Having completed Mass Effect 3; I rate it 97/100

The Pros:
- Combat System is amazing
- Shepards Character development
- All the side dialog you can walk in on
- Enemies are sharp and love to flank
- Story was as detail rich as the first 2 installments
- Kinect features increase the ease of squad management
- All the voicework is excellent
- Soundtrack is good

The Cons:
- Journal was generally lacking -3

Edit: 2012APRIL01
The endings were lacking in a catharsis but otherwise it was an excellent game.  I look forward to future DLC.

Modifié par GSS115, 01 avril 2012 - 07:10 .

[TheKingofRedLions]

Overall Rating with Ending - 70, without Ending - 95  [XBOX 360 Version]

I am an ME fan since a few years ago, it actually took me playing Dragon Age to appreciate ME and replay it. The first time I played ME I hated it, I am glad I picked it up again before ME2 hit. I have been a die hard fan since, until now - I'll explain below.

Gameplay - Excellent

I love how the powers feel, the added "kick" to biotics, the power of tech. The shooting felt great, melee was an awesome addition, and the cover felt better than ever. I do miss the ability to holster a weapon to look around though. The side mission structure was a little too loose, not enough guidance of objectives, wether you completed them, and who to return to complete.

Visuals - Excellent/Mediocre

The visuals were general top notch, yet the textures were terrible. Clothing and suit textures were blurry at best, while the fidelity of the rest of the model was great. I know this was a sacrifice most likely, but it was notable.

Control - Excellent

Game controlled great. Controller support on PC would have been awesome, I would have liked to experience the game in true 1080 with high res textures instead of my xbox.

Story - Excellent, Ending - ?

The story up until the end was great, I loved the interaction with old and new friends alike. I would have liked an in-game render of tali without a mask, but the picture was fine (I dont mind it was licensed).

Now on to the whole reason I wrote a review - the endings.

I have invested over 700 hours across multiple characters/playthroughs. I made a choice at the end, and saw 30 seconds of an ambiguous cutscene with religous undertones. Where did all my choices come into effect? How did any of my decisions amount to anything other than a stupid addition to my EMS meter? The Rachni Queen being spared, preventing the Illusive man from having the human reaper/collector base, killing Ashley, pushing Garrus towards being a venegful SOB who doesn't take **** from anyone, where did they go?

I felt as if I spent 700 hours for nothing. I can appreciate the journey, I enjoyed many great times with my friends, but I needed something more substantial than a bad take on LOST's conclusion. I don't mind that I died, I would sacrifice myself every time to see my friends survive, without hesitation. I feel cheated, I made decisions which carried little meaning other than a number for a metric that I had already conquered completely. 





Please do something, I am trying to love the series the same way I did before 3, but I dont know if I can anymore. Do what my Shepard would have done, fix this, no matter what the cost, no matter how hard. I sincerely loved this series, as much as anyone coud love a piece of art, make this right again.


Thank you for your time.

-Justin Shepard

[Ifeus]

ME1 - 90/100
ME2 - 95/100
ME3 - 99/100

Very short impression/review
I love everything about this game, I feel the game is 5 times more epic and emotional than the previous two..
I know.. The ending sucked.. I would have given this game a perfect score if not for the ending but I feel the journey is what makes the game.. Not the ending.., it only occupies 5-10 mins of the game.. I just hope there's a DLC for an epilogue..I would buy that even if it cost $60..

[darkshadow136]

Well we are almost up to 15 pages of customer reviews, and no response yet from the Game Developers about all the low reviews from their customer base about the endings and so on. 

Modifié par darkshadow136, 10 mars 2012 - 10:06 .

[Catriana]

Well, here goes. With so many comments, I doubt mine will even be read, but reviews were asked for, so I shall try to deliver.

I cannot say I'm a die hard fan of this series, at least not like I am with Dragon Age. But this is a genre-specific issue, I simply prefer fantasy to sci-fi. Nonetheless, Mass Effect is probably the only game in existence that made me sit down and play a shooter from start to finish. I have now completed all three games, and I would hardly consider myself a hardcore gamer. ME made me enjoy utilizing guns to destroy my opponents, and the other tech powers are interesting as well.

The biggest pull for me in anything are the characters and the plot. ME1 delivered with a wide assortment of characters, different races and species, and beautiful worlds to explore. To top it off, you start as a candidate for a special program, where your character will be the first human to join a galaxy-wide force. The adventures and choices are widely varied, many of them foreshadowing future events to come. ME2 goes even further, bringing your character back from the dead and removing the shackles and red tape of government to get the job done. Even if it makes your character look like the bad guy, they trudge on, because their reputation means nothing in the face of a threat which intends to wipe out all advanced intelligent life. More choices are made, a suicide mission which can go countless ways depending on how much effort you put into knowing your crew and getting their loyalty. I honestly found ME2 much more fulfilling than ME1 because of this, so I was eagerly awaiting the conclusion to this series. That my choices carried over from ME1 made the story all the more personal; this was my universe, I was shaping and molding it to my satisfaction.

And so comes the conclusion to the series. ME3 is a wild ride, a veritable rollercoaster of emotions and circumstances. Like in the other two games, I have choices, but in following its predecesor, those decisions weigh heavier, they have a final impact that literally shape galactic relations. Through Mordin I cured the genophage, through Tali and Legion I united the Geth and the Quarians. Through my actions Samara lived to see her surviving daughter and fight in the war with her fellow Justicars. Grunt's team was slaughtered to free the Rachni queen. Through Shepard I united a galaxy, instilling hope in my allies and fear in my enemies.

My character watched both Tali and Ashley get drunk, my Shepard's relationship with Garrus grew, she even managed to bond with her new alliance crewmates. The character interactions were fulfilling and rewarding, and while I didn't have as much control over everything Shepard said, I think that gave her more life and character. I really got to see how everything was weighing her down, and how those she was especially close to came through for her when she needed them. The story was deep, emotional, and incredibly fulfilling. I loved the fact that Bioware made mention that out of all the ME1 crew, only Garrus and Tali really stuck by her from beginning to end. That was a huge highlight for me, because in ME2 I felt betrayed for my Shepard with everyone's reasons as to why they wouldn't help (excluding Wrex). The VS confrontation on Horizon felt like a stab in the back, because while yes, Cerebus is bad, characters like Tali had way more reason to hate them, yet she still joined Shepard because she believed in her. But that is one of the reasons why I love Mass Effect, because the characters are different and they make me feel so many different emotions.

So, I've explained most of what I loved about the series, now I'll list what I didn't like:

• The Quest log: Compared to ME2's, the quest log was terrible. In fact, I almost felt as if it was done delibertly in an attempt to have people fail on purpose. Since certain quests were timed(you didn't know which ones, either, nor could you find them because the quests were delibertly vague), not doing all of them in SP meant your EMS would never be high enough if you wanted to get a 'good' ending. In order to compensate, you therefore have to play MP and raise your percentage. This happened to me. Luckily, my husband is proficient in MP, so he was able to help me a lot. Still, I felt a little manipulated.
• The EMS score counting toward the ending seems only applicable if you choose the 'destroy' option. Otherwise, it really doesn't matter how high or low your score is. If you want your Shepard to survive, there is only one option available to you...I think.
• Character heads doing an almost 180 at times when you talk to them. That was just creepy.
• The ending. Yes, I'm joining the chorus of people unsatisfied with the ending. I'm sorry, but it really wasn't satisfying on any sort of level, and I honestly would not recommend the game to any long time ME fan who feels that the story and characters are important. While "it's not the destination but the journey that matters" is all well and good in Philosophy 101, I do not feel it is applicable to this series. At least, not with those endings.
• I don't feel that 'From Ashes' should have been a DLC. Javik was important enough to be included with the main cast. He was certainly more important/valid than Traynor or Vega, as much as I adored their characters.
• No Krogan party member. This isn't actually mine, but my husband's gripe with the game. He's always had one in his party and not having one felt cheap in his opinion. Just wanted to throw that out there.
• Shepard easily accepting that the Catalyst's answers were the only answers after fighting tooth and nail to prove those assumptions wrong. In certain playthroughs, Shepard can easily prove Synthetics and Organics can live together, because that's exactly what she did with the Quarians and the Geth.

I'd like to go into a bit more detail with the ending, because once again, I felt manipulated.  If you've read all that text above about everything I loved in ME3, than you know I united the Geth and the Quarians, I cured the genophage, and while I didn't mention it, I encouraged Joker and EDI to pursue a relationship. I did a Paragon playthrough, and my Shep's entire push was to never give up hope, and that any adversity could be overcome if one worked hard enough. With that said, every ending except Synthesis negated all of my hard work and effort. If I chose 'Destroy' the Geth and EDI would die, which also meant the Quarians would suffer from the lack of Geth benefits to their immune systems. If I chose Control, well, the Reapers don't really go away and Shep looks like the biggest **** of all time(considering s/he was trying to stop TIM from doing the exact same thing). Without any explanation as to why Shepard is different from TIM, considering he had been able to control her mind, it makes no sense to believe Shepard could control the reapers anymore than TIM could have. The probability of Shepard only replacing the Catalyst and the reapers eventually reverting back to their whole harvest all advanced life thing would have come to pass.

So then, it honestly felt like my only option, based off my playthrough, was Synthesis. But this meant sacrificing my Shepard. To be honest, I have no qualms with those who sacrifice their heroes in their playthrough. DA:O offered the protagonist the choice of doing so without it altering the ongoing plot overmuch, if really at all. However, I want the choice to sacrifice my Shepard, and I want to have this and it make sense. Destroying the reapers and thus all synthetic life felt like a Renegade option, yet it is also the only one in which Shepard can survive. As a Paragon player, it felt as if Synthesis was the only way to go to achieve true peace between the organics and synthetics, but at the cost of Shepard's life. Why is the Renegade choice rewarded with Shepard's life and not the Synthesis? Why must a Paragon Shepard either completely negate everything they've done or kill themselves to achieve peace, yet a Renegade Shepard can save all organic life and live? I felt as a Paragon Shep that I was being punished, and there was some subtle manipulation there too.

With the other two options, they're dull and unremarkable, while the Synthesis option is a bright beam of brilliant, beautiful light. It's also the straight foward one, and the one that seems to be worded in a more favorable light than the others. Although it seems like most people chose the 'Destroy' option, I wanted to stay true to my character, so she sacrificed herself...at the cost of forcing everyone to become a new species whether they liked it or not. I don't know, it just felt...wrong. None of the options felt right or satisfying, and we were told that while not everyone may like the ending, it would at least be mostly satisfying. Judging from the consesus from the forums, outside communities, and the like, that doesn't seem to be the case.

While I still loved the game, I doubt I'll do another playthrough. I'm sorry if that makes me 'not a real fan' or whatever one Dev was saying in response to the fans earlier, but I mostly do Paragon playthroughs, so all I can think of while playing is how all of my efforts and choices end up not mattering in the end. I'm not just unsatisfied, I'm disappointed, I'm depressed, and the ending really killed any desire to continue playing with my other Shepards with the exception of my Renegade, if I ever get to her.

So if I had to give the game a rating from 1-10, I'd give it an 8/10 and completely ignore the ending even existed (with the exception of the grandfather and his grandson. That was nice).

And if the devs actually read all of that, thank you for your time.

Modifié par Catriana, 10 mars 2012 - 10:30 .

[rinoe]

I would buy my happy ending for any money.

DLC is my last hope and last thing - if I will not get my happy ending, I'll erase that game with Bioware with it. Like a bad dream.

They create something with a great impact on me. It was so good to be a part of my life. Shepard is my favorite charcter and she is my Shepard. I can't agree with that kind of end.

I will buy that kind of DLC for any money. Feel it is not right, but Shepard deseves better.

As the reviev I will give the game 100/100 if I could play it again.
But I cant with broken heart, so for the last few minutes is 0/100 - ZERO. Unplayable again.
Living things like that is like murder.

If you kill the spirit, the body dies.

But I still have hope that you can fix it, that you DO fix it... stupid me.

Modifié par rinoe, 10 mars 2012 - 10:28 .

[ftkerns]

I hardly ever post on message boards, but I'm doing so now in the faint hope that someone at Bioware might see this, because after finishing ME3, I feel like I've just been punched in the soul.

I bought the first game based on a recommendation from a friend. It was kind of "meh" at first, but I played through a few more times, and it gradually grew on me, to the point where I was practically drooling over ME2 after I saw the first teaser trailer. I pre-ordered ME2 and eventually lost count of the number of times I've played through it. I finally got it out of my system and moved on to other things, but I kept playing it regularly for well over two years. The game even got into my head to the point where I started writing a fanfic; I hadn't intended to, but ideas started clicking together and finally I just had to start writing because I couldn't shake any of it loose any other way.

And when I saw the teaser for ME3, I started drooling again. When I saw the cinematic trailer and the launch trailer, my brain popped a Reaper-size boner with an Omni-Blade on the end of it. I pre-ordered the Collector's Edition.

Finally, many months later, the game arrived. After some difficulty installing it (I bought a physical copy of it, yet it wouldn't install; I entered the activation key into Origin and had to download the whole game to install it O_o), I started playing. I absolutely loved it. The first day, I stayed up nearly twenty-four hours playing it, pausing only for meals and bathroom breaks. I didn't even get sleepy, I was so pumped to finally be playing this game I'd waited for so long to get my hands on, and see its story unfold. (As a side-note, yeah, the gameplay itself is a hell of a lot of fun, but I'm into Mass Effect for its story, its amazing and well-rounded characters, and its fascinating setting.) I got through the end of the Rannoch missions, and thanks to not having a high enough Reputation, I ended up getting the quarians wiped out, which was horrifying. I looked at the clock and it was almost 6am. Crap. Oh, well. I reloaded an earlier save and waited until my Rep was almost maxed out before trying the Rannoch Reaper battle again.

The whole game had me absolutely riveted. I spent the first three days of my vacation playing through to the end.

And then I got to...the end. I don't need to say any more than that, having read numerous other posts on the subject here. Everyone here knows what "the ending" refers to.

I figured I'd keep replaying ME3 the same way I did ME2. But...that's not what happened. The entire game was just magnificent...until the mad dash toward the beam in London. At that point, it turned into "WTF?!" moment after "WTF?!" moment. Organic life merged with synthetic life, the mass relays were destroyed (And while I'm on that subject, remember in "The Arrival" when a mass relay exploding destroyed an entire solar system? If that's how it works, wouldn't both of the non-"control Reapers" endings wipe out all life in the galaxy by blowing up all the mass relays and the entire systems in which they're located?), Shepard died when the Citadel blew, and the Normandy somehow crash-landed on an alien planet, despite having been near Earth when the chain-reaction started.

While the credits rolled, I just sat here, staring at the screen like a cow looking at a dictionary.

Then, inexplicably, Shep was back on the Normandy's CIC, looking at the galaxy map. I ran up to the cockpit to talk to Joker and EDI, and he just said, "Commander." EDI said something like, "Hello, Shepard." And that was it. I headed down to Engineering to talk to Tali, and she just said, "Talk to you later." I returned to the CIC and clicked on the galaxy map.

The Normandy was outside the Illusive Man's base. The entire "Attack Cerberus" mission--and everything after it--hadn't even happened. One final "WTF?!" moment.

Instead of immediately starting a New Game +, I went back to the main menu, sat here for a few more moments...and exited the game.

I can't even be angry over this. Instead, I'm deeply depressed. I paid eighty dollars for...this. Spent three days of my time off work for...this. Just to end up feeling like someone shoved a gun up my soul's ass and pulled the trigger.

Maybe I'll try a NG+ so I can see the additional ending I've heard about. But not for a while. And unless Bioware puts out a DLC or a patch or whatever, to give us one or two better endings, I'm done with Bioware. I'm not giving them one more damned penny unless they can give me something in return that won't leave me feeling depressed and dissapointed.

And by better endings, I do mean one in which it's possible to save the galaxy and destroy the Reapers without dying, killing off the geth and EDI, stranding the Normandy's crew on a distant planet, or destroying all advanced technology throughout the entire galaxy. I love the Mass Effect universe and the story these games told, but I also play video games because they're fun. And I don't mind dark stories at all, but for me there's no enjoyment in any story that ends the way this one did.

So, please, Bioware, I'd even be willing to pay for a DLC that gives me an ending that's at least bittersweet (many planets devastated and Mass Relays destroyed, but the entire fleet--including quarians and geth and everyone else--are still in the Sol system, Shep and crew alive and together), if not full-on happy ending (Reapers destroyed but relays left intact, with all the different races helping each other rebuild their worlds). One possibility is that, if the relays are all destroyed along with the Reapers, everyone brainstorms and eventually figures out an entirely new means of traversing the galaxy; maybe something like Babylon 5's jumpgates. (Hmm. That actually gives me an idea for my fanfic, so I guess ME3's ending wasn't completely useless after all.)

Again, I'd gladly pay extra for a DLC that makes it possible to save Shep and what's left of his/her crew in addition to the rest of the galaxy...after all the crap Shep and his/her team have been through, they should at least have a shot at a somewhat happy ending. That's the only chance Bioware has of getting any more of my money.

But if that doesn't happen, I'm done. It's time to pull the ripcord.

So, bottom line:

The first 99% of the game: 10/10
The ending: 0/10

Modifié par ftkerns, 10 mars 2012 - 10:28 .

[mrpleepot]

Edit: My Mass Effect 3 score: 70/100
(i dont want to give a score but pparently its mandatory)

in case anyone ever reads this (which I doubt) ill keep it short + a TL;DR version at the end.

positive:
(when we forget about the ending) Mass Effect 3 has improved on every aspect of the game imho.
-Most of the misions feel like they actually matter.
-The graphics still look fine
-Beautiful design of weapons, areas etc (all the designers deserve bonus imo)
-Storyline is great (except for the ending)
-Codex
-Surprisingly good multiplayer

negative
-Even my robodog couldve come up with a better ending
-My robodog doesnt bark
-Jarvik is the most unconvincing character ever.
-A glitch of some sort made tali come back to life again in a cutscene after she commited suicide.
-Multiplayer feels like its making up for the ending

TL;DR: Mass Effect 3 is a great game, the only reason this will not be the best game of 2012 (imho) is the ending.

also i am sorry to hear some people made personal attacks towards bioware/EA staff, please do listen to your polite enthusiasts! (I hate the word fans)

Modifié par mrpleepot, 10 mars 2012 - 01:30 .

[mirv4]

Although what I am about to write has already been written, I feel it necessary to add my voice to the collective disappointment felt by Mass Effects fans.  Until the final momements of the game, it was enjoyable and fun.  The missions got me emotionally involved and the story was epic and wonderful.  Ironically, that created the disconnect. 
The endings offered were generic conclusions to an epic story that were impersonal and indifferent to the actions of the individuals.  I do not believe it was deliberate on the part of the writers.  Just that Bioware made the mistake of seperating the character stories from the main overall story.  By doing that, Bioware made all of our decision points throughout the missions irrelevant.  The Mass Effect series has or had the unique gift of giving players the ability to develop and become emotionally involved with their companion characters.  We anguished over paragon and renegade decisions because we thought we would decide how these companions would turn out.  Instead, the fate of our companions is decided by an obnoxious A.I. called the Catalyst that gives you a devil's choice.  In short, Bioware denied us our final reward of character closure.
--In the endings, I have no idea what happened to my compatriots
--There is no reason the Normandy should have been in FTL drive fleeing Earth.  Why??? All of them pledged to be there to defend Earth to the end.  So we see the Normandy FLEEING THE SOLAR SYSTEM!!???  That is insulting to our characters and is a massive plot hole.
--Why not have them crash outside London so we can have all our companions together for a final scene that briefly shows us ALL of their fates, NOT JUST JOKERS!?
--It doesn't have to be all roses and cheers, it can be solemn and humbling BUT AT LEAST WE WOULD HAVE CLOSURE!

I truly believe that most fans would forgive Bioware and raise its rating if they made an Epilogue or Alternate Ending DLC that gives us closure with our character's companions' stories.  I am upset but I admit I would buy it.  It would truly show Bioware's commitment to the fans.

Fallout 3 made the same mistake but corrected it with the Broken Steel add-on.  Bioware doesn't have to make the DLC that big, just give us a 4th choice where we can bypass Catalyst's choices and have an epilogue.  Hell, it can just be Shepard or Anderson or Hackett just narrating about what happens to everyone while clips flash before our eyes like the ending in Fallout 2.  That is all and it can be a cheap and easy fix to keep this the best game-based story ever made. 

If Bioware can't be bothered to alleviate fans' frustration, then I will not be bothered to ever look at another Bioware product again.  Not a threat, just a statement of fact.  Thank you for your time and consideration.

[oneyedjohn]

 I am going to brack my review into parts because they cover what my experiance with the game.

gameplay was a 9 out of 10
the combat was fast and fluid and gave me more of a challange an adrinalin rush that most fps out on the market. 
the controls responded well.
the graphics look great

story and world they lived in up until the ending was 10 out of 10
most, if not all, of the main charictors form the first to games have full and satiphiying arcs to them
the voice acting is top notch as always
you could feel the despration, fear, and hoplessness that the galaixy was experiancing. giving you the real comitment to see how it ends and that maybe if you try hard enough, the galixy might just servive.

THE ENDINGS 2 out of 10
fankley there where crud.
an underlining theme like "there is no set fate. if we try hard enough, you can bet the odds and save the day", "human cooperation vs human donminace"and "synthicic life v. organic live" was thrown out in the name of 3 sadistic choices that leave a bad taste in my mouth.

1. sythithis, witch destroys indaviulaity and aculy have the reapers phipiophicly "winning" by forcing sinthitics and organics to mearge and losing there indavuality with out there "choice" and "order unto choas"

2.domonice, Sheperd takes control of the reapers. this just semes wrong to me. who could or sould control that power. of the program child could not control them well how could Sheperd (and by proix you)? also it feels like becoming a quilzaling after definding SENTIANT LIFE agenst the reapers either just human or in all its forms.

3.destruction. you destroy all synthitic life. wether good or bad. genicidel or paifist. alli or enemy. no choice just fate and death.

We do not know how the party members and the galexy serived or if they serived the final battle peole you made us care about over to games

worst of all. in each of these endings, SHEPERD DESTROYED EVERY SINGLE MASS RELY.  As shown in arival destroying a mass rely destroies the star system it is atached to. thus, SHEPERD DESTROYED EARTH, THE COMPINED FLEET, COUNTLESS WORLDS AND LIVES! in that instant you made Sheperd destroy what s\\he was fighting for. 

YOU MADE THE ONLY OPTION FALURE!

Yes, there is that nice epolige with the old man and child showing that sheperd has become a legoned but it is worthless. we don't know them at all. if they had been introdused earlier in the games it would have made sence. the whole triligy was just a story being told about a great hero, but i just felt tackted on in an atemt not to make the games endings to bleak.

[Panaka01]

Everything before the ending: 98/100
The ending: 30/100
Overall score: 64/100

Great story, great gameplay, good graphics and great characters. Thane's death actually managed to make me cry and it has been a very long time since a game made me do that. Was heving lots of fun with it, and then the ending hit.

The endings I've been able to get are bad. We were promised a playable epiloque and a golden ending (if we did everything right). We have gotten neither.
There is no playable ending, just the singlee scene with a badly wounded Shepard breathing on Earth, while the other two endings basicly kill Shepard. How Bioware managed to mess up the ending this badly after making the rest of game so very good is a mysterie to me.

[HeavenStar]

While I greatly respect the developers, I have never been disappointed with any game as much as ME3.

ME series is one of the games I loved and anticipated most, which is probably why I felt the disappointment so keenly. Even more so because it was such a great game up until the endings.

Below is the score I give to ME3 based on my own experience playing the game:

Game play: 9/10

It was one of the best out of the three games of ME series. It was very dynamic and engaging, and very smooth most of the time (the game got stuck during fights twice during my play-through). Although the Cerberus and Reaper enemies did become a little to repetitive, it made sense for the story and I enjoyed that immensely.

Visuals and Cut-scenes: 9/10

One of the things I'm most impressed about ME3 is the cut-scenes. It was almost like watching a movie and you could really sink into the atmosphere. The change in appearances in this game is for the better, in my opinion, except that my femShep eyelashes texture is a little bit off, no matter how many times I tried to fix this in character creation. But all in all ME3 aesthetic is very pleasing to the eyes indeed.

Characters and Dialogues: 9/10
Again, ME3 developers have done great jobs with the characters and dialogues in the last of the series. It was good to see that each character has grown with the story, and the dialogues are just pure gold. It is also good to see that all those dialogues with all characters who isn't romance as well. Romance (in my case, Kaidan) is well-done, although I wish there were more talks with him about his life during the two years Shepard has been dead.

And now, the touchy subject (and HEAVY SPOILER):

Endings: 3/10

With the currently ending, I can only give this wonderful game this score. While I cannot say that the endings are completely and absolutely BS, they cannot give me the satisfaction I expected and required of a good game I waited for years for either. From my point of view, I invested a good deal of money and hundred of hours of time in this game in the hope that the ending will provide me the satisfaction I craved from playing the game, getting attached to the characters and the world, and see the consequences of each different action my Shepard has made in this universe. Instead, no matter what my Shepard has done, it all came down to three main endings with no significant difference. No actions in the past really mattered, and that is my first cause for disappointment as I've always understood that ME series is an RPG, where the action your character took should matter.

Secondly, I need a happy-ending to be available. It doesn't have to be ALL happy ending, of course, but there should be a way to achieve at least the sort-of happy ending as well. While some people may say that current available endings make sense, I as a real person and a customer, cannot help but want that happy ending for my character. From reading many topics in the ME3 forum, I can see there are a lot of people who share this sentitment. If there's a way to fix this, whether by patch or DLC, please do it. It would save the entire ME series for me.

Lastly, I felt that the endings were all so inconsistent with what we've previously seen in the Mass Effect universe. The concept of organic-synthetic life forms' ability to co-exist has hardly been explored in ME except for the Quarian-Geth conflict, which is not a lot. Thus it is why I felt the ending was so out of place as previously it has all been about 'defeat the reapers' and suddenly now it's 'what is the way into the future for organic and synthetic life'. Had that issue been emphasized more in the ME1, ME2 or even ME3, it *might* have made more sense why the game should end on that note (not saying that it *would*).

While I am disapponted with how the game ends, I must say that the developers have done a great job with ME3. However, to me, the game won't be complete until there's a happy ending for my character(s), and I would like to ask all involved in making the game for that happy ending for my ME journey. I'm willing to pay for a DLC if that meant I can get that happy ending. At the moment, however, I don't feel like I can touch on anything that is even partially related to ME with the current endings.

Thank you for reading this.

[Michael177]

I don't normally do this sort of thing, but in this case I think it's something I need to do....

The Mass effect series has seemingly been part of my life in a way that may seem strange to some people.  In some ways it has motivated me, strengthened me and probably most importantly put me on the right track in life.  I'm writing this review to let the people at bioware know that I loved Mass Effect 3, even the ending.  I think what some people don't understand is that putting an ending together for such a loved game is probably close to impossible.  I did some research just after I finished the game to see what the original ending was, and I feel this one was probably the right course of action.  It's not that the other ending wasn't interesting, it would of just probably been a bit too depressing.  I enjoyed the ending and even though I did not get the "perfect ending", or what people are assuming is the perfect ending at this point.  The only thing I am hoping for is that there is no single player DLC that continues Shepard's story.  I know that may sound strange, but I don't feel that's a good idea.  As I mentioned though... looking forward to Mass Effect 3 is probably one of the only things that got me through depression (It was one thing I was looking forward to).  I am now free of this "plague" of depression one year down the track and have started a Master of Technology to get my life back on track and hopefully join a development team myself for a game in a web capacity. I know this is not really part of the review, but I just wanted to share it and let you guys at Bioware know that I'm grateful that your game, strangely, and sadly (that it got to that stage) saved my life.  I feel now I can move forward 100 percent.

In regards to the gameplay, music, sounds, dialogue. Do I really need to say anything? You can see the improvements over the past 2 games, and they all culminated to this (in my eyes) masterpiece.  I sometimes feel like this game was probably the best game, simply because of the difficulty and time that was needed to plan it.  Even something as simple as Conrad popping up made this game even better.

So In other words, I loved the game and although I wouldn't be thrilled about DLC or any sequels (simply because it would feel like the game is being milked), I guess I can see why some people would want some closure on this gaming series that I gained from this one.


Chris, or whoever looks through these threads from bioware, let them know that I am ever so grateful for this amazing game series, and I hope you guys don't make a DLC due to the pressure of people complaining.  People are complaining because they like the game, but you cannot please everyone.  Thank you for giving me the time to figure out my life and I look forward to seeing if there is really a secret ending (even though at this point I don't mind, I'm happy with the ending I got, even though it is kinda sad) . 

Cheers!

Modifié par Michael177, 10 mars 2012 - 11:27 .

[weedyfun]

bah. people who don't like this game are Negative Nancies. It's fantastic, although i haven't completed it yet.

Love the music, the environments, the characters! and i'm glad i bought the CE. Thanks Bioware for a super awesome game! it reeks of awesomesauce..