1966 réponses à ce sujet

[JonasPeti]

I think the ME3 is a 80/100 game.

I'm loving it because:
- the game has a great fight system
- we can experience the results of our earlier decisions (one of my favourite moment was that when I accepted Legion to upload reaper codes, but couldn't stop quarian's fire on geth, so they died and Tali commited suicide.. because I wasn't enough "strong-minded" earlier, I haventt enough renegade or paragon points)
- we have cooperative multiplayer
- we can be "femshep" (in ME1, ME2 too), i love her voice, female characters have beautiful eyes
- there are some barely adult content in the game (romance, nude/gay/lesbian scenes), it's not "prudish", but it is unobtrusive. I think you found the balance and you have been given us more colour and tones in the ME universe.
- We can hear SENSATIONAL music in ME1/ME2/ME3

I don't like:
- Ending. My problem is that the ending is not in connection with the ME1/ME2/ME3 story - doesn't matter, how is about our influence in the galaxy, who saved and who killed, nor collectors destroyed or not. We can replace cdr Shepard with anybody else with any other personal history, the ending will be the same (except remembering scenes before his/her die). I think the ending doesn't need Shepard. Maybe your DLC will show that I'm wrong. Ending decreases 20 points from 100.

[Bexarath]

ShadesofNight wrote...

[...]Pretty much no one really responding or offering sympathy for Thanes
death. And Kai leng having a taunt about Thanes death as you battle him,
Ffffff! And Shepard just runs off and leaves Thane alone with a stab
wound (seriously? They could have at least left a squadmate with him!)
Apparently this is because they forgot that people had romanced/would
care about him? Um, what about the writers who did his ME3 romance
stuff? Did they just think 'Oh look here's Shepard having a reunion with
her LI, of course she won't care or need support when he dies.' [...]

So much this. Also, during the fight between Thane and KL Shepard is just standing there watching. That's not the only case of "cutscene-stupid" in the game either.

I was hoping Garrus would at least acknowledge Thane's death afterwards, especially since he was my Shep's LI, but instead he starts rambling about Kaiden, that died 3 years ago.

[Zabby_91]

Spoilers ahead.
I finished the game in one month, as slowly as i could, and I loved it.
I know that all the choices didn't have an actual impact on the game's ending but the ones i made were important: not to the game maybe, but to me, because i know, or at least i imagine, how the world i contributed to create will develop.

I loved how i managed to stop (at least for a while) all the conflicts between the races, how Mordin cured the Genophage, how Thane died as a hero and used his last prayer for my salvation, the correlations between the Krogans and the islamic population (and the figure of women in society) and the representation of the Earthly Paradise in the ending, with Joker and Edi as Adam and Eve.
I loved all the boss fights against the Reapers, the friendly discussions with Garrus (and missing my shot on purpose), the instant reactions when i had to shoot to save someone i cared about, and listening to the war stories of the people on the Citadel.
Lastly, fighting in the Illusive Man room was epic, as well as killing the son of a **** with a slow-mo scene.

The ending, in my opinion, fitted perfectly: the last words of the Illusive Man, finally free, expressing the love for his old cause, letting him kill Anderson (probably because i felt a stronger connection with the "bad -indoctrinated- guy", for once, in a decision i was forced to take in a fraction of a second) and the final explaination of the "Catalyst", who took the form of all Shepard's fears and responsabilities, as well as his highest ideal of innocence.

Snomeone says that destroying the Reapers was the "paragon choice", but i don't think there actually is a best ending.That said, i also believe that this doubt was perfectly crafted by the developers to let you think of the consequences of your actions, even after you put the controller down.
nd that's the way it should be, without any further explaination.But i guess it will come anyway.
This is one of the best games i've ever played, and certainly is the most compelling story i've ever interacted with.
For me, it's a10/10

Modifié par Zabby_91, 11 avril 2012 - 10:24 .

[EnergizerBunny211]

At 10:50 pm Eastern Standard time on April 10, 2012...I just finished Mass Effect 3...and I have to say WOW...What an AMAZING (that's right-- I said AMAZING game!) ABSOLUTELY LOVED EVERYTHING, EVERY MOMENT, EVERY CHARACTER....  There was nothing that I didn't like about this game!  It TOTALLY surpassed all my expectations....And yes, I will say it, YES I even liked the Ending. (I know I'm probably gonna be trolled for the next 5 years for saying that, but hey, it's my honest opinion and I am entitled to it.)  I know it wasn't all "sunshine and bunnies" (as Joker said once), but I thoguht it was an incredible way to end an incredible trilogy.  Very creative, very fitting....and definitely emotionally-charged (which is one thing I love about Bioware and the games they make--emotionally engaging/emotionally charged story).   I just absolutely LOVED everything about Mass Effect 3-- what an amazing way to end what is (in my opinion) the BEST game franchise on the planet, or at least to have come along, in a very very long time... I can't say enough good things about Bioware and all the work they have done, rock'n'roll guys, you should be proud of the work that you all have created! Bioware ROCKS!    That was my very first playthrough with a non-imported character and I just loved everything...I can't wait to play it all again a second time around with my Import from Mass Effect 1 and 2.....Wow....just wow....what an amazing gaming experience!

Sincerely,

EnergizerBunny211 (a Mass Effect / BIOWARE Fan for LIFE!)

PS: You guys make the best games on the planet!

Modifié par EnergizerBunny211, 11 avril 2012 - 03:13 .

[vieri262626]

Let me say this, I was completely floored by Mass Effect 1 and 2. After I played the second game with DLC, I then felt compelled to buy the books and comics to get every ounce of Mass Effect story I could. There was such a wealth of fiction. I've played through each of the games 5 times and did everything on each playthrough. Still get pumped every time I watch the ending of Mass Effect 2.

I was impressed that minor imperfections I noticed from Mass Effect 1 (cookie cutter sidequests, climbing mountains with the Mako, the not-so-well-thought-out loot/inventory/rpg system, elevators) were greatly improved in Mass Effect 2. Mass Effect 2 took everything I loved about Mass Effect 1 and added AS MUCH IF NOT MORE new ideas/fiction to this already great series. I have never experienced a game like this. Don't even get me started on the DLC – I loved Bringing down the Sky and almost all the DLC of Mass Effect 2 – especially the Shadow Broker. Absolute genious.

Which is why I think Mass Effect 3 is just plain half ass. I seriously believe there must have been some kind of backroom takeover or budget issues or something because there's no way the same people who spoke so proudly about their craftmanship put out this game.

Let me start before the beginning even – Arrival DLC. I know you promised us another DLC (2-3 if I remember correctly), but after LotSB, Arrival was a little disappointing. A teaser if anything. But I could forgive you for that. Then there was the latest book – I couldn't believe this thing was released. I don't consider myself a diehard, but I found quite a few things on my own before hitting the forums that just weren't right. It wasn't the same quality of writing that I had become accustomed to. I wouldn't say it was terrible either, but not great.

Then the announcement of multiplayer. As someone who obviously plays for the single player experience, I was freaking, but you promised nothing would be sacrificed. I hate to say I told you so, but I think a lot of resources were sacrificed to put this together and it's reflected in the final product of the single player. I just wish it would have been paid DLC or a spin off game or something. If the single player of ME3 wasn't perfect and everything you guys dreamed of, there shouldn't have been a wooden nickel spent on multiplayer.

Then the Mass Effect 3 demo comes out – no trial on earth. I thought the game was supposed to start with a trial on earth? What an opportunity to take my achievements of ME2 and shove them in the face of the Alliance (especially that traitor Kaiden) – OR – be respectfully silent and understanding (council meetings of ME1 or flotilla trial of ME2 come to mind). But at the "hearing" we got instead, I got only 1 or 2 choices to respond either paragon or renegade – no middle option. And basically, the paragon and renegade options weren't much different from each other.

Then there's the thing with the kid. I'm sorry, but all the sappiness of ME3 really didn't fit with the rest of the series – especially renegade Shepherd. I even found it sappy for my paragon Shepherd. I liked in ME2 where we saw 1 brief moment of vulnerability in the entire game (LotSB ending). But a whole game of Shepherd talking about how he feels? Nightmares about one casualty? This is the man who survived the thresher maws on Akuze? This is the man who just killed 300,000 to delay the invasion (and if you're renegade – DIDN'T EVEN CALL TO WARN THEM)?

To my disappointment, the experience in the demo was much like the rest of the game. I always go the first playthrough mostly paragon, and then try renegade the second time to see all the badass things Shepherd says – the dialogue is just too funny. But to my horror, I'm half way through my second playthorugh and renegade Shepherd is a wimp. He's only said a small handful of offensive things up until now – and they weren't that good (just look up "Mass Effect 2: Commander Shepherd is still a jerk" on Youtube – ME3 doesn't come close to this). And I don't care what anyone says, there are way less dialogue options in this game than in ME1 and ME2. I'm trying to play as different as possible in my second playthrough and it feels like exactly the same game.

So anyway, onto Mars. Loved the idea of going to Mars and seeing what was in those archives. But the whole crucible thing was just so rushed and vague for me – not at all like the explanations for other new concepts like eezo, mass effect, biotics, the mass relays, the citadel... I dunno. I guess interfacing the thing with the citadel and relays makes sense, but just felt like you could have done a lot more there.

At this point, loving the combat system. There was a bit of a learning curve given the space bar does a lot of things, but I got over that in no time. Like how the grenades add a need to break cover and make a run for it. Probably the best combat system of all 3 games – and had no beef with it in ME1 or 2. It's just nice to see you switch it up. Using grenades is a lot of fun and so is the new focus on melee. Don't care what anyone says about other shooters – I never play shooters but I love Mass Effect. Probably would have never picked the game up if it was described as a shooter.

Loved the weapons/mods system as well – taking the best from ME1 (RPG, loot) and ME2 (simplicity) and combining them in a way that just made sense. HOWEVER – given the fact that a ton of stuff was recycled from previous games (almost all the armour, many guns along with their descriptions) I expected a little bit more (especially in the mods department). It makes sense to recycle this stuff but you have to add just as much new I think, otherwise it feels like just an upgrade to an already great game. I liked the super-weapons as pick-ups too. Found myself never wanting to spend the heavy weapon ammo in ME2.

Environments – loved just about every area I walked into. On my first playthrough spent tons of time just looking into the background. Especially the Turian moon and the Citadel. Thought the Purgatory was a great experience, music was catchy. I would have liked to see more places to buy stuff than just the Citadel. I know the galaxy is at war, but at the beginning of the game a lot of planets are still doing ok. It would have been neat to go to the Terminus systems and find black market weapons and armour that only the Normandy could get to – or you know, something like that.

Thought the changes to the Normandy were perfect – the war room was a really nice touch. I loved the ability to go through a list of all the effects of decisions I had made through the game. Unfortunately, this gave me the false hope that any of this would matter. Liked the check-ins with Anderson and Hacket. Missed those guys. I'm a little conflicted about how we interact with characters this time around. I miss those conversations from ME1 and ME2, but I did like walking in the room and seeing Liara talking with Garrus over intercom, or characters moving around the ship. The Kasumi/Zaeed style dialogue was welcome, but I think there should have been a lot more of the traditional dialogue as well. I feel like I hardly know these new characters. The dialogue among the crew members was really good though, one of my favourite parts of the game. Glad Joker got even more lines. Chabot's voice acting really sucked though.

Sidequests – honestly, I would have preferred the cookie-cutter missions of ME1. Those missions were really repetative in play, but a lot of them had really good stories to go along with them. I couldn't believe that all that was involved in Barla Von's sidequest was going to the planet he mentioned, scanning it, and then returning to him. And after everything I've done in the Terminus systems in ME2, I expected a little more about that part of the galaxy than recruiting mercs for Aria on the Citadel. Helping her take back Omega, for example, would have been pretty sweet.

N7 missions – just felt like filler, an excuse to use the multiplayer maps.

Main quest – overall, enjoyed it, but when I got to the end, couldn't help feeling like, "Something's missing..." I just feel like the main quest of ME3 was really the bare minimum (or maybe even less) of what you were obligated to do from the stories of ME1 and 2. Resolve genophage – check. Resolve geth – check. Resolve rachni – check. What about Haelstrom's sun? That seemed like it was setting up to be something huge. Apart from that there was tons of stuff from the planet descriptions (Krogan super biotic?) and the Cerberus News updates (new species?) that seemed like it was hinting at new stuff for Mass Effect 3 that was never realized. It doesn't perticularly bother me that there were no new races in this game (because that's always exciting) but I would have liked to have seen some development of the races that are already there – something with the Drell, Batarians, Volus, Elcor or Hanar maybe. I couldn't believe the Drell and Hanar races were resolved with that 2 minute cameo with Kasumi – some of the lamest writing in the series. Also would have been nice to go to the terminus systems and so something at least once. I would have liked to have seen some sort of loyalty mission type stuff and some of the cameos weren't great. I think the thing that really got me though was how little difference the choices from ME1 and 2 made, now that I'm on my second playthrough. I re-wrote the geth – and they get indoctrinated anyway. I killed the rachni queen – and they get resurrected anyway. I destroyed Maelon's data – I'm able to save the krogan anyway. I save/kill the council – they don't give a rip about earth anyway. I do everything in my power to undermine Udina – he becomes councillor anyway. I destroyed the collector base – the illusive man finds the jackpot of reaper tech anyway (enough to take over Omega). I know that in real life, sometimes no matter what you do the outcome is the same, but not in EVERY choice you make. Heck, even Kaiden and Ashley acted the same at times (one of my very few beefs with ME2).

Relationships – I didn't much care for the ability to have sex with everything that moves in Mass Effect 2, but I get that you want to give players choices. However, that doesn't mean you should redefine characters other than Shepherd. Like Kaiden. That Kaiden is not gay, I thought, was established in the canon. But aparently Shepherd, with the limited conversation options he has in ME3, is just that charming. You already have a gay character – why is Kaiden making a pass at me?

Cerberus and the books – I dunno... Cerberus didn't seem to me to be worthy of the position of greatest threat besides the reapers, but that's just me. Would have like to see them as one of many powerful factions that was causing trouble for Shepherd as he tries to unite the alien races – and then, if you really wanted Cerberus could turn on and take over those factions. But the one and only all powerful faction? My impression from the books was that Cerberus should be in a much weaker state after the events of ME2, hardly able to spare the resources to pull off some of the stuff they did in ME3. When I played the Multiplayer in the demo, I thought the phantoms were kind of cheesy looking. They seemed really out of place in this series, didn't like the animations of them jumping around at all. Then I saw Kai Leng in the full game. He seemed like such a cool character in the books, and you really butchered him for me. He was really annoying in the game and just seemed out of place. I didn't feel the Illusive man was presented as good as he had been in ME2 either. Come to think of it, Kahlee wasn't what I imaged either.

End mission – the opening cgi was nice to look at and that's about as good as it got. The long depressing walk to Anderson where you talk to all your squadmates or call them on the phone really sucked. It would have been nice if you were able to recruit more (though understandably not all) of your squadmates and killed through a whole bunch of husks ME2-suicide-mission style. That suicide mission in ME2 was glorious all the way through to the end – and this one sucked all the way to the end. Like seriously, fight off a bunch of husks while you fire off 2 missiles – that's the end battle?

Then we're half dead, we get to the citadel with Anderson (which I find weird) and the Illusive man's there (which I also find weird). TIM can shoot himself in the head just like Saren did. Then we talk to the maker of the reapers. WRONG. We should have been talking to Harbinger – like in Arrival. He's an established character. He should have been making a desperate plea, explaining the logic of the reapers, explaining why he is the harbinger of our perfection, why we need him. Harbinger could have just as easily revealed himself to be the embodiment of the creator. There should have been visions and revelations of earlier cycles – some context and history. Creative-writing-stuff. Then Shepherd could have some choices – like tell Harbinger where to go and how to get there and use the crucible to destroy the reapers. OR - choose to fight the reapers without use of the Crucible, which will destroy galactic civilization as we know it (by blowing up every mass relay) and inevitably lead to more war. Those are more Mass-Effect-1-and-2-like options. THEN there should have been some of that "closure" that everyone's talking about.

And those 3 options that were given – I could accept the logic that a synthetic may think that, and it would be an appropriate ending to a cycle that's been going on for millions of years. But the execution of those endings is, I think, what everyone is opposed to. You seriously need to watch "10 reasons we hate Mass Effect 3's ending" on Youtube. And also watch that guy's review of the game.

Having 1 ending no matter what you do in a game is one thing, but when you've been saying forever that we're going to have "wildly different endings" and that we want to strive for the best ending possible in ME3 – it's just plain false advertising.

You guys want to release an extended cut this summer? You need to go back to the drawing board for a year on this. It shouldn't have been released like this. If you took everything out of this game that wasn't brought over from ME1 or ME2, or needed to tie off those storylines, what would there be left? Hardly anything. You need some original content, something creative like the series always was. Looks to me like Bioware is no more, they've been reduced to mediocre like everyone else who joined with EA.

All things considered I'd still give this game an 8/10, but it's not what I've come to expect from the Mass Effect series. There wasn't anything in the game that really stood out as a memorable moment. In ME1 and 2 there were plenty – ME1 prologue, Thorian on Ferros, Discovery of Rachni, Kirrahe's "hold the line", meeting Soverign, Vigil on Ilos, ME1 ending, ME2 prologue, meeting Grunt, saving Jack, Thane's intro, Thane's interrogation scene, collector base (1st time), LotSB, Grunt's loyalty mission, Flotilla trial, suicide mission... The most memorable moments of ME3 were the commercial with the soldier in the Big Ben, the commercial where the Thresher Maw takes out the Reaper, and the official trailer. The game just didn't have that cinematic feel of the others, I'm sorry.

Edit: One more thing - the whole thing with the conflict being organics vs. synthetics is completely bogus and out of sync with the series - even ME1 where the geth were the villan.  The geth are no more of a problem than the krogan, rachni or batarians.  I get that the creator may think this is the case, but Shepherd would not accept it.  I'm assuming the best ending is the green ending where dna is re-written (by the way - how did none of these scientists know that the crucible would allow any one of these 3 outcomes?) - and this also conflicts with everything the ME series has been leading up to - I just convinced the Quarians play nice with the Geth.  And the Geth didn't actually rebel against their creators, SOME of the creators tried to kill them (while others defended the Geth).  Then there's EDI who now feels alive.  So why would my Shepherd accept any one of these choices?  Why would he use the crucible?  Why wouldn't he radio the alliance to blow the thing up and take their chances against the reapers?  Mass Effect, if anything, has been a celebration of diversity, and now we're told the only way to ensure peace is assimilation?

Edit 2: And the JOURNAL!  How the heck did you screw up the Journal?  It was perfect in ME1 already!  Not to mention on these lousy side missions, half the time I miss part of the conversation that I'm easedropping on so when I find the think and bring it back, half the time it means nothing to me anyway.  Was much nicer in ME1 when you were actually approached by all kinds of people on the Citadel.  More proof something isn't right here - must have been hijacked by EA or something.  Must have been.

Modifié par vieri262626, 11 avril 2012 - 12:20 .

[Stalmaria]

90/100 (PC version)

I finished the game a few days ago and I first wanted to congratulate you all on the phenomenal job!  It’s an interesting situation, because I feel like people are trying to decide between giving the game a low rating because of the ending, or a high rating despite the ending.  I guess I’m one of the latter, because I think good work should be recognized, and it looks like you are aware that this is a problem.  The entire series was terrific.  The story was great, and I haven’t seen enough praise for the soundtrack.  I ran into very few bugs, although there were some issues with character control and cover mechanics in tense situations.

I’m glad to hear that you are working on some clarifications with the ending.  It seemed a bit rushed, and it’s difficult to get any sense of how the series concludes.  I picked the ‘synthesis’ ending first.  My initial assumption was that almost all life in the galaxy was destroyed by exploding Mass Relays.  I understand that this stops the Reaper cycle, although it does sort of negate any of the stuff done previously.  I can respect this artistically; however you may want to consider allowing the player to choose to let the Reapers continue the cycle, since I could argue that this is a better outcome.

The thing is, I’m not sure if this is what you wanted.  There was a lot of confusing stuff going on.  One ending has Shepherd still (maybe?) alive, which doesn’t seem to make sense.  Most of the online debate suggests that the Mass Relay explosions at the end were not destructive.  If this is the case, I’m also not sure which explosion the Normandy was running away from.  I’m also under the impression that this type of explosion was why Batarians were trying to kill me on the Citadel.

I think, in a game where the goal is to save the galaxy, making the current state of the galaxy ambiguous
is probably not a good idea.  I understand wanting to leave open questions, but this seems a bit obscure for
the finale of a story-driven series.

Looking beyond this, the game was brilliant and I feel like every sub-plot was handled perfectly.  Keep up the good work!

Modifié par Stalmaria, 11 avril 2012 - 03:27 .

[StElmo]

99% of the game deserves a 9/10

The last 1% forces me to put the game at about a 5.5-6 out of 10.

I fully expected the game to be as good as it was, very impressed all the way through. A few bugs and minor plot holes aside, the first 99% of the game is pure brilliance.

I played the game fully aware of the ending controversy, but was able to hide myself away. I was fully expecting to enjoy the ending, even if it was just to spite the "entitled" fans. I was actively expecting to love the game, and to talk down upon the fanboys.

However, the ending, in my opinion as a player and as someone who has studied narrative, is shocking.

It was brilliant up until shepard goes up the elevator to space child. The themes, logic and pacing are severely hindered and disregarded after this point.

Many of the reasons have already been voiced, but for a series that prides itself on such a rich world with such specific internal rules, it is shameful for such an irrational illogical ending to be used to wrap the series up.

I truly hope that the Indoctrination Theory is correct, if this is the case, shame on me for not assuming a brilliant concept that Bioware executed that fits the logic of the universe.

5.5 / 10

Me1 10/10
Me2 10/10

Modifié par StElmo, 11 avril 2012 - 06:08 .

[EthanDirtch]

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being 'the perfect game', with 1 being 'from what depths of hell spawned you, foul creature', I rate Mass Effect 3 a 9/10 (while the trilogy as a whole is, for me, a 9/10 as well).

A 9 means, to me, 'overall great game; not perfect, a few glaring flaws, but otherwise enjoyable and kept me glued to this game and this game alone for a long time'. Yeah, long descriptor, I know.

I'll break the game down into sections as best as I can categorize them, and talk about what I felt worked and what didn't:

Gameplay:

Controls: The controls were--at least in my mind--as they've always been in the ME series. Tight, easy to get the hang of, comfortable. Doesn't rock the boat too much. Switching weapons, reloading, using powers, bringing up the power and weapon wheels, running, turning while running, all worked fine. The only control quams I had involved magnetic attachment to chest-high walls when you wanted to run around it, and vaulting over ledges and chest-high walls. Aiming was pretty decent (though there were times when using scopes that the zoom is kinda not where I wanted it to be pointing at, but otherwise it's pretty responsive). Overall, a 9/10.

General User Interface: It's as slick as I remembered it. Everything looks fine, works fine. My biggest problem is that on the Procurement station and weapon upgrade station in the shuttle bay of the Normandy the game does not 'remember' where you were on the list whenever you do something. You always shuttle (no pun) back up to the top of the list each time you buy something, or open/close a store. 9/10.

Graphics and Animation: While on the surface--and to an untrained eye--it does not look too terribly improved over ME2, it does have a better sheen--for lack of a better word--on it. Everything is crisper, cleaner, smoother. There were still some graphical effects/glitches that jarred the experience. One comical event was in an early conversation with Liara aboard the Normandy where both she and Shepard were trying to discuss something seriously while their heads constantly followed Glyph along her room. And then there were several instances of heads turning in ways they're not supposed to, RE: when talking to Traynor or Javik in their respective stations/rooms, or when Shepard goes to shake Hackett's hand only for his head to get stuck looking one way. Facial expressions and eyes still had their problems, and ME characters were never really great at emoting anyway. So, in summary, they didn't make huge leaps and bounds in the 2 years since the first game, or the 4-5-ish since the first, but they didn't really regress too much. I give this section an 8/10.

Combat: Combat is improved, for sure. It's tougher in some instances, and begs you to pay a bit more attention than you would in previous games (and not because your squadmates were doing something stupid either). I've only played in 'Normal', so my experience in this is limited. My squadmates were no longer distractingly bad (though--personally--they weren't particularly useful either; they weren't dying pointlessly nor were they shooting at walls, let's put it that way), and the enemies were no longer overtly stupid. They moved, took cover, threw grenades, etc. and etc. Aiming and responsiveness were pretty good except in big fights (I admit, I was a vanguard and spammed charge then nova a lot in the latter half of the game so that might have had something to do with it). I say responsiveness as the delay between when I press a button and when the action is taken on screen. I liked the updates to existing abilities and the introduction of new ones. The enemies were varied and necessitated the use many different skills, often in conjunction. So, overall an 8/10.

Multiplayer: Surprisingly fun. I was skeptical of this at first, and was afraid of its supposed impact on the single-player experience. I was glad to find out that its effects on the story was supplemental, as opposed to critical, and that I could have skipped it altogether and still get the job done. I like most of the new classes and their species variants, and it's easy to get attached to getting more credits to have a shot at that new character, or new weapon ranking, and also to get attached leveling up, even if you've done it already and promoted that same character before. The Vanguard is a lot of fun (mostly because the Vanguard is a points glutton), but is quite glitchy when it comes to dying as you charge, or hitting an enemy with charge as it was hit by someone else's power. Falling through maps and dying all the time is definitely not part of the joy of being a Vanguard. 8/10.

Weapons, armor, and upgrading: I am glad weapon upgrading is back. I'm a bit of a glutton for modification, so my automatic response is, 'could have done more', but for what it is right now it's pretty fun. I like the relationship of weight to power cooldown. I think we could have done more with armor upgrades. I'll admit, I actually never used Shepard's custom armor (sans pre-Normandy), and used exclusively the pre-built armors, like the Blood Dragon armor, or the Reckoner armor. It just never made sense for me to go with the custom armor at any point in the game. The 'Upgrades' system in Liara's room was alright, but kinda felt lacking? It works for what it does, though. Overall, 7/10.

Message terminal and codex: The message terminal works as intended, save for the sorting. I really wish it would sort by when the entry was added. It's hard to go through it again if I have to hunt for it through the entire list for whatever it was I was looking for. The mission codex entries need to more consistently update across the board. I also missed seeing mission objectives in each mission entry. And I would not have minded if I got a summary of what happened in the mission. Am I wrong to believe this is what we got in one of the previous games? I might just be misremembering this. I also wish the non-mission entries were more robust, specifically in regards to recapping the previous two games. 6/10.

The Normandy: Great look, love how it still feels like it's a work in progress. Lots of never-used space, though, like the Life Support area (Thane's previous haunts), and the Lounge. Would it have hurt to see people playing a game of poker, or chess in Traynor's case? And I miss being able to upgrade the Normandy. Not that it mattered as much in this game as it did in ME2 (in regards to the ending), but it would've been neat to see it affect how you travel, how far between solar systems you can go before needing to refuel, being able to scan longer before being detected, etc. Logically speaking, if you played ME2 and upgraded the ship, and the ship supposedly got another upgrade while it was in Alliance control over the past two years, shouldn't I have retained all the upgrades from before and after the suicide mission? Anyway...Overall, 7/10.

The Galaxy Map and scanning: The new scanning system definitely is less time consuming than the previous two iterations. And the added threat of Reaper detection helped keep the excitement up. It's still a bit of a time sink, but not as much, and a lot of the times you scan it actually seemed to matter to certain missions and to the Galaxy at War section. Moving around the galaxy map is as we remember it, though I do miss being able to upgrade my fuel reserves. It's a little bit of a tease having a bunch of areas on the map that go 'ping' when you hover over it but you can't enter that cluster...7/10.

Galaxy at War and War Assets: I thought it made sense. But I will say that the war assets are a bit of a spoiler-fest. Early on you get descriptions of each category and it will say things that haven't yet happened in the game yet. I like the system, though I'm sure we could have done more with it. Perhaps a system where higher Readiness Level meant less Reaper forces in those areas, or slower Reaper reaction to scanning? I do like how these assets can update if you take certain actions, though, pretty nice. 8/10.

Morality: Overall works as intended minus a couple of instances where picking the Paragon choice gives you Renegade points for some reason...6/10. (Note: I'm a little biased, hence the lower score here because I'm not really a fan of 'overt' morality guides. Rather than choosing options that you would organically choose, you choose because you want to be a Paragon, or be a Renegade, and not to create your own Shepard).

I miss...: I still miss being able to upgrade my squadmates' armors. I think there are instances in the game that could've provided opportunities for the acquisition of upgrades, or new armor sets, even if they are unique to that squadmate. I'm an RPG fan, so I like upgrading stuff beyond what each squadmates' respective abilities can do. I also miss Bypassing. I was disheartened Bypassing was now a single press of a button. I also missed driving a vehicle. I'm not saying we should have gone back to scanning planets ME1-style, but there were opportunities for using vehicles in combat roles like in ME2.

With all of that said, let's get down to the meat and potatoes of this thing: The story.

The Story: A large portion of my opinions is already voiced in the 'Suggested Changes Feedback' thread, so I'll be brieft. Overall--ending aside--the story was largely satisfactory. The ending was not such that I wouldn't play through the game again, and it wasn't totally unexpected. It was predictable, sure, and the blatant use of a deus ex machina was disappointing. I've given my feedback on that, and as I said there, I'm not one to force anyone else to change their artistic vision to fit mine. I disagreed with how BioWare handled the last few minutes, and I've already told you how I would change them if I could. How you handle that, BioWare, is up to you. But the 90% of the story before the ending was pretty good. 9/10.

The last 10% of complaints...: First off, Udina and Anderson: I like thinking my decisions mattered, but it was a bit of a punch in the gut that Anderson decided to step down as Councillor and Udina became a Councillor anyway felt like, "Then why did I have to choose in game 1 at all?" And I know Udina was always a jerk, but I thought his situation was handled poorly. I thought we were going to go down the 'mutual respect' road with Udina, where Shepard, Anderson, and himself are committed to fighting the Reapers. For him to not only flip, but to not have any closure on his situation is baffling. Was he indoctrinated? And what happened to Bailey after the Citadel was moved? Hell, what happened to everyone aboard the Citadel? What happened to the Council?

And then there's the ME2-only squad...What happened there? We don't get anyone that appeared in the squad only in the second game (so obviously Tali and Garrus don't count) to even be an option to be a member of the squad this time around. I was expecting we'd have some sort of amalgam of squadmates from the previous two games. EDI doesn't count cause she wasn't a squadmate in the second game. At the very least if you romanced them in the second game they should be an option in the third to re-join. Right?

And then there's the missing fleets and ground troops in the final bit of the game...I mentioned this in the other thread, but where are the geth, where are the drell? Where were the Blue Suns, the Vorcha, the Eclipse mechs? 


ANYway, with all that said: 9/10, great game. Will probably play again soon. Great job overall, guys!

[sharkteeth]

What.The.Hell. First the horrible ending and niw a stupid patch that froze my Xbox? If you really wanted to ruin my gaming experience that badly then why don't you just break my Xbox with a hammer?

[Nwalmenil]

My Mass Effect 3 score: 90/100

I'm going to try to keep this short. I'm sure there will be spoilers in here as well.

Let me start by saying that the game was great. It was the most emotional journey I've ever taken within a game (more so than most movies as well for that matter). Sure, there's some flaws but no game is perfect, at least none I've ever played.

I might focus more on the bad things than the good but that doesn't mean that I found most things bad, see my score after all.

The overall polish felt really nice. I prefer the new take on planet scanning over the one in ME2. The old scanning system got really tedious after a while. Having the crew actually move around within the Normandy was a nice touch as well. It made the ship feel more alive. It really surprised when I stumbled upon Javik not in his room the first time.

What happened to the quest log though? Couldn't you have used the same system as in ME2? I missed having the quest information updating as I progressed through the quests. Sure, I managed anyway, but it felt a bit lacking.

I would've liked to see more quest hubs as well. The places you got to visit were great but most were just available during their particular quest. I miss places like Illium and Omega for instance.

Oh, the dialog. I enjoyed seeing the crew hanging out with each other but I felt like there was too little actual interactive dialog with them this time around. Sure, you could talk to them but there wasn't much options in the dialog. Most of the time it was just.. hit A to hear what they've got to say then hit A again. (Playing on the 360 here).

Oh yeah, the weapon modding was nice. And the fish feeder! Love it (maybe a bit prizy, but totally worth it).

There was some bugs here and there, nothing major (well.. the face import bug was rather bad.. took me a while to get around that) but things like character animations glitching a bit during some conversations and so on.

It was nice to run in to the old crew but I wish they would've been given more screen time. If I can't have them as crew members it would've been nice if they'd been around for more missions. It was so nice to see them again (I was wondering where'd they ended up

As for the ending.. I don't really think the ending was bad. I really wish I could avoid being separated from my crew and my LI. I'd be find with facing whatever happened with them at my side. That's just what I'd been hoping for though. The biggest problem with the ending in my opinion is that it needs more options. I enjoyed playing through both ME1 and 2 three times with the same character to tweak my progress and my choices. There's no real incentive to do that with the ME3 ending though since my previous choices doesn't really matter in the end (as long as you have enough assets and so on). The three different choices are a bit too similar as well. I really would've wanted to see a lot more different endings all over the scale from tears and darkness to a more happy ending of some sort. Basically just more options and more choices to get me to keep playing the game over and over again to try everything out.

I do wish the war assets would've been more than just their stats as well.

Looking forward to the extended cut however (then again, I'm looking forward to any kind of new ME-content).

And the multiplayer? It's kept me busy and even managed to distract me from the story in the beginning. I did get a bit tired of it though but that might've just been me getting burned out since I've been playing a lot of it lately. The latest free DLC is nice (even though I haven't played much since then). Overall, ME multiplayer worked better than I'd expected but I'd like to see some more variation to it. More maps are always nice but maybe more game modes as well.

The Mass Effect Datapad app for the iPhone was surprisingly pleasant as well. Getting messages from your crew was a nice touch and I'm still using it to keep my War Readiness rating topped for the extra 5% experience in multiplayer.

I know there was something else I wanted to mention.. oh well. (guess I didn't manage to keep it very short after all)

Thank you for a great game and an incredible trilogy! I'd really love to see more games in the ME universe.

[grimlock122]

mass effect 3 is one of the best games of all time
would have liked more endings though
but it is so good
i enjoyed every moment
the gameplay is like gears, but -blind fire
+everything
-the face bug

10/10

[dsl08002]

during my fourth playthrough of ME3 and i don´t want to go into the ending because it is terrbble there is only one word i can desbribe ME3

Unsatisfying

The game is so good in many ways but during the gameplay you get the feeling that several things are missing like sidemissions, conversations and clarafication.

However i see this problems that can be easily fixed by adding more dlc. I see this a golden oppurtunity for bioware to really make a game perfect.

[Gwtheyrn]

An average game for most of it. Action is decent, though sometimes frustrating when I get stuck crouching on a wall.

Character development is top notch and the voice acting is amazing.

I found the squad selection lacking.

The citadel was really bad. It felt cramped and like I was just going down a hallway with a few obstacles in my way to weave around.

N7 missions were a joke.

The glut of stupid scan/fetch quests was mind-numbing, and most of them gave you little to no context. Some were in places you couldn't access when you got them, and others had to be gotten before a certain time, but there was no indication of this.


Running away from reapers on a solar-system map while trying to scan for war assets got old and boring really quick.
The quest journal was awful.

Tuchanka and Rannoch were fabulous. Thessia was okay. Earth was thoroughly disappointing. The lack of attention to the focal point of the game is puzzling.

No interaction or showdown with Harbinger. A laser to the face doesn't count.

TIM was awesome.

The ending(s, sorta)... OMG make it go away. This has to be the absolute worst piece of script-writing I've ever seen in my life. I don't know who thought this was a good idea, but they should be ASHAMED and contemplating seppuku. It was so bad, it detracted from the handful of positives.

If I have to give an arbitrary number, 4/10. It's an average action-shooter game with a decent story and good characters, but plagued by poor game design, bugs, glitches, and some of the worst writing in the history of the medium.

[Luis_Said]

Note 90/100.


Good Night!

In my modest opinion, I finished the game before reading the opinions of fans, and i like the whole game.
After a read the fans talking about the end i say:
The game is a true masterpiece.                                                      <-- The good Thing
The problem is that it shows signs of haste in its conclusion.   <-- The bad thing
Another year of work and the game would had a colossal end.

Ps: Im addicted on the OST´s of Mass effect 2 and 3...
I love Pianno melody.

ME2: - The End Run.
ME2: - Main menu theme
ME2: - Romance Theme
ME2: - Overloard Combat Theme
ME2: - Club After life
ME2: - Normady reborn Music

ME3: - Earth music
ME3: - An End once and for all
ME3: - Im Proud of you
ME3: - The Fleets arrive
ME3: - Stand Strong / Stand Toghether.

Thx Bioware, nobody is perfect, and this trilogy have more good deeds than bad..
Bad comments show the ammount of People that love this history..

Modifié par Luis_Said, 13 avril 2012 - 11:23 .

[NickelToe]

Lots of great moments and most story games have good and bad moments, good and bad writing. A lot of games have parts that feel like someone else wrote them or that the writer was just rushing through. Some games have spots where art pops up as a main focal point and some hipster design sticks out either in a good way or a bad way. Some games introduce new characters at the wrong times. Some games change the premise of the game half-way through in a twist or new information the main character receives. Some games don't give you options.

I just wish you did not do all the above in the last 10 minutes. Any other place would have been fine.

[Pilo T 000]

My Mass Effect 3 score: 60/100
The ending is insulting. It completely undoes the entire game up to that point and the entire franchise. Mass Effect was my favorite franchise by far and its what made me a BioWare fan (yeah, I got onboard a little late in the game). I may have had high hopes for ME3, but you can't say that's what ruined it for me because the ending wasn't even decent. It just sucked in so many ways covered in so many blogs and YouTube videos that I'm not going to get into it, but BioWare completely dropped the ball and basically horribly raped their best series, and then used "artistic vision" to justify it and help themselves sleep at night.

Other notable displeasures, war assets being ONLY about numbers and not having any significant or epic moments outside of the addition game to determine your ending, the Rachni having a very underwhelming role based on what happened in ME1 (the way that decision is tracked through ME2 and everything, you'd expect them to play some sort of cool role or come in to save the day at the last second).

The 60 points pretty much come from:
 - Gameplay, which has clearly peaked in ME3
 - Specific scenes, mostly involving character deaths, which are probably the only story pieces done well in the entire game
 - Multiplayer, which, unfortunately, is the only solid part of the package

All I needed from ME3 was a culmination of ME1 and 2. It didn't need its own story even. It could have just gone with a very basic bringing the universe together agaisnt the Reapers and then, based on decisions made and allegiances formed in past games, who's there to stand with you at the end. Did you spare the Rachni in ME1? Well, in your darkest hour, they could bring a bunch of fire power and take out a couple Reapers when everything seems hopeless. Did you make peace with the 3 merc groups on Omega early in ME3? Well in the heat of battle they could bring their mercenary flare in some sort of cutscene. I mean, really ME3 could have had the same cinematic:gameplay ratio as a Metal Gear Solid game and been amazing. The decisions in ME1 and ME2 could have caused so much diversity it's ridiculous and each character really could have had an entirely different experience. The rest of ME3's game time could be the continued development of relationships with the games many squad mates. I just wanted to see everything come together. Instead everything was cast aside like NOTHING mattered, and then one of the worst endings I've ever seen was thrown onto the screen. And the way it ends makes almost no sense (again, covered in many blogs and YouTube videos), the most notable being "what's the point of saving the universe if everyone's stranded and mass starvation and the inability to return home is going to end up causing ridiculous amounts of severe problems. What's the difference between killing the Reapers and letting them win if civilization as we know it is pretty much crippled or extinguished? 

There are just SO many things wrong with ME3, it almost feels like an entirely new and completely incompetent team was put in charge of its development and everyone involved with ME1 and 2 is gone. It's funny because theo nly thing I was worried about was the Soundtrack, since it was a new composer. And yet, the Soundtrack is the best part of the game, along with the handful of scenes mentioned earlier.

All in all, I won't be playing anymore BioWare games, and while I'm sure I'll play ME1 and 2 for years and years, the only reason I'll be playing ME3 is for the multiplayer, and that won't keep me entertained forever. Good job BioWare. In one single trilogy you completely won me over as a huge fan, and you gave me my favorite video game franchise. And then in one game you completely undid all of that.

[wleon]

Finally finished this game, WOW!!! I believe EA or Bioware did a great job.
I will give 10/10 to the graphic, gaming, and story.

There is one thing I still don't understand the ME2 ending, why Reaper need to create a human Reaper? Combined with ME3 ending.... I don't get it???

The feeling about the ending is what?, how?, why?, WTF? ... ME2 is made with heart, but ME3... no. I feel the Bioware team watch too much "Matrix" movie. Main character died, the other live. That's fine. But ME3 end with more question mark??? The really feel the bioware team didn't put their heart in the game.

I will play this one more time and try to get every war asset.. after that... I am done with Bioware.

[Keltikone]

I love this one :

http://www.escapistm...7-Mass-Effect-3

[StElmo]

TL;DR guys please

[Veil_of_Maya]

(For a review, I could write thousands of words and go into a lot of depth, but it's 4:36 AM and I don't want to waste everyones time and I doubt many or any will read my review).

For Mass Effect 3, I'd give it a 9.3 out of 10. Mass Effect 2 is still my favourite game, and I don't just mean in the series, in gaming itself. I give ME2 a 9.5. Why not a 10/10? because no game is perfect, 10/10 suggests perfection on every level.

The amount of hype and expectations I had for ME3 was like no other game, I had been thinking of how the game would play out in my mind, especially the ending, and the amount of epic trailers and the such didn't help said hype and expectations. I went into ME2 blind and loved every minute, and after 10 playthroughs, purchasing every DLC and even reading Fanfics when I had nothing left to play (obsession?), Mass Effect 3 finally was released after painful months of waiting.

~Positives~

+ The combat is the strongest in the series, and one of the strongest parts in the game. Whilst I enjoy it a lot, this is also a problem, as it feels more like a 3rd person shooter with RPG elements than a RPG with 3rd person shooter elements like the original game.

+ The voice-acting is also far superior in this game, Mark does a great job this time (not as talented as Hale, but I prefer his voice-acting in ME's than hers), displaying more emotion in one cutscene than he did the entire first two games.

+ Squad banter is absolutely, god damn hilarious this time around. Sure, your squad cracked jokes once awhile in ME1 and 2, but the way they implemented into this game was great, taking the p*** out of the dialogue in the first two games.

+ Seeing your squad in different areas of the ship was also interesting, and gave more life to them, unlike the living statues they were in ME1 and 2. I'd of liked to see more NPC's talking, like in ME2, but I'm happy with what I've got.

+ Upgrades! I never was a fan of sifting through hundreds of the same upgrades to find the ones I needed in ME1, but I disliked the lack of customisation and weapons in ME2.

+ Upgrading your character was also a lot more interesting, far more indepth than ME2 but not as over the top as ME1. Plus, all the new powers and upgraded existing powers was great.

+ Emotion. I've never cried, laughed or been as angry with any game as I have with ME3. My first playthrough was amazingly emotional.

+ Being able to visit other races homeworlds, and I could kiss you Bioware for allowing me to get Tali's homeworld back. I wish there were more missions like Tuchanka and and Rannoch, being able to visit multiple areas and do other missions.

+ Multiplayer is very addictive, even if its repetitive and disconnects me almost every match. Playing as other races is great fun, and it actually being a challenge is a bonus.

+ Squad member development. While I prefered Tali in ME2 (I loved the way she reacted to Shepard whilst romancing), I very much enjoyed what you did with them, especially EDI and Joker... Whilst in any other game I'd find it weird, it was oddly sweet and I like the "humanity" EDI shows as the game progresses.

+ The way you listened to fans, and the little details that make it so much more awesome.
Seeing Tali drunk, squad arguments, Ken and Gabriella, replacing Kelly, reuniting Liara with her Dad etc...

~Negatives~

- The opening level wasn't as epic as it could of been, especially when the Reapers arrive... I was expecting a lot more, and it's kind of annoying to playthrough after the first playthrough.

- I was expecting to see Shepards trial and how he met up with James and what happened to the Normandy and the crew at the beginning (it might of been explained in a book, but I wanted to play it or witness it).

- For the first hours or so the game is rather slow, going from one areas to the next without hardly any control. It also felt a little confusing, like I was moving aimlessly, unlike ME2.

- The graphics and framerate suffered on the PS3. Some of the textures looked like a PS1 game, the Shrouds lighting and the Reapers were pixelated messes. I'd go into more detail, but I'm not sure how to actually detail it to make sense.

- The PS3 version suffered yet again from glitches, some making it unplayable.

- It wasn't as long as ME2, I talked to everyone I could, explored every part of the map I could and it still didn't pass 40 hours ):

- The weight system ruined one of the major reasons to play as a Soldier, even if you max out your weight and level your weapons to X you can't wield the more powerful, heavy weapons without being able to use Adrenaline Rush constantly.

- The little missions you can do for NPC's didn't feel as significant or interesting as 2's. In 3 you overhear someone talking, you go off and scan a planet, return and you get bonus TMS and credits. No conversation options (well, a few NPC's have). In 2, I ALWAYS helped the Quarians or anyone that suffering, it was always interesting hearing the individuals stories or their current problem and situation. It made me feel more in the game than ME3 did.

- The Citadel being the only hub area (is that the right term?) I missed exploring Omega, Illium and other areas. It felt very limited in 3, something I thought they were expanding over 2 (more like the original, which was more free-roam).

- N7 missions for Hackett were good fun and all, but I missed the amount 2 had (however small or insignificant they were). I don't miss mindlessly exploring planets for ages in ME1, but I wish it were more open.

- Bioware PROMISED deeper relationships... I was so looking forward to seeing Tali again, but it took over 20 hours (whilst every other squad member is recruited in a few hours?) and by then there wasn't much missions to do or unique dialogue to hear. I didn't think they did as good as job as they did in 2 with Tali's romance, but giving her the Homeworld back satisified me enough.

- The hype to finally see Tali's face was high, but to only receive a copy and pasted image with minor changes was insulting, even if I liked her appearance.

- Thessia's mission felt to quick and not as significant as I assumed it would be, though it's more interesting with Javik, it was far to fast and the Reapers claimed it easily.

- Personally, I found the writing to be weaker than 2's. Maybe because I went into 2 blind with no idea, and learn't so much from it I was expecting the same. If I start a playthrough without importing it might be different.

- There didn't seem to be as much dialogue or information as the 2nd game, like I said above, if I don't import a save it'll probably be different, but it really did feel lacking.

- The lack of conversations with your squad. Yeah, you could talk to them at any time and they'd have a few lines to say after every mission and would be doing something unique, but it only has conversation options (I'm not sure how to word it) a few times, and very far between each other. You don't seem to learn much about your squad (from my playthroughs), just random details you over hear.

- A lot of the people you helped from the 2nd game (I can't talk about the 1st, as I played it on the PC and I've got 2 and 3 for PS3) don't appear.

- The space battle that takes place before Earth and the battles after it didn't feel as epic as they could of been or different from each other. I wanted to see a lot of the other races and groups we recruited.

- And of course, the insult they call an ending. Watching it was like a stab in the heart, a big f*** you to every fan and to the series itself... Each final option was painful, each let the Reapers win in the end. Destroy felt like the "best", but destroying the Geth? why, Bioware :c
BUT, once I read the "Idoctrination Theory", it all felt so brilliant (I'd go into more detail, but I might make a thread about the ending, just like everyone else).
If they support this in the Extended Cut and it makes more sense, then I could enjoy it... Just please, let Shepard buid Tali a house on her Homeworld. That's all I ask ):


(There are many other +'s I could add, the positives are far greater than the negatives though.
I really need to sleep, and I've gone overboard already.)

~Did the game live up to every expectation? no.
~Did I enjoy it? yes, almost every second except the ending.
~Does the ending ruin the game? no, the game is amazing (my opinion), but it defiently leaves a pit in your stomach after viewing it.

Thankyou Bioware,
With the Indoctrination Theory you can turn a disasterpiece of an ending into something brilliant (IF you do it right with the Extended Cut). If this theory was your intention, you are geniuses, if not, I'd rather not say.



Oh, and if you do like to hear our feedback Bioware, could you atleast give us a reply? probably a lot to ask for, as the amount of posts here, but I personally would like to know you guys are indeed listening.
Thankyou again.

Modifié par Veil_of_Maya, 14 avril 2012 - 07:03 .

[my Aim is True]

There's a lot that's good in ME3, so let's start with 10/10 and subtract the bad....

Intro is lame
First three hours or so are sort of boring, alien artifact storyline is cliched
Journal system is broken
Too much auto-dialog, too many conversations without the conversation wheel
Final battle is lame, war assets don't do anything, can't use the whole squad suicide mission style

After all that, the game is an 8.5
Then the ending... minus 4.5

For a grand total of 4/10

[indyracing]

Just finished the game.  Bought it 3 weeks ago, started it 2 weeks ago, but played a ton of multiplayer since then, just finished it about an hour ago.

This is not going to be pretty (with regards to the single player).

My first impression is that the case is the flimsiest of all my 360 cases.  Probably not a Bioware/EA thing, but that's the very first thing I noticed.

The 2nd thing I noticed was no manual.  What?

The 3rd thing I noticed (the first time I put in disc 2), is that it is the only disc of my 31 360 games that doesn't spin quietly.  When I'm on disc 2, even though I have installed the entire game on my hard drive, it is the only disc that won't stop spinning (and does the same in multiplayer - I have to use disc 1).

I know those are manufacturing issues, but the actual physical game is the cheapest-quality 360 game I've ever bought (though I suspect it's just bad luck).

Before I started the single player, I had only heard about the bad reaction to the ending via spoiler-free episode of Weekend Confirmed that came out the day (or 2) after the letter to the community from the doctors.  I didn't know any details of the ending at all, but thought I was suitably prepared for however bad it could be.

I wasn't.

Edit here to add in:  my first in-game experience was that I couldn't import my face (that I used in ME 1 and ME 2).  Honestly, this is a serious WTF moment.  My first gameplay experience was an error, a bug that has perhaps since been fixed (I doubt I ever find out).  Did no one in your testing department import characters on an Xbox?  Seriously, this is the FIRST GAMEPLAY EXPERIENCE that many people have with your game.

But during the game, the only real issues I had were trying to understand why the Illusive Man helped me in ME 2.  It was pretty clear he was indoctrinated (or just totally insane), but I still don't quite get the point of ME 2.  I can only assume he was indoctrinated during ME 2, so I don't understand why he helped me at all.  I was working against the Reapers, and he was working for them.  Or he was indoctrinated just before ME 3, which there should have been some obvious sign/episode/cutscene when I cut ties with him.

That was pretty much the only story-related issue I had (until the end).

As for the From Ashes DLC - in no way should that have ever been DLC.  Easily the most core story-related companion (apart from maybe Shepard's love interest) in any of the 3 games (well, until the end, but even with the ending, a Prothean is way more key to the story than any DLC should ever be).  A DLC companion should be useless to the central story - like Zaeed, Katsumi or Vega (unless he was your love interest).  This was an incredibly poor decision by Bioware/EA.

I found the gameplay pretty fun, though there were far too many cutscenes (however well-done they were, I wanted to DO the things in the cutscenes instead of watch them happen so many times).

I had a few quests that I'd get, but couldn't even do (or didn't know I was actually doing) until later in the story.  One example was the Elcor wanting his people rescued.  I picked this up when the Asari summoned me to the Citadel.  I went to his homeworld first, having already had the whole system 100% asset relieved, and could do nothing.  I got no noticed that I accomplished anything, went back to the Citadel, and couldn't interact with the Elcor.  So I went to Thessia, then back to the Citadel, and suddenly I could talk to him and the quest was done.  In general, the quest log was unhelpful (unlike past ME games).  It would tell me the planet I had to go to do something, but not the system it was in (and the codex, if it had an entry on the planet, would also not tell me what system it was in).  I'm pretty sure I did everything in the game (I had over 7000 war assests at the end, including 4 or 5 promoted multiplayer NPCs and 100% readiness), but the quest log wasn't very helpful in this regard.

The "flee from reapers" scanning mini-game wasn't as fun as the scan for minerals mini-game - I found it annoying more often than not, but it was still better than the Mako.

Dream sequences aren't ever fun.

Overall, my review of the game is clouded by the fact that I knew ahead of time that many people were upset with the ending, so I was preparing myself for a bad one.  If I had gone in cold, I think I would have enjoyed the game more (until the end), but then would have been more disappointed with the end.

As it stands, I think I held back on my enjoyment of the game (which was pretty much the same as ME 2) in the expectation that the end would disappoint me, so it's hard to say.

But..the end.  That is one of the worst endings I've encountered in a story.  I'm sure I've read/played/watched worse, but I can't think of one right now.

I can't imagine a reason to replay any of the Mass Effects now, to be honest.  I can't imagine a reason to buy any future single player DLC, either.

As for the multiplayer - great fun!  My only complaint is with the RNG rewards from the packs.  RNG is awful (Bioware should know this from it's horrible launch RNG PvP gearing system).

95% of the single player and the multiplayer justify buying this game, but that 5% (the end) of the single player simply preclude (for me) any reason to ever play another game of ME 1, 2  or 3.  And definitely buying any story-based DLC that involves Shepard is pointless, as Shepard is dead.

Easily the least replayable Bioware game I've ever bought (for the single player - and I own Baldur's Gate, Baldur's Gate 2, Neverwinter Nights, Shadows of Undrentide, Hordes of the Underdark, Knights of the Old Republic, Jade Empire, Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, The Old Republic MMO and of course Mass Effect 3.  This will be the first Bioware game I don't play through at least a 2nd time (2 level 50's in TOR - different classes - I consider that 2 "playthroughs" even though I'm no longer a subscriber).

But I'll continue to play the multiplayer, as it's fun!

Edited to add:

I forgot to mention I own both Dragon Ages, the expansion to DA 1, and all the DLC for both.  At this point I don't think there's anything from Bioware I haven't purchased since Baldur's Gate (and it's expansion, as well as BG2's expansion).

I should also add that I was touched by both Mordin's and Legion's sacrifices (that's what happened in my story).  They were my favorite 2 companions from ME 2 (and rival Liara and Tali as well as Javik for overall favorites), so I wish they had been companions in 3, or wish they lived to see the end, but both their scenes were touching (the most touching moments in ME 3).

Modifié par indyracing, 15 avril 2012 - 08:10 .

[Stratomunchkin]

What I wrote on Amazon.com.


The more I think about the game the longer and more critical this review becomes. I apologize for the length. This is the 3rd version of this review.

While I do understand the feeling of immense betrayal from Bioware most have echoed here I'll try to present a rather long and somewhat balanced review for Mass Effect 3. I'm not going to talk about the ending itself (yes, no plural there). More than half of the reviews here have made it patently clear that it's a catastrophe. Just wanted to chime in an say that it's not the only problem ME3 has.

At first sight, Mass Effect 3 is a very entertaining and well told conclusion to the "Mass Effect" series, with the almost obligatory caveat of "except for the ending" added. The tone of the whole narrative is spot on for the setting of the war against the Reapers. I wish I could dwell a lot longer on all the fine aspects of ME 3. There's so much love for detail, so many shout-outs to even minor events and characters of the first two games that it makes the ending the story receives all the more baffling and unatisfying. Which brings me to the bad things.

SHORTCOMINGS
The most frustrating realization, even more so than the vast disappointment of the 3 possible endings themselves, is that ninety percent of what you do in game is basically pointless. The gathering of war assets, the gaining of allies, the bringing together of old enemies to bury their hatchets in face of a new and overwhelming adversary? You spend much of the game trying to fulfill that goal, much like you spent ME2 with gathering your team members and doing their loyalty missions. And in ME 3 it just doesn't mean squat. The fleets and ships and extra brigades you gather, the allies you gain, the technologies you salvage or research, nothing of it matters because you're never taking on the reapers in a fight except as a diversion for you to attach the Deus Ex Machina to the Citadel! All it does is add extra time available for the building of that deus ex machina, the Crucible, which is going to win you the fight anyhow!

The ships and brigades and extra assets you gather? They never matter per se, which is something I really have a problem with since it fails to follow the simple but wonderful formula found in Mass Effect 2 where you gathered your team, then gained your squadmates' loyalties and found out their strengths and weaknesses, thus knowing how to employ them best. In Mass Effect 3 there's nothing of that kind.
Why not? Certainly not for a lack of time! Mass Effect 3 is by far the shortest of the trilogy, shorter than its direct predecessor even WITHOUT its DLCs. Mass Effect 1 took you between 50 and 60 hours if you did every quest. Mass Effect 2, including DLCs, was about 40 to 45 hours. Completing a very thorough playthrough of ME 3 took me around 25 hours.

The war assets only remain a statistic without substance. There are no side missions that lets you use them: never do you see the Normandy and Garrus' task force in action, never do you see a full krogan ground assault. You gain Aria's mercenaries, but they never make an appearence. Oh, I know why: because I'd bet one of my testicles that BIOWARE is planning a retake Omega" DLC. Yeah, good luck with that one...

Hell, what I wanted to SEE was that volus superdreadnought come out of FTL with a couple squardons volus bombers and take on a reaper mano-a-mano, either to go down in a mutually assured destruction scenario, or to WIN the fight, thereby earning the volus a name in history and elevating them from being comic relief.

What I wanted to see was the fight for some of the colonies the reapers attacked, doing hit-and-run attacks with my war assets. But no.

All the fleets and armies you gather? They don't make themselves felt in the end, and my question would be: WHY NOT? Why spend the whole game gathering these forces if you only see it play out in one well-done but ultimately generic cut scene?

Compare this to Mass Effect 2, where you had to gather a team of the most badass, well-connected, deadly hombres of the galaxy and led them on a suicide mission on a ship you had upgraded with the best technology available to a point where it was a generation ahead of everything the rest of the galaxy possessed. Your chances of success were directly linked to your preparations, your investment in your team members and your knowledge of their strength and weaknesses. They went with you through the worst of it, and you cared because even though they were assassins, genetically engineered superwomen, rogues or amoral mercenaries you had come to know them for the personalities their own stories had to offer. Everything you worked for contributed directly to the success of your mission. Your Shepard was the centerpiece of the story, but it was your team mates who gave that story life.

DIALOGUE
Largely automatized. You get a number of interrupts but unlike with the prior games interaction is largely restricted to the "Question Wheel".

QUEST LOG
Horrible mess that doesn't track your progress, AT ALL. How the prime producers of western RPGs could come up with something like this is beyond me.

RUSHED & INCOMPLETE
As transcripts of on-disk audio files show a lot of material originally intended to be used was cut from the game. Especially the final battle on Earth seems to suffer from this, which is already an abortive, short instance. London as a location is unrecognizeable, your gathered allies don't make an active apperance, and instead of intense urban fighting through the ruins of Big Ben, the Tower of London or other landmarks (probably defended by the remnants of the Coldstream Guards, how about that?) you get railroaded segments. All in all the game could've used an additional nine months of development time and 15 more hours of playtime.

THE STARCHILD
I thought as a stylistic means the nightmares of the small boy Shepard saw die in the beginning were a wonderful way to show the toll the events are taking on the commander. The fate of the galaxy is on his or her shoulders, and even Shepard is slowly beginning to crack under the weight of the millions that die every day while he tries to figure out a way to save them.
Which is why the revelation that the Catalyst uses the same appearence pretty much spits in the whole concept's face, more or less undoing it.

MULTIPLAYER
The multiplayer aspect of ME 3 isn't too bad. That is, if you just look at it on its own. The multiplayer maps are a nice way to spend some downtime with, however - and here it comes - it's BLATANTLY obvious that the only reason there even IS a multiplayer mode is to get the few sorry souls who have an attention span shorter than Jack's hair in Mass Effect 2 to buy and spend Bioware points. In short, multiplayer is nothing but a continuous cash cow added to a full price product. No you don't HAVE to spend money there, but it's clear what the intention was.

Secondly there is the more fundamental question of whether a multiplayer mode was asked for or necessary in the first place, to which my answer would be a resounding NO. Mass Effect has always been about your very own Commander Shepard and his story. I know there are game reviewers who get on a pedestal and preach for CO-OP MP modes all the time. Angry Joe is one of them, for example. But Mass Effect is a cinematic SINGLE PLAYER experience. It's about YOUR choices, and not about what you and your buddies Mike, Ralph and Jenna do. That's why Mass Effect works.

Third, the integration of the war readyness to be dependent on you and three other dudes beating a couple waves of enemies on MP maps is ridiculous and in my opinion just another means to try to get people to purchase bioware points. WAR READYNESS should be solely based on what you achieve in the single player campaign. What you do THERE counts because its there that you gather and prepare your allies for the fight against the reapers.

Fourth, I'm against the MP aspect of the game because its ready for all to see that the months spent coding it should have been spent on refining the SP aspects of the game, especially the endings.

DIANA ALLERS
Unlike many of the more, ahm, ENTHUSIASTIC fans I didn't have many problems with the character. Yes, Jessica Chobot is a lousy VA, but I found her to be an interesting addition to the Normandy, that is in theory. She's a war correspondent, so how about you actually SHOW US SOME OF HER REPORTS in animated sequences. What's the point in having her aboard if you never see the footage she produces? The game came on 2 DVDs, ladies and gentlemen. That's ample room for such material.

The project leads have stated that through the endings they wanted to create LOTS OF SPECULATION. In principle that would have been okay if this wasn't the end of the series. If at the end of the day all I wanted was to speculate and make up plot points for myself I could've saved myself the 5 years of waiting and 200+ $ and just daydreamed a little more often.

These are the points why I cannot recommend Mass Effect 3 to anyone at the moment: not to the newcomer, and certainly not to a fan of the series.

Modifié par Stratomunchkin, 15 avril 2012 - 07:55 .

[Orumon]

Overall a good game. Disregard the star-child and nonsensical scene with the normandy and it's up to great (not good by the bar set bey the previous two games but still generally great).

However, the fact that you have to disregard what you obviously meant to be the ending and a scene you wanted to be important to feel the game is good is a bad sign indeed. A storytelling foul up, Mass Effect writers.

Still by and large acceptable. I'll give it 6/10

[Muhvitus]

vieri262626 wrote...

I agree with you on every part.