Mass Effect 3 [Download]

by Electronic Arts

• Battle as Commander Shepard on many worlds across the galaxy as you unite the ultimate force to take back the Earth before it's too late
• Enormous enemies and take on a smarter type of foe that will consistently challenge your best combat tactics and put you on the edge of your seat
• Customize your Commander Shepard, your squad and weapons to engage the enemy on your terms
• Allows the option to import decisions from both of the previous games into the new game, but can also be played as a standalone game
• Experience a new emphasis on melee combat, movement and an improved cover system

Product Details

• Downloading: Currently, this item is available only to customers located in the United States and who have a U.S. billing address.
• Note: Gifting is not available for this item.
• ASIN: B0064TYOLW
• Release Date: March 2, 2012
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (545 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,001 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #9 in Video Games > Digital Games > PC Game Downloads > Adventure
  • #16 in Video Games > PC Games > Games > Adventure

Product Description

Platform: PC Download | Edition: Standard

From the Manufacturer

Mass Effect 3 is a Role-playing Game (RPG) / Third-Person Shooter hybrid set in a Science Fiction universe. Mass Effect 3 is the third game in the popular Mass Effect series, and is rumored to be the final installment. In it players continue the adventures of Commander Shepard utilizing extreme character customization which is the hallmark feature of the series. Additional features include: the ability to import decisions from both of the previous games into the new game, ownership/play of previous games not required, customizable weapons, improved mobility and melee combat, many returning characters (if they were not killed off in previous imported games), an improved cover system that allows for more action and more.

Join Commander Shepard in the struggle against the Reapers in the conclusion to the Mass Effect trilogy.
View larger.

The Final Chapter in the Mass Effect Trilogy

Not everyone will survive. An ancient alien race, known only as "Reapers," has launched an all-out invasion leaving nothing but a trail of destruction in their wake. Earth has been taken, the galaxy is on the verge of total annihilation, and you are the only one who can stop them. The price of failure is extinction. You are Commander Shepard, a character that you can forge in your own image. You determine how events will play out, which planets to explore, and whom to form alliances with as you rally a force to eliminate the Reaper threat once and for all. How you wage this war is completely up to you: go into combat with guns blazing or use cover to plan a more tactical assault. Utilize your squad to full effect or take a lone wolf approach. Rain death from a distance or go toe-to-toe with enemies using devastating melee attacks. Mass Effect 3 will react to each decision you make as you play through a truly unique experience of your own creation.

Key Game Features

• A Rich, Branching Storyline - Experience a sci-fi epic with multiple endings determined by your choices and actions throughout the game
• Massive in Scope - Battle on many worlds across the galaxy as you unite the ultimate force to take back the Earth before it's too late
• Large-scale and Intelligent Enemies - Battle enormous enemies and take on a smarter type of foe that will consistently challenge your best combat tactics and put you on the edge of your seat
• Unlock a Customizable Arsenal - Tailor each weapon with devastating upgrades including scopes, grips, barrels and dozens of other unique attachments. Each weapon boasts its own powerful impact and visual flair
• Unleash Death from Afar or Go Toe-to-Toe - Customize your soldier and squad to engage the enemy on your terms. A huge variety of weapons, abilities and equipment allow you to combat the enemy in your preferred style of play

Additional Screenshots

A customizable arsenal. View larger.

A rich branching storyline. View larger.

Large-scale enemies. View larger.

Multiple play options. View larger.

System Requirements

	Minimum Specifications:	Recommended Specifications:
OS:	Windows XP SP3 / Windows Vista SP1 / Windows 7
Processor:	1.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo (equivalent AMD CPU)	2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo (equivalent AMD CPU)
RAM:	1GB for XP / 2GB RAM for Vista/Win 7	2GB for XP / 4GB RAM for Vista/Win 7
Hard Drive:	2.5 GB
Video Card:	NVIDIA 7900 or better; ATI X1800 or better. Please note that NVIDIA GeForce 9300, 8500, 8400, and 8300 are below minimum system requirements, as are AMD/ATI Radeon HD3200, HD3300, and HD4350.
Controls:	Mouse, Keyboard only
Additional Info:	DirectX 9.0 compatible; Requires Origin account for installation and activation

INTERNET CONNECTION REQUIRED FOR PRODUCT ACTIVATION. INTERNET CONNECTION, EA/ORIGIN ACCOUNT, ACCEPTANCE OF PRODUCT AND ORIGIN END USER LICENSE AGREEMENTS, INSTALLATION OF THE ORIGIN CLIENT SOFTWARE (WWW.ORIGIN.COM/ABOUT) AND REGISTRATION WITH ENCLOSED SINGLE-USE SERIAL CODE(S) REQUIRED TO PLAY, ACCESS BONUS CONTENT (IF ANY) AND ACCESS ONLINE SERVICES. SERIAL CODE REGISTRATION IS LIMITED TO ONE EA/ORIGIN ACCOUNT PER SERIAL CODE. SERIAL CODE(S) ARE NON-TRANSFERABLE ONCE USED. EULAS AND ADDITIONAL DISCLOSURES CAN BE FOUND AT WWW.EA.COM/1/PRODUCT-EULAS. EA ONLINE PRIVACY POLICY AND TERMS OF SERVICE CAN BE FOUND AT AT WWW.EA.COM. YOU MUST BE 13+ TO ACTIVATE SOFTWARE, ACCESS ONLINE FEATURES AND REGISTER FOR AN EA/ORIGIN ACCOUNT. EA MAY RETIRE ONLINE FEATURES AFTER 30 DAYS NOTICE POSTED ON WWW.EA.COM/2/SERVICE-UPDATES. EA MAY PROVIDE CERTAIN INCREMENTAL CONTENT AND/OR UPDATES FOR NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE, IF AND WHEN AVAILABLE.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

199 of 224 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars I've never been so conflicted! March 7, 2012

By Chad Winker

Platform for Display:PC|Edition:Standard

Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

Let me start by saying, This game leaves a strange taste in my mouth. Also, this review will be spoiler free up until the row of *****'s

On one hand, the game is great! In less than 3 days, I have completed the entire game it with about 95% completion of all side missions, etc. (excluding dlc), which is saying something because it is not a short game!

The Positive:
1. I love the mass effect universe, and this game delivers on what the previous games did, if a bit less original (see cons)
2. The game is genuinely fun to play, I find myself sucked into it, and when I look up, it's already 4:30 am.
3. The graphics are alright, they are not the best, and you are very limited in how you tweak them, but they are not bad.
4. They do a fairly decent job at tying into the previous games (see cons)

Given that, I would say it is a 5 star game, however there are some things that they did not do well
The Cons:
1. Parts of this game just felt out of place, unlike in the previous games when the dialogue felt natural, in parts of this game it just does not seem like something Sheppard would say, there are many instances of other characters acting out of their typical styles as well, it just bothered me because it felt artificial.
1b. Also included in this is that the game in general does not seem to contain the same amount of effort on the developers part as the first two did, it feels a bit rushed, with a clunky cover system (again) and some interesting difficulty fluctuations. It just feels more linear than the previous mass effect games.
2. Importing my character was a nightmare, I had 3 different profiles and only one got recognized, and that was after about an hour of messing around with it.
3.... The choices you made in the previous two games feel like they don't even matter (Some are not even acknowledged), I know this is vague, and arguable, but see cons in the spoiler section if you want a better explanation.
4. The ending (all 3 of them (well, technically 15) are horrible, and leave a huge amount to be desired while simultaneously effectively eliminating all possibility for interpretation. It's Their way or the highway (often this is not bad, but it this case its just horribly disappointing) They are all disappointing, the ending choices all end up with similar endings, all disappointing and left completely open.
5. Don't get me started on day one dlc (nuff said)

This game is a fun to play game, if I was reviewing just based on that, I would give this game a 5. However given how I know what it could have been, and some of the choices the developer made as far as story line goes (more below), I am going to take two stars from it, Like I said above, I have never had so much fun while simultaneously being disappointed by ever plot twist.

Overall, I can't complain too much, it provided a lot of entertainment, it just seems to lack the care put into the previous games, it almost feels rushed and like they got a little lazy with the story, the previous games were great because of the small things (like overhearing conversations, witty dialogue, and other little Easter eggs) There was less witty dialogue in ME2 (compared to ME1), but it was still there. Don't get me wrong, it is still there in ME3 but to a lesser extent, it just feels like the developers don't really care anymore.

*************This contains some spoilers(without mentioning names) (also a mini-rant on the ending(s))*************
This section will contain spoilers, and is here to justify my answers above a bit.

If I started off by saying this game was an emotional roller coaster, I would be lying. I believe "Emotional Free-fall" would be more appropriate. It takes the great story and buildup of the first two games (akin to a roller coaster) and where the mass effect 2 game ends with you at the top of the hill, Mass effect 3 is just a ride down into the station (so to speak). There were not many happy surprises, it was all just depressing. It seems ever main story-line mission somebody dies, which makes me wonder why I worked so hard in ME2 to save them. In this context the story feels very linear. It just feels like people who don't really fit into the story line are just killed off. Also, all the "support" you gather really does not show at all, what was the point if everybody essentially dies anyway, I had over 4000 effective combat readiness (or ~8000 something total) and I feel like the outcome would have been the same even without it, as the "upgrades" and land based reinforcements don't even make an appearance in the final battle (What happened to the mercs I recruited? I did not see one Vorcha or heavy mech during that fight (or any mercenary group)). I recruited the Geth, where were they? Did not see the Elcor I helped, no Volus, no Salarians, perhaps they are shown once in the initial scene, but beyond that, nothing. Just ships, and I had a ton of ground troups 'recruited' yet I was still on my own with no sign of them. So what was the point of recruiting them?

Also, there is a huge disconnect in the end, my team for the final mission was Garrus and Edi, and everybody but Anderson and You (Sheppard) gets absolutely destroyed running to the beam, and then in the final video, they are on the Normandy trying to outrun the "(Insert two of 3 disappointing endings here (Not the case with the destruction ending)) wave". Then the ship goes down and both Edi and Garrus and Jeff(Joker) get off on a happy new unspoiled world. How did they get from being nuked by a collector ship and being under heavy fire on the ground, to being on the Normandy during a massive battle in a time frame of about 2-5 minutes. I'm not disappointed that Sheppard dies in (most) of the endings ((like 15 total outcomes based on choosing one ending of three and you readiness rating), Sheppard can survive 2 of 15 I believe)), its just the fact that thought the game, just about EVERYBODY dies, half the time its not even a good death, its more like, "Okay, we ran out of things for this person to contribute, so lets just kill them off".

The main thing that bothers me about any of the endings is, all the relays are destroyed and half of the galaxy's population is over a badly damaged earth, with no way to get home. What happens then? Earth would descend into anarchy regardless of the ending, and the rest of the galaxy would not fair much better with limited military options and no contact between the tens if not hundreds of thousands (if not more) soldiers stuck around earth. By ending with no possible way to save the relays, the developers are essentially saying "Well we are back to square one, and everything you did does not really matter". I get they are just going for the "whole new beginning" thing, but it just does not fit as the ending for the mass effect series.

I'm so disappointed I am going to make pretend myself a new ending. Here it is

"Sheppard dies, the reapers are destroyed, billions of people are dead, all the home-worlds are decimated,the citadel is destroyed, but those that survive get to go home (via not destroyed mass relays) and (implied) all the synthetics decide not to eliminate all organic life, thus negating the need for the cycle (and creepy ghost/children/machine apparitions) in the first place. The End.".

Is it perfect? No, but now I am happy.

*****End Of Spoilers*****
I believe I have made it clear, but the thing I took off an entire star for was the ending, it is just a very disappointing ending to the end of the mass effect series, it's nothing like the epic conclusion was to mass effect 2. The other star off was for everything else, it just could handle better and it feels like a console port.

I just know that review will upset people, but it's how I feel about the game, if you disagree feel free to write your own review. Read more ›

226 of 261 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Great right up till the end. March 9, 2012

By Katie

Platform for Display:PC|Edition:Standard

Fun: 3.0 out of 5 stars   

I have never been so conflicted about a game. I love Mass Effect, I've loved the series ever since the first game. I have played both ME1 and ME2 so many times I've lost count. I've bought all the DLC for both games, I bought the novels because I didn't want to miss anything related to the story and I have been so excited for ME3. I busted my butt to get my Shepards ready, I had three of them created and waiting to import into ME3. I've spent hours agonizing and creating very different Shepards because I wanted to experience all the different endings we were promised. I even took vacation time from work for a few days because I wanted to be able to just play.

Right up until the end I would have easily given this game five stars. I was playing with a great big grin on my face right up until the end. The ending totally ruined it for me though. I don't even want to play it again to finish my other Shepards stories because what's the point?

Here is what I loved:

The story was great until the last 5 minutes. There were times when choices you made led to bitter-sweet conclusions but they made sense in the context of the story. And yeah there were a lot of things that happened that made me cry but again they fit into the bigger picture and made sense. Bioware did a terrific job of showing you the despair people felt but also showing you the hope they felt. It was inspiring to watch people so willing to sacrifice everything for their families and their homes.

The interaction between Sheperd and her squadmates and the squadmates and each other was superb, one of the best things about the game. There were scenes that I watched over and over again because they were just amazing.... Jennifer Hales voice acting is absolutely amazing and she brought femshep to life in a way that I don't think anything else could have.

I really liked the combat in this game, I think Bioware did a great job combining the best parts of ME1 and ME2. I liked that it was more challenging and that you had more powers than you did in ME2.

Here is what was kind of annoying but wasn't really that big a deal:

The import tool is broken so my Shepards face was all screwed up, I had to rebuild her from scratch.

They've changed the journal, instead of separating main quests and side quests they now lump them all together. Also the journal doesn't always update when you complete part of a quest so somtimes I have no idea if I've found a required item or not.

The game does have a few graphics issues, it lags in a few places and there's a few glitches when people are speaking sometimes.

I don't love the new walk that Shepard has. It's just weird, both in battle and when you are on the ship. I especially don't like femsheps walk when she's on the Normandy/Citadel.

Here is what I hated and what ultimately ruined the game for me:

The ending, yeah it was really that bad. I got the supposed good ending and all I could think was WTF. It feels rushed, it's really depressing, and most importantly in the end the choices you made don't really make that much difference. Everybody get's the same three choices in the end and they are all terrible and leave the galaxy in a really bad state. You may as well have just let the reapers kill everyone, it amounts to much to same thing. We were promised a satisfying conclusion to Shepards story and in the end Bioware leaves more questions than answers. Like I said I don't even want to replay the game now because what's the point?

This was a huge let down from Bioware and a sad end to a really promising series. Read more ›

57 of 64 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Mass Effect 3 review from a series fan March 16, 2012

By nordak

Platform for Display:PC Download|Edition:Standard

I remember not knowing what to think when I first picked up the original Mass Effect game over 5 years ago. But Bioware managed to create a galactic community of alien races that was as detailed as the best works of literary fiction (detailed and fleshes out enough to compare with Tolkien and Martin). The story and choices the player could make defined the franchise through the first two games as not only a very personal story, but one whose outcome could significantly differ from player to player.

The gameplay for ME3 is very tight, all the classes have been fun to play and this is one aspect of the series that has steadily improved over time. The multiplayer modes take full advantage of this, and as I have little desire to replay the single player campaign (a first for this franchise, spoilers below) the multiplayer has been a more consistent draw for me. ME3 also takes you all over the galaxy and lets Shepard get directly involved in many of the conflicts that have defined the other galactic races for centuries. Many of these smaller arcs are incredibly well written, and for fans of the second game two moments in ME3 had me tearing up (which has never happened from a game).

Mass Effect 3 promised to bring all those pieces together that players spent the first two games coming in contact with into one last epic battle against an unknowable alien force known as the reapers. Throughout the first 98% of the game, Bioware did an excellent job of bringing everything together and letting Shepard have a direct hand in deciding the shape of the galaxy as he rallied species everywhere to repel the Reaper invasion united as one.....

...............SPOILERS..............

....SPOILERS............SPOILERS........

...............SPOILERS..............

And then everyone dies, or is stranded in a circumstance that they will starve to death. While you spend the meat of the game collecting war assets to retake Earth, they don't come into play in the same epic manner that your squadmates on the ME2 suicide mission do. ME2 put your entire squad to work, and if you didn't treat them right or put them in a situation that didn't fit their skill set they would die. That made getting to know them and earning their loyalty mean something in the end. ME3 War Assets are merely a number that when you get it higher will allow you to see the galaxy blow up in blue or green fire rather than just red.

It's mind boggling when everything else throughout 2.98 games has been so incredibly well done that Bioware would drop the ball that magnificently so close to the finish line. Shepard is robbed of choice in his final moments and resigns himself to his fate, something that goes completely against the epic hero status that Shepard has been built up as throughout the series. Dark or tragic ends are fine and incredibly moving when done right, but this one does not fit with the series at all and gives the player no real options in the end. Read more ›