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Mass Effect 3
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About this item
- 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 and supports optional use of the Kinect Sensor for Xbox 360
- Experience a new emphasis on melee combat, movement and an improved cover system
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Product information
| ASIN | B004FYEZMQ |
|---|---|
| Release date | March 6, 2012 |
| Customer Reviews |
4.7 out of 5 stars |
| Best Sellers Rank | #24,142 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games) #427 in Xbox 360 Games |
| Pricing | The strikethrough price is the List Price. Savings represents a discount off the List Price. |
| Product Dimensions | 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches; 4 Ounces |
| Binding | Video Game |
| Rated | Mature |
| Item model number | 19585 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Item Weight | 4 ounces |
| Manufacturer | Electronic Arts |
| Date First Available | December 12, 2010 |
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Product Description
Product Description
Earth is burning. Striking from beyond known space, a race of terrifying machines have begun their destruction of the human race. As Commander Shepard, an Alliance Marine, your only hope for saving mankind is to rally the civilizations of the galaxy and launch one final mission to take back the Earth.This item does not come with a gun or controller accessory.
Amazon.com
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, compatibility with the Kinect Sensor for Xbox 360 and more.
Join Commander Shepard in the struggle against the Reapers in the conclusion to the Mass Effect trilogy.
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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
- Play with Kinect - Mass Effect 3 features compatibility with the Kinect Sensor for Xbox 360
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Mass Effect 3 - Kinect
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Mass Effect 3 - Launch Trailer
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Mass Effect 3 - VGA Awards
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Mass Effect 3 - Special Forces Multiplayer Trailer
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Mass Effect 3 - Announcement
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Mass Effect 3 - Kinect Features
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Mass Effect 3 - Multiplayer
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Mass Effect 3 - VGA Awards Teaser
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Mass Effect 3 - Unboxing
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Mass Effect 3 - Fall of Earth
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As of the writing of this, Mass Effect 3 has a user rating of less than 3 stars, which blows my little mind. This'll be a long review (more of a reaction than a review, really) because there's so much to talk about: hate and anger and hate and indoctrination theories and more hate and what have you. So feel free to skip around, but know this from right now: Mass Effect 3 is a brilliant game. Strong, fun, emotional: it builds on the gameplay and story elements of the previous two, makes a host of improvements, and adds massive replay value to each game in the series. I can't imagine not recommending it to anyone who's enjoyed the previous games.
Even if it does have a stupid ending.
So there.
====The Gameplay; "Ducking and Rolling and Omni-Blades - Oh My!"====
It feels sort of odd to jump into a gameplay discussion like it ain't no thing... but it really ain't no big thing (or thang, whatever). If you've played the second Mass Effect (and seriously, who's played the third and only the third in this series? That would be weird) then you're already familiar with how things are going to go down. Its 3rd person, over the shoulder, and cover based gun combat, with some light melee sprinkled in. You've got a series of skills to use, mostly science magic, to help you and your squad of two others survive waves of ugly, ugly space monsters. It's an engrossing experience, smoothed out a touch from the its predecessor, but is still a little rough around the edges. Shepard doesn't always stick to cover reliably, your squadmates are forever in your way - it's not as polished a shooter as, say, Gears of War, but it's still a really satisfying, compelling, rich enough experience. There have been some specific improvements since the last chapter - Shepard can roll and dodge and has a much more aggressive melee attack. Grenades are back (kaboom!) and squadmates are much more responsive to your orders. Again, it's not mind blowing, but it's good; it's compelling and fun and doesn't get dull.
We've got some new enemies to face and then shoot in the face - most of which can best be described as 'space monsters'. This is probably my first point of disapproval, but also the lightest, so who cares. BUT, I was a little disappointed with this: most of Mass Effect deals with pretty clear and mostly believable enemies (mercenaries, pirates, robots, robots, robots). Anything that comes across as monstrous (like the Rachni, or the Reapers themselves) usually comes equipped with some kind of in depth exploration to explain what they are and where they come from. But all of a sudden we have the of 'Reaper Forces', a slew of foot-soldier type monsters that the Reapers created to... I don't know, kill people better than the giant space lasers they have? Maybe harvest bodies and such? I guess that's probably it, though you never see any of that in action. The monster designs are neat, and artfully pull elements from the species that the Reapers have been collecting... but it also starts to push things further from the science fiction realm and deeper into the fantasy realm. The Reaper forces have odd shapes, glowing eyes, and are starting to look more and more like generic monsters or orcs or something. ...In fact, they're almost EXACTLY like the darkspawn from Dragon Age: Origins. They're even created in a similar fashion. It's one of those little additions that start to stretch and blur the borders of the mass effect universe. It works well enough and maybe it's just a personal preference, but still...
Oh, also there are some ninjas. With swords and everything. I have this theory that if you're introducing ninjas into a world where they haven't already been established, then you're officially running out of ideas. I guess I'll make this exhibit 'A' for that theory. (Send me a message if you want to discuss the absurdity and absolute impracticality of bringing a sword to a gun fight)
But that's it, really, as far as gameplay goes. New skills, new enemies, same flavored sauce on top. There are no vehicle type levels, no big risks taken with new gameplay mechanics and only a couple of truly cinematic-type fights; it's moslty just straight up, Mass Effect awesomeness. It's tried and true and wholly enjoyable, but doesn't break new ground or even try to; they took what worked and ran with it.
====The Design: "A New, Same, New Normandy"
This is probably the aspect of the third installment that I'm happiest about. You could say delighted, titillated, ecstatic even. The overall artistic design of the game has improved, grown richer, deeper, and so, so much prettier WITHOUT losing its integrity. With the exception of the space monsters and occasional ninja (and those are only light divergences) it still FEELS like Mass Effect. It sounds like nothing, but maintaining the tone of something, especially a video game, with all its variables, is really difficult and being able to do so is the hallmark of real a talent.
The locations, especially the cityscapes, are gorgeously detailed and the visuals seem to go on for miles. Reapers as tall as scycrapers do their death marches in the distance as you fight your way through incredibly detailed piles of rubble, hiding amongst disused vehicles and slabs of concrete. Long gone are the generic levels of the first game, long gone are the small and blocky levels from the second. You can see hints of those in the bones, in the basic structure, but it's such a mind bending improvement that I think I'm starting to figure out where most of the time and money went.
Ditto, doubly so even, for the sound design. Mass Effect has always had a quirky, ethereal quality the soundtrack. The core has been retained but the body has been given a whole new life. It's a truly lovely score that supports the action onscreen and makes for some seriously cinematic moments. Everything, from the light & sad instrumentals that get punctuated by the horrific `roar' of the Reapers, down to the nuts and bolts of gunfire and ambient voices - everything is so artfully and splendidly done. If Mass Effect 3 wins only one award ever, I really, really hope it's for sound design or mixing.
Look at me, gushing away.
====Exploring the Universe : "Help, Help, I've Run Out of Fuel Again!"====
Oh, so we're still flying a ship around on this little map, are we? Huh. Am I the only person who misses the point n' click map from Mass Effect 1? ...just me, huh? Damn.
I don't have a lot of complaints about this game, but I'll throw this one out there; exploring the galaxy map never congealed into anything more than 'servicable' over the three games. They've kept the basics from ME2 - piloting a little version of the Normandy around a map and rationing fuel. The 'Scanning for Resources' mini game is gone, as are the four resources from ME2, and it's been replaced by using broad scans (almost like a submarine's 'ping') to look for fuel and 'War Assets' - weapons, people, ships and such that can be used to fight the Reapers... or, you know, raise your 'Galactic Readindess' score, as you never see or use any of the assets you find.
I suppose the big changes are that you no longer discover side missions by exploring worlds (most are orders from Hackett or come through your email... in game email, not real-world email, that would be creepy) and that the Reapers are actively hunting you in most star clusters (more and more of them, as the game progresses). Do too many 'pings' and a group of Reaper ships swoop onto the map to pull the Normandy apart. It adds a level of tension to the map navigating... but not really in a fun way. More of an "I'm just trying to EXPLORE here! Argh!" sort of way. It's not bad, but it's really indicative of how they never quite figured out what to do with the necessary Galaxy Map navigation; they wanted to make it a more interactive experience, a more... exciting one, I guess. And they did but... why?
Fuel, also, is a much tighter resource, as the Normandy has a diminished capacity and the Reapers have leveled most of the fuel depots you relied on in ME2. Again, it adds a layer of tension and planning, but not in any way I'd call fun.
I guess it's also worth mentioning that there are very few 'new' systems to explore. If you've played the first two, then you've more than likely been to every system you'll see in ME3 and read most of the planet descriptions already. It is the same galaxy, after all. I suppose this is why they cut back on exploring and gave us a way to quickly scan each system; I suppose that makes more sense than forcing the player to slowly dig through areas of the galaxy they've already been too, that is.
====The Story; "Hey, Shepard, can you fix our deep seeded social issues real quick? Thanks!"====
(LIGHT SPOILERS AHOY!)
Now we're talking - this is what we show up to Mass Effect for! Deep, rich, variable plots and character development! ...wow, it's pretty amazing these things are as popular as they are, isn't it?
I'm happy to say that the story is a definite Mass Effect story. An exciting opening - a dramatic turn around - a thrilling final sequence. High points, low points, exciting reveals. Loose-ends tied up, plot threads resolved, character arcs completed. Everything you'd hope for and expected to see is in there...
Relax, I'm not talking about the ending yet. So calm down. I'll get to it in a minute and you can be plenty mad at me then. Just hold on.
The bulk of the story involves Shepard circling the galaxy, trying to convince everyone that, yes, the Reapers are something that we should be working together to stop. It sounds a little forced because... well, it is. But it feels balanced in the end - you're asking species with deep, deep hatred for one another to open up all their secrets, get super-duper vulnerable to each other. So that fact that the Krogans or the Turians want favors or promises of favors before laying it all on the line kind of makes sense... well, enough sense to justify the game anyway. If nothing else, it's a wonderful excuse to tie up plot threads we've been dying to tie up while still keeping focus on the Reaper threat and, in the end, is far more effective than not.
The Illusive Man devolves a little into something of a mustache twirling villain - but for reasons that make sense, at least. And the good guys are putting all their efforts into a plot-resolving 'happy ending bomb' that makes all the bad guys go away at once... which is usually something I hate (thanks for that, Gears of War 3 . sigh). But, again, it's handled with a little Mass Effect logic and some class, so it's not all that bad. They're all tired plot elements, is what I'm saying, but I hesitate to say they're 'lazy'. Nothing about this game feels lazy to me...
Rushed, though, I'd say that indeed. Sometimes really, really rushed. "Hey, Shepard, you're back for retirement or whatever, let's go talk to some of these folks who are in charge of something I guess - oh, look out, Repears! Everyone's dying, probably! Quick, go unite the galaxy, we'll wait here! Oh, that's James, he's new." I'm sure this is (at least partly) the result of real world pressure to get the game out on time, and also partly because the dev team had a TON of ground to cover, storywise... but it's still a little disappointing. Character introductions are rushed as are a few big story elements (wait... Thessia's gone? just... already? How? What does that even mean?) Lots and lots of things happen in this story (even before DLC) and, as a result, some of what should probably be the most emotionally compelling parts -all the stuff that happens on Earth- actually end up feeling the most hastily done. I had a MUCH bigger emotional reaction the Krogan missions and to the Quarian/Geth struggles than I did with anything that happened on Earth because the writers really took their time with those sequences - they cover multiple planets in multiple systems, introduce new characters and bring old ones back into the fold. They have action, heartbreaking emotion, gut-wrenching decisions to be made (that you feel the effects of) and some incredible cinematic moments. I dare say, they may be the best sequences in the Mass Effect trilogy... and they happen in the middle of the story. At the beginning and end of the 2nd act, I believe. It's hard to believe, but they stuck the best stuff in the middle, and left the beginning and the end feeling truncated, rushed, perhaps even... weird
Hold on, I'm not there yet. Soon, my friends, soon.
===The Characters: "Huh... where is everybody?"===
(S'MORE SPOILERS, Y'ALL)
This is more of an observation than anything else, but the roster of characters feels small... Which isn't true, really, it's about the size of what we had in ME1. Bigger, even, with some DLC and, you know, provided certain people survived ME2.
ME2 had a massive cast because the game was ABOUT that cast, learning about the characters and gaining their loyalty. ME3 is much more about the plot and the bigger story happening but... well, most of these folks we know arleady. Liara, Kaiden/Ashley, Tali & Garrus (provided they're alive). Even Edi we sort of already know, though not in this new, nude, weirdly proportioned form. James is new but... who cares? The only real interesting addition, the only one we have anything to learn about is Javik, the Prothean... available only in the day one DLC. Which upset no one at all and only made people very, very happy, I'm sure.
So, yeah, it's a little bit of a backwards slide, especially coming off the previous installments, when learning about your weirdo crew was a third of the game or more. It is fun to see the old familiar faces on the Normandy, to celebrate the past or mourn the dead (both of which happen, as the events of the previous games are felt and weigh heavy on this one). But it would have been good to through one or two new, interesting (sorry James) faces into the mix. Javik certainly could have been fleshed out into a full, in game character... probably SHOULD have been, in retrospect.
It's a small point to make and is ultimately overshadowed by the plot, but it was worth mentioning.
====On the Ending... thanks for being so patient====
Awwwwwwwww yeah, here it is!
Far and away, without a doubt, the most hotly debated and fiercely hated part of the game is the last twenty minutes (or the last two hours, depending on who you talk to). Never before outside of like, actual politics, have I seen such harsh polarization and so many angry, angry words thrown about. I can only imagine the BioWare offices the day after release, when the reactions started flooding in. They must have known there would be some grumbling, but could they possibly have predicted such a violent storm?
With that said, I have to admit... I didn't hate the ending so much. I didn't like it, I don't think it's the best way they could have gone, as way confused as to WHY they did, but I didn't hate it.
Yes, it is weird. Yes, it's a little out of place. Like the beginning of the game, it feels hasty; rushed even. And, yes, the last few hours are ultimately disappointing. But it certainly didn't make me angry.
Okay, here's my take on the last few sequences...
(HEAVY SPOILERS, OF COURSE...)
After a kick-ass assault on The Illusive Man (some people call him TIM, I like to call him Louie) and a disappointing fight with a magic ninja, we finally, FINALLY return to Earth... and things go back to feeling rushed (frowny-face). We're in London... for some reason. The Reapers have moved the Citadel to Earth instead of out into dark space or, I don't know, anywhere else for that matter. Oh, and this is Major Coats, he's voiced by Mark Strong and seems really important, but don't ask any specific questions about him.
In what should be the most satisfying, emotionally charged point of the game, we get a deluge of unanswered or half-answered questions. Everything moves along so quickly, so haphazardly, so... so...
Let's take a breather and talk about story structure... actually, that would take forever and no one cares. So let's just talk about one aspect: the 'obligatory scene'. This is something that can be defined many ways, but I'll sum it up as 'the scene your audience is expecting to see' or 'the thing that, if we don't get it, we'll be really cranky'. It's essentially the orgasm of your story, if that helps. And if we're left without it... well, you get the point.
There are a couple of things that we were hoping to see in Mass Effect 3, whether we realized it or not. Certain plot threads that had been introduced or ideas that were slipped into our minds. Of the many over the course of three games, those that stand out to me are: massive armies of mixed aliens fighting together, the Illusive man coming to some kind of conclusion (the bloodier the better; I hate that guy), and a some kind of show down with Harbinger, the unofficial mascot of the Reapers that's been hounding us since ME2. The events of the previous games have put these thoughts into our heads as the most prevalent, most important facets left in the Mass Effect universe. These are the things that, whether we can articulate it at the time or not, we're EXPECTING to see get played out, one way or another, before the curtain falls. These are the OBLIGATORY scenes, based on all the scenes that have come before.
And, save for the Illusive Man (and even that one's up for debate), they are not addressed. We get two quick scenes of Krogan-Assari-Turian armies together. No Geth anywhere, no Quarian, no Salarian, Elcor, Batarian, anything else we've put time into gathering. That's it. Then Harbinger shows up, whoops our ass good, and takes off like he's got 99 problems and we ain't one. And THIS, in my meek little opinion, is why the ending is so frustrating. I honestly and truly think that all the star-child weirdness, all the plot-resolving explosions, would have gone over much better if any of these other expected outcomes had been delivered.
This is why I say the team, the writers, the whomever, were HASTY and RUSHED and definitely not BAD or LAZY. They know these things, clearly, based on the strengths of the other games. The BioWare team doesn't need me to explain story structure to them; they know it better than I do and have delivered shining examples time and time again. It makes me feel like the outside world pressed heavy in some way and they had to rush out parts of the game before it was complete. I can't see any other reason for leaving out such obvious and pressing plot points (potential plot points, I guess).
I would love a documentary on just what the hell happened but, sadly, we'll never ever get one.
And, you know what? The Star Child, being of light thing doesn't bother me. It's an odd choice, granted. Evertyhing after the final charge on that oh-so convenient teleporter beam is... odd. They took the esoteric route, for some reason, the anachronistic route, for the first time in the series. It was a brave choice and, again, I do think that if they'd spent more time satisfying the obligatory scenes it would have gone over better. But it was really surprising, in a universe that is so specific and literal, to have a sequence that may not be what it appears to be on the surface. That may or may not be a dream or that could possibly be a... parable? Maybe a cipher of some kind? I don' know, but it's not the sort of thing that easily fits into Mass Effect, which has been a very literal, very `on the surface' sort of game, without many unexplained magic or fantasy elements. How Mass Effect Technology works, Biotics, Element Zero - all these things are laid out clearly and succinctly, mostly. I mean... I know how many testicles a Krogan has... that's a pretty specifically laid out world. But once we're back on the Citadel things become strange, dreamlike, as though there's something more going on - some grand point being made that lies just beyond explanation.
My personal take has always been that, once we reach the endgame, we've entered into the part of the story that later becomes a fable. For me, the most important part of the whole ending are the Stargazers, Buzz Aldrin (seriously, google it) and the little kid after the credits, talking about tales of 'The Shepard' (get it? GET IT!!??). They're talking about an old story, about the person who saved humanity. It sounds like he's telling an origin myth, like the Garden of Eden or Noah's Flood and all that - a fable about why the world is what it is. Seriously, after Joker and whoever get off the busted Normandy (have their Adam and Eve moment) and the Relays get blowed up, just add Buzz Aldrin saying "...and that's why the world is the way it is today!" It totally feels like they tried to change everything we'd been doing for three games into an Aesop. "Once upon a time, humans could fly around the galaxy using magical devices called 'Mass Effect Relays..." or "Did you know, a long, long time ago, humans and robots were two different things? And we used to fight each other? Until, that is, the story of the Shepard..."
It works but it's... such an odd choice. I like that it embraces the severity of Shepard's situation - things are much bigger now than winning or losing a battle. The star-child is forcing him to deal with some high concepts; can organics be trusted with the galaxy? Can they ever truly control what they create? Will this peace between the Quarian and Geth really last beyond the fight with the Reapers, or is it a pipe dream? It stretches beyond the battle raging out the window and acknowledges that Shepard is at the apex of a cycle that has existed for epochs unknown and, in fact, unknowable. That's a lot of pressure for one person.
It's weird, it's potentially heady, but it's not the worst thing in the world. Nor is it the worst ending I've ever seen. I think it could have played out if a) it hadn't of been so rushed and b) the obligatory scenes were delivered.
====The Epilogue and An Invitation to Suck It====
None of this, as weird and unbalanced as it turned out, undoes for me the hundreds of hours of quality entertainment that the Mass Effect series has brought. 99 to 99.9% of the series is among the most well thought out, most imaginative, bravest stuff I've seen in the past ten years. I've dreamt of the concept of a connected series of games, where the choices I make in one carry over to the next, for ages now. And someone managed it - honestly and truly pulled it off. And it's glorious.
And now it will never happen again.
Seriously, why would anyone bother? With all the work that it takes to connect the games in a satisfactory way, the thousands of variable scripts that need to be written and accounted for, the hundreds of hours spent writing and recording double and triple dialogue for each scene - why would anyone do that again after BioWare tried it and all it got them in the end was a pile of bad player reviews and a page of youtube hate videos. I would have been so much easier to just make three straight narratives and, in the end, the fans appreciated exactly NONE of it. So why bother? EA will make the exact same amount of money pushing out another Madden and will have to deal with ZERO grief from spoiled, unappreciative fans.
So... to all those who cry for boycotts and send hate mail... just... just suck it. You're ignoring thousands of hours of effort; hundreds of hours of lovely gameplay in a world that is more than worth revisiting again and again, in a series where the sequels are better than the originals and each adds replay value to the ones before simply by existing (name me one other series where that's true). You're dooming us to years and years of more modern warfare clones and Halo sequels because, as soon as a company takes a risk on something unusual, you smack them in the face as hard and as loud as you can if you find any failings at all. The amount of hate I've heard, from fans "demanding" the ending they "deserve", like petulant children, is going to frighten anyone from taking any risks again. So just... just suck it already.
Anyone who's bothered to read this far is bound to hit me with and 'unhelpful', or whatever it's called, and I seriously don't care. Leave angry messages, whatever, I don't care.
I fully appreciate the Mass Effect series: the ambitious writing, the solid action, the heart-felt story, the diverse characters, the excellent sound and music design, the unique world. It's a series of games built with love and affection and devotion and I cannot fathom throwing all that away because the very last part of the very ending is disappointing.
And it IS disappointing, I freely admit that, there's no denying that it doesn't work. But to ignore all that has come before, all the work and all the love, is the pinnacle of immaturity and the epitome of the spoilt, selfish, childish gamer. This stance murders creativity, it does not encourage it.
Enjoy Halo 4 and Angry Birds 2 or whatever. I'm done.
tl;dr
A few years ago, when Mass Effect 2 hit store shelves, I was so impressed with it that I didn't think it'd be possible to outshine its incredible, refined mechanics - I was wrong. From start to finish, ME3 is an absolutely captivating tale about love, loss, hope and hate. The decisions you've made, the people you've met, everything you've accomplished in the previous games comes full-circle and there's no turning back now. I know it sounds like I'm blowing ME3 up here, and that's because I am.
As you've come to expect, the strongest point in the series is located within the narrative. Having been fully invested since the very first game, I can say that BioWare's uncanny skill at weaving an intricate story cannot be commended enough. Ostensibly, ME3 is about an alien force who wants to eradicate the galaxy because they can, but it's far more than something so seemingly bland. ME3's situations, dialogue and personality behind every character is what makes every drop of interaction so meaningful as these scenarios expand the story itself. What do the Reapers want? Why do they perform this 'cycle' every 50,000 years? The conclusion is shocking, but do yourself a favour, if you haven't played any previous Mass Effect games - don't start here.
One of the key points BioWare has made about ME3 is the major decisions you've made in the past. The good news is that these choices are a huge factor and definitely influence the way your game will play. For instance, if you're unfortunate enough to have certain characters die off from the first game, you'll miss some monumental cut-scenes and classic dialogue that relates directly to the central plot. More impressive though, is how minor characters and unimportant people you interact with influence your surroundings. On more than one occasion I found myself speaking to someone I helped during a routine mission in the previous games. Even your teammates name drop characters, giving the game a much more dynamic feel.
Speaking of being dynamic, ME3 sports the best cut-scenes I've ever witnessed. Characters move around the rooms they're in, commit to different facial animations, look around and touch objects, it's practically like watching a movie. The game also brings back the excellent dialogue interruptions and, as usual, they're always fun to perform. Although, the thing I'm most appreciative of definitely has to be the humour buried within such a dire narrative. It's largely in part to Garrus and EDI, but there's some other characters who said and/or did various things that had me laughing throughout the game's duration. ME3 is the new gold-standard for creative and intelligent cut-scenes.
The jump from Mass Effect to ME2's combat system was huge, and in a lot of ways the jump is also quite large into ME3. The same systems are largely intact, but the combat in general has been tuned to the point of perfection. Headshots are now possible, cover is no longer a chore to navigate and a brand new physics engine has been instituted, making it incredibly satisfying when ending your adversaries' lives. The guns are also fun to use and feel great, letting a variety of superb sounds escape when fanning the trigger. Playing as an Adept, I didn't use too many weapons as my biotics were my primary tool of chaos, but even they created some wondrous, satisfying explosions. Melee combat has also been tweaked and depending on your class you'll be able to deploy an Omni-Blade or just straight up channel your biotic energy into some kind of super-punch. It's pretty awesome.
In direct relation to the gunplay, BioWare has heard the call for more customisation ala the original ME. Unlike ME2 which literally had just a handful of weapons, ME3 employs a long list of well over 30 unique guns. While I thought they'd all be similar in a way, I took the time to fire each one and they most certainly are all one of a kind. The cool thing about this, besides the variety, is that now any class can use any weapon without restriction. Want to be a shotgun-wielding Adept with a backup sniper rifle? Go for it. Then again, the new weight system might have you hold back some of your crazy ideas.
The weight system is pretty simple, but adds some extra depth to certain classes. To put it simply, the more guns you bring to battle, the higher your cooldowns for your abilities will be. As an Adept, I'd switch my weapons around just for an occasional change, but I usually rocked a heavy pistol of some sort. By only carrying this, along with my upgrades, my power cooldowns reached the bonus cap of +200%, making it possible to spam my moves in many situations. However, if you're more of a gun person you can modify every single weapon in the game with a multitude of different devices. Making your gun lighter, more accurate, having it deal more damage, the ability to see through smoke, punch through cover, there's a ton of options to choose from and whatever you decide to augment is also reflected in the model itself. That's right, say this scope you found makes your gun more accurate, simply attach it at a work bench and your gun will now have a physical scope on it.
I always found the talent systems for the first two Mass Effect games a little off-putting. I didn't like how you had to pump so many points into things you didn't actively use or, in ME2's case, how you couldn't reach the maximum level in most of your skills. ME3 fixes all of these issues, giving you six different tiers of each ability with multiple choices of how you want to build them along the way. There's also bonus powers you can attain by conversing with your squad mates and if you felt like you screwed up somewhere, there is a reset switch for all your talents. I swear, it's like they've thought of everything.
Great as everything is, some may find the more condensed character roster a bit disappointing. Even if all of your squad members survived the suicide mission in ME2, you really never get to use them as you did in the past. At first it might seem like a crime to omit such interesting and compelling characters, but once you begin meeting back up with your old friends you'll come to appreciate the way BioWare has re-instituted them. Since the galaxy is dealing with the Reapers on every homefront, it only makes sense that all your friends can't be chilling with you aboard the Normandy. Yes, yes, it's too bad you can't get Wrex back into your squad but believe me when I tell you that his constant appearances, cinematics and dialogue more than make up for it.
It may also come as a sort of shock, but ME3 doesn't contain any mini-games whatsoever. There's no more locks that need picking, servers that need hacking or planets that require hours of probing. Actually, the scanner and probe system do make a return but it's been entirely overhauled. Instead of scanning random planets for their resources ala ME2, ME3 gives the Normandy a new pulse aura.
Upon entering a new system, you can tap a button and the Normandy will unleash a radial pulse that reveals important areas in that section. If a planet is highlighted you can then perform a scan on it, but there's only ever a single item per planet and there's a compass that tells you exactly what direction it's in. If you use this pulse while in a Reaper controlled sector though, they can invade the system and come after you while you're looking for items. All this means is that there's a demonic robot noise, the things come in after you and if you want to survive then you need to just exit the map. I get BioWare's trying to represent the invasion, but it's far too easy to evade the Reapers and even if they do catch you the game just reloads upon your entrance to the system. You lose, maybe, 10 seconds of your time. Harsh, I know.
The big new feature for the campaign is the focus on war assets or what you're bringing into the final confrontation. As you progress through the game you'll convince those around you to commit to fighting the Reaper threat. As you discover various objects, complete missions and recruit people to join the fight, your asset number increases. These assets also increase a bar that displays your effective military strength to combat the Reapers. It's not hard to fill the bar up, but if you're one of those people who don't like to burden yourself with completing every little thing in the game, you can jump into the multiplayer to help increase your assets.
Multiplayer? In my single-player game? Believe it. Actually it's not at all that bad. Galaxy at War is a four-player co-operative experience that pits you against waves of enemies (where have I seen this before?). Its emphasis relies heavily on good teamwork and the combat in ME3 is good enough to make the mode worth checking out. Sure, it has its fair share of problems with imperfect hosting and feeling extremely grindy after a while, but its sole purpose is to serve as a minor distraction. At least playing the multiplayer nets you campaign bonuses to make it feel more worthwhile. Completion of maps grants a percentage increase in your efficiency rating, which effectively means your bar for the final confrontation will gain a multiplier. Again, it's not necessary to play the multiplayer to get the best endings to the game, but it's nice to have something as a decent distraction from the main story.
Mass Effect 3 is a master-class in story-telling that comes second to none. Its refined combat, deeper customisation and personable characters make the experience worth it from start to finish and that goes double for the people who've been with the series from day one. While it may be the final entry in the trilogy, you can bet that this isn't the last we've seen of Mass Effect 3. So grab your gear, sit back and enjoy one of the best games of this generation.
This review was written for gamersguidetolife.com
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