Mass Effect 3 tends to get a bad rap from fans of the series. Is this deserved? yes and no, While there is no denying by comparison 3 dropped the ball on important matters, but it also did a lot of things really well. This review will have some spoilers, so if you haven't played the game yet I suggest doing so, but since it was released years ago I don't want comments about how I ruined the game for anyone.
What Worked
Controls
The controls in this game are really well done, particularly with the Kinect integration. This game managed to use the Kinect in a way that actually works, and I as a Kinect owner was really excited for more games following its example (but we all know how that went). Like the previous games you had wheels that controlled powers and weapon selection, but this takes you out of the action, the Kinect made these also controllable through voice commands that actually increased the immersion into the game. Another fun addition is the strong melee attacks, for most classes this uses an omni-tool to create a weapon, but for Adepts and Vangaurds like me it was a telekinetic blast. This not only looks cool, but can dish out insane amounts of damage as well.The Loadouts
Unlike previous installments, in Mass Effect 3 you were no longer limited to weapons based on your class. This is both a blessing and a curse however because yes you can carry one of each type of gun, but the amount of weight you are carrying affects your powers. Because of this you must pick and choose the weapons that best fit your play style. Then their is the armor, unlike most RPGs Mass Effect's armors don't progress in level, instead each armor piece affects different bonuses and the player makes an armor tailored to them, right down to the color, designs, and material of the armor.
The Story
This is where I lose everyone, but lets be honest; up until the end Mass Effect's story is everything you expected it to be. The plot is the Reapers finally made their move, and now you need to travel around the galaxy to gather forces to fight them. There are some hard choices to make, parts that made me laugh, parts that made me almost cry, and parts that left me speechless. We get to see what happened to everyone since the last time we saw them, and are introduced to new characters. The ending however is going to get it's own section later.
What Kinda Works
Multiplayer
I have mixed feelings about the multiplayer. Yes it was fun, and it plays exactly like you would expect it to. But I found the unlock system to be a bit broken. Earning points takes longer than it should, and when you finally have the points to unlock something it is entirely random, I still only have one non-human character and one assault rifle. It would have been better if it was more like the single player where you can choose what to use points on. However the biggest problem with the multiplayer is that it is required for the singleplayer mode. Meaning at some point you have to stop what you're doing in the story, and spend hours in the multiplayer, this simply takes away from the experience.
The Downloadable Content
Because this is an EA game, their is a lot of DLC. Personally I only bought the Citadel pack, and only quite recently when it was 50% off in Xbox Live. However I have seen the other DLC sets and I have to admit they are all rather interesting. All or them add to the story seamlessly and doesn't feel out of place. However I personally am getting tired of games releasing DLC the day the game is released and charging obscene amounts of money for it. The Prothean package was released on the day Mass Effect 3 was released, had a character that contributes a lot to the story, and cost $10. This pack in particular felt like it should have been included as part of the main game.
What Did Not Work
The Ending
Everyone saw this coming, the ending to this game isn't necessarily bad, it's just that we were promised our choices meant something and in the end all the endings were relatively the same. Not only that but the ending was simply ridiculous; SPOILERS: the Protheans created the Reapers to end all life and start everything over every few thousand years, you get to choose if you want to destroy them, control them, or merge with them. Either way the result is the same. What's worse is that in the game you find ways to destroy the reapers and even a creature stronger than the reapers (KALROS!!!), their should have been a fourth option where you drop kicked that stupid kid and continued the fight slowly pushing back and eventually defeating the Reapers...In fact until a new Mass Effect is released telling us otherwise I vote we all adopt this new ending and pretend the other never happened.
The Side Quests
Shepard is nosy in this game. Almost 100% of all side quests are given by listening in on random conversations or settling arguments between two strangers. This makes you feel weird as you do them, but there are those few that do feel natural. For example finding an item so a guy will sell guns to the police, or stopping a gang war before it even starts.
The Crew
This is the end of the Shepard Trilogy, so why then is everyone you ever fought side by side with cannot be recruited? Some of them make sense, like Mordin dedicating his time to curing the Krogans and then dieing, or Thane's medical condition making him unable to travel. But the others are in the game as well, however they refuse to join in, they even hang out in the Normandy so it's kind of a slap in the face.
The Dreams
There is no way around it, these were bad. The dream sequences had you running in slow motion after a kid you watched die on Earth, why? Because, that's why. Sure watching the kid die was hard, even I was moved by it, but Shepard has seen many die, why must this one affect him more? Plus thanks to the ending I lost all compassion for the kid.
How It Should Have Been
I basically already covered this in the individual sections, but to recap fix the Multiplayer, it could have been still tied to single player, but making it required was just a bad idea. Next bringing back the entire crew, it's the last stand so why break up the band? Third lower the DLC prices, I'm okay with paying for it, but if you add up the prices for all of the DLC it actually comes out to more than the game itself now, so a discount would be greatly appreciated. Lastly, and possibly most important, change the ending...Seriously guys adopt my 4th option and pretend the other ending never happened, I for one intend to.
The Final Verdict
Despite its flaws Mass Effect 3 manages to be almost the game we all wanted. Sure it isn't as good as Mass Effect 2, but it still is a fantastic game that deserves your money. If you don't own this game then you should go out and buy it right now, the whole trilogy is only $40 now. I give this game a solid B+...an A with my new ending I made up above.
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