Video Game Review: Mass Effect 3

       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.

Wishlist: New Mass Effect

Mass Effect was the game series that everyone told me I had to play, but I never got around to it until recently.  Currently the next game of the series in in development, so I've decided to post some of the things I would like to see in the future of the series.

1) Story Contuniation

       I may be in the minority on this one, but I kinda want to see the impact of my chosen ending has on the future.  Since the endings all have the basic plot points I feel this is possible.  Of course the main reason I want a continuation rather than a side story, or a prequel is that the original trilogy had the greatest threat in the galaxy, so if its a side story the villain won't have the same impact.  If its a prequel Shepard was the first human Specter, something I would like to play as again.  Plus with a sequel all the old characters can return, they don't necessarily have to be a big part, but just having them would be cool.

2) Origins style character Creation

       This is actually the biggest thing I want.  For those of you who don't know in Dragon Age Origins you choose your gender, race, class, and finally an origin story that you get to play as a first mission.  The Mass Effect Series had a lot of this, but for the story they wanted to tell you had to be human, and even though you got to choose a background it was only mentioned and not actually played.  Granted it was still cool for everyone to know who you were based on your chosen service record, but I wasn't quite able to connect in the same way I did in Dragon Age.  Besides, how awesome would it be to play as a Drell assassin, or a Cerberus Agent, or an Ardat-Yakshi, or simply be a Specter from another race.

3) Embrace the M Rating

       At the risk of sounding like a pervert with this one, just hear me out.  Mass Effect is rated M for Mature, there is violence, swearing (including use of the "F" word), and "sex" scenes.  Basically what I'm getting at is, if your going to include a sex scene, do it right and have the characters get naked, you can even have the camera artistically not show anything like in the first one, but please don't just show the characters dry hump and then say they did it.  You could actually see more on television these days.  This is more of a complaint with the Dragon Age series, I mean come on, Morrigan puts on MORE clothes to have sex.  Basically an M rated video game is the equivalent of an R rated movie, so that means you can get away with anything an R rated movie can.  Yes you will piss off Fox News, and yes you may lose all there viewers as potential players, but their demographic is southerners aged 40 and older so how many will you lose honestly?  This one is more of a pet peeve of mine than anything else.

4) More complex Character Development

       This one is difficult to explain, but it ties into all the other things I want.  Basically I want options to open and close based on decisions made, and lead up to a more unique ending, and an overall more enjoyable and personalized experience.  Let me give you an example, say you choose to play as a Cerberus agent, then your entire squad would be non-alliance human, missing out on other possible squad mates,  thus limiting romance options as well as making you a criminal, the ending would also be human centered.  Plus you would have access to Cerberus resources so your weapons, armor, and even your ship would be affected.  Choices you make in game could be the same way, choose one character as a romance/piss off another, use reaper tech to make yourself more powerful/ alienate squad mates, choose to bring aboard one squad mate/miss out on another.  I could go on forever, but it basically comes down to this; I want every decision ever made to have a huge impact on the experience.

5) Return of old allies

       I don't necessarily want them to return to your squad, but having them show up in their new lives would add some closure to the characters.  Although following the above items bringing back old squad mates based of decisions you make could be cool, for example in my Mass Effect 3 ending Shepard lived, so perhaps his love interest joins on a side mission to find him, then have him join you thus adding 2 new squad members by choosing to do a side mission.

6) Return to RPG Roots

       By this I mean limit what the characters can do based on their class.  For example tech classes can bypass electronic systems, soldiers can use all weapons, and biotics can alter mass effect fields to change the environment.  In Mass effect 3 you could do all of these things regardless of your chosen class, and I kinda felt cheated because I picked my class specifically for its dominance in combat, only to learn I can do anything anyway.  Plus if you go the route of an Origin Style character creation, this opens up more strategy because some races can't be certain classes, like a Krogan can't use tech, or a Geth can't use biotics.

7) Coop Campaign

       Yes I said I want a more personal experience, but why not share it?  Basically I want a coop mode that would be like Fable's coop, the other player (or better yet, players) simply use their characters in player 1's story, leveling up and gaining items, but with no consequence to the story or their own games.  Yes they would have to take up spots on the squad, limiting your team's roster a bit, but who cares, all games are better with friends.  And as an added bonus it could draw in more players, or help your friends decide how they want to handle a situation later in their own game.

8) Larger Squad

       I don't want a squad that is too big, but I've been trained through many games that a complete squad is 4 members, not 3 like in Mass Effect.  As for the big squad,  basically want more options, in Mass effect 3 your squad was only 5 members, yet there are 6 class types.  In Mass Effect 2 you got 12 members, assuming you got all the DLC, and most of them were biotic based, and the only soldier was a dick so I never used him.  Basically what I want is more diversity with my squad's classes, making for more strategy with missions.

       Well that's my list, A bit ambitious, but I've seen everything on this list done before so I know it is possible.  Even if one or two of these items are used I would be happy, hell even if they gave us more of the same I'd be happy.  And if not, well then there is always mods and fan fictions, and by the theory of an infinite multiverse I have just created the ultimate Mass Effect game for at least one of them.  Agree or disagree with me?  feel free to leave a comment below.