I cannot emphasize how excited I was for Mass Effect 3. I got into the original Mass Effect game a few years ago, and didn't think much of it; I liked Bioware, but I just couldn't sink my teeth into it. Then, Mass Effect 2 came out, and that was the game that hooked me into the franchise. I instantly became obsessed with the lore of the game: the mythos of the ancient Protheans, the dispute between the Quarians and the Geth, the extinction-bound Krogan and their genophage, the wealth of the rich and interesting characters I had become personally involved with, and many other interesting things that made up the majority of the codex of the series. I even went out of my way to purchase all of the books.
So, Mass Effect 3 arrived on Tuesday, and I awoke at 6:30, unable to sleep. I was honestly a 21-year old waiting for a video game like a child stays awake for Santa Clause on Christmas Eve. I ended up spending the majority of the morning sitting right beside the door, anxiously awaiting like Scott Pilgrim. When the game finally arrived, was I satisfied, or disappointed? Well, here goes...
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Gameplay:
In my opinion, the gameplay was fairly advanced from the first and second games. The first game was a very primitive game, in terms of not only character design, but also in shooting mechanics and environments. The second game made leaps and bounds on the first game, adding much in terms of making it a solid third-person shooter. The third game made further improvements on that, fixing much in the ways of cover mechanics, adding realistic grenades, making the weapons more realistic (with recoil and stability dilemmas), and adding more movement abilities. The combat was far and away better than the other two games, adding the streamlined combat of the second game to the RPG-savvy elements of the first game, letting you choose between different weapons/armor and upgrading them as you saw fit.
However, as much as the combat was improved, I still did have a few issues with the gameplay. There were quite a few bugs regarding the movement system, and I found myself diving/rolling in a giant line of fire when all I wanted to do was get cover behind a slab of concrete. My biggest problem with the game, however, came when I realized that the dialogue system was greatly changed... no longer did I get to select every conversation option, instead getting to choose either one or two options within a conversation, and instead forcing the default Shepherd to take control, separating me from the Shepherd character that I created.
8/10.
Graphics
As I was playing on the Xbox 360, I had only a few difficulties with the graphics in this game. Mass Effect is a series that was made for the Xbox and the PC, so I cannot relate to those who played on PS3 and experienced deal-breaking issues regarding graphics.
Mass Effect 3, much like Mass Effect 2, looks very good on the Xbox. The graphics are arguably better than in the first or the second game, despite not having the themed look that the other two were notorious for. Several environments look absolutely stunning on the Xbox, and there is little-to-no-difference between the Xbox version of graphics and the PC version of graphics (which is often called the "superior" console).
9/10.
Story
Bioware has always been world-renowned for their story. Even in games like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Jade Empire, and the first Mass Effect game, where the gameplay wasn't the best, the story is what set everything apart. Some of the best storytellers in the gaming industry work for Bioware, so the major critical emphasis on this game was on how the story unfolded and how it was presented.
To those of who who are unaware of the storyline of Mass Effect 3 (which probably isn't many, considering you're reading this), it concerns the return of an ancient race of sentient machines called the Reapers, and the apocalyptic doom they bring with them. As Commander Shepherd, the notorious and well-known human soldier, it's up to you to not only save the human race, but the rest of life in the galaxy from impending doom.
The story in this game kicks off from the get-go: the first mission is where the Reapers make it to Earth, and begin their bombardment. Following a short tutorial mission, you're quickly off to the stars to try and rally the galaxy against the Reapers. In my opinion, the story takes a while to get "into." There's plenty in the beginning of the game to keep you interested, but this is a game that picks up steam and momentum as it evolves. Even as I found the beginning of the game non-too-enthralling, within the first few hours I was hooked, and unable to stop playing for extremely long/unhealthy periods of time.
Mass Effect 3 also plays less linearly than the previous two games; instead of following a strict storyline that divulges into a previously-selected ending, you're supposed to take into account your "War Assets," which consists of all of the forces/species you've managed to convert to your cause. This forces you to make immediate decisions, which impact the now and determines how your ending plays out. You can, of course, follow the basic storyline to it's less-than-climactic end, but the best endings (out of the 16 available) are those where your War Assets and Galactic Readiness ratings are highest, which forces you to play more than just the basic campaign.
10/10.
Soundtrack
The soundtracks for the first two Mass Effect games were amazing. The first Mass Effect featured a largely-electronic sounding soundtrack, while Mass Effect 2 turned to a much more cinematic and classical soundtrack. Both were composed by Jack Wall, while Bioware landed film composer Clint Mansell (Requiem for a Dream, Moon, Black Swan) for Mass Effect 3.
Mass Effect 3 has a much more cinematic soundtrack than the previous two games, while retaining basic themes and concepts from both (especially the electronic cues from the first game). Some moments are epic, while some are less-than-so, but I'd put ME3's soundtrack on par with the previous two soundtracks.
9.5/10
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Overall, I was very satisfied with this game. Although the ending I received left me a little disheartened with the game, research showed me that my ending was not the preferable outcome, and my next playthrough (which I've already started) will hopefully yield the best results.
This was a near-perfect end to the Mass Effect trilogy, and I seriously hope that this isn't the end of this saga. What Bioware did with this series was create a universe as vast and gripping as some sci-fi and space opera titans such as Star Trek and Star Wars, yet left much more up to the imagination. Mass Effect 3 was the ultimate end to Commander Shepherd's story, but I hope there are more tales to tell within the galaxy, whether they be prequels, sequels, or standalone stories.
If you've played either the first Mass Effect or Mass Effect 2 (or preferably both), then you should definitely go out and buy this game right now. This is the Star Wars for our generation, and the fact that I have no more Mass Effect games in the immediate future to look forward to fills me with an indescribable emptiness. However, the trilogy that Bioware has released will leave me satisfied for quite some time.
Overall: 9.5/10.
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