Mass Effect 3

Players: 1 Offline Player
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Genres: Action, RPG, Third-Person Shooter
Release Date: March 6, 2012
Developer: BioWare
MSRP: $59.99
Platforms:
Mass Effect 3 will follow from the events of the Mass Effect 2 DLC expansion Arrival and follow Commander Shepard as he/she tries to save the galaxy from the Reapers by rallying civilizations of the galaxy together, while also having to deal with Cerberus, who have decided to turn against him/her.

We know you can’t wait to play it, but what does it really boil down to in the end ?

& check out Ben’s new series below:

Follow Benzaie on Twitter !Mass Effect 3 in 5 seconds, 3.6 out of 5 based on 44 ratings

VN:F [1.9.15_1155]
  (44 votes, average 3.6 out of 5)

Let's Play Mass Effect 3 demo

The most anticipated demo of the most anticipated game of 2012 ended up in Benzaie's hands a few days early... Will you resist watching his LP ?

RAD episode 242-Mass Effect 3

Birdman totally abandoned sleep over the weekend to bring you this BT FIRST review of Mass Effect 3. Birdman brings his female Commander Shepard and lets you know how the fight against the Reapers went. This review contains small SPOILERS!

Hard Corner: Mass Effect 3 Collector

Benzaie has lost his mind with the Mass Effect 3 hype, but will the collector's edition give him a cold shower ?

Sage Reviews: Mass Effect 3

If the effect is disappointment, then yeah it's pretty massive.

Mass Effect 3 Review

For every cynic and sycophant that staunchly made up their minds regarding this truly well crafted conclusion, the true test of Mass Effect 3 worth will be the long lasting influence of the series as a whole. And for my money, Mass Effect 3, along with the rest of the trilogy, deserves the accolades they receive.

Mass Effect 3 Video Review - ZGR

There sure is a lot of nerd rage floating around the net about Mass Effect 3. Daniel lets you know his thoughts!
  1. February 21, 2012 at 05:56pm
    In response to Article
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    Benzaie i was wondering if you were planing on doing a Hard Corner of the mass effect 3 collector’s edition?

  2. February 21, 2012 at 04:34am
    In response to Article
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    They should just get rid of the thumbs idea like they did with That Guy with the Glasses.

  3. February 20, 2012 at 05:52pm
    In response to Article
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    chicks dig galactic saviors…guys too if you swing that way.

  4. February 20, 2012 at 05:19pm
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    who the hell is thumbs down voting the comments?????

  5. February 20, 2012 at 11:26am
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    Helloooo Marion!

  6. February 20, 2012 at 07:31am
    In response to Article
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    James T. Kirk approve this video.

  7. February 20, 2012 at 12:06am
    In response to Article
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    that dialouge choice system gets in the way of me Spanking Space Specimens!

  8. February 19, 2012 at 11:20pm
    In response to Article
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    Gears of War gun, subtle. :P

  9. February 19, 2012 at 09:06pm
    In response to Article
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    Womanz. is there any other reason to say the universe ^_^

  10. February 19, 2012 at 09:01pm
    In response to Article
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    You’re also forgetting that you can fuck the guys too ;)

  11. February 19, 2012 at 07:24pm
    In response to Article
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    Hmm, having the Gears of War chainsaw gun in Mass Effect 3?
    That sounds like a brilliant idea!

    Pretty cool outfits for this episode! :D Very well done.

  12. February 19, 2012 at 07:22pm
    In response to Article
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    Nicely done :)

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.

BBB Supports Mass Effect 3 "False Advertising" Claims

Posted by [ 1 month, 1 week ]

Uh… what?

Mass Effect 3 Resurgence Pack DLC Revealed; Also Free

Posted by [ 1 month, 2 weeks ]

Reinforcements, weapons, and two new maps–all for free. Not bad BioWare, not bad…

BioWare Announces Free Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut DLC

Posted by [ 1 month, 2 weeks ]

BioWare promised Mass Effect 3 players news in April about their plans to address the controversy surrounding the game’s ending and now they have delivered just that.

Child's Play Shuts Down "Retake Mass Effect 3" Charity (Update)

Posted by [ 1 month, 4 weeks ]

Good intentions, bad idea.

A Socratic Debate: A Dialogue Between a Paragon and a Renegade

Posted by [ 2 months ]

The following is a philosophical conversation between a Paragon and a Renegade. Each of them have a contrasting point of view, and will try to impose their will on the other by bring up evidence, as well as posing philosophical “what ifs” and “whys” against each other. How you interpret this dialogue is up to you.

N7 Weekend "Operation Goliath" Underway

Posted by [ 2 months ]

Despite the controversy, Mass Effect 3 moves forward with a multiplayer promo this weekend.

Mass Effect 3 Video Review - ZGR

Posted by [ 2 months ]

There sure is a lot of nerd rage floating around the net about Mass Effect 3. Daniel lets you know his thoughts!

BioWare Addresses Mass Effect 3 Ending and DLC Criticisms

Posted by [ 2 months, 1 week ]

After coming under increasing fire from a number of vocal gamers, BioWare has directly addressed some of the various criticisms being leveled at them regarding Mass Effect 3.

Mass Effect 3 Review

Posted by [ 2 months, 1 week ]

For every cynic and sycophant that staunchly made up their minds regarding this truly well crafted conclusion, the true test of Mass Effect 3 worth will be the long lasting influence of the series as a whole. And for my money, Mass Effect 3, along with the rest of the trilogy, deserves the accolades they receive.

Sage Reviews: Mass Effect 3

Posted by [ 2 months, 1 week ]

If the effect is disappointment, then yeah it’s pretty massive.

BBB Supports Mass Effect 3 "False Advertising" Claims

Posted By about 1 month, 1 week ago

Uh… what?

Mass Effect 3 Resurgence Pack DLC Revealed; Also Free

Posted By about 1 month, 2 weeks ago

Reinforcements, weapons, and two new maps–all for free. Not bad BioWare, not bad…

BioWare Announces Free Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut DLC

Posted By about 1 month, 2 weeks ago

BioWare promised Mass Effect 3 players news in April about their plans to address the controversy surrounding the game’s ending and now they have delivered just that.

Child's Play Shuts Down "Retake Mass Effect 3" Charity (Update)

Posted By about 1 month, 4 weeks ago

Good intentions, bad idea.

N7 Weekend "Operation Goliath" Underway

Posted By about 2 months ago

Despite the controversy, Mass Effect 3 moves forward with a multiplayer promo this weekend.

BioWare Addresses Mass Effect 3 Ending and DLC Criticisms

Posted By about 2 months, 1 week ago

After coming under increasing fire from a number of vocal gamers, BioWare has directly addressed some of the various criticisms being leveled at them regarding Mass Effect 3.

Mass Effect 2 Saves Cannot be Imported to 3 via Cloud on the 360

Posted By about 2 months, 2 weeks ago

Be aware that any saves of Mass Effect 2 on the cloud storage device will not transfer over to Mass Effect 3.

Mass Effect 3 Official Launch Trailer Sets the Tone

Posted By about 2 months, 2 weeks ago

The official launch trailer is here, and god damn its impressive and a tad spoiler-y.

Characters with Character: Grunt

Posted By about 2 months, 3 weeks ago

Note: The following contains spoilers. You have been warned. If you were to ask any

Mass Effect 3 in 5 seconds

Posted By about 3 months ago

We know you can’t wait to play it, but what does it really boil down to in the end ?

Mass Effect 3 Review

Mass Effect 3 Review

From the 8-Bit days of Pac-Man to the graphic capabilities of Heavy Rain, from the simple soundbites in Berserk to the epic chanting in Halo, and from the innovative gameplay in Super Mario Bros. to the innovative gameplay in Shadow of the Colossus, video games have constantly evolved as time slowly flows towards an unknown future. We look at the past and see pillars of excellence, games that mold the landscape on the whim of what they can represent for all of us. And we look to the future to see what shall join them in this exclusive club of memorable titles and masterful works.

PROSAmazing story moments and characters, Galaxy at War, Refined gameplay, voice overs and musical score.
CONSOutdated graphics, Controversial ending and pre-release press, Little time to breathe after its all said and done.
WTF?!The ending.

Mass Effect 3 is the next god to take a spot in this pantheon. Or should I say,the Mass Effect trilogy. I feel as if I am reviewing just one game five years in the making, the culmination of this bold trilogy, the sum of its total parts. To write off one game of the series as good or bad sadly will not cut it anymore, since all three are accountable for shaping the storyline, and eventually the experience given to us. So really, the final grade behind this title is more of a formality than anything else; people have made their choices in the past week over their own likes and dislikes of the game, so what I say about Mass Effect 3 now will not sway anyone in that regard.

Out of the gate Mass Effect 3 has a lot to live up to. This RPG has evolved in the past five years, refining its shooter mechanics and perfecting the formula of its combat and presentation. Many have seen this as going away from its role-playing roots, but truthfully, how is Mass Effect 3 not a role-playing game at its core? The storyline, for example, begins with the chaos of an all-out war. The Reapers, the boogeymen for the past two titles, have finally arrived and have begun to destroy the galaxy, one planet at a time. As the courageous Commander Shepard, your job is to find a way to stop them, at any cost.

The actual storyline was never a high water mark for Mass Effect, following the traditional tropes of good vs. evil common in the high fantasy/space opera genre. But it was the journey, not the destination, that made it worthwhile trip to go on. Every nuance of a choice found in the previous titles having at least some ramification, both small and large, in Mass Effect 3. In most cases, it boils down to adding war assets to your cause. These war assets are basically how prepared you are for the game’s finale and determine the likelihood of success in destroying the Reapers and obtaining a good ending to the trilogy.

War assets are the closest thing to a statistical table you can get to in Mass Effect 3.

But most of these war assets are obtained through side missions and mini-quest lines that are regulated to simple fetch quests and minor conflict resolutions. Other assets are gained and lost through decisions in the past games; if you saved the council in Mass Effect 1 for example, you have less Alliance fleets for Mass Effect 3, but you gain the use of special assets such as the Destiny Ascension and more alien war assets to compensate. So the trade off is somewhat minimal, but changes based on how you played the past two chapters, reflecting the overall tone of the story you created.

Mass Effect 3 in 5 seconds, 3.6 out of 5 based on 44 ratings

8/10

Let's Play Mass Effect 3 demo

The most anticipated demo of the most anticipated game of 2012 ended up in Benzaie's hands a few days early... Will you resist watching his LP ?

RAD episode 242-Mass Effect 3

Birdman totally abandoned sleep over the weekend to bring you this BT FIRST review of Mass Effect 3. Birdman brings his female Commander Shepard and lets you know how the fight against the Reapers went. This review contains small SPOILERS!

Hard Corner: Mass Effect 3 Collector

Benzaie has lost his mind with the Mass Effect 3 hype, but will the collector's edition give him a cold shower ?

Sage Reviews: Mass Effect 3

If the effect is disappointment, then yeah it's pretty massive.

Mass Effect 3 Review

For every cynic and sycophant that staunchly made up their minds regarding this truly well crafted conclusion, the true test of Mass Effect 3 worth will be the long lasting influence of the series as a whole. And for my money, Mass Effect 3, along with the rest of the trilogy, deserves the accolades they receive.

Mass Effect 3 Video Review - ZGR

There sure is a lot of nerd rage floating around the net about Mass Effect 3. Daniel lets you know his thoughts!
  1. March 14, 2012 at 03:08pm
    In response to Article
    VN:F [1.9.15_1155]
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    While I never played more than a short bit of ME1, ME3 is probably my favorite next to ME2. Yes, the ending is jarring and incomplete, but that buildup to the end was amazing. There were powerful moments with the games characters, Shepard felt much more likable tome me, being a rather monotone action hero, in this one, seeming more troubled by the weight on his shoulders to try and save not just Earth, but everyone in the universe. Alot of things were fine tuned and though it’s a shorter game than ME2, it was much more action packed and intense. The build up to the end of the game was infinitely better than what we got with ME2, but alot of people didn’t see that once they got to the ending choices. It’s very deserving of scores it’s getting (Not like 90 and up scores), but alot of that is getting swamped in the hate people have for the endings.

    I definitely would like to see Mass Effect continue. The trilogy may have ended, but it mostly just means the storyline was brought to…somewhat completion lol Would be interesting to see them do it as a timeskip where the races have managed to rebuild the Relays and started to bring themselves together again.

  2. March 14, 2012 at 02:47pm
    In response to Article
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    They couldn’t have decent choice-acknowledging endings or sideplot resolutions because that would alienate people who haven’t played other MEs. And as we all know, Mass Effect 3 is intended to be the best entry point to the series.

    Because that’s how trilogies work.

    And no, it’s NOT ALL the people who decided to hate the game beforehand that are complaining. I’d say everyone in their forums that are complaining can’t be the half-mad oldschoolers or backers of other RPG companies COUGHOBSIDIANFANBOYSCOUGH, since they got themselves banned long long ago.

    • March 15, 2012 at 08:52am
      In response to Hydra
      VN:F [1.9.15_1155]
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      I have to disagree. The main sideplots did get strong, emotional resolutions, it’s the main plot resolution that is producing all the rage.

      As for the “entry point” issue, i got the feeling that this was what they were trying to do, during the marketing campaign pre-release, but i think they really failed at it. During the 2nd act i was constantly thinking that if i wasn’t a big fan of the series i wouldn’t give a crap about all these emotional moments. I like ME3 but i wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who hasn’t played the first 2 games.
      Also, it’s not only the choices made through ME 1&2 that don’t get decent acknowledgement in the ending, the choices made in the final game suffer the same fate.

      *****SPOILERS!!!*****

      I still don’t get how having greater flee support or improved Citadel defences offers me more end-game options…

      *****SPOLILERS!!!****

  3. March 14, 2012 at 12:51pm
    In response to Article
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    Outdated graphics? Should have played on the PC, I was completely blown away on how beautiful it looked.

    • March 14, 2012 at 02:31pm
      In response to DynamicJul
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      The graphics might look a little better, but the animation and plastic faces are still very prominent. PC just makes it more tolerable lol

      • March 14, 2012 at 02:48pm
        In response to MSHHitman
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        The godawful Unreal engine they used has been dragging down the trilogy from day one…

        • March 14, 2012 at 03:32pm
          In response to Hydra
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          Yeah the series has never been that impressive of a game visually outside of maybe some CGI stuff, which never made much sense to me, being that the game is constantly bringing in close-ups of these really emotion-less faces. It stood out alot more with ME2 and while ME3 tried to hide it abit more behind like…face filters or something and some slightly better visuals, alot of the textures are really kinda bad and muddy.

  4. March 14, 2012 at 01:28am
    In response to Article
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    That was what bugged me the most was the lack of an Epilogue. Shepered i could care less about but i want to know what happens to Garius, Liara as well as all the raced like the Krogan

  5. March 13, 2012 at 07:37pm
    In response to Article
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    Show Comment
    • March 13, 2012 at 08:02pm
      In response to Sylveria
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      No one, least of all the companies themselves, is claiming that EA or BioWare will never make another Mass Effect game. All that is being said is that Mass Effect 3 is the culmination and conclusion of the current overarching storyline that has driven the series up to this point. You do understand what the definition of a trilogy is right? And that producing one for a franchise does not automatically preclude further stories in said franchise, right?

      And as for the second portion of your statement… Honestly words fail me. You cannot really be trying to claim that BioWare is ripping off Gurren Lagann, right? I mean there are a million reasons why that is nonsense not the least of which being both series premiered the same year. Also I don’t recall there being a lot of mechs shaped like human heads in the Mass Effect universe.

    • March 13, 2012 at 09:07pm
      In response to Sylveria
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      I’m all for chipping away at the Mass Effect series but I agree with Shaun and am just confused how ME ripped off Gurren Lagaan.

      Elaborate?

      • March 13, 2012 at 09:30pm
        In response to Xirbtt
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        There are some similarities.. the more subtle ones then just giant mechas fighting. GL is a lot deeper than just that.
        http://i.imgur.com/acSCH.jpg
        (not my image)

        I suppose it’s questionable, whether GL was the first to have similar themes involved though.
        Bioware/EA ripping off other franchise wouldn’t surprise me either.

        • March 14, 2012 at 08:59am
          In response to Kokotoid
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          Yeah the GL isn’t holding up as that phrase was not coined by it, HOWEVER I did enjoy the Deus Ex comparison. :)

          • March 14, 2012 at 10:59am
            In response to Xirbtt
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            You probably missed that part about Antispirals = Reapers above it.

        • March 14, 2012 at 12:14pm
          In response to Kokotoid
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          Wtf have you done to Tali, EA/Bioware? -.-
          She deserved more!

    • March 15, 2012 at 08:57am
      In response to Sylveria
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      It’s definitely not staying a trilogy, BW have made it clear they want to expand on the games’ universe. It’s Cmdr Shepard’s story that’s over.

  6. March 13, 2012 at 06:07pm
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    I kinda like the endings to some degree, but they are flawed. Without giving a spoiler to what they actually are, I’ll say that if Bioware simply went into more detail on what happens in each ending, perhaps add some epilogue notes like at the end of Dragon Age Origins, then they would be much improved.

    Otherwise, a very good game.

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Mass Effect 3 Video Review - ZGR

Posted in Zeitgeist Review [ 2 months ]

There sure is a lot of nerd rage floating around the net about Mass Effect 3. Daniel lets you know his thoughts!

Sage Reviews: Mass Effect 3

Posted in Bennett The Sage [ 2 months, 1 week ]

If the effect is disappointment, then yeah it’s pretty massive.

Hard Corner: Mass Effect 3 Collector

Posted in Benzaie [ 2 months, 1 week ]

Benzaie has lost his mind with the Mass Effect 3 hype, but will the collector’s edition give him a cold shower ?

RAD episode 242-Mass Effect 3

Posted in Review A Day [ 2 months, 2 weeks ]

Birdman totally abandoned sleep over the weekend to bring you this BT FIRST review of Mass Effect 3. Birdman brings his female Commander Shepard and lets you know how the fight against the Reapers went. This review contains small SPOILERS!

Mass Effect 3 in 5 seconds

Posted in Benzaie [ 3 months ]

We know you can’t wait to play it, but what does it really boil down to in the end ?

Let's Play Mass Effect 3 demo

Posted in Benzaie [ 3 months, 1 week ]

The most anticipated demo of the most anticipated game of 2012 ended up in Benzaie’s hands a few days early… Will you resist watching his LP ?

A Socratic Debate: A Dialogue Between a Paragon and a Renegade

Posted by [ 2 months ]

The following is a philosophical conversation between a Paragon and a Renegade. Each of them have a contrasting point of view, and will try to impose their will on the other by bring up evidence, as well as posing philosophical “what ifs” and “whys” against each other. How you interpret this dialogue is up to you.

Characters with Character: Commander Shepard

Posted by [ 2 months, 2 weeks ]

What constitutes a good character? Join me in this series that attempts to look at these characters and tries to peel away the layers of depth they have. Join me as we find Characters with Character in our Special Mass Effect Retrospective! This week is Commander Shepard!

RAD episode 242-Mass Effect 3

Posted by [ 2 months, 2 weeks ]

Birdman totally abandoned sleep over the weekend to bring you this BT FIRST review of Mass Effect 3. Birdman brings his female Commander Shepard and lets you know how the fight against the Reapers went. This review contains small SPOILERS!

Characters With Character: Liara T'Soni

Posted by [ 2 months, 2 weeks ]

This is one alien who is a lot more than just a pretty face.

Characters with Character: Grunt

Posted by [ 2 months, 3 weeks ]

Note: The following contains spoilers. You have been warned. If you were to ask any

Characters with Character: Miranda Lawson

Posted by [ 3 months ]

What constitutes a good character? Join me in this series that attempts to look at these characters and tries to peel away the layers of depth they have. Join me as we find Characters with Character in our Special Mass Effect Retrospective! This week is Miranda Lawson.

Characters with Character: Mordin Solus

Posted by [ 3 months, 1 week ]

What constitutes a good character? Join me in this series that attempts to look at these characters and tries to peel away the layers of depth they have. Join me as we find Characters with Character in our Special Mass Effect Retrospective! This week is Mordin Solus.

Mass Effect 3 Co-op a Thing?

Posted by [ 7 months, 2 weeks ]

Does a grainy scan of a South African videogame magazine constitute proof that we’re getting multiplayer in Mass Effect 3? Not concretely, but then again, Bioware hasn’t exactly used the word “no” when asked about it.

Mass Effect 3 May Feature Kinect Support

Posted by [ 11 months, 3 weeks ]

People wondering about the future of Kinect beyond gimmicky party titles may want to keep an eye on BioWare, and what they may be doing to Mass Effect 3.