This review refers to the final part of the "Mass Effect" trilogy from the "Mass Effect: Legendary Edition" and NOT to the stand-alone game.

🕗 Total time played (approx.): +50h
🏆 Completion: 100% (39/39 Trophies)

REVIEW:

"Mass Effect 3" seamlessly plunged me into a world on the brink of destruction, with the weight of entire civilizations hanging in the balance. The remastered visuals breathed life into every poignant moment and heart-stopping battle, making each interaction and decision more impactful than ever. The meticulously designed characters, the awe-inspiring locales, and the breathtaking space vistas transported me to the heart of the action, evoking a sense of urgency that gripped my every move.

The essence of "Mass Effect 3" is undeniably rooted in the rich and complex relationships that have been cultivated over the course of the trilogy. The reunion with old comrades and the formation of new alliances added layers of depth to the narrative, while the emotional weight of past decisions loomed large. Every interaction felt genuine and resonated with the sense of camaraderie that had been nurtured over the previous installments. The path to 100 percent completion in "Mass Effect 3" was a journey fraught with challenges, discoveries, and heartrending moments. Engaging in heart-pounding battles, making morally complex decisions, and delving into the intricately woven side quests provided a profound sense of immersion. The captivating DLC missions, which I am proud to say I conquered, further enriched the experience, adding new layers of storytelling and depth to the universe. As the final chapter in an epic trilogy, "Mass Effect 3" bore the heavy responsibility of delivering a conclusion that would live up to the lofty expectations set by its predecessors. While it is true that some aspects may not have matched the monumental build-up, the game nevertheless delivered a gripping and emotionally charged ending that encapsulated the essence of the series. The culmination of relationships, the resolution of storylines, and the weight of the choices I had made throughout the trilogy all coalesced into a bittersweet yet gratifying finale.

Revisiting the "Mass Effect" trilogy once more was an opportunity to relive cherished memories, forge new connections, and explore the vast expanse of the galaxy. The blend of intense combat, emotionally charged narratives, and character-driven moments made every minute an unforgettable experience. As the curtain drew to a close on Commander Shepard's odyssey, I was left with a profound sense of satisfaction and a lingering anticipation for what the future may hold.

In conclusion, "Mass Effect 3" for the PS4, as part of the Legendary Edition, is a triumphant and emotionally charged finale to an unforgettable trilogy. The remastered visuals, the intricate character dynamics, and the impactful narrative all contribute to an experience that resonates deeply with players. As I bid farewell to Commander Shepard and their companions, I am reminded of the transformative power of interactive storytelling and the indelible mark this series has left on gaming history.

⭐ Rating: 4/5

I used to hate this game to death, but oh boy, there is worse to be had with this series. It's still definitely the worst of the original trilogy for sure, but after replaying it with the legendary edition years later; it's... fine.

I still think parts of it are ugly, with it just having blue/grey filter laid on top of it. Commander Shepard themself and all the new characters built in the same character creator look like Play-doh. It's unimaginative in that department because it's like they cut corners.

The squad in this game is the least cool (minus the one character that used to be DLC), with James being one of my least favorite characters ever. The combat is just copypasta'd Mass Effect 2, but with more damage sponge enemies to act as difficulty. Also, they added the addition of grenades just to piss me off. The worst offender of it all though is the downsizing of the dialogue and player's choices. The morality mechanics of this series have always been kind of black and white with additional contexts for world building, but this game really dumbs that down to a massive degree. Most dialogue choices are literally just 2 options and nothing important is ever fleshed out, just glossed over. The plot is massively rushed for a finale and ends with a loud wet fart rather than a bang. I can't stand how most of the missions in this game involve Shepard solving most of the entire universe's problems with 1 simple red or blue choice that don't really lead to anything but numerical war assets. It's such an infuriating way to wrap the trilogy up, it's like all the world building from the first two games meant fuck all and makes the impending doom feel so weirdly trivial for how dire it really is.

Renegade Shepard in this game is just a murder hobo genocidal maniac and they lose out on most of the cool shit in this game for it. This has never been the case and it makes that playthrough pretty unfun. Most of the squad characters get shafted in some way, some of them barely appearing at all, and the romances are awful, especially for FemShep. The ending is still very disappointing and convoluted for the sake of being convoluted, but I'm unsure if we can even call it the ending today knowing what we know now.

The Citadel DLC is still one of the best parts of the series.

This game isn't nearly as bad as reviews would have you believe.
The ending drama is overblown and you should be pretty satisfied going into it in the current day.
A major con for me was the Origin integration which can break sometimes and require you to mess with some files to get it to work again. Totally worth going through for this game though.

Now that Origin no longer exists, and most new Mass Effect players will be playing the Legendary Edition, this is now an obsolete problem.

Okay quick disclaimer, I played the Legendary edition, simply been doing the separate reviews out of ease. As a whole, the Legendary Edition is worth the money as you get all 3 games AND all DLC for them.

ME3 is very fun in terms of what you're meant to do throughout the game. The build up of forces, tying up loose ends and the works feels very well done. I will say, I'll probably be replaying this game a lot (as well as ME2) just to check out the other romances and endings.

Oh god the 3 choices of endings are awful LOOOOL fuck BioWare

I still find this game satisfying to beat despite my issues with the conclusion to the trilogy. I won't belabor the frustrations with the ending, but I think part of the frustration is largely due to inaccurate marketing and a shifting company direction more than the game itself having too many faults in this category. That said, I think the most important aspect of the story, which is the completion of the character arcs, is handled with care. Not the best entry in the franchise, but still a great action title as the RPG elements fade into the background.

Mass Effect, as a trilogy, is a complete videogame masterpiece. This is an almost perfect game (there are no 100% perfect games), and is the best videogame trilogy of all-time.
Playing it was really amazing. The characters are great, the narrative choice driven is amazing and the story is wonderful. The games are engaging from beginng to end.
So many emotions like sadness, happiness, enjoyment, anger, surprise, love, pride, guilt, shame, excitement, confusion, and relief.

How can we correctly describe a masterpiece?