This review contains spoilers
Played on Legendary Edition. Taking the trilogy as a whole I would give it a clear 5 Stars.
Mass Effect 3 is certainly the entry in the trilogy which I feel most conflicted about. Playing it for the first time in 2021 I think it is a genuinely great game, even if it doesn’t exactly stick the landing as an ending to the trilogy. However that’s my experience including all the DLC and changes made as part of the Extended Cut, I can understand how the core version of ME3 without any of these additions or changes could have been incredibly disappointing back in 2012. That being said, I’m reviewing ME3 in the form it takes in the Legendary Edition, where all of this content is seamlessly blended in – in fact I couldn’t have told you most of it was released after the fact since it neatly meshes in with and supports the main game.
ME3 represents the series’ complete transformation from large, galaxy-exploring RPG to a more linear and action focused shooter. I didn’t feel this shift as much in ME2, as the more linear nature of its missions was still supported by fantastic characters and narrative. But in ME3 this shift feels far more noticeable and deliberate, an attempt to turn Mass Effect into something with more mass market appeal. I don’t actually mind this shift as much in the levels themselves, ME3 has the best combat in the series and it is genuinely great to play, up there with some of the better cover-based shooters. However it is in the narrative aspects where this linearity is more problematic. Many conversations now boil down to a choice between two options (usually Paragon, or Renegade), many of which result in similar dialogue. This is a far cry from ME2 and especially ME1 where the dialogue wheel could expand conversations in so many interesting ways, with us learning more not only about the people we’re speaking to but the lore of this world itself. In comparison some of ME3’s choices amount to Shepard saying the exact same thing in a slightly more or less aggressive tone. I would have rather BioWare put less time into the bombast and set-pieces of these linear missions and more focus on allowing conversations to branch off in a variety of interesting ways.
This focus on linearity has caused galaxy exploration to take a further step back from the spotlight. Now the Normandy can only scan a few different locations in each system, certainly a ways off from the nearly 40 explorable locations in ME1. Those ME1 locations may have been repetitive and underdeveloped, but they still gave the feeling that you were truly exploring a massive galaxy. Luckily ME3 has also done away with the focus on planet scanning from ME2 which is fortunate as that is my only major dislike from that game. Now you only need to scan a few locations per system and this is far less frustrating than the hours upon hours of compulsive scanning I forced myself through in ME2. ME3 also introduces the War Assets system which I think it a pretty great addition. These assets take the form of ships, personnel, and resources, and they show the player how prepared they are for the incoming Reaper invasion. The system is quite bare bones, simply assigning numbers to each asset you collect, but it really makes you feel like Shepard - amassing the largest fleet in the universe to fend off the Reapers. Each new individual or vehicle feels like a step forward in this seemingly unwinnable war, and it’s pretty nifty that BioWare managed to create such a feeling through a somewhat rudimentary system.
My biggest problem with ME3 isn’t to do with it’s linearity or the highly controversial ending, but actually about how it handles your decisions from ME2. BioWare left themselves in quite a difficult position with ME3 given the vast number of possibilities at the end of ME2. Everyone could die, no one could die or any combination of squad mates in between could die. This meant that the main story of ME3 couldn’t be as character-focused as that of ME2, as it was very possible that certain characters would already be dead. It wouldn’t have been smart to create a whole main story arc for Garrus when it’s possible he may not have survived the ‘suicide mission’ for many players. Therefore BioWare took the most efficient approach they could, creating several main story missions which can play out in 2 similar ways. Either the ME2 character in question will be a prominent character in this mission or an almost identical mission will play out with a similar character replacing them (Wrex replaced by another random Krogan) or no character at all. It is great to see all these characters again, however I feel they should have had a more impactful place in the main story. Although I understand that such a feat would not have been possible, especially with the very short development time EA allowed BioWare for ME3. It would have been hard enough planning out the story of ME3 to accommodate for the deaths of a single major character, while still keeping them central to the plot and giving them a developed story-arc. Doing it with all 12 squad mates from ME2 would have been truly impossible, especially given all these stories would have to fit with and compliment each other. That being said, although there was no ‘perfect’ way to condense all the possibilities from ME2 into a satisfying conclusion for each remaining character, I certainly think the team at BioWare could have come up with a more satisfying solution if they were given the proper time and resources necessary to accomplish this.
The small glimpses we see of these ME2 characters only makes me pine more for this ‘perfect’ ME3, because they are mainly fantastic. Jack finally appears to be at some sort of peace, turning from raging murderer to a teacher taking fellow biotics under her wing. Mordin finally gets to atone for his work on the genophage, finally setting history right. Thane has perhaps the most emotionally affecting conclusion of all. We know from the first time we meet Thane that he is terminally ill, already at peace with the fact he will soon be dead. However that doesn’t take away how impactful his death is in ME3. By the time we meet him on the Citadel he is already in the final stages of his illness and is too weak to become a permanent squad member again. This is one of the scenarios where I think a ME2 character taking a backseat is actually beneficial to the story as it has real narrative weight. Thane can’t just jump back on the Normandy to cruise around the galaxy with Shepard, his fate is already decided. Not all the ME2 characters are given as fantastic a send off as Thane or Mordin, and it’s a shame since BioWare clearly has these kind of stories in them.
I also think it’s relevant to point out how Cerberus is handled in ME3. In ME2 BioWare made the excellent decision of aligning Shepard with a very sinister, morally grey terrorist organisation. This gave Shepard far more agency as a character who would realistically make Renegade choices, rather than the Alliance boy/girl scout you were mainly made out to be in ME1. However ME3 takes this complicated organisation and tries to force it into the traditional bad guy faction. I understand this was likely an attempt to put more obstacles in Shepard’s way apart from the Reapers. It might not make sense to be fighting Reapers and their forces in every level because this would mean that the location in question is very quickly about to be decimated, for example it made more sense to fight Cerberus in the Citadel mission, since the Reapers being here would quickly put an end to the main narrative. However I feel like Cerberus and the Illusive Man were really done dirty in this game, turning into one-note villains whose only goal is ultimate power, despite the universe-ending battle on the horizon. Now it should be noted that the Illusive Man and many personnel are described as having already been indoctrinated by the Reapers, hence their decision to fight Shepard. However I don’t find this very narratively satisfying, given the immense odds against Shepard I don’t think it would have been unreasonable for there to be a scenario where even the Alliance and Cerberus were forced to work together to defeat the Reapers. Cerberus’ turn makes sense in the context of this narrative, but within the trilogy as a whole it seems forced and clumsy.
Although ME3 might not reach the same character-focused highs as ME2, it still delivers some of the series’ best narrative moments. It finally gives some closure to the Genophage plot line, a huge universe-altering event which has played a large role in all 3 games. To finally be given the choice to free the Krogan’s from their forced cycle of infertility felt like a huge pay-off. Shepard has had to deal with the repercussions of the genophage in every game and has heard both sides of the argument for and against this - for why this was necessary and also why it was a war crime. Putting this kind of universe altering event in the hands of the player is a fantastic call and one that could really only properly be achieved in a final instalment where such a choice wouldn’t have to be accounted for in following entries. ME3 similarly brings to a close the Geth v Quarian conflict which has been core to the series since ME1. Although the Geth seemed like only a malicious AI in ME1, we were given far more insight into them and how their ‘society’ operates through the introduction of Legion in ME2. This leaves Shepard in a difficult position in ME3. The player will have a deep connection to Tali and the Quarian’s plight to retake their home world, but at the same time will understand that Legion and the Geth are simply fighting to exist in a universe that refuses to recognise that they are alive. Fortunately for my Shepard, I managed to find a solution where both the Quarians and Geth would cooperate in peace, but the fact that ME3 allows the player (who is uniquely invested in both sides) to bring this conflict to an end in a way they desire is commendable. The conclusions to the Genophage arc and the Geth/Quarian conflict alone are fantastic enough to elevate ME3’s narrative up to the heights of its predecessors.
ME3’s DLC is essential to the experience as a whole and I really couldn’t imagine playing the game without it. Unlike ME2 where the Shadow Broker DLC was fun, but fairly inconsequential to that game’s overall narrative, some of the ME3 DLC feels completely vital, and the game would be severely injured by removing it. There are 2 fairly egregious examples of this. The day-one DLC, From Ashes introduces a living Prothean called Javik as a squad member. The Protheans are absolutely essential to the story of Mass Effect. Even in ME3 they play a core role in the plot through the introduction of the Conduit and the Catalyst as the sole means of defeating the Reapers. Although Javik is more of a warrior than a scientist and isn’t exactly as all-knowing as one would hope a Prothean would be, he still gives us essential insight into this race and their own war against the Reapers. It’s baffling to me that such an essential character would be separated off as DLC. This comes off as a purely EA monetary decision given this content was ready for release but was sold as DLC anyway. The other example is the Leviathan DLC which delves into the history of the Reapers and the organic race that created them 100,000s of years previously. This isn’t quite as egregious as removing Javik from the story, but in my experience this DLC gave me far more context and understanding of ME3’s ending and the conversation with the Catalyst, something that was obviously necessary at the game’s release for many players. The other 2 DLC aren’t quite as essential to ME3’s main narrative. Omega is probably the least interesting of the 4. It represents ME3 at it’s most action-focused and linear. Shepard teams up again with Aria T’Loak to retake the Omega space-station from Cerberus. It is an enjoyable romp which lets ME3’s combat really shine, however it is the least narratively satisfying DLC with very little player choice. In fact Omega represents a fantastic microcosm of ME3 overall, focusing on thrills and gunplay at the expense of narrative and character. Luckily I am far more fond of the final piece of DLC – Citadel. Citadel is a perfect end-cap to the Mass Effect series and these characters we have spent 100s of hours getting to know and love intimately. It is a genuinely fun and wacky adventure which skews far more towards the humour of a show like Firefly than the usual space politics more akin to Battlestar Galactica. In my game it was the final calm before the storm, one last chance to spend time with these characters. I played through the final Party numerous different times just to hear all the fantastic banter and comradery between my squad members. I knew it was going to be hard to let them and Shepard go after all the time spent with them, but Citadel really does soften the blow by delivering some of the most sweet and endearing character moments. It’s one of my favourite DLCs in recent memory and its inclusion makes ME3 a far more emotionally fulfilling conclusion.
What better way to end than talking about ME3’s ending. It was particularly controversial at the time of release, but I can only see it through my modern lens. It’s understandable that a series all about choice and consequence was going to struggle to stick the landing while paying off all the variables and possibilities that have occurred along the way. People were always going to be a little disappointed by this series funnelling them down into only 3 or 4 similar endings. But I honestly was very happy with my ending once it came. The whole idea of the Conduit does feel strange to suddenly appear in this final game, I think it would have gone over far better if it had first appeared or at least been alluded to in ME2. The reveal of the Catalyst essentially being a Reaper AI which was willing to cooperate with Shepard also felt a little out of the blue, but with the knowledge of the Leviathan DLC this was more properly set up beforehand. I also enjoyed that there wasn’t really a clear good or bad outcome (well apart from the Refusal ending where you just allow the extinction of everyone), something that the original version of ME3 drove home even more through it’s more bleak endings. Mass Effect is at its best when it’s dealing in these areas of moral grey. You have the option to Destroy the Reapers once and for all, however this isn’t the easiest decision given it will also destroy all synthetic life; including the Geth who we have spent much of ME3 developing and discovering are truly alive through Legion. This is the only ending where Shepard can in fact live, but that feels pretty bittersweet when you have to sacrifice so much life to do so. There is the option of Synthesis where Shepard can sacrifice herself to merge all Organic and Synthetic life together; finally ending this cycle which started with the Reapers/Leviathan, and even continues today with the Geth/Quarians. Although no species (including the Reapers) actually dies during this ending it felt like a big intrusion for Shepard to make this decision for all living life, forcing all Organics to become Synthetic and vice versa, regardless of their individual wants. The last ending is the Control ending, where Shepard merges with the Reapers and becomes essentially an immortal intelligence which can control the Reapers and can use them for good – repairing the Mass Relays, rebuilding the galaxy. I choose the Control ending as it seemed like the right thing to do for all living things in the universe. However even then this is a somewhat melancholy end for Shepard. The human version of her is gone, replaced by what seems to amount to little more than an AI. Within this state she’s doomed to live out for all eternity, not exactly the heroic fate you’d want the saviour of the universe to receive. But my Commander Shepard was a selfless individual, and so this sacrifice would have been worth it in her own mind, to save all life in the universe. Of course part of me would have wanted a world where Shepard and her crew could ride the star-ways forever, but I think that’s what makes ‘Mass Effect era’ BioWare so special, they don’t write the most obvious ending or the one that will be most crowd-pleasing, but instead the one they think will be the most impactful in this narrative and which makes the most sense in this universe.
Of course I couldn’t finish this series without mentioning Command Shepard herself. I choose the Female Shepard, mostly due to the fantastic performance from Jennifer Hale. She is honestly one of the best voice actors in the world, in games or any other media. She brings such a strength, but also a vulnerability to Shepard, and by the end I had truly grown to love her character. She is MY Commander Shepard, and even in future playthroughs I couldn’t imagine her any other way. Shepard wasn’t some blank slate character, but one that you could guide with your decisions and actually begin to understand throughout the series, far more akin to a Geralt of Rivia than some random create-a-character. Mass Effect created an amazing science fiction universe, in fact it is one of the best I have experienced in any medium. But at the same time it is in its cast of fantastic characters that Mass Effect really finds its heart.
In 2012 ME3 may have been a disappointing endcap to the franchise but looking back on it all these years later I can’t help but see it as a final victory lap for BioWare. ME1 will always have introduced this fantastic universe to explore, and ME2 will always be the most character-focused and emotionally resonant, yet ME3 still finds a suitable balance between the two and manages to finish the series in style, rather than with a whimper. All 3 games are available as part of the Legendary Edition, and nowadays it is harder to see them as anything other than one complete product, with each entry representing a different Act in this epic narrative. In that context ME3 is perhaps the best it has ever been, as a conclusion for the ideas, conflicts and characters which were so expertly developed in ME1 and ME2. It’s a game that I think will only get better in hindsight, and it cements the Mass Effect trilogy as one of the greatest of all time.
Mass Effect 3 is certainly the entry in the trilogy which I feel most conflicted about. Playing it for the first time in 2021 I think it is a genuinely great game, even if it doesn’t exactly stick the landing as an ending to the trilogy. However that’s my experience including all the DLC and changes made as part of the Extended Cut, I can understand how the core version of ME3 without any of these additions or changes could have been incredibly disappointing back in 2012. That being said, I’m reviewing ME3 in the form it takes in the Legendary Edition, where all of this content is seamlessly blended in – in fact I couldn’t have told you most of it was released after the fact since it neatly meshes in with and supports the main game.
ME3 represents the series’ complete transformation from large, galaxy-exploring RPG to a more linear and action focused shooter. I didn’t feel this shift as much in ME2, as the more linear nature of its missions was still supported by fantastic characters and narrative. But in ME3 this shift feels far more noticeable and deliberate, an attempt to turn Mass Effect into something with more mass market appeal. I don’t actually mind this shift as much in the levels themselves, ME3 has the best combat in the series and it is genuinely great to play, up there with some of the better cover-based shooters. However it is in the narrative aspects where this linearity is more problematic. Many conversations now boil down to a choice between two options (usually Paragon, or Renegade), many of which result in similar dialogue. This is a far cry from ME2 and especially ME1 where the dialogue wheel could expand conversations in so many interesting ways, with us learning more not only about the people we’re speaking to but the lore of this world itself. In comparison some of ME3’s choices amount to Shepard saying the exact same thing in a slightly more or less aggressive tone. I would have rather BioWare put less time into the bombast and set-pieces of these linear missions and more focus on allowing conversations to branch off in a variety of interesting ways.
This focus on linearity has caused galaxy exploration to take a further step back from the spotlight. Now the Normandy can only scan a few different locations in each system, certainly a ways off from the nearly 40 explorable locations in ME1. Those ME1 locations may have been repetitive and underdeveloped, but they still gave the feeling that you were truly exploring a massive galaxy. Luckily ME3 has also done away with the focus on planet scanning from ME2 which is fortunate as that is my only major dislike from that game. Now you only need to scan a few locations per system and this is far less frustrating than the hours upon hours of compulsive scanning I forced myself through in ME2. ME3 also introduces the War Assets system which I think it a pretty great addition. These assets take the form of ships, personnel, and resources, and they show the player how prepared they are for the incoming Reaper invasion. The system is quite bare bones, simply assigning numbers to each asset you collect, but it really makes you feel like Shepard - amassing the largest fleet in the universe to fend off the Reapers. Each new individual or vehicle feels like a step forward in this seemingly unwinnable war, and it’s pretty nifty that BioWare managed to create such a feeling through a somewhat rudimentary system.
My biggest problem with ME3 isn’t to do with it’s linearity or the highly controversial ending, but actually about how it handles your decisions from ME2. BioWare left themselves in quite a difficult position with ME3 given the vast number of possibilities at the end of ME2. Everyone could die, no one could die or any combination of squad mates in between could die. This meant that the main story of ME3 couldn’t be as character-focused as that of ME2, as it was very possible that certain characters would already be dead. It wouldn’t have been smart to create a whole main story arc for Garrus when it’s possible he may not have survived the ‘suicide mission’ for many players. Therefore BioWare took the most efficient approach they could, creating several main story missions which can play out in 2 similar ways. Either the ME2 character in question will be a prominent character in this mission or an almost identical mission will play out with a similar character replacing them (Wrex replaced by another random Krogan) or no character at all. It is great to see all these characters again, however I feel they should have had a more impactful place in the main story. Although I understand that such a feat would not have been possible, especially with the very short development time EA allowed BioWare for ME3. It would have been hard enough planning out the story of ME3 to accommodate for the deaths of a single major character, while still keeping them central to the plot and giving them a developed story-arc. Doing it with all 12 squad mates from ME2 would have been truly impossible, especially given all these stories would have to fit with and compliment each other. That being said, although there was no ‘perfect’ way to condense all the possibilities from ME2 into a satisfying conclusion for each remaining character, I certainly think the team at BioWare could have come up with a more satisfying solution if they were given the proper time and resources necessary to accomplish this.
The small glimpses we see of these ME2 characters only makes me pine more for this ‘perfect’ ME3, because they are mainly fantastic. Jack finally appears to be at some sort of peace, turning from raging murderer to a teacher taking fellow biotics under her wing. Mordin finally gets to atone for his work on the genophage, finally setting history right. Thane has perhaps the most emotionally affecting conclusion of all. We know from the first time we meet Thane that he is terminally ill, already at peace with the fact he will soon be dead. However that doesn’t take away how impactful his death is in ME3. By the time we meet him on the Citadel he is already in the final stages of his illness and is too weak to become a permanent squad member again. This is one of the scenarios where I think a ME2 character taking a backseat is actually beneficial to the story as it has real narrative weight. Thane can’t just jump back on the Normandy to cruise around the galaxy with Shepard, his fate is already decided. Not all the ME2 characters are given as fantastic a send off as Thane or Mordin, and it’s a shame since BioWare clearly has these kind of stories in them.
I also think it’s relevant to point out how Cerberus is handled in ME3. In ME2 BioWare made the excellent decision of aligning Shepard with a very sinister, morally grey terrorist organisation. This gave Shepard far more agency as a character who would realistically make Renegade choices, rather than the Alliance boy/girl scout you were mainly made out to be in ME1. However ME3 takes this complicated organisation and tries to force it into the traditional bad guy faction. I understand this was likely an attempt to put more obstacles in Shepard’s way apart from the Reapers. It might not make sense to be fighting Reapers and their forces in every level because this would mean that the location in question is very quickly about to be decimated, for example it made more sense to fight Cerberus in the Citadel mission, since the Reapers being here would quickly put an end to the main narrative. However I feel like Cerberus and the Illusive Man were really done dirty in this game, turning into one-note villains whose only goal is ultimate power, despite the universe-ending battle on the horizon. Now it should be noted that the Illusive Man and many personnel are described as having already been indoctrinated by the Reapers, hence their decision to fight Shepard. However I don’t find this very narratively satisfying, given the immense odds against Shepard I don’t think it would have been unreasonable for there to be a scenario where even the Alliance and Cerberus were forced to work together to defeat the Reapers. Cerberus’ turn makes sense in the context of this narrative, but within the trilogy as a whole it seems forced and clumsy.
Although ME3 might not reach the same character-focused highs as ME2, it still delivers some of the series’ best narrative moments. It finally gives some closure to the Genophage plot line, a huge universe-altering event which has played a large role in all 3 games. To finally be given the choice to free the Krogan’s from their forced cycle of infertility felt like a huge pay-off. Shepard has had to deal with the repercussions of the genophage in every game and has heard both sides of the argument for and against this - for why this was necessary and also why it was a war crime. Putting this kind of universe altering event in the hands of the player is a fantastic call and one that could really only properly be achieved in a final instalment where such a choice wouldn’t have to be accounted for in following entries. ME3 similarly brings to a close the Geth v Quarian conflict which has been core to the series since ME1. Although the Geth seemed like only a malicious AI in ME1, we were given far more insight into them and how their ‘society’ operates through the introduction of Legion in ME2. This leaves Shepard in a difficult position in ME3. The player will have a deep connection to Tali and the Quarian’s plight to retake their home world, but at the same time will understand that Legion and the Geth are simply fighting to exist in a universe that refuses to recognise that they are alive. Fortunately for my Shepard, I managed to find a solution where both the Quarians and Geth would cooperate in peace, but the fact that ME3 allows the player (who is uniquely invested in both sides) to bring this conflict to an end in a way they desire is commendable. The conclusions to the Genophage arc and the Geth/Quarian conflict alone are fantastic enough to elevate ME3’s narrative up to the heights of its predecessors.
ME3’s DLC is essential to the experience as a whole and I really couldn’t imagine playing the game without it. Unlike ME2 where the Shadow Broker DLC was fun, but fairly inconsequential to that game’s overall narrative, some of the ME3 DLC feels completely vital, and the game would be severely injured by removing it. There are 2 fairly egregious examples of this. The day-one DLC, From Ashes introduces a living Prothean called Javik as a squad member. The Protheans are absolutely essential to the story of Mass Effect. Even in ME3 they play a core role in the plot through the introduction of the Conduit and the Catalyst as the sole means of defeating the Reapers. Although Javik is more of a warrior than a scientist and isn’t exactly as all-knowing as one would hope a Prothean would be, he still gives us essential insight into this race and their own war against the Reapers. It’s baffling to me that such an essential character would be separated off as DLC. This comes off as a purely EA monetary decision given this content was ready for release but was sold as DLC anyway. The other example is the Leviathan DLC which delves into the history of the Reapers and the organic race that created them 100,000s of years previously. This isn’t quite as egregious as removing Javik from the story, but in my experience this DLC gave me far more context and understanding of ME3’s ending and the conversation with the Catalyst, something that was obviously necessary at the game’s release for many players. The other 2 DLC aren’t quite as essential to ME3’s main narrative. Omega is probably the least interesting of the 4. It represents ME3 at it’s most action-focused and linear. Shepard teams up again with Aria T’Loak to retake the Omega space-station from Cerberus. It is an enjoyable romp which lets ME3’s combat really shine, however it is the least narratively satisfying DLC with very little player choice. In fact Omega represents a fantastic microcosm of ME3 overall, focusing on thrills and gunplay at the expense of narrative and character. Luckily I am far more fond of the final piece of DLC – Citadel. Citadel is a perfect end-cap to the Mass Effect series and these characters we have spent 100s of hours getting to know and love intimately. It is a genuinely fun and wacky adventure which skews far more towards the humour of a show like Firefly than the usual space politics more akin to Battlestar Galactica. In my game it was the final calm before the storm, one last chance to spend time with these characters. I played through the final Party numerous different times just to hear all the fantastic banter and comradery between my squad members. I knew it was going to be hard to let them and Shepard go after all the time spent with them, but Citadel really does soften the blow by delivering some of the most sweet and endearing character moments. It’s one of my favourite DLCs in recent memory and its inclusion makes ME3 a far more emotionally fulfilling conclusion.
What better way to end than talking about ME3’s ending. It was particularly controversial at the time of release, but I can only see it through my modern lens. It’s understandable that a series all about choice and consequence was going to struggle to stick the landing while paying off all the variables and possibilities that have occurred along the way. People were always going to be a little disappointed by this series funnelling them down into only 3 or 4 similar endings. But I honestly was very happy with my ending once it came. The whole idea of the Conduit does feel strange to suddenly appear in this final game, I think it would have gone over far better if it had first appeared or at least been alluded to in ME2. The reveal of the Catalyst essentially being a Reaper AI which was willing to cooperate with Shepard also felt a little out of the blue, but with the knowledge of the Leviathan DLC this was more properly set up beforehand. I also enjoyed that there wasn’t really a clear good or bad outcome (well apart from the Refusal ending where you just allow the extinction of everyone), something that the original version of ME3 drove home even more through it’s more bleak endings. Mass Effect is at its best when it’s dealing in these areas of moral grey. You have the option to Destroy the Reapers once and for all, however this isn’t the easiest decision given it will also destroy all synthetic life; including the Geth who we have spent much of ME3 developing and discovering are truly alive through Legion. This is the only ending where Shepard can in fact live, but that feels pretty bittersweet when you have to sacrifice so much life to do so. There is the option of Synthesis where Shepard can sacrifice herself to merge all Organic and Synthetic life together; finally ending this cycle which started with the Reapers/Leviathan, and even continues today with the Geth/Quarians. Although no species (including the Reapers) actually dies during this ending it felt like a big intrusion for Shepard to make this decision for all living life, forcing all Organics to become Synthetic and vice versa, regardless of their individual wants. The last ending is the Control ending, where Shepard merges with the Reapers and becomes essentially an immortal intelligence which can control the Reapers and can use them for good – repairing the Mass Relays, rebuilding the galaxy. I choose the Control ending as it seemed like the right thing to do for all living things in the universe. However even then this is a somewhat melancholy end for Shepard. The human version of her is gone, replaced by what seems to amount to little more than an AI. Within this state she’s doomed to live out for all eternity, not exactly the heroic fate you’d want the saviour of the universe to receive. But my Commander Shepard was a selfless individual, and so this sacrifice would have been worth it in her own mind, to save all life in the universe. Of course part of me would have wanted a world where Shepard and her crew could ride the star-ways forever, but I think that’s what makes ‘Mass Effect era’ BioWare so special, they don’t write the most obvious ending or the one that will be most crowd-pleasing, but instead the one they think will be the most impactful in this narrative and which makes the most sense in this universe.
Of course I couldn’t finish this series without mentioning Command Shepard herself. I choose the Female Shepard, mostly due to the fantastic performance from Jennifer Hale. She is honestly one of the best voice actors in the world, in games or any other media. She brings such a strength, but also a vulnerability to Shepard, and by the end I had truly grown to love her character. She is MY Commander Shepard, and even in future playthroughs I couldn’t imagine her any other way. Shepard wasn’t some blank slate character, but one that you could guide with your decisions and actually begin to understand throughout the series, far more akin to a Geralt of Rivia than some random create-a-character. Mass Effect created an amazing science fiction universe, in fact it is one of the best I have experienced in any medium. But at the same time it is in its cast of fantastic characters that Mass Effect really finds its heart.
In 2012 ME3 may have been a disappointing endcap to the franchise but looking back on it all these years later I can’t help but see it as a final victory lap for BioWare. ME1 will always have introduced this fantastic universe to explore, and ME2 will always be the most character-focused and emotionally resonant, yet ME3 still finds a suitable balance between the two and manages to finish the series in style, rather than with a whimper. All 3 games are available as part of the Legendary Edition, and nowadays it is harder to see them as anything other than one complete product, with each entry representing a different Act in this epic narrative. In that context ME3 is perhaps the best it has ever been, as a conclusion for the ideas, conflicts and characters which were so expertly developed in ME1 and ME2. It’s a game that I think will only get better in hindsight, and it cements the Mass Effect trilogy as one of the greatest of all time.