An inexplicable end tarnishes what is otherwise the sum of BioWare's considerable talent as a game developer.
That's probably a rather poor allegory, but the ending of Mass Effect is that bad. It is made all the more painful by the fact that the rest of the game, the other 34 and 3/4 hours before the ending, rank with the best of the RPG genera from any era of gaming.
Mass Effect 1 and 2 are known for their gripping storylines. BioWare's ability to put together a great narrative are unquestioned. Knights of the Old republic, DragonAge: origins and Neverwinter Nights are driven in large part by excellent stories and fantastic characters. The Mass Effect series might well be the pinnacle of that developing mastery.
Mass Effect 3 is at least as good, probably better, than the previous two iterations of the series in almost every way. The first thing i noticed is how fast the loading times are. For a game of this caliber, less than three second load times on the highest settings with a mid range PC are unbelievable. The gameplay is smooth as butter. Occasional environment and NPC mobility glitches are few and far between and do nothing to affect the game's pace. The visuals are stunning, a clear upgrade from ME2.
Mass Effect 3's greatest strength is pulling together the disparate character conditions and potential consequences of previous decisions in the other games into a coherent whole that makes enough sense to be believable. The game features a few awesome storylines which are compelling in their own wright, but all the more potent in that they are seamlessly integrated into your overall goal, never losing perspective.
And then the ending comes and takes everything you have worked for in the past 2.95 games and throws it away. There is morbid curiosity in discovering just how BioWare managed to nerf it up so extensively, so I won't reveal any plot details. It suffices to say that the game is almost broken by the ending.
Deducting 2 points from my overall score of the game seems unfair, because it is just the last 15 minutes of the game where everything goes wrong. But how could any story come to satisfactory conclusion without an ending that offers cathartic release? Instead, this one has you thinking about completely unrelated philosophical (trite ones at that) questions that are in the end false dilemmas fabricated to introduce some sort of twisted deus-ex-machina.
I can sort of see how the developers came to decide on this kind of ending. "Instead of keeping pace with the rest of the game, let's elevate the ending so profoundly that it takes on another level." Those who have played Bastion can relate to this abrupt plot twist in the final moments of the game, where everything is said and done and the fate of the universe is taken out of your hands. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. Players do not want to put so much work into their games only to find that the writers have implemented an ending that resolves none of the questions they have about the characters, plot or anything else.
Plot is only one facet of the game. Mass Effect 3 is brilliant in every other way, but it's a shame that BioWare botched their strongest asset. The game itself is excellent otherwise. The "best endings" require that you play a lot of multiplayer or play accompanying iOS games, but trust me, you're not missing much. The endings are ultimately indistinguishable from each other anyway.
However, There is a huge helping of fun in this game and the ending does not make you regret spending your money. Give this game a run and experience the best of what BioWare has to offer and do your best to ignore the frankly stupid ending. Good luck, space cowboy.