An incredible journey with spectacular conclusions for important characters

User Rating: 9 | Mass Effect 3 PC
Nobody saves the Galaxy quite like Commander Shepard. Mass Effect 3 is the conclusion to the cinematic epic spanning three amazing games. The Reapers are beginning their eradication of all technologically advanced life and Earth is right in the firing line. Shepard must unite the galaxy, resolve disputes and take sides to end the extermination. After the great success of Mass Effect 2, this finale has lofty goals to achieve. Thankfully this conclusion proves to be an immensely enjoyable game.

Earth is attacked by the Reapers within minutes of starting a new game. Shepard's prediction of the invasion has been largely ignored. You experience the ramifications of this ignorance first hand when Shepard fights his way off Earth. After escaping from the chaos it's no surprise that the fate of the galaxy now rests on your shoulders. You will take the spaceship Normandy to the far corners of the galaxy in search of help. After this shaky start on Earth, the game builds momentum until it reaches critical mass.

Familiar faces from Mass Effect 2 make important, emotional appearances throughout your journey. The crucial choices you made, some from the previous game's suicide mission, determined which squad members survived. These surviving squad members reappear at logical locations within the universe. Character histories become much more than just dialogue trees. A weaker Normandy squad and some poor emotional ploys are the only missteps when it comes to characters. The return of friends is the true triumph of the third game.

Seeing old squad members while building a galactic army is superbly executed. Continuing from where you left off, by using a save game containing crucial choices, will make the experience far more personal and enjoyable. An emotional scene at the midpoint made me realise how easy it was to care about these characters. The third game is the wonderful conclusion to character story arcs that have been years in the making.

Almost all events involving characters are resolved. Topics dealt with include the Genophage, Thane's son, Samara's daughters, Jack's responsibility and the Geth / Quarian conflict. Some situations call for tense and poignant moral decision with electric repercussions. Characters may sacrifice themselves or you may have to kill an old friend during a stand off. It might be as simple as saying goodbye to a major character after a pivotal moment in their digital lives. When all the pieces slide into place the complete picture becomes a beautiful mosaic of your adventures in this universe.

Mass Effect 3 is focused more as a third person shooter than the previous games of the series. They have improved scenarios with better pacing and level design. There are fewer sequences of knee high walls and enemies lazily entering the opposite door. Using a flashlight in a dark space station might feel a bit like Dead Space. The variety of enemies, weapons and missions is far superior to the previous games. The transitions are more natural and it could stand on its own as a third person shooter.

Mass Effect 3 is linear progression with a few side missions that impact on "War assets." This numerical figure tallies the total force Shepard has acquired. Planet scanning is one significant, optional source of war assets. This tedious element returns with few redeemable qualities. Tiny Reaper ships chase the tiny Normandy around star systems before you jump to light speed. This new Reaper harassment element might have worked better with some Benny Hill music. Once you have enough war assets you can finish the campaign or jump into multiplayer.

Multiplayer makes its debut in the series and is intrinsically linked to your military force in the single player. Effective military strength (EMS) is your total war assets modified by Galactic Readiness. Galactic Readiness starts at 50% and increases the more you play online. The catch is that it will drop everyday if you don't play. It is difficult to get the choice between all the endings without playing multiplayer. Linking the planet scanning and multiplayer components to the ending was a strange decision.

Fortunately the multiplayer is rather capable, well at least for a few hours at a time. Four different characters using varied powers and weapons engage in horde mode against Reaper, Geth or Cerberus forces. Six maps at launch was disappointing but additional maps, available for free, extend the lifetime of the online component. Connecting the single player component may actually ensure more people are playing online for longer. The replay value in the multiplayer is good with random missions split between the attack waves.

The multiplayer component is more enjoyable than you might expect. Earned credits are spent on packages that distribute medigel, missile launchers or bonus items. These items will give you an edge during the harder enemy waves. Occasionally my character would stutter when moving. This sporadic issue, relating to connection quality, fixed itself when going into cover. Four average players should have no troubles with the base difficulty, but there is plenty of challenge in the harder modes. Multiplayer is a competent online subset to the single player campaign.

The end of Mass Effect 3 may be a disappointment to some but the extended cut improves the weak finale. The original ending is abrupt and Bioware released the Extended Cut DLC in June 2012 with the goal of providing more closure to fans. The new endings add clarity, cut scenes and voiceovers that improve the original conclusion. The artistic vision was preserved with minor adjustments that improve continuity. The Extended Cut endings are more satisfying and certainly preferential over the original endings.

Mass Effect 3 is an incredible game because characters are brought back into the narrative with exquisite finesse. Thought provoking decisions have lasting effects on prominent alien species. Bioware even improved the finale and multiplayer components with free DLC. This astounding, controversial science fiction journey has made a big impact over the last six years. While the evolution of the series hasn't always been for the better, it maintained quality with each release. Saving the Galaxy with Commander Shepard and his remarkable friends has been an outstanding experience.