Difficulty:

Just Right

Time Spent:

40 to 100 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Amazing"

Bioware could've changed the name of this game to "Armageddon in Space." That would've been an appropriate title.

This apocalyptic game evokes allot of emotion. Characters and relationships produce emotional bonds due to the splendid writing team. Worlds fall before your eyes, and the loss of people you meet along the way (ME 1, 2 and 3) are heartfelt. And then there is the ever sense of urgency of trying to prevent the end of ALL civilization.

The writers brilliantly weave a simultaneous sense of hope and dread that this is a hopeless endeavor. These emotions grow as the story progresses. Kudos to Bioware for this amazing element.

This game is not without its weaknesses. I wasn't happy to encounter a number of video glitches and (occasional) loading problems. However, the biggest issue lies with the ending as Bioware left a number of unanswered questions at the end. What happens to the galaxy next and why did certain events unfold like they did? Hopefully, Bioware will be true to their word and solve some of these questions through DLC this summer.

I also didn't appreciate that this game made a few references to characters that were part of Mass Effect books and comics. I don't think that those references helped the story because it serves to confuse people who haven't read (i.e., spent money on) these extra elements.

Despite these issues, I hope that future Mass Effect titles are written by the same brilliant writing team. Mass Effect 1, 2 and 3 were victories in science fiction in general in addition to video gaming. Kudos to Bioware for an epic trilogy.