When BioWare first introduced the “Mass Effect” series, they set out to create a franchise where meaningful decisions were carried over from one game to the next. There had been similar promises before by other titles, but none were able to do so successfully. “Mass Effect 3” delivers on everything BioWare has promised from the beginning, giving players an explosive finale to their grand space opera and in the process, crafting one of the most personal gaming experiences possible.
Players are thrust directly into the action as Reapers begin their assault on Earth while Shepard and Anderson try to escape the deadly machines. They barely evade destruction, but Captain Anderson stays behind and instructs Shepard to round up every available race in the galaxy in hopes of beating back the seemingly indestructible Reapers. The premise and scope of an intergalactic battle are executed beautifully as players explore numerous different planets and environments during their mission.
Along the way, various weapons and powers are acquired that the player can upgrade and improve. The RPG elements are still fairly minimal compared to the first game, but they’ve included different mods for your weapons, more branching choices for power upgrades and passive abilities that can easily be applied to your character or weapons. While this amount of content isn’t a substantial improvement over the last game, its streamlined nature lends itself well to the frenetic combat that is much improved over its lauded predecessor.
Gunplay and powers work similar to the previous game. You’re able to utilize cover and map biotic powers to buttons on the controller for quick access during battle. Guns are no longer class locked so players are no longer forced to be a soldier class just so they can use the sniper rifle. Mobility on the battlefield is greatly improved as well; players can easily vault over cover, roll to a different area and even climb ladders and vault small gaps. The added verticality and mobility was minor, but I enjoyed the break up from being funneled down a singular path. One boss fight even included a chase scene that ended up as one of my favorite parts of the game.
The story is entirely self-contained so new players can easily jump into the story and still get the entire experience. The game automatically crafts the tale and players will be able to see their mission through to its conclusion. This definitely provided a satisfactory experience, but it paled in comparison to playing with my imported Shepard from the previous games.
After experiencing three amazing titles with my Shepard, I felt a personal connection to him, my squadmates and the world that no other video game experience has been able to match. I made decisions I knew I would have to live with, not knowing exactly what the consequences would be. My squadmates and companions I met along the way all depended on me, and the recognition that my decisions in past games were integral in deciding whether these characters were going to live or die made me empathize even more with Shepard.
The writing in this game is extremely well done and constantly provides moments of closure for these characters I’ve gotten to know through the course of three games. While the story ends climactically and finishes Shepard’s story arc in a satisfying manner, more impressive to me were the smaller moments of intimacy present throughout the game. Simply talking to Garrus or Liara about our history and friendship were some of the most humanistic interactions I can remember in a game and offered a much more mature brand of storytelling beyond just battling the gargantuan Reapers.
Multiplayer is introduced and offers a very robust number of upgrades, modifications and unlockables for players who want to sink the time in. Matches typically consist of ten waves of enemies with various smaller objectives such as hacking or destroying specific targets mixed in with rounds where players destroy the opposition. While the multiplayer wasn’t overly compelling to me, it is well done and will give many players much more play time beyond simply replaying campaign.
“Mass Effect 3” truly epitomizes everything BioWare set out to do when they introduced the franchise. They created the best conversation system in games, made player decisions truly matter and created a compelling RPG combat system. The game isn’t perfect. There were several technical issues and the decisions made in this game weren’t as impactful as the previous game, but ultimately, these are minor gripes when compared to the superb overall product. “Mass Effect 3” represents the culmination of millions of gamers’ decisions, and although I finished my playthrough with many regrets, the mere fact I cared enough about this world to want those moments back demonstrates the true greatness of “Mass Effect 3.”
