Mass Effect 3 is an action role-playing game released in 2012. It was developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts. As the third main game in the Mass Effect series and the final part of the original trilogy, it was available for Windows, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 in March 2012. A version for the Wii U, called Mass Effect 3: Special Edition, was released on November 18, 2012. The game takes place in the Milky Way galaxy in the year 2186, where a powerful alien race of machines known as the Reapers attacks galactic civilizations.
Like Mass Effect 2, players can transfer saved game progress from previous games into Mass Effect 3. This allows past choices to affect the story. The game focuses on building military power by completing missions and collecting resources. BioWare designed the game to welcome both returning and new players. It keeps traditional elements, such as third-person shooting from behind cover, while adding new features like multiplayer gameplay. The game’s music combines the orchestral style of Mass Effect 2 with the electronic sounds of the first Mass Effect. Players can also download extra content, such as From Ashes, Leviathan, Omega, and Citadel, which include items and story missions.
Mass Effect 3 received high praise for its art, characters, emotional storytelling, improved combat, music, and voice acting. However, some players were disappointed with the ending, which did not meet their expectations. To address this, BioWare released the Extended Cut pack, which adds more details to the ending. The game won several awards, including Best RPG at the Spike Video Game Awards and the D.I.C.E. Award for Role-Playing Game of the Year. A separate sequel, Mass Effect: Andromeda, was released in March 2017. In May 2021, Mass Effect 3 was remastered as part of the Mass Effect Legendary Edition.
Gameplay
Mass Effect 3 is an action role-playing game where the player controls Commander Shepard from a third-person view. Before the game starts, the player chooses Shepard’s gender, appearance, military background, combat skills, and first name. If the player has a completed save file from Mass Effect 2, they can import their character. Importing a saved character carries over choices from earlier games, which affects the story in Mass Effect 3. Like earlier games in the series, players can choose from six character classes, each with unique skills. For example, the Infiltrator class is skilled in stealth and sniping, while classes that use biotics have powers that control objects with their minds. Players earn experience points by completing missions and tasks. When enough points are earned, Shepard levels up, unlocking or improving skills in a tree-like system.
Mass Effect 3 has three campaign modes: Action, Story, and RPG. In Action Mode, conversations have automatic replies and normal combat difficulty. In Story Mode, conversations have manual replies and minimal combat difficulty. In RPG Mode, conversations have manual replies and normal combat difficulty. The game includes role-playing features, such as customizing guns with different ammo, barrels, modifications, and scopes to improve combat performance. If the player has a Kinect, they can use voice commands to make choices instead of using a controller. After finishing the game, players can start a New Game+ with bonuses, such as the ability to upgrade weapons further.
The main way to travel in Mass Effect 3 is through a spaceship called the Normandy SR-2. Inside the ship, players use a galaxy map to pick destinations, scan planets for resources, or start missions. The game automatically logs missions in a journal, but unlike earlier games, the journal does not separate main quests from side quests. The game focuses on increasing "Effective Military Strength" (EMS), which is calculated by multiplying "Total Military Strength" (TMS) and "Readiness Rating" (RR). TMS is increased by earning "War Assets," which include achievements from all three Mass Effect games. RR is increased by playing the multiplayer mode.
Unless in Action Mode, players interact with non-player characters using a radial command menu. Dialog options depend on the direction the wheel is moved. Most conversations require choosing a Paragon (diplomatic) or Renegade (intimidating) option, which appear at the top and bottom right of the wheel. By talking to squadmates on the Normandy, Shepard can build friendships or, in some cases, romantic relationships with them. Same-sex relationships are available for both male and female Shepards. If Shepard was imported from Mass Effect 2 and had a love interest in earlier games, those characters may compete for Shepard’s attention in Mass Effect 3. During some conversations, the player can use a context-sensitive interrupt option to choose a temporary alternative to the dialog wheel.
Throughout the game, the player makes decisions that affect the story. For example, one mission asks the player to support one of two species, which can lead to one being destroyed. Decisions and dialog choices earn "Reputation Points," which unlock more options as they accumulate. The game’s ending depends on achievements and choices made throughout the series.
Combat in Mass Effect 3 happens in real-time but allows the player to pause to aim, change weapons, or use skills from a menu. Shepard is controlled directly from an over-the-shoulder view and can move by climbing, rolling, or sprinting. Shepard is usually accompanied by two squad members controlled by the game’s AI, but the player can give them orders or choose their powers. Kinect users can issue commands verbally. If squad members die, they can be revived using the Unity power or an on-screen prompt if the player is nearby.
Enemy encounters involve fighting groups of enemies that work together with different roles. For example, some enemies attack from a distance, while others charge forward. Players can take cover behind objects to avoid damage, but harder difficulties require staying mobile. If Shepard or squad members are hit, their shields take damage until they are depleted, after which health is gradually lost until the character dies, is healed, or shields regenerate.
Enemies are damaged by gunfire, melee attacks, or special skills like combat drones. Melee attacks can be important, such as heavy attacks that vary by class. All enemies have weaknesses to specific attack types, such as armor being weak against the Incinerate skill or weapons with slow fire rates. Sometimes, players can use alternate strategies, like climbing into an Atlas Mech after defeating its driver and using its weapons.
Mass Effect 3 includes a multiplayer mode called "Galaxy at War." In this mode, up to four players work together in cooperative matches to survive waves of enemies and complete objectives. Players earn in-game currency to buy unlockables, such as new characters and weapons. Currency is also available through microtransactions. For the first year of the mode, players could join BioWare-sponsored challenges with special goals and rewards.
Unlike the single-player mode, where players can only choose human characters, the multiplayer mode offers a variety of species with unique abilities, such as a "Krogan Charge" for krogans. Combat follows the same rules as the single-player game but has differences, such as no pause menu to change weapons—players instead hold a button to switch. How often players play multiplayer and how many missions they complete affect the outcome of the single-player campaign.
Synopsis
The Mass Effect trilogy takes place in the Milky Way galaxy during the 22nd century. People can travel between stars using special machines called mass relays, which were built by an ancient alien race called the Protheans. A group of governments known as the Citadel Council helps manage laws and order among many alien species. Species that are part of the Citadel Council include humans, asari, salarians, and turians. Other species include the krogan, who are strong reptilian warriors; the quarians, who live in special suits and travel across space; and the geth, who are groups of connected artificial intelligences created by the quarians.
Mass Effect 3 begins in the year 2186, six months after the events of Mass Effect 2. The galaxy is in fear of an invasion by the Reapers, which are powerful machines that destroy all organic life every 50,000 years. At the same time, the krogan are dying out because of the genophage, a genetic disease created by the salarians and used by the turians to stop the krogan from growing too strong. The quarians are trying to take back their home planet from the geth. Meanwhile, a group called Cerberus, which is made up of humans who believe humans should rule, is regrouping after working with Commander Shepard to defeat the Collectors, who are modified remains of the Prothean race. Shepard, a human soldier, has been removed from her job and is being held on Earth while she faces a trial.
The main character of Mass Effect 3 is Commander Shepard, who is the leader of the starship Normandy SR-2. Shepard’s team includes officers from the Systems Alliance, such as Ashley Williams or Kaidan Alenko, a marine named James Vega, an asari researcher named Liara T’Soni, a turian military advisor named Garrus Vakarian, the ship’s artificial intelligence EDI, and a quarian engineer named Tali’Zorah. A Prothean warrior named Javik is also part of the team in some versions of the game. Other important characters include leaders from the Systems Alliance, the ship’s pilot Joker, the leader of Cerberus known as the Illusive Man, a Cerberus assassin named Kai Leng, a security officer named Armando-Owen Bailey, and an asari crime boss named Aria T’Loak.
Some characters, like Miranda Lawson, Mordin Solus, Urdnot Wrex, Jack, Grunt, Thane Krios, Samara, and Legion, may appear only if they survived earlier games. If they did not survive, the game introduces new characters to take their place. For example, Urdnot Wreav becomes the krogan leader instead of Wrex, and a different salarian scientist named Padok Wiks helps find a cure for the genophage.
The Reapers attack Earth and quickly take control of it. Shepard is helped by Admiral Anderson, who stays behind to lead a resistance. Shepard is then sent to Mars by Admiral Hackett, where she learns about a powerful Prothean weapon called the Crucible. Shepard retrieves plans for the weapon from the Illusive Man, who wants to control the Reapers instead of destroying them. The Systems Alliance begins building the Crucible while Shepard travels across the galaxy to gain support from other species.
Shepard first helps rescue a turian leader from a moon near the turian home planet, Palaven. The turian leader agrees to help only if the krogan help defend Palaven. The krogan leader refuses to help unless the genophage is cured. Shepard and the krogan leader go to the salarian home planet, Sur’Kesh, where a salarian scientist uses a fertile krogan female named Eve to create a cure. The cure is to be spread using a tower called the Shroud on the krogan home planet, Tuchanka. However, the salarian government warns that the Shroud has been sabotaged, and they will only help if the sabotage is not fixed. Shepard must decide whether to fix the sabotage and risk the scientist’s life, or trick the krogan into thinking the cure is already working, which would gain support from both the krogan and salarians.
After events on Tuchanka and a failed Cerberus attack on the Citadel, the quarians offer help if Shepard helps them reclaim their home planet, Rannoch, from the geth. Shepard boards a geth ship, rescues a geth ally, and stops the Reapers from controlling the geth. Shepard then destroys a Reaper base on Rannoch, allowing the quarians to attack the geth. However, the geth plan to use Reaper technology to become stronger and gain freedom. Shepard must choose whether to help the quarians, the geth, or negotiate peace to get support from both.
Shepard is then called to the Citadel by an asari councilor. The councilor tells Shepard about a hidden Prothean artifact on the asari home planet, Thessia, which could help identify the Catalyst, a key part of the Crucible. On Thessia, Shepard finds a Prothean artificial intelligence called Vendetta, but it is stolen by Kai Leng as the Reapers attack. Shepard and her team follow Leng to a secret Cerberus facility on the human colony world Horizon, where they find a tracking device leading to the Illusive Man’s base. Shepard attacks the base with the Alliance, defeats Leng, and learns from Vendetta that the Catalyst is the Citadel itself, which the Reapers have captured after controlling the Illusive Man.
The Alliance and its allies launch a final attack on the Reapers to save Earth. Shepard and Anderson enter the Citadel through a Reaper beam, where they find the Illusive Man. Only Shepard survives the fight. Shepard tries to activate the Crucible but is taken to the top of the Citadel, where she meets the Catalyst, a childlike artificial intelligence. The Catalyst explains that it created the Reapers to stop synthetic life from destroying organic life by wiping out civilizations that could create synthetic life. The Catalyst gives Shepard three choices to activate the Crucible, each with different consequences for the galaxy.
Development
Mass Effect 3 was created by BioWare and released by Electronic Arts (EA). Like earlier games in the series, it was directed by Casey Hudson, who helped start the franchise with BioWare founders Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka. This was the first game in the series not made with Microsoft Game Studios, which had previously published the first two games and worked closely with BioWare.
Development of Mass Effect 3 began before Mass Effect 2 was released. Since the game was made for older consoles, BioWare focused on improving gameplay and storytelling rather than using new technology. Throughout the design process, the company used feedback from players to guide their choices, just as they did for Mass Effect 2. For example, players said the role-playing systems in Mass Effect 2 were too simple, so BioWare added more options for customizing characters. Another goal was to make the game easier for new players, as they felt they had not done this well in Mass Effect 2.
One of Hudson’s main goals for the single-player story was to improve combat, aiming to make Mass Effect 3 one of the best shooters available. BioWare worked on this by making enemy animations and types more varied, including enemies that required players to use different strategies based on their character’s class. The company also made battles more unpredictable by adding unexpected events, such as floors breaking and players falling to different parts of the environment, so enemy encounters would not always be predictable.
Mass Effect 3 included over 40,000 lines of dialogue. The first game had about 20,000 lines, and the second had 25,000. Because of the large number of voice actors, it was not possible for all actors to record in the same place at once. Caroline Livingstone, the voice director, coordinated sessions from Edmonton while actors worked remotely. BioWare noted that this method, along with the large amount of dialogue, made it hard to keep the tone and volume of each line consistent. To help, they created their own tools, such as the "Intensity Volume Matrix," which listed each line with the correct tone.
The music for Mass Effect 3 was composed by Sasha Dikicyan, Sam Hulick, Christopher Lennertz, Clint Mansell, and Cris Velasco. All except Mansell had worked on earlier games; Hulick contributed to the first two, and Dikicyan, Lennertz, and Velasco worked on some downloadable content for Mass Effect 2. Jack Wall, who led the music for the first two games, was not involved in Mass Effect 3. Each composer was assigned a specific part of the game, and the total music was 90 minutes long. Hulick said the team aimed to balance the orchestral style of Mass Effect 2 with the synthesizer sound of the first game. Mansell, a Golden Globe-nominated composer, compared his role to a disc jockey, choosing the right music at the right times.
Although Mass Effect 3 was originally planned to take less than two years to make, by March 2011, it was clear more time was needed. The release date was moved from Q4 2011 to Q1 2012. To meet the deadline, BioWare removed a new Prothean squad member from the base game. The game was officially approved for release in February 2012.
Mac Walters, who co-wrote Mass Effect 2 with Drew Karpyshyn, was the lead writer for Mass Effect 3. Karpyshyn left the series after Mass Effect 2 to work on Star Wars: The Old Republic. Hudson and Walters started by writing a short story outlining key plot points, which were then shared with the team. Each team member was responsible for specific character and story arcs, and staff reviewed each other’s work. Because earlier games allowed players to choose different outcomes, the writers had to plan for many possibilities. To manage this, they locked in some story arcs to ensure all playthroughs had common elements.
Mass Effect 3 includes more content for players who want their character, Shepard, to have same-sex relationships with non-player characters. Kaidan, who was previously only a romantic option for female Shepards, is now shown as bisexual and can be a love interest for male Shepards. This game was the first in the series to offer exclusive gay male and lesbian romance options, with shuttle pilot Steve Cortez and communications specialist Samantha Traynor. Cortez was written by Dusty Everman, who treated the romance as a meaningful relationship between two men. Traynor’s story, written by Trick Weekes, focuses on a civilian adjusting to military life rather than her sexual orientation.
The story of Mass Effect 3 was rewritten many times before being finalized, and several ending scenes involving the Reapers were considered but not used. In November 2011, a private beta of the game was leaked online, giving players access to unreleased details. This forced BioWare to change some story elements at the last minute.
Marketing and release
Mass Effect 3 was officially announced on December 11, 2010, at the Spike Video Game Awards. The following summer, the game was shown and introduced at events such as Comic-Con, Electronic Entertainment Expo, Gamescon, and PAX Prime. A multiplayer mode was officially announced on October 10, 2011, confirming fan rumors that had existed since 2010. An official single-player demo was released on February 14, 2012, with early access given to people who bought Battlefield 3 and used their online pass.
Before its release, Mass Effect 3 was promoted with many videos, starting with a reveal trailer in 2010 and ending with a teaser called Take Back Earth in 2012. BioWare used online marketing, such as fake blogs and a weekly web series called BioWare Pulse. For one campaign, EA sent early copies of the game into space using weather balloons with GPS devices. Fans could track the balloons online and collect them after they landed to get the game. During its marketing, the game had many leaks, including a private beta that accidentally became available on Xbox Live in November 2011.
Unlike Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2, BioWare promoted Mass Effect 3 with both male and female versions of Commander Shepard. The female version, called "FemShep," had its own trailers and appeared on the cover of some versions of the game, including the standard version, which had a reversible slipcase with FemShep on one side. To choose the official FemShep model, BioWare asked fans to vote between five prototypes on Facebook. The fifth prototype won, and another vote was held to decide its hair color, which became red.
In addition to the standard version, players could buy a Collector's Edition and a Digital Deluxe Edition, which included in-game bonuses and unlockable items. The Digital Deluxe Edition was only available through Origin, EA's online store. The game also had pre-order bonuses depending on where it was purchased. For example, people who pre-ordered from the PlayStation Network received the M-55 Argus assault weapon and a Mass Effect 3 theme.
Mass Effect 3 was originally planned for release in late 2011 but was later moved to March 6, 2012. It was first released for Windows, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. All new copies included an online pass for the multiplayer mode, but used copies usually required buying a new pass. To play the game on PC, players needed to install Origin. On November 18, 2012, a Wii U version was released in North America, followed by releases in Europe, Australia, and Japan on November 30 and December 6. The game was ported by Australian developer Straight Right. Along with Mass Effect 2, Mass Effect 3 became compatible with Xbox One on November 7, 2016. A remastered version of the trilogy, called Mass Effect Legendary Edition, was released for Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on May 14, 2021.
Between March 2012 and April 2013, several downloadable content packs for Mass Effect 3 were released. These included items, missions, and story expansions. One pack, Extended Cut, added a choice to refuse the Catalyst, leading to a Reaper victory. It also added epilogues to the three main endings and explained details not covered in the original game, such as why the Normandy SR-2 was fleeing. Other major packs included From Ashes (adding Javik as a squadmate), Leviathan (exploring the Reapers' origins), Omega (retaking the space station Omega), and Citadel (a shore leave mission). An interactive comic called Genesis 2 allowed players to make story choices quickly. The Wii U version included Genesis 2 and From Ashes. Of all the packs, Citadel was most well-received, and both Leviathan and Citadel were nominated for Best DLC at the Spike Video Game Awards in 2012 and 2013, respectively.
Reception
Upon release, the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of Mass Effect 3 received "universal acclaim" from video game reviewers, while the Windows and Wii U versions received "generally favorable reviews," according to Metacritic, a website that collects reviews. The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game earned scores of 93 out of 100, making Mass Effect 3 the highest-rated game of 2012 on both systems.
Critics said Mass Effect 3 was a satisfying ending to the Mass Effect trilogy. In a review for Eurogamer, Dan Whitehead said the game provided a clear ending instead of leaving things unclear. Andrew Reiner of Game Informer said BioWare, the game’s creator, made one of the most detailed stories in video game history. Tom Francis of PC Gamer (US) said the ending had some problems, but he praised its large scale and emotional impact, which he felt was more satisfying than the main story.
Reviewers said playing Mass Effect 3 with a saved game from earlier games in the series made the experience more meaningful. Arthur Gies of Polygon said the game was still enjoyable without prior context, but it had more depth for players who had played Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2. Gus Mastrapa of The A.V. Club praised the game for letting players make choices that shaped the story. However, Edge said the game relied too much on events from earlier games, which made it less original.
The combat system and multiplayer mode were praised by some reviewers. Colin Moriarty of IGN said changes to combat were small but noticeable, and he believed multiplayer would make the game more fun to play again. Game Informer said combat was not perfect but still enjoyable, with more exciting enemy battles than in Mass Effect 2 because of better environments and enemy types. Kevin VanOrd of GameSpot said there were many glitches during combat, such as characters getting stuck on walls or climbing onto objects. Machinima also noted many bugs but said the game was still memorable because of its strong characters.
Other praised aspects of Mass Effect 3 included its art design, music, and voice acting. GameSpot called the art design "fantastic" and highlighted its use of color and composition. The same review praised the voice acting for bringing characters to life. PC Gamer (US) said the music was "gorgeous" and added to the game’s emotional impact. The Verge said the score was one of the most "powerful and memorable" ever made for a video game. Kirk Hamilton of Kotaku said the music was among the best of 2012.
Many players disliked the ending of Mass Effect 3, saying it did not meet their expectations. Fans started an online campaign called "Retake Mass Effect" to ask for a better ending, which included raising money for a charity called Child’s Play. Some organizations, like the Better Business Bureau and Advertising Standards Authority, debated whether BioWare had misled players by not clearly explaining the ending. On April 5, 2012, BioWare announced a free downloadable content (DLC) pack called Extended Cut, which added more details to the ending. The DLC was released on June 26, 2012, but reactions to it were mixed.
Some fans and groups criticized the game for including expanded same-sex romance options for the main character, Shepard. Kevin VanOrd of GameSpot and Craig Takeuchi of the Georgia Straight reported that some users posted negative comments about the game’s same-sex relationship content online. Queerty said some of these comments were part of a campaign to lower the game’s user rating. In April 2012, Jeff Brown of EA, the game’s publisher, said the company received thousands of letters and emails protesting the inclusion of LGBT content in games like Mass Effect 3. EA denied being pressured to include such content but said it worked with pro-LGBT groups to discuss appropriate material. James Brightman of Gameindustry.biz noted that many of the letters came from Florida and were likely organized by local anti-LGBT groups.
Other controversies included complaints about releasing From Ashes, a DLC pack, as paid content on the day of the game’s release; concerns about a conflict of interest involving the casting of Jessica Chobot, a game media personality, as a character named Diana Allers; the use of a stock photo for the character Tali’s face; and an online poll to decide the redesigned appearance of a female Shepard.
EA sold 3.5 million copies of Mass Effect 3 in its first month. By the end of March 2012, the game sold 349,000 digital copies on PC alone. It sold over 890,000 copies in its first 24 hours. According to The NPD Group, the game sold 1.3 million physical copies in its debut month, which was twice the sales of Mass Effect 2 during its first month in 2010. In May 2012, EA reported that Mass Effect 3 earned over $200 million during the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2012.
After its release, Mass Effect 3 won several awards, including the Satellite Award for Outstanding Role Playing Game, Best RPG at the Spike Video Game Awards, Role-Playing/Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year at the 16th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, Game of the Year from Game Informer, Best Overall RPG from IGN, and Best Co-Operative Multiplayer and Best Game Cinematography from Inside Gaming Awards.
Legacy
After its release, Mass Effect 3 has been reviewed many times, with much focus on the controversy around its ending. In 2017, James Davenport of PC Gamer wrote that the game’s ending faced a lot of criticism. He agreed the ending had issues but said focusing too much on it might make players overlook other strong parts of the game. In 2018, Lucy O'Brien of IGN explained that BioWare’s teamwork with fans during the "Retake Mass Effect" campaign changed how players can influence game developers. She said this effort helped reduce the gap between gamers and game creators. Wes Fenlon of PC Gamer noted that the game’s multiplayer mode helped make loot boxes, which he called the worst monetization method of the 2010s, a common feature in the video game industry.
Despite the ending controversy, some sources have praised Mass Effect 3 as one of the greatest video games ever made and as one of the most important games of the 2010s. In 2012, Time magazine listed it among the top 100 video games of all time. In 2018, Game Informer named it one of the greatest games of all time. By 2019, VG247, Forbes, and Den of Geek ranked it as one of the best games of the 2010s. That same year, Eurogamer highlighted Mordin’s final scene as one of its favorite moments of the decade. VentureBeat also called Mass Effect 3 one of the defining games of the 2010s, noting the intense fan, press, and developer reactions to its ending and the unexpected success of its multiplayer mode.
Future
On March 21, 2017, a new game called Mass Effect: Andromeda was released. This game is not connected to previous games in the series and takes place in the Andromeda galaxy during the 29th century. It follows a journey that began 634 years earlier, when a spaceship traveled from the Milky Way galaxy while its crew was in a long sleep. The story introduces a new main character, either Sara or Scott Ryder, and focuses on the mission to find a new home for humans. As of February 2022, the next game in the Mass Effect series is being planned by an experienced team at BioWare.