BioWare has unleashed Mass Effect 3 and here we are with a review of one of the finest spectacles the gaming industry has ever witnessed. We may have said a lot too soon, but if you go on to judge the caliber of the series based on the past two titles, this one just had to be nothing short of awesome. Time and again, BioWare has proved its might in crafting near perfect RPGs, and has been redefining the genre with each of its offerings. The same is the case with ME3. The game needed to bestow a fitting conclusion to a top-notch trilogy, and that’s undeniably what the developer has delivered. We won’t reveal much to you about this game’s story, but we will indeed say that ME3 faithfully ends one of the most compelling narratives to have ever been conveyed via video games, or perhaps, through any media.
Mass Effect 3 has an aura which keeps you pleasantly disillusioned. It’s immersive, engrossing, breathtaking and that’s just the beginning. A large chunk of the credit goes to the game’s story. ‘The Reapers are coming’ is a line that’s been making us panic from the first title in the series, but this time around, they really have arrived, with vengeance and with the sole aim of wiping out all organic life from the galaxy. And of course, you’re the one who’s tasked with stopping them in their tracks. You will assume the role of a diplomat garnering support from as many races in the galaxy as possible to bring destruction to the Reapers. But that’s not going to be easy. Lots of lives will be at stake, you’ll be losing friends, making new ones, mediating between races and taking decisions that’ll make you go, ‘What have I done!’ However, all that just needs to be executed for the galaxy to survive.
This neat piece of narrative has been woven into a device called Galactic Readiness which determines how prepared you are to face the Reapers. Your diplomatic skills and also your decisions from this game and the previous ones have direct effects on the said element. The saved files integration in this title is as good as you’ll ever see in any other game. The way you’ve played Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 will determine many a factor in ME3. For those with the saved files, the characters you meet and the assets you acquire could be completely different from what a gamer without these files would encounter. The number of dialogues that have gone into this game is just unbelievable. They might sound long-winded at times, but they’re never boring; you can take our word for it. Besides, references to the past and the massive amounts of choices and possibilities make this one a perfect RPG experience.
But if you’re the kind who wishes to skip the choices and jump right into the action, you’re most cordially invited to do so. For at the start of the game, you’re provided with choices for playing Mass Effect 3 either as a shooter-driven game, a story-driven experience, or a role-playing extravaganza for which the series is known. We chose the last one for obvious reasons. You can import your male or female Shepard from the previous game, or construct a new one complete with statistics regarding his/her origin, reputation, class and combat loss. The level up system has been tweaked a little, with the abilities now branching out at certain points. The number of weapons you carry during combat determines the amount of cool down time your powers will get, asking you to pick your firepower wisely. Like most other games, your squad-mates don’t just parade along with you for the sake of it. They actually kill and hence, coordinating their powers, load-outs and abilities automatically manifests itself into an enjoyable aspect that you must apply your skills to.
The new melee system involves the faithful omniblade and makes for a rather over-efficient option on the battlefield. The third-person combat in this game is exciting, balanced and very dynamic. And it’s pretty evident that Gears of War has acted as an inspiration in this department. Furthermore, galactic traveling in ME3 has been turned into a mini-game in itself. Apart from journeying across the galaxy using the mass relays, you can scan the space around you for artifacts, fuel and other useful stuff, but not without the risk of attracting Reapers, who come at you with all guns blazing. And when you’re not doing that, you can either visit the Citadel or stay inside the Normandy, both of which have an overabundance of things to explore. You can sneak into Garrus and Tali getting cozy on the ship or you can indulge in series-popular romances – same sex or straight. You can talk to refugees and make them feel secure in spite of everything that’s happening around them, you can show off your dancing skills at the bar, or just have a few drinks and pass out. There are tons of things you can do aside from the priority quests and side quests.
And the cutscenes sure add to the experience like never before. They are well crafted, cinematic and appropriately placed wherever required. Even the sequences which have no significance to the story have been crafted with the same zeal as the ones which do. The visuals are heavily refined and feature some breathtaking environments that have been crafted to utter perfection. And they’re complemented well by the game’s solid sound effects and exemplary voice-acting performances. ME3’s co-op offering is not really required, if you ask us. But still, it is not the forced marketing gimmick that it sounds like. It’s a full-blown cooperative experience which lets you play as other races from the galaxy, and tenders different environments to fight in. Coming towards the technical aspects of Mass Effect 3, it does falter now and then with large framerate drops (even after installing the title) during crucial points, unfortunately hindering your experience. We did encounter a few glitches, not big ones though. We might venture to say that they’re expected from a game of this magnanimity.
Final Word: We won’t mince any words while saying that Mass Effect 3 is the next big thing in the world of gaming. It has set a benchmark that other games will try to achieve. The story literally starts with a bang and ends with one. It’s one of the most fully realized sci-fi narratives of this generation. ME3 is the true role-playing experience which captivates you from the very beginning. Throughout the time you will be playing the game, you’ll be fully occupied by the characters and their stories. And there’s a lot to get back to even after you finish the campaign. If you ask us, you can buy this one with blindfolds on.
Graphics: 9.5/10
Environments: 10/10
Gameplay: 10/10
Game Sounds: 9.5/10
Replay Value: 10/10
Overall (not an average): 10/10