Everything you wanted from the final game and more!
If you missed the previous games, you may be wondering what's going on here. Things kick off with a bang. Only moments after the game opens, The Reapers invade Earth. After fighting some of them off, you are tasked with heading back out into the universe to bring back an armada composed of all the races of alien you've met in the previous game. Obviously, it isn't that easy. The universe is full of infighting between races and old grudges, not to mention the favors more self-serving characters want in exchange for their participation in the war. So, the game mostly consists of you going from place to place, working up support to bring back to earth to fight.
Mass Effect 3 is huge, and more so than ever, there is a feeling of urgency here. The first Mass Effect games always felt paced, like you could take your time unfolding the story. Here, the excitement is ramped up multiple times. The main story is relatively simple: you have to get an army big enough to return to earth and fight back, as well as get a group big enough to create a super weapon capable of destroying the reapers. In that sense of urgency, there is a bit of lost intimacy with characters. In Mass Effect 2, we really got to know and understand our crew mates. Here, your crew is made up of mostly old crew mates, plus a few new ones, though they feel a slight bit like filler characters. No, this is a game all about the big picture. You may be a small cog, but your job in the game is to fix some very big problems and ultimately unit the entire universe against the reapers. More so than any game before it, this chapter is huge.
Gameplay has also improved. It feels faster and the controls are tighter. You have more movement capability. Controls feel like they move smoother and tactical movement now has a place here. Weapons can be upgraded and your powers have optional branches. This allows you to further specialize your character into a very specific role. It helps to define your play style and adhere more to how you want to play. Multiplayer is also has a part to play, not just as another mode of play, but as a key in the single player mode. Galaxy Readiness defines how capable all areas are of defending themselves, and playing in the multiplayer mode gives you percentage points towards your Galaxy Readiness. It's an incentive to play the multiplayer mode. Even without the Galaxy Readiness reward, the multiplayer aspect is fun none the less.
Multiplayer is relatively simple. You take a character class, choose from either human male, female, or some other race once you've unlocked them. You are then able to go into a four player co-op survival mode, in which you kill enemies and complete objectives. It does get a bit repetitive seeing the same maps, enemies, and objectives over and over again. However, it's fun, and you are able to level your class up as well as earn reward points to purchase new equipment. Half the fun is buying new equipment and trying it out on enemies.
My only gripe with the game are a few bugs encountered, but it's nothing horrendous and can easily be over looked by the games sheer epicness and awesomeness. Mass Effect 3 isn't a perfect game, but it comes damn close, and I couldn't have asked for a better way to close out this wonderful series.