Because I've already reviewed Mass Effect Legendary Edition, I will avoid focusing on Mass Effect 3's storyline and single player campaign elements. Needless to say, Mass Effect 3 is a spectacular science fiction RPG experience and I give it a perfect score, eclipsing all but the most masterclass of games. Instead, I will focus on the much marginalized and maligned multiplayer game play mode. I would also like to underscore that I have an additional 750 hours on Origin/EA Play and that my Steam hours do not summarize my experience with the game. The Mass Effect 3 multiplayer mode is a fantastic game mode and is easily worth the 15-20 dollar sale price alone, without even taking the 40-60 hour campaign into account.

Mass Effect 3 multiplayer operates as a 3rd person, objectives-based horde-mode cooperative survival game. You control one of six classes: Adept (psychic), Soldier, Engineer, Sentinel (hybrid psychic), Infiltrator and Vanguard (close combat specialist). Each class, in turn, has anywhere from 8-12 sub-classes. The sub-classes can be built by leveling various skill trees, taking mutually exclusive abilities. Do you want to focus on weapons? What kind of weapons? Do you want to focus on powers? Passive abilities? Active abilities? Do you want to be aggressive or defensive? Would you rather play support? Are mobility, shields, health, melee, stealth important? By leveling various skill trees within each sub-class, you can easily create 150-200 distinct playable character builds. Builds vary wildly from sniping infiltrators, to blundering melee bruisers, to ingenious turret deploying engineers, grenade spamming sprinters, main line fighters, psychokinetic demigods and more.

Adding to this rich, complex depth, is Mass Effect 3's no less than 7 ammunition types, and over 75 different equipment modifications that you can use to add to various abilities. More incredibly is that various ammunition types and powers can react with each other, creating explosive combinations. Prime a target with one power and detonate them explosively with another. Or, instead, detonate them with ammunition (or environmental hazards). The amount of interaction is truly limitless. Adding to this interactive freedom is no less than 5 major weapons classes including sniper rifles, assault rifles, sub machine guns, pistols and shotguns. Each weapon class, in turn, has 10-15 different sub weapons that look, handle and behave completely differently. Do you want the shield-stripping, close range Reegar shotgun? The point-blank Claymore blunderbuss? How about the long-range, armor penetrating Crusader shotgun? Each weapon class has a variety of different sub-weapons that will ensure you can play to your preferred play style.

Weapons feel good, have punch and most are useful. And it's in the game play, where Mass Effect 3 truly shines. With an intuitive, smooth cover/mantling system, you can briskly maneuver through one of 10 different maps, while obliterating 4 different armies. Enemy armies themselves all consist of 10 different units, with different aggressive proclivities, abilities and predilections. Are they shielded? Armored? Fast or slow? What kind of powers/effects/ammunition are they vulnerable to? Do they prefer distance or are they melee-focused? Enemy armies not only behave differently but look and sound differently, providing important cues that can be provided to enhance decision-making. Artificial intelligence scales throughout no less than 4 difficulty levels ranging from Bronze through Platinum.

Yes, some may criticize the game's use of one single button for mantling/cover/storm and others may lament that the game has an in-game currency but, ultimately, these are minor flaws in an extremely compelling horde mode experience. Most interestingly is that the multiplayer mode actually contributes valuable points towards your single player campaign mission, reflecting an interesting prescience that most other similar games lack. Bioware wants you to understand that your battle conducted by no-name heroes represent the desperate survival of various species during the apocalyptic Reaver invasion in Mass Effect 3. It works.

All in all, Mass Effect 3 is a great multiplayer mode and if, you like Gears of War, Killing Floor or any other horde mode, you owe yourself the chance to try out this far superior and highly addictive alternative.

Highest possible recommendation.

9.5/10

Because I've already reviewed Mass Effect Legendary Edition, I will avoid focusing on Mass Effect 3's storyline and single player campaign elements. Needless to say, Mass Effect 3 is a spectacular science fiction RPG experience and I give it a perfect score, eclipsing all but the most masterclass of games. Instead, I will focus on the much marginalized and maligned multiplayer game play mode. I would also like to underscore that I have an additional 750 hours on Origin/EA Play and that my Steam hours do not summarize my experience with the game. The Mass Effect 3 multiplayer mode is a fantastic game mode and is easily worth the 15-20 dollar sale price alone, without even taking the 40-60 hour campaign into account. Mass Effect 3 multiplayer operates as a 3rd person, objectives-based horde-mode cooperative survival game. You control one of six classes: Adept (psychic), Soldier, Engineer, Sentinel (hybrid psychic), Infiltrator and Vanguard (close combat specialist). Each class, in turn, has anywhere from 8-12 sub-classes. The sub-classes can be built by leveling various skill trees, taking mutually exclusive abilities. Do you want to focus on weapons? What kind of weapons? Do you want to focus on powers? Passive abilities? Active abilities? Do you want to be aggressive or defensive? Would you rather play support? Are mobility, shields, health, melee, stealth important? By leveling various skill trees within each sub-class, you can easily create 150-200 distinct playable character builds. Builds vary wildly from sniping infiltrators, to blundering melee bruisers, to ingenious turret deploying engineers, grenade spamming sprinters, main line fighters, psychokinetic demigods and more. Adding to this rich, complex depth, is Mass Effect 3's no less than 7 ammunition types, and over 75 different equipment modifications that you can use to add to various abilities. More incredibly is that various ammunition types and powers can react with each other, creating explosive combinations. Prime a target with one power and detonate them explosively with another. Or, instead, detonate them with ammunition (or environmental hazards). The amount of interaction is truly limitless. Adding to this interactive freedom is no less than 5 major weapons classes including sniper rifles, assault rifles, sub machine guns, pistols and shotguns. Each weapon class, in turn, has 10-15 different sub weapons that look, handle and behave completely differently. Do you want the shield-stripping, close range Reegar shotgun? The point-blank Claymore blunderbuss? How about the long-range, armor penetrating Crusader shotgun? Each weapon class has a variety of different sub-weapons that will ensure you can play to your preferred play style. Weapons feel good, have punch and most are useful. And it's in the game play, where Mass Effect 3 truly shines. With an intuitive, smooth cover/mantling system, you can briskly maneuver through one of 10 different maps, while obliterating 4 different armies. Enemy armies themselves all consist of 10 different units, with different aggressive proclivities, abilities and predilections. Are they shielded? Armored? Fast or slow? What kind of powers/effects/ammunition are they vulnerable to? Do they prefer distance or are they melee-focused? Enemy armies not only behave differently but look and sound differently, providing important cues that can be provided to enhance decision-making. Artificial intelligence scales throughout no less than 4 difficulty levels ranging from Bronze through Platinum. Yes, some may criticize the game's use of one single button for mantling/cover/storm and others may lament that the game has an in-game currency but, ultimately, these are minor flaws in an extremely compelling horde mode experience. Most interestingly is that the multiplayer mode actually contributes valuable points towards your single player campaign mission, reflecting an interesting prescience that most other similar games lack. Bioware wants you to understand that your battle conducted by no-name heroes represent the desperate survival of various species during the apocalyptic Reaver invasion in Mass Effect 3. It works. All in all, Mass Effect 3 is a great multiplayer mode and if, you like Gears of War, Killing Floor or any other horde mode, you owe yourself the chance to try out this far superior and highly addictive alternative. Highest possible recommendation. 9.5/10