I expected more from Bioware.  I'll buy Mass Effect 2.
937285
Bioware makes great games, but what happened?  I'm not an RPG fanatic and maybe that's what this game was made for, but I'm still not impressed.

There isn't any real combat in Dragon Age.  You just press a button and wait.  Boring.  Not sure why people like turn based stuff.  I'll definitely stick to action-oriented RPG's in the future.

Dragon age has a compelling story with excellent character development and good video cutscenes but the flaws can't make up for it.

Weapons are not attached to anything, they float on the backs of characters.

Sometimes you have to run around randomly trying to figure out why your quest isn't complete only to find an enemy stuck behind a building.  It's buggy and glitchy.

It's difficult to tell where your next objective is when it's a long way off.  If there are turns in the way sometimes navigation can be troublesome.

When you pick up an item there's no easy way to quickly check out what you just picked up, you have to cycle through the menus.  It's too time consuming.

There's a lot of tearing in the graphics and the textures are not very sharp.

The blood is RIDICULOUS!  Instead of actually rendering any blood the game covers your entire character with blood splots when you dish out some damage.  A pitiful attempt at making the game gory without doing any work.

It seems like all of your friends are arrogant pricks.  But I think their condescendingly poking fun at anyone, anything and everything is entertaining.  Some people might think it's annoying.

Again, this game has it's positives.  I like the story and can't wait to see where it leads.  The game itself is just buggy and a little boring to play.  I enjoy polish and action. There are plenty of other titles that do it better than this one.
2692900
I was one of the many out there that fell in love with the Mass Effect universe the moment they popped the first Mass Effect into their console.  As a long-time science fiction fan, this game became my favorite of all time.  However, the newest installment failed to live up to my high expectations.  While Bioware certainly improved on a lot of aspects, they fell short on others.  My main gripe is the lessening of the RPG qualities I loved about the first.  Less control over who your character is is not something good.  That being said, I enjoyed the heck out of this game and plan on playing it many times over.  Mass Effect 2, not as good as the first, but better than most other games out there.
1153870
BF1942 is my favorite game for the pc right now. I was excited that there was going to be an expansion, but disappointed that not that much was 'expanded'. New vehicles, maps, French and Italian forces, and fixed bayonets for engineers are the only things new for this game. I was looking forward to the single play campaign, but the game doesn't even incorporate the new maps into it. I think that the designers could have added a little more to make it worth buying. If you like multiplayer gaming, maybe you should buy this game, but still, it seems like a lot for so little.
4066269
I have long been a fan of both Bioware and their games. They produce amazing storylines, characters, and this trilogy is an amazing package for both newbies and longtime fans of the series (as long as they don't have an XBOX 360), and I am very excited to relive this great series!

But, of course, leave it to producers like EA to attempt to cash in as much as they possibly can. They ruined Mass Effect 3 by rushing the creators, and now they're attempting to make more and more off this product. How so? Because zero DLC is included for ME2 or ME3. Period. (Extended Cut has always been free)

Remember Dragon Age 2? They re-released it with an exorbitant amount of DLC, AND an expansion pack. Now, however, that EA has a series that is almost a household title, they found an opportunity to sell every. single. DLC. possible.

Unfortunately for Bioware, they're tied to the most hated company in the United States...two years running. That's like watching a gorgeous meteor shower, and then the clouds come rolling in, bringing a torrential downpour and lighting, torching your wallet.

Unless you're brand new to the series, don't waste your money. At least not until EA finally is done mining this glorious series, pimping it, and making all its blood money. Then, maybe, they'll offer us a decently packaged product.
4255514
Keep in mind, I just finished playing Dragon Age: Origins (DAO) by the same company so my review might be a little colored. Anyway, after reading all the hype surrounding ME3 I decided to give ME1 & 2 a try. You can see a lot of similarities in the two games (only 1-2 years apart) and definitely see where DAO gameplay evolved from ME1.

First the technical stuff:
The game downloaded with no problem. I even had my computer go to sleep in the middle of the download and had to stop it and restart it a day later and still, all the bits came through without a problem.

The game did not work on my Win 7 machine at first, it would crash at the configuration utility when trying to start up. I had to go to the website and find the patch, after that it ran flawlessly. That said, I don't understand why a 4+ year old game doesn't immediately go out an look for the latest patch(es) after installing. Or at least provide you a button to do so, much less include it in the game itself so you don't have to waste time searching on your own. Clearly the EA/Bioware/whomever just threw the necessary files over the wall to Amazon's servers sans modification/updating.

Next, try as I might, I couldn't find a manual for the game. Maybe I'm too old school but the in-game tutorial wasn't exactly a beacon of information so I wanted to read the manual - no such animal was included in the download or Bioware's support website. So again, I had to search the web for a manual and download it myself.

Granted, all this wasn't a huge deal and only took a little while to overcome and is how it used to be by default, and yes, the game is well-priced, but still...when I drive a car off the lot, used or not, I don't expect it have to put oil in it and fill up the tires. Also, why in the world the developers decided to make that g-awful video haze by default, I can't imagine but I turned that off immediately.

Game/Gameplay:
If DAO could be called a fighting game with some talking, ME1 is a talking game with some fighting. There seems to be an endless amount of dialogue options available and one could spend days exploring all of them. And 8 hours into it, I HATE ELEVATORS. I dread getting on any elevator because of the length of time it takes to get from one level to another on some worlds. Apparently, the far future hasn't figured out how to make express elevators. Gameplay is a little confusing too - I haven't completely figured out how to do certain things or what certain things are for (Hey, maybe I could read the manual!). Also, some of the dialogue options you're presented with don't match what comes out of Shepard's mouth but that's a quibble. I also didn't like the fact that you have to hold down the space bar to do the tactical stuff during battles.

The game is fun, despite the prolonged dialogue that kills the momentum every now and then. One feature I really liked over DAO was the fact that Shepard actually spoke which I thought was a big improvement over the DAO's monoexpressioned nonspeaking main character. I really felt like I was guiding the story to some degree. Like DAO, ME1 appears to be a huge game with a good plot, great voicing, and visually excellent. It's a good game with an engrossing storyline and definitely worth picking up at its current pricing.
1491719
So I have played this game for the last five hours and here are my thoughts.

Pros:

1. Ships, armor, and landscape look amazing.
2. Combat system seems good.

Cons:

1. Voice acting is fair at best.
2. Human animation looks terrible. I feel like we are playing a game on PS2.
3. Human movement like running and jumping does not look natural.
4. Frame rate is HORRIBLE on PS4.
5. Looks like a console game from 10 years ago. Foggy CG scenes that look like they use white clouds to fill in graphics.

While this game is very different from other Mass Effects, I am not sure that is a good thing.

Considering this is not the same Bioware we all knew and loved years ago, this does not shock me.

Give this one a rent.
4636610
I don't know how many times I beat Mass Effect 2 but...just know it's awesome. And this trilogy is worth it. I recommend skipping the 3rd game completely though...unless you like Multiplayer...the story wasn't all that in my opinion.
4159133
It would have been nice if they didn't have to drop the F Bomb every other sentence.  Yeh I understand this is a rated M game, but even with Mass Effect, the language was MUCH cleaner.
3687502
I have enjoyed this game and will be starting two and three soon, but being from the same producers as KotOR (Knights of the Old Republic) I had a little higher expectations for the RPG aspects. Overall still a good game and I would be happy to recommend it.
3987849
My first encounter with GFWL was when Bethesda decided to release some addons through this miserable route.  I swore then never to deal with anything GFWL. I was excited when Bioshock 2 was announced and, going against my better judgement, preordered the game, got it, loaded it up and....

1.  The game would not go past the opening videos.  Made a restore point, updated my video drivers, game would not even launch.  I restored and for some bizarre reason the game actually got going...great joy.

2.  Short lived.  I have battled since then with game freezes, screen going blank, and some crashes.  Looking at various other forums tells me I am not alone.

3.  When I could play I enjoyed what the game gave me.  Very similar to the first game but I liked that.  For me the battles were tougher that Bioshock 1 at normal hardness level and the addition of the brutes and big sisters...well I got killed a lot.  Without the problems I would have given a much higher rating.  If you are looking for a good, non-buggy experience try Dragon Age or Mass Effect 2
2952121
Around Nov I opted to get myself a treat since I really liked Mass Effect 1 and 2.  Opted to layout the $80 bucks for the collectors edition for 3 especially the collectors edition guide book.  After all of the flak EA and Bioware received for dumbing down Dragon Age 2 I really didn't think that they would mess this up.  Due to computer problems I couldn't finish the game, but after seeing enough spoiler vidoes off Youtube lately-Bioware left the game hanging.  There ending was really not an answer and I am sorry this game was not even worth the money.  Word has that Bioware is going to cover the complaints about Mass 3 and perhaps in some future DLC may change this lousy ending.  Right Now unless something is done there is no reason I see myself spending any money on future content.  Now then Bioware is saying that they will offer the best of Dragon Age 1 and 2 in there yet to be released title Dragon Age 3.  If DA3 turns out like Mass 3, there is no way I am going to invest into it.  In fact and some cases Bioware should pay us to play the game.
285826
Little did they know when they released the end of their biggest franchise in a very long time that it would also be the end of them as a developer of note. The developers (Bioware) have promised so much before this game was released, none of which ended up in the product itself. I'll admit, the game itself is fairly solid and well-made all the way up to the end. It builds you up, keeping you higher and higher... and then it just backhands you in the face and laughs at the effort you've spent on the series the last five years.

Bioware made three Mass Effect games that I truly loved. The ending to this game did the impossible. It made me want to never play any of them ever again.
348348
I finished this game last week and was really disappointed.
I took some time to think about it and I realized it's because I feel like the core of the Bioshock name wasn't there.

The graphics and game play were beautiful and the story was great but for me a big part of Bioshock is CHOICES.
The whole good vs evil, having several different things you can do and it changing your path and your ending because of that.
It also meant there could be many variations of the game and lots of different small things.

Another consequence of this was that replay value was removed totally for me - I played Bioshock & Bioshock 2 and their many different options, which have easily spanned over 20 hours game play each.
This one I finished within 10 hours. Knowing that the story will no longer be a surprise and that there aren't any significant choices I can make that will alter the game...well I will pass.

I feel like this game was 'Bioshock' but a huge part was stolen from it.

Overall it is good value - It cost me around $6 an hour to play which is still less than a movie these days. However it wasn't great value for the Bioshock label and what many have come to expect from it.

Very sad.
3273681
I have very mixed feelings about this "sequel."  First of all, it can barely be considered a sequel, as it takes almost nothing from the previous story.  Even when importing a save, there is nearly nothing brought over from the previous story. (What happened to Morrigan?) We do get brief visits from Flemeth, Alistair and Zevran, but even they seem removed from the previous story.

The Good:
- You can talk now!

- Your family actually reflects what your character looks like.

- Romances are much better, although you can only choose one and it takes a lot longer.  A lot of people didn't seem to like the characters, but I found myself more interested in romancing these characters than the ones in DA:O.  Anders makes a return, but I find him much less likeable (and a bit uglier) than DA:A.  [bit of a Fenris fangirl :) ]

- I prefer the menus on this one better, as well as the level-up system.  However, you can't make your own runes and potions now.

The Bad:
- Didn't seem to have a core plot.  There was no major antagonist, and no major goal.  There were very few sidequests compared to DA:O, and the few they did have were quick and boring.  They were mostly, go here kill 3 bandits, done, or find a book and deliver it.  The game overall, was pretty short.

- There is very little exploration and the maps repeat over and over, making the gameplay boring.

- You can't change your teams' equipment, only their weapons.

- I had a lot of glitches.  One sidequest never marked as finished, one completely didn't want to start.

- Loading times were ridiculous even when installing on the hard drive.

- They really tamed down the love scenes.  Now it just has them kissing (fully clothed) and fades to the next day.  And you can only do it once.  Come on, BioWare!  Give a fangirl a break!

Overall, though, I enjoyed playing it, but I felt like it should've been so much more considering how much I liked Origins.  Hopefully the expansion packs will be better.  I'd definitely like to play some backstories for the characters.
632118
Like many gamers, I was highly anticipating Darksiders 2 after loving the sleeper hit, Darksiders.  Playing as the Four Horsemen of The Apocalypse was an interesting idea and not only were the environments varied, but the gameplay was very fun and satisfying.  For the sequel, THQ decided to make some interesting choices.

Story-wise, this game takes place roughly during the same time period of the first game.  This left me a little disappointed because I wanted to know what happened NEXT, rather than be re-told the events I had already played.  Granted, Death (the main character of 2, War's brother) does not engage in the same battles etc, I still felt it was a step back for the story.

Graphically, it also feels as those Darksiders 2 is a step back from it's predecessor.  Even though it was produced years later, many of the textures are blurry and the details in the environments are not as prominent.  This may have to do with the increase in map size.  Darksiders 2 is roughly 2-3 times larger than the first game, but I don't think this is positive.  Many of the additional space is filled with nothing.  Halls feel empty and lifeless.  Travelling can get tedious because there's so much land to traverse.  In this case, bigger does not always mean better.

Gameplay...ugh, where do I start.  Unless they've patched the game, I had numerous issues while playing Darksiders 2.  In an attempt to sell more copies (or something) they sped-up the gameplay as Death is much quicker than his brother.  He is not even able to block, but can only evade.  The camera is very sporadic, getting stuck on objects in the environment and making it difficult to follow all the actions on screen.  DS2 also added more climbing elements, similar to Assassin's Creed.  Unfortunately the controls during these sections are not precise enough.  I found my character taking a dive the wrong way or not responding to my commands.  It would be one thing if you could always take your time when inputting the commands, but some sections require quick movement and the combination is no good.

Looting.  Well, again, trying to borrow from Borderlands, Diablo and other successful franchises, THQ incorporated looting into the gameplay.  Almost every enemy drops weapons, boots, helmets, armor, etc.  Although on paper this sounds like a great idea, again, it takes away from the game much more than it adds.  Not only is it annoying to continually be bringing up the menu, but the looting system doesn't feel rewarding.  I actually like the leveling system of the first game much more.  Granted, this is a personal preference and I understand some people may enjoy looting very much.  I liked it in Borderlands but I didn't here.

In summary, Darksiders 2 looks like quite an amazing game on paper.  Quicker gameplay, looting, larger environments, wall climbing, etc.  Unfortunately when all the elements come together, it just doesn't WORK.  In addition to everything I mentioned above, I ran into progress-halting glitches numerous times.  I waited 10 minutes for an NPC to open a gate, even though I had nothing left to give him.  I got stuck in another area because a cinematic scene wouldn't trigger.  All of these disappointments left me not liking this release at all.  Avoid and spend your money elsewhere!
3863766
The game is not as good as I was hoping it would be. Instead of just returning to the days of BF2, they tried too much to copy Modern Warfare. It's a weird mixture of the MW series and Battlefield Bad Company 2. It's an OK game - not good, not great. What really drives the stars down though, is the Origin service that you are forced to use from EA. As many have said before me, this program has been a terrible experience. Many before me have said it better than I could, so I will leave it to them. Unfortunately, I will not be purchasing Mass Effect 3 unless this changes.
3980802
With all the bad customer reviews floating around on the web, I felt it was necessary to share my viewpoint with the world so not everyone will be deterred from buying this game.

First, the collector's edition isn't worth it in my opinion. I bought it, but the comic it came with wasn't that great, and the lithogram picture thing was a disappointment. However, having access to the dlc and special weapons was really nice, but I don't know if it justified the price.

Now the game:
Let me start out by saying yes, the ending was a huge disappoint and left me feeling empty. Unfortunately, people are writing their reviews based on their feelings of the last 30 minutes, and not the 20 hours leading up to it.

Mass Effect 3 is a great game. It has a fantastic storyline (best understood if you've played the first 2) and solid gameplay. The graphics aren't mind boggling, but they're very good and the facial expressions the characters make are very detailed. The decisions you made in the first 2 come back in both big and small parts and are a testament to Bioware's love for the game. I loved every minute of Mass Effect 3, both from a fan's standpoint and from a detached observer's standpoint. The single player campaign was almost everything I hoped it would be, and the multiplayer is surprisingly addicting, although repetitive over time.

If you're reading this, then I hope the other reviews out there haven't stopped you from getting this awesome game. The ending wasn't the most amazing thing in the world, but every minute leading up to it was engaging and a testament to the series that I have devoted hours of my life to. Don't be dissuaded by those that wanted a different ending, its still a good game and one that I highly recommend.