Metareview: Mass Effect 3

The Reapers have come to Earth and are prepared to reset the galaxy's organic lifecycle once again. Unless, of course, Commander Shepard and the crew of the Normandy can rally sentient life to stop the extinction event. Thankfully, BioWare "doesn't blow it" in the conclusion to this epic space opera. Let's see what other outlets thought.

• Eurogamer (100/100): "Taken as a whole this is arguably the first truly modern blockbuster, a game that transcends the genre boundaries of old and takes what it needs from across the gaming spectrum in order to finish its story in the most compelling, thrilling, heartbreaking way possible. Few gaming sagas come to a definitive close, but this one signs off in breathtaking style."

• OXM (95/100): "From the visceral combat to the excitement of finishing Shepard's 100-hour fight, Mass Effect 3 is a rare, magnetically engaging treat that'll compel you to stay up well past your bedtime to do "just one more quest."

• EGM (90/100): "Some cover and combat issues remain unsolved, though, and the idea of participation in a completely separate multiplayer mode potentially influencing your single-player ending is mind-boggling."

• Giant Bomb (4/5): "The value in this story is from seeing characters you adore dealing with a continuing situation. Even though it doesn't come together quite as successfully as it did in the previous games, those of you with an attachment to the Mass Effect universe should still play it."

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