Mass Effect 3

Mass Effect 3 delivered the culmination of the galactic saga, in which Shepard finally faces the invasion of the Reapers, an apocalyptic machine race determined to wipe out all advanced organic life. The game required uniting the galaxy's warring races into a single alliance capable of confronting the destruction, with the outcomes of decisions from the previous two games reflected in the available allies and the development of relationships. Long-standing disputes between the Turians and the Krogan genophage, or between the Quarians and the Geth, finally found resolution here, and a player who carried over saved games from the first two entries saw scenes that otherwise played out completely differently or not at all.

The combat system further sped up and refined the cover mechanics, added new biotic and tech abilities, and introduced the possibility of multiplayer cooperation in wave-based missions, a novelty for the series. A team of four players defended maps against waves of enemies, and the points earned fed into the galaxy's readiness in the campaign, so the online portion for the first time directly influenced the story's outcome. Battlefields were designed to force constant forward advancement. The emotional weight of decisions and long-built relationships culminated in a series of dramatic moments, including the game's controversial ending, which sparked one of the biggest discussions in the history of gaming fandom and led BioWare to release an Extended Cut with additional explanation of the ending.

The graphics and sound design reached one of the generation's peaks on the Xbox 360, with grand battle sequences on Earth and other planets; the muted, choral music and scenes of destruction over burning cities gave the game a funereal mood that a sci-fi blockbuster rarely allows itself. Despite the controversy surrounding the finale, Mass Effect 3 remains a critically acclaimed conclusion to the trilogy that managed to tie together dozens of hours of decisions across three games into one cohesive finale, definitively confirming BioWare's strength in building reactive storytelling. With hindsight, it also becomes clear that the strongest moments aren't the great battles but the small scenes of farewell with the companions who had accompanied the player since 2007.