So, it looks like I ended my summer tradition of playing the Mass Effect games in the summer to go threw the series. Game of the Month August 2018 and 2019 was Mass Effect 1 and 2 respectful, and 2020... none. 2021 same thing, but we are here in fall! November's game of the month is Mass Effect 3! I have finally competed the trilogy! It was a good one, I really enjoyed 2 and I enjoyed this one about the same if not more. I really felt that this Mass Effect was a different type of grind, then the other 2. Contraols felt way more modern and I don't know if it was helped from the Xbox Series X, but the graphics were great, amazing for a 9 year old game really and this game aged very well! This game is reviewed on the Xbox Series X via Gamepass. I'm glad that I went on this journey with Mass Effect, but this has been a great trilogy.

The big homie, Commander Shepard is back, and if you played ME1 and 2 you can once again import your Shepard, stats and all. When I did the import for ME1 into 2, my Shepard looked the same, but that wasn't the case for ME2 to 3, I had to edit him to get his face right, and event with that he looked older, which is fine, as this is a few years later. You don't exactly have to play the pervious two, but I do recommended it as things from both game carry over in a major way. People who have died, will be replaced with another chracther to fill that role, people who lived will Cleary reprise their role. If you had Shepard in any relationships that will also carry over, weather his love interest is still alive or not. This whole set up is really cool, and I wish more games would follow this, choices you made is actually really important. Decisions that in the 1st game, came back to haunt me in this game, in both good and bad ways, and I had the bad ending for Mass Effect 2, so lowkey I was already off to a bad start. Its crazy, that you don't know that you have to play the game a certain way to get the best ending overall.

Lets talk about the story, so the Reapers are here and they have taken Earth, which forces Commander Shepard to be reinstated, and sent to Mars on the Normandy with a squad to help him Commander Shepard. Reapers are huge and powerful, and it will take a tremendous effect to stop them, the thing is they're trying to take over the entire galaxy and wipe out everything in it. So Shepard is sent form an team and unite the galaxy to compete with the Reapers on Earth. In order to do so, Shepard has to put in some serious work, as we also learn that Cerberus wants control the Reapers instead of taking them out, which causes a massive war between Shepard's squad and Cerberus, in a race to find the super weapon. Jumping from planet to planet doing different missions in hope of getting those planets Aliens for a lack of better word to join you in the fight. Along the way you will reunite with old friends. As mention earlier the game is still a grind as your grinding to get forces up so you can compete with the Reapers, but its done in a different way. You lose the "exploring" as you go to a planet and boom you jump right into a mission, whereas in the past games you go to planet and now you have to explore and find what's next. I kind of liked this way a bit better as it was more straightforward, and got straight to the point. You can only explore and free roam in the Citadel and the Normandy.  The ending is a bit iffy, but the game overall is pretty amazing.

Gameplay, I'm a simple dude, I find a gun I like, I'll use it the whole game if I can, and I'll just upgrade it as much as possible, because I'm comfortable. For me the Assault Rifle was my go too, the Pheaston to be specify. Not only do you have that, but each gun as a convulsive shot and it never runs out, it just runs on a cool down. You can control your two squamates in different ways, you can tell them where to go, what guns to use and when to use a special attacks, combining an attack using all 3 of you can do some major damage. At 1st the gun wheel and the I guess the action wheel was kind of annoying and slow, but its meant to slow down the actions and give you a pause to really figure out what you want to do. You also have different ammo types, you can ice bullet, fire bullets, and other things, for some extra damage. The select button works as a quick save, that was nice, pressing down the triggers will tell you you objective and which direction to go, the game doesn't have maps, no mini or big one, unless you are on the Citadel or the Normandy, that a map will open if you press the triggers. At 1st I wanted a mini map, but I got use to it. I would still prefer a mini map for the Normandy and Citadel rather than having to open a map every time. Lets talk about that A button, it does too much! Its the run button, the dive button and the cover button! I can't tell you how many times I wanted to run and he went into cover instead or if I wanted to into cover he dived instead. That was a bit annoying, and I still want a jump button, having to go into cover to climb over things is still not ideal. Cover looks great though, the shootouts with the different ways we can go into cover is top notch. During cutscenes be on the look out for some outta nowhere QTEs with the LT or RT! You got decisions to make, the point and click stuff is great too, you usually have two options, Paragon (diplomatic) or Renegade (intimidating) and if you have enough influence you'll get two more options that are more effective in a moment where persuasion is needed.

Overall-9.2
Gameplay-8.5
Graphic-8.8