Mass Effect 3 (Wii U) Thoughts

Been playing through Mass Effect 3 on Wii U these last few weeks.  Though I am aware the full experience can only be had by playing through all 3 games, I played ME3 on its own merits.  I wasn't completely new to the series as I've watched my brother play through all of them, so I was already familiar with some of it.  That said, after spending somewhere close to 70 hours through back-to-back playthroughs, I have to say that it amazed me. 


The Wii U version stacks up pretty well next to the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, though loading on the Citadel and shifting between levels on the Normandy feel a bit cumbersome.  Graphics, audio, and controls are all pretty well done.  The gamepad offers the ability to quickmap 8 powers to the touch screen to use during battle, but I found myself just using the power wheel in-game as it was more efficient to use.  The gamepad also functions as a map, which can be very handy if you find yourself confused on how many enemies are left and where they're coming from.

With regards to the story, Mass Effect 3 stacks up there with that rare breed of games that resonates with me on an emotional level (for reference, other games on that list include Final Fantasy VII, Chrono Trigger, Super Mario RPG, and Skyward Sword).  Despite not having a character that's lived through two games previous, I was still able to very much enjoy everything it had to offer.  Mass Effect 3 is at its strongest not during its epic battle sequences (of which there are a couple), but during its character moments. 

Being the grand conclusion to the Mass Effect trilogy, ME3 does not pull any punches.  The first time you play through the game, you are faced with many choices that often result in someone either living or dying.  With some of the characters, there's no other options.  *SPOILERS AHEAD*  One such death scene that was so heartbreaking when I encountered it involved the Quarian fan favorite, Tali.  

During my first playthrough, I ended up with the decision to either allow the Geth to regain their high-level intelligence or allow them to be destroyed by the Quarians.  I opted to allow them to regain it and in doing so, doomed the Quarians to death.  I didn't think it would happen that way until they showed the scene with all the Quarian ships breaking apart.  Tali, devastated at the near complete elimination of her species, takes off her mask and faces your character.  She says she's sorry and then falls off the cliff to her death.  I learned later that there was a way to save both, but you had to be at a higher reputation level to do it.  I did save both on my second playthrough.

I didn't play Mass Effect 3 when it was brand new, so I didn't encounter the problems that many had with the endings upon release.  ME3 on Wii U includes the Extended Cut DLC, so there was never anything missing from this release's ending.  Though I have now seen all the endings, the one that I feel is the best choice is the Control Ending.

If your military readiness is at the full level (green bar all filled), you will have a choice of 4 endings: Control, Destroy, Synthesize, Reject.  Having seen them all, Control is the one that I feel best fits the finale of Mass Effect.  In the Control ending, your character sacrifices their life in order to become an immortal consciousness that will forever control and guide the Reapers.  All the endings are somewhat depressing, but I felt this one best closed things out.  Through death, Shepard could now be a savior in a way that would never be possible in an organic form.  The Reapers are shown helping to rebuild and repair the damage their assault did to the galaxy and Shepard proclaims that she (or "he", depending on how you chose to play the series) will be the guardian for those too weak to protect themselves.

All in all, Mass Effect 3 is one of the best games I've ever played and if you're a fan of action-RPGs or just science fiction in general, I would highly recommend playing it.  At moments, it very much feels like a modern Star Wars in terms of space action.