Common Sense Media Review
By Marc Saltzman
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Exciting sci-fi adventure with gore, sex, and profanity.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 18+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Mass Effect 3
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 13 parent reviews
Parents say the game features a mix of fantasy violence, mild profanity, and awkward sexual content that can feel out of place, making it clearly more suitable for older teenagers rather than children. While many enjoy the strong narrative and character development, criticisms highlight a lack of meaningful choices and underwhelming conclusions for characters, making it feel less impactful than previous entries in the series.
- violence concerns
- suitable for teens
- character depth
- lack of choices
- story weaknesses
- mixed reviews
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 18 kid reviews
Is It Any Good?
The intense, combat-heavy gameplay, tight controls, and engaging story and characters all make Mass Effect 3 an extraordinary adventure, regardless of whether you're new to the series or a longtime fan. Along with the long solo campaign -- which features tens of thousands of lines of dialogue and nearly 90 minutes of cinematic sequences -- the game features multiplayer modes for up to four players. This continues the fun long after the story is completed.
While all three versions of the game are the same, the Xbox 360 version also adds Kinect support, which allows gamers to assign instructions to Shepard's squad mates using voice commands instead of using the controller. Without question, the Mass Effect series -- designed for players 17 years of age and older -- is among the finest examples of interactive entertainment, delivering immersive, action-heavy gameplay (with many RPG upgrades), solo and multiplayer gameplay, and memorable scenes and characters.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about whether this game utilizes Kinect for Xbox 360 in a meaningful way. Do voice commands enhance the experience? Did you feel more immersed in the game?
Families can also discuss the depiction of sexuality in games. Do you think games are an appropriate platform for romantic narrative?
Game Details
- Platforms : PlayStation 3 , Windows , Xbox 360
- Pricing structure :
- Available online? : Available online
- Publisher : Electronic Arts
- Release date : March 6, 2012
- Genre : Role-Playing
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Friendship , STEM
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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