I agree with you, I think that the first 20 minutes are terrible and the last 20 minutes are okay (I didn't mind the ending, sue me) but everything else was great.

I generally fall into the 'apologist' camp, but there are some points you made here that I hadn't even really though about when I was considering what was good about the game, or had sort of forgotten in the conversations about it. Specifically the inter-party member interactions were a step up - and another progression you can see across bioware's games including steps toward that in DA2.

I'm not sure about a second playthrough. I'll do one eventually, I know, but I'm not sure whether I can do an insanity run when the game feels so 'final'. It feels artificial to be doing it again with the same decisions... and I have a lot of trouble convincing myself that this Shepard would make decisions any differently than he did the first time. Which leaves the alternative of a totally fresh playthrough, but then how do I get the insanity achievement?

I disagree with you about their handling of the ending, but I don't want to make another one of those topics.

I've said it before and I will say it again.

Game definitely has some great middle missions, Krogan and Quarian sections of the game were really well done.

@yeah_write: I actually did start an insanity run as a second playthrough, and at least the Mars mission was really fun with fully-leveled characters. Not too difficult at all, and unlike ME2, they didn't make the game less fun by shielding everyone from your biotic attacks - they're just tougher and hit harder. Not sure if that changes in later levels. It's mostly just story issues that are holding me back. I tried playing it on action mode, but some of the decisions Shep was making were really turning me off.

Dude, yeah. I completely agree with everything you wrote. I've finished the game now and have been having a ball with the multiplayer despite my initial skepticism. And that's some awesome pixel art!

Btw, I played on Insanity. It's actually far more sane than ME2's Insanity. My vanguard just ripped through most of it. I'll have to learn to hate myself on some gold mp sessions...

I agree pretty much all together. After letting the ending sink in a bit I didn't mind it to much. Also that image is pretty f-ing sweet.

I thought Mass Effect 3 was damn good. I'd still say Mass Effect 2's story pacing is better, but Mass Effect 3's combat is better than 2's. I also miss the Illusive Man/Mission Complete theme at the end of every mission from Mass Effect 2. Anyway, I was fine with my ending for Mass Effect 3, but all I want is closure for each character. Some argue that closure was in the lead up to the final part, but that was more of a final goodbye. I want to see what everyone did with the chance they're given after the ending.

I would totally play an olde timey 2D JRPG Mass Effect game.

I also feel obligated to say that overall I loved ME3, though I think the final mission was really bad (not so much story wise, more design wise).

I haven't finished it, but everything I've played so far has been superb. Combat on insanity is excellent (significantly easier than ME2, but still a fun challenge.)
 
Multiplayer got its hooks in me even before I finished single player, which was unexpected to say the least.

The beginning and end are really terrible

The middle is pretty good in spots but it's peppered with some jank and 'fuckit it's done ship it' sloppiness - voice timing, cutscene animations, some really dumb dialog, infinite spawns, ..

The whole thing seems like it was rushed out the door. Mayr not tho first two games had some similar issues

I still played it for 6 hours straight at a time and I'm hooked on multiplayer

Like Jeff said even a mediocre and rushed
Mass effect is more fun than most other games

I like Mass Effect :)

No, that pretty much all I feel I need say.

Yeah, the majority of this game is awesome. The beginning is dumb and super contrived, and the the endings are confusing, but I have fond memories of most of the game.

even with the ending(which is very bad), it's still the best in th series

Mass Effect 3 is the most complete of the trio, but Mass Effect is still the best game in my opinion.

Your teammates might walk around more and talk more to eachother, but the conversations with Shepard are fewer than ever, there are close to none (compared to Me 1 and 2) paragon and renegade choices when talking to people and as far as I'm concerned there was only one BIG decision to take, and that was negotioated in the next sentence anyway.

I didn't read your entire post, but that's some pretty good pixel art.

what i think of when i think of the middle of this game, ** SPOILERS **

repetitive combat ultimately leading up to a reaper battle that consists of strafing left and right...

disappointing

That picture is fucking cool.
 
ME3 was pretty hit and miss for me.  Most of the missions vs. Reaper forces were great, but I had a hard time enjoying the Cerberus stuff just because they went from an organisation with believable motives in ME2 to pantomime villain in ME3.  
 
I feel like the single biggest theme from ME1 and ME2 was whether humanity tried to find its place through co-operation or supremacy (which, quite bravely, wasn't posed as straightforward right or wrong) and they bottled it.  It's completely absent from ME3, with co-operation clearly being posed as right and the supremacy thread being taken away from humanity and instead shifted onto

Love the art dude, should make it into a one page comic strip.