Mass Effect 3 is an action role-playing video game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii U.[8] Officially announced on December 11, 2010,[9][10] the game was released March 6, 2012[11] and marks the final chapter in the Mass Effect trilogy of video games, completing the story of Commander Shepard.[12][13] A Wii U version was announced during Nintendo's conference at E3 2012.[14] The Wii U port was developed by Australian developer Straight Right,[1] and was released as a Wii U launch game[6] under the title Mass Effect 3: Special Edition.

The combat system in Mass Effect 3 has been changed and refined. In particular, the cover system has been improved, there are more options for moving around the battlefield and scoring instant melee kills, more conventional grenades are available and an improved artificial intelligence is introduced. A four player multiplayer co-op mode is also available in game.[15] Gameplay in Mass Effect 3 is influenced by decisions made in Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2, for players who have completed those games. It was nominated for five awards at the 2012 Spike Video Game Awards and it won Best RPG of 2012.[16]

Like its predecessors, Mass Effect 3 was released to commercial success and critical acclaim. However, the game's endings were criticized by many players, prompting the release of an extended cut DLC (downloadable content) which elaborated on the consequences of the ending chosen and the choices made by the player throughout the series.