The epic science-fiction trilogy concludes, and Commander Shepard faces his greatest battle yet. Set in the distant future, the Mass Effect series of games are about a character called Shepard, a human whose military, political, and personal life are heavily intertwined with the fate of the galaxy. In the previous two games, we see Shepard take on the immense threat posed by the Reapers, an advanced life form that bring carnage and destruction to entire civilizations. In this final chapter, Shepard must come face to face with an entire fleet of Reapers, who have invaded his home world (Earth) as well as many other planets. Shepard is also faced with the threat of Cerberus, another human interest group, with vast amounts of technology and funds at their disposal, whose leader, the Illusive Man, seems determined to use to control the Reapers in order to use them to further his power. Picking up where ME2 left off, this third instalment carries all of the progress made by the previous games, and adds a massive dimension of tension to the story. The impending doom of Earth and the galaxy creates an awesome atmosphere to play this game within, and the action which follows is equally as impressive. Battle scenes are fine tuned, superbly directed, and the plethora of creatures and aliens on offer add depth to the game play. Some of the characters from previous games reveal themselves, making it an even more enjoyable experience for anyone deeply rooted in the ME franchise. Some criticism has been raised over the choice of ending for the games, and indeed the choice to end them at all. This certainly has credence. However, anyone who has been on this journey with Shepard from the beginning must see it through to the end, and the continuing use of plot-changing choices is excellent. Overall, this game is a knockout. The cut scenes rival any modern gaming experience, the depth and variety to the game play is fantastic, and the aforementioned tense atmosphere has made this the game of 2012 so far.