Mournful and epic, the Mass Effect 3 soundtrack sets the tone for the third and final chapter in Bioware's sci-fi trilogy Mass Effect. Composed by
Clint Mansell, whose previous work includes films like The Fountain, Black Swan, and Requiem for a Dream, the score helps to add emotional depth to the game, pulling players into a world that's struggling to save itself from complete annihilation. Tracks like "Leaving Earth" and "An End, Once and for All" perfectly evoke the plaintive qualities of the game with their haunting piano melodies, adding a sense of pathos to a medium that was in its infancy just a couple decades ago. This kind of emotional weight makes Mass Effect 3 a soundtrack that is not only great by game standards, but can easily hold its own with its contemporaries on the silver screen. ~ Gregory Heaney