Metacritic cracking down on alleged Mass Effect 3 trolls

Metacritic has begun removing suspiciously negative Mass Effect 3 user reviews.

"We have already removed user reviews which have broken our terms of use. We will continue to monitor user reviews and take the steps needed to ensure our users both comply with those terms and do not have to read other reviews which break them," editor in chief Marc Doyle told Kotaku.

Doyle asked users to check the site's terms of use and to report any trolling or other forms of abuse to admins.

Within minutes of the action RPG's US release, large numbers of negative Metacritic user reviews began rolling in - many rating the game at the lowest possible score and leaving derisive, inflammatory comments.

Many of the accounts had been registered specifically to leave Mass Effect 3 reviews, leading many to suspect the work of trolls.

A number of other user reviews from established members give positive or balanced results, and the critical reception has been notably positive.

Mass Effect 3 is out now in the US, and arrives in Australia on march 8 and Europe on March 9, for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.