Would you call ME3 a linear game?

I pretty much agree with stephenw32768's assessment.

The games themselves got more 'linear' throughout the games. 

Mass Effect 1 was the most non-linear of the series. It is also feels the most unfocused as a result. You had the main story missions that progressed the plot (Eden Prime > Citadel > Therum > Noveria > Feros > Virmire > Ilos > Citadel). You had the option of performing Therum, Noveria, and Feros (and later Virmire) in any order you chose, but except for some different Liara dialogue, it did not matter what order you chose. The DLC missions and secondary missions/planets were also so far removed from the story that it actually took away from the main story. So the game/story was not linear, but if you wanted to complete everything then the main story took a back seat for large portions of the game.

Mass Effect 2 was a little more linear, with some plot-required missions forced on you at certain points (Horizon and Collector Ship. Derelict Reaper was required to progress but you could take your time to get to it). Like Mass Effect 1, each mission progressed the same regardless of order, but you had more recruitment and loyalty missions that you could take on in almost any order. But because of how the Suicide Mission plays out, completing or ignoring some recruitment and loyalty missions could some end game variables and potentially imports into ME3. Recruiting squadmates for the suicide mission and getting them loyal was part of the plot, so a lot of the 'optional' missions felt relevant to the main plot, so even performing them in a non-linear fashion still felt natural to the game. N7 missions were brief so they did not distract from the main plot and so did not make it feel like you were ignoring anything urgent, unlike ME1 and ME3.

Mass Effect 3 was certainly the most linear, with predetermined story arcs: Tuchanka/genophage > Geth/Quarian War > Pursuit and destruction of Cerberus (I feel like I am stretching on this last one a bit). But each arc did have some non-linearity to them depending on mission order, plus events from ME1 and ME2 could also alter the story in those arcs. One of ME3's big problems though -- in my opinion -- was that all these arcs were seen as urgent ("cure the genophage so the Krogan will help the Turians!" and "stop the war before the Quarians are wiped out!" and "get all the help you can before the galaxy is destroyed!"), but you could play all the DLC and secondary missions and no one seems to care. Sure, keep making trips back to the Citadel, the Turians or Quarians will not get slaughtered in the meantime. 


So yeah. I may have went on a big, stupid, needless rant there. Sorry.

So yeah. I agree with stephenw32768.

I probably should not have written all that. 

I agree with Red Caesar and stephenw32768. I'm not sure what loose ends in the main story are being referred to in the podcast... I'm not aware of any that were left hanging. Even the side missions that expire are generally tied off in some fashion before the end game... e.g The Turian bomb on Tuchanka is noted as having gone off if the quest is left undone. Heck, the game is preoccupied with revisiting characters and events from ME1 and ME2... so it even ties off a lot of loose ends regarding those minor characters... e.g. General Oraka, Charr and Ereba, Michael and Rebekkah, Conrad Verner and Jenna, and even Refund Guy.

Grissom Academy and rescuing the turians on Tuchanka are the only ones that are times. I could add the turian bomb, but that depends on when the turians are rescued.  If the turians are rescued, the player can complete two missions before having to do the turian bomb mission otherwise the bomb goes boom. Grissom has to be completed before Citadel coup. Rescuing the turians has to be completed before Thessia otherwise that mission is removed from the galaxy map

Given 'linear' is something of a binary characteristic - a game is linear or it is not - then no, ME3 isn't. It's not open world of course, but that doesn't make it linear either. Most Bioware games aren't actually linear.

I don't see it as an issue tbh.  It's only 2 missions and it gives the game some drama and a sense of urgency.  The one time I ignored Grissom Academy my renegade Shep then found a blood splattered bed in the Cerberus headquarters, and a datapad where he hears Jack being tortured.  He'd been in a relationship with her and hadn't realised she was at the academy, it was an awful moment for him and quite chilling.

Then he ignored the bomb and his work to save Eve and the Krogan was wiped out in one hit.  His lazy half-assed approach really came back to bite him in the butt and it was awfully wonderful to witness.

So I like them.

If the player chooses to not save the turians, the bomb never goes boom. No loss of assets. The only loss by not completing them is some war assets from the turians

On a thread a month or so ago, somewhat game (s/b someone came) up with the term "modular" - works for me. (ETA:  Must have still be half asleep when I typed this earlier.)

Good word that.