Mass Effect 3...

[Tawmis]

Giving the game a definitive ending didn't mesh well with everybody who believed their Shepard would make a different choice. Even I called BS on the three choices at first and spent several minutes hobbling around looking for the "fourth" option. I didn't believe in the star-child's philosophy at all, where the only viable options are genocide, control, and assimilation. It felt very out-of-character for even my renegade to choose any of those.

See, for me it didn't. As soon as I heard the twochoices I was presented(either destroy all machines, including Geth, Mass Effect relays, etc - or control the Repears) - to me, it was not out of character for me to say, "In order to save all the lives I have sacrificed so much, the machines must die - sorry Geth, who I helped restore. But civilization deserves a chance to live and rebuild - and I don't think I can control the Reapers, just like the Illusive Man believed he could - and failed.") That felt very in character for me and how I played.

I guess, it's going to be one of those where ye can't please everyone. (Sort of like the whole Anders disagreement in DA2 and his actions to blow up the temple). I disagreed with the fact that it seemed in character for him, but Andrea thought it was very in character and agreed with it. I guess the part that surprises me is HOW many people seemed to be screaming about the ME3 ending. To the point there was a class action law suit type deal (see my link a few posts up). That is absolutely ridiculous and going too far.

[DeadPoolX]

I guess the part that surprises me is HOW many people seemed to be screaming about the ME3 ending. To the point there was a class action law suit type deal (see my link a few posts up). That is absolutely ridiculous and going too far.

Well, people will complain about anything.

The one thing that really ticked off me on the BioWare boards was how the complainers felt they were in the majority. Now I don't doubt a lot of people disliked (or even hated!) the ending, but a majority? Probably not.

The sad fact is that when people like something or at least are content with it, they rarely feel the need to make their opinion known. Most of the reviews and comments about games, movies, TV shows, products and whatever else are negative. They're all about someone complaining about this or that.

As for the endings themselves, I really feel a lot of fans wanted to see Shepard "ride off into the sunset" with his or her partner. While that would've certainly been a happier ending, it doesn't fit storyline.

[Datadog]

I didn't quite expect a "ride off into the sunset" ending myself (although the thought of riding off with Tali certainly kept me going.) I pretty much expected an ending where Shepard sacrifices himself to save humanity, but I didn't expect his choice to kill more humanity than it saved (or at least it did until Bioware spoke up and told everyone "it's okay! Blowing up the mass relays doesn't hurt anyone anymore!") You have to admit, it was a very awkwardly handled ending. Make a choice, Reapers do something, Mass Relays explode, Normandy crashes, credits, Buzz Aldrin, DLC. For a game so heavy in dialogue and exposition, it's a surprise to see it go all "2001" in the last few minutes.

[Tawmis]

Well, people will complain about anything.

All too true. (In a way I am complaining about how much people complain!)

The one thing that really ticked off me on the BioWare boards was how the complainers felt they were in the majority. Now I don't doubt a lot of people disliked (or even hated!) the ending, but a majority? Probably not.

Yes. I am with you there. I used to be VERY active on the Bioware boards, before they got Dragon Age and Mass Effect released. Well, even initially I was still pretty heavy into the Bioware boards. Then the day they changed it to the Social Board thing - something happened. I am not kidding. Like the entire community that used to frequent the Bioware forums... changed. They went from these people who engaged in intelligent conversation to "You mother #&@(ing nerfed this spell/weapon/armor!11!!" And crying about everything. Granted, this isn't everyone. But this seemed to be the majority of posts I ended up seeing - to the point it drove me away from the forums.

The sad fact is that when people like something or at least are content with it, they rarely feel the need to make their opinion known. Most of the reviews and comments about games, movies, TV shows, products and whatever else are negative. They're all about someone complaining about this or that.

I work in desktop support call center. You sir, are preaching to the choir!

As for the endings themselves, I really feel a lot of fans wanted to see Shepard "ride off into the sunset" with his or her partner. While that would've certainly been a happier ending, it doesn't fit storyline.

I would have loved for Shepard to walk away hand in hand with Ashley (my woman of choice) - but had they done that, I would have been upset. This was the end. The epic moment to it all. The story had to end with Shepard's sacrifice, for me.

I didn't quite expect a "ride off into the sunset" ending myself (although the thought of riding off with Tali certainly kept me going.) I pretty much expected an ending where Shepard sacrifices himself to save humanity, but I didn't expect his choice to kill more humanity than it saved (or at least it did until Bioware spoke up and told everyone "it's okay! Blowing up the mass relays doesn't hurt anyone anymore!") You have to admit, it was a very awkwardly handled ending. Make a choice, Reapers do something, Mass Relays explode, Normandy crashes, credits, Buzz Aldrin, DLC. For a game so heavy in dialogue and exposition, it's a surprise to see it go all "2001" in the last few minutes.

Wait. I didn't get the impression that people would die when the Mass Relays exploded. The impression I got from the dialogue was that it would destroy all technology. This included (and showed) the destruction of the Mass Relays. It said that they would be destroyed (along with all Synthetics life) - sure, people working on the Mass Relays may have died (like that joke about all the innocent employees working on the Deathstar, like Janitorial staff, when the Rebels blew it up! ). But I definitely did not get the impression that the destruction of the Mass Relay points would like explode and wipe out planets within the area of the Relays. (And since I don't go to the Bioware forums, I didn't need/see Bioware saying, "Oh no one else was hurt!"). I just got the impression that Geth, Mass Relays, and machines would cease functioning and/or explode. After all, even though the Norminday gets caught in the blast of the thing that disables all machines - it didn't explode. Joker managed to land it on a planet. So why would anyone get the impression that the Mass Relays would explode and wipe out more humanity - other than employees working on the Mass Relays at the time?

[DeadPoolX]

I think Datadog means that the mass effect relay explosions should've destroyed the same system it was in. According to The Arrival, the last DLC for Mass Effect 2, Shepard detonates a mass effect relay in Batarian-controlled space, wiping at an entire system. The point was to delay the Reapers, who would've used that relay.

In ME3, for some reason, no systems are destroyed when the mass effect relays blow up. So that's a little weird, but good, since that'd kill off a lot people. Even so, BioWare hasn't bothered to explain the difference between the relay explosions in ME2 and ME3. I don't expect a fully detailed write-up for every little thing, but something as important as this probably should've been handled more carefully.

[Tawmis]

I think Datadog means that the mass effect relay explosions should've destroyed the same system it was in. According to The Arrival, the last DLC for Mass Effect 2, Shepard detonates a mass effect relay in Batarian-controlled space, wiping at an entire system. The point was to delay the Reapers, who would've used that relay.

In ME3, for some reason, no systems are destroyed when the mass effect relays blow up. So that's a little weird, but good, since that'd kill off a lot people. Even so, BioWare hasn't bothered to explain the difference between the relay explosions in ME2 and ME3. I don't expect a fully detailed write-up for every little thing, but something as important as this probably should've been handled more carefully.

Well I think it's becausethe relays don't really explode in ME3. For example, when the Normandy is over taken by the blast - it does not explode. Mechanics simply cease functioning. You even see this on Earth, when Reapers simply collapse when the 'explosive energy wave' hits them. None of them explode. They simply cease functioning. So my impression, I guess, the more I think about it - is that the Mass Relays simply ceased functioning after zapping itself through each relay. Like an electrical charge shorting out everything it zaps through.

[Datadog]

I will agree with this, however.

[DeadPoolX]

BioWare's releasing their Extended Cut update to all platforms (PC, Xbox 360 and PS3) on Tuesday, June 26. I don't know how the 360 and PS3 are supposed to download it, but PC users will automatically get the update through Origin.

[Tawmis]

BioWare's releasing their Extended Cut update to all platforms (PC, Xbox 360 and PS3) on Tuesday, June 26. I don't know how the 360 and PS3 are supposed to download it, but PC users will automatically get the update through Origin.

For X360, it will probably be the same. As soon as one starts the game, it will do the immediate, "This game has an update."

[Tawmis]

Extended endings...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation ... feature=iv

[Datadog]

I'm actually really impressed with how much they put together in just a few months.

I think the endings actually work now. Even without all the "closure" stuff after the Normandy crashes. There's just a few scenes such as the crew returning to the Normandy and some much needed additional options when addressing the crucible which tie together the loose ends well enough. I especially like that my Shepard gets to have a last word with Tali before running off into the beam. The pacing works a LOT better.

Also, the red/green/blue endings now have some major variations. The control ending seems much darker now, and the synthesis ending has to be the most elaborate way of promoting peace through understanding (although I never saw the Krogans as ones to have problems with synthetics, so something tells me they're still the same old Krogans, only more upgraded.) Each one is uniquely interesting to watch. Maybe they added a little TOO much (the tacked-on slideshow and watching the Normandy magically lift off reeks of fan-service) but there are some very small touches that would have saved Bioware so much trouble if they had addressed these things sooner. I think the most gripping part of the extended cut was seeing Shepard's name on the wall with his other crew mates. That part actually felt like a real ending, compared to Joker standing on an Eden planet.

Also - ha ha - I can shoot the glowing star-kid now for a fourth ending. It's actually the fourth option I wanted, although it doesn't end the way I expected. I think it's Bioware's personal middle finger to anyone who wanted a fourth option.

[Tawmis]

Maybe they added a little TOO much (the tacked-on slideshow and watching the Normandy magically lift off reeks of fan-service)

Wait, remind me again how the entire extended ending isn't a "fan service" because the "fans" cried?

[Maxor127]

I think the endings are a lot better now too. I thought the originals seemed lazy. They fixed many of the more glaring plotholes. It really is just an extended ending that pretty much remains true to the original. One thing I don't like is that you STILL can't skip cutscenes and dialog or save during that ending sequence. Which means sitting through a half hour for each ending or going to youtube.

[Datadog]

Wait, remind me again how the entire extended ending isn't a "fan service" because the "fans" cried?

Not all fans cried. Some sent Bioware cupcakes.

But for what extendedness there is, a lot of it feels like a natural part of the game. As in, if it were my first time playing, I wouldn't be able to spot a lot of what's been added. The story is no longer rushed and the crypticness is kept to a bare minimum. It feels like I'm actually playing the ending to "Mass Effect 3" instead of the ending to "Science Fiction X". I could've done without the slideshow, of course, since the actual game seems back to normal. But the slideshow does have some cool cut-scenes. It would've played out better as an in-game extra. But I like that synthesis makes sense now. It's not about turning people into robots - it just gives everyone in the galaxy a healthy dose of Vitamin Shepard.

One thing I don't like is that you STILL can't skip cutscenes and dialog or save during that ending sequence.

Ok. Yes. This.

Plus, you're still hobbling for the whole thing.

[Tawmis]

Take Back ME3 or "We Believe We're Privileged, Spoiled, Little Asses."