Mass Effect 3...

[Maxor127]

I didn't realize a color was a spoiler. I didn't really say anything worthy of a spoiler tag, so I didn't use one. At first, I didn't mind the ending. I didn't see what the big outcry was. I thought people were just mad that Shepard died, but I didn't care because it was the last game. The scene of the Normandy flying away and crashing didn't make any sense, but oh well. Then I decided to try a different ending. It didn't help that I couldn't skip any cutscenes or dialog. I made a different choice, pretty much the exact same ending, and I thought well that's stupid. I looked up the other ending online. The same ending again. You don't really know the fate of the galaxy or your crew or anything. It seems purposeful the more I think about it. I'm sure Bioware planned it all along to have a vague ending that they could flesh out with some sort of DLC later on.

I think the reason most people seem to consider the red ending the best is not only because Shepard seems to live at the end, but also because if the indoctrination theory is true, then it's the only one where he really defeats the Reapers. Controlling the reapers seems like an obvious evil choice, and merging with synthetics is too weird and stupid. I can't relate to that at all, and the game doesn't show what the consequences are. And I don't even really care about the fiasco, and even I'm a little annoyed by it. Bioware should just pretend like the indoctrination theory is true even if it isn't because it at least makes the ending not seem lazy and the ridiculousness seems more understandable. The indoctrination theory has too many holes in it too for me to buy into it.

Kotaku has a decent article about the ending. http://kotaku.com/5898743/mass-effect-3 ... ed-players.

[Tawmis]

I didn't realize a color was a spoiler. I didn't really say anything worthy of a spoiler tag, so I didn't use one.

There's a spoiler function next to all the BOLD, Italics, Underline, etc functions.

And anything that has to do with the game at all, it's just good measure to use spoiler tags, unless asking general, non game related things (for any new game). But anything story wise (story, characters, plots, etc) - cover'em up! Just to be safe!

[Datadog]

Mass Effect 3 Extended Cut coming this summer.

No changes to the actual ending, but they claim players will now get personalized ending extensions.

[DeadPoolX]

Mass Effect 3 Extended Cut coming this summer.

No changes to the actual ending, but they claim players will now get personalized ending extensions.

Sounds fair. At least the DLC will be free.

I have a feeling the closure they're talking about is similar to the epilogue descriptions at the end of DA:O. I'm okay with that, but I know some fans won't "accept it." My answer to that? f*ck 'em.

[Collector]

I know some fans won't "accept it." My answer to that? f*ck 'em.

[Maiandra]

So I finally finished ME3 on Sunday and, other than the usual post-game letdown (that it's over), I wasn't disappointed. Although I wouldn't say I loved the ending, I didn't dislike it either. It was a departure from the usual BioWare endings.

I wasn't expecting BioWare to pull that (pick one of "x" endings at the last minute), but it reminded me of the Deus Ex endings. In fact, it was probably that parallel that helped me decide. I picked the Mass Effect 3 equivalent of the "New Dark Age" ending in DX1. Namely, the "destroy synthetic lifeforms" ending.

Although I think some of their evidence is flawed in the indoctrination theory, I do think that it's certainly possible that it was all in Shepard's head. Whether it was a hallucination or just that she mentally interfaced with the crucible, it's hard to say. I prefer the latter explanation, given her past mental interfaces with reaper tech.

I wonder if they planned to do this all along? See what ending was picked the most, then go with that as the official ending and release DLC expanding on it later.

[Datadog]

Indoctrination theory would make more sense if they tried something cool like having your dialogue wheel's options randomly turn off and change while you're making a selection. So you might point at "You're wrong" only to see it turn into "You're right" to simulate the experience of being indoctrinated.

But even then, ending it on Shepard getting indoctrinated doesn't make sense since he's been resisting indoctrination for three straight games already. The effect might be more powerful around the god-child, but even then, the ultimate victory would still be Shepard fighting back and proving he's strong enough to make his own choices, which is - hey - the point of the whole series!

I'm just going to chalk it up to lazy writing since everything from the crucible on feels like I'm playing something out of a suggestion box. Something tells me this ending was planned years ago, back when they thought it was the coolest idea ever (and back when the game was called "Science Fiction X".) Then, after all these years, they finally bring back their favourite scene only to be surprised when it no longer matches the rest of the game they've been developing.

I actually hit a similar problem with SQInc where I pre-planned my ending years in advance. In my own mind, it was a perfect ending - but in the last couple months before release, I decided to invent a few extra endings for kicks. So far, people have been preferring those endings a lot more than the original. It's really a matter of knowing your journey before you reach your destination.

[DeadPoolX]

SaveGameOnline's created some Mass Effect Cocktails based on your squadmates from all three games. It's pretty amusing, plus some of them don't sound half bad.

The site is slow, so if it doesn't seem to load right away, just wait a minute or two.

[Datadog]

Some of those sound really good! I'd be down for a Seaside Sunrise or Tasty Tankbred.

[Tawmis]

People and their Effin Crying.

[Tawmis]

So I went ahead and finally finished Mass Effect 3.

There's one thing I don't understand. And that is why are fans bitching about the ending(s)?

To me it all made perfect sense. And like every other Bioware game, especially in Mass Effect - there was NO clear GOOD choice. Both of them had very dire effects. You just had to pick which one was the lesser of two evils for your character. The ending(s) (I viewed both of them by replaying the final chapter) - I thought were VERY well done. As for Shepard - whether he was hallucinating or being indoctrinated - I think they leave that up to the gamer. Was he - as he appeared to be, dying as he reached the controls - and everything was one of those "light at the end of the tunnel" things that suddenly spurred him on to make a final choice? Was the Crucible talking directly to him? That too would make sense if you watched the videos on the Cerberus base - where they mention most of Shepard's brain was completely dead, and he was more cybernetics than anything - and Shepard says to those who you picked to go with you, "But I'm still me." Is he really? Once again, I think this is all up to the player. And you mention he was resisting it - but consider what he had endured right up to that point? He had taken a Reaper hit from its laser, pretty much almost dead on. It fried his armor, left him hobbling, he could barely move - he was beaten, broken, both mentally and physically. He even showed signs of succumbing to the influence, since he shot Anderson. So in his weakened state, I think it'd be very believable that he COULD have been under the influence of the Crucible in those final moments, if he chose to control the Reapers.

I loved it. Through and through.

I have only one complaint. Those mother @^$*ing Banshee/Reaper-Mutated-Asarithings! HOLY MOTHER OF GAWD! When I finally beat the first one that appears, I was like, "Yes!" Then they shove you in a room with like three of them. Then they shove you in a VERY small room with TWO of them!

The only other real small complaint I have (unless I missed it somewhere) is not being able to havea Krogan on your ship party at anytime. I think that would have been VERY symbolic to have the major races represented. (Well, as far as I know you can't get a Selarin [sp?] either - but I disliked them, so that didn't bother me!)

[Datadog]

Agreed on the Banshees. Those things drove me crazy to no end. Not too hard to kill, but not fun to kill either. I lose so much ammo on those things. And at least the brutes don't teleport.

The major backlash against the ending was the fact that after three games of decision-making and the game always keeping track of your choices, the ending pretty much copped out by saying "here's three new choices. They all end the same way and have nothing to do with anything else. Just pick one and the game is over." Credits run. "Don't forget to buy our DLC!" Essentially, it's the same as pushing any three buttons just to see the words "You win!" followed by a pop-up ad.

And you really have to compare it to Mass Effect 2 to understand why people are angry. There are many variations on ME2's ending. Everything you do has an impact during the game's finale, from whether you chose to upgrade your ship, whose loyalty missions you completed, whether you rushed to save your crew, and who gets assigned to which duty during the suicide mission. People were expecting something like that during the ME3 finale. All the war assets you collected should have incorporated accordingly into the final battle, and likewise, you should have been able to command various fleets to perform specific functions just like your crew in ME2. And even once on Earth, your choices barely have any impact other than who's left standing around. I would have liked to have seen moments where races I saved (like the Geth or the Rachni) come running to my rescue in the middle of battle. It would have taken a lot of heat off those Banshees.

[DeadPoolX]

Yeah, the are very subtle differences between the three endings.

GREEN: Basically, organics and synthetics merge to become a new species. From the looks of things -- and seeing as how you can easily obtain this ending without playing multiplayer -- I think BioWare viewed this as the "best" ending.

I don't agree because this means the Reapers won. Shepard's objective has always been to defeat the Reapers at any cost. How he or she went about that was up to the player, but there goal was always the same.

BLUE: Shepard tries to control the Reapers, much like the Illusive Man tried, and like the Illusive Man, Shepard probably will fail. If nothing else, the Reapers once again win by surviving.

RED: Shepard destroys the Reapers. I view this as the best ending. It's not by coincidence this is only choice that allows you to see a very short cutscene after the credits, where Shepard, in his charred armor, takes a deep breath, thereby suggesting he's still alive. That cutscene only occurs if you've amassed enough War Assets, which includes playing multiplayer to offset the percentage decrease.

Now interestingly enough, blue has always meant "Paragon" and red has always meant "Renegade," right? Well, why would destroying the Reapers (which used Anderson, as opposed to blue's use of the Illusive Man) be the renegade option? The answer is it isn't.

The Reapers, who're already messing with Shepard's mind, make him believe the right choice is either the blue or green options. Listen to the holographic kid's dialogue and you'll see that he's pushing Shepard away from the red choice. So you're essentially viewing things how the Reapers see it and to them, the best choices are either blue or green; red kills them, so they'd naturally be against that.

Oh and as for the mass effect relays... I think those are destroyed (or at least damaged/deactivated) no matter which ending you choose.

I actually liked the ending. Granted, it probably wouldn't have been my first choice on how to end the ME trilogy, but it works and makes you think. I don't need a clear-cut ending to make me happy.

I know a lot of people were angry that their choices didn't seem to matter. But the truth is, they do matter, just on a much smaller scale. The war against the Reapers involved multiple races, huge fleets, fighters and ground teams. Shepard's choices during the game brought him whatever resources he had up until the final push, when it's essentially him alone against the Reapers.

I think comparing it to ME2 is wrong because the final conflict was one ship and a relatively small-sized landing party against the Collectors. Of course Shepard's previous actions during the game would seem like they meant more! Everything was focused around Shepard and his crew.

Basically, the larger the conflict, the less impressive individual efforts usually are. Saving a couple of people or choosing this group over that group means more when your entire team is comprised of ten or so people. The conflict at the end of ME3 was massive, so Shepard's efforts felt less important in the overall scheme of things.

[Tawmis]

- SNIP Comparisons to ME2 to ME3 endings.

The way I see it - ME3 had to have a definitive ending. There was going to be no "Choice" endings (where whatever you did created a "unique" ending). ME3 is the end. You have made the choices - but in the end, it boils down to two (or three, apparently? I only had two options) endings. This was a clear cut ending. This isn't the end of the chapter. This is the end of the freaking novel. No more. Zilch. Having a clear ending (where your choices didn't make a "unique" ending) made sense to me. As DPX said, I think the choices you made impacted what was going up against the Reapers, not the ending. You could have skipped the ZILLION of "mini quests" you get at the Citadel (by over hearing people's convos) and not built up your army. You could have made various choices about the genophage and such. The fact that I didn't get a unique ending, doesn't bug me. Especially since Shepard "dies". Why do I need to see, "Here's what all your choices led to." I think if they're going to do a ME4, they wanted a CLEAN start. I don't think it would be Shepard(for obvious reasons).

[Datadog]

I think comparing it to ME2 is wrong because the final conflict was one ship and a relatively small-sized landing party against the Collectors. Of course Shepard's previous actions during the game would seem like they meant more! Everything was focused around Shepard and his crew.

Everything in ME3, however, was centered around his relationship with the galaxy's races. So choices like curing the genophage, making peace between Geth and Quarians, or saving the Rachni queen should have been taken into account rather than how many points the player has. And you have to admit - it would have been a lot more fun to take the various races' strengths and weaknesses into account when planning the battle. I was so ready to plant Aria's goons on the front lines, especially after she went into detail about their dirty battle tactics.

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.