Mass Effect 3

[booster11373]

Coming soon.

Tuesday actually.

Should be awesome.

[weekapaugjz]

i'm looking forward to this. just finished playing 2.

[Chimee]

I'm looking forward to the game, I'm not looking forward to EA hiding in the shadows, waiting to mug me.

[booster11373]

EA its NOT in the game, You pay extra for that

[booster11373]

Happy Mass Effect day to all!

UPS just delivered my copy woo hoo

[CountryBob]

Happy Mass Effect day to all!

UPS just delivered my copy woo hoo

see ya in like 500 playing hours!

ENjoy!

[realmenhatelife]

My brother was playing this with the kinect last night, he sounded like an asshole. Fire! Fire!

[Chimee]

Just picked it up. I shan't be shouting commands at it.

[Misteriosa]

are any of you guys gonna pick the gay option?

(and i swear i'm not trolling you guys)

[HBox]

So far this is my favorite of the series but one thing that has surprised me is the number of really really funny moments. The writing in this game is terrific, except for one funny but ultimately ridiculous and unbelievable minor side plot.

[CountryBob]

do you have to still mine planets for ore? I thought that was a huge time waster

[HBox]

do you have to still mine planets for ore? I thought that was a huge time waster

Nope. You have to search planets for war assets but that is far quicker and much less annoying this time around.

[weekapaugjz]

not sure if anyone was aware of it, but dark horse recently put out an art of mass effect book. here's a link to a little preview of some of the content. look's pretty sweet.

Art of Mass Effect Preview (http://www.comicsalliance.com/2012/03/07/mass-effect-concept-art-book-shows-us-a-galaxy-thats-worth-sa/)


and it's looking with my finances, i'm gonna have to wait until my birthday at the end of this month to pick up this game :down:

[Chimee]

I already hate the constant disk changing on Xbox. I'm on one of the first side missions and I've had to put in Disk 2.

[HBox]

I finished it. I enjoyed this game more than the others in the series. The ending was pretty disappointing, however. Perhaps my biggest problem, without spoiling anything, is that if you are worried if some of the choices you've made in the series are going to have much of a bearing on the ending you get you are wrong. They have a minor effect at best, and even then it's only vicariously.

It's reminiscent of the Deus Ex: Human Revolution endgame, and having that here, in this series in particular, is so off the charts disappointing I can't believe they actually did it. Still, it was a great game. It turns bad 99% in, and the ending aren't so bad that they ruin everything.

[HBox]

After thinking about it a bit, I have a thought as to why I dislike the ending. Spoilered and down the page a bit, so if you're viewing this on a phone don't say I didn't try.












































































Obviously I would have liked to have at least one good, happy, ride off into the sunset ending. That obviously didn't happen. Every ending destroys all the relays and ends galactic civilization as they know it. And probably leads to many, many, many deaths even if the Reapers were destroyed. And all the endings kill Shephard which is disappointing. But any of those things presented in the right context would have made them work. In this case you have a series based on hope and freedom, hope that they can stop the reapers and regain the freedom to live their lives. And it's all built up beautifully and skillfully and the you meet the Catalyst and he essentially says "No, you can't have what you want, it won't work because I say so" and after EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENED, Shephard just goes "Oh, ok, guess I have 3 shitty choices then." And nothing is made of the fact that EDI and the Geth are actually fighting with the organics, that the Quarians and Geth just proved they can live in peace. The ending doesn't strike any right mark. Not one. It feels tacked on and not well thought out. Once Shephard and Anderson reached the Citadel at the end everything felt off.

Oh, and where the fuck did the Normandy run off to?!

[Bob Impact]

And why in the holy fuck did Joker pick up EVERYONE WHO WAS AT THE FORWARD BASE and immediately head towards the nearest mass relay for no good reason?

[Chimee]

Just finished it and I'm speechless at how that ended.

The Normandy crashing on the planet in the ending I got really gave me a Battlestar Galactica flashback.

I'll not take the Internet route and say the whole series was shit because the ending consisted of me saying "what the fuck" repeatedly for a half hour. Overall, I'd say the trilogy was a great achievement in videogame storytelling and, having beaten the entire series (the first two games twice) and watching all the choices I made unfold, I'm exhausted. I deleted everything, put the game on the shelf and I don't have the slightest desire to play another Mass Effect game again. I'm content with my universe and my undying love of blue women.

[weekapaugjz]

Just finished it and I'm speechless at how that ended.

The Normandy crashing on the planet in the ending I got really gave me a Battlestar Galactica flashback.

I'll not take the Internet route and say the whole series was shit because the ending consisted of me saying "what the fuck" repeatedly for a half hour. Overall, I'd say the trilogy was a great achievement in videogame storytelling and, having beaten the entire series (the first two games twice) and watching all the choices I made unfold, I'm exhausted. I deleted everything, put the game on the shelf and I don't have the slightest desire to play another Mass Effect game again. I'm content with my universe and my undying love of blue women.

so do you want to sell me your copy cheap?

[Chimee]

so do you want to sell me your copy cheap?

It's going into the Wii U fund, where, at the end of the year, I walk into Gamestop with a box of games and systems to buy a new system without spending a cent.

[Bob Impact]

So my first playthrough was Paragon, running through Renegade now just got to the part where I shot Maelon in the back. Feels bad, man.

[booster11373]

Wow just finished moments ago and like the rest I was disappointed by the ending.

I think I need time to digest it.............

The one thing consistent across all 3 games is at least 1 character that I could care less about. In ME 1 it was Kaiden, In ME 2 it was Jacob and in 3 it was James.

[booster11373]

After thinking about the ending how can it be seen a victory? its depressing no matter how you slice it. Im fine with the noble sacrifice of Shepard but the implications for the Galaxy after the choice is made are dire.

Earth is in ruins along with all the advanced planets of Citadel space, causalities are in the billions, In order to rebuild any of the civilizations, materials and manpower would be needed from the colonies most of which are inaccessible thanks to the destruction of the mass relay system.

Shepard and the allies where fighting to protect life from the reapers but the were also fighting to protect their civilization.

The civilization would be in ruins, galactic trade would cease to exist people are stranded where ever they were when the relays where destroyed.

How long would Edi last on some primitive planet with out specialized equipment for maintenance?

The ending sucks!

[Chimee]

Wow just finished moments ago and like the rest I was disappointed by the ending.

I think I need time to digest it.............

The one thing consistent across all 3 games is at least 1 character that I could care less about. In ME 1 it was Kaiden, In ME 2 it was Jacob and in 3 it was James.

The one choice in the game I was happiest with was leaving Kaiden to die.

[Chimee]

Looking back, I think that the ideal ending would have been the simplest. Shepard sacrifices himself to end the war and then the game shows you how all of your choices played out in the long-term of the galaxy.

[HBox]

I didn't care if it was a happy ending. I just wanted one that was consistent, that made sense. Shepard spends the entire game resolute, not accepting anything the council, the Reapers or anyone said if it conflicted with what he believed. Then all of a sudden a star child comes out of someone's ass, gives him 3 choices, and doesn't even challenge him slightly. He just goes ahead and accepts what he says and makes a choice with not the slightest resistance. In my play through I reunited the Geth and Quarians and they were living together on Rannoch. But star child says the synthetics and organics can't live together peacefully, and Shepard let's it pass without a word. That is not the character they developed through three game. He would not have done that at any other point in any of the games. It's inconsistent, poorly written bullshit. And it stands in stark contrast with everything that happened in the series up to 5 minutes before it happened.

[booster11373]

I didn't care if it was a happy ending. I just wanted one that was consistent, that made sense. Shepard spends the entire game resolute, not accepting anything the council, the Reapers or anyone said if it conflicted with what he believed. Then all of a sudden a star child comes out of someone's ass, gives him 3 choices, and doesn't even challenge him slightly. He just goes ahead and accepts what he says and makes a choice with not the slightest resistance. In my play through I reunited the Geth and Quarians and they were living together on Rannoch. But star child says the synthetics and organics can't live together peacefully, and Shepard let's it pass without a word. That is not the character they developed through three game. He would not have done that at any other point in any of the games. It's inconsistent, poorly written bullshit. And it stands in stark contrast with everything that happened in the series up to 5 minutes before it happened.

I totally agree with your point.

I wasn't able to get the Quarians and Geth together for starters Tali didn't make it back from the collector mission and I sided with the Geth anyway

[Bob Impact]

http://i.imgur.com/KmK6q.jpg

[angrymissy]

I was pretty pissed at the ending as well, but noticed some odd things during it. I'll spoiler it just in case

Why wasn't I wearing my armor when I awoke in the Citadel?

Why was Anderson there if the radioing ships said the entire team was decimated?

Why would Coates radio me while I was up there if he thought I was dead?

Why at then end, when the Normandy crash lands, did people who were with me at the battle in London, at the very end, walk out of the ship? They should have died... being decimated and all. This makes absolutely no sense.

And finally... in one of the endings, choosing destroy leads to Shepherd's body being seen after the credits in London... and after a few seconds you see Shepherd take a breath.

I started googling and reading shit, and found the "indoctrination theory", that Shepherd is indoctrinated by the Reapers at the end of the game, and that whole point after waking up after getting hit by Harbringer is you fighting it.

Pretty interesting... and would be one of the craziest things anyone has done. IMO, but ONLY if they release a FREE DLC with the true ending. If they make people pay, it will piss everyone off and be looked upon as simply a way to profit off of something that is a part of the game storyline. If it's free, they pulled off something really amazing and risky, considering how pissed people are about the ending right now.

And Bioware was sending some pretty cryptic tweets from Day 1 about wait and see, more to come, don't delete your save, etc... and they now say there will be an announcement this month.

It also makes total sense. The rest of this game was amazing, incredibly written, spot on. Then the ending comes with a total crapfest and some starchild shit? Didn't it seem jarring?

Here's the links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ythY_GkEBck&feature=share (long, but really explains every little hidden detail)
http://w11.zetaboards.com/Theorycraftng_HUB/topic/7698722/1/

[MIKEYDAKEN]

I was pretty pissed at the ending as well, but noticed some odd things during it. I'll spoiler it just in case

Why wasn't I wearing my armor when I awoke in the Citadel?

Why was Anderson there if the radioing ships said the entire team was decimated?

Why would Coates radio me while I was up there if he thought I was dead?

Why at then end, when the Normandy crash lands, did people who were with me at the battle in London, at the very end, walk out of the ship? They should have died... being decimated and all. This makes absolutely no sense.

And finally... in one of the endings, choosing destroy leads to Shepherd's body being seen after the credits in London... and after a few seconds you see Shepherd take a breath.

I started googling and reading shit, and found the "indoctrination theory", that Shepherd is indoctrinated by the Reapers at the end of the game, and that whole point after waking up after getting hit by Harbringer is you fighting it.

Pretty interesting... and would be one of the craziest things anyone has done. IMO, but ONLY if they release a FREE DLC with the true ending. If they make people pay, it will piss everyone off and be looked upon as simply a way to profit off of something that is a part of the game storyline. If it's free, they pulled off something really amazing and risky, considering how pissed people are about the ending right now.

And Bioware was sending some pretty cryptic tweets from Day 1 about wait and see, more to come, don't delete your save, etc... and they now say there will be an announcement this month.

It also makes total sense. The rest of this game was amazing, incredibly written, spot on. Then the ending comes with a total crapfest and some starchild shit? Didn't it seem jarring?

Here's the links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ythY_GkEBck&feature=share (long, but really explains every little hidden detail)
http://w11.zetaboards.com/Theorycraftng_HUB/topic/7698722/1/

free dlc silly missy EA will find a way to charge you to replay after they hit you with the charge for the dlc's.

[angrymissy]

free dlc silly missy EA will find a way to charge you to replay after they hit you with the charge for the dlc's.

If the theory is correct, the only way Bioware comes out of this looking good is by offering it for free. They do that, and they have pulled off some kind of awesome troll of their fanbase like nothing ever done in the past.

If they charge for it, people are going to flip their shit. They already took enough heat w/ the day 1 DLC.

This all assumes that the indoctrination theory is correct.

[angrymissy]

Also,

http://blog.bioware.com/2012/03/21/4108/

This would NEVER happen simply based on fan response. Never.

Building on their research, Exec Producer Casey Hudson and the team are hard at work on a number of game content initiatives that will help answer the questions, providing more clarity for those seeking further closure to their journey. You’ll hear more on this in April. We’re working hard to maintain the right balance between the artistic integrity of the original story while addressing the fan feedback we’ve received. This is in addition to our existing plan to continue providing new Mass Effect content and new full games, so rest assured that your journey in the Mass Effect universe can, and will, continue.

[MIKEYDAKEN]

i feel this was their plan from the start to get everyone pissed and then sell them a fix. what is the worst that will happen we won't buy the next mass effect game? no one will really boycott bioware so we will just put down our money feel slightly less raped and move on to the next game.

[weekapaugjz]

just got this for my birthday this weekend. a few hours in, pretty good so far. i've stayed away from all the spoilers about the end. i'll see what all the hubbub is about in a few days i guess.

[angrymissy]

User 1: "I still want to believe you guys are sneaky trolls and have something going on you don't tell us yet. Can I get a cryptic reply?"
@masseffect: "The sun, it shines. www.youtube.com/watch"

User 2: "You are either a massive sadist or a beacon of hope."
@masseffect: "Can't it be both?"

User 3: "I kinda feel lost after that ending...not what I expected and left me feeling everything done was for nothing."
@masseffect: "We know it's a lot to take in! But hang in there. Your decisions matter."

User 4: "Are you holding something back, that could quell the large amount of frustration from the community, a tiny hint would be enough."
@masseffect: "Mike Gamble already said on his twitter, if the fans knew what was in store, the reaction would be different."

User 5: "I loved 98% of ME3..but something has to be up w/ ending..too much talent at BW for that business. Keep my saves?"
@masseffect: "We're keeping our saves, that's for sure."

User 6: "Fans are people too. Playing with their minds isn't that nice as it may look like to people from Bioware."
@masseffect: "We're not playing with anyone's minds, we are answering what questions we can and recording what feedback we receive."

User 7: "Its not that the ending was taken in the wrong direction its that it makes NO SENSE. Ashley was on the Normandy? she [was] with me."
@masseffect: "Probably a good thing to be cautious of."

User 8: "Do y'all have any ETA when more news will be released? Dying for news on a new ending/DLC."
@masseffect: "No ETA yet, but you will be updated via Facebook and Twitter when the news is available :)."

[booster11373]

User 1: "I still want to believe you guys are sneaky trolls and have something going on you don't tell us yet. Can I get a cryptic reply?"
@masseffect: "The sun, it shines. www.youtube.com/watch"

User 2: "You are either a massive sadist or a beacon of hope."
@masseffect: "Can't it be both?"

User 3: "I kinda feel lost after that ending...not what I expected and left me feeling everything done was for nothing."
@masseffect: "We know it's a lot to take in! But hang in there. Your decisions matter."

User 4: "Are you holding something back, that could quell the large amount of frustration from the community, a tiny hint would be enough."
@masseffect: "Mike Gamble already said on his twitter, if the fans knew what was in store, the reaction would be different."

User 5: "I loved 98% of ME3..but something has to be up w/ ending..too much talent at BW for that business. Keep my saves?"
@masseffect: "We're keeping our saves, that's for sure."

User 6: "Fans are people too. Playing with their minds isn't that nice as it may look like to people from Bioware."
@masseffect: "We're not playing with anyone's minds, we are answering what questions we can and recording what feedback we receive."

User 7: "Its not that the ending was taken in the wrong direction its that it makes NO SENSE. Ashley was on the Normandy? she [was] with me."
@masseffect: "Probably a good thing to be cautious of."

User 8: "Do y'all have any ETA when more news will be released? Dying for news on a new ending/DLC."
@masseffect: "No ETA yet, but you will be updated via Facebook and Twitter when the news is available :)."

We can hope.

I actually have avoided replaying ME3 because of the ending

[angrymissy]

We can hope.

I actually have avoided replaying ME3 because of the ending

I was just getting ready to do the London battle right when everyone started raging about the ending online... I waited almost two weeks to finish it because of it.

I'm headed to PAX East this weekend, 4:30 on Fri there is a "Bioware and Mass Effect Panel". My ass will be in that, for sure.

[booster11373]

I was just getting ready to do the London battle right when everyone started raging about the ending online... I waited almost two weeks to finish it because of it.

I'm headed to PAX East this weekend, 4:30 on Fri there is a "Bioware and Mass Effect Panel". My ass will be in that, for sure.

Give us the skinny when you can please

[angrymissy]

Give us the skinny when you can please

I am hoping for nerd riots.

[TjM]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b33tJx8iy0A

[angrymissy]

http://kotaku.com/5899373/free-mass-effect-3-extended-cut-dlc-to-give-more-closure-this-summer?utm_campaign=socialflow_kotaku_facebook&utm_source=kotaku_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

Players of the sci-fi threequel will be able to experience additional cinematics and epilogue cutscenes that add further clarity to the ending of Mass Effect 3. However, the release doesn't mention any additional gameplay content. BioWare co-founder Ray Muyzka said the following regarding the Extended Cut:

"We are all incredibly proud of Mass Effect 3 and the work done by Casey Hudson and team. Since launch, we have had time to listen to the feedback from our most passionate fans and we are responding. With the Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut we think we have struck a good balance in delivering the answers players are looking for while maintaining the team's artistic vision for the end of this story arc in the Mass Effect universe."

Series executive producer Casey Hudson's elaboration in the statement says, "We have reprioritized our post-launch development efforts to provide the fans who want more closure with even more context and clarity to the ending of the game, in a way that will feel more personalized for each player."

[angrymissy]

and I can't wait for this panel tomorrow, especially after this announcement.

Basically everyone will probably be waiting on a long ass line to get in for 2-3 hours, with plenty of time to angrily talk about it.

By the time they actually start the panel people will be out for blood

[Chimee]

I've decided on a zen-like approach to this. My Mass Effect journey was my own and I will not allow a disappointing ending to cloud the entire experience. As far as I'm concerned, I've closed the book on the series and I'm not going to rant on the internet only to pay up the day the DLC comes out.

[sailor]

I am hoping for nerd riots.

And pepper spray!

[angrymissy]

I've decided on a zen-like approach to this. My Mass Effect journey was my own and I will not allow a disappointing ending to cloud the entire experience. As far as I'm concerned, I've closed the book on the series and I'm not going to rant on the internet only to pay up the day the DLC comes out.

Well, it's free but they haven't said anything about it including gameplay

[realmenhatelife]

Well, it's free but they haven't said anything about it including gameplay

Aren't they really fucked either way? People are pissed about the ending and now they're going to be pissed about there being DLC to change the ending. At some point you have to realize you're creating a no win situation for these guys.

[Chimee]

Aren't they really fucked either way? People are pissed about the ending and now they're going to be pissed about there being DLC to change the ending. At some point you have to realize you're creating a no win situation for these guys.

Don't forget that they'll also be pissed at whatever the new ending is.

[CountryBob]

Im just waiting until it all gets shaken down until this is over - before I play it.


and also that it is taking me months to play Skyrim....

[realmenhatelife]

The writing was really on the wall when to protest day 1 DLC there was a huge wave of people rating the game 0 to fuck with its metacritic score.

[TjM]

Aren't they really fucked either way? People are pissed about the ending and now they're going to be pissed about there being DLC to change the ending. At some point you have to realize you're creating a no win situation for these guys.

The DLC is free. But all it does is clarify the pile of dog shit that they call an ending

[realmenhatelife]

The DLC is free. But all it does is clarify the pile of dog shit that they call an ending

Yes, like I said, fucked either way. What people want is to download a ball licking apology, have $60 mailed back to them, and then see Bioware jump em masse into a volcano on Waponi Woo. And that's so they can then say "See, I told you so, I could run one of these companies so much better."

[booster11373]

I think people are pissed off and rightly so because EA has been on the forefront of the whole DLC and nickle and diming people who buy there product.

The Javin thing for instance is really ballsy in that from what I have read the content is on the disk when bought, you are paying to just unlock it

DLC should expand and enhance what I worry about is companies making a game then removing aspects and charging for the so called extra content later it just seems wrong

And Bioware doesnt need to clarify the ME 3 ending they need to change it entirely

[booster11373]

Did anyone maintain a romance with Liara through the 3 games? from what I read and talked about with others she was the uncommon choice with people mostly choosing Ash or Tali

I dont see how you would choose anyone but Liara but still just asking

[realmenhatelife]

I think people are pissed off and rightly so because EA has been on the forefront of the whole DLC and nickle and diming people who buy there product.

The Javin thing for instance is really ballsy in that from what I have read the content is on the disk when bought, you are paying to just unlock it

DLC should expand and enhance what I worry about is companies making a game then removing aspects and charging for the so called extra content later it just seems wrong

And Bioware doesnt need to clarify the ME 3 ending they need to change it entirely

DLC is a fine line, but if you dont feel short changed that the game on the disk cost what it did I dont see hwo you can be mad that the entire time they planned to release DLC. The fact that they developed it from early on makes the DLC better. They said 'what tells this story the way we want to tell it, what amount of gameplay is worth what we will ask for this game.' and they chopped out what's extra and I'm fine with that.

It's mathimatical, how many playing hours were ME:1 and 2? Does ME:3 compare? If so you didn't get short changed just because the company has something optional to sell you.

[HBox]

Yeah, the response from Bioware I was hoping for wasn't a longer version of their shitty fucking ending. I'm not interested.

[angrymissy]

The fucking line for the panel was so long that even getting there an hour early didn't get me in. I hope I can read about it online

[HBox]

The fucking line for the panel was so long that even getting there an hour early didn't get me in. I hope I can read about it online

The most interesting thing that happened was that they refused to put down the indoctrination theory. Other than that, nothing.

[weekapaugjz]

still playing. love exploding head shots.

[TjM]

Did anyone maintain a romance with Liara through the 3 games? from what I read and talked about with others she was the uncommon choice with people mostly choosing Ash or Tali

I dont see how you would choose anyone but Liara but still just asking

Tali

[booster11373]

I watched a youtube video on why Shepard was Indoctrinated...... whatever

The point is wasn't ME 3 supposed to be the end of the Shepard story?

I expect DLC but I thought it would be stuff like what happened on Earth with Anderson

[realmenhatelife]

From a story telling standpoint I like how the game ended. It really ends that shit, like for real. It's kindof ironic that people get their hackles up over DLC when the end of the game pretty much slaps the shackles on what they'll ever be able to do with ME from here on out.

I do understand frustration that all of the endings are essentially the same. My instinct is to want more endings so I can be told the story in different ways. But in a recent review of another game Yahtzee makes a really good point, if you're just going to fuck around and change the ending and the history and all that does the story you're telling really mean anything? Does it have any value or risk if I can just boot a save and totally get the opposite outcome 5 minutes after I finish the game?

I think there's a subtle grey area maybe they could've dug around in a little more, which they just sortof hinted at. Is Shephard doing the right thing by stopping the reapers? It will stop the lower species from developing. Are the salarians, who were tadpoles when the protheans were wiped out, all that upset that the protheans didn't finish the crucible and beat the reapers? At their most evolved the species are capable of their most evil. You find out the protheans werent a race of super evolved, benevolent beings. Your own cycle has participated in the genophage and depending on your decisions a geth holocaust.

I think people wanted a return to the status quo. They want things to go back to being how they were before the reapers, which is impossible. That's why the conflict is good in the story, you can only move forward. Every story you see where the goal is to get back to where you were before the conflict happened is about moving backwards and isn't worth telling.

The overarching tropes of Shephard are sacrifice, dedication, and dealing with tough decisions. Thats what the ending is about. As to your decisions not mattering, I dont think this is a fair assessment. Your combat readiness and your paragon/renegade score impact your options through the game and at the end. I didn't have all three outcomes open to me and I had conversation choices locked off with the illusive man.

I can understand how someone might have wished the ending to a really great game trilogy was a little different but allow that the ending is not the game and you have 3 really fantastic games filled with really good story and character to play, what I dont understand in the slightest is the rage. Buncha nerd babies.

[Chimee]

Buncha nerd babies.

That sums it up quite well. The loudest complaints about this game are from the same type of people who cry that Michael Bay and George Lucas are raping their childhood. They'll never be satisfied with any outcome because they live just to bitch about one thing or another in their beloved franchises that are so terrible to them, yet they still will pay for the DLC.

[realmenhatelife]

That sums it up quite well. The loudest complaints about this game are from the same type of people who cry that Michael Bay and George Lucas are raping their childhood. They'll never be satisfied with any outcome because they live just to bitch about one thing or another in their beloved franchises that are so terrible to them, yet they still will pay for the DLC.

I think even those people have a little more to work off of, because atleast that's something that existed before and is just being exploited for name recognition instead of coming up with a new idea. This is an original idea so acting like they've somehow been wreckless with their own idea is just insane.




I had not watched the indoctrination theory, which makes sense and I have to say pushes me from 'was fine with the ending' to 'the ending is an amazing acheivment in active storytelling.'

[Bob Impact]

From a story telling standpoint I like how the game ended. It really ends that shit, like for real. It's kindof ironic that people get their hackles up over DLC when the end of the game pretty much slaps the shackles on what they'll ever be able to do with ME from here on out.

I do understand frustration that all of the endings are essentially the same. My instinct is to want more endings so I can be told the story in different ways. But in a recent review of another game Yahtzee makes a really good point, if you're just going to fuck around and change the ending and the history and all that does the story you're telling really mean anything? Does it have any value or risk if I can just boot a save and totally get the opposite outcome 5 minutes after I finish the game?

I think there's a subtle grey area maybe they could've dug around in a little more, which they just sortof hinted at. Is Shephard doing the right thing by stopping the reapers? It will stop the lower species from developing. Are the salarians, who were tadpoles when the protheans were wiped out, all that upset that the protheans didn't finish the crucible and beat the reapers? At their most evolved the species are capable of their most evil. You find out the protheans werent a race of super evolved, benevolent beings. Your own cycle has participated in the genophage and depending on your decisions a geth holocaust.

I think people wanted a return to the status quo. They want things to go back to being how they were before the reapers, which is impossible. That's why the conflict is good in the story, you can only move forward. Every story you see where the goal is to get back to where you were before the conflict happened is about moving backwards and isn't worth telling.

The overarching tropes of Shephard are sacrifice, dedication, and dealing with tough decisions. Thats what the ending is about. As to your decisions not mattering, I dont think this is a fair assessment. Your combat readiness and your paragon/renegade score impact your options through the game and at the end. I didn't have all three outcomes open to me and I had conversation choices locked off with the illusive man.

I can understand how someone might have wished the ending to a really great game trilogy was a little different but allow that the ending is not the game and you have 3 really fantastic games filled with really good story and character to play, what I dont understand in the slightest is the rage. Buncha nerd babies.
Having a conversation option blocked off is a dynamic ending based on your choices over the course of 3 games and 7 years, it's having a choice blocked because you didn't get enough of a paragon/renegade score in this game. Aside from that the bigger issue is that they only difference between the 3 endings is the color of the explosion. That's not the "your choices matter" ending they promised but failed to deliver. Which is a shame because the rest of the series, and even most of ME3 was insanely well written.

[realmenhatelife]

Having a conversation option blocked off is a dynamic ending based on your choices over the course of 3 games and 7 years, it's having a choice blocked because you didn't get enough of a paragon/renegade score in this game. Aside from that the bigger issue is that they only difference between the 3 endings is the color of the explosion. That's not the "your choices matter" ending they promised but failed to deliver. Which is a shame because the rest of the series, and even most of ME3 was insanely well written.

But you couldn't have endings that rely on you having played all three games and still having your save. People would flip shit if the game withheld content that could only be unlocked by franchise long saves.

If we're to believe the indoctrination video, and I think it's plausible, the endings were visually similar but hugely different. Maybe the cinematics they release will help satisfy this for you.

But decisions between saves did change gameplay. I started a new campaign because I wanted to play a different class, which I later regretted because I saved everyone at the end of ME 2 and did not run into them in ME 3, because they were dead. Now I'm going back to replay from my save because I want to get those interactions I missed.

[Bob Impact]

But you couldn't have endings that rely on you having played all three games and still having your save. People would flip shit if the game withheld content that could only be unlocked by franchise long saves.

If we're to believe the indoctrination video, and I think it's plausible, the endings were visually similar but hugely different. Maybe the cinematics they release will help satisfy this for you.

But decisions between saves did change gameplay. I started a new campaign because I wanted to play a different class, which I later regretted because I saved everyone at the end of ME 2 and did not run into them in ME 3, because they were dead. Now I'm going back to replay from my save because I want to get those interactions I missed.

Yes you can, particularly when Bioware always marketed the games as just that, a trilogy where the choices you make in every game determine the final outcome.

ME2 had DLC (free) that simulated the choices from ME1 for your save. Similarly if you start a new save in ME3 it asks you questions to set the important things from ME1 & 2. The indoctrination video isn't something BW put out, it's fans reaching blindly for some kind of deeper meaning to the rushed mess of the ending. That's the real reason for all of this, the old creative lead left in the middle of this game (hence the awesome Quarian/Geth & Genophage storylines being mixed in with the nonsensical Miranda storyline) and EA was pushing to get a product out the door with a new creative lead, that's really it. If the indoctrination videos turn out to be true it's only because Bioware watched them and decided that was a better idea for an ending than they had.

[Bob Impact]

More than any of that what bugged me was the fact that all of that running around and gathering war assets amounted to nothing more than a sum that set whether or not a conversation choice was available at the end. Hell, the rachni almost destroyed the entire galaxy at one point you before the krogran were uplifted to kill them into extinction, so after I found a queen, brought them back from extinction only to get a single email about them later in the game and that's it, you would think I would have seen them fighting in the last level, or the primes that aligned with me, or Samara, or any one of the war assets I spent the entire game recruiting. But instead we got nothing, literally no difference, they did a shitty, shitty job with the ending.

That said, the remaining 90% of the game was really great, and I'm enjoying the multiplayer, they did that stuff perfectly IMO.

[HBox]

On one level, the indoctrination theory is interesting. But I think it's only interesting IN CONTRAST to the poorly thought out regular ending. The main point it has in its favor is that, unlike the actual ending, it actually follows from some central, genuine themes throughout the games, unlike the unconnected and pulled out of the ass feeling from the real ending.

But it comes with a gigantic point against it: IT IS NOT AN ENDING. If it was actually true the game ended when running towards conduit, or perhaps earlier or later depending what version of he theory you believe. It actually magnifies some of the worst faults of the real ending. Instead of having no clue what happens to most of your companions, the fleets surrounding earth and not knowing why the Normandy is high tailing its way far away from you, you have nothing. You don't know what happened to them, how the war ends, if the war ends, who survives, who dies, there's nothing. No closure whatsoever.

Unless they finished it with more DLC, which sets an EVEN WORSE precedent. You have a developer shipping one of the biggest games of the year without an ending, and perhaps even charging for it later. There's a big enough problem with shit being stripped out of games and sold as DLC. We don't need to have that start happening with endings.

[realmenhatelife]

Yes you can, particularly when Bioware always marketed the games as just that, a trilogy where the choices you make in every game determine the final outcome.

ME2 had DLC (free) that simulated the choices from ME1 for your save. Similarly if you start a new save in ME3 it asks you questions to set the important things from ME1 & 2. The indoctrination video isn't something BW put out, it's fans reaching blindly for some kind of deeper meaning to the rushed mess of the ending. That's the real reason for all of this, the old creative lead left in the middle of this game (hence the awesome Quarian/Geth & Genophage storylines being mixed in with the nonsensical Miranda storyline) and EA was pushing to get a product out the door with a new creative lead, that's really it. If the indoctrination videos turn out to be true it's only because Bioware watched them and decided that was a better idea for an ending than they had.

I think the indocrination theory is too sound to say it's fans 'reaching blindly' or to speculate that Bioware would retcon the game to match up with it. For starts if you could prove you originated the theory which was then appropriated by Bioware you could probably sue their balls off, especially if Bioware couldn't provide scripts, storyboards etc showing that the idea originated with them.

I dont think the point of the game is to wind up with a half hour of cut scenes at the end. That isn't fun at all to me. And there is material there during the participation of the actual events that to me removes the need to revisit it at the end. I dont need to see the Krogan fighting because there was plenty of Krogan story during the Krogan missions etc.

If they were going for subtlety you're in a tight spot. Video games aren't traditionally about subtlety. I do know I felt that the best moral option to choose at the end was maybe not as moral as I originally thought now that I'm sitting with it.
I chose to 'take control' of the reapers which is 1- what I was telling the illusive man is impossible, 2- does not destroy the reapers. It goes against the idea that soliders sacrifice themselves and commanders need to make those decisions (ending all artificial life) which is a feature of your own and 2 or 3 other characters archs. And there's also using the language 'ascending' and the decidedly christ like imagery of that ending. Even considering that the game could have 'indoctrinated' me as a player have made me enjoy the ending 10 x more than most other games.

[RingWraith]

Just finished playing both Mass Effect 2 and 3 back to back, and I must say both games are fantastic. Easily one of the greatest games I ever played. As far as the ending goes for ME3, I thought it was okaaay, but definitely wasn't great way to end the game's story. I would've preferred some kind of epilogue. Hopefully the DLC extended cut will be just that.

[angrymissy]

I forget about how much the ending of this game pissed me off, only to occasionally remember it, and get all pissed off again

It's summer, where's the DLC?

[booster11373]

I forget about how much the ending of this game pissed me off, only to occasionally remember it, and get all pissed off again

It's summer, where's the DLC?

I agree I must have replayed ME2 5 or 6 times, I have yet to replay ME3

[angrymissy]

June 26th

http://www.masseffect.com/about/extended_cut/

[HBox]

June 26th

http://www.masseffect.com/about/extended_cut/

I'm so prepared for more disappointment that I almost don't want to even play it. But I will.

[angrymissy]

I'm so prepared for more disappointment that I almost don't want to even play it. But I will.

It's almost 2gigs so I guess it will at least be pretty involved

[angrymissy]

Starting it right now... in case anyone is confused (I was), you need to use the "legend" save created after you beat the game... it will show the next priority mission as the attack on the cerberus base. You need to play through from there. Yes, annoying. I'm putting it on narrative because I haven't played the game in months and I just want the story parts of it.

[angrymissy]

What a load of crapola

Just watch the various endings online

Seriously, it wasn't worth playing through the whole ending again... nothing you do matters, you'll still get the same crap, just expanded. And there is 1 new ending (refusal)

Here is what you will miss from watching someone elses ending online - a flashback showing the face of each person that's died in your game. That's pretty much the only unique thing you'll get.

Also, they explain how the people that were with you on the last mission survive even though they said everyones dead

oh the normandy just magically appears in like 2 seconds after Shepard radios for them to come evac her squad. Seriously? It's like a 30 second scene. Why wouldn't they just put that in the original ending?

[HBox]

It was exactly what I thought it would be when they announced it. They fixed the plot holes so that you aren't wondering things like "Why the fuck is this happening?" "Why would they do this?" and "What the fuck happened to so and so?" but the real problems with the ending, the way it doesn't thematically fit with anything that came before it and how your decisions still have fuck all to do with the end still remain. They married themselves to a complete shit ending. The best that can be said about this is that it doesn't come off as unfinished and lazy as the original ending did. But it still shits all over the brilliance that was the entire series until the very end.

And while they acknowledged the evilness behind the catalyst this time you still really can't give it any comeuppance beyond the destroy ending.

And the refusal ending is clearly a passive aggressive swipe by Bioware at everyone who hated the original endings. Oh, you hate the three choices? Think they are stupid? Think they make no sense? Well, here, instead of those 3 here's another one that's even shorter and even worse than the original 3. That will teach you for shooting starkid.

What this really showed was what a lazy and amateur job they did with the original endings. This was a well done, well executed ending, no matter how shitty the idea behind it was. Above all else it proves how cavalier about the ending they were in the first place. All that talk about how proud they were in the ending is sad. If they were actually proud of that original ending I feel sorry for them.

And I'm not spending another penny on anything Mass Effect.

[HBox]

After thinking about it for a day the endings, and one in particular, are feeling better to me.

I like that they clarified Starkid more. He's now clearly showcased as a rogue, crazy AI that isn't controlling the Reapers but actually IS the reapers, and as the Refuse ending reveals, one reaper in particular.

I'm feeling much better about the refuse ending now. I no longer know if Bioware intended this as a fuck you to disgruntled fans, and now I'm strongly leaning away from that. Because if you think about it it is a fitting ending depending on what you know going into the final scene and what your values are. Because it actually is a good ending in that you are the major factor in eventually beating the Reapers even if all life in this cycle falls. The epilogue scene is changed in this ending with two aliens talking about "The Shepard" rather than the human old man and boy. And, most importantly, in this ending you can do it your way rather than with the prepackaged "solutions" that Starkid allows you. Because really, at that point, especially with what he is telling you, you have NO REASON to believe anything he says.

And that is amplified by his line right after you pick the refusal option. All traces of the kid voice disappear and in the deep voice of Harbinger he says "SO BE IT." Yes, that damn Starkid was Harbinger all along. Nice twist.

Still a lackluster finale to the series, but no longer an abortion in my eyes. It went from a 1/10 to a 4/10..... maybe a 3.5 out of 10.

Synthesis is still a ridiculous joke of an ending and it is laughable that they seem to still want to present it as the best option. It's stupid from every angle, it makes no sense, Shepard would never make that kind of choice and force it on all life everywhere and doesn't follow the themes of the game at all.

[angrymissy]

You spend like 2 games fighting against synthesis and then would choose it? That ending is BS.

If they had released these endings with the game, I would have been like, ok, this is kind of meh, but whatever. The fact that this is their "improved" ending (those slideshows were lame and cheap) makes it worse.

I mean... why couldn't they have that scene where the Normandy comes in and picks up your team and evacs them in the original ending? Because that confused the fuck outta me my first playthrough...

[booster11373]

Mass Effect 1 is unplayable after playing ME 2 and 3 solely because of the control scheme (on PC at least)