Mass Effect 3 (SPOILERS!)

[Remus Lupin]

Hey folks,

Since the non-spoiler threat for Mass Effect 3 means that we can't actually talk about anything that actually happens in the game, I thought that it might be a good idea for us to have a thread where we can talk about the events of the game, particularly given some of the controversy about the ending. So consider this your spoilerific Mass Effect 3 thread.

Here there be spoilers! Continue at your own risk, and don't complain if you didn't want to know something. You've been warned!

 

[Remus Lupin]

I'll jump right into the controversy about the ending: I avoided spoilers about what actually happens at the end (though I knew there was controversy), and played it through once so far. So here's my impression.

If you are only going to play the game once, I didn't think the ending was so bad. But that's because you wouldn't necessarily know that the alternate endings actually aren't substantively different. Once you know that, it sort of obviates the idea that your choices make a real difference to the outcome of the game.

But I think that there's a deeper problem related to the ending, which is the idea that there's no real difference between the "I've played a paragon all the way through and chosen a paragon choice for the ending" and "I've been a badass renegade all the way through and chosen a renegade ending." Things like whether you can transcend the Biological/AI distinction or whether you can control or destroy the Reapers ought to produce substantively different outcomes. It ought to be possible to save the Mass Effect Relays and allow for a genuine galactic civilization to come about.

Also, as some of the reviews have pointed out, a lot of the ending doesn't make sense from a story continuity perspective. For example, blowing up the relays is a big deal. Blowing up one relay is apparently like a star going supernova, and Shepherd blows them all up (irrespective of the ending you choose). And doing so, he traps the millions of troops on earth with no resources and no way of getting back to their home planets. That's got to thrill Wrex!

Finally, there's the problem of the Normandy at the end. The ending only makes sense if you don't ask why the heck Joker and the Normandy crew decided at the last minute to hightail it off earth, to the nearest mass relay and abandon Shepherd.

So, it's understandable that many people have gotten upset at the ending. If you only play the game once and don't over think it, it's probably not really that bad. But as soon as you start thinking seriously about it, or want to replay the game, it gets deeply annoying very quickly.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Yes, the ending has a little too many or to big plot holes. Ofcourse, one can always argue that it just means there is more to it. A favorite theory is that the ending is actually the Reapers indoctrinating Shepard, or trying to do so. But even then it doesn't work quite out (the Normandy scene never makes sense).
I also don't get why the Citadal Security affects my war assets if the Citadel is conquered anyway and nothing whatsoever is going on he Citadel that would indicate some defenders made a difference.

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Otherwise, I loved the game. I think from the start the only thing I disliked really was the Crubicle. I am not a fan of mystical superweapons that save the day. It also led to an uneven ending.

But again, the rest - really well done. There was a lot of interesting details going on the Citadel. Following the various NPC dialogs was sometimes interesting.

My favorite scenes may have been the Geth/Quarian reunion and the scene and Moridin and the Genophage (probably especially due to to Moridin's unfortunate ending... I loved this guy.)

 

[Remus Lupin]

Somehow I screwed up the Geth/Quarian thing and I didn't get the paragon option that would have allowed them to reconcile. As a result, I sided with the Geth (without realizing that it would lead to disaster for the Quarians), and Tali ended up throwing herself off a cliff. I felt genuinely bad about that and considered going back to replay the whole damn mission so I could get the "right" outcome. But that's the thing about Mass Effect -- You have to live with the consequences of your actions.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

I was ok with the ending, especially when you consider it was a story that was told by some old man voiced by Buzz Aldrin, to his grandchild in distant future about the legend of "The Shepard".

But if they want to change the ending with more DLC, I'm also fine with that, since it's more of Mass Effect 3 to play.

It's not the ending that matters, like the journey over the destination, most of the game leading up to that was still enjoyable. I really liked the desperation there was when you actually land in London with the Hammer forces. Hearing that woman over the radio deciding to commit suicide as a reaper approached, really showed just how desperate it was even with the presence of the Turians and Krogan assisting the Alliance forces.

Though I personally think one of the best highlights was the feces analyzer thing on Sur'kesh from the annoyed Salarian on that console. The whole "don't touch that" bit.

 

[Dragonwriter]

I found the ending of the game (and therefore the trilogy) to be a poor one. Whichever you choose, you see largely the same things, your work is largely negated, the galaxy is horribly screwed up, and you have possibly become a massive hypocrite. Some of these things could be mitigated depending on what you have done, but my issues with it remain as stated.

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For instance, I managed to bring the Geth and Quarians together and establish what seemed to be the foundations of peace (along with punching a Quarian admiral and kicking him off my ship). The Geth also became true, free-willed AIs as a part of this. I talked with EDI on a regular basis and basically guided her to as-close-to-true-humanity-as-possible and helped her understand free will and what to do with it. Then comes decision time... Destroy or Control all Synthetics! So I fought hard to get the Geth accepted as a race and gave them complete sentience and free will just so I could wipe them from the galaxy or take over their minds? I totally accept there are consequences to my actions, but choosing either of these makes me a terrible hypocrite.
Or I could choose Synthesis and fuse all Synthetic and Organic life... which negates my work for each species' right to live and the work I have done to protect each race of the galaxy.

Then there's the destruction of the Mass Relays (which happens no matter what ending you choose)... When the Alpha Relay was destroyed in the Arrival DLC, it wiped out a solar system and every single living thing in it. That was one plain relay. Destroying all of them should devastate the galaxy and leave most inhabited systems a wasteland, thereby causing even more death and destruction than the Reapers. And even if the catastrophic effects were somehow negated by the Crucible, just obliterating the relay rather than causing it to blow up, it still leaves the entire galaxy without the one effective way to travel through the galaxy. It was established that FTL travel is not really workable for Organics and replicating the relays is beyond the scope of their skill. So now everyone is stranded in whatever section of the galaxy they happened to be on when the relays went boom, assuming they even survived.

And there's the whole weirdness with the Normandy crashing on some unknown planet, which happens no matter what and there is no explanation for why they seemed to go through the relay just before it went kablooey.
[/sblock]

So, yeah... Not happy with the ending. It felt like it invalidated much of what went into the series over the years.
The reaction I've seen elsewhere has not been surprising, though the amount of vitriol spewed at BioWare has been uncalled for. And the whole business with the FTC is just plain silly. I'm hoping they will listen to the displeased fans and release something more on-par with the rest of the game in terms of sheer awesomeness. And I hope it will be free, but I doubt it, thanks to EA's DLC strategy of charging for every single little thing...

All that said, I still loved the game. The story was riveting and powerful and filled with too many awesome moments. Going up against the Reaper on Tuchanka and calling in Kalros to take it down was one of the coolest scenes ever! Going to Rannoch and watching the Normandy dodge fire from both sides to reach the Geth Destroyer was gripping. Bringing in the combined might of damn near every sentient species, all to make that final assault with the Crucible was beyond amazing.
And saying goodbye to so many characters was really heart-wrenching for me... I played my import from ME1 and 2 and had made it out of the Omega-4 Suicide Mission with everyone still alive and kicking. I had really come to like each of them and saying goodbye was really tough. I'll admit I shed tears several times during the game.

I'm not sure when I'll play through it again... At the moment, I've been hitting the multiplayer and really enjoying that.

 

[Kzach]

What are the paragon and renegade endings?

I finally finished it with my main Shepard. He was paragade in ME1, ie. a badass who'd shoot you in the face but only after every other option was exhausted. Then in ME2 he was a renagon, ie. something screwed him up inside and it wasn't until he fought through his confusion that he ended ME2 as a paragade (just) again. But in ME3, he was paragon almost entirely. He felt he had to bury his urge to shoot people in the face in order to save the galaxy. Those people might've deserved it, but they were better off allies than dead.

But when it came to the end, I felt that the only 'right' thing to do, irrespective of paragon or renegade endings, was synthesis. I also felt it was the best possible ending to the series. In fact, I never expected Shepard to make it and even before all the spoiler BS of everyone whining and bitching about the ending, felt that it was inevitable that he'd sacrifice himself for the greater good.

His only regret was never seeing all his little blue children.

 

[Kzach]

It ought to be possible to save the Mass Effect Relays and allow for a genuine galactic civilization to come about.

Why?

For example, blowing up the relays is a big deal. Blowing up one relay is apparently like a star going supernova, and Shepherd blows them all up (irrespective of the ending you choose).

I'm assuming that the energy colour is blue for paragon, red for renegade. The relays weren't 'blown up', their energy was utilised to spread the 'solution'. Of course the relays themselves would break apart and the venting of combustible gasses would cause small explosions, but it wasn't a supernova explosion. Kinda thought that was obvious.

Finally, there's the problem of the Normandy at the end. The ending only makes sense if you don't ask why the heck Joker and the Normandy crew decided at the last minute to hightail it off earth, to the nearest mass relay and abandon Shepherd.

Err... he was outrunning the "OMG, what the Hell is that massive burst of red/green/blue energy coming towards us?! EVASIVE MANOEUVRES!"

Again, kinda thought that was self-explanatory, especially given the movie SHOWING it.

So, it's understandable that many people have gotten upset at the ending. If you only play the game once and don't over think it, it's probably not really that bad. But as soon as you start thinking seriously about it, or want to replay the game, it gets deeply annoying very quickly.

Eh, I'll admit that I haven't seen the paragon or renegade endings but from what I gather, they're basically the same bar being blue or red coloured. I get that people are butt-hurt over that, but I don't really see a need to be.

I'm possibly on the extreme end of the scale when it comes to fanboism of this series. I've played ME1 and 2 so many times through that I've literally lost count. I've played it on every difficulty, with every class, and every combination of paragon, renegade, renegon and paragade Shepards. Romanced every character, even Ashley who I personally think is a disgusting example of humanity. If there was anyone who should be butt-hurt over a poor ending, it should be me. And yet, I found it to be quite satisfying and more than expected.

Honestly, all this moaning is the reason why we don't get very much GOOD science fiction. Good science fiction doesn't answer every question or lead us by the noses to the 'right' conclusions. It's the difference between Moon and Star Wars: All Three Prequels.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

I think that when they do come up with a new ending it'll leave things more open for either another series or a MMORPG.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

And Penny Arcade has a "leak" of the new ending:

Penny Arcade - The Delicious Invasion