Mass Effect 3 ending SPOILERS!

[Bigeyez]

How do you know they handed the crew a death sentence? For all you know they landed on a colonized world. Its obviously habitable and if its habitable it will have a chance of having life and food on it. So yes I don't take offense because WE DON'T KNOW THEY WILL DIE.....

Asuming they landed in a habitable world, not all of them could survive without stretching things. For starters, Tali and Garrus are dextro dna so they can't eat food from a levo dna (regular) planet. There's the issue of Joker's vrolik's syndrome. He needs constant medical attention. Even not showing anything would've been better than this. It's on par with the gross contradictions of established lore on the latest ME novel.

But nothing you said was a contradiction. And again you are assuming the worst. We don't know where they are. Again for all we know they are on a colonized planet. For all we know the crew can come up with a food source for Tali/Garrus and meds for Joker, there is a full lab and tons of teach aboard the Normandy. We just don't know. And say the worst happens and Tali/Garrus/Joker die and they are on a planet with no other humanoids. Thats still doesn't mean the rest of the crew will die. Again not liking it is your opinion and you are entitled to it. Just like I'm entitled to like it. =)

Agree to disagree then? =) I actually put a list of reasons why the ending isn't as bleak as it seems if you consider the Destroy and the 'Shepard becomes a Reaper' endings on the review thread. Another poster said it was too much of a reach, that this is something Bioware shouldn't have left open. For that, I agree. The moment I saw what I thought was a child getting blown up in the transport I knew something was up with this Mass Effect.

Still, I'll hope for that olive branch from the developer, something to say Shepard did not just conform to the choices given and die, and that the Normandy crew did not get stranded just because they didn't find profitable to produce all the possible LI reunion sequences.

Heck I know if Bioware did in fact come out with soe sort of DLC containing that I'd buy it and play it. Either way I'm happy.

 

[kuolonen]

I know there are people who think journey is more important that the destination. To them this game is no doubt a master piece. Because the Game is awesome untill the last 10 minutes or so. Heck Shepard and anderson watching earth was truly touching. But the ending...

This game was supposed to have the epic end for for the 3 games combined time I spent playing Mass effect series. I wanted a reward. I wanted a summary of the results for my actions, even if it was in text form. I got one line "shepards a legend". Shepard in a House on Rannoch with Tali. Shepards mind leading the reaper fleet. Races coming together after synthesis. Anything.

3 Games.. a lot of time spent playing in front my computer, lot of emotions invested, willingly and otherwise, and they give me this? I dont even mind the bittersweet tone of the control and synthesis endings, I just wanted some meaningfull epilogue as an end for this story.

As for argument "use your imagination" ...If I could imagine the results of all the actions I've made past these 3 games, I wouldnt have bothered to buy these games in the first place.

Well heres hoping to that the next worthy series out of bioware in the next 10-15 years will have a proper ending. Lets hope world wont end in 2012 or any other year before that happens.

 

[Danny Ocean]

That's a Phyrric Victory.

That's the point.

A good story isn't supposed make you happy. A good story is supposed to leave you thinking. A story like this should end by burdening you with that one agonizing question. That question that has no definitive answer. That question that really puts into perspective what it is to be human. That question that burns itself into your mind, if only fleetingly:

"Did I do the right thing?"

To be honest, the endings certainly did that. At least for me. This is the kind of experience that other media cannot replicate. In other stories (including other games), we are led to question the decisions and values of others. In this game, we are led to question ourselves, and that's a wonderful thing. I think bioware have really outdone themselves and provided a great example of artistic expression.

 

[Avatar Roku]

That's a Phyrric Victory.

That's the point.

A good story isn't supposed make you happy. A good story is supposed to leave you thinking. A story like this should end by burdening you with that one agonizing question. That question that has no definitive answer. That question that really puts into perspective what it is to be human. That question that burns itself into your mind, if only fleetingly:

"Did I do the right thing?"

To be honest, the endings certainly did that. At least for me. This is the kind of experience that other media cannot replicate. In other stories (including other games), we are led to question the decisions and values of others. In this game, we are led to question ourselves, and that's a wonderful thing. I think bioware have really outdone themselves and provided a great example of artistic expression.

And that's fine. The ending itself wasn't THAT bad on analysis. Problem is, the way it was told was such a ballkick. To quote myself:

To the people defending the endings, I see your point. I really do. The endings themselves are not inherently bad. If developed well, they could have actually been quite good. But look at how it happened. The game was over, but then our ending was just snatched away from us. We go from an ending where the historic work that Shepard did, that we did, really mattered and paid off, to an ending where every previous choice we made was devalued.

The Reapers' goals and such, even the Catalyst AI, could have worked on their own, but they really, really should have been developed. As it was, they were pulled out with 10 minutes to go, when we're already past the game's climax (EDIT: The climax being the confrontation with The Illusive Man, btw)and not at the point where we want new elements introduced. Ever notice how, in ME1 and 2, you made your big choice BEFORE (or, in ME2's case, before round 2 of) the big boss fight? There's a reason for that: pacing. Momentum. Pulling out that sort of bombshell when the pacing was telling us that the game is over is just horrible storytelling. When talking to the Catalyst, Shepard looks and sounds dazed and confused, and at that moment, I felt the same way.

If we'd talked to the Catalyst, and then confronted TIM, it actually could have been so much better.

 

[Hyper-space]

They're an insult to the player simply on account of being almost a non-effort. For the end of a trilogy whose main selling point was choice, you get not even a minute of a cinematic, no answers, and indeed many more questions, and your choices made throughout the trilogy, are rendered moot. Never mind the objections I and other people have on the actual quality of the storytelling of those endings.

But your choices did have an effect on how the story and ending would play out, whether or not you let someone live or run away or whatever determines how big of a force you can assemble. Did you really expect an ending where your choice of whether or not you punched some reporter in the face had a direct effect?

The sheer amount of choices in the series renders any attempt at linking them all together in the end futile, the only thing one could expect was for the the choices to have an INDIRECT effect on how things would play out. People simply just bought into the hype too much and built up these impossible expectations that couldn't possibly be achieved story-wise.

And yes, "leaving it to the players' imaginations" is a cop-out.

Cause fuck you Stanley Kubrick, the ending to 2001: A Space Odyssey was shit! Leaving shit to the viewer's imagination, what a cop-out!

 

[Vindictus]

Cause fuck you Stanley Kubrick, the ending to 2001: A Space Odyssey was shit! Leaving shit to the viewer's imagination, what a cop-out!

These two things have almost nothing to do with each other.

 

[Hyper-space]

Cause fuck you Stanley Kubrick, the ending to 2001: A Space Odyssey was shit! Leaving shit to the viewer's imagination, what a cop-out!

These two things have almost nothing to do with each other.

Semi-vague endings that left some details to the viewer's/player's imagination, of course they do not have anything in common!

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

I love it how people are trying to justify the ending. I find that funny. You're actually trying to convince yourselves that the ending is good. You're rationalizing it subconsciously. Accept the fact that Bioware fucked up. The sooner you accept it the easier it will be to move on to better and bigger things.

 

[Deathninja19]

Why would you want to destroy the Reapers? They are the guardians of life, destroying only the life that threatened all life. Inevitably without them some race would make AIs that would rebel against organics and kill all life in the galaxy.
Which is worse? A galaxy teemed with life that only has its advanced races extinguished every 50.000 years, or an eternally dead galaxy? Obviously the second.

That's why I see the synthesis as the only good ending. No more doomed galaxy, no more Reapers.
This is all based on what the Catalyst said anyway. I hope he didn't lie. Lol.

Why is organic life more important than artificial life, I mean I think we all agree that the Geth belong to live just as much as the Quarians. Just because artificial life doesn't fit in to our definition of life doesn't mean it doesn't deserve to exist. Plus why would AI always turn evil?

Also as people have said why would all technology lead to AI, that is a reach of Battlestar Galactica proportions.

 

[Bigeyez]

I love it how people are trying to justify the ending. I find that funny. You're actually trying to convince yourselves that the ending is good. You're rationalizing it subconsciously. Accept the fact that Bioware fucked up. The sooner you accept it the easier it will be to move on to better and bigger things.

Accept the fact that people have differing opinions from yours.

 

[XandNobody]

-Snip-

Dude I had full Paragon and everything but I didn't notice a 3rd ending.

Yeah you had three endings because you had three magic buttons to push. Destroy the Reapers, Control the Reapers or Merge organics and synthetics together.

Actually, I can confirm that a third ending wasn't presented to me either, apparently you can do something to take the synthetics merge with organics ending off the table. Kinda wish I knew what that something was so I can get that ending, as of the three endings, that one sucks the least IMO.

 

[Danny Ocean]

Actually, I can confirm that a third ending wasn't presented to me either, apparently you can do something to take the synthetics merge with organics ending off the table. Kinda wish I knew what that something was so I can get that ending, as of the three endings, that one sucks the least IMO.

Did you elevate the Geth? Did you gain EDI's skill?

 

[XandNobody]

Yep and yep. I think I got two skills off EDI actually.

 

[Danny Ocean]

Yep and yep. I think I got two skills off EDI actually.

Hhmm.

Your reputation. Was it almost entirely paragon/renegade?

Perhaps the middle synthesis option is only available if you yourself take the middle path. I had one notch worth of renegade three/four paragon and the option was there for me.

It makes for a more upsetting game (as you lack sufficient points to make the speech checks), but perhaps that's made up for by the best ending.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

I love it how people are trying to justify the ending. I find that funny. You're actually trying to convince yourselves that the ending is good. You're rationalizing it subconsciously. Accept the fact that Bioware fucked up. The sooner you accept it the easier it will be to move on to better and bigger things.

Accept the fact that people have differing opinions from yours.

Only those who didn't bother analyzing the ending and noticing all the logic flaws that plague it. Once they do that they'll either accept the fact that it sucks, or try to convince themselves that it's still good.

 

[Bigeyez]

I love it how people are trying to justify the ending. I find that funny. You're actually trying to convince yourselves that the ending is good. You're rationalizing it subconsciously. Accept the fact that Bioware fucked up. The sooner you accept it the easier it will be to move on to better and bigger things.

Accept the fact that people have differing opinions from yours.

Only those who didn't bother analyzing the ending and noticing all the logic flaws that plague it. Once they do that they'll either accept the fact that it sucks, or try to convince themselves that it's still good.

First off you are stating your opinion as FACT. (If I have to explain whats wrong with that then obviously you aren't worth the time or effort to have a conversation with) Secondly not everyone thinks like you do and thank God for that. People have differing opinions. Deal with it. You didn't like the ending? Go cry to Bioware about it. Don't demean people who did.

 

[Hyper-space]

Did I miss something about 2001? Was it some sort of a 1969 video-game trilogy with player input on the story?

Yeah, because I was comparing ME3 with 2001 in terms of player input and NOT because my point was that...

[HEADING=1]Endings that leave room for interpretation should not be considered cop-outs considering that a lot of great movies and books have had vague endings.[/HEADING]

Aight, lets move on.

The choices don't play into the ending in any sort of a meaningful way is what I mean. You still get the same 2 (or 3, if you're a completionist), choices no matter what. Never mind the fact that the choices weren't even close to being the biggest part of my disappointment. The fact that you choose to overlook the complete lack of closure, tying loose ends (indeed creating many more of those) or being railroaded in the same couple of barely differing decisions no matter what speaks volumes of the soundness of your position.

So you were expecting THOUSANDS of different endings to the trilogy? You were expecting every single fucking important decision that you made to have its own unique (and direct) effect on the ending? Point me to the nearest universe where this is possible.

And did they promise you closure? Is that some universal law of video-game writing? Is every story supposed to fucking have a happy ending? No?

The writers of ANY fiction (whether it be video-games, movies or books) do not owe you closure. There is not some universal writing-clause that says that by purchasing this work, you are guaranteed a happy ending where all the plot-points are left resolved. Just because they didn't tell you how your romance went or what happened to the other characters doesn't mean that it is inherently bad nor that doing so is essential for a good story.

Considering how much has to go into these games, having just two different outcomes to every action alone doubles the amount work that needs to be done. Gamers need to accept the fact that their expectations for a lot of things are unrealistic 99% of the time and would require time and money that might not be there. That applies to the apparent expectation of 100 different endings that the ME fans built up.

Sure, you could pretend to know good writing and offer your subjective opinion on it, but that is besides the point.

 

[Cl0udz0r]

I don't think the Geth peace with Quarians and EDI's case can be arguments that synthetics and organics can leave in peace. I mean, they were at peace for what, a few days? How about 100.000 years? Think the peace will last? For all we know the Geth or other AI races would probably find a reason to exterminate all organic life sooner or later. Catalyst might be right.

 

[ZeroMachine]

Did I miss something about 2001? Was it some sort of a 1969 video-game trilogy with player input on the story?

Yeah, because I was comparing ME3 with 2001 in terms of player input and NOT because my point was that...

[HEADING=1]Endings that leave room for interpretation should not be considered cop-outs considering that a lot of great movies and books have had vague endings.[/HEADING]

Aight, lets move on.

The choices don't play into the ending in any sort of a meaningful way is what I mean. You still get the same 2 (or 3, if you're a completionist), choices no matter what. Never mind the fact that the choices weren't even close to being the biggest part of my disappointment. The fact that you choose to overlook the complete lack of closure, tying loose ends (indeed creating many more of those) or being railroaded in the same couple of barely differing decisions no matter what speaks volumes of the soundness of your position.

So you were expecting THOUSANDS of different endings to the trilogy? You were expecting every single fucking important decision that you made to have its own unique (and direct) effect on the ending? Point me to the nearest universe where this is possible.

And did they promise you closure? Is that some universal law of video-game writing? Is every story supposed to fucking have a happy ending? No?

The writers of ANY fiction (whether it be video-games, movies or books) do not owe you closure. There is not some universal writing-clause that says that by purchasing this work, you are guaranteed a happy ending where all the plot-points are left resolved. Just because they didn't tell you how your romance went or what happened to the other characters doesn't mean that it is inherently bad nor that doing so is essential for a good story.

Considering how much has to go into these games, having just two different outcomes to every action alone doubles the amount work that needs to be done. Gamers need to accept the fact that their expectations for a lot of things are unrealistic 99% of the time and would require time and money that might not be there. That applies to the apparent expectation of 100 different endings that the ME fans built up.

Sure, you could pretend to know good writing and offer your subjective opinion on it, but that is besides the point.

Although I do believe that player choices should have played more into the ending (and the lack of a final boss disappointed me) I overall agree with you.

The ending wasn't inherently bad. It just didn't have any real relation to the first two games (and most of the third, in fact, as they never even hinted to the Citadel being a sentient AI in and of itself). That is disappointing. But not bad.

The game ended on a sad, bittersweet note. That's honestly what I wanted. It isn't HOW I wanted it, but I keep going over it in my head, and honestly, I can't say that I didn't like the ending. Didn't love it, no, the finale for Mass Effect 2 blows it out of the water IMO. But I liked it.

And if anyone says I'm trying to rationalize things or that I'm in denial, or if anyone is thinking of saying "cognitive dissonance", kindly kiss my ass

 

[SteewpidZombie]

Bioware...you guys dropped the ball...ever since you bent over backwards and became EA's whore...I could've dealt with ME3 being an entirely piece of shit game, so long as my choices had mattered and created a ending worthy of such a great series...but then Bioware had to go and f**kup something that simple...