Mass Effect 3 ending SPOILERS!

[jason27131]

I feel like I've spend 60 hours playing all the games, only to reach the end and get a huge fuck you from EA and Bioware. Really?

I united all the races in the galaxy, did the impossible, only to have the entire Turian and quarian fleet die due to lack of food, every mass relay blown up, me and 2 teammates dying, and the rest of my teammates stuck on some remote planet? REALLY? Not a single one of my decisions even mattered in the end. What the fuck EA.

 

[feeqmatic]

The destruction of the Mass Relay in the Arrival unleashed enough energy to destroy a solar system. So if Shepard destroyed all the Mass Relays in the galaxy then doesn't that mean every solar system with a Mass Relay is screwed?

Also, the synthesis thing seems like something they stole from Command and Conquer. The radiation is even green. It's like Shepard just seeded Tiberium across the galaxy.

Holy crap i didnt even remember that part! That makes NOOOOOOOOO sense! But it brings up a good idea

 

[jason27131]

Eh, my feeling from the ending was so they could sell more DLC, because people could play it even after beating the story. My Shepard DIED. How the hell is he building the legend after all of these events?

Captcha: "Good samaritan" ...uh ok ... I guess?

My Shepard didn't die at the end (I think) however since the ME universe was it was set in the game is history, why would I bother with DLC now that I know it ends with a huge reset button?

basically everything like "hey guyzz, dis happened like 1000+ years ago and is now a bedtime story, so ya"

 

[Fapmaster5000]

What I really don't get, above it all, is how it seems to violate the core of the game:

1. Actions have consequences beyond the immediate. See: characters carrying over game to game, choices that lock options in later games.

2. A relatively firm scifi setting. See: Codexes on everything, even one explained why they couldn't just lol-FTL into the side of the Reaper dreadnoughts with suicide ships, OR, explaining biotics in depth to justify the space-magic in pseudoscience (more than a lot of scifi, honestly).

3. Characters with depth. See: Every conversation and v/o job in the darn series.

And yet that damned ending spits on all three with SPACE MAGIC BABY, three choices that are unrelated to any prior action (and, in fact, ERASE a solid chunk of prior actions), and a COMPLETE lack of follow-up for the characters or universe (LOL IT WAS ALL A STORY!)

It just boggles me. Did the writer die of a heart attack with one chapter left to go, and it was finished by three chimpanzees, someone who googled the plots of Battlestar Galactica and 2001: A Space Odyssey, and a malfunctioning electric typewriter?

EDIT: I will TAKE THIS ALL BACK if there is some sort of super-secret hidden ending that patches over the bad writing. I'll still question the judgement to hide the non-derpy ending, but I'll at least forgive the worst of it.

 

[SajuukKhar]

I really dont get the hatred for the endings of Mass Effect 3, they fit in line with the big themes of the series

1. Self-Sacrifice
2. Self-determination

 

[Deremix]

By the way guys, Mike Gamble tweeted this today: Hardest. Day. Ever. Seriously, if you people knew all the stuff we are planning...you'd, we'll - hold onto your copy of me3 forever.

Could this mean better endings? Hope so.

 

[jason27131]

I really dont get the hatred for the endings of Mass Effect 3, they fit in line with the big themes of the series

1. Self-Sacrifice
2. Self-determination

Have you actually played the game and got to the ending?

a) it makes no sense logically.
b) any decisions you made prior is meaningless
c) no sense of closure ie wtf happened in the aftermath.

You didn't "self-sacrifice" anything. Hell, having the reaper wiping everyone out is technically a better ending than this, since technology and the mass relays are still there for future generations. Now everyone's stuck on their own system, and the entire quarian and turian army/population just got wiped out as well.

 

[Deremix]

I really dont get the hatred for the endings of Mass Effect 3, they fit in line with the big themes of the series

1. Self-Sacrifice
2. Self-determination

While that is very true, and I'm not saying the endings are terrible, in fact Mass Effect 3 is the best in the series, and one of the best games of all time, up there with HL2 and Portal 2, it completely destroyed everything that happened in every one of the games.

Plus, the third theme of the series was: overcoming the odds. Losing some, but ultimately coming out on top.

The endings, if there isn't a hidden one, were monumentally depressing. Plus, through out the game they talked about settling down and everything after it was all over. It was something players could look forward to, but then the last minutes destroyed it.

 

[SajuukKhar]

Have you actually played the game and got to the ending?

a) it makes no sense logically.
b) any decisions you made prior is meaningless
c) no sense of closure ie wtf happened in the aftermath.

You didn't "self-sacrifice" anything. Hell, having the reaper wiping everyone out is technically a better ending than this, since technology and the mass relays are still there for future generations. Now everyone's stuck on their own system, and the entire quarian and turian army/population just got wiped out as well.

I have beaten the game

A. Yes it does
B. So the Korgans being cured of the genophage, the Quarrians and Geth being allies, the Rachnai getting a chance to live again and many other decisions, still eare in effect regardless so nice lie.
C. Really I found plenty of closure, Shepard frees all current and future galactic civilization from eternal enslavement by not only destroying/controlling/ merging the reapers but also destroys the chains that the reapers used to bound races into slavery, aka the Mass Relays.


My question to you is did you pay attention at all during the series?

Leaving the mass relays in place defeats the entire point of the series.

 

[Elitefusion]

Someone over at the Bioware forums came up with what I really think is a fantastic option, that provides a much better ending but also doesn't invalidate the original three. Which means Bioware could do it without having to admit they screwed up and completely replace the last 10 minutes of the game.

http://social.bioware.com/1183972/polls/29101/

Honestly if this was the ending it would cement ME3 as the greatest game I've ever played. I was absolutely floored with the rest of the game, and I didn't even dislike the ending when I first played it. I was dumbfounded, trying to gather my thoughts. It wasn't until I learned that I had destroyed the Mass Relays(I thought that was only the "red" choice", but it wasn't clear), and that every ending is mostly the same did I change my thoughts.

The game is still absolutely fantastic. The missions concerning the Geth and Quarians in particular left me nearly in tears. The mission when you go into the Geth server and see old memories of the Geth shows Bioware's talents at making compelling, multi-dimensional characters. I don't even hate the endings quite the way everyone else does, but I would like to see the idea in that link, or one similar, added.

EDIT
This thread also does a good job of playing devil's advocate.

http://social.bioware.com/forums/forum/1/topic/355/index/9699530/1#9700512

 

[SajuukKhar]

Someone over at the Bioware forums came up with what I really think is a fantastic option, that provides a much better ending but also doesn't invalidate the original three. Which means Bioware could do it without having to admit they screwed up and completely replace the last 10 minutes of the game.

http://social.bioware.com/1183972/polls/29101/

Unfortunately that ending ignores the entire point of the series.

 

[jason27131]

Have you actually played the game and got to the ending?

a) it makes no sense logically.
b) any decisions you made prior is meaningless
c) no sense of closure ie wtf happened in the aftermath.

You didn't "self-sacrifice" anything. Hell, having the reaper wiping everyone out is technically a better ending than this, since technology and the mass relays are still there for future generations. Now everyone's stuck on their own system, and the entire quarian and turian army/population just got wiped out as well.

I have beaten the game

A. Yes it does.
B. So the Korgans being cured of the genophage, the Quarrians and Geth being allies, the Rachnai getting a chance to live again and many other decisions, still eare in effect regardless so nice lie.
C. Really I found plenty of closure, Shepard frees all current and future galactic civilization from eternal enslavement by not only destroying/controlling/ merging the reapers but also destroys the chains that the reapers used to bound races into slavery, aka the Mass Relays.


My question to you is did you pay attention at all during the series?

A. Relays blowing up tend to destroy an entire system ala Arrival. In that case, EVERY solar system in the galaxy would be blown up. Explain this plox. Also, if destroying the reapers destroy all forms of technology, why is EDI still alive in the ending movie?

B. All quarians are dead. They all died because they are stranded in sol because the mass relay got blown up, and they can't eat human food. Same with turians. Most Krogans are also now stuck in sol, as I assume all krogans are warriors. I cure genophage only to commit genocide in a manner of speaking. I saved the quarian homeworld and made peace with the geth only to have all quarians die (they still live on their flotilla atm).

C. What happens to Jack, Miranda, Liara, all the allies I made, etc. It's an open ending. As open as you can get, which really isn't any sort of closure whatsoever. Sure you destroyed the reapers, but you also destroyed any chance of a galactic relationship since EVERY SYSTEM IS CLOSED OFF.

Come on. Please actually think before you post.

 

[Elitefusion]

Someone over at the Bioware forums came up with what I really think is a fantastic option, that provides a much better ending but also doesn't invalidate the original three. Which means Bioware could do it without having to admit they screwed up and completely replace the last 10 minutes of the game.

http://social.bioware.com/1183972/polls/29101/

Unfortunately that ending ignores the entire point of the series.

What would you say is the point of the series?

 

[SajuukKhar]

A. Relays blowing up tend to destroy an entire system ala Arrival. In that case, EVERY solar system in the galaxy would be blown up. Explain this plox. Also, if destroying the reapers destroy all forms of technology, why is EDI still alive in the ending movie?

B. All quarians are dead. They all died because they are stranded in sol because the mass relay got blown up, and they can't eat human food. Same with turians. Most Krogans are also now stuck in sol, as I assume all krogans are warriors. I cure genophage only to commit genocide in a manner of speaking. I saved the quarian homeworld and made peace with the geth only to have all quarians die (they still live on their flotilla atm).

C. What happens to Jack, Miranda, Liara, all the allies I made, etc. It's an open ending. As open as you can get, which really isn't any sort of closure whatsoever. Sure you destroyed the reapers, but you also destroyed any chance of a galactic relationship since EVERY SYSTEM IS CLOSED OFF.

Come on. Please actually think before you post.

A. The relays didn't explode at the end of Me3, they fell apart, and all their energy was used in enacting whatever choice you picked, so there would be no solar system destroying supernova, because their dark energy cores have been drained.

B. The whole point of reclaiming the Quarrian homeworld was that they could leave noncombatants there, most of their population wasn't on their ships or needed to pilot them. Also "most" Krogan were not on Earth, nor where "most of the turians".

C. The people on your ship form a colony that the stargazer is a part of and everyone else rebuilds earth. Also Mass Relays can be built again, but this time they will be built by our hands, not the reapers, freeing galactic civilzation from endless technological enslavement.


think before you post.

 

[Joccaren]

After playing the game, it does have a leadup and hints towards these endings at points, but the endings still make no sense and are absolute crap.
Sadly, the answer to this question:

Speaking of which, show of hands, anyone else know if Bioware will actually try to make a Broken Steel for ME3?

Is no. Semi-Quote from someone on the Bioware forums in a spoiler group who spoke to a Dev:
'We do not know why anyone would ask this. We [Bioware] are very happy with the endings and have no plans to change them [Or add in DLC endings]'.
The arrogance...

What would you say is the point of the series?

Choice, and consequence for your choices, may be what he is referring to.
Ignoring the fact that these endings come up out of the blue, with the only hints towards them appearing in ME3 itself, and ignore your previous game pretty much entirely goes completely against what the Devs promised us.

We were told that since this was the final game, the Devs were going to make a number of widely varied endings that depended on the choices you had made through all the games. These endings are dependent on a choice you make in the last 30 seconds of the game, and are not very varied either.

Edit: Misread that. I see no problem with that ending, and it is ideal for what we have currently (Which is still pretty crap. The massive Deus Ex Machina they pulled really bugs me). I too am curious as to what this guy thinks is wrong with it.

 

[jason27131]

A. Relays blowing up tend to destroy an entire system ala Arrival. In that case, EVERY solar system in the galaxy would be blown up. Explain this plox. Also, if destroying the reapers destroy all forms of technology, why is EDI still alive in the ending movie?

B. All quarians are dead. They all died because they are stranded in sol because the mass relay got blown up, and they can't eat human food. Same with turians. Most Krogans are also now stuck in sol, as I assume all krogans are warriors. I cure genophage only to commit genocide in a manner of speaking. I saved the quarian homeworld and made peace with the geth only to have all quarians die (they still live on their flotilla atm).

C. What happens to Jack, Miranda, Liara, all the allies I made, etc. It's an open ending. As open as you can get, which really isn't any sort of closure whatsoever. Sure you destroyed the reapers, but you also destroyed any chance of a galactic relationship since EVERY SYSTEM IS CLOSED OFF.

Come on. Please actually think before you post.

A. the relays didnt explode at the end of Me3 they fell apart, and all thier energy was used in enacting your choice, so there would be no solar system destroying supernova.

B. the whole point of reclaiming the Quarrian homeworld was that they could leave noncombatants there, most of their population wasn't on their ships or needed to pilot them.

C. The people on your ship form a colony that the stargaze is a part of and everyone else rebuilds earth.


thing beofre you post.

A. Watch the video again. the mass relays exploded, with the energy shooting out to another mass relay to do the same thing in a chain effect. Secondly, EDI DIED on the run to the teleporter. Why the fuck did she step out of normandy? Come on. You can't defend this.

B. The civilian fleet was part of the war against the geth, so I'm pretty sure they'd be part of the war against the reapers as well, considering the galaxy needed every possible manpower to win an impossible fight. If I was in a losing war, I wouldn't leave people capable of fighting at home "in case". Why aren't most krogans on earth? Krogans pride themselves as a warrior species. Why the fuck would they stay on Tuchanka sucking on their thumbs when there's a galactic war going on.

C. That's an assumption. I didn't see Liara stepping out of the ship, or Vega, even though they didn't die. I want a good epilogue ala DAO. Not some "lets assume shit happened". I didn't invest 60 hours into a series just to end with some half-assed lazy ending that makes you assume half the shit. Relays were build million of years ago by the catalyst. The protheans (more advanced than humans, asari and salarians combined) managed to build a small model of a mass relay, by studying the models already available. What makes you think they can build one with all mass relays destroyed, and galactic travel/communications disabled?

P.S. *think before* you post.

 

[Elitefusion]

Choice, and consequence for your choices, may be what he is referring to.
Ignoring the fact that these endings come up out of the blue, with the only hints towards them appearing in ME3 itself, and ignore your previous game pretty much entirely goes completely against what the Devs promised us.

We were told that since this was the final game, the Devs were going to make a number of widely varied endings that depended on the choices you had made through all the games. These endings are dependent on a choice you make in the last 30 seconds of the game, and are not very varied either.

I think you misread that ending I posted. It would only be possible with enough war assets, with being able to prove your idea that organics and synthetics can live together by having united the Geth and Quarians, and I'm sure other variables could be tied in as well. It would be a very hard ending to accomplish.

 

[Joccaren]

A. Watch the video again. the mass relays exploded, with the energy shooting out to another mass relay to do the same thing in a chain effect. Secondly, EDI DIED on the run to the teleporter. Why the fuck did she step out of normandy? Come on. You can't defend this.

B. The civilian fleet was part of the war against the geth, so I'm pretty sure they'd be part of the war against the reapers as well, considering the galaxy needed every possible manpower to win an impossible fight. If I was in a losing war, I wouldn't leave people capable of fighting at home "in case". Why aren't most krogans on earth? Krogans pride themselves as a warrior species. Why the fuck would they stay on Tuchanka sucking on their thumbs when there's a galactic war going on.

C. That's an assumption. I didn't see Liara stepping out of the ship, or Vega, even though they didn't die. I want a good epilogue ala DAO. Not some "lets assume shit happened". I didn't invest 60 hours into a series just to end with some half-assed lazy ending that makes you assume half the shit.

P.S. *think before* you post.

A: They did not explode. As you said, they shoot the energy to another relay, which then caused them to collapse. They have no energy for an explosion; it was all shot to the next relay and used to perform whatever action Shepard chose.
B: Replay ME2. They want a planet to leave their civilians on for when the fight with the Reapers comes up. Against the Geth, every Quarian has a personal reason to fight them. Against the Reapers, they would rather only risk their military as they now have their homeworld back and a fair bit to lose, and they have the survival of their species to think about, but they have an obligation to fight the Reapers still.
C: Not entirely sure, but I'm pretty sure somewhere on the BSN it is confirmed that the Stargazer is from a colony that your crew founded. Haven't seen the OP, but I have seen it referenced numerous times.

I think you misread that ending I posted. It would only be possible with enough war assets, with being able to prove your idea that organics and synthetics can live together by having united the Geth and Quarians, and I'm sure other variables could be tied in as well. It would be a very hard ending to accomplish.

Yeah, read the edit I posted after
Sorry about that.

 

[Jarek Mace]

A. Relays blowing up tend to destroy an entire system ala Arrival. In that case, EVERY solar system in the galaxy would be blown up. Explain this plox. Also, if destroying the reapers destroy all forms of technology, why is EDI still alive in the ending movie?

B. All quarians are dead. They all died because they are stranded in sol because the mass relay got blown up, and they can't eat human food. Same with turians. Most Krogans are also now stuck in sol, as I assume all krogans are warriors. I cure genophage only to commit genocide in a manner of speaking. I saved the quarian homeworld and made peace with the geth only to have all quarians die (they still live on their flotilla atm).

C. What happens to Jack, Miranda, Liara, all the allies I made, etc. It's an open ending. As open as you can get, which really isn't any sort of closure whatsoever. Sure you destroyed the reapers, but you also destroyed any chance of a galactic relationship since EVERY SYSTEM IS CLOSED OFF.

Come on. Please actually think before you post.

A. the relays didnt explode at the end of Me3 they fell apart, and all thier energy was used in enacting your choice, so there would be no solar system destroying supernova.

B. the whole point of reclaiming the Quarrian homeworld was that they could leave noncombatants there, most of their population wasn't on their ships or needed to pilot them.

C. The people on your ship form a colony that the stargaze is a part of and everyone else rebuilds earth.


thing beofre you post.

A. Magical space McGuffin again, why do they dismantle?
B. How many do you need to re-establish a race?
C. Because a small crew of no more than about 30 people with an uneven M:F Ratio is capable of starting up a non-incest colony.

 

[SajuukKhar]

A. Watch the video again. the mass relays exploded, with the energy shooting out to another mass relay to do the same thing in a chain effect. Secondly, EDI DIED on the run to the teleporter. Why the fuck did she step out of normandy? Come on. You can't defend this.

B. The civilian fleet was part of the war against the geth, so I'm pretty sure they'd be part of the war against the reapers as well, considering the galaxy needed every possible manpower to win an impossible fight. If I was in a losing war, I wouldn't leave people capable of fighting at home "in case". Why aren't most krogans on earth? Krogans pride themselves as a warrior species. Why the fuck would they stay on Tuchanka sucking on their thumbs when there's a galactic war going on.

C. That's an assumption. I didn't see Liara stepping out of the ship, or Vega, even though they didn't die. I want a good epilogue ala DAO. Not some "lets assume shit happened". I didn't invest 60 hours into a series just to end with some half-assed lazy ending that makes you assume half the shit.

P.S. *think before* you post.

A. I suggest you replay the ending again, they specifically say that it requires all of the energy of the Mass Relays to enact whatever choice you pick, the beam that shoots out of the Mass relay, and the wave that enacts your choice in that system, is ALL of its energy, there would be no energy left to create a supernova.

B. Just because YOU wouldn't doesn't mean the Quarrians, who specifically mention in Mass Effect 2 that they need a place to leave their civilians during the war, wouldn't also.

Again Turians and Krogans have civilians, just because they are both warrior/military cultures does not mean that they don't have many noncombatants on their homeworlds.

There are TONS of people needed to support the military that wouldn't be on the front lines, or even off their homeworlds.

C. DAO really didn't have that great of an ending. Secondly if you NEED someone to tell you every little thing your characters do afterward, which DAO didn't, then ou lack imagination and I question why you would play a RPG series.


Finally leaving the Mass Relays in check defeats the whole purpose of the game because you are continuing technological enslavement by The Reapers, which is worse now because that means you are continuing enslavement to a slave master who is dead.

Again, think, before, you, post.