One Last look at Mass Effect 3.

[DioWallachia]

Who thought that was a good idea?

The responsibly for the ending lies with Casey Hudson and Mac Walters. They locked out all the other writers, and refused to subject the script for the ending to the same peer-preview process the rest of the script went through.

For reference, Walters also wrote the opening, which is probably the second worst part of the plot.

To be fair, according to the Final Hours mini-documentary, Walters was actually in favor of making Casper the Genocidal Ghost less ambiguous, but Hudson said that the people "didn't need to know all the answers." Guess what one of the things added in the Extended Cut was...

I want to understand how this makes Mass Effect a work of art if, acording to some people, games cannot be art because they are made by a bunch of people rather than being directed by a single person with a vision (Like Hideo Kojima, Daniel Remar and Aleksey Abramenko)

How is the WHOLE game a work of art if ONLY the ending had 2 authors making an "artistic statement" out of the group and without editors? Is it even possible for a game/movie/whatver to be still considered art as a whole if a paste a "arty" endnig that has nothing to do with what was presented? If i make an anti-drug message at the end of my movie that has people using super cerum to win their problems, does that STILL make it art?

 

[Savagezion]

I'm wondering why I only saw good things being said about the game until people started to play the ending...

I think people were being so simple about it, they thought that a bad ending = bad game.

When people started to say "hold on on a minute, it was still a great game though" the ending people began to try and convince themselves that the game was terrible.

The SpoilerWarningShow (who has Shamus Young from The Escapist) and Smudboy already broke the rest of the game to pieces. And even if those parts were ANY good, that still leaves the fact that the developers lied about your choices mattering at all and the 16 endings that would be different from one another as a result of those choices during ALL the series.

Don't forget that Bioware also claimed that at least one of the endings was one where the reapers won pre-release.

 

[MakerofMysteries]

NO. NO. We were over this; we had moved past it. Don't you tear that wound open again - IT HAD ALMOST HEALED, GODS DAMN IT!

(That said, I agree with virtually everything in OP's post. A few disagreements, perhaps - the game itself wasn't abysmal, although the ending was - but generally; yes, Bioware screwed up big times).

 

[Casual Shinji]

After finishing Mass Effect 3 and letting the dust settle somewhat I was reminded of how Mass Effect 2 played a big part in the final game collapsing the way that it did. ME2 added nothing to the overarching plot of the series, leaving ME3 holding the ball and fumbling it with this Crucible nonsense.

I was already aware of ME2 not adding anything before the third game even came out, but at that point I still had the hope the series would at least get capped off properly - A great ending can salvage a lot.

I know that ME3's plot was changed massively from the original draft. I wouldn't be surprised if ME2 would have had a far bigger impact in the narrative had the story not changed so radically before the third game began development. But, we'll never know what could and what should have been.

I think the moment my first doubts concering ME3 appeared was right after ME2 ended, where we see thousands of Reapers headed toward the galaxy, yet we'd found no way to stop them. As a matter of fact we'd hadn't discovered anything new about the Reapers at all, apart from the Collectors being enslaved Protheans. But since the Collectors are all dead by the end of the game all that knowledge is moot.

ME2 was great in presenting you with fun colorful characters, but the whole 'What are/where are/how do we stop the Reapers' plotline got completely shafted.

 

[Kipiru]

Personally I thought it was the best in the trilogy. All the plot lines and choices and people in the universe i shaped gathered all together in one massive epic last stand, and I loved every moment of it. I'm happy with Ext. Cut endings.

I smell a Bioware employee!

Go clean your nose then! I really don't get people like you. For every person that didn't like(for whatever reason) ME3, there are about 10 who did. Poeple have the right to love or hate a product, but in this case BioWare screwed up by giving too much voice to it's fan base. As we all know, fans are the worst group of people one can turn to for opinion on a franchise and that is exactly what BioWare did. If they had gone the way of all other publishers and not ask everybody what they would like to see in the game, we wouldn't have so many people crying that they were "lied to" and misled by the endings and the plot. That's all there is to it. BioWare's downfall was them actually caring for the players.

 

[The_Lost_King]

(fuck I love that blue alien)

???????
Blue? Garrus weaars blue armor yes. but he is not blue. Your profile pic is Garrus and you call him blue? Please tell me you were talking about Liara.

I don't know what ending you guys are talking about. My ending was awesome. I am a little sad that Anderson died, but the crucible blew up the Reapers and Shepard went to a beach to make blue space babies with Liara and be drinking buddies with Garrus.[small]Yes I may be in denial[/small]

For every person that didn't like(for whatever reason) ME3, there are about 10 who did.

hahaha, good one, oh wait you are serious. I seriously have not met one person who played Mass Effect 3 and liked the ending. Other than some weirdos on this site.

 

[Hochmeister]

Urk...

When I got ME3 I literally played all weekend, finishing ~5AM Monday morning (on a school day). Regretted that the minute I finished the game. I had heard that the ending was bad, and had a very bad feeling the instant I heard about the Deus ex Machina crucible, but didn't expect it to be quite so awful. Gameplay wise it was OK, the only complaint I had was that there was a lack of variety in enemies. Story wise I was satisfied up to the very end. Rannoch and Tuchanka were some of my favorite moments ever in gaming. However, Cerberus' slide into twirly mustachio villains really annoyed me. Also, I despised that one reporter bimbo and Vega, or as I call them Mrs. and Mr. Fanservice. As for the endings, well everything's been said far better than I could. They would have been better off making the crucible either straight up work and kill all the reapers, kill everything, or fail miserably depending on your choices in all the games up to that point (i.e. if you made enough "wrong" decisions in the previous games you'd fail). Another theme that could have been explored better was trying to set up an enclave like the protheans did to prepare for the next cycle if you failed.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Go clean your nose then! I really don't get people like you. For every person that didn't like(for whatever reason) ME3, there are about 10 who did.

Source?

As we all know, fans are the worst group of people one can turn to for opinion on a franchise and that is exactly what BioWare did.

We do? Source?

If they had gone the way of all other publishers and not ask everybody what they would like to see in the game, we wouldn't have so many people crying that they were "lied to" and misled by the endings and the plot. That's all there is to it. BioWare's downfall was them actually caring for the players.

Evidence for this? Is this the first occasion in history when people were unhappy with a plot?

 

[Texas Joker 52]

Now, I won't say I hated Mass Effect 3. I didn't. While nowhere near perfect, for the most part, it was fun. I enjoyed myself.

Yes, I occasionally missed the Hammerhead pretty desperately.

Yes, I wish there were some different minigames spread out among the gameplay to add some variety.

Yes, I wish that Shepard was able to touch base a little more with former squadmates, even take them along temporarily for the missions you meet them in.

Yes, I also wish there was more variety in the new squadmates.

And finally, yes, I loathed the original endings with a passion. I had heard that they were bad while I was playing through it, but I thought, "Well, the end can't be that bad, can it? I mean, this is Bioware we're talking about, one of my favorite developers, right next to Bungie and Valve. They wouldn't shoot their baby in the foot right at the end, right?".

Then I got to the end and... Shit. I didn't really feel anything at first. Shepard lived because I played the mediocre but mildly fun multiplayer, my squad was stranded on some strange planet, and it looked like the galaxy was not only screwed, but I made it so one of my former squadmates essentially sacrificed himself in vain. As well as killing EDI.

First, I disliked it. Then I grew to hate it, but played through anyway because shit, I had a Femshep waiting for me to play as her, and I wanted to focus on the good Mass Effect 3 had to offer. But the fact that so many questions as to how the galaxy would end up after all of that were unanswered pissed me off the most. I was fighting for the galaxy, to save it and destroy the Reapers. So did my Shepard succeed or what? There was no closure. And that is what an ending is for.

Ultimately though, the worst part about the endings, in my case, was the fact that it was so out-of-nowhere, so starkly different and poorly written, that I could just ignore it. I was so indifferent and disgusted with it, that I ignored it with ease, and focused on the good, and really, that insulted me. Bioware at least had the talent, so I thought, to make an ending that would be hard to ignore, good or bad.

Now sure, I have other gripes. The multiplayer could have been better, they should've put more effort into the romance scenes for say, Garrus or Tali. Or even Tali's face.

As for the Extended Cut, it at least addressed some of my main issues. I know the galaxy isn't screwed now, my squad should make it back to civilization safe. The Reapers are well and truly dead. The endings still suck, but at least there's proper closure now.

Anyway, I'd still nominate Mass Effect 3 as Game of the Year, because it was one of the games that defined this year for me, in gaming terms at least. I wouldn't say its the best game this year. I won't say it's the worst either. It was above-average, all things considered.

 

[Savagezion]

Personally I thought it was the best in the trilogy. All the plot lines and choices and people in the universe i shaped gathered all together in one massive epic last stand, and I loved every moment of it. I'm happy with Ext. Cut endings.

I smell a Bioware employee!

Go clean your nose then! I really don't get people like you. For every person that didn't like(for whatever reason) ME3, there are about 10 who did. Poeple have the right to love or hate a product, but in this case BioWare screwed up by giving too much voice to it's fan base. As we all know, fans are the worst group of people one can turn to for opinion on a franchise and that is exactly what BioWare did. If they had gone the way of all other publishers and not ask everybody what they would like to see in the game, we wouldn't have so many people crying that they were "lied to" and misled by the endings and the plot. That's all there is to it. BioWare's downfall was them actually caring for the players.

So Dragon Age fans wanted Dragon Age to be more like Call of Duty right? I am willing to bet Bioware did what they did based on figures and statistics over what the fans wanted. Fans wanted to see Tali without her mask on (not all, but a large number) and they spent all of 5 mins in photoshop for that request. They couldn't even be bothered to make the hand match the anatomy of their model of Tali. They do love their fans after all. Which fans asked for their choices to not have anything to do with the ending? I seem to recall many fans asking if there was a lot of dicversity in the ending and Bioware saying "OMG Yes! I can't even count how many endings there are, maybe a bajillion... could only be a gazillion?"

 

[FitScotGaymer]

I think that people have been a tad unfair about Bioware and the endings.

They are terrible no doubt about that, and the Extended Cut upgrades the "terrible" to "eh. alright I guess." and for a franchise like Mass Effect is a real disservice. I agree with all of that.

But I do not think they were being stupid, or arrogant, or any of those things.

I think the problem was two-fold.

First that they did not submit the ending and this the main part of the "rewrite" to peer review. It really shows that they didn't do this and the game really suffers as a result.

And Second, I think they were going for an ending and storyline that was deep and philosophical. Ya know nature of the universe type stuff.
Unfortunately the writers (and especially its lead writer for ME) and devs simply do not have the chops required to even begin to tackle a plot line as deep and complex as nature of the universe stuff; don't get me wrong they have some of the best dialogue and character writers in the business but they don't tend to do well with storylines that fall outwith the traditional cliche bioware formula, as ME3 shows.
The only writer at BW who could have possibly made this kind of storyline not suck is David Gaider, and he has nothing to do with Mass Effect.

And when you take both problems together, we ended up with what we got. Nonsensical dreck. Sadly.

ME3 isn't a terrible game, by any stretch of the imagination. But neither is it perfect. With the EC it stands at a solid 7 out of 10, for me.

 

[Olas]

Why one last look? It's not like ME3 is going anywhere, I assume we can continue to talk about it well into the future if we so choose.

But as for the whole "debacle". Ya the (original) ending sucked, but ME3 players really got too carried away with it. I'd say it was a failure for everyone involved and I'm glad the extended cut didn't go with the Indoctrination Theory.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

Although, I have to give them some credit, Tuchanka and Rannoch were two of the best missions I've played in a game.

This is what baffles me. Tuchanka and Rannoch were perfect. The way they wrapped up the biggest issues with other races was amazing. So how the fuck did they fuck up all that other stuff? It's obviously because they were rushed. I think they should have had at least another 6 months to work on ME3. Damn EA.

 

[The_Waspman]

Oh, here we go again...

Before I throw in my completely worthless two cents, something I'd just like to address...

Don't forget that Bioware also claimed that at least one of the endings was one where the reapers won pre-release.

This is one of the endings. It happens if

Spoiler

you shoot the starchild in the face

Anyway, how did I feel about Mass Effect 3? I loved it. The game has some of the best moments in the franchise in it, sequences involving Mordin, Tali, Legion, Shapard going one on one with a reaper, and that reaper/thresher maw throwdown were real highlights. I took a time out just prior to the point of no return to power through the multiplayer too, so by the time I got to the actual ending, the furore had already happened.

And I don't see what the BIG FUCKING DEAL IS.

Sure, it sucks that Shepard can't argue her point with the Starchild about its reasoning which is clearly based on flawed logic from many cycles ago, but I overlooked that the first time I played through it. Why? Bercause I had a choice to make. One I found incredibly difficult. Why? Because of the choices I'd made throughout the previous games.

Its called imagination people.

I've heard a lot of people say that nothing you do throughout the franchise matters in the end. None of the choices you make have any effect on the outcome. Well, I look at this in two ways. If you take the entire third game as the conclusion, then yes, your choices matter. The other? What, really, do you expect? How many choices, large and small, carry through from the first two games? Over a thousand? You really expect the ending to be in the least bit cohesive with that many variables in play?

God, I'm sounding really hostile, and I dont mean to, its just... ok, theres a difference between people not liking the ending, fair enough, and those people who are all 'the ME3 ending sucks, Bioware ruined my life forever!!!'

And unfortunately, the latter have been far, far too vocal during this... 'controversy'.

 

[DioWallachia]

Sure, it sucks that Shepard can't argue her point with the Starchild about its reasoning which is clearly based on flawed logic from many cycles ago, but I overlooked that the first time I played through it. Why? Bercause I had a choice to make. One I found incredibly difficult. Why? Because of the choices I'd made throughout the previous games.

Its called imagination people.

Its called Headcannon to others that did pay attention.

I've heard a lot of people say that nothing you do throughout the franchise matters in the end. None of the choices you make have any effect on the outcome. Well, I look at this in two ways. If you take the entire third game as the conclusion, then yes, your choices matter. The other? What, really, do you expect? How many choices, large and small, carry through from the first two games? Over a thousand? You really expect the ending to be in the least bit cohesive with that many variables in play?

Yes, i expect that. After all, Bioware did that in the past over a single game and now that they had even more money than before, they SHOULD have been able to branch out the storyline based on your choices during ALL the series (being quantified as a EMS score doesnt count) or at the very LEAST do that in the 3rd game (you know, the game that they TOLD US that it will be the only one branching out because it would be too hard otherwise?)

Even the competition of BW that made The Witcher 2 have a branching storyline, so why cant BW do that?

Anyway, I'd still nominate Mass Effect 3 as Game of the Year, because it was one of the games that defined this year for me, in gaming terms at least. I wouldn't say its the best game this year. I won't say it's the worst either. It was above-average, all things considered.

And dont you feel something wrong with that? with being an average product coming from the same people that made Baldur's Gate AND Knights of The Old Republic?

 

[Texas Joker 52]

And dont you feel something wrong with that? with being an average product coming from the same people that made Baldur's Gate AND Knights of The Old Republic?

The thing is, I haven't actually played either of those series. Anyway, I thought it was better than average. Not spectacular, but good enough for me to want to play it again and again. But hey, that's me.

 

[DioWallachia]

Although, I have to give them some credit, Tuchanka and Rannoch were two of the best missions I've played in a game.

This is what baffles me. Tuchanka and Rannoch were perfect. The way they wrapped up the biggest issues with other races was amazing. So how the fuck did they fuck up all that other stuff? It's obviously because they were rushed. I think they should have had at least another 6 months to work on ME3. Damn EA.

Believe it or not, there are people that might have a point in Rannoch being the WORST part:

 

[electric method]

Here we are 9 months after release of ME3 and I can honestly say I don't feel angry, bitter or, even, betrayed anymore about ME3 and it's endings. What I feel is apathy. A lot of apathy. I still play the MP from time to time, it's actually fairly fun, but the campaign? Absolutely not. Even after 9 months I cannot play the campaign for ME3 at all. I know that hideous starbrat is there waiting for me. Gloating in his glowey little starbrat way, just waiting for me so he can spew his non-sense logic. Ok, so maybe I still kinda think that lil troll has it out for me. Maybe. Just a tiny bit.

 

[Souplex]

Although, I have to give them some credit, Tuchanka and Rannoch were two of the best missions I've played in a game.

This is what baffles me. Tuchanka and Rannoch were perfect. The way they wrapped up the biggest issues with other races was amazing. So how the fuck did they fuck up all that other stuff? It's obviously because they were rushed. I think they should have had at least another 6 months to work on ME3. Damn EA.

Believe it or not, there are people that might have a point in Rannoch being the WORST part:

The Reaper battle was the worst part of the whole game gameplay-wise, but we're talking about story-wise here.

 

[DioWallachia]

This is one of the endings. It happens if

Spoiler

you shoot the starchild in the face

And it happens regardless if of the EMS or your previous choices in the series. We dont even get the decency of being shown how the Reapers kill everyone and that would have helped (not much) with the believability of using the Crusible to win. After all, we killed one with a Cain and the Thanix Cannons were already mass produced for the entire armada (those bypass the shields) so it seemed like we could win conventionaly.