Poll: Mass Effect 3 extended cut

[Christian Soto]

I searched for a thread on this, but found none post release, so here it goes:

I just had my peace maker Shepard save the current galaxy and the souls of the previous 100 galactic cycles. The Synthesis Extended Cut provided the closure I needed and I walked away from the game knowing the galaxy is safe(the scene where the Husk is on top of the soldier nearly brought a tear to my eye). While this should have already been included in the original release, we all know EA was not sparing the whips, and Bio Ware could not openly say they were rushed at the end.

The one thing I have seen that is a bit annoying is people shitting on this ending and saying it should not be canon, it is anti-Shepard, blah, blah, blah. If you are one of these people, realize that every ending is valid for the choice your Shepard makes, or should I say, the choice that you make. If you played a fly by the seat of your pants renegade, then don't pick synthesis and ***** about it; refuse to choose any option, tell the catalyst (star child) that you will refuse to be indoctrinated, and see the new ending that was put in just for you. I am sure you will love it:-D

P.S. I hate the term space magic when used to describe the growing of circuitry in organics. You are playing a game with talking birds, lizards, ancient ships filled with the souls of galaxies past, etc. and you choose to call magic the one occurrence that is actually feasible in the near future through use of nanites and the metals held in reserve in our body?

 

[Zhukov]

I searched for a thread on this, but found none post release, so here it goes:

Lies.

...

Moving on, I'm not entirely sure what you're trying to say here.

Also, the term "space magic" is perfect. And Synthesis is the most space magic-y of them all.

 

[DustyDrB]

None, if they're smart. I love the series, and love 95% of Mass Effect 3. But I'm not interest in any future games that continue the story after that ending.

 

[RaNDM G]

You're probably looking at spin-off games in the current cycle. The way they messed up Mass Effect 3, no developer will want to touch that ending with a 10-foot pole.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

Making a sequel based off one of their stupid endings is not only beyond Bioware's ambition, but also beyond reason. If they choose one ending, it automatically invalidates the others, and then the biotards at the Social Network throw a hissy fit. It just proves to the public that making three endings that ended the way they did was a bad move.

No, we'll see spinoffs of their multiplayer mode.

 

[Savagezion]

You guys overestimate EA. The next Mass Effect will play off of Synthesis most likely as it offers good shooter mechanics. I hate the endings but I don't doubt that the next installment to the franchise will be a cyborgs in space shoot em up "RPG". Has everyone forgot that Dragon Age was trying to steal CODs audience last year? I repeat... Dragon Age... was trying to steal CoDs audience. You don't think Mass Effect won't try too?

 

[Christian Soto]

You...couldn't find one post release....what.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.380005-Poll-ME3-EC-didnt-fix-anything

There's one right there. Took about 20 seconds of searching.

Sorry if I don't contribute to this thread. Thing is, there's already a billion.

Ah. I honestly did search, stupid me kept on typing in Extended Cut. I didn't try EC. Though, that post is pretty much a ***** fest, whereas this one is an affirmation that the story does come to a complete, if not convoluted, conclusion.

P.S. Why do I need to do research to fill in these damn Captchas?! How the fuck do I know who is offering salads starting at $6.99. Now I remember why I don't post on this site.

 

[Christian Soto]

I searched for a thread on this, but found none post release, so here it goes:

Lies.

...

Moving on, I'm not entirely sure what you're trying to say here.

Also, the term "space magic" is perfect. And Synthesis is the most space magic-y of them all.

I am saying that each ending is 100% valid for the type of player that would choose it. My Shepard only makes sense if he chooses synthesis because of my play style throughout the games. I really couldn't see my Shepard doing the control, destroy or reject ending (because my Shepard is not willing to let trillions die based on the principle that he needs to confer with the rest of the galaxy on whether they would prefer to evolve with machines and free the reapers from the control of the catalyst or DIE). However, another players Shepard, a person more cold and indifferent to the fact that the reapers are themselves also victims, will have no problem going red to just get rid of them, making red the best ending and synthesis seem like hippie shit.

 

[TheCaptain]

I'd say current cycle spin-off. Though I have to admit that's mostly wishful thinking. So here's why:

First of all, when you provide multiple endings to the story and pick one as canon, you'll inevitably alienate part of your player base. And the Mass Effect players have already proven to be a prickly bunch, so the smart thing to do would be to let people forget the ending and focus on parts of the universe people liked. That's also the reason why the spin-off should be close to the original series time-wise. Bonus points if they let you import your ME3 savegame so when characters in the new game talk about what's going on in the galaxy, you recognize YOUR Shepard-Story.

If they really decided to move any further away from the current story, they'd still be able to reel in old players if the stories were still somehow connected. That's usually what makes good spin-offs - to be able to experience stuff you've heard about, found to be awesome and didn't get to see so far. That leaves the First Contact War, the Rachni War, the Krogan Rebellions or the Prothean Cycle. Since they'd probably stick with a human protagonist, most of those are rather unlikely.

OP: "Space Magic" might have become a slogan of those who didn't agree with the writing that happened there, but it doesn't get much better if you call it "Space Sufficiently Advanced Science". The Mass Effect series had so far made an effort to make all the sciency stuff explainable and consistent within the lore; that was completely dropped with the Synthesis ending. Can't really be mad at people for being a bit miffed there...

 

[AD-Stu]

Why is everyone so sure that Bioware would never declare one ending canon in order to continue the series? After all, it's exactly what they did between the previous games.

Seriously. One of the perfectly valid endings in ME2 is Shepard dying on the suicide mission. How is Bioware insisting that you either start a new character or go back and do better in order to play ME3 not invalidating that ending?

A lot of people had the same complaint about the human councilor - regardless of who you chose back at the end of ME1, Udina has always become the councilor by the beginning of ME3 because having Anderson as the councilor would have been inconvenient for the plot.

Would choosing one of the ME3 endings as canon and continuing on that basis really be that different? Maybe in scope, but not in principle.

And on a different topic, sorry, but "space magic" (or another term with the same meaning) really is the only way to describe the synthesis ending. Yes, there's all sorts of barely-plausible stuff scattered throughout all three games but everything else (even biotics) makes an attempt to explain itself within the game universe's particular brand of 'science'. Synthesis doesn't even bother to attempt such an explanation, nor does it even invite one. It's space magic.

 

[Frankster]

Synthesis doesn't even bother to attempt such an explanation, nor does it even invite one. It's space magic.

Not to mention that even when considering the expression "any technology sufficiently advanced is indistinguishable from magic" what the synthesis ending does is massively beyond the scope of any technology seen in the games and enters the domain of gods themselves.

Heck replace the star child by an actual deity who explains that this is his way of resetting the universe so his new creations have a chance to rise and replace the previous ones and it makes more sense then what we got. And just about as jarring a tone shift i might add.

Actually this ain't a bad idea...Brb writing my fanfic "sheperd meets god".

 

[Jynthor]

None, but I chose Renegade Control because it's my least hated ending.

 

[DJjaffacake]

I didn't realise there were two controls, is it based on your current paragon/renegade score like ME1? But yeah, they'll have to stick before the end of ME3 in spin-offs, there's no way they can declare one of the options canon and just give a big fuck you to everyone who picked something else.

If they do though, I'll be pissed, since chances are they'll go with synthesis since they were pushing that as the good choice, and that seemed the worst to me. Edit: And also because as far as I'm concerned everything after Anderson's death is a hallucination.

Captcha: exclaimation. Er, that's not how you spell it captcha.