Up until the final moment, Mass Effect Three could have been about a vast number of things. It could have been about idealism versus pragmatism, nationalism versus internationalism, unity versus self-interest, conflict versus reconciliation, or even ? if you wanted ? about organic versus synthetic life. The final moment, though, strips away all of the other possible interpretations and makes it a game about one thing and one thing only, about an inevitable conflict between synthetic and organic life, and about the necessity for a dramatic solution to that conflict, either in the form of the Reapers, or the the form of Synthesis. The ending removes all textual support for any reading of the game other than this rather tedious one.
Casey Hudson has stated that the ?controversy? caused by the ending was intentional because they wanted an ending that would be memorable, and that would create discussion. I believe him, and I also believe that this is completely the wrong way to create an ending for an interactive narrative. Players shouldn't be debating the meaning of the ending of a video game, because they should already feel that they know what the ending means, because they will have chosen its meaning.
The original Mass Effect creates this sense of ownership extremely well. Nobody debated the meaning of the end of the first game, because they knew exactly what it meant. It meant that humanity had to stop thinking only of itself and become part of the galaxy. Or it meant that humanity had to look after itself because no other bugger would do it. Or it meant that even in the face of chaos, ruthless people seek their own advantage. Or it meant that in the face of a terrible enemy, sacrifices had to be made for victory, even to the extent of sacrificing civilian leaders. Or it meant that in the face of a terrible enemy, sacrifices had to be made for victory, even to the extent of risking everything to protect your civilian leaders. Everybody knew what the choice was, and everybody knew why they made it, and everybody got exactly the answer they wanted because it was an answer they created themselves.
