[Tinkerbells]

I've had 20 enjoyable hours so far though, along with the 2 previous games I enjoyed a lot. No crappy ending can take all that enjoyment away.

Quoted for truth. A disappointing end to the story was... disappointing. But the game was great up to that point and the prior two as well.

I'm very confused. Up till now I still don't understand where you stand in all of this debating. In one post you can be talking about how the endings are terrible, and in another you say we shouldn't be hopeful for clear skies over the horizon.

My take on the ending, from the get go, is that I am personally very disappointed by the ending.

Spoiler

It seems they kind of didn't know what to do and it left me disappointed, particularly the destruction of a game world, which i felt was visually represented by the relays blowing out through the galaxy map, which I still can't make sense of. WTF, why blow the relays in all three scenarios - it reduces the Reapers to petulant brats, really. If we can't have them no one can! The nebulous randomness of the Normandy hightailing it ahead of a blast wave  and three survivors, one of which was WITH ME before I ended up in the Citadel, sort of all "ooh, new earth like place" just left me confused.  So the ending made me sad, but not in a story way, in a disappointing way. If that makes sense.

However, I refuse to indulge in the rampant, if you'll pardon me for saying it, internet nerd rage and the kind of angry wishful thinking that Bioware has somehow cleverly put one over on their customers. They developed and released a complete game. They may have plans for DLC but it would appear, inspite of random conspiracy theories, that Shepard's story arc is done. That it ended on a confused and confusing "meh" note, instead of a strong note is a bummer. But I can't work up a head of righteous anger about it - they told the story they wanted, however, much it might have changed from when they first envisioned it and however much I might disagree with how they chose to end it. And up to the last 10-15 minutes, I had a blast with the game. So that at least is worth something to me.

Edit: If I am proven wrong, I will of course walk around with a sign saying "I am an Internet N00bzor" all day.

[dell]

Here is a post from the Bioware forums that nails spot on why the ME3 failed epically:

Brent Knowles, who was the lead designer on Dragon Age: Origins, and one of the old guard Bioware developers (Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights), and, when he quit Bioware, made the interesting observation that "Bioware is no longer the company I remember". He's talked a little bit about the ME3 situation on his blog, but they're mainly comments to other posts. Check it out at: www.brentknowles.com

One thing he did say, I thought I would share (if it's already been posted, I apologize), as it's a sentiment I happen to agree with:

"I read one recent blog post where the writer basically said "the ending was awesome because it was just like a movie" and I think she was missing the point.

It is a game. Not a movie.

And more specifically, its a role-playing game. The players are *part* of the game. Part of the process of building and experiencing the game, much more so than with most other forms of entertainment.

Entitlement is really a right, for the gamer, because they have participated, actively, in the game itself.

Again, I can't speak to the actual ending myself, because I have not played it but in general I'd say a Role-Playing Video Game Trilogy Ending should (try to) do the following:

1. Reward the player's choices throughout the series. The big stuff they did should be noted. They should *feel* like they had a unique impact on the world.

2. End on a positive note. This is really important for video games...life in general is full of s****y stuff happening all the time. When I invest a hundred hours into a game I need to walk away feeling like a hero.

When you waste a couple hours of a person's life with an artsy/depressing movie or short story or even a novel, it is more forgivable because the time spent is less. And presumably the consumer knew what they were going into when they started. Certain directors create certain styles of movie. Certain writers write specific types of fiction.

On the other hand somebody playing an epic role-playing video-game trilogy is going to *expect* to be the hero and save the universe. That's why they are playing the game. When expectations don't match reality, disappointment is created.

It might be an artistic/creative move to go with a different style of ending but I feel its the wrong choice, especially for a videogame *trilogy*. Make your middle game bleak if you want to, but end the series on a high note."

EDIT: Fixed the formatting of the quote, and for those looking for the original comment, it's in the following link. Scroll down a few comments to find it.

http://blog.brentknowles.com/2012/03/11/mass-effect-3-and-day-one-dlc/#disqus_thread

[Albert Wesker]

The ending has been confirmed to be a dream. There's a whole video on it including tweets from BioWare stating that the ending will be revealed in DLC. How is it not the true ending? It mostly involves the child from the beginning. Let me summarize a few of the points:

Spoiler

In the beginning, nobody but Shepard sees the child. Not even the soldiers helping the people into the shuttles. After Shepard talks to the child in the air duct, Anderson "snaps him out of it". At that point you hear a low growling noise, which was described in Mass Effect lore, the breaking of a Reaper's indoctrination attempt results in a low growl from the Reaper. This concludes that the child is the Reapers' attempt to indoctrinate Shepard. Spoilers ahead will explain. After Shepard is hit by Harbinger on Priority: Earth, he wakes up battered but alive. However, nobody else is there. After he activates the Citadel, he meets the Catalyst, the child. During the conversation it is obvious that the Catalyst is a Reaper, as it states itself. But as it describes the different paths and outcomes open to Shepard, you can see that the "Renegade" option was shown with Anderson, and the "Paragon" option was shown with the Illusive Man. Obviously this is a trick. Why would it be evil to destroy the Reapers? Because they are trying to indoctrinate Shepard. How do we know the events after Harbinger's attack are part of a kind of "dream"? One, Shepard appears to be breathing in space. Two, the Normandy ends up on an unknown planet after being destroyed in space. Three, your allies who were dropped off on Earth to fight with you end up there as well. Add all this to the tweets from BioWare, and we can be sure that we have not seen the end yet. And for those of you who saw the secret ending, Shepard is alive BUT he is still on Earth.

I'll link the video when I find it again, it explains it better.

EDIT:

Here's the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZ7bsIpEKIg

[Unstoppable Judge]

Can you link to the tweets confirming this? I assume they're from a reliable source? Ie devs...

[sas]

Hey, put some spoiler tags on some of that. Not everyone heeds warnings.

Where some people see a deep, introspective meta-plot I see lazy writing and plot holes. I'd be happy to be proven wrong, but I don't think that there is any deeper meaning to the ending than what we see.

[Tasha Clifford]

Can you link to the tweets confirming this? I assume they're from a reliable source? Ie devs...

They're in the video I edited in.

[Pat RiMsey]

Ah ok. Will have to watch it at a point where I'm not lying in bed with my phone lol.

[Kevan Olson]

Hey, put some spoiler tags on some of that. Not everyone heeds warnings.

Yeah, sorry about that. Thankfully the devs got it.

[Shaylee Shaw]

I need to stay out of this thread, too much talk about this supposedly controversial ending. I'm really interested in finding out how bad it can really be, but I don't want to be spoiled. I'll get there eventually.

I've had 20 enjoyable hours so far though, along with the 2 previous games I enjoyed a lot. No crappy ending can take all that enjoyment away.

I know what you mean here. I only played through part of ME3 and all I hear is how bad the ending is. Now I started from the beginning at ME1 and trying to play all the way through. But the fact is I am finding alot of little plot holes doing this, but still having fun.

[Anthony Rand]

Anybody want to join up on ME3 PC to kill some Brutes? If you let me know.

[Bad News Rogers]

The ending has been confirmed to be a dream. There's a whole video on it including tweets from BioWare stating that the ending will be revealed in DLC.

Those tweets are just... tweets. They confirm nothing. It's PR-speak for not really saying anything.

[trisha punch]

Those tweets are just... tweets. They confirm nothing. It's PR-speak for not really saying anything.

It still does not discredit the other points made in the video.

[Stay-C]

I just watched the vid and had seen those tweets before. It's definitely not confirmation from the devs that it's not the end. Just speculation...

[Brιonα Renae]

They're in the video I edited in.

I'm sorry, but I am rather skeptic of this, even with the evidence you have brought up. It just seems too convenient that this would appear now.

[Eoh]

Empty tweets or not, the other facts are solid. I could pass it off as bad storytelling, which I know well that BioWare does a lot, but for me the facts are just too obvious.

I'm not saying that you have to believe them, I'm just saying they're there.

[Tom Flanagan]

Spoiler

If the indoctrination theory is correct than what the heck is the green option doing there? What does melding organics and synthetics into a wholly new organism have to do with giving/not giving into indoctrination? Why does it only appear as an option if you have a high enough effective military strength? Shouldn't that option always (or never) exist? After the choices have been made, seeing the relays explode and the Normandy crash on a jungle planet does nothing to indicate indoctrination. If it did, why do you still see those scenes after rejecting the indoctrination by destroying the reapers? Shouldn't the indoctrination end there immediately?

If the real ending is yet to be shown and it really was indoctrination, it's still bad writing, and it still only barely makes sense. Making things end weirdly only indicates weirdness, not any secret true ending.

[STEVI INQUE]

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2012/03/16/bioware-to-discuss-mass-effect-3-endings.aspx

Well this is better than what we have been getting. I can certainly see Bioware working on some DLC that may shed some light on the endings and hopefully clear some things up.

[courtnay]

So is the ending really that bad? Well, I hope that I won't get to see the current one then. I'd be lucky if the hypothetical real ending DLC came before I finished the game - and thus be oblivious to the ending what pissed so many people off.

[The Time Car]

So is the ending really that bad? Well, I hope that I won't get to see the current one then. I'd be lucky if the hypothetical real ending DLC came before I finished the game - and thus be oblivious to the ending what pissed so many people off.

Yes it is. Your choices make absolutely no impact on it what so ever and just what the ending does is so strange and deus ex like that how anyone could like it is beyond me.

[Alba Casas]

I just got a blue dialogue option for the first time. Is that a romance option?

[Mariaa EM.]

I just got a blue dialogue option for the first time. Is that a romance option?

No, that's a Paragon option. It only appears on if your Paragon score is high enough. Similarly red is a Renegade option. Romance options are not specially highlighted.

Success on Tuchanka!

Spoiler

Cure was sabotaged, yet Mordin lives and is working on the crucible. And no one is the wiser. ...Yet, atleast

[Amanda savory]

Just reached Illium in ME2. Been planning how to kill off some squad-mates at the end of the game, I feel so evil.

Also not sure who to romance with my femShep in this one, maybe Thane.

On a side note, did anyone choose Morinth over Samara in ME2?

[Gavin boyce]

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2012/03/16/bioware-to-discuss-mass-effect-3-endings.aspx

Well this is better than what we have been getting. I can certainly see Bioware working on some DLC that may shed some light on the endings and hopefully clear some things up.

Sigh.....is it me, or does it sound like (once you get past the PR [censored] speak) Casey is trying to dig Bioware out of the hole they are sitting in? I'm not saying I want a sunshine and daises ending. I would seriously consider an Alan Wake type ending an accomplishment over these.
If they do decide to keep these endings though, at least [censored] update them so they make some [censored] sense.
At one point, in a previous thread, someone referred to these endings in similarity to the way Matrix ended. I personally find that hilariously inaccurate. The end of the Matrix series was coherent in knowing why it ended the way it did.

Then again, I'm probably just running in circles here. I just imagined the series that restored my faith in RPGs wouldn't dive-bomb like this.

[Jerry Cox]

Random side note - multiplayer event this weekend: if 1mil Brutes are killed, everyone gets a special reward pack. And if you manage a full extraction against Reapers on Silver difficulty, you get another special pack. Or something like that.



Between this and the limited-time-sale Equipment pack, it's interesting to see that they're going to be mixing things up a little in MP.

[victoria johnstone]

Of course, this is an example of exactly WHY Bioware shouldn't cave to the whining. Broken Steel was a huge mistake. Fallout 3's better without it.

Well, the problem with So Very, Very Broken Steel was mostly balance issues. It's not like Fallout 3 had such a great story to begin with

On a side note, did anyone choose Morinth over Samara in ME2?

Can't help but think of it as "chaotic Stupid". Though it would be interesting to see how it affects ME3, so maybe in a future playtrough