[Tom]

A Garrusmancer's Five Stages of Grief:
http://clancop.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/85327.jpg?w=450

[FirDaus LOVe farhana]

i wasn't too fussed about the ending. the way i see it, ME3 is one large ending. like others have touched upon, it's a case of wrapping up most major ME story lines.

I'd agree with this. ME3 has tons of closure leading up to the end.

Spoiler

I was not expecting a happy ending, and, in fact, I would have been disappointed if a happily-ever-after ending had been tacked on. It would not have fit with the way the series had progressed.

While I'm not thrilled with the deus ex machina resolution, at least they spent the entire third game establishing it. And I was fully expecting such an ending, as they had really written themselves into a corner, as so many speculative fiction authors do, with the reaper threat. There was really no way they could resolve it without a magic button.

My main problem with the ending is that certain parts don't make sense. What the hell is the Normandy doing in front of that beam? How did they get there? Where are they going? And why does one of my active squad mates, who was with me on Earth when we got hit by Harbinger, step off the Normandy after the crash? I've played through ME3 twice, and both times, one of my active squad members was shown to be on the Normandy (first Ashley, then Javik). That makes it seem deliberate. What's going on there?

This is one thing that almost makes me believe the indoctrination theory... there seems to be a piece of the story missing. If there's not something missing, it's some of the laziest writing I've ever witnessed.

[helen buchan]

i wasn't too fussed about the ending. the way i see it, ME3 is one large ending. like others have touched upon, it's a case of wrapping up most major ME story lines.

Yes, I'm surprised at the level of outrage from fans who are demanding a re-write.

I chose the synthesis ending. From my perspective it seemed to make sense and worked very well.

[Code Affinity]

The only problems I have with the ending is it has many "plot holes", it adds more questions then answers, and I don't get to see the impact I made on the world and most characters.

[Ally Chimienti]

did someone say http://assets.diylol.com/hfs/bab/8bf/d28/resized/x-x-everywhere-meme-generator-plot-holes-plot-holes-everywhere-126445.jpg?

[Chloe :)]

I just felt like the FINAL choice also rendered many previous struggles/choices meaningless. That's my beef with the ending. It's like, ok, so what was the real point of any of that stuff if the END of ends is like that?

[Taylor Tifany]

Spoiler

I ended with over 5000 ems, yet I did not get an ending where shepherd lives?

[Mackenzie]

Spoiler

I ended with over 5000 ems, yet I did not get an ending where shepherd lives?

Spoiler

That's because, my innocent young snowflake, there isn't one. All talk of the "perfect ending" is [censored].

[kelly thomson]

Spoiler

I ended with over 5000 ems, yet I did not get an ending where shepherd lives?

Spoiler

As I understand it, the shepard breathes ending only occurs if you choose to destroy the reapers.

[Kim Bradley]

Spoiler

I ended with over 5000 ems, yet I did not get an ending where shepherd lives?

Spoiler

You have to choose Destroy (the renegade, or right-hand path)

[Cassie Boyle]

I wonder how many of the people who are really hating on the ending are people who have spent hours grinding multiplayer in an effort to get the perfect ending, only to

Spoiler

miss it because they picked the synthesis/control option, or to be disappointed to see their only reward for all that effort was a 20 second cutscene which raises more questions than it answers.

I would probably be much less favorably inclined toward the ending if I had made any effort to raise my galactic readiness.

[Mr.Broom30]

I wonder how many of the people who are really hating on the ending are people who have spent hours grinding multiplayer in an effort to get the perfect ending, only to

Spoiler

miss it because they picked the synthesis/control option, or to be disappointed to see their only reward for all that effort was a 20 second cutscene which raises more questions than it answers.

I would probably be much less favorably inclined toward the ending if I had made any effort to raise my galactic readiness.

Spoiler

I don't see the "Shepard Lives" scene as being all that rewarding. In fact, it fits in well with the rest of the ending. No good way to explain it, given no proper context, easy to dismiss when you've just destroyed the entire mass relay network and your squad is god knows where.

It's like Normandy escaping. Shepard being alive and back on Earth can be explained only if you do some massive filling in of blanks -- "the Citadel beamed him back down...for some reason" -- or assume that it's a sign that something fishy is going on (ie indoctrination).

[saharen beauty]

Spoiler

Destroying all synthetic life, does that mean the Quarians too???

[Wayland Neace]

Spoiler

Personally, I wish the following had happened after the final confrontation with the illusive man:

1. A final confrontation with Harbinger or an avatar of Harbinger. Harbinger finally explains the cycle without any [censored], awesome dialogue, yadda yadda yadda.

2, a.Shepard uses Harbinger's presence to ensure that the Crucible targets only reapers, and no one else. (effectively, using Harbinger as a template for what targets are acceptable) If Crucible war assets are too low, this doesn't work, and the crucible blows up all synthetics and the mass relays. If you have enough crucible war assets, it works, and the reapers are destroyed.

2, b. Shepard hates synthetics and agrees with Harbinger that the Reaper cycle is necessary to prevent things like the Zha'til, Geth, EDI, and rogue VI's from destroying organics. Shepard uses the Crucible to destroy non-reaper Synthetics and the fleet assembled to oppose the reapers. Harbinger invites Shepard to join a new human reaper.

3. show us the consequences of our actions over the series, specifically, the fate of the Systems Alliance, the solar system, Geth/quarians, Krogan, and the new galactic order that forms in the wake of the reaper harvest. Obviously, this is replaced by something very different if we screw up in 2,a. or choose to support the reapers.

@born2beagator,

Spoiler

No. The Quarians and Volus are not "snythetic," their merely wearing special suits.

[Mark Churchman]

I thought it was very stupid and made little to no sense.

Spoiler

Great game up until the Catalyst.

[Jesus Sanchez]

Spoiler

Personally, I wish the following had happened after the final confrontation with the illusive man:

1. A final confrontation with Harbinger or an avatar of Harbinger. Harbinger finally explains the cycle without any [censored], awesome dialogue, yadda yadda yadda.

2, a.Shepard uses Harbinger's presence to ensure that the Crucible targets only reapers, and no one else. (effectively, using Harbinger as a template for what targets are acceptable) If Crucible war assets are too low, this doesn't work, and the crucible blows up all synthetics and the mass relays. If you have enough crucible war assets, it works, and the reapers are destroyed.

2, b. Shepard hates synthetics and agrees with Harbinger that the Reaper cycle is necessary to prevent things like the Zha'til, Geth, EDI, and rogue VI's from destroying organics. Shepard uses the Crucible to destroy non-reaper Synthetics and the fleet assembled to oppose the reapers. Harbinger invites Shepard to join a new human reaper.

3. show us the consequences of our actions over the series, specifically, the fate of the Systems Alliance, the solar system, Geth/quarians, Krogan, and the new galactic order that forms in the wake of the reaper harvest. Obviously, this is replaced by something very different if we screw up in 2,a. or choose to support the reapers.

@born2beagator,

Spoiler

No. The Quarians and Volus are not "snythetic," their merely wearing special suits.

Man, all of your choices there would have been awesome

[Reven Lord]

I thought it was very stupid and made little to no sense.

Spoiler

Great game up until the Catalyst.

Spoiler

The Catalyst was such a STUPID idea. Would have been better had the Reapers been acting on their own.

[Harry Hearing]

Yes, I'm surprised at the level of outrage from fans who are demanding a re-write.

I chose the synthesis ending. From my perspective it seemed to make sense and worked very well.

Synthesis only makes sense if you accept the premise put forth by the Catalyst. The premise is completely nonsensical (proved untrue through events in all three games). Therefore, the choice is nonsensical.

[sam smith]

But also the one of the obvious holes.

Spoiler

When the child says you also have machines inside of you, which means if you choose the death of all things bio mechanical you die as well, yet if you play multiplayer and choose the destruction of the reapers and geth you can live, how when basically the child said all bio mechanical creatures die.

[Danger Mouse]

But also the one of the obvious holes.

Spoiler

When the child says you also have machines inside of you, which means if you choose the death of all things bio mechanical you die as well, yet if you play multiplayer and choose the destruction of the reapers and geth you can live, how when basically the child said all bio mechanical creatures die.

Spoiler

Which I guess is more evidence for the indoctrination theory.

[Rinceoir]

Spoiler

Which I guess is more evidence for the indoctrination theory.

Or simply more evidence that Bioware completely [censored] the ending. Destroy obviously doesn't mean literally destroy everything synthetic. Otherwise, everything non-organic would be destroyed, leaving all those happy soldiers cheering in their birthday suits at the end. The presence of synthetics in Shepard doesn't mean he'll die if he chooses to destroy the Reapers (and the Catalyst never claims it will). Even the idea that choosing to destroy the Reapers would simultaneously end the Geth is ridiculous. We have a device here that can completely rewrite the universe, combining synthetic with organic and creating a wholly new being, but it can't distinguish between the giant cuttlefish and the little robot men?

[Steven Hardman]

Okay after seeing the ending where shepherd lives....how the freak could he survive all that? Explosion in his face, and then the destruction of the citadel with him on it.

[Bitter End]

We got to about page 25 on the thread I linked before the popcorn finished, and then we got bored, but here are three more gems:

On the upside, from now on with all of my projects I will complete 99% of it. Then, when I am asked why it isn't finished I'll just say "Lots of Speculation From Everyone!" Because that is apparently a valid business decision.

Hope lost.

Where's my disk? Two choices, snap it, or trade it in?

Have you ever placed a CD or DVD in a microwave? Pretty cool. Keep an eye on it and stop it after about 5 seconds or so. That's all it takes. Gives you colorful fireworks...kinda like the fireworks for one of the redundant ME3 endings.

Better than snapping it.

Can you imagine if JRR Tolkien ended Return of the King in a similar way?

[Wayland Neace]

While doing my weekly round of news-reading, I came across this:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/08/mass-effect-review_n_1331816.html

It's in-credible, all right.

[meg knight]

While doing my weekly round of news-reading, I came across this:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/08/mass-effect-review_n_1331816.html

It's in-credible, all right.

Bribery or blackmail? I wonder about these reviewers sometimes...