Mass Effect 3

[Master Chief]

Outside of a different set of EMS to get certain endings and a couple different bits of dialogue,

Spoiler

I think it makes TIM's research at Sanctuary less brutal because he doesn't have to recreate what happened on the base.

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

Spoiler

Also it sounds like you get more war assets if you didn't blow it up when they recover the Human Reaper.

 

[X Knight]

just curious, if you take ME 3's endings in their present state, would you have been fine with how ME 3 ended if ME 3 was NOT the end of the trilogy ( and had NOT been promoted as such )?

that is, if you knew that there was going to be ME 4, 5, 6, etc., and the devs openly stated that Shep's story would continue for several more games ( meaning that ME 3 was intended to be the middle part of the ongoing story arc, not the end ), would you have been fine with how ME 3 ended?

 

[The Squirrel]

just curious, if you take ME 3's endings in their present state, would you have been fine with how ME 3 ended if ME 3 was NOT the end of the trilogy ( and had NOT been promoted as such )?

that is, if you knew that there was going to be ME 4, 5, 6, etc., and the devs openly stated that Shep's story would continue for several more games ( meaning that ME 3 was intended to be the middle part of the ongoing story arc, not the end ), would you have been fine with how ME 3 ended?

Probably. It sounds like a good, OH SHIZNET! cliff-hanger ending.

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

Yeah, I think if I knew it wasn't the end I'd be much more okay with it. The lack of closure and resolution is my real issue here.

 

[iamlegend]

Spoiler

Check it:

Illusive Man's eye, as a result of coming into contact with a reaper artifact that turns people into husks.

Saren's eye, as a result of indoctrination.

Shepard's eye during control.

Shepard's eyes during synthesis.

Courtesy of: http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/355/index/9727423

Most speculation is reaching, but you can clearly see in control that the eyes are not a result of simple blue lighting.

Spoiler

So it's clear the eyes are blue because of indoctrination? This is the smoking gun? I'm not seeing it. In both endings Shepard is also, for all intents and purposes, "merging" with Reaper tech - he effectively becomes the new Reaper "God" in the Control ending, no? So, again, there's a potential reasonable explanation.

You really can't believe a series that has been all about player choice and consequence would do something that has to do with player choice and consequence? lol

Spoiler

I really can't think of any other example of interactive media that has done something like this; the "would you kindly" twist in Bioshock comes close because you feel manipulated... but this is way more insane coz they put the choice in your hands. The idea that if you picked anything but destroy you were seduced by your enemy, and as a result they win? Awesome.

Spoiler

There's a difference between offering choice/consequence and actually writing an ending where your character falls under some sort of spell and you're misled into indoctrination. Mass Effect, even when it's allowed its players to make choices, has always made the endgame pretty clear.

In ME1 you were going to stop Saren. You could be a dick, a hero or something in between... but you were going to stop Saren.

In ME2 you were going to stop the Collectors. You could be a dick, a hero or something in between... but you were going to stop the Collectors.

In ME3 you were going to stop the Reapers... see where I'm going with this? This is a mainstream game, it was going to have a mainstream ending where your guy/gal saves the Universe, one way or another.

As "awesome" as you feel the indoctrination ending would be (and admittedly, fully fleshed out it would have had potential), Bioware WASN'T going to go with that. With each game they've tried harder and harder to appeal to the mass consumer rather than the dedicated fan. The mass consumer wants a cut and dry ending, which is more or less what they got. A poor ending, yes. But an ending.

That all said, I want to again make it plain that I don't like the ending. I'm hoping for DLC with more clarity and closure concerning what happened to the universe.

But I also don't think this case is nearly as cut and dry as people are making it out to be. My stance remains that Bioware just created, well... a garbage ending. And as dedicated and loyal fans, a lot of folks are just trying to make sense of it.

 

[Reek]

i have a feeling we will get another me trilogy...the problem bioware is facing... shepard. they got to this point, and could have ended sheps trilogy... but then the next trilogy needs a new hero. but why when you could make a 6 game series.

it makes sense that they decided to make more shep based games then giving a cliffhanger ending and not do anything else.

if there is DLC to fix the problems with the ending (which i still havent seen, but judging by the backlash...damn), it has to be the best DLC ever.

 

[iamlegend]

i have a feeling we will get another me trilogy...the problem bioware is facing... shepard. they got to this point, and could have ended sheps trilogy... but then the next trilogy needs a new hero. but why when you could make a 6 game series.

it makes sense that they decided to make more shep based games then giving a cliffhanger ending and not do anything else.

if there is DLC to fix the problems with the ending (which i still havent seen, but judging by the backlash...damn), it has to be the best DLC ever.

I'm sure the franchise itself is far from over (its spanned books, comics, has the rumored movie, etc). It's just a matter of when/how it returns. I'd imagine at this point they're done with console games on the current gen.

 

[Reek]

yea on the current gen. but Wii U, and in 2013-2014, new xbox and new ps.

im just saying maybe bioware changed their minds about shepards story being a trilogy. next gen shep trilogy works for me.

again, i havent finished the game. so im just babbling really.

 

[iamlegend]

yea on the current gen. but Wii U, and in 2013-2014, new xbox and new ps.

im just saying maybe bioware changed their minds about shepards story being a trilogy. next gen shep trilogy works for me.

again, i havent finished the game. so im just babbling really.

It'll be something they'll have to revisit at some point. Needless to say Bioware's not shy about switching main characters. The Dragon Age's didn't share one, and they've already said DA3 will start anew too.

 

[X Knight]

I mean, if they want to continue Shep's story, I'd much rather have that in a full game, ala ME 4, instead of some DLC.

Spoiler

don't know if this video has been posted here before. but it's a Youtube video explaing 10 reasons why the endings failed. It does a pretty good job, imo, explaining the major problems many of us had with the endings. It does contain some foul language ( mostly bleeped out ), so be warned. Oh, and he does call Liara "Laria" once ( so be warned all you Liara fans...... )

for those of us who have been complaining here and reading the complaints elsewhere, it doesn't really add much new. But, I did get a chuckle out of it.

edit: I've removed the video link ( due to the language ), but just go to Youtube and type in "10 Reasons We Hate Mass Effect 3's Ending." It's by AngryJoeShow.

 

[The Squirrel]

You need to be careful when linking videos with bad language. You may want to remove it just to be safe, but list the name so people can find it.

 

[X Knight]

You need to be careful when linking videos with bad language. You may want to remove it just to be safe, but list the name so people can find it.

hey, thanks for the warning.

I removed the video link to be safe and just gave the name of the video and the uploader.

 

[Microchip]

just curious, if you take ME 3's endings in their present state, would you have been fine with how ME 3 ended if ME 3 was NOT the end of the trilogy ( and had NOT been promoted as such )?

that is, if you knew that there was going to be ME 4, 5, 6, etc., and the devs openly stated that Shep's story would continue for several more games ( meaning that ME 3 was intended to be the middle part of the ongoing story arc, not the end ), would you have been fine with how ME 3 ended?

Yeah, that'd help a bit, however

Spoiler

the three things to account for are all pretty major (destroying all synthetic life means no more Geth, synthesis is just WTF and commanding the Reapers has its own repercussions) so I don't see how they could do a nice streamlined ME4. If they WERE planning on going somewhere with this and handled it well, then yeah, it could be ok.

THIS would fix everything, from a guy from the ME community. Free DLC it Bioware!

Spoiler

I'm of the opinion that from the moment you get hit by the laser on the way to the beam, you're knocked out and Harbinger and the Reapers are attempting to indoctrinate you.

You end up having 3 choices in the game.

Control, you lay down your weapon, surrender and die.

Synthesis, you lay down your weapon, surrender and die.

And destroy. You draw your weapon end up waking up what looks like back on earth after having been blown up by the laser.

Which is why the VI in the Citadel looks like the boy from your dreams you failed to save, they're really torquing your will power. Trying to get you to give in and stop fighting. Only in choosing destroy do you fight. And in choosing the fight, you wake up. The indoctrination failed.

 

[Harriet Tubman]

Some glitches I had,

In multiplayer:

An invisible turret. Tossed a few grenades at where the gunfire was coming from and it blew up hahah.
A nemesis spawned in a pillar. A sentinel on our team had to use tech armour to kill it.

In single player:

I couldn't access the second terminal in Kasumi's quest.
Shepard's head turned awkwardly to the left in the middle of a conversation... and stayed there.
The back of Shepard's neck would clip through his leather coat collar.
Random bits of dialogue fading out.
An awkward 20 second pause in the middle of a conversation.
Went to talk to some dude at C-Sec, the NPC disappeared but the conversation continued.

There really are a ton of glitches in this game. I don't remember ME2 having anything like what I have seen in ME3. Sure there was the "infinite paragon/renegade points" glitch, but there really was nothing that just made you laugh like this

[YT]9pIQyUQ_xvM[/YT]

Spoiler

Bioware wouldn't write in a "wrong" choice ending. They're all about players making their own choices and sticking with them - Bioware's not judgmental with their choices. There's no right or wrong, just different ways to do things.

They did in M2.....

 

[SolarTiger]

Just finished the game. So...there's more post-credit scenes right? Right?

 

[Soapy]

I just started getting a bug where the game will automatically change my weapon setup to just a pistol.

 

[SolarTiger]

I just started getting a bug where the game will automatically change my weapon setup to just a pistol.

That happened to me. It disappeared after a few missions though.

 

[Master Chief]

Spoiler

So it's clear the eyes are blue because of indoctrination? This is the smoking gun? I'm not seeing it. In both endings Shepard is also, for all intents and purposes, "merging" with Reaper tech - he effectively becomes the new Reaper "God" in the Control ending, no? So, again, there's a potential reasonable explanation.

There's a difference between offering choice/consequence and actually writing an ending where your character falls under some sort of spell and you're misled into indoctrination. Mass Effect, even when it's allowed its players to make choices, has always made the endgame pretty clear.

In ME1 you were going to stop Saren. You could be a dick, a hero or something in between... but you were going to stop Saren.

In ME2 you were going to stop the Collectors. You could be a dick, a hero or something in between... but you were going to stop the Collectors.

In ME3 you were going to stop the Reapers... see where I'm going with this? This is a mainstream game, it was going to have a mainstream ending where your guy/gal saves the Universe, one way or another.

As "awesome" as you feel the indoctrination ending would be (and admittedly, fully fleshed out it would have had potential), Bioware WASN'T going to go with that. With each game they've tried harder and harder to appeal to the mass consumer rather than the dedicated fan. The mass consumer wants a cut and dry ending, which is more or less what they got. A poor ending, yes. But an ending.

That all said, I want to again make it plain that I don't like the ending. I'm hoping for DLC with more clarity and closure concerning what happened to the universe.

But I also don't think this case is nearly as cut and dry as people are making it out to be. My stance remains that Bioware just created, well... a garbage ending. And as dedicated and loyal fans, a lot of folks are just trying to make sense of it.

Spoiler

Where else have you seen eyes like that? Yeah, that's a tell-tale sign of indoctrination. Shepard was just telling the illusive man, "You can't control them, they control you!"

What's the difference between offering choice/consequence and the idea that is presented by Harbinger trying to indoctrinate Shepard? Let's see, you have choice. Yup. And each choice has a real, unique consequence... it could be the first time the series has lived up to its gimmick!

The goal of the games, as soon as you find out who's running the show, has been to destroy the reapers. Anyone who got talked out of destroying them in a mind boggling five minute sales pitch from a ghostly child* that talks to you on behalf of the reapers has been tricked, and that's what makes it so beautiful. You have every player experience what it feels like to be indoctrinated.

Whether you destroyed them coz you're a badass renegade and it has always been your intention to, or you chose control/synthesis because your feelings towards the geth and EDI swayed you to let the reapers live, you got to experience what it would be like to have a reaper poking around in your mind.

They dropped the idea of Shepard losing control to the reapers. They said it was difficult to work into the gameplay, but my guess is they cut it because it would have made their intentions too obvious. They laid out too much groundwork for it to be fans grasping at straws.

*Ooooh extra little tidbit, remember the last time Shepard had to walk around the outside of the Citadel, like he does as he's talking to the catalyst? It was in Mass Effect, when you had to stop Saren and he shut down the elevators. Shepard and his squad had to put on their breathing masks before he shot out the glass, coz they were in space.

You might not like the ending too, but saying that they're trying to appeal to the lowest common denominator is lazy in the face of a mountain of speculative evidence; especially considering the rest of the writing throughout the whole game is fantastic.

lmao alright, after that I think I'm spent. I've gone back and forth on this goddamn theory too much. Bioware always had something planned, or their response to the hate is PR spin until they figure out what to do. Either way I'm content with waiting until something is announced.

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

Just finished the game. So...there's more post-credit scenes right? Right?

Come back in 2-3 months.

I just started getting a bug where the game will automatically change my weapon setup to just a pistol.

I had it as well but it went away after a mission or 2 and didn't bother me again.

They did in M2.....

Eh not really. Even if you went out of your way and got Shepard killed in ME2, you still defeated the Collectors.

 

[Havok83]

I havent mentioned but I love that you can quicksave in this game. Thats one feature Ive always loved in PC games which might seem small and minor but made me prefer some PC verions over the consoles such as the Bethesda games. Im glad Bioware implemented that here. Has any other console game had that, that I wasnt aware of?

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

Once I realized the quick save was there I used it all the time, a really smart and clever way of implementing it.

 

[smashmode]

Might be a repost, but 10 reasons the endings are not good. Its a long video, but its pretty good:

http://youtu.be/6M0Cf864P7E

Also starts off with the wildly divergent endings comments, and not going to pigeonhole the gamer into a A,B,C ending.

 

[ChrisBaleBatman]

Question: How is the game affected if you allow the Illusive Man to keep the Collector base?

Aside from The Illusive Man mentioning it, and how it probably aligns with his current views on the Reapers...not much, I think.

I did hear that it helps boost up your galactic preparedness rating, though.

just curious, if you take ME 3's endings in their present state, would you have been fine with how ME 3 ended if ME 3 was NOT the end of the trilogy ( and had NOT been promoted as such )?

that is, if you knew that there was going to be ME 4, 5, 6, etc., and the devs openly stated that Shep's story would continue for several more games ( meaning that ME 3 was intended to be the middle part of the ongoing story arc, not the end ), would you have been fine with how ME 3 ended?

Yes.

I thought the ending was fine at first. But, thinking about how everything changes, no matter the ending, and how inconsistent things are with the in game consequences stated.

I think if we knew there'd be an ME4, we'd know things would be clarified. The outrage for this pretty much hinges on this, supposedly, being the final chapter of Shepard. If it weren't, I think most people would be fine with waiting.

That all said, I want to again make it plain that I don't like the ending. I'm hoping for DLC with more clarity and closure concerning what happened to the universe.

But I also don't think this case is nearly as cut and dry as people are making it out to be. My stance remains that Bioware just created, well... a garbage ending. And as dedicated and loyal fans, a lot of folks are just trying to make sense of it.

You're probably right.

But, it's just...strange to see it happen. These writers have done some very good work before. There's some great writing done in this game alone. It's just, I'm having a hard time believing that the people who've done all that could suddenly get a brain freeze like this.

Or, maybe they were trying to be too clever for their own good. Maybe they were trying to put together this existentialist ending that has us question the validity of any fiction, and not theirs.

And they fell flat on their face. I dunno. I keep going back and forth.

I'm sure the franchise itself is far from over (its spanned books, comics, has the rumored movie, etc). It's just a matter of when/how it returns. I'd imagine at this point they're done with console games on the current gen.

With all the endings...I'm not exactly sure how the franchise could go on past this game. There's major implications at the end, that radically changes everything in the universe.

If it happened.

Just finished the game. So...there's more post-credit scenes right? Right?

Yes.

And it is awful.

 

[smashmode]

Just finished the game. So...there's more post-credit scenes right? Right?