After finishing ME3, I spent a few days processing my feelings regarding the game. One place I turn to for excellent analysis of the entirety of the video game experience is Penny Arcade TV's "Extra Credits" show. They cover all aspects of the industry, but here are two episodes that really stand out in their application to the ME3 ending controversy:
http://penny-arcade....e-of-the-playerhttp://penny-arcade....ode/bad-writing In light of these episodes, I can deeply appreciate what Bioware did throughout the game - they created a fantastic, immersive world that I deeply care about. A true triumph on their part. Which makes the post-elevator ending stand out so much more as a complete reversal in the quality of everything that went before, and leave many fans like myself scratching our heads and wondering what happened during development to cause such a reversal.
I don't post these links as Bioware bashing; in light of the discussion in these episodes I can easily point to what they did right. Bioware has shown without a doubt that they can create masterpieces. I'm crossing my fingers that what we got in the end really isn't "The End"...because to leave the series as is...well, lets not go there just yet.