Alright, so after raging about the internet over the Mass Effect 3 ending, I decided I would write up something more formal and explanatory. There are 17 available “endings” based on your EMS rating in-game. These endings are also based on whether you destroyed or preserved the Collector Base at the end of Mass Effect 2, but if you read the available endings this is just a lie and no matter what you did in ME2 the same endings can be accomplished.
If you saved the Collector Base:
<1750 – Earth is destroyed regardless of whatever decisions you made.
1750 – Choose to Save the Reapers and the Earth will be saved.
2050 – Choose to control a Reaper and the Earth will be saved.
2350 – Choose to destroy the Reapers and the Earth will be somewhat destroyed
2650 – Choose to destroy the Reapers and Earth is destroyed.
2800 – Earth and the Galaxy will be saved once you’re able to create synergy
4000 – Choose to destroy the Reapers and Save Anderson to see Shepard lives.
5000 – Choose to destroy the reapers and not Save Anderson to see Shepard lives
If you destroyed the Collector Base:
<1750 – Earth is destroyed regardless of whatever decisions you made.
1750 – Choose to control a Reaper and the Earth will be destroyed.
1900 – Choose to destroy the Reapers and the Earth will be somewhat destroyed
2350 – Choose to control a Reaper and the Earth will be saved.
2650 – Choose to destroy the Reapers and Earth will be saved.
2800 – Earth and the Galaxy will be saved once you’re able to create synergy
4000 – Choose to destroy the Reapers and Save Anderson to see Shepard lives.
5000 – Choose to destroy the reapers and not Save Anderson to see Shepard lives.
There is also supposed to be a 17th secret ending which you see if you either played on an imported game or twice through Mass Effect 3. The secret ending adds nothing of consequence to the ending, or I should say instead, it does not change the outcome of the ending. So let me break it down to you with what always happens no matter what the ending is:
- The two squad mates you brought with you on the final mission either die or somehow get transported onboard the Normandy (if the latter, it does not ever get officially explained)
- Anderson dies.
- The Illusive Man dies.
- Joker and the rest of the crew on the Normandy crash on a far-off planet after outrunning the blast from the Crucible.
That’s four things that 100% of the time, happen. This is a terribly disappointing move on BioWare’s part. It doesn’t offer true alternative endings as it should. With 17 different ending opportunities BioWare could have made endings that made sense and varied more than the endings that were provided. One possible option would be set up like something similar to this:
- A “bad” ending where everyone dies and the Reapers accomplish their objective.
- Another “bad” ending where a lot of people die and the Reapers appear to accomplish their goal, but a handful of survivors from all races escape the Reapers and live on to another cycle.
- A “bitter-sweet” ending where everyone dies, but the Reapers are destroyed.
- Another “bitter-sweet” ending where the Reapers are destroyed at the cost of humanity, but the other races survive.
- A “good” ending where there are some heavy sacrifices but the Reapers are destroyed/controlled.
- Another “good” ending where there are some sacrifices but the Reapers are destroyed/controlled.
- A “perfect” ending where there are barely any [major] sacrifices and the Reapers are destroyed/controlled.
- A “perfect” ending where there are no [major] sacrifices and the Reapers are destroyed/controlled.
The control option should only be available by siding with the Illusive Man and if you preserved the Collector Base. The destroy option should only be available by siding with Anderson and if you destroyed the Collector Base. There should be a better use of the Galactic Readiness and EMS ratings, especially the EMS.
All of the above possibilities would be evident in any solid conclusion. It allows for a broad variety of interchangeable endings to the series that range from the worst possible ending (based on a story standpoint and not a “satisfying conclusion” standpoint) to the best possible ending and everything in-between. There should be opportunities to save certain characters in the endgame, such as Anderson, your squad mates, Shepard himself, and even the Illusive Man if you feel like it would be necessary.
The current ending in Mass Effect 3 has no satisfying conclusion. Recognition can be given for the attempt at a difficult decision and a poetic ending to the story, but that is all it was; an attempt. And that attempt failed and became nothing more than a bleak “deus ex machina”.
It is a damn shame that the ending was so bad because up to the final downhill charge the game had me captured like no other. Over 3 games, defining my character throughout, I felt confident that the ending would be a satisfying conclusion. Something that felt epic, even if it meant my own death. What I got instead was a poorly explained and terrible “choice” ending that was forced down my throat. There should have been different endings that changed the end result of the story instead of things always happening.
My personal thoughts at the time of the final scene went something like this:
- (immediately after the Reaper beam knocks you over and it goes black) okay, so I’m unconscious and I’m going to get up and have to make the final push to the conduit through hordes of enemies
- (I see Garrus and Tali dead on the ground) this has to be some sort of nightmare sequence, it’s even got those fuzzy borders and shadows everywhere so that must be it
- (I get onto the Citadel) how has Shepard not woken up yet? this can’t be right
- (the finale with Illusive Man) this is really happening isn’t it? I don’t even care anymore, Garrus and Tali are both dead, just let me die. forget the Reapers. this is pointless now
- (the Catalyst) WHAT…is this? this is really stupid it’s not even good choices
- (the end cutscene) this is just awful. I’ll never be able to play this game to the end again
Those were my thoughts, more or less, at the moment I first reached the ending. I got one of the worse endings
even though they all are equally bad based on my research looking for a better ending. The lack of truly different endings discouraged me immensely to do a second playthrough and has killed a HUGE chunk of Mass Effect 3’s replayability factor; a factor that Mass Effect 1 and 2 had perfected. Even as I play an older save I still find myself thinking about the awful stuff that will happen if I ever decide to continue on to the ending and it makes me feel as though everything I’m doing in the single-player is worthless and has no meaning or purpose. This tears my immersion limb from limb and it’s depressing that this should happen when dealing with such a good game otherwise.
So please, BioWare. I beg you. As a fan of Mass Effect, for all fans of Mass Effect that had a problem with the
ending (and I’ve found a lot). Do something. Anything. I’m dead serious when I say I would gladly dole out another $20 for DLC that incorporates a much better variety of endings (as I gave examples of earlier). It would be admittedly underhanded of you if this was planned, but I don’t care anymore. What I do care about is a satisfying conclusion to my Shepard, to all Shepards! I care about the replayability of the game outside of multiplayer because the multiplayer was never supposed to be a major part of the game from the start. Mass Effect started as a single-player experience and by all rights it should have ended as one, and maybe have ended with better endings in the process. But as I said, I no longer care about what happened. I care about what happens now. And please, BioWare. Make better endings. Make a better variety of endings. Give your fans the endings that we all want and that we all deserve for following your games with such impeccable faith. Don’t allow your masterpiece to end like this, with such a whimper from your fanbase. Fix this before it’s too late and let it go out with a BANG!
Modifié par trifecta739, 10 mars 2012 - 11:09 .
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