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[Eddy01741]

Let me preface this by saying that Mass Effect (the series) has never been a straight up RPG, but instead an Action RPG, an RPG with action-adventure and shooter elements. Obviously the RPG side of things also became less relevant as the action/shooter side became more relevant with the transition from ME to ME2 (no more inventory, no more weapon mods, less weapons, less armors, no squadmate armors etc.).

So as such, we should make the distinction between what is to be expected in an RPG, and what is to be expected in a Mass Effect game.

This is obviously a topic to explore the endings of Mass Effect 3, as an obvious majority of the fanbase represented at BSN seems to dislike the ending. Part of which was directed at the lack of real choice and variety represented in the ending. While multiple endings are possible, based on war assets and what not, people complain that the endings are by and far basically the same (I won't delve into details, no spoilers section). 

Let us look at the endings of Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 and see how Mass Effect 3 sizes up.

*I assume if you're reading this you've already played through Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2, but if not, spoilers ahead for the first two games.*

In Mass Effect, there is only one "ending". There are small details about the ending that can be changed, but there is just one ending. You kill Saren, you stop Sovereign. The universe is saved. The details? Well, the council can die or be saved, if dead a human only council can be erected, or just a normal council with new members. The Destiny Ascension can also be destroyed as well. Also, Saren be coaxed to kill himself after realizing what he's done, or not, either way you have ot fight a reaper-tech infused Saren anyways as the final boss fight. 

Bottom line is, you really don't have any choices. You kill Saren, you stop Sovereign, you save the universe.


Moving on to Mass Effect 2. You stop the collectors, kill the human reaper, and save the human colonies on the Terminus Systems. That's about all it is. Whether you count the entire suicide mission as a prelude to the ending, or part of the ending itself, the conclusion is still the same. The only choice you are really presented is whether or not you want to keep or destroy the collector base. Which really doesn't matter much. It's just a matter of whether TIM is pissed at you and your teammates commend you, or vice versa. 

Even if you count the suicide mission as part of the ending. What's the difference. You can have multiple squadmates die, some failing tasks that seem to be important at the time. However, even if they fail their tasks, they don't cause you to fail your task, aka, winning the game. So really, no difference yet again. The death of squadmates doesn't really affect you until Mass Effect 3, and even then, every dead squadmate has a less interesting stand-in.


So looking back at Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2. Should we really have expected that much more?

The most common arguments I read are that it's an RPG, we should be able to choose our ending (have endings from reapers win through walt disney princess story ending). But why should we expect so much? Should we expect it based on RPGs of past? This isn't an RPG, if you think this is a full blown RPG... well you have other things to sort out. 

Enough about what's to be expected from an RPG (which the Mass Effect series is not, especially 2 and 3). How about what's to be expected from an action/adventure or shooter game? They often leave no variety of endings whatsoever. The player is simply along for the ride and needs game skills to beat the action parts of the game (shooting/killing bosses, mowing down hordes of enemies, running away from whatever's chasing you, etc.). It's essentially a plot, as if it were in a film or a novel, where you have no control over what happens at all, you simply control the character in action sequences. 


Obviously the mass effect series isn't strictly an action/adventure or shooter game either. That's obvious in the fact that you are able to talk to your squadmates, crew, and civilians freely, you can travel freely, etc. You can even affect how your squadmates react to you, and how whether your squadmates die. You can make small plot changes. IE, the two following paths are possible: 1) I killed Saren, stopped Sovereign, and saved the universe. Along the way I was an extremely upstanding role model whom everybody liked. Along the way, unfortunately, Kaidan Alenko had to make a sacrifice for my mission to be fulfilled. and 2) I killed Saren, stopped Sovereign, and saved the universe. Along the way I was an absolute douchebag who wasn't afraid to abuse my spectre authority, and during my quest to save the universe Ashley and Wrex both died, as well as the council and the Destiny Ascension.


As you can see, changes were made in the plot, but they were relatively minor in comparison to the overall scheme of things You can't "choose" not to kill Saren, or not to stop Sovereign. You can't even choose to align yourself with Saren's reasons, the game simply doesn't allow for it. 


Conclusion (TL;DR): what the hell were you all expecting? This is an action-RPG, not an RPG. There was no precedent set by Mass Effect 1 and/or Mass Effect 2 that even so much as suggested that Mass Effect 3 you'd be able to have great control over your ending. This has always been Bioware's story, and given Bioware's recent history, it makes sense. Look at KOTOR, you can't decide not to kill Malak at the end. Look at DAO, you can't choose not to kill the archdemon at the end. Sure xxxxx will end up on the throne married to yyyyyy, and zzzzz will be the one to kill the archdemon and if zzzzz happens to be the PC, then the PC may or may not survive. But think about it, they're all the same damn ending.

Basically, it's Bioware's story, and Bioware's ending, always has been. That's the way it's been in all the Mass Effect games, and pretty much all Bioware games (at least all the recent ones). You can choose not to like the ending, you can choose to have preferred _________ fan fiction ending, but they write the canon. It's the same as not liking the ending to the Harry Potter series. You are entitled to your opinion obviously, so criticize away, but critcizing the lack of choice is... baseless given the state of endings in other ME/BW games.

Now a lot of you are going to go and run to the promises of Casey Hudson or whoever from Bioware who made statements about a "satisfying" ending with "choices". Well, satisfying is pretty subjective so I don't think I have to even go there, choices? Well, (spoilers?) there are choices. You can argue Casey's interpretation of the words "satisfying" and "choices", but strictly speaking, they didn't lie.


Lastly, this doesn't excuse the crappy writing of the ending, nor does it excuse massive plot holes which make no sense in the ending. It doesn't even excuse the lack of "closure" given in the ending. This is just a post/thread on the expectation of choice for the ending in Mass Effect 3.