Woo, my first post on these forums! I hope this is the appropriate place to post my response.
Just want to start off by saying that prior to starting the game, the only exposure I had to Mass Effect 3 were the advertisements, all in the fear of getting anything spoiled. In terms of the exposure to the Mass Effect Universe, I played the first two after I made the shift from console to PC gaming around 2009/2010. I finished five days ago and decided to hold off coming to any set conclusions I had about the game until I cleared my head of the emotion it invoked. I feel this emotion was invoked by what the ending ultimately delivered in terms of information (or lack of), the type of information that would have given closure to Shepard’s story, whether a player made the ultimate sacrifice, eliminate the reaper threat (with possible repercussions in terms of how someone dealt with synthetics), or dive into a brave new world. That’s how I see the three decisions now anyway.
For the record, I chose to control the reapers. My initial reaction to the immediate outcome (Shepard being consumed) of the decision was, “What?” I must have missed something that the Catalyst had said and I wish there was an option for it to repeat all my options again, as well as the implications each would cause. To clarify, I’m not asking for doing a full investigation, but just a simple repeat of what he said verbatim prior to the
decision. I was standing there for ten minutes trying to recall what it had told me and even thinking about going back and doing the entire sequence again. That really took me out of the moment. I think this was more of a “paying attention” issue and the fact I felt I was being bombarded with so much information at once.
Now getting to the point, I feel that the issue I had with the ending sequence came after that and that’s where I went, “WHAT!? That’s it?” As an individual who played the first two Mass Effect games, the anticipation and expectation I had in the ending was the past decisions I chose and the final decision would ultimately affect the final state of the universe. I would get to see all the hard work I did come to fruition. In my case, on a galaxy level, cut scenes depicting Wrex leading a new Krogan nation or Quarian and Geth peace and the personal level with surviving squad mates and friends mourning Shepard’s death. Of course, this would be different for other people depending on how they handled those situations + the final choice. For example, maybe their Shepard’s stories chose to destroy the reapers and because of past choices have Wrex’s brother Wreav starting another Krogan rebellion, the Quarians rebuilding a new kind of Geth/AI, and have Shepard (if he presumably survives with that extra tidbit latched on the end of that choice) reuniting with everyone and being celebrated.
Just to be clear, I’m not saying this is what would or should happen or how the writers say it would have come about. After all, that’s their job not mine, and they know the characters and universe better than any of the players do since they created them. What I am saying is that what I presume other players (who are currently addressing disappointment with the ending) and I feel are missing are concrete conclusions to our Shepard’s stories. Not so concrete that one would take it for what it is (in my case, everlasting peace), but could still leave some room for speculation to the future (again, in my case, uncertainties to the Krogan, the Quarians and the Geth), a type of
closure that ends Shepard’s journey and knowing that all wasn’t done for naught.
Instead, I and others have found ourselves asking more questions, particularly pertaining to the Normandy and crew’s fate and the actual result of the galaxy based on our decisions (not just the final one, I personally believe there’s still hope to rebuilding after what seems to be the relays being destroyed, because after all, if the available science can have people communicate across the galaxy and bring people back from the dead, then why not). Not to mention there’s some confusion regarding some details (i.e. the radio reporting no one made it up to the conduit when Shepard is clearly standing there, Anderson and the Illusive Man’s appearance, squad members appearing at the Normandy’s crash landing when they were with you at London, why the Normandy was where it was in the first place). I’m left with uncertainties and muddiness that further distracts me from the implications of the final decision I made and as to whatever thoughts I may have of this galaxy’s future. It took me further out of the immersion from those final moments.
Regardless, I definitely enjoyed the adventure. There were definitely many moments I loved, from resolving the racial/specie conflicts, the interaction between the characters, discovering Garrus and Tali together, and the heartfelt conversations leading up to the final assault. The fact that I as a player can become so invested in Shepard and the other characters that I’m reacting so intensely to the ending is a testament to how great of a story and universe the Mass Effect is. As a matter of fact, I feel that more often than not when I refer to “I” in regards to the story, I mean it as through the perspective of Shepard.
Just as I’ve seen another say: “It’s not about the ending that I [the player] deserve, or even the ending that we deserve. It’s about the ending that Commander Shepard deserves.”
Thanks for listening (and hope that all made sense)!
Modifié par Lolsies, 17 mars 2012 - 04:20 .
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