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Regarding Mass Effect, I own nearly every collector's edition item you can buy including game guides I never used. The art books have been phenomenal especially the ME3 limited edition one that came in the display case. I even have the action figures enshrined on top of my entertainment center along with other greats like Dead Space, Blade Runner, Battle Star Galactica, Star Wars, and Space Battleship Yamato. To say the least, Mass Effect has made a real impression on this lifelong geek so much so that it's part of my sci-fi canon. That's how good I think the series is. I'm invested and that is why I'm writing this response concerning the ending.
First off, I think this game's conclusion was really just a publicity stunt designed to generate controversy. And I suppose it worked. In classic Web Too Dot Oh's viral marketing style, those interested [and even not interested] in the game have become aware of the issues. Even my sister, who has never gamed in her life except for Zork I, knows about this ending. I'm the closest gamer connection she has and I'm not even the one who told her about it. Instead, she got wind through a friend on Facebook. So hats off for creating this social media bonanza. I do not really believe senior leadership at Bioware was surprised by the negative reactions. My Spidey sense tells me this was a financial decision, more than likely driven by the EA takeover, to get people absolutely chomping at the bit for DLC that actually provides a more meaningful ending. Unfortunately, it may have backfired given the level of negativity I've witnessed on the Interwebs.
Seeing as how the dream sequences and hallucinations were integrated in a very vague way, the ending felt more like a non sequitur. As a comparison, the best battle for the protagonist's mind I've ever experienced was the first Maxx Payne. From the beginning, it was made clear that the story line would not only entail a great deal of good old Death Wish style vigilantism, but would also weave in a compelling battle for Maxx's sanity. You were constantly encountering highly interactive dream sequences in that game.
If the intent of ME3's ending was to demonstrate the effects of indoctrination on Shepard, then I think the execution was far too subtle to come across effectively. I did feel it was odd that no one else ever seemed to see the young kid but didn't make much of it. I thought the three dreams were very moving reminders about the spiritual sorrows of war, how traumatizing the experience is, and how high the emotional costs are. They removed the facade of glory for me. However, the interaction was so minimal that they felt more like cut scenes.
By the time I got to the end sequence, I was so worn out that the holographic young Anikan Skywalker [I call him that because he was so irritating] may as well have been singing the Friskies Meow Mix song. I didn't understand what was going on because it was so jarringly out of place. The George Lucas style dialogue was stilted and awkward even for a dream sequence. But I picked a path anyway and I got a color. It was as if I stepped out of an amazing war epic and was transported into Salvadore Dali's “Un Chien Andalou.”
Prepare thyself to feel the POW-WAH
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of ONTOLOGY!
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As you enter...
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THE MIND...
Luke fires the missile into the ventilation shaft and the Death Star inverts into sun flowers. Nearing death, Dave's pan universe journey in 2001 A Space Odyssey ends with a final viewing of the obalisk and stunning transformation into a goldfish bowl filled with ripe plums orbiting Earth. Did the Heart of Gold from the Hitchhiker's Guide happen to be traveling through the universe at the same time ME3's final war was taking place? Because that would explain a lot.
Don't get me wrong, I love abstraction but it felt out of place here and apparently did little more than cause frustrating confusion for a lot of people. I think the final “indoctrination” scenes could still have great contextual meaning for the game and a place within the series but they should not have come into play right at the end. A location further on up the plot chain could have served the players better, where the choice made in Shepard's mind affected the final stages.
Assuming holo-Anikan was telling the truth, I had a serious issue with the red flavor because it sacrificed the strong allies I had made in the Geth and EDI. For me, it wasn't about the Reapers at that point, it was about not betraying Shepard's synthetic comrades. I didn't spend an extra five hours replaying the game on insane level in order to make sure I saved BOTH the Quarians and Geth only to screw over the latter when it mattered most. Plus, had it not been for EDI, Shepard would have been ejected from the Illusive Man's base and died in space... again...
The blue flavor seemed ridiculous given the Illusive Man's fate in the dream. Why NOT go stick your tongue into the same light socket that just blew TIM's head off? Go ahead.
So what choice really was there for someone like me other than to synthesize everyone even though that made as much sense as pouring water on an active power supply. Kurzweil's futurist theories aside, the idea that you'll see leaves with integrated circuitry patterns on them one day is about as absurd as an episode of Robot Chicken. Humans might go that route but ALL organic life? Synthetic hamsters with glowing blue eyes? Come on. Then in the last cut scene, regardless of my choice, I'm still told by space Grampa and a trailing text message that there's one more story waiting for me even though my synthesis decision will apparently never let me wake up in that pile of London rubble. OK. It was all supposed to be an artistic expression and part of the dream. I get it.
The player's final choice could definitely still be used to heavily weigh on the actual end game. For instance, what happens when Harbinger reveals to EDI and the Geth that you were more than happy to have them killed off in order to save your own type of sentient life? Given the Geth had huge war assets going into the final scene and EDI can take full control of the Normandy, that doesn't bode well for remaining organic forces. Shepard will have to explain his way out of that one. The choice of synthesis could be revealed by Shepard himself to rally his synthetic allies further. The choice of control... not sure what to do with that one other than to say it could be viewed as slavery by the allied synthetics. Admittedly, that idea is very weak but I'm not the writer here. The point is that the final dream choice could directly impact the actual ending, something that would be consistent with Mass Effect's founding principals.
As for the upcoming DLC, if you were to ask me how to make it right for everyone, I would say that you should make provide it for free. This coming from someone who has dumped a small fortune into your products just to support the series' originality. People have already invested a great deal of money and time into the standalone ME3 game. Given the current state of the economy, I think bilking fans out of more money to get the ending they deserve just isn't right. Despite having a couple good existential points, the indoctrination dream ending for the main game was a risky gamble and I don't think it did the players justice.
Like Kaidan said, it's gonna be what it is. But unless Bioware management course corrects this ship, I think we're all headed for one hell of a disappointment iceberg. Maybe the talented musicians who created the awesome ME3 sound track will at least play the violins for us. The reticle based decision is back in Bioware's hands.
Most importantly, I sing endless praises to all the dedicated people who made the Mass Effect series what it is today: a phenomenal and inspirational work that just needs a better ending.
Modifié par Zarathustra646, 30 mars 2012 - 03:08 .
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