256 réponses à ce sujet

[StarcloudSWG]

Pushing these back up to the top, perhaps more people will read and comment.

[StarcloudSWG]

Pushing to the top. Each of these deserves to be seen and read.

[StarcloudSWG]

Asking for more feedback and/or links to include.

[StarcloudSWG]

Another request for good links to include. I'm not too surprised that there haven't been many lately, as really, a lot has been said and repeated about the ending.

[RenascentAnt1]

StarcloudSWG wrote...

This is a collection of links regarding the endings and why they don't work as the finale to the Mass Effect 3 story. I have tried to find the most cogent and coherent explanations; if someone can add to this list or post a critique of equal or better quality to these, that would be appreciated.

With the speed at which this forum moves and the recent spate of locked threads, I felt a central repository of these links was necessary.

On my own part, I tend to agree with the points these people have made on both the objective and emotional levels. While I understand and accept that some people found the endings to be all right, I personally and strongly disagree; The ending feels unfinished, incomplete, and rushed.

Edit: I don't know how far back this got buried. Hadn't realized the forum moves *this* fast. Titles added to the links, two more threads linked.

Ending Critiques:
Maintaining the artistic integrity of the original story
The ending of Mass Effect 3: Why it's bad
Musings of a Screenwriter: The Endings Thread
A logical breakdown of why the Mass Effect 3 endings make no sense (Google Docs)
Mass Effect 3 Ending Hatred: Five reasons the fans are right (Gamefront)
Why you enjoy art, and the one problem with Mass Effect 3 ending (The Metagames)
My thoughts on the ending as a writing/literary teacher ...
The psychology of why we dislike the endings
"The comprehensive list of grievances" thread
On the betrayal of hope in Mass Effect 3's ending
Mass Effect 3 Ending Deconstruction (Shamus Young)
Mass Effect 3: A study of shell games
Why I hold the line: Words from a literature grad student
Mass Effect 3 Alternate Endings (Deviant Art, text links that look like incomplete thumbnails. Includes critique and explanation of themes)
Mass Effect 3 Ending Controversy (Escapist, Shamus Young)
Changing Mass Effect 3: Artistic Integrity or Consumer Product? (Corkonia)
In Depth thematic analysis of Mass Effect 3 Ending: Pt. 1
"The end seems arbitrary."
All that matters is the ending: Part 2 (JM Stevenson)
Why the fans are upset (ending spoilers)
So, about those 'insightful' and 'philosophical' endings
An interesting post from the Penny Arcade forums
Further analysis and critique of the ending (includes suggestion for better ending)
The Mass Effect 3 ending is racist (Actual argument involves how the ending justifies genocide)
Mass Effect, Tolkien, and your BS artistic process (Doyce Testerman)

Spoiler-free:
Everything you need to know about the ME3 ending controversy

Reviews including the ending:
California Literary Review: Mass Effect 3

Plot holes:
Specific questions raised by the ending

Youtube:
Top Ten Reasons to hate the Mass Effect 3 endings (Angry Joe, putting many of the complaints into video form)
Mass Effect 3 Ending and Why we Hate It (Jeremy Jahns, makes many of the same points)
Mass Effect 3 Ending: Tasteful, understated nerdrage (MrBTongue)

thank you

[StarcloudSWG]

That last youtube video brings up the point about narrative coherence and how it's completely destroyed by the Catalyst Reaper AI. It's absolutely true.

The moment it starts up with "Perhaps. I control them," a flood of questions start flowing. Who are you? Who made you? How do you control the Reapers? Why did Sovereign need to attack the Citadel in the first game? Couldn't you have just opened the way to dark space on your own?

And that, rather brutally, shoves the player out of the state of emotional involvement that Bioware had to this point managed to pull the player into. That shattering of the illusion breaks the narrative, breaks the player's involvement, and leaves the player confused, lost, depressed, and angry.

[RenascentAnt1]

StarcloudSWG wrote...

That last youtube video brings up the point about narrative coherence and how it's completely destroyed by the Catalyst Reaper AI. It's absolutely true.

The moment it starts up with "Perhaps. I control them," a flood of questions start flowing. Who are you? Who made you? How do you control the Reapers? Why did Sovereign need to attack the Citadel in the first game? Couldn't you have just opened the way to dark space on your own?

And that, rather brutally, shoves the player out of the state of emotional involvement that Bioware had to this point managed to pull the player into. That shattering of the illusion breaks the narrative, breaks the player's involvement, and leaves the player confused, lost, depressed, and angry.

This player isn't lost or confused, just very determined and focused that there will be no more purchase of ME products...

[Tracido]

Haha, damn, that's a TON of links. Also, damn right, I have attempted to push the games out of my mind with some other titles I had been meaning to get back to, and some new ones as well and, that's a damn good point I didn't bring up.

One of the most important ones I think, why the hell is it needed to slow them down (the Arrival DLC) if ghost buttnugget could have let them come right on in AS WELL? It and all the rest adds a absolute TON of ridiculous plot holes and sudden storyline changes, and so glad you posted all this info.

I think I'm gonna go hold a controller though, I need to move on and play something else at least for a bit. Thanks again, though.

[bigbade]

did you not like the article I linked you to? I thought it was interesting.

[StarcloudSWG]

I did read it. It addressed, rather specifically, the side issue of 'artistic integrity' as a 'defense' against criticism and why it doesn't work. That said, I'm trying to stay focused on the ending in particular, and the other two or three links that address 'artistic integrity' do so within the context of Mass Effect 3.

[StarcloudSWG]

Pushing it up to the top.

[StarcloudSWG]

Bumping it to the top, though I expect it'll get pushed off by tasteless and poorly done April Fool's threads.

[DarthSyphilis59]

nice post OP!!!!

[StarcloudSWG]

Thank you. Collecting good critiques and picking them out from the flood of posts hasn't been easy.

[Erield]

A rather depressingly large collection, many of them with clear, concise, logical, and fairly objective reasons why the ending is broken. Here's hoping someone with some pull up at Bioware has read/seen/viewed/knows about these, so that they can address the actual problems instead of just reacting to who screams the loudest.

I mean, screaming loud is fine, I'd just rather Bioware told their story; this time in a way that doesn't fly in the face of, well, any kind of established reason. I just want them to stick to what they do best, and leave the experimenting to a new IP or something, not the last 10 minutes of the end of a trilogy of amazing games.

[StarcloudSWG]

I agree. I've posted most of these links in the feedback threads, and I know others have as well. That said, it never hurts to keep this near the top.

[bboynexus]

http://nothing-is-ir...umous-analysis/

[StarcloudSWG]

That's a good one. I just read it.

[WarChicken78]

This is a very important topic, because it delivers plenty of good arguments without all the raging lunatics and screamers you find in almost every topic.

It's important to show, that we're not a bunch of angry and whiny kids, but that we're reasonable but unhappy customers, who do love Mass Effect.

[StarcloudSWG]

Yes, indeed. Some people can look past the broken ending and the loss of narrative coherence; I suspect that a lot of them destroyed the Geth and chose the Destroy ending. Because, in that case, the ending just. barely. barely. works.

There are still many problems with it, but at least the Reaper AI's logic isn't completely contradicted by the events of the game, in that case.

Modifié par StarcloudSWG, 01 avril 2012 - 10:52 .

[akeizm_]

I'll throw a bump for you.

[StarcloudSWG]

Thanks, I appreciate that.

[StarcloudSWG]

Throwing it to the top for the evening.

[WarChicken78]

This thread needs to be visible. Back up you go!