This is not another "rewrite your own ending" post. Also, since I haven't spent too much time in the forums, this may be a repeat. So sorry in advance if it is.
As unsettled as I was with the ending and some of the story choices, I think Bioware definitely could have kept the same story structure and given EVERYBODY something that they would be okay with. Really, all it would have required is some extra pre-rendered cutscenes. I'll go through the ones I think they should/could have put in below.
- Some minor clip of a specific war asset that you acquired in the Victory Fleet or in the ground forces. It would have been a nice touch to see charging Krogan, STG operatives, or Asari commando forces fighting alongside humans. That would have given the real epic feel of the final battle against the Reapers. Also, it is a great way to personalize the feel of Mass Effect 3. If you chose the Salarians over the Krogan, you only see Salarian operatives fighting (and possibly getting overrun) as opposed to Krogan blasting through ranks of Ravagers.
- Cutscene after Shepard is hit with Harbinger beam, showing what happened to the fleet or Hammer. This would help with the strange continuity issue with the Normandy in FTL travel at the end of the game. If a tactical retreat were shown, and your crew members were being picked up, things would be a lot clearer. Also, another opportunity to alter cutscenes depending on specific war assets.
- Another possibility is to have the previous cutscene happen after Anderson and Shepard sit down and watch the Citadel arms open, before Admiral Hackett contacts Shepard. Hackett could also have a line of dialogue congratulating Shepard for reaching the Citadel and opening the arms. This would help with the transition from "tactical retreat" to "taking for granted that Shepard got onto the Citadel."
- Add more cutscenes after the RGB choice about what happens to the Victory fleet and your companions after the Normandy crash lands. This is probably the most controversial one, from a Bioware perspective, because it drastically reduces the demand for a wrap-up DLC (if that was truly their plan). However, it would definitely provide the closure that I think a lot of people wanted. The RGB choice could still exist, but changing the cutscenes to show what actually happened in each case would help so much, even despite the common destruction of the Mass Relays. For example, Krogan settle on Mars. Quarians create extensive structures to protect themselves on Venus. Salarians and Turians helping humans rebuild Earth. Plus, showing Joker and the Normandy crew fending their way on a new planet along with your other companions involved with the reconstruction of life would have been a great opportunity to wrap things up and show the enormity of the specific choice Shepard made.
Granted, that means that the "secret teaser" of Shepard being alive would need some tweaking to make sense, but we don't know enough about that aspect of ME3 to make any cutscene decisions since it might be a hint to more DLC. In any case, I am of the opinion that DLC shouldn't be a way to wrap up a triology, but a way to add on extra, fun stories that some people could opt to buy.
Most of these suggestions are based on the fact that none of what Shepard saw after the fade to white from Harbinger's beam was a hallucination. Assuming that is not the case, I think the addition of a couple of cutscenes would have drastically helped player satisfaction with the game. I was hoping to build something that I imagine Bioware would have been able to do, as well as something that would keep all the players happy, whether they liked or disliked Bioware's choice to add the Citadel VI and destroy the Mass Relays. What do you all think?
Also, Bioware's announcement and good article in Forbes. Looks like Bioware thinks along my lines.
Modifié par Kaiyen Sciratim, 05 avril 2012 - 03:19 .
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