iakus wrote...
You're forgetting that nobody knows where Shepard is. And the existence of the plaques tells us that Shepard is likely presumed dead. Is anybody even looking?
ALso, the last image we see of the formerly indomitible Commander Shepard is burned, bloody, and partly buried. Helpless and alone. THi sis not an image to inspire hope. To me this inspires melancholy and even dread. Is SHepard's 'reward" for going in so highly prepared to be a lingering death rather than a quick one?
Intentions aside, the scene sends the entirely wrong image to me.
I haven't forgotten that part. They rebuild the Citadel (which is shown through the slides, destroyed citadel, then Hackett talks about rebuilding, it cuts to rebuilt London connecting with a rebuilt Citadel), so someone was on the thing. They could have found him then, even if it appears later chronologically in the ending. Since it would take months, if not years to repair the Citadel, and Shepard wouldn't suddenly spring to life after it was completed. Again, all in the ending slides. Plus while no one knows where Shepard is
exactly, they would be canvassing the whole place because there were
other people on it when the Reapers took control.
I don't really need it explained though. Mass Effect has had plenty of things which defy logic and stretch the boundries of belief. I've enjoyed the series despite that before. Why would I suddenly hold it to a different standard now, especially since Shepard surviving and being found is far from the weirdest/most unexplained thing in the game. (Like the Illusive Man being able to suddenly control Shepard and Anderson... what?)
And again, I see it fails in it's purpose. In fact, it only has a purpose at all when compared to the other endings. By itself, it tells us nothing. They have no proof Shepard's alive. Heck the fact that their holding Shepard's plaque and Anderson's is already up tells us they have very good reason to believe the opposite.
So this is the ending they're not quite ready to put the name on the wall. That says nothing. Now if they got word from the Fleet while they're hesitating, and the smile is hearing Shepard's alive, that would be another thing...
By itself it doesn't mean much. Combined with everything else though? Before the EC, you get a scene out of nowhere which says Shepard's alive. Now, you have a scene where you hear the talk about sacrifice, then when the LI is about the put the plaque up on the wall, stops. Then the Normandy takes off, followed by the breathe scene. It's meant to say "well they believe... seems crazy but..." and then breathe scene which is supposed to say "they're right, Shepard is alive." Now from there I can come up with different rationale as to how or why Shepard gets found. He's alive though, someone else believes he's alive- he's going to get found. (They also knew he's on the Citadel, which is something that wasn't clear before the EC) In real life, he'd be screwed. In a video game fantasy world? We can assume the best case scenario, since they wouldn't have bothered with it otherwise.
I never said that. I said the endings are too ambiguous. It's like Bioware's afraid to say one way or another. And I don't like that at all. Particularly since Shepard is in fact dead in every other ending. They couldn't spare one where Shep's definitely alive?
We still disagree on that though, since I think it's clear Shepard's alive. But the same basic principle applies; if you find the endings too ambiguous, what I laid out here probably isn't going to change your mind. Enjoyed the discussion though.
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