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[3DandBeyond]

That doesn't mean the journey never was, but few people embarck upon any journey without hope that the destination will make everything worthwhile.

Sure, I'm still stuck here with Mass Effect.  That doesn't mean I'm stuck in this game or in this place in my life.  But as far as this game goes, a game that touched me like no other, there is only a fanmade (very good) ending that makes all the Mako drops, all the ore gathering, all the "enemies everywhere" ear spam worth it.

I'm still left with endings that seem to be someone's commentary on the human condition.  They've used "organics" as the euphemism for human.  And in ME3, organics are just children, incapable of and unworthy of "owning" their future.  Except you can play it and have the galaxy, organics and synthetics, all grow inside and become something better than they were before. 

This is and always will be at the core of what is so wrong with those endings.  It's not what Shepard's journey was about, not for me, not in my game.  Shepard was given that name for two reasons-as an homage to Alan Shepard and because of what a Shepherd (Shepard) is:  the one who finds the lost and keeps the rest from becoming lost.  In ME, prior to ME3, Shepard was teaching people as well as forcing people to come together.  ME3 should have been a story about how all of that worked and was worth it.  It should have been about how organics in the galaxy finally grew up and took responsibility and learned to work together and yes, simplistically, how all of that did create a good outcome (a possibility), where the actions of those now adult organics led to them taking full charge of their future.  But then they'd have to have a future to do that.

Instead, in the end, once again Shepard is in charge of things but not really.  The glow boy or the creator of the choices, is the one giving the future to Shepard based upon Shepard's choice.  And Shepard must make a choice that may agree with the input of mentors or with villains.  But it's still Shepard's choice.  The galaxy's wishes may be totally ignored and the people who may have learned at Shepard's feet await a fate they should in part determine or should have helped determine by their actions and their ability to finally change (or not).

The end fate, in order for it to resonate and to matter, should have been more about how well Shepard taught the galaxy, and how well the galaxy listened and the ability of all to win their future.  Ending up in Control with a Shepard Reaper God as Overseer means they're not trusted to mostly form a good future on their own.  Ending up in Synthesis with internal changes means they never could form a good future without being changed.  Ending up in Destroy means organics and synthetics can never work together for a better future-the destiny is always conflict.  Ending up in Refuse means that even if given the chance to work together to see it through, current inhabitants of the galaxy have no future.  There is no way to look at any of this and not see it as futility. 

If the only choices in life you are faced with AFTER you seek to do better and be better and AFTER you learn to play well with others, are constant supervision (Control), forced internal change (Synthesis)-you are not good enough as you are, removal of the thing that causes you problems or that makes you think there will always be a problem you can't overcome (Destroy), or Death (Refuse), there is no future.  That is futuility.  More and more I think whoever wrote this was in a depressed state because futility is not fun in a video game. 

It actually sounds more like punishment given in a court of law for child molestation, rape, and/or murder.  Jail time (life without parole) CONTROL, forced castration in return for parole SYNTHESIS, parole with segregation away from children or females (for pedophiles or for rapists), or from guns, alcohol, or whatever was pertinent to your crime DESTROY, or death REFUSE.  In ME3, the galaxy stands accused.  It's possible to play it and have people actually learn and try to do better-the accused can be rehabilitated.  But at the end, it does not matter.  The accused, no matter what, must pay for the crime in perpetuity. 

As humans, we live with the thought and the hope that the things we do may in some way impact the life we live and even the lives of others.  That may be somewhat delusional, but it's what gives us the strength to get out of bed in the morning.  Even if it's just about some little thing in life making us or others smile, we do want tomorrow to possibly be shaped by what we do today.  We go to school to learn and maybe get a good job so we can maybe get a house or somewhere nice to live so we can maybe marry and/or have children so we can enjoy them and help them grow.  And we also mostly do want to impact the world, even if it's just some small circle of people in some way.  If it all boils down to fate which is suggested in ME3's endings and that humans (organics) can't be trusted with the future, then that means trying to do anything is meaningless. 

Maybe we are fated and maybe hope and wanting to help make things better is useless, but what if it isn't?  I'd never take that chance.  ME3 says people should just give up trying.  I think people need to try even harder in the face of absurd odds-always keep trying.

[Erez Kristal]

I understand your pain, mass effect messed me up good.

[HellbirdIV]

StreetMagic wrote...

3DandBeyond wrote...

More and more I think whoever wrote this was in a depressed state because futility is not fun in a video game.

I thought as much as well. It says more about the writer than the game. Too bad he wanted to drag everyone else down his hole.

I am immediately reminded of Neon Genesis Evangelion. As beloved as the series is, both on its own merits and as a 'cult classic', most would agree the endings (yes, there are multiple endings in NGE as well) are completley bat**** insane.

This included death threats to the creator Hideaki Anno and people trying to interpet the endings as 'mature' when the anime had originally aired in a children's timeslot as a simple "Giant Mechs fight Giant Monsters" series. Sounds kind of familiar, doesn't it?

Sure enough, Anno suffered from a lengthy period of depression that was ongoing during the production of NGE, and supposedly the remade series 'Evangelion Rebuild' is intended to improve on the faults caused by it. I say supposedly, because I'm just relating what I've read and heard - you'll have to find your own sources to confirm if any of this is accurate.

[wright1978]

The destination is always going to be of paramount importance. Unfortunately they botched the delivery of the endings and seemed wedded to one particular outcome rather than building an ending that was truly reflective of choice & consequence.

[essarr71]

Agreed. The end of ME should have been a celebration of what was built and not a rejection of it. Regardless of imported choices, the final game revolves around pulling people past their differences to achieve something great. Regardless of anyones Sheps personalities/opinions, ME, as a series, doesn't allow the player to win without this mantra. Until the very end, at least.

Lame.

[Iakus]

I don't know about depression, but the ending was certainly not written by someone who cared about the series (yes, I am aware of the rumors of who wrote the ending. But I am not going to assume those rumors are true) More like it was written not as a war story, but as an amageddon, to destroy Shepard, the galaxy, and any hope of continuation.

It feels like was written by someone tired of the series, and just wanted to end it. And didn't care how it happened or who got p*ssed off about it. Guess the joke's on them, though. Too bad the joke's still on us too.

[Erez Kristal]

Doesnt matter any more. I have rejected the mass effect 3 story completly in the past month.
After trying to go through it in one last ditch two and half monthes ago.
Everything felt so misplaced. so out of character.

It was no longer my story, and i want nothing to do with with it any longer.

Time to create a new mass effect 3 story one that will be belong to us

[crimzontearz]

torch the franchise and run

I am pretty sure that was the intent

[Iakus]

crimzontearz wrote...

torch the franchise and run

I am pretty sure that was the intent

I can almost hope that was the intent.

Because, man, if someone really did dream up those endings thinking they were appropriate "good" outcomes, I do not want to visit that place again.  A mind that dark, I wouldn't even want to peruse their bookshelves.

[AlanC9]

This whole argument strikes me as a search for "meaning " that isn't there. Or rather, was never intended to be there.

Edit: I've got some sympathy for wanting the Destroy ending to symbolize something beyond the Crucible having a regrettable design flaw, etc. I just don't think there's any there there.

Modifié par AlanC9, 29 juillet 2013 - 07:22 .

[Captain Wesker]

The main problem with the endings, in my opinion, is that it effectively took all the diversity (This includes your Shepard's decisions, romance(s) or lack thereof, appearance, back story, alignment, ME2 Loyalty, etc) and shoved them into a possible 3 endings... The endings just lacked really any variability, and this in turn gives me little to show for my perfect triliogy (All quests completed, max level every game, collected everything, bought everything, etc.). Its not like in DA:O where I could load up the save just before exiting the throne room, and my friends/fam can see my choices, their outcomes and epilogues.

I know they made the extended cut which adds some extra-content for the fans, which I enjoyed, however it didn't change the main three ending choices.

Modifié par Captain Wesker, 29 juillet 2013 - 07:07 .

[Iakus]

AlanC9 wrote...

This whole argument strikes me as a search for "meaning " that isn't there. Or rather, was never intended to be there.

Well, they had their chance to make it right.

[dreamgazer]

iakus wrote...

AlanC9 wrote...

This whole argument strikes me as a search for "meaning " that isn't there. Or rather, was never intended to be there.

Well, they had their chance to make it right.

... and it worked for a great deal of people. 

(shrug)

[ShepnTali]

I can understand a bad ending to a story, but atleast finish the story. That's my nutshell beef originally. Less so after EC.

[o Ventus]

dreamgazer wrote...

... and it worked for a great deal of people. 

(shrug)

Define "great deal".

[Xamufam]

johnswritersblock.com/2012/03/22/all-that-matters-is-the-ending-part-2-mass-effect-3/

[dreamgazer]

o Ventus wrote...

dreamgazer wrote...

... and it worked for a great deal of people. 

(shrug)

Define "great deal".

Why? It's about as pointless as defining "many" or figuring out who's the majority.

However, if surveys indicate that the EC met or exceeded people's expectations, which they have, I'd say that's a great deal. Underneath the continuous bitterness of this forum and in parts elsewhere on the web, there are plenty of people who get drowned out that say: "The EC was enough." Nobody has to like it, but that appears to be the trend.

[Erez Kristal]

o Ventus wrote...

dreamgazer wrote...

... and it worked for a great deal of people. 

(shrug)

Define "great deal".

 

We are constantly repeat the bickering between the two camps. we wont change a thing this way,

Dreamgazer why dont you cross the fence? :innocent:

Surely you can understand our renegade pain with me3? we never got me3 for our life philosophies, for us it was an illogical shooter.

Modifié par erezike, 29 juillet 2013 - 07:34 .

[mopotter]

Thanks. Interesting article.

edit - and this was my reaction too.  "I thought this was a brilliant piece of storytelling. It’s partly because this section is so damned good that makes the horrible ending even harder to bear, I think people would be less upset if the entire game had been terrible, because at least then you know the whole game is trash and throw it away. When it all happens in the last five minutes, it’s like being sucker punched in the gut. You want to replay the game because it was so amazing, but the foreknowledge of the terrible ending is always hanging over you like a guillotine."

Modifié par mopotter, 29 juillet 2013 - 07:48 .

[dreamgazer]

I'm fine with being in the "meh" camp. Thanks.

[CronoDragoon]

erezike wrote...


We are constantly repeat the bickering between the two camps. we wont change a thing this way,

I'll let "the two camps" bicker while including myself in neither.

Modifié par CronoDragoon, 29 juillet 2013 - 07:38 .

[o Ventus]

dreamgazer wrote...

Why? It's about as pointless as defining "many" or figuring out who's the majority.

However, if surveys indicate that the EC met or exceeded people's expectations, which they have, I'd say that's a great deal. Underneath the continuous bitterness of this forum and in parts elsewhere on the web, there are plenty of people who get drowned out that say: "The EC was enough." Nobody has to like it, but that appears to be the trend.

1. About a third of the people who bought the game ever beat it.

2. The volume of sales (in comparison to the number of returns) skews this number even lower.

3. You made a statement, and I asked for clarification. If you can't do this, then there wasn't muh purpose in you saying it. Do you just like to see the words you typed?

Modifié par o Ventus, 29 juillet 2013 - 07:43 .

[Iakus]

dreamgazer wrote...

... and it worked for a great deal of people. 

(shrug)

It was a mixed bag at best.

[Erez Kristal]

CronoDragoon wrote...

erezike wrote...


We are constantly repeat the bickering between the two camps. we wont change a thing this way,

I'll let "the two camps" bicker while including myself in neither.

Thats preposterous of you to say crono, im suprised.
You are obviously in the pro me3 camp along with a few others respected individuals. you protect me3 and bioware with a fierty passion and hunt down all those who dare oppose the giant.