Garrus is also the party member who's most involved with the stuff the player does by far -- he doesn't have a lot of individual accomplishments because he's in the party the entirety of all three games (he potentially joins up in the first 4 hours of each); he's done everything Shepard has done except Eden Prime and Arrival without talking so much. It's hard to make much a point off it because Shepard's psyche is kind of up to the player, but I view Garrus as someone who's pretty important to him keeping his edge -- he's the only party member Shepard can really trust for almost all of ME2 until Tali joins up, which wasn't played up as much in that game for some reason but is kind of vaguely referenced in 3. With his promotion in ME3 he's reasonably important to his own people now at least, anyway. Probably more importantly to both his and Shepard's development is that there's always been sort of a master/protege thing between them, so I think it makes sense they brought that all the way in 3 with Garrus having more command of his own and decisions to make individually after leaning on and learning from Shepard so much over the series. It's a little different game for Wrex and Tali since their governments are such a mess and they ended having to help reform them; Garrus instead has the perspective Shepard does with trying to get an organized government to work with him. He's very much the Turian version of Shepard, I think, though obviously he's Robin to Shepard's Batman.Due to their story arcs developing over all three games and being vital to the plot of the third, I'd say it's definitely about Tali and Wrex. But Garrus gets away with being unimportant by being a serious badass.
Well I mean technically there's another one or two in every hundred of you.So...I'm guessing I'm the only one who was happy with the ending and thought it was perfect...
Meh..
How can you even say something like that? It's legitimately infuriating to read. You're pretty much fine with a downright terrible ending so that Bioware can milk more money out the consumer. Not to mention that from your point of view, we can easily get into a conversation about how Bioware essentially lied to us for the past 5 years, but I'd rather not get into that.I understand some dislike over the ending, but the overall reaction is just repulsive.
Spoilers.
This is NOT your story. Understand that first. No matter how much they made you believe this was your story, it was not. While your actions do effect outcomes, Mealon's Data and Eve, how Mordin dies, who lives/dies, curing the genophage or not, the overall story does not change. You will still go to Palaven, Tuchanka, Thessia, Fight the Geth War, head to Cerberus base, and finally to Earth. This is Bioware's story, and has always been that way. It's the reason the 3 endings are so similar, so ambiguous. They are NOT going to end the Mass Effect universe with this game.
Imagine of Mass Effect 1 & 2 had 3 hugely different endings? Mass Effect 2would have to branch out to meet 3 widely different endings, and the same for Mass Effect 3. There's no way, you have the same story regardless in Mass Effect 2 and in 3, so why expect anything different?
There's going to be DLC, (Both the ending prompt and the final cut scene of the boy and father/grandfather hint at it). Bioware can't make DLC if there's multiple different endings. You need a base, from which to continue, for all 3 endings that is at least the same.
TL:DR The 3 endings are the only logical and acceptable conclusions to Mass Effect 3. Bioware was always planning DLC and you can' t have that without similiar starting points from which to continue. (Look at ME1 to ME2/ ME2 to ME3). Bioware has always driven this story, not you.
Some people will defend any decision, no matter how bad.How can you even say something like that? It's legitimately infuriating to read. You're pretty much fine with a downright terrible ending so that Bioware can milk more money out the consumer. Not to mention that from your point of view, we can easily get into a conversation about how Bioware essentially lied to us for the past 5 years, but I'd rather not get into that.
You're right, that's why they didn't promise 17(I believe that was the number, would need to get source) endings that differed wildly based on your choices in the first two games. Oh WAIT, they did promise that, I remember them telling that story. Those silly entitled fans expecting to get what they were promised before they bought the product.Final Days said:This is NOT your story. Understand that first. No matter how much they made you believe this was your story, it was not. While your actions do effect outcomes, Mealon's Data and Eve, how Mordin dies, who lives/dies, curing the genophage or not, the overall story does not change. You will still go to Palaven, Tuchanka, Thessia, Fight the Geth War, head to Cerberus base, and finally to Earth. This is Bioware's story, and has always been that way. It's the reason the 3 endings are so similar, so ambiguous. They are NOT going to end the Mass Effect universe with this game.
Speaking of which, have you even beaten the game? Have you not noticed that if you beat the game it spits you back out before you raid the Cerberus base? HINT: Any DLC they do is going to take place before that point of no return. There is absolutely zero chance of them making DLC that occurs after that point, unless they give in to fan pressure and re-do the endings(and even that would be the extent of it), since would force them to give a bunch of answers they don't seem to want to give. If they wanted you to know for certain what happened to Shepard or the Normandy or your squad in the ending originally they would have told you; they didn't, and obviously you can't have postgame DLC featuring Shepard and team without those things, and that's before you even look at the mass relays or the rest of the galaxy. This is especially certain because Shepard doesn't survive most of the endings... it would make very little sense for them to do content after that point because, assuming all options were picked equally, 2/3 of their customers wouldn't even have it available.Final Days said:There's going to be DLC, (Both the ending prompt and the final cut scene of the boy and father/grandfather hint at it). Bioware can't make DLC if there's multiple different endings. You need a base, from which to continue, for all 3 endings that is at least the same.
Except it induces them for the wrong reasons. I don't think I've met anyone else who even cared what they picked after they saw the endings because all that changes is the color of explosion that occurs. Your choice is basically guaranteed not to be canon -- they have to make a call on what races are still alive on any future game they make, obviously -- and isn't reflective of anything in the game up to that point. Randomly going off on a differently limb with no foreshadowing is simply bad writing. The fact you got to make a choice at the end where each option seemed viable in spite of not being built into reasonable(especially the synthesis solution: that idea literally isn't even mentioned until you have the chance to pick it at any point in the trilogy) doesn't make it a success. Having a bunch of plotholes is not a positive story element. I can basically guarantee you in a boardroom somewhere they're trying to figure out damage control for this right now because they've either realized they've made a mistake or the community is playing into their hands; there's a reason they aren't defending it the way the Dragon Age 2 staff was.Accent said:So, it's okay to feel frustrated, and powerless, and angry. Because that's how you're supposed to feel. The ending is perfect in its ability to induce those feelings. It's also okay to say, "I didn't like how this was written". It's a very cold and detached observation, but a valid one. It's not okay to claim that it is not a proper ending and that it destroys everything Mass Effect stands for, because that's simply not for you to decide. Even if it completely shatters your personal interpretation of Mass Effect, your Shepard, then that's how it's supposed to be. Even inconsistencies are part of a story, and influence your perception of it. Even the lack of closure is part of a story- heck, even lack of story contributes to what a story is! So, please take the time to think about what the ending does and mean rather than what it fails to do.
It was not a terrible ending, it was an acceptable and logical ending. Did you want a teen movie ending? Where we slowly get pictures and overviews of each species post-reapers? Or a small cutscene depicting the rebuilding of the galaxy?How can you even say something like that? It's legitimately infuriating to read. You're pretty much fine with a downright terrible ending so that Bioware can milk more money out the consumer. Not to mention that from your point of view, we can easily get into a conversation about how Bioware essentially lied to us for the past 5 years, but I'd rather not get into that.
not really. a story's quality is really subjective (as you see here, with some users defending the ending). i read most of the script and cringed at some of the horrible cliches and plot devices that cropped up. that, coupled with the melodramatic, overly emotional cutscenes (and not just the ones i've seen in the demo, but others i watched on the Tubes) is a no deal. then you have things like poor texture quality, re-used assets all over the place, et cetera. nothing dealbreaking on its own but when you mash up a meal that is made of little pieces of shit, what you get is one festering pile of shit.Except you were wrong for the most part, aamto, the first 98% of the game was still as good as the series has been.
I looked in to this, and you are right in that respect. (I choose not to follow the hype of Mass Effect 3 for fear of the story being spoiled early). Bioware over exaggerated the ending in many ways, which in no team become wild expectations from fans. In this regard, it is Bioware's fault for bad PR. There ARE multiple endings for the game. They DO vary in some regard, but not "wildly" as stated by Bioware. The writers are in no way at fault for this (unless of course It's their quotes being spread, can't find original sources with so much bad press). Those quoted choose to hype the game's ending, and promised something that was not true, or at the very least exaggerated. Considering the story line was completed well before most of this quotes were put out (again can't find original sources for these quotes, so its an assumption) would the ending be any better without such exaggerated promises?You're right, that's why they didn't promise 17(I believe that was the number, would need to get source) endings that differed wildly based on your choices in the first two games. Oh WAIT, they did promise that, I remember them telling that story. Those silly entitled fans expecting to get what they were promised before they bought the product.
Here's a newflash to both you and the other guy who posted the "Bioware's story" card: I have some professional background in both writing and business, so let me help you guys out because you seem to be confused. Writers at their level aren't hired to just do whatever the fuck they want. They aren't just sitting in the back thinking "what ending would I like to do." They get paid pretty significant salaries because they perform an important function of Bioware more so than any other American developer(you could argue for SE and Quantic Dream worldwide I guess): they are making games that are sold primarily on the strength of their stories and these guys are the ones that make or break the success of that. There's responsibility in that, especially once you've developed an IP to the point there's significant fan expectations -- particularly after you built those fan expectations in media interviews and youtube promotions between games yourselves while spouting misinformation and exaggerations that would make Peter Molyneux look like a straight shooter(which hasn't worked out very well for Lionhead long term -- Molyneux is no longer with the company and Fable 3 sales fell way below projections after the first couple of months). The writers are employed to make money for their companies and they do that by creating a great story that appeals to their target demographic, not by engaging in literary masturbation over whatever idea they have at the time. It's pretty obvious judging by polls and petitions they failed pretty overwhelmingly at that with this ending; that's an indefensible business move. It'll lose them future sales -- especially on ME3 DLC but Bioware itself is really hurting its brand between this fiasco, lying about the From Ashes DLC, Dragon Age 2, even SWTOR on some level-- if they don't attend to it. Like all businesses, their primary objectives include both selling products and increasing the strength of their brand, and they just sacrificed the latter to do the former, which is incredibly unsustainable. Your condescension is unfounded. You have no idea what you're talking about.
I have beaten the game, and the same was done for ME2, you start prior to entering the Omega 4 relay. It makes no sense to revert the game to any other time. Why would you get to be in the Normandy/Travel the galaxy post ending? Of course in ME3 its obvious, since there's no more Relays, but the said can be said of ME2. What are you expected to do post-game, if the ending spits you out in the galaxy? Finish exploring everything? No of course not, there's no point in that without DLC. With or without Shepard, Mass Effect will continue, Bioware isn't going to end this cashcow (well that might change).Speaking of which, have you even beaten the game? Have you not noticed that if you beat the game it spits you back out before you raid the Cerberus base? HINT: Any DLC they do is going to take place before that point of no return. There is absolutely zero chance of them making DLC that occurs after that point, unless they give in to fan pressure and re-do the endings(and even that would be the extent of it), since would force them to give a bunch of answers they don't seem to want to give. If they wanted you to know for certain what happened to Shepard or the Normandy or your squad in the ending originally they would have told you; they didn't, and obviously you can't have postgame DLC featuring Shepard and team without those things, and that's before you even look at the mass relays or the rest of the galaxy. This is especially certain because Shepard doesn't survive most of the endings... it would make very little sense for them to do content after that point because, assuming all options were picked equally, 2/3 of their customers wouldn't even have it available.
Aside from synthesis, you're right it's the deus ex machina decision to make peace and "break the cycle". Everything else was at least mentioned or hinted at, ie Controlling the reapers/Destroying the reapers. Defeating the reapers was always the goal, and controlling them was the path showed by Cerberus. The Crucible, was an unknown power, it was stated many times prior. It's a blast of energy, which no ones know what it would do. The Catalyst was assumed to do somehow divert that power into Reapers. Synthetics had always been the issue, they were your enemy in the first game, you feared their evolution in the third game.Except it induces them for the wrong reasons. I don't think I've met anyone else who even cared what they picked after they saw the endings because all that changes is the color of explosion that occurs. Your choice is basically guaranteed not to be canon -- they have to make a call on what races are still alive on any future game they make, obviously -- and isn't reflective of anything in the game up to that point. Randomly going off on a differently limb with no foreshadowing is simply bad writing. The fact you got to make a choice at the end where each option seemed viable in spite of not being built into reasonable(especially the synthesis solution: that idea literally isn't even mentioned until you have the chance to pick it at any point in the trilogy) doesn't make it a success. Having a bunch of plotholes is not a positive story element. I can basically guarantee you in a boardroom somewhere they're trying to figure out damage control for this right now because they've either realized they've made a mistake or the community is playing into their hands; there's a reason they aren't defending it the way the Dragon Age 2 staff was.
Who the hell is the starkid at the end? Why is he clearly the same kid as Shepard saw at the beginning of the game and has been dreaming about? Why is someone apparently capable of extracting this information from his mind to try to manipulate him? Where did Shepard's armor go? Why is it back if he survives? How did he get back to London if he survives? How the hell did Anderson get ahead of him on the way to the Citadel and why didn't the radio chatter notice either of them go in? How did TIM learn how to possess people in the last fifteen minutes of the game? How do my squadmates manage to teleport from getting killed by Harbinger's laser to inside the Normandy? why is the Normandy flying between relays when the ending starts? Why isn't it in the fight? How could it possibly have ended up on some random planet? Why is the kid at the end of the game's voice a combination of male shepards voice, female shepards voice, and the kid from the beginning of the game? How does Anderson manage to get inside the Citadel unscathed when he's clearly hit by the laser? If the Reapers are building another Human Reaper, why are there bodies all over the Citadel rotting instead of getting processed like in the Collector Base?
How was such reasoning empirically wrong? I'm guessing we played different games here.It was not a logical ending,As soon as god said that organics and synthetics could not coexist, a statement shown to be empirically wrong by the whole game.
Anyone who was not immediately disconnected clearly does not have the capacity for thought.
Just as a nitpick, while yes the Geth were attack first, they slaughtered billions of Quarians that were not part of the war effort. They aren't innocent in this either.Final Days, the Geth were NEVER the aggressors when they had a choice. Quarians were always the bad guys, and this is what led to the fear of AI in general.
When? When they were controlled by the reapers? Or Sovereign?Just as a nitpick, while yes the Geth were attack first, they slaughtered billions of Quarians that were not part of the war effort. They aren't innocent in this either.
To comment on the thought here -- I know you've probably seen me talking up the ME series in #smogon before, but I think impassioned response so much of the ME community is giving(it's nothing here compared to most of the internet, that FB page I linked a few pages back demanding a new ending is over 26000 likes already and the game has only been out for a week as of today) is pretty good evidence of how good the series had been until that point. There's a few slipups over the series (the vehicle you drive in the first entry is pretty bad, scanning the planets in the second game, the ending of the third, the combat in the first isn't tuned very well and is too easy in general) but in general it's some of the best, most engaging writing I've ever seen -- probably the best ever in an RPG series(even though the backdrop is space and it has FPS elements so it's not quite what a normal RPG is to begin with). There a a pretty incredible amount of people who put the 100+ hours to getting through all three games in already, and I'd say even a majority of the people who have posted on about it on various sites have played through the first two games three or four times to get multiple files ready to see the branching events of ME3(which didn't end up actually happening for the most part). I'm not really in the mood to pump Bioware's tires right now, but the series is definitely worth playing, and the first two entries are cheap now.I think you should put these thoughts into a video review. As someone who had barely heard of the mass effect series before this week, I am actually taking a perverse delight in the fury this has sparked.
I mean like, when people are passionate about something, then, no matter how irrelevant that thing is to me it suddenly becomes interesting.
like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxKtZmQgxrI
Except without the gimmickiness.