Mass Effect 3 Ending and how companies f* up their fans...

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Well I must say I'm impressed this made it onto Qhimm. I had wondered whether or not it would.

WARNING: LARGE OPINION FOLLOWS (also spoilers)

Mass Effect is the first game to exceed the level of emotional involvement I had with the PSX era FF's. Nostalgia will forever keep them in a very special place for me, but I have to say ME3 is one of the best games I've ever played in my life.

The entire trilogy has been a phenomenal ride, with choices you make with your character actually having an impact on the story. The voice acting is phenomenal, the story is vast and intricate and the characters have depth. It is perfect.

Or it was, until the end completely fucked it in the eye. Because this isn't a forum for Bioware, I will instead direct you to the Bioware forums where people have been raging about this non stop since the game's release - and rightly so. There you will find what is perhaps a worlds worth of information on why the ending is horrible, if it were printed on paper.

I'll say it again, the game has one of the best storylines I have ever experienced in entertainment (including books, TV and movies), and is incredibly well written. Like any story, it has minor flaws here and there, but is otherwise mostly solid - they make you care about your crew, and your decisions actually do matter. Until the end.

Basically, the end takes the choice away from you. Or rather, pulls a Deus Ex: Human Revolution and gives you 3 choices, with one large difference - they all lead to the same thing. You get the same fucking ending with a colour swap, it's absolutely ridiculous. Based on how much war assets you've acquired, you might see earth blow up, etc. Tiny differences, 95% the same. Your crew, some of whom were hit by a beam that killed them (you can see their bodies with a low score) manage to magically teleport to your ship EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE DEAD where they crash land on a random planet.

My crew would not leave me. This is bullshit. Then theres the magic god-like spacechild who says (and I'm paraphrasing this and quoting a meme, but this is what he says) "YO DAWG, I HEARD YOU DON'T WANNA BE KILLED BY SYNTHETICS. SO I CREATED SOME SYNTHETICS TO KILL YOU, SO YOU WON'T BE KILLED BY SYNTHETICS".

They spring this shit on you at the last minute and expect you to swallow it. Hundreds of fetch quests and side missions for nothing. Your love interest fucks off somewhere. You have no idea what the hell happens to any of your characters. If you follow the lore properly, the mass relays are destroyed in every ending which means none of the species you enlisted to help you can leave our solar system, and most of them can't eat earth food. So they're all dead.

There are people who can articulate this better and bring up better points, but basically the Indoctrination theory is the only thing that makes this ending bearable.

I have been absent from this forum for 2 weeks because I'm stuck F5'ing the main Bioware thread about this for news. The majority hate it. In every poll there are 85%+ who hate it. IGN are absolute douchebags about it (specifically Colin Moriarty) but then again, you can't spell ignorance without IGN.

The main problem comes with the fact that the developers and writes have specifically stated time and time again that this type of ending would never happen. i.e.: "It's not even like the traditional endings in that you have a choice between A, B or C" lied Casey Hudson, writer.


I'm glad they're adding content to "explain it" (as of today) but until this is explained without all the PR bullshit, I'll be over at Bioware holding the line with the rest of my brothers and sisters.
 
LoL I actually loved the 3rd ending where Sheppard lives though it was a complete mindf* for those who didn't understand the indoctrination theory something like Squall is dead theory or Matrix ending but in ME3 company didn't deny this theory yet as far as know. It's very interesting how synthetics use a memory to trick a man to save them by sacrificing himself... very smart and whoever chose the other 2 i think fell into the trap...
 
They may not have denied it, but they are defending their endings to the hilt, which means that additional ending content was never actually planned, which means they thought this entire shitfuck of an ending was a good idea.

I would love to believe the indoctrination theory. But Bioware won't let me. Because you don't end a 150 hour + trilogy on a cliffhanger! Also, IGN are total pricks.
 
Prince lex thanks for the review, even though i have never played any of em in the series...well i think i downloaded Mass effect 2 time ago played a little (around 3mins and thought this is some sh*t game, looks like i need to research onto these more and give it a go properly this time seeing as many people callthis one of the best games
 
Actually...

I didn't like ME2.

There, I said it.

I don't know why, but ME2 just couldn't capture my attention. ME1 was a truly massive game - interesting characters with engaging anecdotes; massive worlds to roam in the Mako (even if the handling was rubbish); detailed backstories even for minor missions. ME2, by contrast, just felt that much smaller. The characters weren't as appealing (Jacob's basically a cardboard cut-out); the worlds were smaller, and the sidequests just weren't as fleshed out. Compare ME2's corrupt motherboard missions with ME1's Cerberus or Rogue AI missions. Hell, compare them with a one-time event in ME1 where you discover a Prothean Beacon that neatly explains their role in guiding humanity. ME2 just doesn't have that.

Was I because of EA? Was it that Bioware was under pressure to release early, and that stopped them exploring new ideas? I don't know. But unless ME3 adds an awful lot more to the equation (which it doesn't sound like it does), I'm going to happily continue pretending that Mass Effect was a self-contained story.
 
I can see how someone would go from 1 to 2 and find it lacking, but personally ME3 is my favourite, story wise. I cried like so many times it's not even funny. Tuchanka with Wrex, Eve and Mordin, nuff said.

But I won't recommend it unless they fix the ending.
 
Well searching deeper about the ending it's actually logical for synthetics who were programmed to save themselves to use such a method,  like matrix, while the whole meaning maybe was to teach you something about your choices and how to avoid traps that may appear kind at first place...
 
Kotaku is a useless piece of shit, along with IGN. They've done nothing but belittle the fans who started the campaign since its inception. The tide is turning now that we've raised almost 80,000USD for Child's Play, but their treachery won't be forgotten.

Also, Kotaku is lying. There was an official post on the Bioware forums yesterday by the co-founder of Bioware, stating that they were working to add content that explains the ending, they are in no way modifying it, which is what the fans what. The fans will continue to hold the line until they get what they were promised, or die.

EDIT: Fixed typo.
 
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Kotaku is a useless piece of sh*t, along with IGN. They've done nothing but belittle the fans who started the campaign since its inception. The tide is turning now that we've raised almost 80,000USD for Child's Play, but their treachery won't be forgotten.

Also, Kotaku is lying. There was an official post on the Bioware forums yesterday by the co-founder of Bioware, stating that they were working to add content that explains the ending, they are in no way modifying it, which is what the fans what. The fans will continue to hold the line until they get what they were promised, or die.
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Kotaku is one of my fave news sources but i never heard anything bad about them but
The tide is turning now that we've raised almost 80,000USD for Child's Play, but their treachery won't be forgotten.
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I don't really understand this do you mean they made a charity cause but they kept the cash?
 
loooooooooool

Shinta
Wed 21 Mar 2012 11:50 AM

"Calling criticism of Mass Effect 3's ending "incredibly painful,"

Boo hoo. It's gone on for what, 2 weeks? Imagine this level of hate going on for 2 years. Now you know what it feels like for the people who work on Final Fantasy. Cry me a river.
 
loooooooooool

Shinta
Wed 21 Mar 2012 11:50 AM

"Calling criticism of Mass Effect 3's ending "incredibly painful,"

Boo hoo. It's gone on for what, 2 weeks? Imagine this level of hate going on for 2 years. Now you know what it feels like for the people who work on Final Fantasy. Cry me a river.
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Who was that?

Kotaku is one of my fave news sources but i never heard anything bad about them butI don't really understand this do you mean they made a charity cause but they kept the cash?
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No they didn't keep the cash lol. Sorry if my post seemed snappy, it's just that when it comes to this ME3 ending, I get really passionate. I know that might seem quite sad, but IDGAF what the jaded people think ^_^

Since the fan outcry started 2 weeks ago, Kotaku and IGN have posted non-stop articles calling the fanbase "whiny entitled babies" saying they have entitlement issues and that Bioware can do whatever they want.

But because in the current 20 polls around the internet all have "the ending is extremely poor" at more than 90% (with around 100,000 votes on some) and the Bioware forums and devs twitter accounts have been spammed with negative feedback.

The outcry is due to the fact that the ending is the embodiment of everything the developers PROMISED it WOULD NOT be, which is why everyone is currently going crazy.

The fans part of the campaign also started a donation drive which has now raised ~80,000USD for charity. Kotaku and IGN like to overlook all these facts when they're writing articles.

And now they've (IGN and Kotaku) realised which way the wind is blowing, they're both starting to backtrack and post neutrally, instead of the biased crap they have been posting.

Basically, they didn't do any research and assumed it was a minority that hated the endings. The opposite is true, so they've dug themselves holes with about 100,000 Mass Effect fans who are VERY vocal by talking down to their usual readers. Result: embargo on IGN and Kotaku. ESPECIALLY Colin Moriarty from IGN.
 
But... Bioware can do what they want. It's their IP, after all.

Honestly, though, what are you expecting? Releasing a new ending would take a lot of time - and money - and it's really not something they're obliged to do if they think the 'sacrifice' theme is important.
 
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But... Bioware can do what they want. It's their IP, after all.

Honestly, though, what are you expecting? Releasing a new ending would take a lot of time - and money - and it's really not something they're obliged to do if they think the 'sacrifice' theme is important.
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Thank you for sharing your opinion. While I agree that they are free to craft the story however they see fit, they broke a million promises. There is a thread dedicated to it on the Bioware forums, that lists every promise they made that they broke with regard to the end of the game.

There is an ending where Shepard doesn't die. And the problem isn't with the "sacrifice" theme, it's with the fact that no matter what you do the mass relays are completely destroyed, your crew fuck off and leave you (and seriously, 2 of them are supposed to be dead but can still pop off the Normandy unscathed) so that galactic armada you spent 3 games buttering up? Stuck in the sol system till they starve to death.

In all honesty, I could rant for hours. These are small glaring issues compared to the rest of it, and I don't think there's much point to me moaning my ass off for ages anymore. If you want info on why people disagree with the endings, check out the BW forums. I'm too lazy to discuss it with any great justice.

And here is a good list of lies the developer told.
 
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And the problem isn't with the "sacrifice" theme, it's with the fact that no matter what you do the mass relays are completely destroyed, your crew f*ck off and leave you (and seriously, 2 of them are supposed to be dead but can still pop off the Normandy unscathed)
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i think i can understand this ending in one way - you have to accept that there are often things beyond your control. it's not the first game that does this, nor the last one. and fans simply cannot accept it.

i would love it if bioware would not budge from their position on that. too bad you cannot simply kill yourself and not pick any of the three choices. now that would be fun.

so that galactic armada you spent 3 games buttering up? Stuck in the sol system till they starve to death.
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bluntly put - they did their part. why bother with them anymore?

i would rather nitpick on the numerous flaws and glitches in the game - you see them much more often than the ending, after all.
 
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But we didn't get to see them doing their part.

Fan expectations were set by pre-release interviews with tons of information you can have a look at through the link in my previous post. Not one of these promises were kept. Essentially that makes it look like they either a) Lied or b) Rushed the ending.

The end is disjointed and does not fit with the running narrative, hints and themes of the 3 previous games. It's a lazy cop-out and just completely stupid.

I understand people that say they like the ending. I would be remiss if I didn't point out that the ending isn't even that bad for a standalone game (see Deus Ex: Human Revolution) but to be the conclusion of a trilogy? Absolutely not.

I like a nihilistic ending as much as the next guy, and fans (including me) aren't pissed off that there are "things beyond their control". They're pissed off because what is supposed to be an epic conclusion to a game trilogy about how "your choices matter" (an actual quote regarding the ending of Mass Effect 3 pre-release) leaves you with no choice and leaves you wondering what the hell happened to any of your characters.

There is absolutely no closure and there are a million things wrong with it. Belittling it to:

you have to accept that there are often things beyond your control. it's not the first game that does this, nor the last one. and fans simply cannot accept it.
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is irrational and unfair. There are a ton of reasons beyond the actual plot of the ending that make it a terrible ending. And that's disregarding the original planned storyline (about the reason for the reapers being that dark energy is destroying the galaxy) being tossed in the bin.

All that being said, I can respect that there are people out there who do actually like the ending. Kudos to them, because I wish I was among them. As it stands, to most the entire trilogy has lost it's replayability value, which sucks.

But what is pissing me off the most at the moment is people out there defending it to the hilt and refusing to acknowledge that the people who don't like it are pissed off for a reason. There are too many people just being totally ignorant and saying "zomg it woz so amayzing, BIOWARE dnt listn 2 dese haterzzz, tey just ddnt get it!!". Literally all you hear is how stupid you are for not loving a shit ending.
 
 
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