Unhandled Exception
Member
Didn't like the ending in the $60 product you bought? Well I've got good news for you. You can buy the ending you'd (maybe) like!
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Bioware responds to Mass Effect 3 ending controversy
- Thread starter WARP10CK
- Start date
Okay don't know if this is a spoiler thread or not. But the ending is discussed below:
I didn't mind the ending too much. I actually quite liked the Shepard dying, mass relays being destroyed along with all technology. It's pretty much a carbon copy of the ending of a certain popular sci-fi TV series that I will not name (for fear of spoiling it for those that haven't seen it yet).
But the more I think about it the less the ending makes sense. Some problems:
- If the point of the reapers is to wipe out organic life before organics have a chance to create synthetic life that'll wipe them out anyway, then why are the reapers needed? I'm going to wipe you all out so that you don't get wiped out.....um...
- Didn't my two squad mates die when Harbinger was spraying his beam at everyone on the way to the conduit? How'd they end up on the normandy at the end?
- How'd the Normandy end up travelling through the mass relay before the big orange pulse got there? Weren't they near Earth? How'd they fly to the relay that quickly to try and outrun the pulse that would've enveloped them practically as soon as they first saw it near Earth?
- If you choose the destroy all technology ending you end up destroying the mass relays. I get that. If you choose the control the reapers ending all the mass relays also end up getting destroyed. Why? The newly synthetic Shepard must have decided to destroy them. Why?
*edit* I'll add more as I think of them.
- If each reaper is made using the bodies of one particular race and the point of the reapers is to 'save' (ascend) that particular race into reaper form and the idea is that each reaper should look different because it's made with a different species....then why do all the reapers look like the the same big spider-hand thing? The human reaper in ME2 is the only example of a different species of sentient reaper.
But the more I think about it the less the ending makes sense. Some problems:
- If the point of the reapers is to wipe out organic life before organics have a chance to create synthetic life that'll wipe them out anyway, then why are the reapers needed? I'm going to wipe you all out so that you don't get wiped out.....um...
- Didn't my two squad mates die when Harbinger was spraying his beam at everyone on the way to the conduit? How'd they end up on the normandy at the end?
- How'd the Normandy end up travelling through the mass relay before the big orange pulse got there? Weren't they near Earth? How'd they fly to the relay that quickly to try and outrun the pulse that would've enveloped them practically as soon as they first saw it near Earth?
- If you choose the destroy all technology ending you end up destroying the mass relays. I get that. If you choose the control the reapers ending all the mass relays also end up getting destroyed. Why? The newly synthetic Shepard must have decided to destroy them. Why?
*edit* I'll add more as I think of them.
- If each reaper is made using the bodies of one particular race and the point of the reapers is to 'save' (ascend) that particular race into reaper form and the idea is that each reaper should look different because it's made with a different species....then why do all the reapers look like the the same big spider-hand thing? The human reaper in ME2 is the only example of a different species of sentient reaper.
Foliorum Viridum
Banned
That's a lot of words for not saying much at all.
PjotrStroganov
Member
You'll become more disappointed with it, with every argument you read against it.
Destroy ending with 4000-5000 EMS is the correct ending?
I think horrible tragedy is a tad hyperbolic surely?
Feedback is evil.
Manos: The Hans of Fate
Banned
Fallout 3 went a long way to doing that lol
Nope, ME3's ending really was that bad.
Oh wut he was referring to the fan feedback being bad and not the fact that the ME3 ending was so bad that it needs fan feedback and journalists to fix it?
Shake Appeal
Member
And also Casey Hudson doesn't know how a semicolon works. Ahee.
Look at what happened to metal gear when kojima started listening to the fans, dresden
I was about to respond seriously to the 'tragedy' comment, and then I realized that it was Somedude.
But I'll do it anyway because being banned sucks:
Giving feedback is useful to developers. The tone isn't bad, and most people agree that the game is awesome up until the shoehorned in final ,moments and that speaks to a very poor execution, which is a problem that Bioware would want to address. They're in the business of making games that sell to consumers, not no budget art films. Mass Effect has been shaped by disparate opinions and constant feedback since day one, not paying attention to feedback now would be the real tragedy.
But I'll do it anyway because being banned sucks:
Giving feedback is useful to developers. The tone isn't bad, and most people agree that the game is awesome up until the shoehorned in final ,moments and that speaks to a very poor execution, which is a problem that Bioware would want to address. They're in the business of making games that sell to consumers, not no budget art films. Mass Effect has been shaped by disparate opinions and constant feedback since day one, not paying attention to feedback now would be the real tragedy.
No, I don't.
I would maintain that individual creative vision is hard to maintain considering the scope of development, the number of people involved, and that changing of hats throughout the process. The original lead writer and world/premise conceive for ME1 (whom no longer works for Bioware) has talked about this, and how radically plans changed between games.
I don't view games as not capable of being 'art', and I do consider games as a form of artistic expression, or art themselves, but this silly concept that art is somehow inherently beyond criticism or revisionism, once it has been 'completed' is silly. First of all Mass Effect 3 isn't 'complete' because they've already committed to fleshing out the story with DLC, secondly, even authors of deeply personal and artistic books have editors, typically, and for a very good reason.
Art is capable of changing based on feedback and public perception, the issue is how mailable the medium is to making changes a reality.
The 'games are art and therefor shouldn't be criticized for how they execute on their fiction and vision' thing is hogwash. Especially on projects as big as this.
I would maintain that individual creative vision is hard to maintain considering the scope of development, the number of people involved, and that changing of hats throughout the process. The original lead writer and world/premise conceive for ME1 (whom no longer works for Bioware) has talked about this, and how radically plans changed between games.
I don't view games as not capable of being 'art', and I do consider games as a form of artistic expression, or art themselves, but this silly concept that art is somehow inherently beyond criticism or revisionism, once it has been 'completed' is silly. First of all Mass Effect 3 isn't 'complete' because they've already committed to fleshing out the story with DLC, secondly, even authors of deeply personal and artistic books have editors, typically, and for a very good reason.
Art is capable of changing based on feedback and public perception, the issue is how mailable the medium is to making changes a reality.
The 'games are art and therefor shouldn't be criticized for how they execute on their fiction and vision' thing is hogwash. Especially on projects as big as this.
Phoenician_Viking
Banned
Disclaimer: I have not played any ME games, but i had to check the story because of the 13k + posts on GAF, and the other threads about ME. I found this on YouTube, and the ending looked really bad according to this guy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4H_A7SeawU4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4H_A7SeawU4
How so? Even though I'm one of the guys that hates how MGS4 ended it's been pretty much proven we're a vocal minority, even on GAF.
Seems with this ME3 ending nearly everyone hates it.
The flawed execution, that was entirely in the hands of those making the games, 'destroyed' Metal Gear Solid. It's not as though the people voicing their opinions were physically or psychologically abusive towards the creators in such a way that would harm their state of mind or persons. All people did was give their opinions on the products.
Even arguably the best Metal Gear games in the series, ones that you would place in the pre destruction phase, doubtlessly had heavy insane amounts of feedback during development and in the form of playtesting. No modern video game is created in a vacuum.
Rebel Leader
THE POWER OF BUTTERSCOTCH BOTTOMS
Welcome to the club. Please what color drink would you like?
fabricated backlash
Member
Pretty much. The ending moments, the buildup and execution of the ending in ME1 are still among the best I've seen in gaming period. But now the series just isn't worth caring for anymore. It's a damn shame but I'm unable to feel anger or distain, simply sadness and indifference.
Also, we've reached the point of paying for Endings.
Next Gen to come with credit card and quarter slots to unlock everything past chapter one of the game.
That's the right punishment for romancing a space hobo with three fingers and dinosaurs feet
Green Yoshi
Member
Hilariously, at the end of the ME3 there's a screen that pops up that tells you to continue the adventure via DLC.
They didn't learn their lesson from Dragon Age: Origins, where they actually had a character in-game who went "HEY BUY THIS DLC. YES, YOU THERE, PERSON PLAYING A VIDEO GAME AND TOTALLY NOT TRYING TO IMMERSE YOURSELF IN THE SETTING. FILL BIOWARE'S COFFERS."
Meus Renaissance
Member
Hah
I'm confused. What unresolved issues/choices are people not seeing resolved?
Geth/Quarians (Tali, legion) - resolved
Genophage - resolved
Miranda - resolved
Jack - resolved.
Jacob - resolved (ish?)
Garus - RESOLVED IN THE FING 2ND GAME
The entire 3rd game is basically the ending. I played through the entire game and all the choices I made had SOME effect. The ending of the game is for Shepard, not the rest of the merry band.
I thought it was a great way to end it.
Geth/Quarians (Tali, legion) - resolved
Genophage - resolved
Miranda - resolved
Jack - resolved.
Jacob - resolved (ish?)
Garus - RESOLVED IN THE FING 2ND GAME
The entire 3rd game is basically the ending. I played through the entire game and all the choices I made had SOME effect. The ending of the game is for Shepard, not the rest of the merry band.
I thought it was a great way to end it.
dragonelite
Member
We have no epilogue so i will just copy past this..
We never know we only saw like 1/5 of the relays go Boom.
And then we saw joker land on some cybernetic Garden of Eden planet in my ending.
Then Credits and Grandad telling about Shepard having sexy times and how reaper process humans to his grand child would be like Showing the Kid one of the SAW movies or Something similar.
What if 4/5 of the Relays didn't go Boom? What if there are still 100 reapers around?
That is a lot of speculation everybody has to do.
Because they were to cheap to write a decent epilogue or ending.
We are to assume everything went well or the reapers are 100% knocked out but we dont know.
If they release a expansion or ME 4 something like you know the last harry potter movie splitted in 2.
Okey i would probably buy it.
But then no more preorders from Bioware ever again i rather get spoilered and buy it 1 month later for 70% of the price then get my heart torn out(blowing it out of proportion).
Edit: Actually never really had this kind of feeling to a game or series ever.
When i could play ME 1 and 2 for 10 hours straight, im now so down/not motivated that 40 min in both them its like Meh lets do something else.
Because the current ending is "art"? Leaving aside the idiocy of high and low art if you consider the current ending clever then you are buying right into Casey Hudson's pseudo-intellectual bullshit. An ambiguous ending could have worked, but only if it was written competently and woven into the games narrative not slapped in at the end by a writer who isnt as good as he thinks he is.
Why don't they matter? You are resolving the characters issue? What more did you want?
Jake Tower
Banned
dragonelite
Member
Ice cold.
TouchMyBox
Member
All this drama is almost making me want to play Mass Effect 3.
You're all viral marketers.
You're all viral marketers.
Confidence Man
Member
Sidequest design, encounter design.. I don't know if I'd call it lazy, maybe just unambitious. Aside from the character interactions the game is pretty rote and uninvolved.
zyxwvu4321
Member
Spoilered to be safe:
They don't matter because the game ends the exact same way no matter what decision was made. And the lack of an epilogue means we don't even know if anything was truly resolved.
Jake Tower
Banned
You can buy my used copy for $54.99. Includes unused multiplayer online code and XBL Gold 2 day trial.
stryker1138
Member
Gave me a chill. So good.
No way man, in one of the endings I saw red lasers and in the other it was blue. Different endings!
The resolution doesn't change. The ending to the game is Shepards resolution. You've already resolved the issues other parts.
I don't understand how people don't see this. The entire game is wrapping up your companions issues, tying a bow on everything, then it is Shepards turn.
dragonelite
Member
What do we know about the Geth and Quarians after earth battle what seems to like a month ago. Did the Quarian Admirald Board decide to kill the Geth or did they really rebuild the planet. And with help of the Geth can Quarians life without suits in this generation and not 10 generations later rebuilding a immune system.
What do we knew about the krogans after Earths battle did they find a new planet could wrex keep them under control did they not staged a second Rebellion.
I slept 2 times with miranda did she get pregnant or did Liara secretly used that last mindmelt to get Liara pregnant and i get a blue alien baby girl.
Did jacob end up naming his baby shepard.
How much more did Jack mature after battle of earth.
Did the Turians and Asari rebuild their home world and how without Mass Relays.
How many more Start were going unstable premature because of Dark matter/energy.
If Bioware wanted to close shepard story the should provide a way the players can achieve closure. Not A lot of speculation of everybody.
br0ken_shad0w
Member
Endings change all the time based on feedback even if it is "someone's story". Feedback turned A Cat on a Hot Tin Roof from a plot hole mess into the classic it is known today. Same with Blade Runner.
Though expecting Bioware's writers to be on the same tier as Tennesee Williams and Ridley Scott is a bit too much.
Does no one really see it? You resolved EVERY OTHER choice in the game by 2 "choices" Red or Blue, Why is Shepards any different?
You have a problem with it at the very end of the game but not any other time?
Still one of the best lines in gaming history.
I hate your ending. I don't want that much closure. I'd prefer to end the game with assuming because I did everything "right" that my choices went about that path. You're asking for a full on description on the events of your companions. Where does it stop? Do you want to know what happens 10000 years after Shepard dies?
The amount of closure I got from 3 was this: All the character issues that people had / needed to have resolved were, in a manner that I chose.