476 replies to this topic

[jesse]

i beat ME3 yesterday. while i have some issues with the ending, i actually liked it. i think there are some valid complaints out there about it, but whatever.

i really came around on this game, man. the first few hours weren't grabbing me like the previous games in the series. but by the end of it, i was really involved. i definitely felt the weight of my decisions. this game actually provoked an emotional response, which is rare.

and now i am going to finish up my renegade play-through of ME2 and bring that character over.

[matsunami]

Just beat it....I feel really empty inside

This is how you end a game:

[Zio Oxview]

Cliffhanger for DLC. Everything after getting beamed down

Spoiler

Which is when Harbinger ASSUMES DIRECT CONTROL of Shepard.

was like watching the second half of Matrix: Revolutions. Our ending will come in the form of DLC, because EA-Ware wants our cashmonies.

[mancopter]

About the ending:

Spoiler

My issue isn't necessarily with the content of the ending. The plotholes were horrid, sure, but what really pissed me off was the fact that my choices throughout the franchise essentially boiled down to a number (Galactic Readiness) that had minimal impact over the events that unfolded.

I restarted ME3, playing my Renegade ME2 import, but about 4 hours in, I asked myself, "wtf am I doing?" The ending will be the same. I'll just be an asshole in conversations instead.

This was Bioware's biggest chance in the franchise to make the game truly diverse, because they wouldn't have to worry about any sort of canon for later installments. This was the end of the Shepard saga, and it should have played out in accordance with our decisions throughout the trilogy.

The first thing I thought of as a decent counterexample was Fallout: New Vegas. I played through that game about 5 times (no joke!) and there were enough decisions to drastically alter the experience and outcome of each playthrough.

Hell, even in Mass Effect 2, my decisions in that game determined who lived and who died. I played through that 3 times to see how things unfolded each time. And they unfolded differently each time.

As far as the claims that a new ending should be made, and that the fans should have input, well, I really hope that doesn't happen, although it is looking more and more like it will (for a nominal fee, of course.)

The notion of focus group game writing is horrifying, and I really think that it will happen more if Bioware goes through with it.

The ending was terrible, but that's Bioware dropping the ball. That should be a negative stroke against them, and they shouldn't have a chance to "fix it later," because that cheapens the whole experience.

I'm sure I'll have more to add later, but yeah. That's my main issue.

[Zio Oxview]

Indeed. Hell, they even put in a message that basically said "YOU WANT ENDING? YOU BUY CONTENT!" Not cool.

[Nario]

Just beat it....I feel really empty inside

Congrats for beating it!? Now you feel our pain.

I planned on following up if you'd want to do multiplayer tonight, but I accidentally took a nap at 8:30, and woke up at 1! So, while I'm sorry that I was a pathetic no-show to your request, I'm just glad you were able to make use of your time and beat the game! ...except now you've seen the ending, to which I'd hope no one has to go through, but with an awesome series as this...



By the way, does anyone know of a good meme font generator or something? I tried to make an Impact font with black outlining, but as you can see, there's white pixels surrounding the black outline and I was hoping a "meme font generator" would take care of that.

[matsunami]

Mass Effect 3's ending = getting punched in the balls right as you're about to ejaculate.

A side note, Amazon is offering a refund to those who are unsatisfied with the ending which is pretty crazy. Fans have also raised over 70,000 for charity to change the ending. It's so crazy that in this day and age, we can do such things.

[GENTLYPORKING]

Mass Effect 3's ending = getting punched in the balls right as you're about to ejaculate.

A side note, Amazon is offering a refund to those who are unsatisfied with the ending which is pretty crazy. Fans have also raised over 70,000 for charity to change the ending. It's so crazy that in this day and age, we can do such things.

While I'm with the "Mass Effect ending sucked" parade, I really hope the fans won't be able to pressure the makers in making a new ending. That sets a very slippery, possibly very annoy precedent that we will see every game marked with vocal protest (because, honestly, you can't make everyone happy all the time).

I don't want another ending. I played the game, enjoyed it up until the end, finished it and am now moving on.

[XMark]

I don't really want a new ending. I just want an explanation of what the hell the Normandy was doing.

[GENTLYPORKING]

I don't really want a new ending. I just want an explanation of what the hell the Normandy was doing.

This is what happened in the final moments: the Normandy got word that an Elcor on Illum needed some holy artifact so that his race could sleep soundly with the war going on.

So, they left immediately, because that seemed much more important that supporting those on Earth. The nebula was across the galaxy and the planet they were scanning was right next to a mass relay.

How did you not get that?

[matsunami]

Zach: hey i played this entire game and the ending kinda sucked. can i have a full refund?
Matt: hey you can do that if your meal sucked at a restaurant
Matt: why not
Matt: *snicker*
Zach: its clearly a 1:1 comparison
Matt: clearly
Matt: your meal was 6 years in the making
Zach: also, you always eat the entire meal before sending it back
Matt: with many complex choices
Matt: always
Zach: excuse me, waitress? this meal was pretty great until the last 2 bites. they were awful and cold. I WANT MY MONEY BACK
Zach: CHANGE THE MEAL

Creeper and I had a little chat about being able to get a refund because you dislike the ending.

[matsunami]

They are going to change it after all

[GENTLYPORKING]

They are going to change it after all

Eh, I'm over it. Won't play it.

[Shervz0r]

Creeper and I had a little chat about being able to get a refund because you dislike the ending.

Thing is, it's all about customer relations. Bioware is big/established enough that I'm sure it won't adversely affect their reputation for all the complaints received concerning ME3's ending but showing that they listen or, as matsu just told me, that they are actually going to change the ending is interesting and respectable given their clout. If Amazon offers that opportunity to get a refund it only bolsters their position as a game vendor in my eyes especially given Gamestop and Best Buy's draconian return policies.

On the other hand, I don't think there would be much fallout had Bioware not taken any action to begin with...so I'm not quite sure what my point is.

[Nario]

They are going to change it after all

I don't think they'll change it, but rather add to it.

Look at Fallout 3:

Spoiler

you frickin' died at the end! But in DLC, you were brought back, and THEN you beat the game. (for real this time!)

However, Mass Effect 3 could be different. In the ending,

Spoiler

I could see Shepard waking up back on Earth, BUT ONLY IF YOU CHOSE THE DESTROY ENDING. This is to show that Shepard fought and WON against Reaper Indoctrination. Shepard wakes up, finding that he almost got hit by the red laser, and that he never actually went up the Conduit to the Citadel. This (hopefully) free DLC will essentially be a continuation of the ending, saying how the previous ending you got was Shepard losing his mind as he nearly died from the red laser, and actually allow you to beat the game and get the closure that we need.

I think it makes total sense to do it that way. Don't change, just add.