Mass Effect 3 SPOILER THREAD: LOTS OF SPECULATION FROM EVERYONE
- Thread starter XANDER CAGE
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Zomba13
Member
I really don't get why they didn't even try to develop the kid. Have the kid come along with them from the vents, have the kid be scared and wanting his mum, wondering what is going on, why everything is happening then at the end, as Shep gets onto the Normandy have something bad happen to him like a stray Cannibal shot or something. At least try to make us care about this kid and not have him be all weird and run off after refusing help.
XANDER CAGE
Member
That would have been awesome too. I saw something earlier in the thread where someone said a yahg and other future races would find it and you would see Liara in VI form warning them of everything.
There should have been multiple (more than 3) real endings and that should have been one of them along with a "happy" ending.
Rebel Leader
THE POWER OF BUTTERSCOTCH BOTTOMS
Makes shepard into a synthic(sp) So they can force him to warch their triumph
firehawk12
Subete no aware
It's more like the ending of Matrix Reloaded then. lol
Psychoward
Banned
Yep, I thought an ending like that was a given.
Barack Lesnar
Banned
Wow he should have made it a new thread instead of it getting lost in the shuffle, although a lot of posters noticed it but will Bioware..
Karak
Member
And lets not pretend at all that a sacrifice ending isn't just as cheesy. Its been done to fucking death in books and movies. Both are cliches now. Pretending that everything ends and you MUST die fighting the good fight is a tired excuse and only required in World of Darkness Werewolf from the 1990's and Warhammer 40,000. And both are tired and long in the tooth as story devices.
What is not clichéd and always stands the test of time are accurately written STORIES that included the normal parts of a story which means a fucking ending.
Rebel Leader
THE POWER OF BUTTERSCOTCH BOTTOMS
Inception
Shepard wanted to defeat the reapers... While this is what the Reapers wanted all along
WTF did I just watch
In a way, that's the ending we got for all of 'em.
For as many references as that movie gets, I can never remember it at all.
Where's the video!
Yep, have a good ending a bad ending.
Case closed Bioware. You can tank us later.
I don't think anyone really wanted a reason for the reapers. They are Dark Machines coming to destroy us.
The Christ themes are pretty blatant in the series. Shepard sacrificing himself is entirely appropriate. I mean the guy's name is "Shepard." It's pretty on-the-nose.
bengraven
Member
I don't mind Shep dying, though I want the choice whether he does or not and I want to pay a price.
Maybe the entire galaxy is wiped out by the Reapers with only 1% or 1% of 1% left alive and you have to live with that guilt. Or Shep dies and the galaxy is completely saved. Destroy the mass relays, sure, why not? Would make an awesome post-apocalyptic-style space opera afterwards.
I just want closure for the characters I played. Yes, their stories were told, at least your squad members were. You resolved their stories, but now their story was your story. They became family and they fixed their issues and they were there for Shep now the same as he them.
Let them help him choose. Maybe there should have been ghostly specters of your team mates standing by the options with those favoring control on one side (Zaeed maybe, Miranda maybe, Jack), those favoring destroy on the other (Liara, Garrus) and those favoring synth in the middle (Edi and Joker) - eh, maybe not, but it's just a thought.
Honestly, I would have been happy with one last ending piece...just a 10 second piece. The jungle planet, a slab of stone with an N7 carved into it. Your characters standing around it. A quick shot of your sad love interest. Then cue the breathing scene.
The end.
I would have been happy with that.
Maybe the entire galaxy is wiped out by the Reapers with only 1% or 1% of 1% left alive and you have to live with that guilt. Or Shep dies and the galaxy is completely saved. Destroy the mass relays, sure, why not? Would make an awesome post-apocalyptic-style space opera afterwards.
I just want closure for the characters I played. Yes, their stories were told, at least your squad members were. You resolved their stories, but now their story was your story. They became family and they fixed their issues and they were there for Shep now the same as he them.
Let them help him choose. Maybe there should have been ghostly specters of your team mates standing by the options with those favoring control on one side (Zaeed maybe, Miranda maybe, Jack), those favoring destroy on the other (Liara, Garrus) and those favoring synth in the middle (Edi and Joker) - eh, maybe not, but it's just a thought.
Honestly, I would have been happy with one last ending piece...just a 10 second piece. The jungle planet, a slab of stone with an N7 carved into it. Your characters standing around it. A quick shot of your sad love interest. Then cue the breathing scene.
The end.
I would have been happy with that.
Extly, he died once, was resurrected, and, now, in his final moments becomes a god by choosing space magic to transform the galaxy. Universe even.The Christ themes are pretty blatant in the series. Shepard sacrificing himself is entirely appropriate. I mean the guy's name is "Shepard." It's pretty on-the-nose.
Empty Space
Member
Oh God what is that
I didn't hate the ending. I thought it was mostly bland, and I thought that they could have really given it a lot more depth/life etc. But whatevs, I chose the transhumanist ending, and that made me happy enough - as shallow as that is (some weird tech synapses over skin really isn't enough for me guys).
Karak
Member
The Christ themes are pretty blatant in the series. Shepard sacrificing himself is entirely appropriate. I mean the guy's name is "Shepard." It's pretty on-the-nose.
No not really.
You know, when Liara brought that box, I thought it'll show up somehow in one of the endings. But nope. Talk about not utilizing some of your nifty plot points from the game in your ending. They just squandered an opportunity for a sad but memorable ending.
Yeah that sounds about right. I bought Infiltrator but didn't like it. I'm doing the galaxy at war stuff on the datapad app currently, although I'm not sure why as I can't bring myself to do a second playthrough.
Considering that at this point after ME2 came out I was already 50-75% of my way through a second playthrough it shows how the ending(s) has sapped my motivation to play what was for 99.5% of it a great game.
Haha. I'm almost finished with my second playthrough. I platinum'd ME2 and I plan to platinum ME3 as well. The parts I like are good enough that I can just forget about the ending and enjoy the game.
Also, I really like the MP. Just wish I could get a Quarians Infiltrator or an Asari Adept.
Barack Lesnar
Banned
Hmm...
Terra Firma
Banned
I know that there are "detractors" but I've yet to come across any review from any major gaming website that goes against the flow. Are all reviewers a hive mind or something? Is there any review where they say that the ending was not something they liked?
They won't even have to spoil it since it is very easy to do a spoiler-free critique of the ending when the ending itself is completely out of left field. A reviewer could have mentioned that the ending was unsatisfactory. Plenty of reviewers did the opposite. A reviewer could have mentioned that the ending could have done a lot more to tie up loose ends. A reviewer could have said that the ending left created many more unanswered questions than it answered. But there's none of that.
There is minority of players (at least on the Internet) that have been vocal about being satisfied with the endings. Why is such a ratio not present in gaming "journalism"? It's like every "professional" gaming "journalist" gave the next iteration of COD a 4/10. The majority of people like COD and there is a vocal minority against it. Same thing with any other blockbuster game.
Fine, if they were trying to hype up the game, okay. But then to try and justify your review by blasting fans and satirizing them? IGN took the lead (unsurprisingly) but many other websites have followed suit in attacking the unpaid critics.
They won't even have to spoil it since it is very easy to do a spoiler-free critique of the ending when the ending itself is completely out of left field. A reviewer could have mentioned that the ending was unsatisfactory. Plenty of reviewers did the opposite. A reviewer could have mentioned that the ending could have done a lot more to tie up loose ends. A reviewer could have said that the ending left created many more unanswered questions than it answered. But there's none of that.
There is minority of players (at least on the Internet) that have been vocal about being satisfied with the endings. Why is such a ratio not present in gaming "journalism"? It's like every "professional" gaming "journalist" gave the next iteration of COD a 4/10. The majority of people like COD and there is a vocal minority against it. Same thing with any other blockbuster game.
Fine, if they were trying to hype up the game, okay. But then to try and justify your review by blasting fans and satirizing them? IGN took the lead (unsurprisingly) but many other websites have followed suit in attacking the unpaid critics.
Brawndo Addict
Banned
Yeah, for me it wasn't the fact that it was a human child. Obviously it has to be human because we're on earth. It was the fact they didn't bother to do any work whatsoever to make us care. Yes it's true that on the whole, humans instinctively feel empathy for children. But that doesn't mean we'll feel a real, emotional connection just because you kill a child, especially when your motive and purpose is so disgustingly transparent.
Me 2. Fuck the MP though. I spent so much cash on the packs and all I get are mostly weapons and ammos. I did luck out twice and got a Turian and Salarian but I want a Quarian and Asari.
Karak
Member
I would have loved a scene where you call all the species, give a speech that you now know the Reaper are scared because they face 1 unitued front as the Promethean states clearly. Then you control all the forces you have gathered, allocating them during the battle, watching as your choices slowly impact the battle. You know so that that entire part of the game actually makes some sense.
Then when all is said and done, you give a speech about sacrifice, about how you all should remember what victory cost and those remaining forces(still taking into account your work you did getting everyone together) and begin the preperation to make one united alliance.
Just me though.
Well, I can honestly say that(to me) 99% of ME3 is great. Would it have been fair to give ME3 a 8 because the ending sucked? That's up the reviewer to decide. I don't want to open that can of worms either.
In a sense, I guess. But I'm more talking about a straight up BAD end. Like, say at the anderson death part, when Shep is stumbling around incoherently and doesn't activate the crucible, and falls down. Then instead of the floor rising, you see the reapers wipe everyone out. Garrus, Liara, etc. getting hit by a beam, key players on each race getting killed, ending with the normandy and joker biting it.
Then it skips ahead thousands of years and shows a Yahg(AFAIK they're the only race mentioned that weren't being targeted, so why not) find the box and activate it. Then you see whatever Liara ended up adding to it and it goes into the credits. It would've been depressing as hell and a suitable bad end, instead of there not really being one for not being prepared whatsoever.
Freeza Under The Shower
Member
Don't be deceived by the impression you get from writings. I know quite a few people that nobody would consider very smart from their writings, but that are samrt outside out their 'created persona / image'. They can do better, they just don't have any reason to.
Just compare the numbers on a pulp magazine and Edge. It's not even a contest. Pulp wins, each and every time. Unfortunately, most publishers across the entertainment and information media have resigned themselves to the idea that this is what the public wants: stupid stuff. And each time an effort to make something smart fails, they will yet another example to say: "see, that's what happens." So it's not that simple.
Yes, we should be. Nirolak tried a while back though, by making a topic about the top ten metacritic scores for each platform.
Nah, the indoctrination stuff is just bargaining, but it's quite scary to see just how far this attempt at overcoming cognitive dissonance goes.
I mean, that long post from BSN was pretty much 'up there' in having an almost godlike faith in Bioware shaken.
Barack Lesnar
Banned
Odds are that many reviewers probably didn't even finish it before putting their review up. And then there's the whole AAA/hype factor for the game. IGN's custom-made Mass Effect 3 review page and background was unbelievable and just a total disgrace.
I'm surprised people aren't following/creating the God theory instead of that indoctrination crap.
What would The Shepard do?
I haven't spent any money on packs, just credits I've earned through the game. I also have a Turian, the two Drell, a Salarian and an Asari. The MP is really fun on silver and gold.
Karak
Member
No I mean...well if you haven't gathered what I mean from the others who responded I don't think its worth explaining.
Karak
Member
Space god makes perfect sense most assuredly the bible
Then again since they can't write an ending, not really caring about all the shit they made NOT make senseThe Shepard would headbutt himself right through the center of that broken ass citadel and tear the wretched innards out. Then tell the kid to fuck off and die then leap into space(because he doesn't need a mask anyway) and fly off like Neo, then use his eye lasers to destroy the reapers.
EatChildren
Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
The entire basis for being emotional attached to the child is that it is a human child and it dies. That's it. That's the only reasoning Walters and co have. There's literally nothing else to it, except sad music.
That's actually the fundamental problem with almost all video game writing that attempts to emotionally connect players to events and characters: telling a player how to feel doesn't work. Demanding they feel a certain way about events, or connect to a specific character, just because you want them to, always fails. Without question. In an interactive, player driven experience the only way to develop a legitimate emotional connection between the player and events/characters is to have that connection develop naturally on the player end.
Hence why we're connected to our squad, and Shepard, and why players have vastly differing opinions on which characters they like more than others.
Except Garrus, because everyone loves Garrus.
That's actually the fundamental problem with almost all video game writing that attempts to emotionally connect players to events and characters: telling a player how to feel doesn't work. Demanding they feel a certain way about events, or connect to a specific character, just because you want them to, always fails. Without question. In an interactive, player driven experience the only way to develop a legitimate emotional connection between the player and events/characters is to have that connection develop naturally on the player end.
Hence why we're connected to our squad, and Shepard, and why players have vastly differing opinions on which characters they like more than others.
Except Garrus, because everyone loves Garrus.
XANDER CAGE
Member
hush up I have so many usernames to make strobing versions of aaaaaaaaa
The only truth of the galaxy.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
Case in point, there's a similar scene with a child in Modern Warfare 3... and it really does nothing for most players.
I feel like a lot of contemporary science fiction encourages that kind of thinking though. What used to be dismissed as simple continuity or production errors suddenly become clues for some SUPER SECRET ending.
But it's a child! You should be crying!
EmCeeGramr
Member
god i can't get enough of video games killing random children you know nothing about specifically to make you feel sad
mw3, heavy rain, bioshock, me3, god doesn't it just make you so bad
PsychoSoldier
Banned
I think ambiguity can work as a narrative device if there aren't a million different hanging threads that are left ambiguous all at once. It doesn't help your cause either when a great deal of the ambiguity is caused immediately beforehand by a heretofore unknown plot device or character.
And, if you're going to ask me to fill in blanks on my own, you need to have a consistent enough set of rules in your universe that allows me to have a reasonable chance at guessing what might happen.
This game just introduced a pseudo-deity who enables you to rewrite the DNA of everyone in the galaxy.
After that kind of curveball, how the fuck am I supposed to fill in the blanks?
And, if you're going to ask me to fill in blanks on my own, you need to have a consistent enough set of rules in your universe that allows me to have a reasonable chance at guessing what might happen.
This game just introduced a pseudo-deity who enables you to rewrite the DNA of everyone in the galaxy.
After that kind of curveball, how the fuck am I supposed to fill in the blanks?
Karak
Member
I wish someone would mod the fucking game so we can shoot that kid square in the face and smile as his skin burns off.
"You can't save me."
"Not even trying." BOOM!
Someone mod that.
EmCeeGramr
Member
Come to think of it, there's only one game I can think of that pulls of a child dying, and it's because it spends nearly the whole game building your relationship with them and then making their death and absence feel like a true loss. It's absolutely crushing.
You can avert the situation by getting a better ending, but that just makes the worse ending in which they're permanently dead even sadder.
You can avert the situation by getting a better ending, but that just makes the worse ending in which they're permanently dead even sadder.
Freeza Under The Shower
Member
And now we know why your neighbor is trying to kill you.
Writing 101 will tell you that nobody gives a shit about what happens to a character unless you know their personality. This is why books rarely open with action scenes. Even most films will establish the characters somehow before shit hits the fan. After all, who really cares if a bunch of unknowns die?
Now if Shepard and Anderson had been helping escort a few Marines and the kid and the extras had some dialogue and likable traits, even for a minute of in-game time, hell yeah it would have sucked when they died.
Shit, it's not even hard. I was shocked when the pilot that helps you on Thessia died. (I believe you can save him/her.) It was badass having air support, and I think Ashley shouted something like, "That's the best damn pilot ever!"
RIP THESSIA PILOT
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