Videos
(126)Screenshots
(33)Cheats and Walkthroughs
Videos
(111)Screenshots
(33)Cheats and Walkthroughs
Videos
(120)Screenshots
(33)Cheats and Walkthroughs
News
(21)Previews
Review
Videos
(10)Screenshots
(13)Cheats and Walkthroughs
(This post contains Minor Mass Effect 3 Spoilers)
Mass Effect 3 hasn't even been on shelves for a full week, and there's already a movement growing to change the ending of the game. Disgruntled ME3 players have created a "Change the ending of Mass Effect 3 twitter feed," a facebook page to "Demand a better ending to Mass Effect 3" and flooded polls on Bioware's forums. There's even a petition to change the ending of the Mass Effect 3.
Apparently, the ending of the game is a bit too dark for some gamers, and they'd prefer a more upbeat ending, as well as an ending where Commander Shepard's in-game actions have more bearing on how the game finishes.
Here's how the Facebook page describes the issue:
"Mass Effect 3 is a great game until the last few minutes; they destroy everything fans have been playing for in the past 5 years."
The Facebook page alone now has over 13,000 "likes," and phase two, a letter-writing campaign, is planned.
I haven't finished ME3 yet, so I don't personally know how well the ending works, but I hope that BioWare doesn't decide to change the ending of the game based on the complaints of gamers: That's not how art works. The audience doesn't get to pick the ending. If you like a certain kind of game ending, you can make your own game and end it any way you choose. I have faith that the great writers and producers at BioWare are better at deciding how their franchise will end than the people who play it -- they've earned that kind of loyalty and respect through years of making impressive, story-driven games.
But that's just my opinion. What do you guys think? How do you feel about the ending of Mass Effect 3? Do you think it should be changed?
Comments are Closed
Comments
Displaying 21–40 of 273
112345678910…13143
XBiowareFAN
All Endings are stupid,In Each ending the Mass relays are destroyed so now you have an entire alien fleet stranded in earths solar system,Earth can't support all those species...can we say mass starvation and destruction?
Here is the simplest coolest endings:
GOOD Ending #1-
Shepard kills only the reapers,
marry his/her love intrest in a big wedding were all species attend,Garrus is the best man.roll credits.
BAD Ending #2-
Shepard gains power over all reapers become emperor of the galaxy,Last scene is him ordering the reapers to attack
another galaxy.roll credits.
NEUTRAL Ending #3-
Shepard merges all organic and synthetic life,Show the newly merged organic/synthetic life rebuilding the galaxy togather under shepards direction.roll credits.
Ickthid
The ending was actually very good. For as many people that hate the ending, there's another group that loves it, because it delivered wheat Bioware has always been about in this RPG series: Complete immersion.
Think about it. Where is your crew? No mention of them. Then after the Normandy crashes, they emerge from it unscathed. How? Why was the Normandy near a mass relay? Joker wouldn't bail, and how did your crew get there? How did Anderson, a significantly older man, get to the console at the Citadel faster than you? How did he get to the portal first, anyway? Why does the Citadel respond to your presence? Why are the two "good" endings revolve around your death, the paragon ending being what the Illusive Man wanted? How do you wind up on the ground in London after the renegade/"Bad" ending? Note how you don't die in the renegade ending, like you do in the other two.
YOU ARE INDOCTRINATED.
You picking endings that allow you to die are you allowing yourself to fall to indoctrination. The renegade ending, where you resist it, allows you to wake up from the dream down in London.
That child is Harbinger. He's trying to force you to believe that you have to sacrifice yourself to save everyone. That's why he pitches the renegade choice, destroying the reapers, as the bad one, and the other two where the reapers live, as the good ones.
Why has no one else seen that child? In the beginning when you're talking to him, Anderson doesn't see him, if he did, wouldn't he offer help? Shep looks back at Anderson like he snapped out of something. Why did none of the soldiers see him?
Why did the final dream with the little boy have Shepard consumed in fire when he finally caught up to him?
The child is Harbinger, indoctrinating Shepard.
Think about this. You will realize it's right. None of the ending makes sense, you're smart for noticing that much. Bioware lived up to their legacy, and provided the best character immersion of the series. You seeing the ending the way you see it is you finally being indoctrinated, after all this time with the Reapers. Very few even realize this at first. It is art. This ending is amazing. That's why I believe the renegade ending is the "right" ending, and the other two are classic video game "bad" endings, and you get a game over and all that, but at the end of the renegade ending, you wake up down in London.
Bioware won't comment in depth until more time passes, to allow more people to see it. But. There's my hope that there's a continuation to the game in DLC. As they did with Javik, they had a portion of his content already on the disc, and the DLC was there so you could download the rest and have him be usable. It's my opinion that the continuation is also on the disc, and we just need to download the rest as DLC to use it.
TL;DR: YOU'RE INDOCTRINATED, this ending is amazing.
Mars8302
Those that think the haters don't know what there talking about... I finished the game things are left unanswered. What happened to my squad i was with? why was the Normandy in FTL? How is the other aliens going get home? Those that haven't reached the end...You'll see what i mean.
To not spoil to much...at the very end is a big question mark if Earth re-taken back. That is why the haters are hating because we are left with unanswered questions and a ending that was..."who won?"
When you finish the game then tell us how you feel. But don't hate the haters if you haven't reached the end yet.
PurinaMooseChow
Has anyone stopped to think that the message, if any, might be that even though we may try our hardest some things are just inevitable? The entire game could have been to build you up and make you feel and believe that your choices meant something, that you were making all the difference, when in reality the point was moot to begin with. Listen to what Javik says (if you've got the DLC) about the insects of the past now ruling the galaxy, and about how they're still so primitive. Then going on to grieve his own advanced people who fell to the might of the Reapers. The frailty of humanity or of being is something we take for granted, and often it's the things that lead up to where it all ends that make it worth it.
That said, ultimately from a pure gaming prospective, it would have been nice to see a couple of even slightly alternate endings. Those would, of course, be based on the choices you made in the previous games. I can see having a funnel point to the end as a good thing if you are only playing the 3rd installment, but again, the choices from previous games allow you to feel you've truly made a difference, for better or worse. While I wouldn't push for a complete change to the ending, I would've hoped for at least a variation based on your actions and preparedness, much as ME2 had in the end. In other words, I'd have liked to see the other side to the coin I mentioned at the start of this post, the side that shows how resilient Humans, and all of the other races are (For goodness sake, the Krogan survived the Genophage!), especially when combining their strengths!
As far as artistic licenses are concerned, it is only to Bioware's discretion and interpretation as to how much artistic pride or value this series (let alone this installment, itself) contains. We, as consumers and critics, can only speculate. In short terms, it doesn't matter what we say. The artist of any medium will feel what they feel/felt without regard to what any other person has to say. The reason we choose their product is only because we prefer the type of medium and style they've decided upon. And THIS is why I don't think this is primarily an "artistic value/license" issue. The only things to think about when creating something you're passionate about are what you feel and MAYBE how much money it could get you.
In the end ME is already one of the higher grossing series and the reality is, unfortunately for some, that Bioware will more than likely NOT make any sort of patch to change the ending. We might be able to convince them to expand with a little DLC, but nothing too extensive for the time being. This was to be the final installment to the saga, the end of the story, and I feel they intend to keep it just that. I DO hope that the multiplayer can become more diversified as far as maps/characters/loadouts/class es/etc... are concerned. Expansion will be a MUST unless they want a TON on N7 merchandise collecting dust on peoples' shelves and in their game cases in the coming months.
KamagiKat
I get why people are mad about the ending to ME3, I really do. I mean for me, the final five minutes just did not have enough explanation and left too many things unanswered. Still, a petition just seems to be overdoing it. I finished the game a few days ago and while I'm upset about the ending I've already moved on. I don't see how Bioware can change the ending without making things even more complicated.
I honestly am not entirely convinced that Bioware is done with ME3. There were too many hints left at the ending that we don't have the entire story yet. So who knows?
CollinDS
In response to the majority of comments that are debating the issue of the creative/artistic freedom of the developers, ask yourself this question:
Is the "artist" the person that physically produces an artifact is it the person who formulates the original idea? Who has the right to say when the artifact is finished? Regardless of your opinion on the question, the fact is that the player is neither the artist nor the commissionaire and therefore has very little (if any) input on how the game is developed, how the story is told and also how its ends. It is true that an integral part of Mass Effect is that player is forced to make important choices that will potentially affect how the story and game unfolds, but in my opinion, the developers are the true artists and authors and despite the number of options they afford the player, they still have an agenda and a story to tell and they make any definitive decisions. At most, the player is two things: a patron, someone who contributes financially to the cause of the artists, and a simple narrative director that must choose from finite preset decisions that determine how the story will be played out. Even if the player had complete control over every decisions that was to be made throughout the game, there is no guarantee the end will be to their satisfaction.
It's not sad, it's just reality... as video game patrons, we pay the developers/artists in hope that they produce a quality game; we may not personally like certain elements of the game, but that does not refute the overall quality of it. Also, as gamers, even in a game like Mass Effect where we a given multiple narrative options, each with its own consequence, we may only have limited effect on the outcome. Honestly, I don't recall Bioware making any official statement or promises that the ending would be tailor made based on the players choices; all they said was the decisions that were made in previous games would carrier over.
Personally, I may not like the choices I was given as to how the game ended, but again, the reality is that I'm not going to like every decision I have to make. That doesn't mean that game or the story was any less epic... I didn't play the game with any expectation as to how it would end, I just wanted to have a part in it. I've enjoyed every hour I've played and every year of anticipation. I made the best out of the choices that were given to me and I would not want it to end any other way.
rickbass21
Okay. I have played all three and loved them all....except the final part of mass effect 3 aka "the perfect ending." which was NOT perfect at all. I understand the "artistic jesus like sacrificing" crap but it is not original. For example, Dragon Age Origins has an ending like this too, BUT that wasn't the only ending. You could also destroy the enemy and live to tell about it. Which is what alot of bioware games have been known for "multiple endings." example; Knights of the old republic, jade empire, or pretty much every bioware game that was made....except for mass effect 3. "I haven't beaten the game yet...but I don't think the ending should change..." .....are you kidding me? That would be like me saying I never had cookies but I know they taste like crap. Now I'm not saying that the ending should be changed but I would have liked some closure. Although I did kind of liked the fact that shepard was still alive. (I don't think the endings were really happening since he was still injured and breathing in london, which means he never went into the citadel) Who knows maybe they will make an expansion like "Dragon Age Awakening".
DanielKeating
Art is not untouchable.
Art does not live it a bubble that can not be touched by society and is the sole dominion of the artist. Most of the art that enriches our culture was commissioned works. My favorite piece of art: Pieta by Michelangelo (one of the saddest and most beautiful pieces of art ever made) was commissioned by Cardinal Dean de Billheres. If throughout the creation of this amazing piece of work Michelangelo had a clear artist vision to capture something so incredible and woeful but at the end but a big happy smile on Mary's face, Cardinal Billheres would have been in his rights to ask for it redone even though he is not the artist. We have paid for a piece of art that should have been continued along the same artist direction as the rest of the body of work and wasn't (player choice makes a difference and effects the final outcome of the game). That is why we are upset with the ending.
With respect, I feel that some of your points are alittle off when addressing the game's ending. I have read Little Neil and how Dickens arrives at that conclusion is true to the artist vision of the piece of art he made. It may be a sad ending but makes sense given what he was producing artistically. The Mass Effect games artist direction has always been that the player's decisions matter towards the outcome of the final product. Bioware did not do this. In the end we were given an ending that did not reflect that artist direction: our choices did not matter. The ending would be the same no matter what we did.
Add onto that the opinion that the ending is very deus ex machina, with contradictions within its own lore, completely out of character for Commander Shepard, and had has little to no closure to the story. And you have a piece of work that, I feel, Bioware should not be proud of since it contradicts the very soul of what they had done before.
With Great Respect,
Daniel Keating
Sneakers
Really? Really? Gawd people...complain of anything more trival? It's their game, and they can end it any way they want....think it's too sad, too bad...you can't expect to have a happy ending all the time....I hate how people expect a happy ending on everything....sorry, but that's not realistic.
I haven't seen the ending, but when I see it, I will accept it, even if I understood it or not. People these days just have to find something to complain about, and most of the time it's over the most trivial and stupidest things....it's just a bloody game people. Just move on. I have seen many endings to things I didn't like the ending, but that's how they wanted the ending....deal with it.
frankenberry
This seems as good a place as any to mention that some of the ME fans who want to see an expanded ending have started a donation drive for Child's Play to support their cause. Even if you don't believe in all this "whining," this is still chance to support a good cause.
Here is a link to their thread
http://social.bioware.com/fo rum/Mass-Effect-3/Mass-Effect- 3-Story-and-Campaign-Discussio n-Spoilers-Allowed/Retake-Mass -Effect---Petition-and-Child03 9s-Play-Donation-Drive-9845819 -1.html
For my own part, I have to say that as far as artistic integrity is concerned, this case is not the same as a book, a movie, or even other video games: the entire idea behind the game is that the player has control of the story. It's one of the reasons so many people love the series. The endings in the game all lead to fairly similar results, without any sense that the choices you made in the other games made any difference. This, and not the melancholy nature of the endings, is what seems to be the major sticking point for many fans. Is it really so unnatural, then, for fans to petition for more control of the ending, since its seems that this is what was promised all along?
rageagnstmachen
I'm so sick of this whole "hater" crap. You are allowed to hate stuff that you don't like, regardless of who may have created it...I dont owe any loyalties to a company who's goals are to make profit, let alone call it art! Mass Effect does not compare to Monet, or Picasso...If they think that, they're stupider than I thought. It is entertainment based on a money making venture. I'll admit I am emotionally involved in this as I am monetarily involved. And both those things mean that I will voice my concerns if the product is not sufficient. I'm sorry but the ending defines a saga, Oedipus, Iliad, The Odyssey, any Shakespearean play hinges on the ending, I do not think Hamlet would've been good enough is the ending was crap, or any of the other great stories of our time. If these developers want artistic integrity then they sure as hell need to sort out how to write a better ending than this crap. I really thought Bioware would breach that gap between game/work of art, but they were disappointing in the final hour by sticking to a very old cliche. The only thing missing was the space/god/child sitting in a chair as Shepherd entered and talking about how the "problem is choice" with TV screens all around him. I thought this would be different, something new, the path less traveled. I think its because of gamers who liked this ending, we continue to suffer the indignities of pulp fiction in our games. People who think that insight and characterization can be thwarted by stupid indie/post modern endings like what Mass Effect 3's. Personally I blame hipsters...Simplicity is the name of the game, any writer will tell you that drawing from personal experience will give you true inspiration. The author(s) of this story drew inspiration from 10 other (Similar) science fiction stories, all of which have been told several times. I am a teacher and the ending is many times the difference between A and B-/C+. I was ready for a simple explanation. or even no explanation, mass genocide usually has no explanation, that would have been realistic, that would have taken balls. Like vigil said in the first game "in the end does it matter?" This game did exactly what they shouldn't have, they answered all the wrong questions. We as gamers, atleast myself, did not really care why the reapers are doing what they are doing, we cared about our romance, my best bud Garrus, my efforts in this fight, the man I chose to be...Those were the important questions, that deserved an answer. Instead, Bioware neatly neutered the story by giving simplistic explanations to a dynamic problem. A conflict between Organics and their Synthetic creations?? really? that is what Bioware thought the Universe boils down to? How trivial...why don't they just do everyone a favor and wipe everything out? A better ending would have been, a brief conversation with Harbinger who tells you that, you are not deserving and explanation, that as you give no explanation to ants before killing them, we shall give none to you while killing you...that would have been realistic, that is how genocide works, not some holier than thou attempt at a "cycle of life..." Then proceed to answer the real question, what happened to the love i built over 3 games? The friend I rescued from himself, the friend who I helped gain their home back while reuniting them with their long lost friends. The beast who I turned into a civilized part of the galactic society who understands what is truly right for his people over ancient customs. THESE were the mysteries we fought for Bioware, THESE were the twists we looked forward to, not who the reapers are, i mean in small part, yes, but not really...you robbed us of our Aaragorn becoming the king, and the fellowship dispersing, there was melancholy in that ending (or was that a too sunshine and rainbows trilogy? all you stuck up pompous critics who call us whiners). Or if you are playing as renegade, you deprived us of Tony Montana loosing everything as we go it our own in a blaze of glory having alienated our friends and allies with only humanity on our thoughts...Or somewhere in between. The point being, you gave us the wrong answers, to questions which were in the end trivial.
electricsnow
Went the way of the paragon.The end of the Shep Saga is fine. Love that part of the ending. I just want to see the what Effect my choices had. Did it matter that some could be saved and some not? What happens to all these people/creatures I've had to make tough choices for? I got really invested in the vast amount of information and emotion associated with all the different characters and species. But why? What happens to them. Is it just about humanity and Earth? If so, why should I care if they live or die? More money to be made if we have to pay extra to see the consequences of our actions.
I really hope that's not the case, but if I have to pay for it I will. Seems kinda shady though. It could also just be an open door for them to pound out the some non-shepard mess affect stuff. Oh well.
electricsnow
Went the way of the paragon.The end of the Shep Saga is fine. Love that part of the ending. I just want to see the what Effect my choices had. Did it matter that some could be saved and some not? What happens to all these people/creatures I've had to make tough choices for? I got really invested in the vast amount of information and emotion associated with all the different characters and species. But why? What happens to them. Is it just about humanity and Earth? If so, why should I care if they live or die? More money to be made if we have to pay extra to see the consequences of our actions.
I really hope that's not the case, but if I have to pay for it I will. Seems kinda shady though. It could also just be an open door for them to pound out the some non-shep mess affect stuff. Oh well.
frankenberry
This seems as good a place as any to mention that some of the ME fans who want to see an expanded ending have started a donation drive for Child's Play to support their cause. Even if you don't believe in all this "whining," this is still chance to support a good cause.
Here is a link to their thread
http://social.bioware.com/fo rum/Mass-Effect-3/Mass-Effect- 3-Story-and-Campaign-Discussio n-Spoilers-Allowed/Retake-Mass -Effect---Petition-and-Child03 9s-Play-Donation-Drive-9845819 -1.html
For my own part, I have to say that as far as artistic integrity is concerned, this case is not the same as a book, a movie, or even other video games: the entire idea behind the game is that the player has control of the story. It's one of the reasons so many people love the series. The endings in the game all lead to fairly similar results, without any sense that the choices you made in the other games made any difference. This, and not the melancholy nature of the endings, is what seems to be the major sticking point for many fans. Is it really so unnatural, then, for fans to petition for more control of the ending, since its seems that this is what was promised all along?
cowlevel
Spoiler! Your Choices did matter, It was very clear that your choices made the most important end game decision ever, The color of the lazer. Man the lazer had so much meaning and you really needed to make some critical descions to get the certain color and next time you watch the end, look for the deeper meaning.
mrgrosser
Dear Stephen Johnson,
Much like every other hipster out there, shut your mouth when it comes to something you know nothing about. Have a little due diligence, play the game, learn what people are so upset about, then comment about it. I think after the petition to get the ending of ME3 changed, we should start a petition to get Mr Johnson here, removed from posting.
Bad form G4, get Sessler, Webb or Herter to write up something, at least someone who probably has completed the game. This no talent hack has no place dropping a story like this.
xXD3athD3a13rXx
Well I finished the game and I was very disappointed in the ending and a little more so when I found out that there was no final boss. Idk about you guys but in a final mission I like being given a challenge and in this final mission I didn t find it at all only a bunch of husks and brutes running to their deaths I don t mind at all cause I have seen this in a few other games, but I expected at least a final confrontation with Harbinger which I didn t see. But it s ok and then came "space magic act" Bioware pulled off which didn t made sense. Tali and Javik were in my party when the reaper shot me down, some say that they found the corpses of their 2 party members after Shepard woke up I went back and I actually didn t find mine, then when you choose an ending, a cinematic plays and you see Joker coming out of the Normandy and then out of nowhere Tali and Javik were coming out of there too. So how did they get to the Normandy Bioware? Instant transmission? But overall the game was splendid enjoyed it very much the ending is the only thing I saw lacking, logical sense and probably because they will make a Dlc with all the things I just mentioned above maybe not.
lexxbomb
"but I hope that BioWare doesn't decide to change the ending of the game based on the complaints of gamers: That's not how art works"
as someone who has studied art at University I can honestly say this is false... for over 200 years Art has been constantly changed due to the desires of the intended audience...happens with movies even before the public see them... happens with both paintings and music and it also happens with books... Sherlock Holmes was origianly going to be dead after falling from the waterfall but due to the public outrage Doyle decided to write stories set after that with Holmes alive... this is nothing new...even TV shows are changed and Retconned because of this modern nature of art...
oh and the word Retcon exist because of this principle of revising and changing art... The only time it is not acceptable is in relation to forcibly changing history for propaganda reasons.
lexxbomb
"but I hope that BioWare doesn't decide to change the ending of the game based on the complaints of gamers: That's not how art works"
as someone who has studied art at University I can honestly say this is false... for over 200 years Art has been constantly changed due to the desires of the intended audience...happens with movies even before the public see them... happens with both paintings and music and it also happens with books... Sherlock Holmes was origianly going to be dead after falling from the waterfall but due to the public outrage Doyle decided to write stories set after that with Holmes alive... this is nothing new...even TV shows are changed and Retconned because of this modern nature of art...
oh and the word Retcon exist because of this principle of revising and changing art... The only time it is not acceptable is in relation to forcibly changing history for propaganda reasons.
xXD3athD3a13rXx
Well I finished the game and I was very disappointed in the ending and a little more so when I found out that there was no final boss. Idk about you guys but in a final mission I like being given a challenge and in this final mission I didn t find it at all only a bunch of husks and brutes running to their deaths I don t mind at all cause I have seen this in a few other games, but I expected at least a final confrontation with Harbinger which I didn t see. But it s ok and then came "space magic act" Bioware pulled off which didn t made sense. Tali and Javik were in my party when the reaper shot me down, some say that they found the corpses of their 2 party members after Shepard woke up I went back and I actually didn t find mine, then when you choose an ending, a cinematic plays and you see Joker coming out of the Normandy and then out of nowhere Tali and Javik were coming out of there too. So how did they get to the Normandy Bioware? Instant transmission? But overall the game was splendid enjoyed it very much the ending is the only thing I saw lacking logical sense and probably because they will make a DLC with all the things I just mentioned above.
Displaying 21–40 of 273
112345678910…13143