Mass Effect 3: Extended Ending DLC

[Dubird 6,815]

Ok, so, I had some words about the shipped ending with ME3. I have no idea who all here had similar issues, but suffice to say that I felt cheated out of an actual ending, happy or sad. So I was cautiously optimistic about the extended ending DLC that came out last week. I finished it off last night, and I can honestly say that I feel better about the choices you're given. If you want, you can spoilerific whole thing, but suffice to say that while it didn't fix everything, it actually completes the trilogy and gave me a sense of closure.

So, I'm curious what other opinions are, since I know several here were as excited as I was about ME3.

[Myk JL 1,731]

Spoiler Endings on G4TV

http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/725324/mass-effect-3-extended-ending-videos-all-four-new-endings/

Overall though I lost interest in buying ME3 not because of ending controversy but because.

1. I wasn't excited about the day 1 DLC. I'd rather that came on disc like PS3's version of ME2 did.
   
2. I couldn't own ME1 for PS3 so I didn't feel like I was part of their overall outrage.
   
3. I wanted to save everyone from the Reapers as a member of Cerberus. But yeah.... They ruined "my story"....
   
4. I wanted all squad members to be available from the previous games. But they weren't really.
   
5. I wanted my actions in killing Vido Santiago to have an impact in ME3. They don't.
   
6. I wanted to expose the alliance for what was in the Graybox. You can't, but it is brought up.
   
7. I'm annoyed that the Rachni were evil again making saving their queen option near pointless.
   
8. I wanted to believe that Quarians didn't look human. But they do. Kind of ruining the relationship I felt for Tali.
   
9. I was never ever going to feel like I was Commander Sheppard since I couldn't be a long haired guy with thick facial hair.
   

At this point in time Mass Effect for me is only good for any wiki references I may want to know for the fanfic I'm not working on.

But if they ever do make a Mass Effect 4 I hope they go for the Destroy ending. Since it seems like there may still seem to be some conflict out there. And Blue & Green endings sound too happy for controversy to happen anytime soon or ever.

That & I want the option to play as a non human race. I'd like to be a Krogan, Turian, Batarian, or Salarian. (Especially after hearing Mordin Solus sing.)

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

I watched them all, and aside from the Control ending. I dont think they added very much... nor did they need to. I was fine with the original endings... closure enough for me. I found it kinda sad people were so outraged, and felt entitled to an end in which was the way they thought it should have ended. Maybe because thats the way I saw it was going to end before it ended? I felt that outcome coming? I dunno.

I will admit the other two endings lost their luster after the first time I beat it, seeing as the only difference was the color of the explosion, and some circuitry in leaves and faces. But whatever. Shep sacrificed himself to save the universe and destroyed the mass relay system.

The true beauty in the game is how different it played out based on choices you made all the way back in the first game. I made every renegade choice possible, and my story went completely different (and oddly more fulfilling) than a friend that played paragon.

One of the major instances was the fact that he lost Wrex and Miranda, while I only lost Ashley... whom you are forced to lose unless you pick her over Alenko. So his Krogan mission played differently. Also he rewrote the Geth Heretics in ME2, while I wiped them out... My Quarian/Geth mission ended with them working together in harmony to rebuild the home world, while my friend lost the Quarian fleet because Legion couldn't upload the code in time. He chose to restart and go back to save them, eliminating the Geth.

[Strider Hiryu 2,704]

Honestly the new endings were a waste of time on Bioware's part. I'm with DX, I felt the original endings gave enough closure and didn't need to be retold because a few fans got all butt hurt because it didn't end the way they wanted it to. Quite honestly there should of only been one ending to begin with, to destroy the Reapers.

I went into this game knowing my mission was to destroy the Reapers, that's what ME1 set up and ME2 capitalized on with the Arrival DLC so the only ending I was choosing was the Destroy ending. Having multiple endings, imo, was a waste of time and resources on Bioware's part to begin with (resources they could of used to make TOR a much better game then it is (that's for another time though)).

I did watch all the endings though and none of them really changed any from the originals outside of the stills and explanations of how life would go on from there on out (the refusal ending was retarded btw, why they added that I'll never know) depending on your choice in the end. Quite frankly the gameplay of this one plus the overall story for getting to the end are what intrigued me since in my book there was only one way this game was supposed to end

(not with a godlike Shepard, a pussy ass Shepard unwilling to make the choice/sacrifice, or the "hey lets make everyone a part human, part synthetic hybrid and make them think this is ok with no explanation" douche Shepard)

I'm just saddened that Bioware didn't stick to the original ending and caved in to fan whining. They should be proud of what they made and stick by their guns, not change it because some of their consumers didn't get what they wanted.

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

I went into this game knowing my mission was to destroy the Reapers, that's what ME1 set up and ME2 capitalized on with the Arrival DLC so the only ending I was choosing was the Destroy ending.

This

[Dubird 6,815]

For me, it wasn't

that Shepard dies and you don't get a happy ending. It's just that, aside from gaping plot holes, the ending was so vague and implied that you end up destroying the entire universe. That was a bummer for me.

And they stated several times they didn't change the endings. All this DLC did was fill in plot holes and gaps in their logic. That was originally why I hated the Starchild; it made no sense. And now, I still think it was a deus ex machina, at least they let you find out what the logic behind it was. I think it was flawed logic based on what can happen when you play, but it did actually make sense.

What did you think of the new fourth ending?

[Myk JL 1,731]

What did you think of the new fourth ending?

I think I achieved the same ending by not playing it.... /sarcasm.... But honestly it made no sense.

Boy: Destroying us is one of your options here.

Shepard: No I refuse to play your game even if I am here to destroy you.

It just comes off as bizarre. Like a fat guy running to a gym to say he refuses to exercise.

[Dubird 6,815]

Man, I can't do any of this one without the spoiler tag.

Well, part of the issue with teh Destory option is you end up commiting genocide. Not against the Reapers, but against the Geth. And kill EDI. And, there were a lot of people complaining that none of the options, with their view of Shepard, was in Shepard's character to pick. So that was Bioware saying "Ok, yes, you can choose not to do any of them and here's what happens." I know a lot of people were pissed of by it, but I considered it to be a valid ending. By not going with the choices the Starchild gives you as it's passing the control of the cycle to you, the cycle continues. The Reapers win. That makes perfect sense, and while it's not an option I would ever choose for my Shepard, because she did come here to destroy the Reapers and put the future of the universe into the hands of those living it, it's still a valid option.

[Strider Hiryu 2,704]

I like how Myk summed that up.

Honestly the refuse ending was stupid, you go through that entirety of ME3 loosing friends and allies only to tell the Starchild that "Hey your choices are retarded. I didn't sacrifice my friends just to kill off hard won friends and EDI or to control you pathetic excuses for life so I'm not going to do anything. Go ahead and destroy everything I fought for because I just like wasting my time and energy in helpless pursuits in futility." Honestly BioWare should of just walked into each one of our houses and slapped us instead of giving us that option. Then again what do you expect for free DLC that was made to placate the masses.

This is exactly why I said the original endings were fine as they were. Sure there were plot holes but I just figured they'd fill them in and fix them in the next ME game.

[Dubird 6,815]

See, I didn't see it that way. It was more like Bioware saying "Ok, yeah, that could be an option but we didn't put it in because it means you LOSE THE GAME. But if you really want proof, here you go."

And the new DLC doesn't change the endings, just expands on them and gives you some of the logic behind it. That was my biggest problem before was that the Starchild just came right the fuck out of nowhere and made no sense in the context of the game world. Now that they've extended the dialogue and you can actually talk to it, I get why it was there and why the ending choices are the way they are. While I can't say I'm happy with the choices *dammit, i wanted my Shepard and Garrius to settle down together! *, I am satsified with it. The DLC fills in holes and gives a better sense of completion to the series as a whole.

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

I don't think anyone was entitled to a happy ending... the Destroy ending should have been the only ending. The funny part is that it kinda sucks if you saved the Geth and had them living in harmony with the Quarians... but some friends I knew had no choice but to kill the geth to save Tali and her people.. so the different endings make sense in that aspect.. but for so many different outcomes, BioWare kinda wrote themselves into a corner where certain outcomes wouldn't match the ending's choices smoothly. Even then... by the time I made it to the end, the Geth had already helped the Quarians accelerate the process of rebuilding their planet... The Synthetic ending was the dumbest... EDI was still a robot with more circuits on her face... Joker still had the brittle bone disease walk, and Tali still had to wear a mask.... so in that sense the extended ending even made it more stupid.

[Dubird 6,815]

And I still think the Starchild idea was rather stupid. Even with the DLC. In my opinion, the proper ending was Shepard actviating the Crucible, sitting down next to Anderson, and then cutscenes showing what happens next with the destruction of the Reapers. And how well you prepared with the choices you made determines the outcome of various species. In fact, I think it would have been more interesting to have the Crucible still missing something and only disabling the Reapers, so if you didn't build up your army enough, you can't destory them before they recover and you'll still lose. So, incentive to gather as many assets as possible. And with that, it would be possible to rescue Shepard before she dies, but still not likely.

The Destroy option is the only one that makes sense to me. That was what the games are building towards, that is what Shepard came to do, and that seems like the best way to break the cycle. Even with knowing the logic behind it, it's still the only viable option for me.