Mass Effect 3 came out today in North America, anyone getting it?
I pre-ordered the Collector's Edition and was pleasantly surprised to find it delivered already. It's mostly in game extras and a couple physical items like a comic and art book. It's funny though, they're really small books. Looked at a few pages of the art book then realized I should probably finish the game first, definitely spoilers in it.
I'll have more to say once I've played the game for a while.
Probably won't be getting much skinning done.
I picked it up for Xbox 360. Now I'll have to split my play time between ME3 and Skyrim (currently lvl 26). Good thing Spring Break is coming soon!
Picked it up this morning, though I haven't been able to play much yet. Good stuff!
I really wanted the CE so I waited until the last minute and ordered it from amazon. I should be getting it by next week.
@Tortuga - How many hours have you put in the game? So far I did 86 hours and haven't completed it yet
I'll have to wait for the PC version.
I... will get around to it on PC. I have not finished 1 or 2 yet. Maybe I'm not a space sci-fi guy (not big on Starwars or Star Trek) and also the first few hours of the first mass effect are kind of boring.
I'll get it once I've made sure that there isn't an online activiation required...and if there is I'll let time pass to allow someone to find a way to crack it before buying it.
The PC version at least must be run through Origin, so that's you activation equivilant. In addition, I was read a review that indicated that it's basically a pay-to-win game. You can, in theory, get the best ending playing single player, but that requires playing through all 3 games, doing ALL the available optional stuff, making the "correct" decisions in all of them, and having a high enough paragon/renegade score. For most people, having any chance of getting a positive ending involves playing the multiplayer mode and the reviewer said doing well in that practially required buying additional weapons and such to aid your multiplayer character.
So if this review is accurate--yeah, that kills most of my interest.
Quote from: catwhowalksbyhimself on March 07, 2012, 10:03:41 PM
The PC version at least must be run through Origin, so that's you activation equivilant. In addition, I was read a review that indicated that it's basically a pay-to-win game. You can, in theory, get the best ending playing single player, but that requires playing through all 3 games, doing ALL the available optional stuff, making the "correct" decisions in all of them, and having a high enough paragon/renegade score. For most people, having any chance of getting a positive ending involves playing the multiplayer mode and the reviewer said doing well in that practially required buying additional weapons and such to aid your multiplayer character.
So if this review is accurate--yeah, that kills most of my interest.
There are 16 different endings to the game. Those endings fall into two distinct categories depending on a key decision from the second game.
Spoiler
That decision is rather or not you saved or destroyed The Collector base
The rest is determined via the "war readiness rating" which is determined by various missions and side quests. That rating can be increased via multiplayer and other side games that have been put out.
I've not played the game yet. Due to an issue with the distributor, I will not be getting my game until Friday (hopefully on Friday). Thus, I am not familiar with how much of the main game with the side quests affect the war readiness rating. However, I have seen a list of the endings.
There are some curious things about the list of ending I have seen.
Spoiler
1) The highest number of war readiness doesn't necessarily get you the best ending it appears based on the description.
Spoiler
Unless letting Anderson die is somehow a good thing
2) There is a huge point gap between the ending at 2800 and the endings at 4000 and 5000 (the 4000 and 5000 endings being the ones I alluded to in #1). I would guess that the 2800 points might be the max amount obtainable via the main game. If that is the case then it seems to be possible to get most of the "good" and "bad" endings.
Spoiler
The "Readiness Rating" breakdowns for endings are less than 1750, 1750 , 1900, 2050, 2350, 2650, 2800, 4000, 5000
3) If you are starting a new game and not an imported one from ME2 then your possible endings are limited to eight.
4) For a list of the endings go here justpushstart.com/2012/03/mass-effect-3-endings-guide/ I won't link it since it is highly spoilery
Quote from: lugaru on March 07, 2012, 04:06:01 PM
I... will get around to it on PC. I have not finished 1 or 2 yet. Maybe I'm not a space sci-fi guy (not big on Starwars or Star Trek) and also the first few hours of the first mass effect are kind of boring.
That's the only problem with this game. The first hour is boring, but if you can get pass that the game picks up.
It should be noted that doing multiplayer stuff does not increase the rating, it multiplies it, up to double. So yeah, it makes a huge difference.
Really enjoying the game so far. I love the roles and jumps they added to the combat.
One thing that bugged me about ME2:
Spoiler
Shepard can fix his face...but why can't his lizard buddy do the same?
Quote from: thalaw2 on March 09, 2012, 05:20:33 AM
One thing that bugged me about ME2:
Spoiler
Shepard can fix his face...but why can't his lizard buddy do the same?
I assume you mean Garis?
Spoiler
I thought they addressed it in ME2, but they do have a brief dialogue about the scars and why he still has them in ME3
Quote from: catwhowalksbyhimself on March 08, 2012, 03:01:12 AM
It should be noted that doing multiplayer stuff does not increase the rating, it multiplies it, up to double. So yeah, it makes a huge difference.
There is a lot of confusion about this still. The last clarification that I saw from Bioware, was that there is a threshold that you have to pass to get a "Perfect Ending" (whatever that entails as I am avoiding all end spoilers). That threshold can be reached by playing the single player only and collecting more war assets (side quests, exploration etc...) or by using the added multipliers that multiplayer can give you (ie multiplayer + single player campaign). At a certain point raising your rating wont have any more effect on the endings, so its really just designed as a way to balance it so that people who favor multiplayer vs. people who favor single player can equally get to the endpoint without having to do the other if they don't want to.
But "favor single player" in this case means grinding out what have been described as horrible planet search and retrieve missions worse than that ME 2 minerals thing.
In other words you can do a really boring single player activity, or you can do a fun multiplayer one in which you really need to toss them more money to buy optional gear to really be good at it.
As someone who hates multiplayer, and finds online multiplayer shooting just as repetitive and "grindy" as scanning planets (which to be fair is not AS tedious and much faster/streamlined in ME3), they really are just 2 sides of the same coin. And I've never heard that the multiplayer component is really one of those "toss them more money to buy optional gear" kind of situations. It always seemed that there was some cosmetic/slightly modified items to encourage pre-orders. But none of those things would give you an edge any more than buying some nice piece of hardware you can get during the single player game.
My point was that the two game modes exist and you can get to a desired ending regardless of which part of the game you prefer.
You like multiplayer.
I like grindy RPG.
In either case, regardless how i play it, I know I'm gonna screw up at least one thing and half the galaxy will suffer. Then my commander sheppard will say something smarmy sounding, and all will be right. It the natural order.
I've been reading the rage against Bioware over the ending, and if it's true, then I have no idea what they were thinking. I'll still put this in spoiler tag, but won't spoil anything specific.
Spoiler
Basically, not matter what you do, you essentially lose. Even the best ending involved mass slaughter and destruction and no matter what you do, you can't really defeat the Reapers, at least not without committing mass genocide to do it.
So I'm thinking I'll pass on the game for now. My Shepard did not go through everything he went through for that.
Aparently the average Amazon and Metacritic ratings are between 2 and 3 stars and most of the reviews say about the same thing. It was a fantastic game until toward the end which ruined the series for me so badly I wish had never played it. Yeah.
For those that have the game, does not doing Arrival and Lair of the Shadowbroker affect anything? The reason I ask is I haven't downloaded those becuase of the cost.
Quote from: Deaths Jester on March 12, 2012, 05:22:13 PM
For those that have the game, does not doing Arrival and Lair of the Shadowbroker affect anything? The reason I ask is I haven't downloaded those becuase of the cost.
From what I understand, the answer is yes but in minor ways.
As with a few other elements of the game, certain characters from the DLC from Mass Effect 1 & 2 enable you to get some additional "War Assets" in the game along with other choices you might have made in the previous two games. In addition, those particular two would probably affect the presentation of a few backstory elements. I also believe that a certain character from Arrival will show up if you have not played through that DLC and you have to deal with that character there.
Quote from: catwhowalksbyhimself on March 11, 2012, 10:43:23 PM
I've been reading the rage against Bioware over the ending, and if it's true, then I have no idea what they were thinking. I'll still put this in spoiler tag, but won't spoil anything specific.
Spoiler
Basically, not matter what you do, you essentially lose. Even the best ending involved mass slaughter and destruction and no matter what you do, you can't really defeat the Reapers, at least not without committing mass genocide to do it.
This is not completely true. It is true that at least half of the endings are of that nature. See my earlier post on the endings. I've seen what is termed as the "perfect ending" and its interesting. It's not all "peaches and cream" but it is a "good ending" considering some of the other endings. That said, I understand why so many are ticked off over the endings. Even the perfect one leaves some to be desired.
I finished it this weekend, and as far as the ending go, I get some of the complaints, but I don't get the seemingly irrational freak out. I'm not going to say anything spoilery, but again, people are having such a visceral reaction, I'll put it in the spoiler tags... And it may be a bit long
Spoiler
TONE - People who are complaining about the endings being too dark, seemingly have failed to play the last 2 games. They were very dark and somewhat depressing games. Now I get the idea that people want a "happy" ending after something that runs generally so bleak, but I think an ending like that does a disservice to the tone and story they were telling. So those arguments just don't sit with me. I appreciated where they went and the rather bleak place that it ends at.
STORY/LOGIC - That said, the other complaints about the logic and kind of "out of nowhere" endings I am more inclined to agree with. Again i don't have the vitrol that others do, but I do think the story decisions they made and the way the gameplay reflected it has some problems and doesn't often logically hold together well at all. Its like a really exciting movie that you come out of and then start thinking about and realize whoa... there were some seriously ugly plot holes that they just ignored and glossed over. People who make comparisons to the Matrix are not too off base on some level.
CHOICES - Finally, as for all the complaints about how they ruined the choices you made throughout the game for a bunch of similar endings that nullify all the choices you went with. I'm of two minds on that one. On one hand the game does a good job of applying those choices throughout the game itself (I experienced a complete emotional gutpunch of an outcome on one mission, because of choices i made in the first two games) and these things were reflected leading up to the ending and I think they did a good job. However, The ending does seem to nullify a lot of those and I can understand the backlash form a certain POV. I do however think that it goes along with the tone and general vibe of where the story went. I sort of respect the choice to run with the idea that when you are talking about the fate of the galaxy, your choices affect greatly how you get to the endpoint, but ultimately as one man, those choices don't really mean anything on that scale. Is that what they intended it to mean? Dont know. Did they execute it poorly and sloppy in some sense? Yes. Does it feel a bit edited and half baked? Sure. Did it cause me to throw my controller and curse the waste of time it has been? Not at all.
The series as a whole has been an amazing ride for me, and while they didn't stick the landing per se, I still admire the routine.
People must have a lot of time to play this game... <_< I'm taking my time and enjoying it. :thumbup:
People are taking the ending very seriously. I saw threads pop up about Bioware redoing the end and a whole bunch of stuff. One person even added a "filler" to help explain the ending better. It does contain spoilers, so read st your own risk: http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/355/index/9833130/1
Quote from: catwhowalksbyhimself on March 09, 2012, 01:54:38 PM
But "favor single player" in this case means grinding out what have been described as horrible planet search and retrieve missions worse than that ME 2 minerals thing.
In other words you can do a really boring single player activity, or you can do a fun multiplayer one in which you really need to toss them more money to buy optional gear to really be good at it.
Both patently untrue. The system scanning for search and retrieve missions is much, much, much less tedious than the ME2 minerals thing (speaking as someone who did way too much of both).
You don't need to spend anything on optional gear to be good at multiplayer. The alternate weapons for the most part are just different in some way, not outright better than the default stuff.
Now my thoughts on the ending. I can't say I'm not a little disappointed. It's a big ending, with some flaws, and it definitely left me thinking. Spoilers follow:
Spoiler
To those who want to know, there are basically 3 major endings, altered in various minor ways by your choices and actions up to that point (and supposedly some of the 3 aren't even available if your score going in to the endgame is too low). You can choose to sacrifice yourself and control the Reapers, destroy the reapers along with all other synthetic life in the galaxy, or sacrifice yourself and create a synthesis of synthetic and organic life. None are terribly happy, though the synthesis option seems to be the happiest - the reapers depart, and I was treated to a shot of Joker, EDI and Liara (my 2 squadmates at the end) alive and stepping out onto a world after the Normandy has crashed.
What I think upsets a lot of people (beyond Shepard almost certainly dying at the end, though apparently with a chance of living if reapers & all synthetics are destroyed) is that Bioware basically burns down the setting created over 3 games on their way out the door. Not only is almost every major planet in ruins, and millions have died, but they also blow up the Mass Relays and the Citadel. If there are more games in the setting they'll either have to be prequels of some sort or set in a setting so altered as to be only casually similar. It seems unnecessary.
I think the game ending it most reminds me of is Planescape: Torment. In that game, even the 'best' ending wasn't terribly happy, and deciding what was best was pretty much open to interpretation. Mass Effect 3 is something like that, which is pretty rarified company to keep.
Has anybody tried Multiplayer yet? Let me tell you that it is so much fun. I went in as a lvl 2 soldier and when I finish playing I was lvl 11. It was really fun!
Quote from: JeyNyce on March 14, 2012, 03:19:51 AM
Has anybody tried Multiplayer yet? Let me tell you that it is so much fun. I went in as a lvl 2 soldier and when I finish playing I was lvl 11. It was really fun!
Definitely been playing the multiplayer. I wouldn't mind more people to play multiplayer with though who I know (or sorta know).
Quote from: Mr. Hamrick on March 14, 2012, 04:41:28 AM
Quote from: JeyNyce on March 14, 2012, 03:19:51 AM
Has anybody tried Multiplayer yet? Let me tell you that it is so much fun. I went in as a lvl 2 soldier and when I finish playing I was lvl 11. It was really fun!
Definitely been playing the multiplayer. I wouldn't mind more people to play multiplayer with though who I know (or sorta know).
Well Mr. Hamrick, you can find me on Origin as JeyNyce, so look me up. That goes for the rest of you too. Maybe we can get a group going for MP and work towards getting a good ending.
Quote from: JeyNyce on March 14, 2012, 02:51:53 PM
Quote from: Mr. Hamrick on March 14, 2012, 04:41:28 AM
Quote from: JeyNyce on March 14, 2012, 03:19:51 AM
Has anybody tried Multiplayer yet? Let me tell you that it is so much fun. I went in as a lvl 2 soldier and when I finish playing I was lvl 11. It was really fun!
Definitely been playing the multiplayer. I wouldn't mind more people to play multiplayer with though who I know (or sorta know).
Well Mr. Hamrick, you can find me on Origin as JeyNyce, so look me up. That goes for the rest of you too. Maybe we can get a group going for MP and work towards getting a good ending.
We are one one another's friends list on Xbox 360 which is what I have the game for. I do not have a PC or PS3 and not sure what Origin is.
Well I have played and beaten this game and it has made me sad. The 16 supposed endings are basically just a variation of 3. I sort of blame the script leak for this type of thing due to the restructuring of the game. The game was 99% awesome and then just emptiness for me.
Quote from: Talavar on March 13, 2012, 04:36:52 PM
Quote from: catwhowalksbyhimself on March 09, 2012, 01:54:38 PM
But "favor single player" in this case means grinding out what have been described as horrible planet search and retrieve missions worse than that ME 2 minerals thing.
In other words you can do a really boring single player activity, or you can do a fun multiplayer one in which you really need to toss them more money to buy optional gear to really be good at it.
Both patently untrue. The system scanning for search and retrieve missions is much, much, much less tedious than the ME2 minerals thing (speaking as someone who did way too much of both).
You don't need to spend anything on optional gear to be good at multiplayer. The alternate weapons for the most part are just different in some way, not outright better than the default stuff.
Now my thoughts on the ending. I can't say I'm not a little disappointed. It's a big ending, with some flaws, and it definitely left me thinking. Spoilers follow: Spoiler
To those who want to know, there are basically 3 major endings, altered in various minor ways by your choices and actions up to that point (and supposedly some of the 3 aren't even available if your score going in to the endgame is too low). You can choose to sacrifice yourself and control the Reapers, destroy the reapers along with all other synthetic life in the galaxy, or sacrifice yourself and create a synthesis of synthetic and organic life. None are terribly happy, though the synthesis option seems to be the happiest - the reapers depart, and I was treated to a shot of Joker, EDI and Liara (my 2 squadmates at the end) alive and stepping out onto a world after the Normandy has crashed.
What I think upsets a lot of people (beyond Shepard almost certainly dying at the end, though apparently with a chance of living if reapers & all synthetics are destroyed) is that Bioware basically burns down the setting created over 3 games on their way out the door. Not only is almost every major planet in ruins, and millions have died, but they also blow up the Mass Relays and the Citadel. If there are more games in the setting they'll either have to be prequels of some sort or set in a setting so altered as to be only casually similar. It seems unnecessary.
I think the game ending it most reminds me of is Planescape: Torment. In that game, even the 'best' ending wasn't terribly happy, and deciding what was best was pretty much open to interpretation. Mass Effect 3 is something like that, which is pretty rarified company to keep.
Spoiler
The main theory with this ending is that the starchild is Harbinger and this was his attempt to indoctinate Shepard. I had enough War Assets to net the "Breathing" ending for sacrificing all synthetics to kill the Reapers and then having the "stargazer" tell the story of "the Shepard" and then the kid asking for "another story about the Shepard" and then treated to them telling me to buy some DLC
I am so tempted to read the spoilers just in case they save me from a massive disappointment. Through 1 and 2, I as a player, have gone through a lot as Shepard, and to hear that the ending might ruin the entire series really worries me. I don't want to play it and then scream WTF!!! at the end.
I would avoid details and just make up your own mind. If you go in expecting to hate it, you will.
The more Ive had time to reflect and think about it, the more I am actually fine with the ending as a whole on a thematic level (some technical and logic issues notwithstanding).
Penny Arcade's take I think has a very valid take.
You may not agree with all of their points, but they provide a nice counter argument to the haters.
http://penny-arcade.com/report/editorial-article/why-the-ending-of-mass-effect-3-was-satifying-and-worthy-of-the-series-mass
I liked March 16th's Penny Arcade comment for those campaigning for Bioware to change Mass Effect 3's ending, in addition to that editorial. "And it's your birthday Shepard! The krogan baked you a cake!"
I think the main issue with the ending is that leading up to the release of the game bioware was stating there would be quite a few endings based on your choices throughout the 3 games where as with these 3 endings there is little variation and your choices up to the final A, B or C choice do not really affect the outcome.
No, I think the main issue is that the previous two games were leading up to a big final victory against the Reapers with Shepherd saving the galaxy. The fact that Bioware seemingly didn't seem to think of that was just contrary to all expectations.
Quote from: catwhowalksbyhimself on March 17, 2012, 07:55:14 PM
No, I think the main issue is that the previous two games were leading up to a big final victory against the Reapers with Shepherd saving the galaxy. The fact that Bioware seemingly didn't seem to think of that was just contrary to all expectations.
Um.....
Spoiler
in all three endings, that's pretty much what happens. There's no ending where Shepard fails, or the Reapers keep on reaping.
Got into the multiplayer today. Fun but a little frustrating. My LB and RB powers aren't always firing -- so I don't quite have the hang of it. I'd be up for some Xbox teammage sometime (EDTortuga on Xbox Live -- tell me who you if/when you send an invite).
Here's a good article on the ending controversy. Very spoilerific.
http://www.gamefront.com/mass-effect-3-ending-hatred-5-reasons-the-fans-are-right/1/
Here's a video argument with "proof" that is either a whole lot of trying to connect dots that aren't there
OR
Totally mind blowing interpretation of what the endings mean...
You decide.
(Includes most of the end cutscene so its extremely spoilery)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tbghjn7_Byc
As an aside, like it, hate it, dont care... the fact that people got so invested and are so emotionally charged about how the series ended says something about the game.
As far as I'm concerned, that article's all sorts of wrong.
Spoiler
Calling the ending too brief is ridiculous - the game is an extended wrap party from the moment you decide to return to earth. Lengthy dialogue with almost every character in the game is available, hitting major emotional notes. The part aboard the Citadel isn't the entire ending - it's the last 5 minutes. It's Vader throwing the Emperor down a hole, the Ring getting flung into Mount Doom. The post-ending cutscene is short, but I'm glad Bioware resisted the notion of wrapping everything up for all the characters in a neat little package - too many games do this, only to have to undo it for inevitable sequels.
It's shouldn't be confusing. Of course the Illusive man beats you to the Citadel - the Reapers only find out it's important and move it to earth after he tells them so. He's got all the time in the world to get safely ensconced in the Citadel and wait for anyone to show up. Anderson beating Shepard to the main chamber is easily explainable; he's not injured at that point and starts in a different -potentially closer- room, while Shepard looks like death warmed over. As to the Reapers/Catalyst they intend to preserve organic life by destroying advanced civilizations every 50K years. They don't care about specific species (much, the Reapers do preserve them in some form) but that life continues at all, rather than getting permanently wiped out by rogue AI that they believe advanced civilizations are inevitably going to create. It's a cull to keep most of the livestock alive, rather than a complete slaughter that would extinguish life entirely. There's no certainty the Catalyst AI is right however, but it's the only option provided.
The lore errors and plot holes are also mostly wrong. The inferred holocaust is possible, but the author has either forgotten or missed that vessels in Mass Effect have 2 methods of transit. One form of standard, relatively short range, but still Faster than Light travel, and then the Mass Relays for much greater distances. All of the fleets in earth's system at the end aren't trapped there; given time and motivation they could spread at least throughout the local cluster. It still could go quite badly, but the author is misrepresenting it either deliberately or by error. The Normandy's flight is explainable, as is the presence of your squadmates in the final cutscene - during the endgame, Shepard is unconscious at least twice, for indeterminate amounts of time. Other surviving squadmates could easily have been picked back up, and the Normandy have to flee for some unknown reason in that time. Just because something isn't spelled out doesn't make it a plot hole. The one lore error that is real - destroying a Mass Relay is supposed to be destructive enough to devastate the system it is in, so the article got that much right at least.
Thematically, I think the endings fit - you have unity, control and violent opposition as your final choices. Despite what the article states, you don't have to embrace unity to reach the endgame - you can trick, manipulate, barter and try to force support up to that point, and if you don't have enough support going in, some of the final choices may not be available.
Finally, claiming player choice doesn't matter is obviously bunk - you have three choices with very different outcomes. How they're similarly animated graphically doesn't matter - if this was a text adventure, they'd be extremely different.
I don't think Mass Effect 3's ending is perfect by any means, nor even that I'm even satisfied with it, but most of the bellyaching about the ending looks like a smokescreen from entitled fans who really wanted an ending way happier and more trite, with title cards telling how Garrus eventually applied for a home owners' loan, and how Liara and Shepard had seventeen blue children.
Something that occurs to me about the ending and about the whole of Mass Effect 3, perhaps the series. (and I am not sure how I feel about it)
Spoiler
The Reapers are not really the "big bad" per se just the "big bad" in the context of their relation to both the Proetheans and Humanity due to the events of the Mass Effect games. Furthermore, the real "big bad" of Mass Effect 3 is actually created by The Alliance. The "big bad" is The Catalyst, the very "advanced AI/synthetic" that The Reapers feared would be created and wipe out life. This is probably what people are either not getting and are ticked off about or ticked off about because they do get it.
At the beginning of Mass Effect, Saren (a Turian) was on board of Sovereign. Saren was either seemingly viewed by The Reapers as being a member of the "most technologically advanced race" or being used to scout and determine if there was a danger of The Catalyst being discovered and unleashed. Not only did humanity lead the charge to stop them but they actually managed to do the unthinkable (to The Reapers) which was destroy a reaper.
In Mass Effect 2, you have a greedy human (The Illusive Man) wanting to the technological secrets of The Reapers and The Collectors/Proetheans to give "humanity" (or rather himself) an edge on the galatic front. The Reapers, seeing what happened in part 1, now see humans as a bigger threat than The Turians and are targeting them. The Reapers are coming to "harvest" the civilizations that need harvesting. Because of the actions of the first game, humanity is now as high on the list as The Turians. By uniting all the races, just about everyone is put into the targeting zone.
Which leads to Mass Effect 3, The Alliance is in an all out war with The Reapers. They find the plans for The Catalyst/The Crucible which was left behind by The Proetheans that turns out to be the very thing that The Reapers view as "an end to civilization". This notion that The Proetheans were "good guys" and "innocent victims" is kinda shot down by the DLC character Javik. You basically learn that The Proetheans were not a very nice or good race. The Alliance finishes The Crucible which leads to three very hard to swallow choices. To make matters worse, you are going to have to lose something regardless of which choice you make and probably lose more than one thing. You can win but at what cost?
This is clearly not the game that gamers thought they were playing but yet IT WAS and IT WAS FROM THE START. Was the game a warning against/comment on "this topic" or "that topic"? (avoiding the specifics there to avoid potential political discourse) Perhaps. If it was then it was the best kind because you can get lost in the story being told on the surface and in the characters' relationships and completely miss those elements.
It was also the story of Commander Shepherd. (Interesting enough, it seems appropriate that he/she is never addressed by a first name and even the gender is questionable given the epilogue.) By focusing the story on Shepherd and his companions, another more obvious layer (or two) gets added. We learn that Shepherd is viewed as a legendary figure years later. Our choices in the game shaped how that legend might be told and shows us what choices might have gone into making that legend. The people hearing that legend might never know the truth about those events and what led to them to occur but those events would shape things for centuries to come from what we saw in the epilogue.
The same principle applies to Greek mythological stories. To this day, the stories are still told. Where did those stories about the "mythological heroes" really come from? Were they stories that at one point had some sort of basis on a real event? Some of those stories probably did. Essentially, Shepherd became an epic mythological hero to a future generation. We just got to see how. And despite people's claim to the contrary, we did get a choice in the ending and how that mythic story is told.
Was this what gamers were intending to buy into? Probably not. Is that Bioware's fault? Hell, no. It was their story.
Does Bioware "owe" the fans anything? YES! They owe the fans something because that story became the fans' story to just by the fans being allowed to make their own choices. There should be some sort of epilogue detailing a bit more about "key characters" just a tid bit. Enough to give fans the ammo to spin a story or two of their own about the aftermath. Just a tidbit, nothing else.
Okay got a bit wordy there. Probably going to cut and paste that onto a blog somewhere. Just my thoughts.
Oh and if anyone is curious, I have heard a few bits DLC rumored for the game.
Spoiler
, a geth infiltrator, a Krogan Battlemage, a Batarian Soldier and Sentinel, and an Asari Justicar all as playable characters in multiplayer. Dangit, I want a KRELL INFILTRATOR!
There is also some sort of rumbling about a male Quarian character but not sure if that was related to multiplay or for the game.
Ways to get the best possible ending:
http://www.gamespot.com/mass-effect/videos/war-assets-plus-multiplayer-equals-best-ending-me3-spoilers-6366681/
The problem is the "Best possible ending" isn't too much different than the other endings. I would love if there were more variations. An ending where you fail and an ending where you achieve the ultimate victory and endings inbetween. So far the only thing that makes sense is a fan theory
Spoiler
That you are indoctinated and choosing the "red" ending is the only ending that Shepard breaks it.
The problem with that theory...
Spoiler
meaning indoctrination, is the end-game cutscenes. If after you made your choice you saw the Reapers reaping, and Shepard in an indoctrinated haze, sure. But the cutscenes don't show that. We're seeing things omnisciently at that point, things Shepard isn't aware of, and that aren't from her point of view (yes, her - anyone who played male Shepard already lost, because they had to listen to a way crappier voice actor for 3 games).
Eeek! With all this talk about the ending should I even bother buying the PC version when it comes out? Maybe Bioware will add some special PC endings (and I don't mean Politically Correct)
Finished the game this weekend. It's a great game, I had a blast playing through it.
I didn't hate the ending, but I didn't love it either. It was just there for me.
I do believe the PC version is already out. It dropped at the same time as the other versions. So no special changes.
Awesome! If all this talk about the ending dies down when i make it to a country that sells the game then I'll happily buy it...if not then I'll grudgingly buy it. :angry: I don't see any problem with the ending really. I have fun going to 50 hours of gameplay which lasts me at least a couple of months given my schedule...it's worth every penny.
You know what I really want to see as a DLC? Getting the chance to play as a Volus. It would be freaking hilarious to wander around as a fat, squat suit wearer. Or even better...a Hanar!! Jelly fish unite!!!
Hanar would be cool! I love those guys.
Did you find the Blasto poster on the citadel, that was pretty hilarious.
Also it sounds like from their twitter they will not change the ending. I hope that there will be DLC that happens after the ending. Left too many questions than answers. Also my problem with the ending has more to do with how Bioware sold the ending before launch and what it actually is. Besides a few headscratching moments if they wouldnt have said that "all your major previous descisions matter" and other things like that it wouldn't have been so bad.
I haven't finish the game yet, but I listen to the latest PC Gamer podcast and they made some very good points.
WARNING: The podcast contain MAJOR spoilers, so if you haven't finish the game don't listen to it.
http://dl.pcgamer.com/PCGP_310_20120322.mp3
All I can say is like Dragonage 2 (didn't buy any DLC) unless they really pull through some amazing DLC I am done spending money on this franchise. The more I think about the ending the more it makes me sad.
Spoiler
I hope the indoctrination theory is true because based on their own codexes and DLC if you destroy a mass relay it takes out the whole star system like in the Arrival DLC. We basically decimated the universe with every end with a few scattered systems that were far enough away from mass relays to survive.
Quote from: JeyNyce on March 25, 2012, 01:27:49 PM
I haven't finish the game yet, but I listen to the latest PC Gamer podcast and they made some very good points.
WARNING: The podcast contain MAJOR spoilers, so if you haven't finish the game don't listen to it.
http://dl.pcgamer.com/PCGP_310_20120322.mp3
they have some points but the thing is Bioware said we would have over 16 endings before the game launched. My personal hope was that they had endings where you fail spectacularly and ending where you can actually win.
I beat the game over the weekend and enjoyed the ending. Yes, there's a lot of holes in the story, but I think it was meant to be that way for them to continue the Mass Effect Universe. I can easily see how they can now turn the series into an MMO or a bunch of other games in the ME universe.
I have to play the game again because:
Spoiler
I chose to merge humans and synthetics together. In the end my Shepard died. After I finished the game a took it all in, I decided to go on youtube and look for different possible endings and ran into this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKDrEJeuHTE&feature=related I believe I have over 5K War Assets, so now I just have to destroy the Reapers.
Alrighty...is the "From the Ashes" DLC even worth getting? I mean, getting a few different looks for my squad and a Prothean on the squad doesn't sound like much but the idea of going to Eden prime once more does seem like fun. Anyone played it...is it worth buying the collector's edition for?
Quote from: Deaths Jester on April 02, 2012, 05:57:55 PM
Alrighty...is the "From the Ashes" DLC even worth getting? I mean, getting a few different looks for my squad and a Prothean on the squad doesn't sound like much but the idea of going to Eden prime once more does seem like fun. Anyone played it...is it worth buying the collector's edition for?
Honestly, not really. I bought the Collector's Edition and was rather disappointed in the end. On the bright side, you are given a LOT of backstory about the Proetheans for better or worse. And some of the other "collector edition" stuff isn't bad but none of it is that great. The art book is kinda interesting actually but most of the images have made it on to the web.
The Proethean character, Javik, is not a bad squad member but he sucks as a character. He is easily one of the most UNLIKEABLE characters in the Mass Effect series (for me at least). The Eden Prime mission isn't "all that" either. It's one relatively small area compared to your trip to Eden Prime in Mass Effect 1.
Quote from: Mr. Hamrick on April 02, 2012, 08:16:32 PM
Quote from: Deaths Jester on April 02, 2012, 05:57:55 PM
Alrighty...is the "From the Ashes" DLC even worth getting? I mean, getting a few different looks for my squad and a Prothean on the squad doesn't sound like much but the idea of going to Eden prime once more does seem like fun. Anyone played it...is it worth buying the collector's edition for?
Honestly, not really. I bought the Collector's Edition and was rather disappointed in the end. On the bright side, you are given a LOT of backstory about the Proetheans for better or worse. And some of the other "collector edition" stuff isn't bad but none of it is that great. The art book is kinda interesting actually but most of the images have made it on to the web.
The Proethean character, Javik, is not a bad squad member but he sucks as a character. He is easily one of the most UNLIKEABLE characters in the Mass Effect series (for me at least). The Eden Prime mission isn't "all that" either. It's one relatively small area compared to your trip to Eden Prime in Mass Effect 1.
He's not needed to complete the game, but with his background story, it make the game feel more complete.
I got the collectors edition. My favorite part of the Mass Effect games is the character interaction and Javik gives you almost as much of that as the other squad mates (he's much more integrated into the game than Zaeed and Kasumi). You get one decent mission, a new character, a fair bit of a additional dialogue and backstory, and new character skins. It's a good pack but is it worth the price? I'd lean on no.
My Collectors Edition was $5 off so it all worked out pretty good.
Well, just got the game a tried to load it but unhappily my DVD drive decided that it didn't like me3 and instead died. So now I've got a new DVD drive to instal and then we'll see what happens. Hopefully, I don't need an Internet connection to activate the cd or such cause then I'd kill those bastards at ea! Or find another bloody hack or such...hope that paying $60 wasn't just for two useless CDs.
You will need an internet connection to activate it because it uses origin (EA version of steam) I didn't even use the DVDs. I just put the code in origin and the game downloaded from EA servers.
Quote from: JeyNyce on April 04, 2012, 12:24:21 AM
You will need an internet connection to activate it because it uses origin (EA version of steam) I didn't even use the DVDs. I just put the code in origin and the game downloaded from EA servers.
ARGH!!! PUNY EA GAMES, DJ SMASH!!!
Why the 'ell do they even send out discs then? Bloody pisses me off...guess I'll be digging up more hacks then.....rrrr...
An Extended Ending DLC (http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/324/index/11028404&lf=8) has been announced. Supposedly it will be new cinematics and epilogue scenes and it's free. Supposed to come out this summer.
They said it won't change the endings, but will explain them better.
Also, there's a free multiplayer DLC introducing a bunch of maps and playable characters.
Finished ME3 today. Huzzah! That was an epic ending to a whole lot of gaming hours over the last few years.
Gah!!! Wish I could find a hack that would allow me to load the game I bought without having to have a full-time internet conenction...but no luck...nobody seems to have found a way to hack the retail version...so I'm missin gout bing time on all the fun....rrrrrr.....