Ending Discussion Thread - All other threads will be deleted!

[The Pants Party]

I am completely sick of threads on the ending of this game. Discuss it here. Only. Or die.

[I mak3 big boom]

Did you delete the ones that were already made or just close them...or neither?

Anyway I think the ending is alright besides the magical space child, the fact that the normandy is near a mass relay at the end, and the fact it doesn't really tell me what happens afterwards.

[jedijaxpavan]

I thought it was confusing at first. I went back and thought about the key elements of the other games. The "overpowering your own indoctrination" thing makes sense.
I say everyone has their own opinion and that's what it is. I destroyed the reapers and was still alive.
I don't know what to make of the old man and boy though.

I think the boy was the reapers trying to get a leg up on Shepard and turn her to the "dark side" so to speak.

[TheLifeAfter]

Originally Posted by The Pants Party

I am completely sick of threads on the ending of this game. Discuss it here. Only. Or die.

THANK YOU.
Christ.
Tired of wading through page after page trying to find something else.

[adz5000]

This is a a very good idea.

My thoughts on the ending and what will be next are all below.

After watching this video

Mass Effect 3 Ending Mysteries - YouTube

Mass Effect 3 Ending Mysteries - YouTube

And this (more expansive) video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=Us4pkLy-PYk)

I can honestly see a DLC being released which begins after you are hit by Harbinger's beam and that everything from that point on in the real game was purely a dream.

An interesting Youtube comment.
"I've been making a list and so far I have over 25 reasons why the indoctrination theory is true. There's just way too much evidence for it not to be true. Bioware is too good at the writing process in order to make all these mistakes, it had to be intentional. They are planning something, and when it happens I think it'll be revolutionary." (A comment from YouTube)

I think he is spot on with what I have highlighted in bold.

IN CONCLUSION

I believe that everything which happened after the beam hit from Harbinger was a dream/hallucination and the scene where Shepard takes a breath (under CONCRETE rubble) is him waking up on earth after the dream in the same place as he was when Harbinger attacked the squad trying to enter the conduit.

I think that the true ending wil be revealed in "The Truth" DLC which has been hinted at in various threads across the web. It is also specualted that this will most likely be free to all players with an active Online Pass.

In my opinion this is the only theory which adds up, and as the guy who posted the youtube comment said, Bioware are too good at their writing (as shown in ME1&2) to produce so many plot holes at the climax of their epic trilogy.

EDIT: Link to thread related to "The Truth" DLC. (http://www.xbox360achievements.org/f...ighlight=truth)

EDIT2: Link to GameFront article about "The Truth" (http://www.gamefront.com/rumor-mass-...h-due-in-april)

[binkyspankums]

i just want to know what makes all these people so damn sure that bioware isn't planning some fantastic endgame dlc. Everyone is so quick to just completely discard Bioware now, but if they do release dlc with an ending that answers all the questions from previous mass effect games, then they will be praising them again. The turth is, no one knows what they are planning and no one knows what they are thinking, so just be patient. Until they announce something concrete about the ending I will hold fast my faith in Bioware.

[Vindicator51]

I would take the Truth with a pinch of salt untill there are concrete proof.

Anyways, here's what's happening on the inside currently.

http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/to...index/10084349

[MrStabby1981]

Ive found a couple of more bits supporting indoctronation. James said a couple of times "Can you hear that hum?" A humming noise is one of the first signs of indoctronation.

Secondly somone pointed out the little kid can be seen going into a building just before a reaper blows it up. I havent confirmed this one yet.

Good video explaining

Mass Effect 3 - Shepard's Indoctrination - YouTube

Mass Effect 3 - Shepard's Indoctrination - YouTube

[swamptastic]

Only problems with giving us the "real" ending through DLC are the people who don't have internet connections - which continues to increase with the worldwide recession - and the point in that recent Game Informer article about the people who might want to play this game in its entirety some time in the future. They will need not only the discs but a system with the ending downloaded. Still, I'm in the wait-and-see camp.

[FSK BigHurt]

Originally Posted by binkyspankums

i just want to know what makes all these people so damn sure that bioware isn't planning some fantastic endgame dlc. Everyone is so quick to just completely discard Bioware now, but if they do release dlc with an ending that answers all the questions from previous mass effect games, then they will be praising them again. The turth is, no one knows what they are planning and no one knows what they are thinking, so just be patient. Until they announce something concrete about the ending I will hold fast my faith in Bioware.

If they were such douches as they made a "real" ending out to be DLC, I hope they get a lot more grief that they have now. Because that's just plain wrong, as ME3 was supposed to be the last chapter, and if they intended more content, for Gods sake end with a "to be continued" or something! And not "Shepard is now a legend, please buy our crappy MP DLC, although ME is a SP game, derp".

BioWare is not off the hook just by releasing DLC, unless it's free DLC ofc, as I already paid 800NOK (approx $140) to get the N7 edition.

I could accept "ending DLC" if BioWare at least hinted to it in the end, but what we have now are people grasping at straws, over analyzing the hell out of the game, making it up to be something more than it ever was.

[DEG23]

i just finished SP and i actually like the ending. To me it's a well constructed Sci Fi ending, that, rather than give you absolute closure, leaves you pondering, not only the trilogy but themes and ideas beyond. I completely understand why many aren't happy, and i would have liked to see some of the aftermath from different character's perspectives but from the beginning, i knew it wasn't going to be a "happy" ending and i'm still holding on hope from the very last scene that my Shepard is still alive.

As for the rumours of DLC endings, if true, i hope it simply fills in some of the plot holes rather than give an alternate ending.

[Kl1n3]

After watching the above video, my concerns about the cut and paste cut-scenes w/o any real closure on your comrades and yourself/universe are somewhat calmed. I do hope he's right (video) and there is a DLC, if not... that sucks.

[13ip0lar]

I just wanna say I'm sick of all the ending videos, because half of the people making them don't even have their Mass Effect facts in order. People are like how in the hell did the Normandy outrun the shockwave at the end if the Mass relays blew up? Remember the part at the end of ME2 where you take the Omega 4 Relay to the Collector base? At the end of the suicide mission they "jump" away out of the Collector base without the aid of a Mass Relay. I'm not saying I'm the authority on fucking ME facts, but it seems pretty obvious the ship contains a drive in which some form of FTL travel is possible. How long it can be maintained or how far it goes is another story entirely but it seems pretty fucking obvious as per usual people are fucking retards and like to bitch about anything, even when they clearly know nothing about the subject matter.

Sorry my rage for people just bubbles over sometimes.

[swamptastic]

Originally Posted by DEG23

i just finished SP and i actually like the ending. To me it's a well constructed Sci Fi ending, that, rather than give you absolute closure, leaves you pondering, not only the trilogy but themes and ideas beyond. I completely understand why many aren't happy, and i would have liked to see some of the aftermath from different character's perspectives but from the beginning, i knew it wasn't going to be a "happy" ending and i'm still holding on hope from the very last scene that my Shepard is still alive.

As for the rumours of DLC endings, if true, i hope it simply fills in some of the plot holes rather than give an alternate ending.

An end should be an end. Closure can occur while still leaving room to ponder. The big problem with the end is the plot holes. So suddenly we can blow up mass relays? And yes, the Normandy has an FTL drive of some sort. Explains how the Normandy is jumping away. Still makes no sense when people who were with you moments before on Earth appear in the final scene. It's plain sloppy. To say nothing of the fact you're not even capable of earning an ending where you can stop the Reapers while leaving EDI and the Geth alive. Did these writers not play their own games? We've tried the whole time to prove the Catalyst's ideas wrong! And when we stand in front of it we don't argue? We don't call bullshit on the idea synthetics will always destroy organics? Especially in light of what happens between the Quarians and the Geth if you choose to save them?

I'm not saying this justifies a new ending. But it's far from this open-ended clever masterpiece everyone's talking about. I'm not even sure I'd want a new ending. If we want people to accept games as art we have to accept what the artists who make them do. Besides, if they wrote an ending this poor I'm not sure they could do better given a second chance.

[Valdimier]

Originally Posted by DEG23

i just finished SP and i actually like the ending. To me it's a well constructed Sci Fi ending, that, rather than give you absolute closure, leaves you pondering, not only the trilogy but themes and ideas beyond. I completely understand why many aren't happy, and i would have liked to see some of the aftermath from different character's perspectives but from the beginning, i knew it wasn't going to be a "happy" ending and i'm still holding on hope from the very last scene that my Shepard is still alive.

As for the rumours of DLC endings, if true, i hope it simply fills in some of the plot holes rather than give an alternate ending.

I don't think they need to alternate the ending at all. Just expanding.

[xTGMx INF3RNO]

This should of been done from the start lol.

[Baihu1983]

The dark energy story was better so well done all those people that bitched when it was leaked because Bioware canned it and rushed this crap.

[L3G1T H4MST3R]

If the Indoctrination Theory is true then Mass Effect 3 could have one of the best endings ever but I highly doubt that Bioware were that deep in the story. Also what happened in the leaked ending, I never read what happened.

[Baihu1983]

I belive Destroy simply killed all reapers in the original ending

[DarqStalker]

I think the ending(s) was/are just fine. Not quite sure what everyone wants or is expecting? Before the ending, did you listen to the child and his 3 choices? Those explain what the hell is going to happen. Destroy the reapers, control the reapers, synthesis organics with synthetics. Each choice goes with their own pros and cons too. I don't recall all the little details of each, and I do wish they would of gave a confirmation before picking what you wanted before you did it, along with a summary of what your choice was going to be.

And for those wondering about the Stargazer and the child at the end? I thought it was obvious. They are both many years (possibly 100s or 1000s of years) in the future and the Stargazer is retelling the story and legend of Shepperd to his grandchild.

[Baihu1983]

The problem is the ending completly ignores everything we have found out upto that point and has No closure.

Butchering ME1
If little space kid made the Reapers, why didn't he just open the mass relay to dark space in ME1? Why did he allow Shepard to defeat Sovereign? Why would Sovereign (or any other scout Reaper) be left in the local galaxy when Star Child controls the Citadel? With the evil little guy stationed at the Citadel, there is no reason for the central crisis of ME1 to occur logically. Is ME1 simply an exercise in boredom on the kid's behalf? And why on earth would he allow a major battle to occur in and around the Citadel? Couldn't that conceivably damage the AI structure? Or does space magic protect him?

ME1 = pointless as per ME3 endgame reveal

Butchering ME2
The entire premise of ME2 is dealing with the Collectors. The huskified remains of the Protheans who are being employed by the Reapers to the sinister end of harvesting enough humans to construct a human reaper. Now, let's revisit the entire basis for this game given the endgame reveals in ME3. Well... why in the name of red, green, or even blue space magic is any of this happening? Star Child controls the Reapers? Why go through this elaborate plan when he also controls the Citadel? The same question that overshadows ME1 can be applied to ME2: why doesn't Star Child just open the relay to the Reapers and bring 'em in?

ME2 = pointless as per ME3 endgame reveal

Butchering Arrival DLC
I think you can see where this is going... why use that Batarian system relay to come to the galaxy when Star Child could use the Citadel?

Arrival DLC (and the money we spent on it) = pointless as per ME3 endgame reveal

Unless I am missing something (feel free to chime in), the ME3 conclusions seems to basically render the central conflicts of the entire series relatively illogical.

Bonus Irritation
The mysterious malevolence of the Reapers - the deep questions about WHY they exist, WHERE they came from, HOW they came to be Reapers, WHEN the cycle started, WHO set the cycle in motion... all of them were reduced to "I made them because organics and synthetics can't get along." - Star Child
I wanted to see these things explored, I wanted to dig into the history of the Reapers much like we've learned about all the other ME races. I wanted to be presented with some kind of "humanizing" element, something we could possibly empathize with or understand about why the Reapers do what they do. All of the other conflicts in the ME lore - the Turian/Salarian vs. Krogan, the Rachni, the Quarian/Geth - all of these are so well thought out and the perspectives of all parties are fleshed out. How could the central antagonists of the entire series be reduced to "I made them."?!?!??!?

[Jonesin]

These are all very valid points. Especially the bonus irritation above me...those questions are EXACTLY what I wanted to have answered.....Damn space child ruined it

[elmatto101]

Originally Posted by L3G1T H4MST3R

If the Indoctrination Theory is true then Mass Effect 3 could have one of the best endings ever but I highly doubt that Bioware were that deep in the story. Also what happened in the leaked ending, I never read what happened.

Pulled this off another site;

Drew Karpyshyyn's original draft for ME3's ending which explained the motivations behind the Reapers. They were supposed to be a union of countless alien races with the first-generation Reapers having discovered in the distant past that Dark Energy (which was alluded to in ME2 during Tali's recruitment mission) was threatening the entire galaxy/universe, and so they preserved themselves in Reaper shells and tried to do the same to 'save' other sufficiently advanced races, while attempting to figure out a permanent solution for untold millions of years, although they were unable to find one up to the present.

When this original script got leaked, fan backlash was apparently so bad that they had to rewrite ME3's ending and so we ended up with this instead, and you know the rest.


IMO, slightly better than what we ended up with but still shite!

[Bajan Elite]

Okay why does everyone keep calling it a star child or space child? It is not a child it is the catalyst. It just chose the form of the child Shepard failed to save for some reason. So call it the Catalyst.

All of you complaining about Joker suddenly flying the Normandy away from battle. The battle was over. The Reapers were either being destroyed, taken over or synthesized with organics but doing this resulted in the destruction of the Mass Relays. As any fan of this series has learned from playing the DLC, destruction of the Relays causes them to go Super Nova. So Joker was trying to out run/fly the blast but as we have seen to no avail. As for your squad mates being on the ship, they didn't get there by magic. I'm sure a lot more time passed between Shepard getting knocked out/nearly killed by the Reaper blast to him limping into the beam, being teleported to the Citadel, finally waking up because I doubt he awoke a few seconds after in the shape he was in. Then of course he limped his way to Anderson, then had a lengthy conversation with the Illusive man, a short one with Anderson, then has a conversation with the Catalyst and finally chooses to either control, destroy or synthesize. That is enough time for the Normandy to fly in to pick up your squad mates, especially as Fast and elusive as the Normandy is. As for the Catalyst giving the options to Shepard at the end is because Shepard prove it was wrong about Organics, the fact that he made it that far in the war against the Reapers "its priorities have now changed". Before its priorities were the Reapers have to do what they were doing and Organics had no choice but to submit. It believed that Organics weren't strong enough to escape their fate, that they had no say in deciding their future, yet Shepard prove it wrong based on what he accomplished. So that's why the Catalyst put the fate of the galaxy in Shepard's hands.

That being said, the lack of closure is a problem for me, not a "OMFG This game sucks now Bioware needs to make another ending, I'm never buying another Bioware game again" problem but it did leave me disappointed. I'm not upset over there being no happy ending. Casey Hudson did say Mass Effect 3 was about victory through sacrifice. That's what the endings were, Shepard puts an end to the cycle of the Reapers harvesting and destroying Organic life and saves countless lives from that particular fate. That was the Victory, the sacrifices were Shepard's life and the destruction of the Mass Relays and the results of the Relays being gone. They are pretty much bitter sweet endings instead fairy tale endings that are so common among games and other forms of media. The only real issue I have with the ending is the lack of closure, did my teammates survive then I want to know, did the fleet survive, did they manage to escape the Super Nova. Does someone locate Shepard in time to save him or does he just die alone. These questions could have been answered and Bioware could have still delivered a bitter sweet ending. That is my issue.

[Hansathan]

Not sure what all the hate on the ending is all about. I was accepting of what happened...well, whatever they want me to think happened. A dlc to further explain it (and delve into the consequences of whatever choice you made at the end) would still be welcome, however.

[Baihu1983]

so people are happy with finishing the story via dlc? You dont mind a BS ending that goes against everything the ME series has been about? EA called they said they love you.

[Poisonheadcrab]

Best Renegade Ending:

Rather than sending an entire fleet in towards Earth, Shepard's forces find about a half-dozen asteroids from the system's belt and hurl them towards the Relay, escaping before collision. Bam: Everything in the system is wiped out, including the majority of the Reapers.

[Skeletor]

Originally Posted by Baihu1983

so people are happy with finishing the story via dlc? You dont mind a BS ending that goes against everything the ME series has been about? EA called they said they love you.

Crazy, huh? Damn people with their own opinions and points of view that differ from others

[FSK BigHurt]

Well the crazy thing is if people don't mind buying access to the ending of the game they bought. Hey, I think this might be a game right up your alley, sir, it's called DLC Quest.

DLC Quest

DLC Quest

[MasterSparky]

I loved the ending. No other game has left me thinking as much as this one. After first choosing the middle option I thought about it a bit and realised that the game controlled me.... For good I always choose the top option in speech and the blue colour, when the reaper is controlling you it is trying to make u choose what it wants.. Hense the good being first choice and blue. Because your being controlled its the opposite. I preferred what the game classed as the "renegade" option which to me seemed like the good option in the end. So confused but I love the fact that it makes u think so much, no other game has achieved this!!!!