[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] petarded2[/quote] Pretty much sums up the way I feel. God I hate EA so much. And the next ME (If it still holds value after this.) will probably be a mass market MMO or FPS judging from what happened to the trilogy. It'd be nice to explore the different aspects of the universe from the views of other races or an RTS pitting the galaxy against the reapers from a commanders perspective. Hmm... I need somebody to make a massive ME mod for Fallout or start from scratch with the engine. Now that'd i'd be happy spending £40+ on.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] petarded2 [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Da chief FWB[/quote]ME sequels sucked, at least in terms of why i liked the first game. exploration, solid narrative, good antagonist, a feel of ancient mystery and discovery... i just wish ME1 was less shallow. there was a *lot* of room for improvement with that game, and the sequels should've expanded on that rather than cut it all out and fill it with chest-high cover and irrelevant characters. ME2 should've explored all those places ME1 droned on and on about, in order to give them some meaning.[/quote] I actually kind of agree. ME2 lacks a central villain, we just have the looming threat of the Collectors and Reapers. With Saren, we had someone we could have Shepard relate to which gave our character a purpose to keep going - we were hunting him down. In ME2, there's too much fumbling in the dark to see if we go somewhere important and most of the time nothing happens. Side quests in ME1 were infinitely more sophisticated than the ones in the sequels. They'd actually interconnect and have resonant effects on the story - for instance with Xeltan/the Consort/Septimus, resolution of both these quests in one results in you being able to unlock the Prothean Sphere on Eletania later in the game but if you don't get the trinket then you're left wondering what it is. I love that kind of depth, but ME2 and 3 just don't have it (75% of ME3 is dashing around the galaxy map to get Space Bibles so people could fight the Reapers)... If ME1 had better combat and a more refined inventory system, it would have been perfect.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Da chief FWB[/quote]ME sequels sucked, at least in terms of why i liked the first game. exploration, solid narrative, good antagonist, a feel of ancient mystery and discovery... i just wish ME1 was less shallow. there was a *lot* of room for improvement with that game, and the sequels should've expanded on that rather than cut it all out and fill it with chest-high cover and irrelevant characters. ME2 should've explored all those places ME1 droned on and on about, in order to give them some meaning. [Edited on 06.29.2012 1:49 PM PDT]

It went from 1/5 stars to 3/5 stars. There are still a few giant gaping problems in the story, but it's better than before. Considering it took us forever to push bioware into making a new ending, teh puma doubts they'll update to cover those up either.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] petarded2 [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Da chief FWB I don't know, maybe I was expecting a Fallout style ending where it tells you about your crew, followers individually, if only for a short time.[/quote]shieeeeeeeeeeee, even kotor 2 did that and that game didn't even *have* a real ending. and considering how attached people have become to mass effect's cast, this is a *critical* error on bioware's part. and it's nice to meet someone who dislikes mass effect 3 as a whole. i will say that ME3 is something of an improvement on ME2 in that it *had a plot*, even though it wasn't a particularly good one.[/quote] I wanted to know what happened to the races, the consequensies of sabotaging the genophage crue with wreav. Saving the Geth over the Quarians then choosing the "Destroy" ending. Just the few options you had, I wanted to know what happened after ward. I have not seen as many complaints about the game as a whole as I have seen on the ending which is quite odd given the massive change. I am so pissed off and anoyed that I might skip Bioware and EA altogether... Generals 2 is no doubt off the list as I won't be able to connect to EA online and it will probably need an overpriced gaming PC to play. So much has changed and it killed the reason I loved Mass Effect and the extended cut was too little, too late. It did -blam!- all for me.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Da chief FWB I don't know, maybe I was expecting a Fallout style ending where it tells you about your crew, followers individually, if only for a short time.[/quote]shieeeeeeeeeeee, even kotor 2 did that and that game didn't even *have* a real ending. and considering how attached people have become to mass effect's cast, this is a *critical* error on bioware's part. and it's nice to meet someone who dislikes mass effect 3 as a whole. i will say that ME3 is something of an improvement on ME2 in that it *had a plot*, even though it wasn't a particularly good one.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] killingfrenzy11 It's better than what it was.[/quote] So glad to hear. I had no idea it was already out. (Not going to read anything else in the thread for risk of spoilers.)

I don't know, maybe I was expecting a Fallout style ending where it tells you about your crew, followers individually, if only for a short time. It would also have been nice to go beyond the near, near future of the galaxy and other races but hey there wont be an extended, extended cut so i'll just have to scratch ME3's ending from the serries in my next playthrough of the three as anything I do different still wont do -blam!- in the end. The whole game just felt off for me. Collecting war assets was kind of dissapointing as it was (Scan next to this planet to see if there is something there. Yes? Now scan and launch a probe.) over and over. The lack of crew missions, even if it was as simple as ME1s ones then it'd be good. The small crew selection, 6 if you do it right without the DLC and that's a massive drop from ME2. And the bloody day one DLC PROTHEAN! GAH EA YOU MUST DIE DIE DIE! *coughs and calms down* Multiplayer affecting a SINGLE PLAYER GAME'S result directly. This is just so stupid and assholish, AND some people have trouble connecting to EA's servers for some stupid EA related reason... I was just so dissapointed with ME's drop from a galaxy exploring RPG to a cover based shooter... This was more of a rant about ME3 as a whole but eh. I needed to as Bioware just... did little more than feed us the same stuff.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] xX Noob City Xx I picked Destroy because I wanted to reunite with Garrus.[/quote]i committed multiple genocides so i could have disgusting sex with one reptile man. hell, i'd imagine if you picked control you could download into a creepy EDI body to screw your nasty boyfriend.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Leprechaun209 [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] petarded2 [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Leprechaun209 I think control is now the "Best" ending.[/quote]oh, definitely. not complete nonsense (synthesis), and doesn't exterminate innocent races for no reason (destroy). i'm a bit confused as to why they have a funeral for shepard when they can still have a conversation with a thinking machine with his personality and memories, but w/e.[/quote] They don't know that. And I feel like a dick for picking destroy. Ima change that.[/quote] I picked Destroy because I wanted to reunite with Garrus.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] petarded2 [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Leprechaun209 I think control is now the "Best" ending.[/quote]oh, definitely. not complete nonsense (synthesis), and doesn't exterminate innocent races for no reason (destroy). i'm a bit confused as to why they have a funeral for shepard when they can still have a conversation with a thinking machine with his personality and memories, but w/e.[/quote] They don't know that. And I feel like a dick for picking destroy. Ima change that.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] ajw34307 So here's what the Catalyst tells us when we ask how Synthesis will work: [quote][i]"Your organic energy, the essence of who and what you are will be broken down and dispersed."[/i][/quote] Wait a minute, how do you alter the DNA of every living organic being in the galaxy to instantly turn them into half-robots using the power of Shepard's "organic energy", whatever that is, and vice-versa with synthetics?[/quote] Mass Effect has always contained some ´space magic´, as some people like to call it. Reaper tech such as the Mass Relays, indoctrination and even the reapers themselves are shrouded in mystery. Considering the Crucible was just a power source, who knows what it was capable of combined with the Citadel, which is a reaper construction. If this giant installation can turn everyone into a half-robot, then why not? It's science fiction, there's no need to over-analyse it! 90% of the stuff you see in SF stories are full of nonsense to begin with. [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] ajw34307 [quote][i]"Synthesis is the final evolution of all life."[/i][/quote] What does this even mean? What about Mass Effect 2 where Harbinger says: [quote][i]"Evolution cannot be halted, progress cannot be stopped."[/i][/quote] With this in mind, how can there be a final stage of evolution? Harbinger states that evolution is a never-ending road we're constantly going down but the Catalyst sure throws that out of the window. And, if both organics and synthetics used to evolve, why don't the organic-synthetic hybrids too? And you can't finalize the evolution of all life, and even if you could, doesn't saying that synthesizing everyone was the final step in their evolution directly contradict what EDI says later in the epilogue? [/quote] The Catalyst mentioned that it had tried the concept of synthesis before but it had failed. I can only imagine that the reapers and the catalyst had given up on that concept during the events of ME2. The Crucible however, gave the catalyst new means for achieving this sort of stuff [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] ajw34307 [quote][i]"We may transcend mortality itself to reach a level of existence I cannot even imagine."[/i][/quote] How can she not imagine a level of existence she's already supposed to be at? Synthesis is the FINAL evolution of life, how can they transcend that? [/quote] I can't really bring anything into this but mind that these visions contradict because they were expressed by different characters. The only one who mentioned anything about the final evolution of life was the catalyst. Perhaps EDI is nuts or the catalyst is not all-knowing. The catalyst is revealed to be an AI after all, not a supernatural godlike being. Several people have noted that the catalyst's stance on synthetics vs organics was pretty narrow-minded because the peace between the geth and organics had proven otherwise. [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] ajw34307 Furthermore... [quote][i]"I am alive."[/i][/quote] OK, sure you are EDI, we've known that one for a while now. Oh, you mean [i]now[/i] you're alive? As in, the entire point made by ME2 and 3 about synthetics being just as valid-a-form of life as organics was what, bollocks? Didn't you say you were alive back when we were saying goodbye on Earth? Oh, that's right, you did: [quote][i]"Jeff was the one who allowed me to think for myself. But only now do I feel alive."[/i][/quote] So what is it with this implication that you needed to become partly organic in order to become a... 'real girl'? [/quote] EDI mentioned she felt alive back on earth, but in my opinion she only gained an understanding of human emotions but she could not actually feel them. I think this because she didn't really behave out of her usual robotic and static character when she said this. The EDI in the synthetic ending in vastly different in my opinion. The way she emotionally reacts to Shepards plague being put on the memorial has such a strong contrast between the 'back on earth EDI' and present EDI. [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] ajw34307 Next she says this sentence: [quote][i]"As a galaxy, we can now live the lives we have wished for, taking our first steps into a new and wonderful future, where organics and synthetics can coexist peacefully."[/i][/quote] Ok, how exactly can "organics and synthetics" coexist in any way when there are no actual organics or synthetics anymore? The whole point of Synthesis is that it does away with this barrier and EDI even says later that the lines between organics and synthetics has gone - so what was the point of this piece of dialogue? But more importantly, the implication that the only possible way you accomplish lasting peaceful coexistence between two different groups is by making them more like each other (without their consent no less!) is a beyond -blam!- up idea that has brought us so much pain and all kinds of pure horror throughout history that I have many, many issues with it being presented so lightly and cheerfully here. [quote][i]"As a galaxy, we can now live the lives we have wished for."[/i][/quote] What galaxy are you talking about there EDI, 'cause it sure as hell isn't the one I've just spent 3 games in. No one wished for that. If you went around the galaxy asking people, from turians to asari, how they'd feel about being transformed into some half-organic-half-synthetic form of life without their consent, I pretty guarantee you that the great majority of them, if not all of them, would be strongly against the idea. How many people were happy with the way they were? How many of them had religious or philosophical beliefs that'd make them consider being something like this abomination? How many of them would say they'd rather die than become some organic-synthetic hybrid? Mordin in ME2 on Collectors becoming organic/synthetic hybrids: [quote][i]"No soul - replaced by tech!"[/i][/quote] I could go on here, but I hope I've made the point that thematically Synthesis is 110% wrong and the very idea that Shepard would even consider it, let alone choose it when we spent the whole of ME1 fighting against it is an enormous insult to the series - especially given how contradictory it is.[/quote] The way of life of every being in the universe remained mostly intact. The organics were in no way 'abominations' like husks! I my opinion, Bioware did this very subtle by showing how organic tissue was covered in green hue. I didn't see any human arms replaced with metal tentacles or Turians with wheels instead of feet EDI specifically mentioned in during the epilogue that both synthetics and organics benefited from the Synthesis. Synthetics gained emotions and organics lost their organic weaknesses. Sure I don't speak for every organic being in the galaxy, but you don't either. It was ultimately Bioware's call to decide that every being accepted the synthesis. That line about organics and synthetics coexisting which you thought was bogus, is a good one. I believe that's the only thing that Bioware missed out on. I hope I brought some valid arguments to this discussion.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] alex0612 It wasn't Shepard. I played as Fem Shep and didn't see the breast plate.[/quote] Ummm, I played as Fem Shep and I saw the breast plate.

Better than before.

I'm glad the butthurt will not have to use their tiny brains to imagine what happens after or hate on the ending. But wtf Bioware, WHY IS EVERY ENDING HAPPY?

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Leprechaun209 I think control is now the "Best" ending.[/quote]oh, definitely. not complete nonsense (synthesis), and doesn't exterminate innocent races for no reason (destroy). i'm a bit confused as to why they have a funeral for shepard when they can still have a conversation with a thinking machine with his personality and memories, but w/e. [Edited on 06.29.2012 12:11 PM PDT]

I think control is now the "Best" ending.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] AK 47625714 It's better than what we got, but that's not saying much. The ending is still pretty bad, just not as bad.[/quote]replace "pretty" with [b][i]extremely[/i][/b], but yeah, basically this.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] ajw34307 Leviathan is an alleged DLC file leaked in the EC which centres around the Leviathan of Dis which turned out to be a benign Reaper that turned against the others and helps Shepard.[/quote] Didn't that one Batarian on the citadel say that the Leviathan indoctrinated a bunch of Batarian scientists who then proceeded to sabotage the Batarian forces so that the Reapers steamrolled them? Not very benign.

It's better than what we got, but that's not saying much. The ending is still pretty bad, just not as bad.

It is...better than the original. I still wish that they would show a reunion after the breath scene if you were loyal and went with destroy, which was the goal from the beginning as it is the only way to ensure the reapers are gone for good.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] TheGreenAlloy [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] majorkayd3n117 [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Loktar OGar [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] TheGreenAlloy We killed Saren when he tried to inforce Synthesis, and we killed the Illusive Man when he tried to inforce Control, so I'm never gonna choose either one of those. [/quote] We killed The Illusive Man because he wanted to use the Reapers to give humanity an edge over the rest of the races. On top of that, we didn't even know if it was possible to control the Reapers. So it's not like choosing control is bad. The way Illusive Man wanted to do it was bad.[/quote][/quote] Pretty sure your Shepard tells the Illusive Man that control is impossible and we wouldn't it no matter if you're paragon or renegade.[/quote] He tells him control is impossible because he never knew it was possible... I'm sure if you asked him then if it was possible to combine all synthetic life and organic life, he would say that would be impossible too...

It's less contrived than the original ending, and it fills a few plot-holes the original made. I'm really happy that they made it so that the Relays were only damaged, and not destroyed.

9/10. Pretty good!

The Extended Cut endings are significantly better than the original endings, but considering how abysmal the original endings were, it's not too hard to improve them. They were at least decent this time, though, and I'm not considering selling the series anymore. I just wish that we had more closure on the characters we grew to love in the series, and their respective races. ...and I still don't understand why the hell Harbinger didn't shoot down the Normandy after Joker picks up Shepard's two squadmates. [Edited on 06.29.2012 10:33 AM PDT]

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] A Stolen Fruit [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Spartanelete M37 Old end?[/quote] It was something about how Reapers were harvesting races to stop a 'Dark Energy' from destroying the Galaxy.[/quote] True. But that ending wasn't what was in the leak. The whole "dark energy" storyline was dropped after the original head writer of the series left to work on TOR. When Mac Walters took over, he came up with the Starbrat stuff on his own.