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With the new free ending DLC, I think the endings had enough difference and meaning with your past decisions that the issue with "ending 1, 2 or 3" is solved. I

by Latty 10y ago

With the new free ending DLC, I think the endings had enough difference and meaning with your past decisions that the issue with "ending 1, 2 or 3" is solved. I really disagree that the extended cut ending wasn't enough - I thought it really delivered. The issue with the "it's all points" thing is indeed an issue, and it's so silly, since to me it was so obvious what they needed to do in the end. ME2 was a template. Once again, you go into a suicide mission, except this time instead of your team being people, it's fleets, troops, etc... You have to commit your resources to objectives during the battle until you run out. If you don't get enough, you run out too early and can't win (or lose more in the battle in other ways). Suddenly all those 'collected points' would matter so much. They all had backstory of who/what they were, and if you had to commit them (with appropriate troops/fleets/whatever getting bonuses in the right roles/nerfs in the wrong roles) it would have made it feel worthwhile. It's a realy shame, because if that had been the ending of the game, I think ME as a series would have been as close to perfect as it gets. As it is, people seem to forget the fact that the series was amazing otherwise, and that the third game was seriously great apart from those flaws. It's clear to me that, like most studios bought by EA, Bioware has slowly gone downhill as they were subject to more and more pressure by EA to speed up development and to focus on things like the money-making multiplayer. EA have consistently been anti-consumer in a ton of ways, and they also have a real knack at ruining and eventually closing good studios. If you want a story-heavy game with decisions that matter, I highly suggest you look at the Banner Saga, an indie series made by ex-bioware staff that is great. The first two are out and the third just hit it's KickStarter funding goal. Hopefully they close that one off well.

onli 10y ago
Thanks you. The Banner Saga vanished from my radar, but it was on there some time ago. I'll add it to my wishlist and snap it on a sale, it has Linux version on Steam, at least the first part.
Vaskivo 10y ago
The problem with the ending wasn't only the outcome (which, IMO, the DCL ending still wasn't enough). It was mainly the the execution. The "press the button" ending was a travesty to what was advertised by the three games. You can really notice that lack of thematic coherence and good writing when Drew Karpyshyn left the project. I really liked ME2. The gameplay was the best, had really good quest lines and some ideas were really interesting (working for terrorists, the suicide mission). And it had Mordrin! On the third game it goes all downhill. Earth is, apparently, the most important planet on the galaxy. To the point that someone thought that it was a good idea to diverge troops that were defending the planet with the biggest and best fleet of the galaxy to defend the Earth. ME2 and Mordrin spent a lot of time convincing me that, while the xenophage was something horrible, curing it would have unforeseen consequences and was a bad idea too. But now we're going to cure it, no choice in the matter. Cerebrus turned from "amoral pragmatists" to "james bond villain". My best bro Wrex still didn't return to the party. And the dreadful awe of the reapers was simply squashed. ME3 was a massive dissapointment. I don't see myself playing a multigame Bioware series ever again. Two links: A massive Mass Effect Retrospective, which cemented some of my feelings on the series: http://www.shamusyoung.com/twentysidedtale/?p=27792 http://www.shamusyoung.com/twentysidedtale/?p=27792 Anon is still mad about ME3: https://i.imgur.com/5naFPuS.png https://i.imgur.com/5naFPuS.png (Strong language)
- Latty 10y ago
  Sure, I see your points, but I just didn't agree with the end dislike. Sure, Mordin was mixed about the genophage, but in ME3 he makes up his mind and sees it as something that needs to be cured 100%. They don't force you to choose it, but he does. I think that's powerful - he strongly believes something and you literally have to kill him to stop him doing it. That's heartbreaking and an amazing moment. It's a 'bad end' - but I dislike the idea you have to provide good ends no matter someone's choices. Earth being the most important isn't quite how it's shown - rather, it's turned into a point of last stand because Shepard rallies his allies around it. Cerberus, yeah, they went a bit too far and deeply of the deep end. In general, I think that you are treating it too harshly, and probably the original ending embittered you towards the whole game, which in my eyes, was still really good. Or maybe you just dislike where they went with it where I liked it, it's hard to say. I, at least, find it acceptable with the new ending. If you are prepared to commit the time, I'd suggest https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hct5WeBmsUM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hct5WeBmsUM - a look at the whole series that matches my viewpoint pretty well. It's an interesting watch in it's own right, although long and a bit lacking in production quality (towards the end, I'm pretty sure some of the commentary got repeating during cutting).

by Latty 10y ago

onli 10y ago

Thanks you. The Banner Saga vanished from my radar, but it was on there some time ago. I'll add it to my wishlist and snap it on a sale, it has Linux version on Steam, at least the first part.

Vaskivo 10y ago

The problem with the ending wasn't only the outcome (which, IMO, the DCL ending still wasn't enough). It was mainly the the execution. The "press the button" ending was a travesty to what was advertised by the three games. You can really notice that lack of thematic coherence and good writing when Drew Karpyshyn left the project. I really liked ME2. The gameplay was the best, had really good quest lines and some ideas were really interesting (working for terrorists, the suicide mission). And it had Mordrin! On the third game it goes all downhill. Earth is, apparently, the most important planet on the galaxy. To the point that someone thought that it was a good idea to diverge troops that were defending the planet with the biggest and best fleet of the galaxy to defend the Earth. ME2 and Mordrin spent a lot of time convincing me that, while the xenophage was something horrible, curing it would have unforeseen consequences and was a bad idea too. But now we're going to cure it, no choice in the matter. Cerebrus turned from "amoral pragmatists" to "james bond villain". My best bro Wrex still didn't return to the party. And the dreadful awe of the reapers was simply squashed. ME3 was a massive dissapointment. I don't see myself playing a multigame Bioware series ever again. Two links: A massive Mass Effect Retrospective, which cemented some of my feelings on the series: http://www.shamusyoung.com/twentysidedtale/?p=27792 http://www.shamusyoung.com/twentysidedtale/?p=27792 Anon is still mad about ME3: https://i.imgur.com/5naFPuS.png https://i.imgur.com/5naFPuS.png (Strong language)

Latty 10y ago
Sure, I see your points, but I just didn't agree with the end dislike. Sure, Mordin was mixed about the genophage, but in ME3 he makes up his mind and sees it as something that needs to be cured 100%. They don't force you to choose it, but he does. I think that's powerful - he strongly believes something and you literally have to kill him to stop him doing it. That's heartbreaking and an amazing moment. It's a 'bad end' - but I dislike the idea you have to provide good ends no matter someone's choices. Earth being the most important isn't quite how it's shown - rather, it's turned into a point of last stand because Shepard rallies his allies around it. Cerberus, yeah, they went a bit too far and deeply of the deep end. In general, I think that you are treating it too harshly, and probably the original ending embittered you towards the whole game, which in my eyes, was still really good. Or maybe you just dislike where they went with it where I liked it, it's hard to say. I, at least, find it acceptable with the new ending. If you are prepared to commit the time, I'd suggest https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hct5WeBmsUM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hct5WeBmsUM - a look at the whole series that matches my viewpoint pretty well. It's an interesting watch in it's own right, although long and a bit lacking in production quality (towards the end, I'm pretty sure some of the commentary got repeating during cutting).