So refreshing to read that small Essay about ME3 and have someone else want to point out what Mass Effect has done so well since the first game. Giving players choices and making those choices count. The ride that Bioware have given gamers is just incredible, especially when reading this and discovering all those little things that you may have brushed over or done completely different to get to Shepherds final moments.

I just hope when these changes are made that the people that are pissed get what they want out of this cause im def not up for seeing more articles about the back lash about the changing of the ending not being enough.

Behind you 100% Ryan. Right behind you. 100%.

Yeah I did play ME3 in a vacuum and still think the last 15 minutes are executed terribly. I still love the game and the trilogy. Replaying it now in fact. And I'm alright with Bioware fixing whatever needs to be fixed. If Creed came out and said, our bad for releasing the shittiest music imaginable, we'll go back and fix that for free, I'd be alright with it. Don't get lost in the art debate. There still is good and bad art and vidoegames have plenty of both.

@pplus0440 said:

Don't send me politically charged games please. I don't need to come here and hear about sexuality.

Go away, xenophobe.

dys4ia was beautiful. Don't love just the killer sound, but how sharing it is. Exceptional example of games communicating more than slurs.

@jasondesante said:

everyone should listen to the irrational games podcast, and the kojima productions podcast, and the bethesda podcast.

Hearing game designers talk about other games they like is more interesting than listening to random dudes talk about stuff they don't like.

Don't forget the Insomniac Games' Full Moon Show.

@jasondesante said:

everyone should listen to the irrational games podcast, and the kojima productions podcast, and the bethesda podcast.

Hearing game designers talk about other games they like is more interesting than listening to random dudes talk about stuff they don't like.

I have considered this concept as a feature: talking to developers about games they love (especially games I don't get, i.e. Monster Hunter) and why they love them.

everyone should listen to the irrational games podcast, and the kojima productions podcast, and the bethesda podcast.

Hearing game designers talk about other games they like is more interesting than listening to random dudes talk about stuff they don't like.

I'm so fed up with the relentless Mass Effect drama. That crazy pixel game in the article is kind of cool though.

Watching the NorCal Regionals. Aris is commentating Soul Calibur V! Someone call Patrick!

Those things arent the ending of mass effect 3 though...they are the leadup to.

PATRICK FORGOT TO PUT SPOILER ALERT BEFORE EVERYTHING HE TYPED LOL

This was worth reading.

PATRICK! I love this ssegment, reminds me of RPS' Sunday Papers, which i look forward to every week. Please keep this up!

Now forget all the angry fighting game commenters. Let's read an article that stirred up some shit.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/03/23/do-positive-mass-effect-3-reviews-reveal-a-conflict-of-interest-in-gaming-journalism/

RPS is a good site, not so rare to see them write good stuff.

@tangmcgame said:

@dr_mantas said:

@YukoAsho said:

I'm gonna say this right fucking now: I haven't gotten around to ME3 because there were other games on my list (and I'd planned to wait for a GOTY), but I'm at the point now where I don't even wanna LOOK at the fucking game anymore, much less play it. The whole bitch-fest is just annoying - on both sides of the "debate." The article posted by @Kesselrun got it perfect, however. A narrative with a bad ending of course tarnishes the whole. It's like having sex with the guy of your dreams, only when the climax comes, he blunders through it and stops right before you're about to orgasm. Only in this case, the bullshit on both ends of the argument only serves to taint it even more.

Except the game is fucking amazing. Forget the ending, whatever. I even played without the DLC character once, and it was still amazing.

All of this, of course, only applies if you played and enjoyed the other two Mass Effect games.

That's some pretty extreme hyperbole. The game is good. The story is actually kinda' dumb overall. And Yuko's analogy fits. The ending to ME3 made me not want to play any of the Mass Effect games again (aside from multiplayer which I'm enjoying).

Endings matter. An ending can make all the difference. If it's good enough, it can make us forgive all the shortcomings that came before. If it's bad, it can undermine all of the enjoyable aspects of the game (or movie or book) that led up to the ending. Mass Effect 3's ending managed to ruin all three of the previous games for me.

Why am I getting PMs for this? Can whoever did this please remember that even if you delete my name I'll still get the PMs.

@Gaspar: yeah I'm slowly getting to the point of removing them from my RSS now mostly due to Gillens absence

@dr_mantas said:

@YukoAsho said:

I'm gonna say this right fucking now: I haven't gotten around to ME3 because there were other games on my list (and I'd planned to wait for a GOTY), but I'm at the point now where I don't even wanna LOOK at the fucking game anymore, much less play it. The whole bitch-fest is just annoying - on both sides of the "debate." The article posted by @Kesselrun got it perfect, however. A narrative with a bad ending of course tarnishes the whole. It's like having sex with the guy of your dreams, only when the climax comes, he blunders through it and stops right before you're about to orgasm. Only in this case, the bullshit on both ends of the argument only serves to taint it even more.

Except the game is fucking amazing. Forget the ending, whatever. I even played without the DLC character once, and it was still amazing.

All of this, of course, only applies if you played and enjoyed the other two Mass Effect games.

That's some pretty extreme hyperbole. The game is good. The story is actually kinda' dumb overall. And Yuko's analogy fits. The ending to ME3 made me not want to play any of the Mass Effect games again (aside from multiplayer which I'm enjoying).

Endings matter. An ending can make all the difference. If it's good enough, it can make us forgive all the shortcomings that came before. If it's bad, it can undermine all of the enjoyable aspects of the game (or movie or book) that led up to the ending. Mass Effect 3's ending managed to ruin all three of the previous games for me.

@Brackynews:

Not like this.

too scared to read all these ME3 things before i play it

Great to see this back, I read John Walker's article on Monday and he is spot on with the points he makes

@FLStyle said:

Patrick forgot this, give it a read.

Five female players defend the fighting game community against claims of sexism.

thats implied man everyone KNOWS some females would be ok with it? No need to report on every little thing, now let me tell you about this Mass Effect 3 situation..

Wow. I'm surprised you didn't somehow relate dys4ia to Mass Effect 3 as well. You could have gone for a triple play, Klepek.

I think like Jeff said, we're harsh on ME3 more-so than most games because they were going into it with the foundation to deliver the game of this generation! I presume E.A.s responsible for rushing the production, had it been with a developer like Blizzard or Rock Star we probably would have got the masterpiece we all craved. It's a great game! It should have been a brilliant game!

dys4ia is... very different. I really enjoyed it.

@Animasta: You know what they say about opinions, right?

@Animasta said:

@dr_mantas said:

@YukoAsho said:

I'm gonna say this right fucking now: I haven't gotten around to ME3 because there were other games on my list (and I'd planned to wait for a GOTY), but I'm at the point now where I don't even wanna LOOK at the fucking game anymore, much less play it. The whole bitch-fest is just annoying - on both sides of the "debate." The article posted by @Kesselrun got it perfect, however. A narrative with a bad ending of course tarnishes the whole. It's like having sex with the guy of your dreams, only when the climax comes, he blunders through it and stops right before you're about to orgasm. Only in this case, the bullshit on both ends of the argument only serves to taint it even more.

Except the game is fucking amazing. Forget the ending, whatever. I even played without the DLC character once, and it was still amazing.

All of this, of course, only applies if you played and enjoyed the other two Mass Effect games.

it's not that good dude. its good, but it's definitely not amazing

The game is amazing. I don't think the story is as great as the first, but gameplay wise, it is easily the best.

@dr_mantas said:

@YukoAsho said:

I'm gonna say this right fucking now: I haven't gotten around to ME3 because there were other games on my list (and I'd planned to wait for a GOTY), but I'm at the point now where I don't even wanna LOOK at the fucking game anymore, much less play it. The whole bitch-fest is just annoying - on both sides of the "debate." The article posted by @Kesselrun got it perfect, however. A narrative with a bad ending of course tarnishes the whole. It's like having sex with the guy of your dreams, only when the climax comes, he blunders through it and stops right before you're about to orgasm. Only in this case, the bullshit on both ends of the argument only serves to taint it even more.

Except the game is fucking amazing. Forget the ending, whatever. I even played without the DLC character once, and it was still amazing.

All of this, of course, only applies if you played and enjoyed the other two Mass Effect games.

it's not that good dude. its good, but it's definitely not amazing

@YukoAsho said:

I'm gonna say this right fucking now: I haven't gotten around to ME3 because there were other games on my list (and I'd planned to wait for a GOTY), but I'm at the point now where I don't even wanna LOOK at the fucking game anymore, much less play it. The whole bitch-fest is just annoying - on both sides of the "debate." The article posted by @Kesselrun got it perfect, however. A narrative with a bad ending of course tarnishes the whole. It's like having sex with the guy of your dreams, only when the climax comes, he blunders through it and stops right before you're about to orgasm. Only in this case, the bullshit on both ends of the argument only serves to taint it even more.

Except the game is fucking amazing. Forget the ending, whatever. I even played without the DLC character once, and it was still amazing.

All of this, of course, only applies if you played and enjoyed the other two Mass Effect games.

john walker is usually pretty good but sometimes, in things like this, it just makes me wish Kieron hadn't quit :(

@Gaspar said:

Frankly I find much of John Walker's work to be a solipsistic mess. You can quote me on that.

Define "mess" (you CAN'T it's subjective!)

@davo said:

I came for the RoboCop image.

... creep.

@Dr_Robocop: @Robo: Ok you duders get a pass. ;) Now DROP IT!

@algertman said:

Sadly this a bunch of ME3 dick sucking articles.

One is a bunch?

@Gaspar said:

Frankly I find much of John Walker's work to be a solipsistic mess. You can quote me on that.

AND I JUST DID!

Sadly this a bunch of ME3 dick sucking articles.

Frankly I find much of John Walker's work to be a solipsistic mess. You can quote me on that.

HOW DARE [ANYONE] COMPARE ROBOCOP TO [ANYTHING] !!!11

Man, John Walker and I have been saying the same thing. Mass Effect has been about the journey never about the destination. We were going to defeat Saren, Sovereign and the Geth. We were going to defeat the Collectors. And finally we were going to meet the Reapers head-on for the Battle of Earth.

My final choice was the destruction of the Reapers and all synthetic life, for the reason that although ancient race that created Reapers were trying to "protect" organic life from destroying itself, everything had become perverse.

The only problems I had with the Catalyst was that the child was its avatar. Much rather had I wanted it to be the avatar of fallen comrades such as Mordin, Thane, Legion, or Kaidan. People I cared for. Characters that would've reminded me of what I was fighting for.

I really hope that Bioware does not completely change the ending, I hope it just provides a little more clarity for some people.

@davo: Word!

@FLStyle: @FLStyle said:

Patrick forgot this, give it a read.

Five female players defend the fighting game community against claims of sexism.

You can all watch the sexism at the NorCal Regionals this weekend. It will be streamed by I Play Winner. Here's the schedule. If you're in San Francisco, check it out at Jack Adams Hall.

I really enjoyed Walker's article. He came out of the game with a similar experience to my own and is refreshing to see an opinion that isn't so one side or the other. He took the game at face value. That is as much a valid opinion as dissecting the game to the nth degree, and defending it tooth and nail. I also had the same pause for reflection at that moment in the game and ended up going a different route than he even did. Granted, I will admit that his article title doesn't jive with what he said in the article, but it's definitely a refreshing take.

Dys4ia is affecting. It's an interesting way to deliver a narrative. Minigame collections are not a common point of reference for those seeking story. Granted, Anthropy's work isn't perhaps packaged with a complete denouement, per se, but it remains an interesting divergence, particularly being as it is hosted on Newgrounds, famed source of the Harry Pothead of eons passed.

That said, there is a fundamental, perhaps contrarian, part of me that feels Dys4ia is getting attention for the wrong reasons. Maybe wrong is too far. Disingenous, perhaps. It's the bleeding heart 'gamez r realz' idea that concerns me. I hope we're commending it for delivering an interesting and different subject matter, and not regarding it as a fascinating freakshow for all the world to see.

I'm gonna say this right fucking now: I haven't gotten around to ME3 because there were other games on my list (and I'd planned to wait for a GOTY), but I'm at the point now where I don't even wanna LOOK at the fucking game anymore, much less play it. The whole bitch-fest is just annoying - on both sides of the "debate." The article posted by @Kesselrun got it perfect, however. A narrative with a bad ending of course tarnishes the whole. It's like having sex with the guy of your dreams, only when the climax comes, he blunders through it and stops right before you're about to orgasm. Only in this case, the bullshit on both ends of the argument only serves to taint it even more.

@FLStyle said:

Patrick forgot this, give it a read.

Five female players defend the fighting game community against claims of sexism.

Oh he's not going to mention that, it doesn't go into the "FGC is eeeeeeeeeevil," mantra that the games media latched onto in the wake of Aris being a punk.

I came for the RoboCop image. I stayed for the article.

I find it weird, all of the attention dys4ia is getting. Not to say I don't like it (I actually just got to the "order them off the internet" stage myself) but it still seems odd.

also I am way tired of the ME3 talk AS WELL

edit: also RPS's article about how the ending went wrong should have been posted as well, as a counterpoint

@Dr_Robocop: Same here.

But I'll give it a read later...provided I can confirm it's not more bitching about people bitching about Mass Effect 3.

More than any other medium, video games can transport us, and make us part of experiences wildly unlike our own. Often, this means the hero fantasy, and generally, games only speak to a tiny, unrealistic set of personal experiences. When it comes to pure escapism, that’s fine, but games can and should aspire for more.

Which is why Mass Effect 3 is a blight on the industry lol.

I'll be honest, the only reason I clicked on this was because I saw a picture of RoboCop...