I finished the trilogy a couple of days ago and, honestly, I think the way things worked out for me gave me a satisfying sci-fi ending. Let's get one thing straight, this obviously doesn't reach what Red Dead Redemption or The Last of Us reached, but to expect that of it is crazy. Mass Effect is a cool sci-fi story that takes place in an incredibly well made sci-fi universe. The story to me always felt more like an ALRIGHT excuse to let me travel and discover this AMAZING place.
I didn't know shooting the kid was a possible ending, but dooming my cycle to be destroyed by the Reapers and letting this suffering continue into others cycles, just because I didn't like the choices the AI gave me, is fucking crazy talk. I came in there to end this once and for all, and I was gonna come through for the sake of every sacrifice that has been and were being made.
Control sounded bad because of several reasons: 1) The Reapers did a lot of horrible shit and are the result of a sociopathic society and AI. 2) I would basically substitute this AI in controlling the cycles of the galaxy. No one should have that amount of power and Shepard understands that more than anyone. 3) TIM wanted this and we know how great he was.
Synthesis sounded less bad, but still kind of insane: 1) How is Shepard supposed to decide that everyone's DNA would be changed, especially after we proved that the races can learn to work together, in spite of their differences? Synthesis isn't the kind union Shepard was fighting for. 2) This sounds fucking weird, I don't want to live in a world without it's unique cultures and ideas. Peace and balance is not complete miscegenation of organic and synthetic life 3) The Reaper AI said it was the better choice and fuck doing what it thought was best.
Destroy was the only choice I could take. Yes, it involved further sacrifices, but it represented finishing what we set out to do and letting the universe go on with the lessons of this hardship learned. Throughout the game, the various races proved they were ready to join forces and carry the world to a better place, the Turian, Krogan, Salarian, Quarian and Humans leading it. It fucking sucks to have to destroy the Geth that I have learned to accept as living things and sacrifice EDI but I found solace on two things: 1) I trusted Tali to lead the reconstruction of the Geth, now understanding the importance of their free will and the perspective of peace and cooperative lives. 2) EDI said that if she had to die to protect Joker, she would. She understood the concept of dying for something instead of self-preservation. So many sacrifices were already made, and millions were dying in the battle on and around Earth. Like Shepard, EDI would gladly die to end this once and for all.
With that in mind, I realized that the truest "shooting the kid in the head" would be to destroy it and the Reapers. Its rationale was bonkers and destroying that shit was the only way of truly freeing the galaxy of it all.
Shepard trusted the galaxy would stay together and rebuild. They did.
It truly sucks that the most dedicated fans finished it without the Extended Cut and EA will always pay for that. I would also not like the ending if I had finished it then or if I had picked another choice. But people shouldn't hate it now because it didn't give you a clear perfect happy ending choice. The fact that it gave me other choices gave weight to my hard decision. I had to make it to finish this journey and the only reason I could do it with a clear conscience is because of the things I learned throughout the game. It was a satisfying finale.
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