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    Mass Effect 3

    Game » consists of 19 releases. Released Mar 06, 2012

    When Earth begins to fall in an ancient cycle of destruction, Commander Shepard must unite the forces of the galaxy to stop the Reapers in the final chapter of the original Mass Effect trilogy.

    Brad beat the game. DLC and Extended Cut essential. Thoughts?

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    golguin

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    #1  Edited By golguin

    I'm guessing most of us beat Mass Effect 3 without the Extended Cut and Leviathan. Some number of us had Javik with us, but some were unfortunate and didn't even have him. I was part of the discussion with the original ending, the addition of a new ending, the release of the extended cut and what it added, and leviathan and every time I claimed that the game should have included the aforementioned items. I couldn't believe the game shipped without content that seemed essential to the lore once we actually saw what it was. We could only speculate about the effect of experiencing it all new within the game. Speculation over. Brad is the test case and he experienced the TRUE Mass Effect 3.

    In light of these developments how good could ME3 have been? I accepted the original Synthesis ending and didn't hate the Star Child, but god damn the game should have been what Brad got to play.

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    colourful_hippie

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    #2  Edited By colourful_hippie

    Ugh, we don't need to have this same conversation all over again (it's already been talked about again when the EC was first released). Instead of guessing on what he thought about the ending let's just wait for him to tell us. Let's not dig up that dead fucking horse.

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    MildMolasses

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    #3  Edited By MildMolasses

    I'm not exactly sure what was in Leviathan, so I can't really comment on that. I saw something mentioned in Brad's twitter comments about a final reveal, but have no idea what it is

    I guess I'm in the minority of people, but I was totally fine with the ending I got. I had been playing Shepard as a "do whatever it takes" type, which lead to me doing some pretty awful things in ME3. It also made sense in terms of the destruction ending I chose, so I never felt the need for any elaboration on that and never played the EC stuff.

    As for Javik, I believe he was essential, and have no idea why Bioware thought to make him optional other than to get $10 extra out of people who'd been playing since the beginning. He added a lot of awesome context and revelations which I think made the story much better

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    Milkman

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    #4  Edited By Milkman

    As someone who played the game without the From Ashes, Leviathan or the Extended Cut and HATED the ending, I'm actually really interested to hear what it's like with all of that as part of the package. 
     
    Though if all that extra stuff is essential to enjoying the story, then you wrote a bad story.  

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    sjupp

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    #5  Edited By sjupp

    Huh. I'm in the process of playing through ME1 atm and going through the trilogy. I was one of those who really disliked how ME3 ended (without Javik or any of the DLC). Looking forward to try it with all of the stuff included.

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    golguin

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    #6  Edited By golguin

    @Colourful_Hippie said:

    Ugh, we don't need to have this same conversation all over again (it's already been talked about again when the EC was first released). Instead of guessing on what he thought about the ending let's just wait for him to tell us. Let's not dig up that dead fucking horse.

    He's been talking on his Twitter about what he thinks. There is no guessing. He will elaborate on the bombcast, but his general thoughts are right there if you want to go read them.

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    Hailinel

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    #7  Edited By Hailinel

    Brad's reaction to learning what all was added in the extended cut ending is priceless.

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    EXTomar

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    #8  Edited By EXTomar

    The more I look back at the whole mess of Mass Effect 3 the more I wonder if its real legacy is "You should never lock plot behind DLC".

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    damswedon

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    #9  Edited By damswedon

    I was never really pissed at the ending, for me it is just part of a phase I'm going through where I'm really starting to get sick and tired of being told I'm special all the time. Why must I always be the one to fix every fucking thing in the universe?

    Also Kai Lang is just terrible.

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    kerse

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    #10  Edited By kerse

    @EXTomar said:

    The more I look back at the whole mess of Mass Effect 3 the more I wonder if its real legacy is "You should never lock plot behind DLC".

    That would be great, but hopefully it won't be "look how much more DLC we sell when important story information is in it."

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    shirogane

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    #11  Edited By shirogane

    I played Leviathan after beating the game. Also my original playthrough was without extended cut. I can safely say that both those things make the game much better.

    Oh, i did have Javik though. I'm not sure which is more essential though, Javik or Leviathan. Ideally you'd have both though.

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    the_OFFICIAL_jAPanese_teaBAG

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    Remember how there was a poll a few weeks ago asking if we thought Brad would beat the game and most people said he wouldnt?  

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    kindgineer

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    #13  Edited By kindgineer

    I thoroughly enjoyed the ending, in fact I loved it. This whole drama/soap-box preaching is people expecting promises that, let's face it, couldn't have been fulfilled reasonably. We all want to pretend that we know how to develop a game, but in the end I'm positive Bioware did what they set out to do. The end-cut was merely a way to (in their eyes - hopefully) quell an audience that way voicing it's opinion.

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    Animasta

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    #14  Edited By Animasta

    @Milkman said:

    As someone who played the game without the From Ashes, Leviathan or the Extended Cut and HATED the ending, I'm actually really interested to hear what it's like with all of that as part of the package. Though if all that extra stuff is essential to enjoying the story, then you wrote a bad story.

    or, well, made a bad game; I don't really think a book would have DLC.

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    Milkman

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    #15  Edited By Milkman

    @Animasta said:

    @Milkman said:

    As someone who played the game without the From Ashes, Leviathan or the Extended Cut and HATED the ending, I'm actually really interested to hear what it's like with all of that as part of the package. Though if all that extra stuff is essential to enjoying the story, then you wrote a bad story.

    or, well, made a bad game; I don't really think a book would have DLC.

    How long do we have until a book has DLC? It has to be coming at some point, right?

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    Hailinel

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    #16  Edited By Hailinel

    @Milkman said:

    @Animasta said:

    @Milkman said:

    As someone who played the game without the From Ashes, Leviathan or the Extended Cut and HATED the ending, I'm actually really interested to hear what it's like with all of that as part of the package. Though if all that extra stuff is essential to enjoying the story, then you wrote a bad story.

    or, well, made a bad game; I don't really think a book would have DLC.

    How long do we have until a book has DLC? It has to be coming at some point, right?

    Weren't they planning to issue a reprint of that godawful Mass Effect novel with all of the bullshit written out?

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    ThunderSlash

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    #17  Edited By ThunderSlash

    @damswedon said:

    Also Kai Lang is just terrible.

    Every Sci Fi story needs a Futuristic Space Asian Ninja Man that excels in combat with blades.

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    gaminghooligan

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    #18  Edited By gaminghooligan

    @Milkman said:

    @Animasta said:

    @Milkman said:

    As someone who played the game without the From Ashes, Leviathan or the Extended Cut and HATED the ending, I'm actually really interested to hear what it's like with all of that as part of the package. Though if all that extra stuff is essential to enjoying the story, then you wrote a bad story.

    or, well, made a bad game; I don't really think a book would have DLC.

    How long do we have until a book has DLC? It has to be coming at some point, right?

    Just pay 9.99 and get the extra character pack! Adding Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and more to your copy of Hamlet today.

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    damswedon

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    #19  Edited By damswedon

    @Milkman said:

    @Animasta said:

    @Milkman said:

    As someone who played the game without the From Ashes, Leviathan or the Extended Cut and HATED the ending, I'm actually really interested to hear what it's like with all of that as part of the package. Though if all that extra stuff is essential to enjoying the story, then you wrote a bad story.

    or, well, made a bad game; I don't really think a book would have DLC.

    How long do we have until a book has DLC? It has to be coming at some point, right?

    About -200 years actually. Hell, include religious texts and we can go back a good 2000 years at least.

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    StarvingGamer

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    #20  Edited By StarvingGamer

    ME3 was fine on its own. From Ashes and Leviathan are amazing pieces of content, but add very little to the actual core ME3 storyline. They are there to provide extended lore and overall context, not move the Mass Effect trilogy to its conclusion. Also, they added absolutely nothing with the extended-cut DLC that couldn't have easily been inferred by anyone willing to spare an ounce of brainpower. The EC is the worst example of lowest-common-denominator dumbing-down that I have ever seen. Ever.

    EDIT: ME3 is going to be in my top 10 games this year, and would hold the same overall ranking even if From Ashes and Leviathan were part of the retail game or never existed at all.

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    joshthebear

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    #21  Edited By joshthebear

    For fucks sake, do we really need another ME3 ending discussion thread?

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    Hailinel

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    #22  Edited By Hailinel

    @StarvingGamer said:

    ME3 was fine on its own. From Ashes and Leviathan are amazing pieces of content, but add very little to the actual core ME3 storyline. They are there to provide extended lore and overall context, not move the Mass Effect trilogy to its conclusion. Also, they added absolutely nothing with the extended-cut DLC that couldn't have easily been inferred by anyone willing to spare an ounce of brainpower. The EC is the worst example of lowest-common-denominator dumbing-down that I have ever seen. Ever.

    I really can't agree with that.

    The original ending is, structurally, logically, a piece of shit. At the very end, Shepard is lifted up to a space platform via a conveniently placed elevator that absolutely no one apparently knew about and was told by Space Child that if he wants to stop the reapers, he has to either blow up a piece of the crucible with his pistol, control the reapers by allowing himself to be disintegrated by grabbing a pair of conduits, or become one with the galaxy and merge organic and synthetic life by tossing himself into a green light. At no point does Shepard even stop to ask how any of the above makes a lick of sense. Absolutely nothing regarding the Crucible, how it operates (Blow up part of the device to destroy the reapers?), what it's designed to accomplish (why does this weapon have multiple choices?), how Shepard gets up there (WHY IS THAT ELEVATOR THERE?), and this is to say nothing of Space Child.

    It's poorly written nonsense only made somewhat better by the extended cut making Shepard less of a complete dope.

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    deactivated-61665c8292280

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    I hope Brad goes back to watch the original ending. It might be unfair to judge this game without the Extended Cut, but it's duly as narrowminded to ignore the original ending from the get-go.

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    TheHumanDove

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    #24  Edited By TheHumanDove

    @ck1nd said:

    I thoroughly enjoyed the ending, in fact I loved it. This whole drama/soap-box preaching is people expecting promises that, let's face it, couldn't have been fulfilled reasonably. We all want to pretend that we know how to develop a game, but in the end I'm positive Bioware did what they set out to do. The end-cut was merely a way to (in their eyes - hopefully) quell an audience that way voicing it's opinion.

    I'm sorry, but loving the end is, objectively, like loving shit. That's not even an opinion. The quality of work was awful. I don't know how to make a master chef meal, but I know what tastes good or not.

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    octaslash

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    #25  Edited By octaslash
    @TheHumanDove

    @ck1nd said:

    I thoroughly enjoyed the ending, in fact I loved it. This whole drama/soap-box preaching is people expecting promises that, let's face it, couldn't have been fulfilled reasonably. We all want to pretend that we know how to develop a game, but in the end I'm positive Bioware did what they set out to do. The end-cut was merely a way to (in their eyes - hopefully) quell an audience that way voicing it's opinion.

    I'm sorry, but loving the end is, objectively, like loving shit. That's not even an opinion. The quality of work was awful. I don't know how to make a master chef meal, but I know what tastes good or not.

    I don't think you know what objectivity and subjectivity mean.
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    TheHumanDove

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    #26  Edited By TheHumanDove

    @Octaslash said:

    @TheHumanDove

    @ck1nd said:

    I thoroughly enjoyed the ending, in fact I loved it. This whole drama/soap-box preaching is people expecting promises that, let's face it, couldn't have been fulfilled reasonably. We all want to pretend that we know how to develop a game, but in the end I'm positive Bioware did what they set out to do. The end-cut was merely a way to (in their eyes - hopefully) quell an audience that way voicing it's opinion.

    I'm sorry, but loving the end is, objectively, like loving shit. That's not even an opinion. The quality of work was awful. I don't know how to make a master chef meal, but I know what tastes good or not.

    I don't think you know what objectivity and subjectivity mean.

    I do, which is why I said it as I did. In fact, that was the point of it. Are you an alien

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    tourgen

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    #27  Edited By tourgen

    @EXTomar said:

    The more I look back at the whole mess of Mass Effect 3 the more I wonder if its real legacy is "You should never lock plot behind DLC".

    I think you are right. That is the lesson hopefully learned over at Bioware, or what's left of it.

    I'm disappointed I didn't have the DLC. I got the game as a gift and didn't feel like I should have to pay $10 as soon as I put the disk in to experience the full game. I think that was extremely shitty of EA. They can't hear it enough. Every time someone talks about ME3 we should bring up the shitty DLC situation. Every single time.

    Anyway I played "vanilla" ME3. No DLC, no extended ending, nothing. I haven't played any DLC and I won't.

    I'm curious to hear Brad's opinion.

    Anyway ut wasn't all that great. Lots of scripting bugs, sloppy dialog timing, poorly written lines, phoned-in mission environments, a half-assed side mission system, crap-ified character model reworks, disjointed plot and pacing, pay-to-advance multiplayer, and oh my god that ending. It doesn't deserve to be mentioned in GOTY talks and Bioware has a lot to prove with their next release.

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    dOm_CaTz

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    #28  Edited By dOm_CaTz

    Why can't people just move on from this shit. How you feel about the ending is all opinion based. If you hated it just move on to something else, I mean seriously. Mass Effect is my favorite game and series and I still don't know how I feel about the ending after all this time, but yet I moved on to other shit without thinking "man I have to go on the internet and jump on the hate/love train that is Mass Effect 3". Just deal with it and keep it movin'.

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    Ares42

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    #29  Edited By Ares42

    Looking forward to the bombcast this week then =D

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    golguin

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    #30  Edited By golguin

    @StarvingGamer said:

    ME3 was fine on its own. From Ashes and Leviathan are amazing pieces of content, but add very little to the actual core ME3 storyline. They are there to provide extended lore and overall context, not move the Mass Effect trilogy to its conclusion. Also, they added absolutely nothing with the extended-cut DLC that couldn't have easily been inferred by anyone willing to spare an ounce of brainpower. The EC is the worst example of lowest-common-denominator dumbing-down that I have ever seen. Ever.

    EDIT: ME3 is going to be in my top 10 games this year, and would hold the same overall ranking even if From Ashes and Leviathan were part of the retail game or never existed at all.

    If you think the Extended Cut, From Ashes and Leviathan are not essential to the ME3 experience then you are on some heavy stuff. If you think the EC didn't plug up some glaring holes that had a good number of people drinking that Indoctrination Theory juice then I really don't know what to tell you.

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    Wampa1

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    #31  Edited By Wampa1

    @golguin: So the entire left side of that dialogue tree was gone? I only played post EC and didn't see why everyone was so angry since that side of the wheel gives context to the choices you are about to make. Crazy.

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    StarvingGamer

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    #32  Edited By StarvingGamer

    @Hailinel said:

    @StarvingGamer said:

    ME3 was fine on its own. From Ashes and Leviathan are amazing pieces of content, but add very little to the actual core ME3 storyline. They are there to provide extended lore and overall context, not move the Mass Effect trilogy to its conclusion. Also, they added absolutely nothing with the extended-cut DLC that couldn't have easily been inferred by anyone willing to spare an ounce of brainpower. The EC is the worst example of lowest-common-denominator dumbing-down that I have ever seen. Ever.

    I really can't agree with that.

    The original ending is, structurally, logically, a piece of shit. At the very end, Shepard is lifted up to a space platform via a conveniently placed elevator that absolutely no one apparently knew about and was told by Space Child that if he wants to stop the reapers, he has to either blow up a piece of the crucible with his pistol, control the reapers by allowing himself to be disintegrated by grabbing a pair of conduits, or become one with the galaxy and merge organic and synthetic life by tossing himself into a green light. At no point does Shepard even stop to ask how any of the above makes a lick of sense. Absolutely nothing regarding the Crucible, how it operates (Blow up part of the device to destroy the reapers?), what it's designed to accomplish (why does this weapon have multiple choices?), how Shepard gets up there (WHY IS THAT ELEVATOR THERE?), and this is to say nothing of Space Child.

    It's poorly written nonsense only made somewhat better by the extended cut making Shepard less of a complete dope.

    Your close relative is terminally ill and it falls to you to make the important medical decisions. The best efforts of your trusted physicians have failed and turning to an out-of-town specialist is your only option. She gives you your options, but can only speak in generalities. Time is of the essence and it's naive to think that you, with no medical background, would ever be able to fully understand the science behind each possible treatment. You don't know this woman from Adam. She could be genuinely magnanimous or subtly manipulating you towards the path that best protects her premiums. But none of this matters, a choice has to be made and you have to make it. It sucks and there's no way to KNOW know what the right thing to do is, you just have to go with your gut.

    This situation is incredibly shitty, but not because of its structure or logic. Shepard is a soldier, not a scientist. The Crucible is an incredibly advanced piece of technology at least 20-million-years old and potentially much older. The best minds of the combined races have been studying it for hundreds of years and they still have no real idea of how it works. They rely on the Keepers, something else they aren't even close to figuring out, to keep the whole thing running. Believing she has ANY chance of being able to make an informed decision on the Crucible/Catalyst super-combo is the only thing that would make her seem like a complete dope in this situation.

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    StarvingGamer

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    #33  Edited By StarvingGamer

    @golguin: Jeff played the game without either and he had a complete story. The only thing From Ashes really adds to ME3 or even the universe as a whole is the fact that hey, Protheans were assholes and speak like South Africans. And I played the game without Leviathan. When they released the DLC it was an excellent experience, but there was nothing they were able to tell me that I didn't already figure out from the information provided in the ending, pre-EC. And I'd like you to name a single plot hole that the EC plugged that wasn't simply a flipping of the switch from implicit to explicit.

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    Silver-Streak

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    #34  Edited By Silver-Streak

    @joshthebear: To be fair, this is in direct correlation with Brad discussing the ending on twitter. Also, this is the Mass Effect 3 board. What did you expect, discussion about Mass Effect 2?

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    Rasmoss

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    #35  Edited By Rasmoss
    @StarvingGamer

    @Hailinel said:

    @StarvingGamer said:

    ME3 was fine on its own. From Ashes and Leviathan are amazing pieces of content, but add very little to the actual core ME3 storyline. They are there to provide extended lore and overall context, not move the Mass Effect trilogy to its conclusion. Also, they added absolutely nothing with the extended-cut DLC that couldn't have easily been inferred by anyone willing to spare an ounce of brainpower. The EC is the worst example of lowest-common-denominator dumbing-down that I have ever seen. Ever.

    I really can't agree with that.

    The original ending is, structurally, logically, a piece of shit. At the very end, Shepard is lifted up to a space platform via a conveniently placed elevator that absolutely no one apparently knew about and was told by Space Child that if he wants to stop the reapers, he has to either blow up a piece of the crucible with his pistol, control the reapers by allowing himself to be disintegrated by grabbing a pair of conduits, or become one with the galaxy and merge organic and synthetic life by tossing himself into a green light. At no point does Shepard even stop to ask how any of the above makes a lick of sense. Absolutely nothing regarding the Crucible, how it operates (Blow up part of the device to destroy the reapers?), what it's designed to accomplish (why does this weapon have multiple choices?), how Shepard gets up there (WHY IS THAT ELEVATOR THERE?), and this is to say nothing of Space Child.

    It's poorly written nonsense only made somewhat better by the extended cut making Shepard less of a complete dope.

    Your close relative is terminally ill and it falls to you to make the important medical decisions. The best efforts of your trusted physicians have failed and turning to an out-of-town specialist is your only option. She gives you your options, but can only speak in generalities. Time is of the essence and it's naive to think that you, with no medical background, would ever be able to fully understand the science behind each possible treatment. You don't know this woman from Adam. She could be genuinely magnanimous or subtly manipulating you towards the path that best protects her premiums. But none of this matters, a choice has to be made and you have to make it. It sucks and there's no way to KNOW know what the right thing to do is, you just have to go with your gut.

    This situation is incredibly shitty, but not because of its structure or logic. Shepard is a soldier, not a scientist. The Crucible is an incredibly advanced piece of technology at least 20-million-years old and potentially much older. The best minds of the combined races have been studying it for hundreds of years and they still have no real idea of how it works. They rely on the Keepers, something else they aren't even close to figuring out, to keep the whole thing running. Believing she has ANY chance of being able to make an informed decision on the Crucible/Catalyst super-combo is the only thing that would make her seem like a complete dope in this situation.

    Now imagine that the doctor has the form of a dog you saw that morning.
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    Doctorchimp

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    #36  Edited By Doctorchimp

    Meh, I'll see what he says on the bombcast. I think Jeff had the same attitude I had, played it all without the DLC. When the rest of the DLC came out it, my first reaction to all of it is just a very strong "no thank you".

    Mass Effect 3 is a pretty bad ending to two pretty amazing games, that's what Bioware sold me.

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    ShadyPingu

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    #37  Edited By ShadyPingu

    @StarvingGamer said:

    And I'd like you to name a single plot hole that the EC plugged that wasn't simply a flipping of the switch from implicit to explicit.

    I have no desire to get into an extended discussion about ME3's ending, but I will say that your 2 main companions showing up on the Normandy, post-crash, is an honest-to-goodness continuity error, and the EC plugged that up, albeit sloppily. So there's that.

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    golguin

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    #38  Edited By golguin

    @StarvingGamer said:

    @golguin: Jeff played the game without either and he had a complete story. The only thing From Ashes really adds to ME3 or even the universe as a whole is the fact that hey, Protheans were assholes and speak like South Africans. And I played the game without Leviathan. When they released the DLC it was an excellent experience, but there was nothing they were able to tell me that I didn't already figure out from the information provided in the ending, pre-EC. And I'd like you to name a single plot hole that the EC plugged that wasn't simply a flipping of the switch from implicit to explicit.

    You were running toward Harbinger with your team as his laser blasted away your fellow soldiers. You run and suddenly the beam hits dangerously close. Where is my team? They're all dead? Everyone is leaving? Damn. >>fast forward>> The Normandy is flying away. They crash on an unknown world. Liara just walks out. Wait, she was running with me. I thought she died. How did she get on the ship. When did the ship pick her up. Why didn't it pick me up? ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

    If you were there during all the discussions you know that people assumed that somehow the ship came down and picked up your crew and Joker left you there because he betrayed you and it all happened very fast because Harbinger allowed it to happen so he obviously didn't see it or he would have shot down the Normandy like everyone thing else.

    Is that good enough?

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    StarvingGamer

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    #39  Edited By StarvingGamer
    @Encephalon@golguin That is the perfect example of implicit to explicit. We're both trapped in a burning building. As we try to escape, we at one point get separated. I make it out and find you sitting on a gurney being seen to by EMT's. Am I going to assume that you found another exit or point at you screaming "Plot hole! Plot hole! I didn't actually see you escape so clearly it couldn't have happened!"
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    Bocam

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    #40  Edited By Bocam

    @StarvingGamer said:

    @Encephalon@golguin That is the perfect example of implicit to explicit. We're both trapped in a burning building. As we try to escape, we at one point get separated. I make it out and find you sitting on a gurney being seen to by EMT's. Am I going to assume that you found another exit or point at you screaming "Plot hole! Plot hole! I didn't actually see you escape so clearly it couldn't have happened!"

    You never see Shepard's team being separated. They just vanish and it is never brought up.

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    TheHT

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    #41  Edited By TheHT

    I agree. Fuck DLC. They should have delayed it by a year if it meant getting Javik and Leviathan included. Whether the extended cut would even be a thing had they included Leviathan, who could say.

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    mellotronrules

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    #42  Edited By mellotronrules

    i enjoyed the game without the dlc- actually, i had from ashes, but didn't really use javik on away missions. wasn't crazy about the original ending (who was), but for me it was all about the characters- having a marksmanship contest with garrus in the citadel (along with the other character-bonding moments with wrex, mordin, etc.) was worth the price of admission for that game. i honestly didn't really care what happened to humanity, so long as i got to hang out with that gang. so i had a good time, regardless- and i'll check out the next release in that universe (so long as it doesn't look atrocious).

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    TheHT

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    #43  Edited By TheHT

    Also, I am now incredibly envious of Brad and anyone who got to play with all that shit on their first run. :(

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    TheSouthernDandy

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    #44  Edited By TheSouthernDandy

    Welp, I beat the game about 5 minutes ago. I loved it, thought it was great. I do think it's kinda crazy Leviathan wasn't part of the core game, I think a lot of that info is there to be picked up without it, but having the specifics dealt with probably helped out in the end a huge amount. From Ashes was rad and I liked Javik a lot but that seemed less essential.

    I looked over what was added in the EC and I can see why people would have been upset with the original ending. Having the narration and the scene where Shepards name is placed on the memorial wall added a lot. I still think the amount of rage and internet petitions and all that crap was completely stupid but I get why people might not have been to happy with the original ending. I had a great experience though, it's gonna be pretty high on my top ten list. Oh and if anyone cares I went with Synthesis. All my dudes is green now.

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    granderojo

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    #45  Edited By granderojo

    PC gamer here.

    I'm someone who really enjoyed Mass Effect 2, but jumped on the anti-Origin bandwagon upon it's release and had some quibbles with the story with how liberally they used Revelation Space trilogy as a reference. THAT SAID.

    I am now getting over this once the main game is so cheap on Origin, but I do not see the story DLC sold on Origin and assume it must be purchased ingame. If I were to only buy the story based DLC, how much would that set me back?

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    deactivated-61665c8292280

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    @TheHT said:

    Also, I am now incredibly envious of Brad and anyone who got to play with all that shit on their first run. :(

    Same. Think of how jarring an experience it was for us. DLC or not, that's how we'll always remember it.

    It is the relative opposite for those playing with all that backing DLC. They'll come away thinking it was a fine, if not great, experience and won't be able to empathize on some nuanced level with the players who experienced the original ending. They can understand what it was like, but they won't really know.

    What a weird situation.

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    WinterSnowblind

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    #47  Edited By WinterSnowblind

    @ck1nd said:

    I thoroughly enjoyed the ending, in fact I loved it. This whole drama/soap-box preaching is people expecting promises that, let's face it, couldn't have been fulfilled reasonably. We all want to pretend that we know how to develop a game, but in the end I'm positive Bioware did what they set out to do. The end-cut was merely a way to (in their eyes - hopefully) quell an audience that way voicing it's opinion.

    The original story writer left Bioware after ME2 and they were left to rush out the final part of the trilogy with no idea how to end it. None of what you saw in ME3 was planned from the start and it deviated wildly from what the original writer envisioned.

    The game was every bit as half-assed as it seemed.

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    Draugen

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    #48  Edited By Draugen

    @joshthebear said:

    For fucks sake, do we really need another ME3 ending discussion thread?

    Feel free not to contribute.

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    dr_mantas

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    #49  Edited By dr_mantas

    I liked the game, even though I played pre-DLC (except for From Ashes), but the DLC improved the game substantially. I might replay the whole series at some point in the future, and I'm sure playing without DLC would be unthinkable to me now.

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    Jimbo

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    #50  Edited By Jimbo

    I think when the developer has to apologise for how shitty the original ending is, and has to take another go at it, it's probably time to stop defending the original ending.

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