Mass Effect 3!

[Destinizish]

2) Plot progression and dialogue seemed rushed. Honestly. ME is generally faster than other RPGs, but it's literally take 3 steps and something major happens. Oh, you've been with this party member for half a mission but you're the best of friends dialogue wise. Who the hell is James and why did I have to play about 2 hours to get a tiny introduction? On that note, why does he idolize me in the intro but is antagonistic 30 minutes later?

I figure as someone who writes a lot and have done writing for random student film/game projects I'll address this a bit, but I have to spoiler tag it because I'll do a little about James after -

Spoiler

The thing is - you're expecting that the writing be tailored to an audience that has played the last two games. This is a fair assumption, but at the same time, they DO get new players that join the series with 2 and 3. As such, exposition needs to be set up, and fast. But they can't do it in a way that will bore the people who've played the last two. What you end up getting, is a whole lot of crazy fast action stuff for the old players, mixed in with some really quick exposition that goes along super fast for people who are just joining the series. For example as an old player I'm thinking, "Hey, here's my Shep, finally done with cerberus, guess he's back with the alliance. Ah, here's a new character to talk to later. ... Damn I have to talk about the reapers coming back? Really? I've known about this for two games. OH HOLY SHIT THEY ARE HERE HOORAY COMBAT" As a new player it goes more like "Ok, I'm playing a soldier. Ok, here's a guy who seems to idol me, so I've obviously done some cool stuff. Hm, what are the reapers? Obviously they're some kind of awful thing because everyone is scared of them. Oh shit that's a reaper? Oh shit it just blew everything up, and crazy stuff is happening."

In other words - you're taking for granted the amount of exposition they're giving new players because you already have that knowledge. They want to recap it for them, but move as quickly as possible through it so vets aren't bored. They achieved an OK balance, and the speed really only lasts through to about the Citadel. And the stuff that you learn through that entire amount of time?

-Who Shep is.
-Shep's relation to the galaxy, the alliance
-What Reapers are
-What Reapers plan to do/why they need to be stopped
-The main conflict of the game.
-What Cerberus is.
-What kinds of stuff Cerberus has been up to
-Shep's past with cerberus
-Shep's relation to Kaidan/Ashley
-What Kaidan/Ashley is up to this time, or how your relationship has evolved till now.
-Shep's relation to Liara
-What Liara is up to this time
-Shep's relation to Udina
-Who the Protheans were
-How Prothean data is stored
-The fact that Cerberus is after Prothean stuff too.
-The Citadel
-What the Citadel is/who lives on it.
-Introduction to SEVERAL alien races, and the entire peacekeeping system of the ambassadors.
-The power structure of the galaxy

Where vets pretty much get:
-Main Conflict
-What kinds of stuff Cerberus has been up to
-What Kaiden/Ashley/Liara are up to
-Cerberus after prothean stuff

This is a large difference, but ALL of that needed to be covered in the time you learned very little. So they needed to keep it fast paced and exciting for you.

As for James - this is actually explained. He idolizes you because you are a huge hero in the alliance. He obviously looks up to you for that. However, he also doesn't want to leave Earth. He wants to be part of the defense force and has only been put on the wrong ship at the wrong time for that to happen. His character is pretty much written as the hardcore soldier that wants to protect those he knows and loves and will put his life on the line to do it. When his Idol tells him to LEAVE Earth when that's where he can do exactly what he wants to do, of course he'd be a bit angry. And not only that, but right after that Shep puts him on door duty. Not a fun day for him.

 

[Alexandra]

Doubtful - DLC doesn't replace the ending of the game. Rather, when you finish the game, it pretty much rewinds to before you decided to go to the last battle. So all DLC happens before the canon ending.

Unless they release some DLC to specifically replace the ending, which they might do considering everyone is crying about how it ended - though generally not for the reasons I have. :P

But to be honest, even that'd be difficult considering they'd have to get the entire team, voice actors included, to come back to the project for that replacement ending.

I just finished...

Spoiler

I hate myself. I destroyed the galaxy. I wasn't expecting the Renegade choice to wipe out all of existence regardless. It's kind of depressing. Anyways, I was wondering if I could storm the Cerberus Base again and then go through the entire final battle, and choose Paragon over Renegade. Also, Liara and Javik (Prothean DLC) died when I was trying to get on the Citadel. Liara's body pooled in blood disturbed me. Is there any way to save everyone regardless? Lastly, I'm guessing you see your love interest in a flashback anyway right?

 

[Destinizish]

I just finished...

Spoiler

I hate myself. I destroyed the galaxy. I wasn't expecting the Renegade choice to wipe out all of existence regardless. It's kind of depressing. Anyways, I was wondering if I could storm the Cerberus Base again and then go through the entire final battle, and choose Paragon over Renegade. Also, Liara and Javik (Prothean DLC) died when I was trying to get on the Citadel. Liara's body pooled in blood disturbed me. Is there any way to save everyone regardless? Lastly, I'm guessing you see your love interest in a flashback anyway right?

Uh,

Spoiler

The amount of people that die depends on your score in the war room terminal. The best ending requires 4000 if you kept the collector base, and 5000 if you didn't I think. Or maybe it's the other way around. You can up it by just getting all the war assets (which generally requires a new game+) or by playing the multiplayer (which increases the readiness percentage, which boosts the effectiveness of all of your assets.)

As far as the flashback, I'm not sure what controls that to be honest. One time I got liara, and I didn't even talk to her outside once when I first got her. Pretty confused there.

 

[Alexandra]

Uh,

Spoiler

The amount of people that die depends on your score in the war room terminal. The best ending requires 4000 if you kept the collector base, and 5000 if you didn't I think. Or maybe it's the other way around. You can up it by just getting all the war assets (which generally requires a new game+) or by playing the multiplayer (which increases the readiness percentage, which boosts the effectiveness of all of your assets.)

As far as the flashback, I'm not sure what controls that to be honest. One time I got liara, and I didn't even talk to her outside once when I first got her. Pretty confused there.

Spoiler

I think you got Liara because they show the person you spoke with the least, Anderson, and your love interest. For me Joker showed up, but the image of Liara in a pool of blood running black made me whine and cry like a baby. I'll probably just stick to MP to raise my stats, and then go destroy Cerberus again and make my Shepard live. I'm not dying again damnit!

 

[crow_winters]

CROW! I'm waiting for mine to arrive in the mail. It's moider. But... but. We have to play some of the multiplayer. Speaking of which what of the demo characters?

I'll happily play multiplayer with you if you can tolerate me creating my own awful rendition of "I only know how to play fighting games: mass effect edition". The only reason I survive single player is because of the screen freeze of the power screen.

But I gotta get dat galaxy ready!

 

[Destinizish]

I'll happily play multiplayer with you if you can tolerate me creating my own awful rendition of "I only know how to play fighting games: mass effect edition". The only reason I survive single player is because of the screen freeze of the power screen.

But I gotta get dat galaxy ready!

Which version do you have? Cause I'd play too. (And don't worry, bronze multiplayer missions are pretty easy to do solo for me)

Also - After finally importing my engineer save, I can safely say:

Engineers are completely fucking broken in ME3. There's seriously not an enemy I don't have a way to deal with.

Makes playing my adept look like hell mode.

 

[Ghengis_John]

I'll happily play multiplayer with you if you can tolerate me creating my own awful rendition of "I only know how to play fighting games: mass effect edition". The only reason I survive single player is because of the screen freeze of the power screen.

But I gotta get dat galaxy ready!

cool. Expect me to pester you soon.

Also. WTF Chobot? Her character looks weird and she acts terribly. In a game where we catch up with "refund guy", Barla Von and even Rita the waitress where in the bloody hell is Emily Wong? This game is supposed to be all about call back, like a big mass effect reunion. Which makes the presence of a new and awful character and the absence of a pre-established character all the more jarring. If it were Emily Wong instead of a stunt casting character it would really have made the game that much better. Seeing her rubber face and her bizarre slutty outfit is like a god awful open infected sore that ruins the game for me every time I'm reminded that they made a character I LIKED disappear just to bring in a character I can't stand. It's fucking Optimus/Rodimus Prime all over again. What's worse her very presence undermines the game's credibility.

I promised Emily an exclusive interview, they went out of their way to remind me Emily was around in number 2, her career took off thanks to Shepard and she still wanted that interview and then BAM, never happens. What's worse her counterpart, the sleezy Kaleesa Bin-Senin is still around but she isn't. It has left such an ugly, greasy feeling in me that sinks in every time I start enjoying the game, I smile or laugh at my other pals from previous games and then because they purposefully reminded me of previous games I remember there's this horrible bit of shill casting in there accompanied by a big slice of narrative failure and hack writing. I was cheated out of a pay out moment just so somebody could finally have their "fuck Chobot fantasy simulator".

 

[Kenjitsu_Hokori]

Well I beat it this weekend and i must say.... Great game but that ending was asstacular >_>X. I really enjoyed it but man the ending made me angry to no upmost level xD.

4 Trophies from platniuming too

 

[Alexandra]

cool. Expect me to pester you soon.

Also. WTF Chobot? Her character looks weird and she acts terribly. In a game where we catch up with "refund guy", Barla Von and even Rita the waitress where in the bloody hell is Emily Wong? This game is supposed to be all about call back, like a big mass effect reunion. Which makes the presence of a new and awful character and the absence of a pre-established character all the more jarring. If it were Emily Wong instead of a stunt casting character it would really have made the game that much better. Seeing her rubber face and her bizarre slutty outfit is like a god awful open infected sore that ruins the game for me every time I'm reminded that they made a character I LIKED disappear just to bring in a character I can't stand. It's fucking Optimus/Rodimus Prime all over again. What's worse her very presence undermines the game's credibility.

I promised Emily an exclusive interview, they went out of their way to remind me Emily was around in number 2, her career took off thanks to Shepard and she still wanted that interview and then BAM, never happens. What's worse her counterpart, the sleezy Kaleesa Bin-Senin is still around but she isn't. It has left such an ugly, greasy feeling in me that sinks in every time I start enjoying the game, I smile or laugh at my other pals from previous games and then because they purposefully reminded me of previous games I remember there's this horrible bit of shill casting in there accompanied by a big slice of narrative failure and hack writing. I was cheated out of a pay out moment just so somebody could finally have their "fuck Chobot fantasy simulator".

She looks like fucking Snooki after liposuction.
Also, I make sure to beat the shit out of Kaleesa in every game.

 

[K0rN_b4LL]

I need some help.

Spoiler

I have the side mission where the Elcor ambassador asks you to help evacuate his homeworld. For some reason the game isn't giving me that flashing light for the area where the planet is, and on top of that when I finally did find the world it didn't give me any mission option for it. What do you have to do for this mission?

Also I have a system flashing, the Minos Wasteland, with no mission on it. The planet Aequitas has its name with a line pointing to it the way a planet would if you have a mission there but there is no mission listed and again I can't land or do anything with the planet. Did I hit some kind of glitch?

 

[Destinizish]

I need some help.

Spoiler

I have the side mission where the Elcor ambassador asks you to help evacuate his homeworld. For some reason the game isn't giving me that flashing light for the area where the planet is, and on top of that when I finally did find the world it didn't give me any mission option for it. What do you have to do for this mission?

Also I have a system flashing, the Minos Wasteland, with no mission on it. The planet Aequitas has its name with a line pointing to it the way a planet would if you have a mission there but there is no mission listed and again I can't land or do anything with the planet. Did I hit some kind of glitch?

Most the random missions on the citadel aren't actually complete mission sidequests. They're just little hints at things you can collect through scanning. So just use your scanner near them, then scan the planet.

 

[K0rN_b4LL]

Spoiler

I scaned the planet and nothing came up. Now since he is asking me to help evacuate his people and there is no way in hell the Normandy can fit a whole planet worth of Elcor in it's cargo hold I'm assuming that I gotta go somewhere else to get help for this one, who knows. And as I'm writting this it just now dawned on me to go check the Spectre station to see if it is one of those "just press a button to approve" kinda missions. Maybe it'll be there, who knows.

And I still don't know why Aequitas is making my map flash like that.

 

[K0rN_b4LL]

Uh,

Spoiler

The amount of people that die depends on your score in the war room terminal. The best ending requires 4000 if you kept the collector base, and 5000 if you didn't I think. Or maybe it's the other way around. You can up it by just getting all the war assets (which generally requires a new game+) or by playing the multiplayer (which increases the readiness percentage, which boosts the effectiveness of all of your assets.)

Is that overall military strength or the effective strength?

 

[crow_winters]

Which version do you have? Cause I'd play too. (And don't worry, bronze multiplayer missions are pretty easy to do solo for me)

Also - After finally importing my engineer save, I can safely say:

Engineers are completely fucking broken in ME3. There's seriously not an enemy I don't have a way to deal with.

Makes playing my adept look like hell mode.

Xbrick version. I tried doing solo bronze stuff this morning- you have hilariously underestimated my ineptitude. died on first waves in under 2 minutes every time. This game has no combo counter, how do i aim gun

 

[K0rN_b4LL]

 

[K0rN_b4LL]

So I just beat the game with the

Spoiler

shoot the power conduit and wipe out the reapers

ending and I gotta say, it wasn't all that bad. They could have done alot more with it but it was pretty simple and to the point. Now I just gotta go back and try the other two options and hope I see the asstacular ending that everyone is complaining about.

 

[K0rN_b4LL]

And I've done the other two, pretty similar but they do deviate somewhat. I really don't see what all the damn fuss online is about. Does it change depending on your good or evil ranking? My Shep was mostly good with a couple of renegade trigger presses here and there. I think people are angry cuz they are too lazy to stop and think for a moment at what the different things they are seeing means since it isn't being flat out explained to them. I for one rather liked the endings to this game.

 

[XionValkyrie]

The endings are terrible. The only logical way to make the endings work is the indoctrination theory. If you actually think about how the ending works and how it fits together with the rest of the story then it completely falls apart.

Here's a video of all 7 endings compiled together playing side by side so you can see just how lazy Bioware got:

Spoiler

This image pretty much summarizes up a lot of what's wrong with the ending:

Spoiler

 

[Destinizish]

And I've done the other two, pretty similar but they do deviate somewhat. I really don't see what all the damn fuss online is about. Does it change depending on your good or evil ranking? My Shep was mostly good with a couple of renegade trigger presses here and there. I think people are angry cuz they are too lazy to stop and think for a moment at what the different things they are seeing means since it isn't being flat out explained to them. I for one rather liked the endings to this game.

I'll sum it up quickly I guess:

Spoiler

1.)Possibly the most major reason - it's ridiculously brief. Bioware has built a really rich universe, other games take about 50 hours to complete with DLC included - you've made tons of choices through those games that Bioware has repeatedly said will matter.

And then they didn't deliver. Instead you're given an ending that lasts about 10 minutes if you include the entire part starting from the laser. Even that's hard to include as no matter what you do during that sequence (which is pretty much Shep limping through a railway) the final choice comes down to 3 options. All of which end in VERY similar cinematics that gives no epilogue or followup - all you know is what happened to shep.

2.) What the fuck is happening factor. The end of the game seems like an afterthought in which very little makes sense or is developed. Not only do they introduce new characters, they introduce entirely new concepts in the last minute of the game. Not only that but there are plot holes all over and they're absolutely crazy:

How did Anderson - who not only charged the conduit AFTER you, but is also significantly older than you - reach the control room faster? Where in the fuck did the Illusive man come from? He just walks in with no explanation. What in the actual fuck is the catalyst? An AI? A VI? Harbinger? God? He simply says "he" came up with the whole system as "his" solution. Why does he take the form of the child? Was the child real? etc. And not only that, what kind of solution is: "Hey you guys are eventually going to make synthetics that can kill all of you organics. So instead, I made some super advanced synthetics to kill you all so that you wouldn't make synthetics to kill you all. What?

3.) There is no epilogue, and the game REALLY DESPERATELY needs one. In every ending, you destroy all the mass relays. In the arrival, it's revealed that the destruction of a mass relay results in an ENTIRE SYSTEM being destroyed. So not only did you completely fuck everyone no matter what you picked (presumably) even if you didn't you fucked space travel forever, and I doubt all those ships have the supplies to get somewhere without the relays. So you screwed everyone over anyway? Because if you didn't, you should be told that you didn't.

What the fuck, normandy? Did all my allies just flee the fight for Earth? All those guys that all were saying they had wanted to STAY at earth the entire game... They just abandoned the final fight? I'm supposed to believe that?

4.) What happened to all the themes the ME series was building up to an ending for? Free will/the meaning of life? Synthetics vs organics? Unity? Where the hell did all of that go? You're pretty much told - unity can never happen, you're retarded, go kill yourself Shepard. I just spent an entire game and ended up getting EVERY RACE INCLUDING THE GETH to unite for a common cause. And I'm told that that can never happen. What.

So yeah, the complaints are pretty valid.

And to this man:

The endings are terrible. The only logical way to make the endings work is the indoctrination theory. If you actually think about how the ending works and how it fits together with the rest of the story then it completely falls apart.

Spoiler

Nope, even this doesn't make sense. VI on Thessia says that Shep is free of indoctrination. And if for some reason that were to mean he was only free AT THAT POINT and not that he wasn't in the process, then we come to the ending and that means that there was only one correct choice: destroy the reapers. And not only that, it means that Bioware still hasn't provided an ending, as all you've done is pass the indoctrination test, or something.

 

[XionValkyrie]

Indoctrination theory requires that there be some kind of TRUE END DLC, which isn't above EA. I don't really buy the indoctrination theory because I don't think Bioware is subtle enough to do something like that. Also, like you said, there are plenty of inconsistencies even with the indoctrination theory. However, the indoctrination theory does fit the game and the ending MUCH better than the ending Bioware did write.