Mass Effect 3

[RealKingofCleve]

I won't be buying any more mass effect products after the shit sandwich that those endings were.

 

[Marcus]

I won't be buying any more mass effect products after the shit sandwich that those endings were.

I mean, I don't think they were THAT bad, but I was disappointed. And this game was also much shorter than either of the previous two installments... funny how when EA manages to sink their filthy tendrils into a franchise, the sequels get progressively shallower (ie, Dragon Age 2). I don't think they had much pull when it came to the Mass Effect series, but still. I wish Bioware was whoring themselves out to another company.

Anyways, back on topic...

One of the theories I've heard a lot about the ending sequence is that (white) the Reapers were trying to indoctrinate Shepard, and that whole experience was happening within his mind as he fought to keep them out of his head and remain in control. If you get the ultimate "Destroy" ending (you need to have your effective military rating up over 5000), you actually see Shepard wake up on the battlefield where he was hit by the Reaper.

 

[RealKingofCleve]

I mean, I don't think they were THAT bad, but I was disappointed. And this game was also much shorter than either of the previous two installments... funny how when EA manages to sink their filthy tendrils into a franchise, the sequels get progressively shallower (ie, Dragon Age 2). I don't think they had much pull when it came to the Mass Effect series, but still. I wish Bioware was whoring themselves out to another company.

Anyways, back on topic...

One of the theories I've heard a lot about the ending sequence is that (white) the Reapers were trying to indoctrinate Shepard, and that whole experience was happening within his mind as he fought to keep them out of his head and remain in control. If you get the ultimate "Destroy" ending (you need to have your effective military rating up over 5000), you actually see Shepard wake up on the battlefield where he was hit by the Reaper.

Yeah I don't totally hate that theory. If they go with that and resolve it on DLC, I will begrudgingly buy it.

 

[MD13]

I mean, I don't think they were THAT bad, but I was disappointed. And this game was also much shorter than either of the previous two installments... funny how when EA manages to sink their filthy tendrils into a franchise, the sequels get progressively shallower (ie, Dragon Age 2). I don't think they had much pull when it came to the Mass Effect series, but still. I wish Bioware was whoring themselves out to another company.

Anyways, back on topic...

One of the theories I've heard a lot about the ending sequence is that (white) the Reapers were trying to indoctrinate Shepard, and that whole experience was happening within his mind as he fought to keep them out of his head and remain in control. If you get the ultimate "Destroy" ending (you need to have your effective military rating up over 5000), you actually see Shepard wake up on the battlefield where he was hit by the Reaper.

That was really interesting, so I snooped around and found this. Read the first post- it's really long, but if true... my mind is blown, and suddenly the ending is amazing.

*spoilers of course*

http://www.gamespot.com/mass-effect...-seem-spoilers-there-is-hope-62224538/?page=0

 

[MD13]

I've spent the last few hours reading about this, and it BLOWS MY MIND. If true, bioware has just taken a step in storytelling that no other game has ever done *white*: They've gotten a significant amount of the players (myself included) to indoctrinate themselves. I'd also like to point out that the catalyst-child blatantly lies about at least one thing: if you get a perfect ending and choose to destroy the reapers, the final cutscene is of shepard slowly stirring awake in a pile of rubble. This 100% goes against what he said, since he said that destroying reapers would destroy all synthetic life (shepard included).

 

[Marcus]

I've spent the last few hours reading about this, and it BLOWS MY MIND. If true, bioware has just taken a step in storytelling that no other game has ever done *white*: They've gotten a significant amount of the players (myself included) to indoctrinate themselves. I'd also like to point out that the catalyst-child blatantly lies about at least one thing: if you get a perfect ending and choose to destroy the reapers, the final cutscene is of shepard slowly stirring awake in a pile of rubble. This 100% goes against what he said, since he said that destroying reapers would destroy all synthetic life (shepard included).

White:

That's the other thing I forgot to mention: the catalyst tries to convince you that keeping the Reapers alive and in your control or combining organics and synthetics is the best solution (both of which would spare the Reapers). Notice how he tries to steer you away from actually destroying them. The option of destroying them is even highlighted in renegade colors. There's other telltale signs of possible indoctrination, such as the whispers that you can hear and the black squiggles around your screen, plus the fact that in the perfect ending, Shepard wakes up in that pile of rubble where he was hit by the Reaper attack.

 

[MD13]

White:

That's the other thing I forgot to mention: the catalyst tries to convince you that keeping the Reapers alive and in your control or combining organics and synthetics is the best solution (both of which would spare the Reapers). Notice how he tries to steer you away from actually destroying them. The option of destroying them is even highlighted in renegade colors. There's other telltale signs of possible indoctrination, such as the whispers that you can hear and the black squiggles around your screen, plus the fact that in the perfect ending, Shepard wakes up in that pile of rubble where he was hit by the Reaper attack.

Bioware are geniuses! white: Also, I just played the beginning sequence on Earth again. No one besides you ever looks at or sees the child. Even when he's struggling to get on board the shuttle, no one helps him or looks at him or whatever. Also, when he's in the vent he disappears after Anderson calls your name (breaking you free from their influence momentarily). The kid was never there to begin with, and he was how the reapers indoctrinated you.

 

[Marcus]

Bioware are geniuses! white: Also, I just played the beginning sequence on Earth again. No one besides you ever looks at or sees the child. Even when he's struggling to get on board the shuttle, no one helps him or looks at him or whatever. Also, when he's in the vent he disappears after Anderson calls your name (breaking you free from their influence momentarily). The kid was never there to begin with, and he was how the reapers indoctrinated you.

It's beginning to sound more and more like this is the actual case, plus the fact that Bioware has been keeping very quiet on it ever since this whole firestorm from the fans over the endings started. If so, I give them HUGE props, and the endings are suddenly one of the craziest (albeit amazing) things to happen in the history of video media.

 

[MD13]

It's beginning to sound more and more like this is the actual case, plus the fact that Bioware has been keeping very quiet on it ever since this whole firestorm from the fans over the endings started. If so, I give them HUGE props, and the endings are suddenly one of the craziest (albeit amazing) things to happen in the history of video media.

I think if this theory is true, it may put Mass Effect 3 up there as the best game ever made. Not even joking, what they managed to do in this ending (if the theory is true of course) is an all-new level of storytelling and choice that no other developer has even dreamed of making.

 

[Marcus]

I think if this theory is true, it may put Mass Effect 3 up there as the best game ever made. Not even joking, what they managed to do in this ending (if the theory is true of course) is an all-new level of storytelling and choice that no other developer has even dreamed of making.

It's already one of the deeper gaming experiences from a story telling and choice perspective... and this game forces you to make some very tough decisions throughout the course of the game, well before the ending. The ending, if true, just suddenly put player involvement and immersion into the story and atmosphere on a whole new level.

 

[pr26]

Finally picked this up last night. I'll let you all know how the story progresses without Mordin.

 

[Triplethreat]

Bioware are geniuses! white: Also, I just played the beginning sequence on Earth again. No one besides you ever looks at or sees the child. Even when he's struggling to get on board the shuttle, no one helps him or looks at him or whatever. Also, when he's in the vent he disappears after Anderson calls your name (breaking you free from their influence momentarily). The kid was never there to begin with, and he was how the reapers indoctrinated you.

White: The truth is, is that the Catalyst is really the Citadel. The Citadel has been a Super AI the entire time throughout the series but it was never known, the Catalyst pulls the nightmares of the child straight from Shepards nightmares and depicts him at the end of the game. I like where you are going with this whole thing, because I thought the endings sucked but there is no way Bioware made it that hard to understand the ending, especially when some people just picking it up at 3 wouldn't understand that as much. Anyways Shepard would not be able to control the Reapers if he was indoctrinated and it would make no sense with the old man telling the child at the end on the planet that the Normandy landed on.

I like the idea though, really great thought and I would have loved it, but I just don't know how he would have stopped the Reapers.

 

[Chris]

I hope the indoctrination thing is right.

But I doubt it.

 

[Marcus]

I hope the indoctrination thing is right.

But I doubt it.

White:

Right now with all of those observations and evidence laid out, it's definitely pointing more and more towards indoctrination or hallucination due to trauma/blood loss on Shepard's part.



EDIT (also in white):

In the sequence where Shepard confronts the Illusive Man with Anderson, he's not wearing his armor -- he is wearing his normal clothing that he wears on the Normandy or in a generally non-hostile environment. That, coupled with the fact that he wakes up in a pile of rubble where he and his squad were attacked by the Reaper, leads me to believe that there is definitely something more than meets the eye when it comes to the ending.

 

[Chris]

White:

Right now with all of those observations and evidence laid out, it's definitely pointing more and more towards indoctrination or hallucination due to trauma/blood loss on Shepard's part.



EDIT (also in white):

In the sequence where Shepard confronts the Illusive Man with Anderson, he's not wearing his armor -- he is wearing his normal clothing that he wears on the Normandy or in a generally non-hostile environment. That, coupled with the fact that he wakes up in a pile of rubble where he and his squad were attacked by the Reaper, leads me to believe that there is definitely something more than meets the eye when it comes to the ending.

I agree...

However, I'd be shocked if this is exactly what Bioware had laid out and planned all along.