The kid is a lie. |
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61.4% (43) |
The kid is real. |
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38.6% (27) |
Poll: Mass Effect 3: Shepard's mental health Pages 1 2 NEXT | |
I reckon the kid's a lie. The way the scene went, it put quite an emphasis on the kid randomly disappearing and Anderson didn't even notice him. Plus in the Art of Mass Effect universe, the kid was put in to symbolise the face of humanity and Shepard's view on what's happening so it makes perfect sense. It'd also be cool because I think it would add an interesting twist to the last episode of the series to see that the trauma and events of the series have taken a toll on Shepard, all whilst trying to stop the Reapers. | |
I reckon the kid is a lie, and a creation of Shepard's psyche. It makes sense, no-one reacted to him or anything as you said, so yeah you know. He is a bit mentally unstable, the kid represents himself and his innocence or something. Also : | |
Shepard is obviously batshit insane by this point. Theres no way you go through all of that, getting results, and come out with a clean bill of mental health. | |
I doubt it. I can see the argument for the kid being a figment of the imagination, but I've having trouble seeing them pulling something like that, especially at this late stage. Then again, I do like the idea of Shepard somehow finally showing the strain. | |
That would be genius, I want that to happen! | |
That would be incredible and show depth of character so there's no chance it was ever the intention nor will it ever happen. :( And that's speaking as a fan of Mass Effect whose hugely anticipating this game and doesn't shit all over Bioware for being successful. It's just not in the cards. It would require them to define Shepherd as a person, and Bioware games are all about player agency. | |
You might be onto something here. I certainly would like to see a twist like that, to illustrate the deterioration of Shepard's mental state. Something tells me though, that Bioware wouldn't put something like that in the game. Then again, I thought imaginary people would never appear in Call of Duty. | |
It makes sense, that Shepard would have moderate to severe post traumatic stress disorder at this point. From the events at the beginning of ME2, if nothing else. This is something I've long wondered about in these RPGS, particularly the fantasy ones where you're perpetually dying and being resurrected. Think of the cumulative psychological effect of that. Head staved in by mace, brought back. Soul ravaged by undead, brought back. Burned to a crisp by fireball, brought back. Your average adventurer would be a complete wreck, psychologically, by about level 5. It stands to reason that anything they experience past that point is probably delusion, while they lie drooling in a padded room. | |
Could be a... Reaper Indoctrination Method! *DUN Dun dun* | |
This sounds very interesting. I voted the kid is real, but thats because im stupid and didnt read your post first. Now I think the kid is a lie. I would like it to be anyway. It'll show you that your not just some immortal badass that feels nothing. | |
I think the simplest explanation is probably the most likely: in this case, it was a real kid and Bioware were just going for a cheap "dead kid" emotional pop. | |
I think this is one of those "you're reading too much into this" moments. A kid died, that's all there is to it. | |
What. The. Fuck. Guys. ...How? Just...how? Anyway, I think Shepard is made of some pretty tough stuff. In truth, yeah, s/he probably should have snapped a long time ago, but by that same logic Gordon Freeman, Bilbo Baggins, Frodo Baggins, and The Doctor should be crazy too, but we love them all the same (though at least in Doctor Who they bother to address all of the horrors the Doctor has gone through). But I think if we can believe a scaredy cat like Bilbo Baggins can outsmart Gollum and a dragon, I don't think believing in Shepard having an amazing ability to cope is too much of a stretch. | |
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As interesting as it would be for the kid to be fake, it's unlikely - because it happens even with a non-losses Shepard, and more importantly, there's no way that you could ever confirm or deny the existence of that kid. The kid's dead, there's no opportunity for anyone to point out the kid isn't real. It's a sympathy shot, and it's fairly well done. Wait... unless, UNLESS, the kid shows up later. Totally unharmed. And smiles. Oooh, that would be a great opening to an 'I'm losing it' sequence. Ah, so many opportunities for greatness, so unlikely they'll be pursued. | |
The Kid IS REZNOV THE NUMBER SHEPARD WHAT DO THEY MEANNN | |
yeah this, it wouldn't quite line up with the past couple mass effects exactly, but i wouldn't mind it at the same time. | |
The ending of the game will be "Shepard" waking up in a modern day psyche ward, the whole trilogy having been the delusions of a madman, and thus will end the biggest troll ever perpetrated upon mankind ever. Kudos Bioware. | |
That would probably be the best ending ever. No joke. | |
Dunno, i'm starting to think the RPG status of ME is starting to be a bit of a curse rather than a blessing. If the kid really was just a delusion on Shep's part then that would be Bioware imposing a character trait on every Shepard in existance. So being an RPG, Bioware needs to leave the character as open as possible for obvious, Role Playing reasons. Imagine someone's badass Renegade Jerk With A Heart of Gold Shepard being forced down the insanity route. It would kinda fuck with the RP a bit. | |
Yeah, I like that the conspiracy theories are already swirling around the dead kid. I'd say the kid was a figment of Shepard's imagination, based on how the kid appeared and all that has gone on. The "Choose your losses" question at the beginning only served to add to this. I expect there'll be a lot more buzz and discussion about Shepard's mental health as we see more of the game - roll on March 9th! (EU) | |
If this is true, and the kid is a lie, then I LIKE where Mass Effect 3 is going. | |
I'm not the one who wrote the script, but it does make sense in accordance to how it was laid out. Besides, I reckon they won't explain it or mention it at all after that point, leaving it to the fans to draw their own conclusions. None of this is unheard of. | |
But if your Renegade had a heart of gold then wouldn't he/she be affected by the loss of squad members and the 300,000 innocent people you kill in "the arrival"? As for the RP... Does my Shep get to decide to side with the Reapers? No. Can my Shep decide to kill EVERYONE and sort them out later? No. Can he proposition both Ashley and Liara for sexual favors at the same time? Well..... yes, but it does not go well. Any way.... There are already character traits imposed on Shep. You know like being a strong leader, courageous, awesome, and the like. Think of them like the gutter rails in a bowling ally. We can play around in between them all we want, but no matter how hard we try we can never completely miss the pins. Shep suffering from PTSD, indoctrination, psychosis, or anything else is just another foot of railing. | |
so, It was actually Sheppard that got shot in Horizon not Jenkins, and all of the mass effect games are happening in Sheppards dying moments. | |
mindfucked by 2 Protehan relics, 3 Asari, and a Reaper Artifact. I say the possibility is very high, also we know what happens to people that get skull fucked by a reaper artifact, look at what happened to Saren and if you read the comic books to the illusive man. There has to be some sort of side effect. | |
It's an interesting idea, and I'm inclined to believe you. Both my Shepards have had tough lives. Aiden, my paragon, would probably be more likely to suffer from some sort of mental disorder, he was a colony kid, but also the hero of the Skillian Blitz, but I feel that it would eventually catch up with him. Faye, my renegade (with a touch of paragon), was Earth born and the soul survior of Akuze, through sheer force of will, she's indomitable. | |
As much as I would love for something like this to happen it's bioware we're talking about so I dont think so. | |
there are a few people that can go through hell like that and still be sane very few but there out there. | |
Oh you guys don't even know about the clone life crisis? | |
Definitely possible, though I wouldn't hedge money on it. | |
I bloody hope so now, I love that kind of twist, if it's well done anyway Maybe it will turn out that shepherd has been Tyler Durden the whole time | |
dont forget that he can have a origin where both his parents got killed by slavers and his squad got killed by a thresher maw. | |
Reading into this a bit too much. Anderson din't see the kid cause he went throught the door, Kids CAN be alone sometimes y'know and the reason no-one helped him up was because its the middle of a paniced barely controled planetary evacuation. BIOWARE are going for the full scale no one is safe kinda thing in ME3, so yeah, theres probably more stuff like that. Also, lingering psychological effects were touched on in ME2 but that was never explored. I think they only bring it up to give you an excuse for being a heartless dick in-game. | |
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So in the beginning of the demo you are asked a question worded in a strange way. You are asked to choose the option that best describes your combat losses. The choices are "numerous", "Kaidan", or "Ashley". Then things get interesting. Regardless of what you pick it goes on to say that the loss/ losses sustained has had a "lingering physiological effect" on Shepard.
Now the only reason I bring this up is because of the kid.
If you didn't already know....
Anyway, I was playing the SP portion a second time specifically critiquing the game instead of focusing on the story and the experience and I noticed something.
Shepard is the only person that EVER interacted with the kid.
1) The kid is alone in the garden on top of the building across from Shepard and Shepard is alone.
2) The kid is conveniently hiding in a vent of a room that gets blasted by a Reaper.
3) The kid will not come out of the vent, Anderson does not react to the kid, and the kid simply disappears into thin air.
4) The soldiers are helping people onto the shuttles but no one acknowledges the kid or helps him into the shuttle when he is struggling to climb in.
It may just be me, but I was getting a big "Sixth Sense" vibe from it.
There are many things this could be a metaphor of, or I might just be overthinking it.
But come to think of it, Shepard has had his psyche screwed with on several occasions...
What do you all think? Is Shepard losing his/her grasp on reality or is this just an odd set of coincidences? If you don't think this is Shepard losing his/her grasp on reality then how do you think the "lingering physiological effect" will come into play?