OK, so My copy of Mass Effect 3 comes tomorrow, And I've managed to avoid having the ending spoiled for me so far, all I know is that it is apparently disappointing to the point where my comrades-in-arms are all polymorphed into Giant Squids of Anger. What I have to ask is this.

Is all the rage justified? I mean really, unbiased, objectively is the ending THAT BAD that it deserves this kind of unified outrage? I don't think i've ever seen such a massive fallout from how an otherwise much loved series failure.

Thoughts?

The game itself is really good and the ending isn't really bad its just poorly executed. You'll have a great time.

If you've ever seen poltergeist you will know these words well.....

Stay away from the light....

I guess it depends on how committed you are to the series. If you've invested a lot of time (and emotion) in to it then you may just feel that is utter crap. If it's just the next game on your list of ones to play through then maybe you'll be okay with it.

Other than the ending (which really is pretty bad) its a really good game with excellent writing (which makes the whole thing worse, Bioware got pretty much everything they had to get right right, and fell at the final hurdle), I suggest you that after you finish talking to TIM and Anderson for the final time you simply turn the game off and walk away, you will be much happier for it.

Play it and judge yourself. I personally take issue with the ending for many reasons, but I don't want my reasons pushed onto people who havn't experienced it.

So play it. Enjoy it (and I mean that, 99% of the game is utterly amazing.). And when you get to the end, you can decide yourself how you feel.

Don't let others colour it for you before you've played it.

Capcha: High five.

Nice.

Orange Monkey:
OK, so My copy of Mass Effect 3 comes tomorrow, And I've managed to avoid having the ending spoiled for me so far, all I know is that it is apparently disappointing to the point where my comrades-in-arms are all polymorphed into Giant Squids of Anger. What I have to ask is this.

Is all the rage justified? I mean really, unbiased, objectively is the ending THAT BAD that it deserves this kind of unified outrage? I don't think i've ever seen such a massive fallout from how an otherwise much loved series failure.

Thoughts?

It's definitely not the climax the series deserves, but it's overall a very good game. The ending is sloppy and poorly executed, which is understandable in context; the script for the original ending was leaked, forcing Bioware to change it to something else which simply couldn't possibly fit in with everything that had come before. That said, the anger is understandable but in my opinion a little extreme.

Graham from LRR had an interesting perspective on this; that the anger at this ending is a testament to what Bioware had with Mass Effect, or at least the rest of the series and even the rest of Mass Effect 3. I have a similar feeling to the subject; the same ending in a one-off game, or a mediocre game story, would not have attracted this level of bullshit fury from the gaming community. Hypothetically if the original Mass Effect had ended like this, we would have written it off as "good game, shame about the third act".

It's actully an awesome ending.

What happens is that Shepard screams "FOR THE EMPRAH!!!!" and turns into a space marine. He then teams up with the reapers to murder the council who were actully the development team (AUDIBLE GASP!).
Probably one of the best endings in gaming.

Being serious now, the ending is kinda dissapointing. Some people are happy enough with it but im pretty sure the majority disliked it.

Orange Monkey:
OK, so My copy of Mass Effect 3 comes tomorrow, And I've managed to avoid having the ending spoiled for me so far, all I know is that it is apparently disappointing to the point where my comrades-in-arms are all polymorphed into Giant Squids of Anger. What I have to ask is this.

Is all the rage justified? I mean really, unbiased, objectively is the ending THAT BAD that it deserves this kind of unified outrage? I don't think i've ever seen such a massive fallout from how an otherwise much loved series failure.

Thoughts?

I highly recommend waiting for the extended edition to be released. There's a chance it'll clean up some of the more egregious issues with the ending, which will ensure you actually experience a dollop of catharsis at the end instead of crashing into a wall. There's really no repairing a first impression, and while your initial impression of the current ending will most likely be hesitation and confusion, your eventual reaction will very likely be profound disappointment or irritation.

Orange Monkey:
OK, so My copy of Mass Effect 3 comes tomorrow, And I've managed to avoid having the ending spoiled for me so far, all I know is that it is apparently disappointing to the point where my comrades-in-arms are all polymorphed into Giant Squids of Anger. What I have to ask is this.

Is all the rage justified? I mean really, unbiased, objectively is the ending THAT BAD that it deserves this kind of unified outrage? I don't think i've ever seen such a massive fallout from how an otherwise much loved series failure.

Thoughts?

While I fully agree with the vast majority of my fellow Escapists when I say that the ending most assuredly is pretty bad, I still say that the reaction it got was WAY over the top. I was pretty damn disappointed over it, but I didn't think it was worthy of putting on a skii mask and taking hostages until Bioware submits to my demands.

I've always held that it was wrong of gamers to demand a new ending from Bioware. Not because of "artistic integrity" (though I do see what Bioware was trying to say with that statement), but simply because that's not something you do. You bought their product, if you don't like the way it ends well then...you don't like the way it ends. That doesn't mean Bioware owes you a better ending. The same way the author of a series of books doesn't owe you a new ending if you didn't like the way the series ended. The same way a movie studio doesn't owe you a neew ending if you didn't like how the movie ended.

"But ME is just as much ours as it is theirs! We made all the choices! We grew personally attached to Shepard!" That may be. But it still boils down to Bioware made a product. You bought said product. Don't like said product? Don't buy from Bioware anymore. You don't throw a temper tantrum and say that Bioware OWES you something better. You write up a review of the game and say "While the game itself was great, Bioware proved to be one big choke artist when the fucked up the ending."

In short, this:

Now I'm not saying that Bioware wouldn't be a bunch of dicks were that the way they responded. But in all fairness, Bioware is justified in being dicks in this case because the fanbase was acting like a bunch of dicks in the first place.

Play the game. Even though I was on the verge of ice cream shower disappointment myself when the ending rolled around, it IS still the most amazing game I've played during the last few years. Characters, writing, emotional impact, all great, combat was fun, multiplayer is good...

I believe whoever made the god-awful ending really dropped the ball there, but I refuse to let those 10 minutes spoil the other awesome 120 hours of the game...

RJ 17:
Now I'm not saying that Bioware wouldn't be a bunch of dicks were that the way they responded. But in all fairness, Bioware is justified in being dicks in this case because the fanbase was acting like a bunch of dicks in the first place.

I...guess that's cool then? So...the fan base and Bioware can just be dicks to one another, and stop interacting?

That'll go over well for Bioware. That's a curious interpretation of the fan/developer relationship if ever I heard one.

BloatedGuppy:

RJ 17:
Now I'm not saying that Bioware wouldn't be a bunch of dicks were that the way they responded. But in all fairness, Bioware is justified in being dicks in this case because the fanbase was acting like a bunch of dicks in the first place.

I...guess that's cool then? So...the fan base and Bioware can just be dicks to one another, and stop interacting?

That'll go over well for Bioware. That's a curious interpretation of the fan/developer relationship if ever I heard one.

Actually...yeah, that's pretty much what I'm saying. The fans started acting like a bunch of dicks which prompted Bioware to start acting like dicks which leaves the fans with one of two options:

1: "Well, we were acting like a bunch of dicks. Let's all just move on with our lives and chalk this one up to being a horrible failure of an ending."
2: "Well fuck Bioware then! See if they get a single cent of my money ever again!"

All I'll say is once you reach the point where you gotta head back to earth.....

Prepare yourself. And expect the most horrible and disappointing finale possible. A rocks fall, everyone dies type ending.

That way, you'll be pleasantly surprised as with your expectations set so low, you might find some satisfaction with the ending. Really i think it was painful for most of us because we expected a great conclusion (thank you bioware press for hyping it up) and instead we got...Well you'll see.

RJ 17:
Actually...yeah, that's pretty much what I'm saying. The fans started acting like a bunch of dicks which prompted Bioware to start acting like dicks which leaves the fans with one of two options:

1: "Well, we were acting like a bunch of dicks. Let's all just move on with our lives and chalk this one up to being a horrible failure of an ending."
2: "Well fuck Bioware then! See if they get a single cent of my money ever again!"

Well, no, see. That's a misrepresentation of events. "The fans" were not acting like a bunch of dicks. A certain, small percentage of fans acted like dicks, and their actions were allowed to color the collective dissatisfaction of the whole as "entitlement", or whatever idiotic buzzword you care to slap on it. Now, even if all you did was quietly express disappointment, you're an "entitled crybaby"...because if anything demonstrates that you're speaking from a position of moral authority it's hurling invectives at total strangers.

So now, I guess, your perspective is that because we bought it, we can expect Bioware to have a chortle, and flip us the bird, and troll us via IGN? And just not address anything anyone was asking for, because their feathers were ruffled by a handful of assholes, as if vocally unhappy customers were some new phenomenon, and no one in any service industry has ever had to deal with them patiently before? You're damn right that would be a company I wouldn't be giving any more money to. What would be the sense in that? They're a fucking business. I expect them to act like professionals, not pull some 3rd grade "HE STARTED IT" nonsense and have a fit in the media. I mean, I guess that's a good way to go, if you've decided you're done with the whole "selling games" thing, and now you're off to hunt snipes or collect hummel figurines or whatever else people do when they've lost their minds.

But you know, whatever. That's not what happened. The extended edition is coming, and I'm prepared to give it a chance before deciding whether or not I trust these guys enough to continue paying them to tell me stories. They didn't flip me the bird, because that would have been corporate suicide. It's nice you think it would've been funny and appropriate, but I guess that's why none of us are CEOs of game developers.

It won't ruin the whole game for you, but the ending is a disappointing finish to all the preceding greatness. I'm kinda pretending it didn't happen.

poiumty:
...and grows in shittiness directly proportional to how big of a fan you are and how much time you spend thinking about it.

This is a very good point. The ending is bad on a first look, but really starts to crumble under more intense analysis. The best thing you can do is say "I GUESS THAT'S THAT" in a loud voice seconds after finishing the game, and then immediately try to blast it from your mind. A sharp blow to the head might do it.

BloatedGuppy:
Snip

To be clear, I'm not trying to stand up for Bioware or defend their actions in the least, basically what I'm saying is that both parties - to be specific the Retake ME movement and Bioware - were acting like a bunch of dicks.

I'm just saying how I think things would have turned out if Bioware didn't do what they did to appease people, which would have indeed and most certainly ended poorly for Bioware. My point, though, is that it wasn't right for things like the Retake ME movement to get started in the first place.

RJ 17:
That doesn't mean Bioware owes you a better ending. The same way the author of a series of books doesn't owe you a new ending if you didn't like the way the series ended. The same way a movie studio doesn't owe you a new ending if you didn't like how the movie ended.

You don't ask for a better ending, you write a review and say the ending sucked and that Bioware blew it. Yeah, it seems like you're just jackin' off when you do that, buuuuuuut up until ME 3, I've never seen a group of fans demand that a game's ending be changed (not saying it hasn't happened, just saying I've never seen it). I've seen PLENTY of reviews that said "The game was pretty fun, yadda yadda yadda, the ending was absolute and complete shit." for games like Rage, for instance. In this ideal situation of mine, faced with so many bad reviews, Bioware would get the ME 3 team back together and point out all the reviews and be like "You know what fellas? These reviews are right...our ending DOES suck. We're better than this, we can DO better than this. Let's make something that better explains the ending (or whatever they intend to do with the extended cut)." Bioware says they care about their beloved fans and that they're always listening. If this were true, I honestly don't think the scenario I just mentioned is that big of a stretch. This way, NO ONE has to be labeled with the title "Big bag o' dicks."

Orange Monkey:
OK, so My copy of Mass Effect 3 comes tomorrow, And I've managed to avoid having the ending spoiled for me so far, all I know is that it is apparently disappointing to the point where my comrades-in-arms are all polymorphed into Giant Squids of Anger. What I have to ask is this.

Is all the rage justified? I mean really, unbiased, objectively is the ending THAT BAD that it deserves this kind of unified outrage? I don't think i've ever seen such a massive fallout from how an otherwise much loved series failure.

Thoughts?

Basically the Plot is retarded.
The rest of the game is great, the individual quests are awesome, the characters are great.
There are even some great moments within the main story but overall the plot is really weak and this is hyper intensified during the ending.

Does it make the game bad? Hell no i enjoyed almost every second of it but the ending is definitely one of the worst parts.

Was the rage justified? Probably not but i don't think the gaming press helped with it, infact if i were really cynical about it i'd say they were purposefully fanning the flames to generate traffic.

Just enjoy the game but don't expect too much from the ending.

Also, congrats on actually avoiding spoilers this long, i had some details spoiled for me before it was even out in the UK =[

Orange Monkey:
OK, so My copy of Mass Effect 3 comes tomorrow, And I've managed to avoid having the ending spoiled for me so far, all I know is that it is apparently disappointing to the point where my comrades-in-arms are all polymorphed into Giant Squids of Anger. What I have to ask is this.

Is all the rage justified? I mean really, unbiased, objectively is the ending THAT BAD that it deserves this kind of unified outrage? I don't think i've ever seen such a massive fallout from how an otherwise much loved series failure.

Thoughts?

I've played all the mass effect games, I've got like 250 hours in mass effect 2 alone. I can tell you this Mass Effect 3 for me was absolutely amazing, including the ending. I was baffled at all the rage about the end. I still don't get all the rage either but what ever I can't change the Internets collective out rage. My suggestion is just play the game and enjoy it.

Wow, kudos for avoiding spoilers this long OP.

The game is great, don't worry about that. Play the game, not even thinking about the ending and when the time comes, well then the time comes. Just don't go into the ending thinking it's going to suck. You'll know it's coming when you have to go to Earth...is that a spoiler? Sorry, I think.

Just go in prepared is what I gotta say. Who knows, you might be in the few that actually likes the ending. Crazy, but just might happen.

RJ 17:
I'm just saying how I think things would have turned out if Bioware didn't do what they did to appease people, which would have indeed and most certainly ended poorly for Bioware. My point, though, is that it wasn't right for things like the Retake ME movement to get started in the first place.

The "Retake Movement" was actually really tame and polite when it started. Bioware couldn't stop praising them for their good manners and constructive feedback. The problem is that eventually EVERY angry outburst EVER got associated with that "movement".

I also think they're being really stubborn, and setting their sights too high, in their refusal to give the Extended Edition a chance. Bioware was never going to fully retcon that awful ending. The problem is that while 90% of people poll as hating the ending, they all hate it for different reasons. That there are this many reasons to hate it is amazing, but that's not really the point. The point is there's no one way for Bioware to address this that will please everyone. They chose a low impact way that everyone watching this debacle could have easily predicted. It'd be nice if Retake could give it a chance instead of digging in further.

RJ 17:
You don't ask for a better ending, you write a review and say the ending sucked and that Bioware blew it.

Well this forum been over it and over it and we shant hijack this thread with this tiresome debate, but yes you can ask. There's no rule that says you can't ask. Bioware doesn't have to listen, but as we've discussed it was always in their best interest to listen.

The fact that people are even bothering to ask is a sign of RESPECT towards the IP. They want to fix something broken, instead of just writing it off as shit. That's pretty remarkable, actually.

BloatedGuppy:

RJ 17:
Actually...yeah, that's pretty much what I'm saying. The fans started acting like a bunch of dicks which prompted Bioware to start acting like dicks which leaves the fans with one of two options:

1: "Well, we were acting like a bunch of dicks. Let's all just move on with our lives and chalk this one up to being a horrible failure of an ending."
2: "Well fuck Bioware then! See if they get a single cent of my money ever again!"

Well, no, see. That's a misrepresentation of events. "The fans" were not acting like a bunch of dicks. A certain, small percentage of fans acted like dicks, and their actions were allowed to color the collective dissatisfaction of the whole as "entitlement", or whatever idiotic buzzword you care to slap on it. Now, even if all you did was quietly express disappointment, you're an "entitled crybaby"...because if anything demonstrates that you're speaking from a position of moral authority it's hurling invectives at total strangers.

So now, I guess, your perspective is that because we bought it, we can expect Bioware to have a chortle, and flip us the bird, and troll us via IGN? And just not address anything anyone was asking for, because their feathers were ruffled by a handful of assholes, as if vocally unhappy customers were some new phenomenon, and no one in any service industry has ever had to deal with them patiently before? You're damn right that would be a company I wouldn't be giving any more money to. What would be the sense in that? They're a fucking business. I expect them to act like professionals, not pull some 3rd grade "HE STARTED IT" nonsense and have a fit in the media. I mean, I guess that's a good way to go, if you've decided you're done with the whole "selling games" thing, and now you're off to hunt snipes or collect hummel figurines or whatever else people do when they've lost their minds.

But you know, whatever. That's not what happened. The extended edition is coming, and I'm prepared to give it a chance before deciding whether or not I trust these guys enough to continue paying them to tell me stories. They didn't flip me the bird, because that would have been corporate suicide. It's nice you think it would've been funny and appropriate, but I guess that's why none of us are CEOs of game developers.

HHAHAHA extended "CUTSCENE" edition. At this point I don't care if its a 5 minute long cinematic of mr.Hudson saying how sorry he is or if it actually clarifies 5 of the 100 plot-holes that the ending created. Fact still remains that they rushed the ending, treated us like shit while gamers in general did everything they could to appear as mature as possible (Retake mass effect, cupcakes and large youtube segmented video's explaining just why the ending sucks).

Quite literally everyone that called us entitled man children did no research, and just stood on their vocal soapbox spouting what is essentially uninformed nonsense while half our support jumped ship on the fucking indoctrination theory like a bunch of moronic sheep.

How can you in the face of EA stonewalling and the Bioware blogs, PAX event treatment still be willing to buy their games when the so called "star wars" of our generation is just a poorly written, chest-high wall simulator. <,<

Mass effect 3's ending to the mass effect universe is broken.

Madkipz:
HHAHAHA extended "CUTSCENE" edition.

...and? Sometimes a cut scene is enough. I've always said that the likeliest scenario is they upgrade the ending from abomination to "poor", but a poor ending never would've had so many people up in arms to begin with. Yes, it would be nice if the ending was AWESOME, but that ship has sailed.

You really don't need to lecture me on the entitlement crusade or EA's bad behavior. I am the choir. Stop preaching to me.

Mass Effect 3 is a good game and that's all you really need to know. Enjoy it for what it is, but don't expect anything of the ending, you can judge it for yourself when you get there but I doubt you will be overly pleased.