ME3 Story Spoiler Special

[Ekkebus]

Alright, so Bioware has announced they will be releasing an 'Extended Cut' DLC for free this summer. It will add cinematics and additional epilogue scenes to further clarify the events that conclude the game.

I'm kind of split on whether or not to download it. Since I'm more than content with the ending and didn't need further clarity, I'm wary about this DLC possibly damaging the experience I already had. On the other hand though, I'm going to want to see what they're adding first hand, since I'm sure I'm going to hear about it anyways.

One guarantee though: "fans" still aren't going to be happy.

[Jakanden]

It is free so I will download it. It doesn't bother me to have more details aside from the reason this is being created in the first place.

[gobbleskat]

It is free so I will download it. It doesn't bother me to have more details aside from the reason this is being created in the first place.

This.

[King wiL]

It being free i'll get it when my 2nd Shepard makes it.to ME3. My main Shepard though, her story is over. Although she is still alive...

[Ekkebus]

OR IS SHE?????

[gobbleskat]

SHE IS INDOCTRINATED! I KNOW BECAUSE I CAN IGNORE ALL OF THE EVIDENCE TO THE CONTRARY IN FAVOR OF THE EVIDENCE THAT SUPPORTS MY CLAIM!

[Ekkebus]

WE SHOULD INVADE IRAQ! IRAQ HAS WMDS! I KNOW BECAUSE I CAN IGNORE ALL OF THE EVIDENCE TO THE CONTRARY IN FAVOR OF THE EVIDENCE THAT SUPPORTS MY CLAIM!

I'm glad at least that Bioware has made clear that nothing about the ending is being changed at all, just more stuff is being added after you make your final decision.

[Barbados]

OK, I've heard so much outcry for the ending of Mass Effect 3. I can understand that the series has been a very emotional ride. I got to see Ethan Shepard , the Paragon of humanity fight to bring order to the galaxy. But by the third game, make some hasty decisions in the face of the ultimate adversaries. I remember the rush of running down that final hill, dodging giant death beams and debris, just like I had on Rannoch. But suddenly I'm blasted and the screen goes black. My gut reaction was to wait for the retry menu to come up, but instead I'm horribly wounded and gunning down Geth. The next few parts were a little disorienting. While on the ground I can heard the radio chatter of Hammer being wiped out an no radio contact being able to be made, but Anderson has no problem patching me through, and command radios me directly after the three way between Shepard, Anderson and the Illusive man. By the time the bright light hits, I know that everything that's happening is in Shepard's head. And then the catalyst is the boy I've been dreaming about the whole game. At first I figured he was an incarnation of guilt trying to show that everyone can indeed join together and bring lasting peace. Being the peacekeeper I'd been the majority of two games I bought it and was making my way towards synthesis (Which I Found very reminiscent of Deus EX, But that's almost a whole other conversation). Then it hit me. The vision had just mentioned being the reaper creator. He was a reaper consciousness. Of course he wanted synthesis, it's what they'd been doing since the husks in ME 1. In a moment of hesitation I see Shepard turn around 360 to try and chase down the event horizon that leaves everything in flames. But I was too late the cinematic of Of me breaking into a running jump is playing, and I feel like I've made the worst choice. Naturally everything starts glows green and I'm left with a lot of unfinished questions. If all the species had sent most if not all of their population to Earth for the final battle... how the fuck do they get home with no mass relays? And why is the Normandy trying to make the jump afterwards? I personally could have done without that Relay Beam chasing the Normandy and the random planet afterwards. I don't think any stupid Eden analogy is required at this point. But Overall I liked the ending, I just didn't think I got the 'good' one. Which I blamed on the need for the multiplayer factor.

So afterwards I went to the internet, found out about the blue and red endings, and of course the indoctrination theory that seemed to support the feelings I had about my ending. Other than that ... shooting the Illusive man sure felt good.

[Ekkebus]

So I'd been wondering some things about the Indoctrination Theory a few weeks ago and your post kind of reminded me.

Let's say the Indoctrination Theory is true. The whole ending takes place in Shepard's head and the only way to save Shepard is have him choose the destruction ending. What happens then? According to the IT, if you choose Synthesis or Control, Shepard is succumbing to the indoctrination of the reapers and the war is lost. However, if you choose destruction then Shepard succeeds in his fight against indoctrination and the war is...still not won. If the IT is true and the whole thing is a dream than what does Shepard succeeding against the indoctrination actually gain? How is that a better resolution than if the events on the Citadel involving the Catalyst were actually taking place.

Furthermore, I feel like something has to give once Bioware releases the Epilogue DLC. I don't see a way that they can expand on the endings without disproving or affirming the Indoctrination Theory. If you choose the Synthesis ending will the additional cutscenes be there to explain how you doomed the entire galaxy to Reaper control? Will that make people feel better about the endings? If you choose Destruction will you see a cutscene of Shepard popping back up on Earth and saving the day? Or just getting blasted to bits? Will you watch an indoctrinated Shepard turn on his allies? Will that be a better ending? Of course, I think it's most likely that whatever Bioware comes out with will unequivocally dispel the Indoctrination Theory almost completely. I think the only way that theory holds up is if the loose ends at the end of that game are left loose and dangling. Once you start tying them up, I have to think the whole thing will fall apart.

Who knows though. It'll be interesting to see how Bioware chooses to flesh things out and how that all will (or won't) fit in with people's thoughts on the current ending.

[Wood]

I don't know. If there's some ending that has Shepard still being alive, there's something very wrong with that ending. I had the thought while playing the game that Shepard wasn't going to survive this mission. What fully cemented that feeling was right before the final battle to the beam. There's a comm officer that links you to all of your teammates from 2 that couldn't team up with you in 3. There's the walk to Anderson that has the rest of your teammates along the way. Bioware went out of their way to make sure that Shepard could say goodbye to all of his/her friends. If Shepard was able to live through the mission, that would absolutely cheapen that whole walk sequence, and would make for a generally weak ending.

I remain to be ignorant to this Indoctrination Theory. What I'm gleaming off this thread is that it's all happening in Shepard's head as the Reapers are really trying to tighten down the screws to control Shepard. So in order to convince Shepard to do what they want him/her to do, they create a scenario where he's given a dialog between the Illusive man and Anderson, but as they are really avatars for both Shepard's will and the Reapers' will. So they play out some morality play, and the catalyst give Shepard choices. However the choices are actually symbolic and not straight forward? Two of them the Reapers want Shepard to pick to complete the indoctrination, and the last is destroying the Reapers' hold on Shepard? Again, I may be off on that, but that's the gist of what I got from here.

If the Indoc Theory is true though, then why would the proceeding scenes not go along with that at all? You have to keep in mind that those events happen after Shepard is dead. So that alone makes IT not make a whole heck of a lot of sense. I'd much rather accept that the Catalyst happened in real time, and that no matter what, the relays would all be destroyed to pretty much set everyone back in terms of galactic space travel.

But if you want a cracked out theory about the ending, here's my crack at it: Shepard was never resurrected. ME2 and 3 take place in the last moments of Shepard's life as the s/he falls in to that planet from getting blown up at the beginning of ME2. Think about it! Simple things like Shepard going back to the ship in his PJ's after every mission made it seem more like every mission was a fevered dream; the fact that Shepard's able to fix centuries old problems in the span of a week; and a few examples I'll have to think about later when it's not late at night. I'd like to think that it's a bit more interesting then some Indoctrination bullshit.

[Ekkebus]

Alright kids, the extended cut is live. Everyone on these boards was pretty positive so I don't expect much in the way of sweeping opinion shifts but I'm curious what everyones thoughts were on the changes. For me (synthesis), the added scenes were basically all things I'd extrapolated on my own though I did get a bit choked up when Tali put Shepard's name up on the memorial wall. Also, I haven't seen how the other endings play out differently but I have to say the Indoctrination Theory looks pretty damn dead to me.

Overall, it was nice but Bioware didn't need to convince me of anything. I'm curious to see whether this will do anything to sate the people who were upset.

[Jakanden]

Watched all 4 endings on YouTube and as Tim said, none of the information there couldn't have been figured out (save for the new 4th ending). I am glad they showed that the Mass Relays DID NOT get destroyed, just damaged, which was a point of debate I had with someone (I think maybe on Facebook?) as he said they were (purely a selfish HAHA!! reason I admit). I still feel all this was unnecessary, but hopefully it makes people happy as I think added content was well done.

[Ekkebus]

Ah yes, the new FOURTH ending. I'm guessing that's there to appease the Indoctrination Theory people. I don't know which videos you watched but there's some added dialogue options when you're talking to the Starchild where it explains in greater detail what the consequence of each choice would be. There's also an additional scene with Hackett trying to initiate communication right after you go up the beam and a few more bits of dialogue between Shepard and Anderson once you get on the Citadel to explain that yes, they're making a fucking Reaper up there which is why it looks like the Collector base and there are bodies everywhere. DUH.

Oddly, I find the endings to be much more homogenized now with the additions. Before there was much more room for thematic interpretation, which there still is to an extent, but now you're getting even more identical cutscenes with just some different dialogue thrown over. Plus I think what a lot of people were looking for even more granular details as to the what happened with your crew or as a result of your choices throughout the series and that stuff wasn't there at all. Which to me is fine because it more or less preserves the original intent of the endings but I can see where plenty of people are still going to be completely dissatisfied. No surprise there though.

[gobbleskat]

The first time I jumped in the beam, my second to last thought was of Kaiden, my last was of Liara. fuck that.

this time, my thoughts were of Morden...and last, of Tali.

My biggest complaint has been addressed. I was so happy I cheered.

[gobbleskat]

Also, the new ending is lame. I like what it says, because it really just reiterates everything I've been thinking/feeling, but as an end to a saga its wholly ungratifying. I feel like its a nod to outcry shouting "why can't i?". the response is "because then you get utter shit!"

you can quote bioware on that one.