Mass Effect 3 spoiler discussion thread

[Leggetron]

Just like last time, folks. If you haven't finished the game or don't want to find out the other possible consequences of the choices you made, it might pay to avoid this thread.

I'll make another post with some of my thoughts in a second.

[Leggetron]

OK, for anyone who may get an email reminder after checking that first post, SPOILERS AHOY!

Well, firstly, ME3 is a fantastic finale. It's about the first time I haven't been a bit disappointed with the culmination/final chapter of a trilogy. The final hour or two was suitably epic, and finally felt like the "end of the world" scenario that something like Halo 3 hinted at but didn't deliver.

I didn't quite know what to make of the ending, though, or even whether I got the "best" ending. It's very "final", but you end up back in the Normandy afterwards and can tidy up any missions you have left over

There was one point in the game where I was a little gutted with one of the decisions that I made. I don't think I realised the gravity of the choice that I was making at the time, but essentially, it resulted in the destruction of the entire Quarian Migrant Fleet, and then Tali (my love interest) killed herself out of heartbreak On the bright side, the Geth became one of my most powerful war assets.

No vehicular sections? Are the Mako and Hammerhead going to be patched in as DLC later?

The inventory system didn't quite go where I wanted it to. I wanted that kind of "loot" element from ME1, where if you found a special sniper rifle, it was special because you could only equip it for one squad member (unless you found another just like it). Ditto with armour etc - simply choosing my squad mates' appearance wasn't quite what I was expecting.

So it let me down in a couple of areas once again just like ME2 did, but like ME2 I can enjoy it for what it is. It's a pretty incredible adventure, and it really did make me feel quite sad at certain points. It just goes to show how invested you can become in these characters!

[Leggetron]

Oh yeah, another weird thing I forgot to mention - even though Tali died roughly halfway through ME3 for me, we still "romanced" just before the final missions, as if she wasn't dead :/

At first I thought Shepard must have been hallucinating, but afterwards I'm more convinced that it was an oversight on BioWare's part.

[captain x]

Posting here to keep you company, that and I'm not too offended by spoilers.

Just think you are a machine for finishing it up so quickly, out of interest how many hours on the clock Chris?

[Leggetron]

I think my playthrough ended up being between 27 and 28 hours, so there were definitely a few sidequests etc that I didn't complete.

That said, I was originally planning on making this an exhaustive playthrough, but a number of my active quests vanished from the galaxy map before I had committed to the final part of the adventure :/

I'm a bit annoyed that there are large petitions starting up to change the ending. It sounds like most people wanted to see a safe, COD-style ending. I love Mass Effect, but Mass Effect fans are kinda starting to get on my nerves a lot...

[captain x]

If people want happy endings and cups of Rosy tea they should be using Wiggles characters.

In my limited (by comparison) playtime I have been emotionally engaged so much more than any other franchise, this is a result of the long game, character investment and my decision to proceed with a version of the story that has suffered loss.

More than once I have wondered 'what would Garrus do / say' and the fact that I miss him makes the experience so much more.

[Leggetron]

I think the ending is appropriate. I would like to have seen it better executed/explained, but I think it's a fittingly epic conclusion.

Yeah, ME3 is kinda heartbreaking in places. Tali's death weighed heavily on me for hours after it happened...

[Tel Prydain]

--Cap, skip this post. Seriously.

Thanks to choices in ME2, not only did I save the fleet, but I also saved the geth and forced an alliance. It was epic.
On the other hand, I really regret that I destroyed the cure in ME2, because that means that Eve dies and the Krogen are less likely to get it together.
I love that choices from all the way back really impact this game.
Hell, the only way Mordin is getting out alive if Wrex dies in ME1 and you destroy the data in ME2.

I did really like the ending. I did the 'unify' ending.

[Leggetron]

Wow. Yeah, a friend of mine told me today that he was able to get the Geth and Quarians to play nice :/ So that was because of a choice in ME2?

And Mordin can live if you kill Wrex in ME1 and destroy the data in ME2? That's... awesome!

[Tel Prydain]

Originally Posted by Leggetron

Wow. Yeah, a friend of mine told me today that he was able to get the Geth and Quarians to play nice :/ So that was because of a choice in ME2?

And Mordin can live if you kill Wrex in ME1 and destroy the data in ME2? That's... awesome!

In ME2 both Tali and Legion must be loyal, both must survive, you have to solve the fight between them and you have to destroy the geth heretics; and in ME3 you have to do the Geth fighter mission.
Then between ME3 and ME2, you have to get a number of 'points'. You get those by doing the rescue mission in ME3, saving Tali from being exiled in ME2 and so forth.


If Wrex or Eve are alive, Mordin is too sure that the Krogan can be saved. If they are both dead you can convince him to keep the flaw in the transmitter to himself. Doing it that way you get both the Krogan and Salerian fleets....

[Leggetron]

That's odd, because Wrex and Eve both lived for me, yet Mordin still died :/

Man, there must be so many variables playing into this stuff.

[Tel Prydain]

Sorry, that's what I mean... if Wrex or Eve are alive, Mordian dies - because Mordian believes that Krogan can be saved and sacrifices himself. He'll kill himself, or you have to shoot him. Both ways, he's dead.

If Wrex is dead (shoot him in ME1) and Eve is dead (destroy the research in ME2) then you can convince Mordain that the Krogan would be a destructive force, and he should let them die out. He'll go join your war forces.

[Leggetron]

The thoughts of Penny Arcade's Gabe: http://penny-arcade.com/2012/03/14/m...poiler-warning

I agree with him for the most part, although I do hope that those perceived "lore errors" can and will be explained somehow.

[Tel Prydain]

Pfft. There's no lore errors there.

In Arrival a Mass Effect relay is destroyed and it stated that blowing up a relay is equal to a supernova – it will wipe out several systems.
Well, in ME3's situation the power is harnessed in a controlled manor and aimed in one direction, by design.
In Arrival's situation some bloke lobs a rock at it.
One would imagine it would work differently.

[Leggetron]

Yeah, I agree, but we have to speculate/presume that that's the case when, fairly recently, something contradictory has been implied.

I'm also referring (more specifically) to the whole Normandy thing - the fact that your entire squad was on Earth just as you ascend to the Citadel/Catalyst. I'd like some elaboration on how the teammates that were seemingly shot down by Harbinger alongside Shepard somehow made it onto the Normandy to make a Mass Relay jump.

I'm not saying it's not possible, but it seems implausible, and I'd like to know how it happened.