Disappointed in Mass Effect 3

[Anprionsa]

*This thread may contain spoilers, please be careful. And if you do post, use spoiler tags"

(I'm still alive :p )

This is a mini rant.

I played Mass Effect and loved it the first time. It was engaging, and I loved the world that they were creating. There were many questions that were asked, people to see, and things to do. Mass Effect 2 was good in it's own right (though it deviated a little from the RPG of the first) and I loved that one too, although once again there were some things I didn't agree with I still loved the story and was curious to know what would happen.

Mass Effect 3 was a good game, but it failed. It failed to live up to it's potential and it failed to live up to my expectations (and many others) in terms of how you end your story.

Now onto a few things.

1) This game does not deserve an A, it just doesn't.
-I don't know why so many reviewers of the "Big" sites reviewed this so well.

2) Continuation/Story
-The Continuation of the story from the first and the second game has almost NO bearing on the end result or many other results throughout the game, and you are left wondering why you even played the first two games, it was that bad. In fact it disconcerted me so much that I had to post something about it after having talked to my wife (who doesn't play games) and posted on Facebook to let people know they shouldn't have high hopes for this game. There are many plot holes (a lot in the end) that I let slip throughout the game because I was enjoying it. But, I did like it and so I could pass on the smaller things (but would still be rated down because of them). I won't go into detail here, mainly because I don't want to have to go through the game again.

3) The Ending
-You just have to experience it. I can't explain how much I was let down by the end. I was hyped until about the last 30 minutes or so when it went down hill and I was presented with a "What the heck? Wait... What?" "What just happened" or "Are you serious, this is the choice I am presented with?" There was no conclusion, just more questions, you didn't feel like your character did anything of merit. You don't know what happened to your crew, you don't know what happened to the other worlds (especially after what happened to the Relays), and you are left with a end credit scene which makes even LESS sense.
(BTW a funny thing someone posted. Spoiler ahead. After Credit Cut Scene Tali Picture)

4) Bioware
- I cannot buy from this company day one. This company is a but a shell of it's former glory. I feel I have been duped. And it saddens me, because this was the company that produced some of the best RPG's in my opinion. What happened to you guys? I would like to blame it on EA (but really they are more about time/money than story/development).

5) EA
- Your greedy hands are now dirty. DLC day 1? REALLY? And something by the way that (yes I played it, but I got the deluxe or whatever... and now regret it) helped you understand MORE about the extinct specious more than ANYTHING else in the game. How was the cut, this was not added later, not by any means. They meant to do this and they did it to make money. They knew players would get it, or they wouldn't have done it. They intentionally gouged their players and the players fell right in their hands.

That concludes my thoughts. It was a good game, until the end. The series however has been ruined for me. I just can't bring myself to accept what they did.

One more picture. Still Better than ME3

[Tanuki]

Well you gotta wait for the epilogue DLC.

[Anprionsa]

Well you gotta wait for the epilogue DLC.

Indeed.

[Paradigm Shifter]

Sadly, I could see this coming a mile off. :(

Mass Effect I actually enjoyed - like Crysis 2 and to a greater or lesser extent Red Faction: Armageddon and (gasp) Homefront - because I went in with no real expectations. I was hyped before release, found out that it was going to have nasty DRM and didn't bother with it. Many months later, I bought it because the price had dropped like a rock. Mass Effect 2 I was hyped for, it didn't have nasty DRM so I decided to buy it on release - I played it, completed it, wondered WTF they'd done to what had been a pretty cool idea, and forgot about it. Never bothered with the DLC - in fact I never bothered to download the included DLC or the DLC I got free from Amazon for my pre-order.

[Tanuki]

I loved ME2. I thought it was ME with all the crap removed. No Mako, no cookie-cutter missions, can bag Tali, etc..

[Rainmaker91]

[spoiler] Good to see that I'm not the only one disappointed by the ending, I mean what the hell was that all about. It seems like Bioware was trying to make this epic ending but ended up failing on all plains, I mean the ending vid was sort of cool but all 3 choices was sort of idiotic. So I ended up with the conclusion that nothing I did in the end had any sort of affect on the ending. I mean come on I just wanted to see those reapers die, but then the citadel person (or whatnot) says that synthetics cant live along with organics. FFS I reunited the Geth and the Quarians, that should count for something.

and to top it all of they give me this "legend" status and loads a save from before I attacked earth, I mean its nice to be able to do all the side quests that I missed but whats really the point when none of them has any real effect on the outcome.

I'm sorry if this seems a bit harsh but Bioware really screwed up with that ending.[/spoiler]

[medtech]

Ok, everyone is entitled to an opinion.. but seriously, you need to stop playing games for big boys and then complain about how bad they suck, go back to playing MW2 or whatever it is you numb skulls play... reality is, your too immature and obviously not well read enough to 'get' the fact that, game play and EA insipid-ness aside, the story, production and direction for the actual game and series was by far the greatest story ever told in a game format. If this was a series of Novels they would rival the best selling Sci-Fi easily.

Your reasons are based mostly on a) you not 'getting it', completely missing the point of the first 2 and how they carry over, b) your obvious immaturity towards the company and EA is being transferred to the game.. Grow up, come back and do a proper review with something more then just " EA sucks, Bioware sucks "

Personally Mass Effect 3 and the whole series are a BIG win. ( the only possible downfall was the rushed feel of the modelling/animation cycles and need to build for the 360/PS3 limitations).

As someone who's played PC games and RPG's since the days of the 8086's, I can only say give this series a try, you will not be disappointed.

*This thread may contain spoilers, please be careful. And if you do post, use spoiler tags"

(I'm still alive :p )

This is a mini rant.

I played Mass Effect and loved it the first time. It was engaging, and I loved the world that they were creating. There were many questions that were asked, people to see, and things to do. Mass Effect 2 was good in it's own right (though it deviated a little from the RPG of the first) and I loved that one too, although once again there were some things I didn't agree with I still loved the story and was curious to know what would happen.

Mass Effect 3 was a good game, but it failed. It failed to live up to it's potential and it failed to live up to my expectations (and many others) in terms of how you end your story.

Now onto a few things.

1) This game does not deserve an A, it just doesn't.
-I don't know why so many reviewers of the "Big" sites reviewed this so well.

2) Continuation/Story
-The Continuation of the story from the first and the second game has almost NO bearing on the end result or many other results throughout the game, and you are left wondering why you even played the first two games, it was that bad. In fact it disconcerted me so much that I had to post something about it after having talked to my wife (who doesn't play games) and posted on Facebook to let people know they shouldn't have high hopes for this game. There are many plot holes (a lot in the end) that I let slip throughout the game because I was enjoying it. But, I did like it and so I could pass on the smaller things (but would still be rated down because of them). I won't go into detail here, mainly because I don't want to have to go through the game again.

3) The Ending
-You just have to experience it. I can't explain how much I was let down by the end. I was hyped until about the last 30 minutes or so when it went down hill and I was presented with a "What the heck? Wait... What?" "What just happened" or "Are you serious, this is the choice I am presented with?" There was no conclusion, just more questions, you didn't feel like your character did anything of merit. You don't know what happened to your crew, you don't know what happened to the other worlds (especially after what happened to the Relays), and you are left with a end credit scene which makes even LESS sense.
(BTW a funny thing someone posted. Spoiler ahead. After Credit Cut Scene Tali Picture)

4) Bioware
- I cannot buy from this company day one. This company is a but a shell of it's former glory. I feel I have been duped. And it saddens me, because this was the company that produced some of the best RPG's in my opinion. What happened to you guys? I would like to blame it on EA (but really they are more about time/money than story/development).

5) EA
- Your greedy hands are now dirty. DLC day 1? REALLY? And something by the way that (yes I played it, but I got the deluxe or whatever... and now regret it) helped you understand MORE about the extinct specious more than ANYTHING else in the game. How was the cut, this was not added later, not by any means. They meant to do this and they did it to make money. They knew players would get it, or they wouldn't have done it. They intentionally gouged their players and the players fell right in their hands.

That concludes my thoughts. It was a good game, until the end. The series however has been ruined for me. I just can't bring myself to accept what they did.

One more picture. Still Better than ME3

[BHawthorne]

1) This game does not deserve an A, it just doesn't.
-I don't know why so many reviewers of the "Big" sites reviewed this so well.

EA is a 10-ton elephant. Internet review sites do not want to offend EA and get marketing blackballed for a bad review. There is just too much potential ad revenue to be lost in the process. A lot of sites are just ethically bankrupt like that anymore. It's all about hype, click count and ad revenue and anything that deviates from that is bad for business.

The DLC and DLC packs for ME3 are outright robbery.

[medtech]

No one is offering up an alternative to EA and no one is taking a stand that has any meaning behind it.. so until you get a larger buying block together that can damage the 500+mil /yr profit of EA they are going to continue on down the line. If you or anyone you know has a viable solution then by all means lets hear it, IF it's viable I'm in 100% I hate EA. Ultimately the console systems are to blame for the 'monopoly' EA has right now, they gave EA a bridge head into proprietary and profit driven titles.. if you ever want to do a hate on for consoles, do it for that reason alone.

[Anprionsa]

Medtech. Your comments, are childish. How dare you assume something about me and then bash me with that insult. I am NOT in the minority here. If you have read anything from any other site you would see the general OUTRAGE over this issue (not just the ending, but the practices of Bioware/EA in general). If you read my opinion you saw that I played each and every Mass Effect game (multiple times). Mass Effect 3 is a good game, but the ending did not do the series ANY favors.

Don't tell me how to form my opinion. It's mine. Be careful that you don't come across as an "old-school jerk" who knows best and needs to tell the "young pups" how games are supposed to be. I have been playing games since the early 90's, PC games, as well.

I have read many comments from individuals (myself included) that will not purchase game from EA/Bioware until they get their act together. I will not buy day 1 titles.

[Tanuki]

Well you gotta wait for the epilogue DLC.

http://kotaku.com/5894186/mass-effects-producer-promises-well-keep-listening-and-new-content-that-brings-closure

In short, it sounds like he is promising extensions to the story, through DLC, that offer outcomes more palatable than the one in the main game that has people in such a lather.

Ki ki ki.

[Toothless Spoon]

I loved the whole series, and I'd have to say ME3 was the best for me. Although it was very close to ME2, but ME3 just bought out so many emotions. Yes the ending may appear to be "crap" or incomplete, but as soon as I was done, I knew there was going to be more DLC etc. So it didn't upset me like most people, there will be a MMO or ME4 to continue this great journey anyway. I loved every second of the series and it's the only game that made me shed a tear on more than one occasion. Unfortunately I don't know how I'll go without being commander Shepard if he doesn't continue to be the main character, but regardless I can't wait to see what Bioware have cooked up.

[Anprionsa]

How will you continue Mass Effect in the short term (at least in 20 years) if there are no relays? Yes there is FTL travel, but it would take many years to even reach another planet that could sustain life. Where is everyone that was next to or near earth supposed to do? How about the Turians and the Qurians? They eat different food, what will they do when they run out of supplies?

Another Question... what the heck happened to Joker? And your squad mates that were supposed to be with you on earth? Did they get beamed up? If so, how did they and leave as fast as it is implied?

There is no ME4 in terms of the story as it has already happened, according to developers, though that could change. Not sure how they would even try to do it. They will have to retcon something in order to make it work, I just can't see a way. Unless they pull the old, "Our scientists have discovered how to remake the Relays (but even then it needs a second relay, so they still need to travel to another system in order to implement them...).

[MNeidig]

I'm not disappointed in Mass Effect 3 as a whole, just the ending. Which I find myself entirely numb to, honestly, because there's a shred of hope left in me that they'll amend the damage they've caused to their fanbase.

So I'm a hopeful.

I created a surround gaming rig expressly for Mass Effect 3 and I have no regrets.

I was feeling all of my achievements paying off by the time Admiral Hackett stepped onto the Normandy. I poured myself a small glass of whatever was left of my vodka and drank it as I watched the cutscene go.

I got misty-eyed when the fleets were all reporting in. Asari, Geth, Turian, Salarian, everything was falling into place. I wanted to hold onto that sensation. I poured some rum with some Dr. Pepper and had at it. Throughout the night, I was feeling emotionally charged in a game I had invested myself into. I watched as the battle was met and the shots were being fired, and was in awe when the arms of a reaper were severed, proving once and for all that the races of the galaxy had a shot at this.

Had more rum.

By the time Cortez landed the shuttle on Earth, I was buzzing -quite- nicely. And honestly, it put me in the right kind of mood to experience that level. The senses I needed were sharpened (reaction time, vision, hearing) and any awareness that I didn't were dulled (sense of time, sense of being in my chair). I had my vision, but it wasn't for the surroundings. All I know it was black, bleak, chaotic and dire, and that's all I needed to know. Now and then I'd take another swig of rum. Didn't pause. Just hammered away at the level as if I had experienced it 100 times. I was aware of the plot and why I was fighting, who I was fighting and when, but I honestly couldn't tell you about how much of the level's finer details I remember. I remember being in a room with a skeleton on a bed. That hit me harder than it would have without the alcohol.

When it came time to speak to the older members of my crew, man. There wasn't a single thing said by them that I didn't just love. I was more than misty-eyed by this point, I was silently weeping about everything coming down to a head and that the end was near. I moved on, spoke to the rest of my team. Spoke to Wrex, spoke to Sergeant Coats, and by this time, I was still silently weeping, but I was more affirmed than ever that I was going to take back the earth and send the Reapers to hell.

That final push was brutal, but I refused to die. I wanted to go through that entire level on my first run, and that's exactly what I accomplished. Dealing with three banshees and three brutes (I have no idea if that's how many were there at the final push, but damn sure felt like more), was insane, but I soldiered through it. Then came the mad dash toward the beam.

All my booze was gone by then and I had consumed quite a bit, but I wasn't drunk. Yet I think the ending didn't hit me quite so hard because I was inebriated. It was a really odd, numbing thing to watch the ending unfold like that.

Anyway, I achieved a level of immersion with my surround gaming rig, and with the aid of a bit of alcohol (like a quarter bottle of rum, 1/8th bottle of vodka), I had never felt before, and it made it all worth every red cent.

Do I like the ending? No, I hate it.

Do I like Mass Effect 3. Love it, I have faith it'll be restored. Personally, I support the indoctrination theory.

[Tanuki]

http://kotaku.com/5920559/expanded-mass-effect-3-ending-coming-on-june-26

BioWare is releasing the Extended Cut downloadable content for sci-fi role-playing game Mass Effect 3 on June 26, it said today.

You'll be able to download it for free on PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. It's a whopping 1.9 gigabytes.

"The Extended Cut expands on the endings of Mass Effect 3 through additional scenes and epilogue sequences," BioWare said on its website.