The Video Gaming Thread (Reborn)

[Ghost Bear]

Mass Effect 3 is bloody awesome. You need it in your life. That is all.

-GB

[Doomy]

It is already in my life. Of course.

Tried the multiplayer yet?

[Black Cat]

Been in my life since last Tuesday (you poor Europeans had to wait three more days ). I don't know were you guys are at, but dang, I just saw two recuring characters dying and one was because I press the trigger myself... Kuddos to Bioware because so far, it is really nicely written. I heard the ending sucks though...

As for the multiplayer, I played only one game but it was very cool. I love the fact that you have to cooperate with other players and face AI instead of playing against professionnal gamers (or people with no life at all). Some games should take example on that for their multiplayer.

[Ghost Bear]

Yes, the ending does suck. Big time. It's really sad, because until the last 30 minutes or so I'd have said it's my favourite game ever (even better than Deus Ex). I'd never felt more emotionally invested in a game. However, the ending really did ruin it all for me.

I've not tried the multiplayer yet. I probably will do at some point though.

-GB

[Doomy]

I haven't reached endgame yet, though if it takes around as long to finish as the other two games I may not be that far off.

[Black Cat]

The ME3 ending sucks indeed... The game was superb until we meet the *SPOILER* AI kid that explains what's the purpose of the Reapers and presents you three choices to end the game. In other words, they're artificial intelligence created to destroy the sentient species before they create themselves artificial intelligence that will destroy them... Gah! We still don't know who create this AI kid... And then there's the final cutscene with the consequences of your decision that makes you ask "That's all?"

I know that there's a popular movement asking to modify the ending through a DLC. I saw somewhere that a new DLC, called The Truth, was due for an April-May release, although it is just a rumor. However, if it corrects the ending, I'll be happy.

[Doomy]

I finished my first playthrough yesterday, and didn't hate the ending as much as the bit in London where you have to activate the missiles. Damn banshees everywhere.That's gonna hurt on Insanity. [/size]

[Ghost Bear]

I've now played Multiplayer. It was quite fun, but not that gripping, and I'd imagine it gets boring soon.

If they do release a 'fix DLC' ending, I will be very happy indeed. The rest of the game is so fantastic that it'd be a shame if the ending ruined it.

[Doomy]

I'm going to ensure a galactic readiness score of > 5,000 when I finish my second playthrough, see if that changes anything.

[Black Cat]

Mar 21, 2012 3:28:43 GMT -5 Doomy said:

I'm going to ensure a galactic readiness score of > 5,000 when I finish my second playthrough, see if that changes anything.

From what I understand, here's what it changes:

-If you saved Anderson from TIM, you only need a score of 4,000 to see the extra little scene before the credits.
-If you didn't save Anderson, you'll need the score of 5,000 to see that scene.

Note that Anderson seems to die a few minutes later even if you saved him from TIM. Also, you must pick the Red ending option to see the extra scene with Shepard. Otherwise, it doesn't change things.

As for myself, I was able to save Anderson from TIM (who went on to do exactly what Saren did in the first game, that is shooting himself). Anderson then died because I wounded him while under control of TIM, but it counted as if I had saved him since my score was just a little bit higher than 4,000 when going into the final mission (and I only had a 54% galactic readiness) and I got to see the final scene.

BTW, seems Bioware will indeed modify the ending, or at least add a new chapter just to see a better conclusion to the trilogy. Several people are arguing that the final minutes of the game are part of a dream in an attempt by Harbinger to indoctrinate Shepard. That would explain why we only see the extra scene only if we pick the Red option (the one that Anderson would had picked). Picking the blue or green option results in the end of the game and of the story, but picking the red option means we still live to fight. More details about a DLC for a new ending coming next month.

[Doomy]

I finished the game with a maxed-out assets bar and GR of >70%. The encounter with Illusive Man played out as you describe.

Is the extra scene the bit where Anderson and Shepard have a final conversation, or is it something else?

[Ghost Bear]

I had about 6-7k assets and 50% readiness, and I got the same as BC. Except I didn't pick the red option, I so far have gone for the blue and green.

The extra scene is something else - I've seen it on Yootoob, but not played it myself.

-GB

[Black Cat]

The extra scene that I mention is *SPOILER* you get a 2-second shot of Shepard's body buried into rubbles that suddenly gasps for air, as if waking up from a nightmare. It only appears if you pick the red option with a score +4,000 (if you saved Anderson) or if your score +5,000 (if you didn't save Anderson). A lot of people believe that, once you get shot by Harbinger right before going into the Conduct, you are in fact experiencing a "dream", the last attempt by the Reapers to indoctrinate you. It would explain why the Crucible AI is the little boy from the beginning of the game (an image of innocence that Shepard would trust) and why the only way to see Shepard waking up is by picking the red option (Really, this option is kinda like a big, giant red button with a label that says "Don't touch!". The Crucible IA mentions that it will kill all the Geth and EDI and that, one day, robots will destroy their creators and eventually kill all organic life form, technologically advanced or not. He tries to scare you, as if he didn't want you to pick this one). You seem to also get clues: you see TIM picking the blue option and if you remember correctly, Saren wanted something along the lines of the green option in the first game. Anderson, your ally, picks the red option. Plus, when Shepard wakes up, he seems to be buried under rubbles from near the Conduct. In other words, picking the blue or green option means the Reaper have won, so it's game over for humanity. Picking the red option allows you to wake up and live another day and finish your job. All in all, Bioware seems to have tricked the players in giving a false ending in the game and wants you to get the new DLC to see the real ending. If it is not a free DLC, then they are bastards!

[Doomy]

I chose Synthesis in my previous run. Now I know what to try next time.

My reasoning for choosing synthesis over red, ie the destruction of all synthetic life? That included the Geth, and Legion proved they'd earned a fresh start.

I felt Shepard, at least the way I'd played him, would sacrifice himself to not only stop the Reapers but spare the Geth. One life for countless others. Blue was "control" the Reapers, but there was no guarantee that would work - anyone who had tried had failed. Maybe, as suggested, Shepard could have done it, but for how long?

On that note, I didn't feel so let down by the ending as the rebellious masses who wanted Shepard to ride off into the sunset and father little blue babies. Mass Effect was always billed as a trilogy, and what better way to put that across than kill the protagonist?

Sadly, I feel ME4 is more likely than a first instalment in a new series that improves on everything BioWare learned from this saga. Like George Lucas, they won't be able/allowed to leave well alone when there's money to be made.

I do wonder what happens if certain major characters are dead by ME3 though - you can kill Wrex in ME1, and can complete ME2 with pretty much the entire crew dead.

[Black Cat]

Mar 23, 2012 19:21:08 GMT -5 Doomy said:

I chose Synthesis in my previous run. Now I know what to try next time.

My reasoning for choosing synthesis over red, ie the destruction of all synthetic life? That included the Geth, and Legion proved they'd earned a fresh start.

My own idea for choosing Red (I didn't even know about how to get the secret scene at that time!) was that synthesis was a way for the Reapers to win: Saren was under their control while being partly synthetic. Transforming all lifeforms into partial robots was going to be an easier way for the Reapers to control people. As for taking control of the Reapers (blue ending), I thought that becoming the new Harbinger wasn't the right way to end things. I thought that it would simply continue the cycle. Plus, nothing said that it would work.

If the theory of the dream is true, then the IA mentionning that picking Red is going to destroy EDI and the Geth is like a way for it to mislead you. Nothing proves that it is what it is really going to happen.

On that note, I didn't feel so let down by the ending as the rebellious masses who wanted Shepard to ride off into the sunset and father little blue babies. Mass Effect was always billed as a trilogy, and what better way to put that across than kill the protagonist?

I don't think that the fact of killing Shepard at the end of the game is the real problem with the fans. Mostly, from what I read, people are mad because there's only 3 versions of the ending with nothing refering to decisions you've made in previous games. The three videos are too similar. Also, I'm one of those that think that, since it is the end of the trilogy, we should see a real closure for most characters, not just three stranded members of my crew on an alien planet. It was a lackluster ending not on par with the rest of the game. ME1 ending was good with Shepard coming out of the rubbles, picking either Udina or Anderson to rule on the council, and then mentionning that he will prevent the Reapers from winning. ME2 ending was great with Shepard fleeing through the Collectors base, then saying to TIM to go f*ck himself, and then we look at your team before we see the Reapers preying on the galaxy. ME3 ending sucks since we see Shepard making a decision, the Reapers either getting killed or leaving Earth, the Mass Relays getting destroy and your crew getting stranded on an unknown planet. It's just anticlimatic...

Sadly, I feel ME4 is more likely than a first instalment in a new series that improves on everything BioWare learned from this saga. Like George Lucas, they won't be able/allowed to leave well alone when there's money to be made.

Oh, Bioware is a business and now they have a product that is paying up big cash. Would you blame them to continue the series? And yes, it seems a ME4 is on the horizon, probably with a new hero.

I do wonder what happens if certain major characters are dead by ME3 though - you can kill Wrex in ME1, and can complete ME2 with pretty much the entire crew dead.

For Wrex, it is his brother Wreav that is in control of the Urnot Clan. For Legion, there's a Fake Legion that will trick you. For Tali, there's another admiral taking her place. For Grunt, it is a new krogan character. For Mordin, he's replace by the head of the Sur'kesh facility. For Samara, she's gone forever if she dies on the final mission in ME2; if she was replaced by Morinth during her loyalty mission, Morinth appears as a Banshee in the last segment of ME3. For Thane, he's replaced by Captain Kirrahe when it comes to protect the Salarian Councilman. If Kirrahe and Thane are dead, the Councilman is killed. For Miranda, it's her sister that talks to you through the consoles in the Sanctuary. For Jack, she's not replaced and the leader of the biotic students gets killed. Jacob is replaced by a doctor. Kasumi is just absent. Garrus and Zaeed, I don't know.