[Megathread] Mass Effect 3

[Kaelwryn]

I'll say one thing about this game. I bawled like a baby through many parts of it. It's tinged with this bitter sweetness. Alot of it is a result of the music I think but also you feel alot more for the characters in this game. Way more than in me1 and me2. I'm so glad I romanced Liara this time.



I still get misty when I hear this song.

Was playing tera when this one came on, instant tears. I also get a bit tearing when "Leaving Earth" comes on. They did a really good job with the soundtrack and I love all three games' soundtracks.

[Duncanîdaho]

I don't know what everyone else would have liked, but I would have prefered the Dark Energy plot to have played out, even though it was leaked before the game was finished. It still makes sense, plus it was forshadowed a bit in ME2 talk to Kal'reeger durring Tali's trial. Tali says that it's dark energy making Haestrom's sun go crazy, but that we shoudln't worry about it now.

I actually read that for the first time today, was really interesting. They still could be using it, maybe add something about it in a DLC, then it be the main problem in the next Mass Effect game. I wonder if it's caused by the exploitation of mass effect technology, like that episode of Star Trek where they find out Warp travel is actually slowly ripping apart the universe(yet it was never talked about again too LOL).

@Mass Effect music
I think they have the best music out of any games I've ever played and I've played a lot of games over the years.

Awesome Piano cover of the ME3 Love Theme

[Confirm Deny]

Oh, hey, it's Crawford. And I was just thinking I should check out the Mass Effect series, too.

[crazysmacker]

I actually read that for the first time today, was really interesting. They still could be using it, maybe add something about it in a DLC, then it be the main problem in the next Mass Effect game. I wonder if it's caused by the exploitation of mass effect technology, like that episode of Star Trek where they find out Warp travel is actually slowly ripping apart the universe(yet it was never talked about again too LOL).

*crosses fingers* Here's hoping something like that happens in the very near future.

@Kaelwryn
When i first heard that music i was unable to move. I mean my house could be on fire and I wouldn't have moved until that song was over. In fact most of the music from the triology is like this to me.

[Oerba Yun Fang]

BioWare hasn't said anything (yet) about changing the endings. They just "Have a lot more in store for ME3." (roughly quoting most of their tweets)

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/e...essa230751.png

^ Taken from Aveline's post a few pages back. They aren't changing the original endings, but they are adding new content to add more clarity and closure.

[Duncanîdaho]

Let's assume for a minute that Shepard is 100% for sure dead, or severely injured buried in rubble.

Who will we play as in these DLC's? The most appropriate I guess would be Vega since he just got his N7 and was close with Shepard and the crew and is human. Maybe he will take up the mantle? Obviously can't be Kaiden or Ashely because there is a chance they are already dead.

Like what else could they possibly do? The only other option would be Shep shakes it off and gets up in London(yay, indoctrination theory). There would be no way he could recover from his injuries in time to save the fleets and stop the Reapers if they went the injured route. There is no way they will make us play a non-human character as well, because they want all your choices looked at from a human, or your perspective. They are also not just going to make us be some random human we have not met and are not invested in.

We could either be Vega trying to finish what Shepard couldn't, or we are Vega in the aftermath of that atrocious ending, or shepard continues being an iron man(or women) and is in London still. The thing that gets me about being Vega though, which is in my opinion the only other options, is that he is not biotic. I doubt they would force you to be a soldier in these DLC's.

[Notos]

Just found this great post: http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/to...index/10056886
Feel free to take a look.

Weird, what they are describing sounds nothing like ME3. >_>

Planning the ending for years and years...my ass.

[rhorle]

Let's assume for a minute that Shepard is 100% for sure dead, or severely injured buried in rubble.

The DLC to clarify could happen pre-ending. Much like Liar of the Shadow Broker, Kasumi, and Project Overlord were technically "pre-ending" even though you could play them after the ending. You could raid a Cerberus base or find a crashed Reaper or something that reveals more info. There are plenty of things to explore. As for closure it could just be adding in "here's what happens" cinematic or text. But they could even do the closure pre-ending by having shepard create contingency plans after find out what ever they find out to clarify the situation.

[Zeek Daniels]

Bioware has yet to explain the massive plot hole that is taking squad members on the final mission, them getting blasted by a red beam of light, showing them face first on the ground as you get ported into the citidel, Alliance Coms saying no one survived, admiral hackett getting in coms with you even though no one made it inside, and of course the normandy running from???? only to crash who knows where and 1 or both squad mates who were presumed dead all of a sudden walk out of the normandy unscathed.

I view all bioware has said so far as lies, I believe the indoctrination theory and if they are not lieing and that was the true ending then they have failed the franchise.

[Leonard McCoy]

Bioware has yet to explain the massive plot hole that is taking squad members on the final mission, them getting blasted by a red beam of light, showing them face first on the ground as you get ported into the citidel, Alliance Coms saying no one survived, admiral hackett getting in coms with you even though no one made it inside, and of course the normandy running from???? only to crash who knows where and 1 or both squad mates who were presumed dead all of a sudden walk out of the normandy unscathed.

I view all bioware has said so far as lies, I believe the indoctrination theory and if they are not lieing and that was the true ending then they have failed the franchise.

Presumably after the other reaper lands and the beam hits the mission is facacta at that point and the Normandy picks them up. We don't know how long shep is lying there and we don't know if anyone actually knows his status. They may very well figure that he is dead given he ate a fucking reaper beam. I don't see why that's a hole.

---------- Post added 2012-03-29 at 04:05 AM ----------

I enjoyed the game too much to bitch about the ending really, it was decent. I guess Bioware like giant god metaphors

I had read all the various issues people had going into it and was convinced that after seeing it I would vomit in rage and hate the series forever. I was thoroughly compelled to the end and the best part was I had an hour long conversation with several friends afterwards about it. We came to a resolution that the biggest problem with it is simply The Catalyst AI needs to be explained more thoroughly. In principle the catalyst AI could be like VIGIL was in the first game. A giant oh shit moment where much is revealed. We are not given that option. We need to "investigate" with the catalyst AI more and flush it out a bit more. everything else people are bitching about is meh I knew it was there but I was still gripped by it.

[Deleted]

Presumably after the other reaper lands and the beam hits the mission is facacta at that point and the Normandy picks them up. We don't know how long shep is lying there and we don't know if anyone actually knows his status. They may very well figure that he is dead given he ate a fucking reaper beam. I don't see why that's a hole.

Well yeah we really don´t know how long Shepard lies there after being hit by the beam. If you have talked to Cortez a few times then he survives the earth misson so it could be possible that he gets your squad mates out and then still heavily shocked about Sheps death they decide to flee through the mass releay.

The ending just has too many plot holes and is just a giant cliffhanger. We do not know if Shepard was lying there for hours or if he even got to the beam (indoctrination theory says HI). Also the fact that he is breathing in fucking space without a helmet I mean WTF !!

Well hopefully we get a DLC soon

[Deleted]

Presumably after the other reaper lands and the beam hits the mission is facacta at that point and the Normandy picks them up. We don't know how long shep is lying there and we don't know if anyone actually knows his status. They may very well figure that he is dead given he ate a fucking reaper beam. I don't see why that's a hole.

I had read all the various issues people had going into it and was convinced that after seeing it I would vomit in rage and hate the series forever. I was thoroughly compelled to the end and the best part was I had an hour long conversation with several friends afterwards about it. We came to a resolution that the biggest problem with it is simply The Catalyst AI needs to be explained more thoroughly. In principle the catalyst AI could be like VIGIL was in the first game. A giant oh shit moment where much is revealed. We are not given that option. We need to "investigate" with the catalyst AI more and flush it out a bit more. everything else people are bitching about is meh I knew it was there but I was still gripped by it.

Even IF Joker decides (for some reason) to pick them up, it doesn't explain why he's running away while the battle is still going on, how they survive being ripped from FTL, how Joker is walking after a crash to a random planet with his brittle bone disease (what are the odds of hitting one in deep space?) and[URL="http://i.imgur.com/jO6dS.jpg"] this.[/URL]
Anderson gets up before you (one path to the platform, you can't see him when you "wake up" and apparently both of your radios work two-way... why didn't you call Coats for backup?). Coats apparently can't see the Reapers leaving either as he orders a full retreat against the combined might of a husk and [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=467pmIX-oZo"]Marauder Shields[/URL].

The Catalyst literally [B]cannot [/B]be explained with the rest of the story, it would nullify the purpose of Sovereign (to monitor the Galaxy, why bother when the Citadel (hub of the galactic civilisations) is a part of the thing that controls the reapers?). Why did they need Saren and the Geth to call in the Reapers with the Catalyst there? Even if it needs to control the keepers to affect the Citadel why would it let the Protheans alter the signal instead of evacuating the atmosphere/preventing them reaching the Presidium when they Conduit'd on. It apparently has the ability to read minds (we know you've thought of killing us/appearing as "hallucination" boy) so wouldn't it have the ability to indoctrinate and just call them in that way?

That's without the whole "I believe (in order to have happened all life would have been exterminated, then who made the Catalyst/Reapers/Relays?) that it's inevitable you will create synthetic life that will kill everything, so I'll use these synthetics to kill only [B]MOST [/B]of you every 50,000 years, this is my perfect solution!".

[Leonard McCoy]

Even IF Joker decides (for some reason) to pick them up, it doesn't explain why he's running away while the battle is still going on, how they survive being ripped from FTL, how Joker is walking after a crash to a random planet with his brittle bone disease (what are the odds of hitting one in deep space?) and[URL="http://i.imgur.com/jO6dS.jpg"] this.[/URL]
Anderson gets up before you (one path to the platform, you can't see him when you "wake up" and apparently both of your radios work two-way... why didn't you call Coats for backup?). Coats apparently can't see the Reapers leaving either as he orders a full retreat against the combined might of a husk and [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=467pmIX-oZo"]Marauder Shields[/URL].

The Catalyst literally [B]cannot [/B]be explained with the rest of the story, it would nullify the purpose of Sovereign (to monitor the Galaxy, why bother when the Citadel (hub of the galactic civilisations) is a part of the thing that controls the reapers?). Why did they need Saren and the Geth to call in the Reapers with the Catalyst there? Even if it needs to control the keepers to affect the Citadel why would it let the Protheans alter the signal instead of evacuating the atmosphere/preventing them reaching the Presidium when they Conduit'd on. It apparently has the ability to read minds (we know you've thought of killing us/appearing as "hallucination" boy) so wouldn't it have the ability to indoctrinate and just call them in that way?

That's without the whole "I believe (in order to have happened all life would have been exterminated, then who made the Catalyst/Reapers/Relays?) that it's inevitable you will create synthetic life that will kill everything, so I'll use these synthetics to kill only [B]MOST [/B]of you every 50,000 years, this is my perfect solution!".

Sovereign is the vanguard. His job is to bring his reapers buddies into the galaxy through the citadel. The Catalyst AI is a sleeper. It's function is essentially to be the brain of the reaper "'organism" and watch over and automate it. The reapers don't know this, just like your not aware of every function your brain performs especially while you sleep. Theoretically the race that programmed the Catalyst AI and the reapers may have had motives we don't know about. That's why investigate is key here. It could be the originaters had a bitter war against AI's, with the resulting conclusion that they in their arrogance they decided that Organic life would suffer to much when its creations over took it. Theirfor they programmed a tool (the reaper/catalyst AI) to "preserve" organic life as a whole. As for Joker it could simply be that the whole mission had screwed right the fuck up so he made a decision to leave the system to regroup and figure out what to do. The planet they landed on had weaker gravity and thusly joker could walk. As for how they survived the landing? Well you've suspended disbelief alot buy this point (hell shep came back from the dead ffs) and its a stretch that joker managed to land the normandy? Again no plot hole here, just a bit a typical and out of character for Joker.

[Nerraw]

I just love the credits music in ME 3, and ofcourse, M4. Part 2 from ME 1 Credits, which I still use as a ringtone. People are kinda sick of me answering late... Wonder why?!

I bought ME 2 Collector's edition from Origin (25Euros) to get ME 2 soundtrack. I just love them all. Would get ME 1 Collector's edition if I can find it.

The CE only has part of the soundtrack, it's missing over half of the tracks. I was so pissed when I found out. Had to "acquire" the rest elsewhere...

[Alexandyr]

Saren is the vanguard. His job is to bring his reapers buddies into the galaxy through the citadel. The Catalyst AI is a sleeper. It's function is essentially to be the brain of the reaper "'organism" and watch over and automate it. The reapers don't know this, just like your not aware of every function your brain performs especially while you sleep. Theoretically the race that programmed the Catalyst AI and the reapers may have had motives we don't know about. That's why investigate is key here. It could be the originaters had a bitter war against AI's, with the resulting conclusion that they in their arrogance they decided that Organic life would suffer to much when its creations over took it. Theirfor they programmed a tool (the reaper/catalyst AI) to "preserve" organic life as a whole. As for Joker it could simply be that the whole mission had screwed right the fuck up so he made a decision to leave the system to regroup and figure out what to do. Again no plot hole here, just a bit a typical and out of character for Joker.

It's quite a huge out of character moment for Joker. I recall having a conversation with him in Mass Effect 3, where he states, "We stole the Normandy, saved the galaxy, got blown up then went on a suicide mission to the galactic core and I haven't mutinied once - Not once!" For him to think that he needs to flee is something I just can't see. This is the Joker who thought that he could still save the SR-1 when the Collectors hit it the first time. For him to bug out when all seems lost is just not him. Anyway, this is just my opinion on the matter, but I just refuse to believe he'd abandon the mission when it went FUBAR.

[Deleted]

Saren is the vanguard. His job is to bring his reapers buddies into the galaxy through the citadel. The Catalyst AI is a sleeper. It's function is essentially to be the brain of the reaper "'organism" and watch over and automate it. The reapers don't know this, just like your not aware of every function your brain performs especially while you sleep. Theoretically the race that programmed the Catalyst AI and the reapers may have had motives we don't know about. That's why investigate is key here. It could be the originaters had a bitter war against AI's, with the resulting conclusion that they in their arrogance they decided that Organic life would suffer to much when its creations over took it. Theirfor they programmed a tool (the reaper/catalyst AI) to "preserve" organic life as a whole. As for Joker it could simply be that the whole mission had screwed right the fuck up so he made a decision to leave the system to regroup and figure out what to do. Again no plot hole here, just a bit a typical and out of character for Joker.

The Catalyst as a sleeper is pure speculation, nothing in the games hints that the Reapers are unaware as nothing in the game prior to that mentions anything [B]like [/B]the Catalyst. For the entire series the Reapers state that their purpose is "beyond our comprehension" and they are build up as the great threat, then in the last 10min they are revealed to be controlled by a retarded AI, that chooses for some reason to take the form of some kid you [I]apparently [/I]saw a couple of times over the course of 30min, [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wisHcuBzTCM&feature=channel"]with a seriously flawed argument that causes galactic genocide every 50,000 years.[/URL]

There's nothing left for Joker to regroup to, the Crucible was the only chance at defeating the Reapers and everything that could be sent to defend it was.
According to the codex it takes ~4 Dreadnoughts firing to break the shields of a Reaper Capital ship, prior to the invasion there was a total of 85(guess 84 if Destiny Ascension was destroyed) Dreadnoughts across all the races, even without the huge war casualties it's nowhere near enough to give the Reapers pause.

[Leonard McCoy]

It's quite a huge out of character moment for Joker. I recall having a conversation with him in Mass Effect 3, where he states, "We stole the Normandy, saved the galaxy, got blown up then went on a suicide mission to the galactic core and I haven't mutinied once - Not once!" For him to think that he needs to flee is something I just can't see. This is the Joker who thought that he could still save the SR-1 when the Collectors hit it the first time. For him to bug out when all seems lost is just not him. Anyway, this is just my opinion on the matter, but I just refuse to believe he'd abandon the mission when it went FUBAR.

They could have got the order to retreat after the catalyst was inserted. *shrug* In and of itself it's not a plot hole. Plenty of ways to explain why the Normandy left. THat's the biggest problem with the ending. It's just not explained enough.

---------- Post added 2012-03-29 at 07:56 AM ----------

The Catalyst as a sleeper is pure speculation, nothing in the games hints that the Reapers are unaware as nothing in the game prior to that mentions anything [B]like [/B]the Catalyst. For the entire series the Reapers state that their purpose is "beyond our comprehension" and they are build up as the great threat, then in the last 10min they are revealed to be controlled by a retarded AI, that chooses for some reason to take the form of some kid you [I]apparently [/I]saw a couple of times over the course of 30min, [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wisHcuBzTCM&feature=channel"]with a seriously flawed argument that causes galactic genocide every 50,000 years.[/URL]

There's nothing left for Joker to regroup to, the Crucible was the only chance at defeating the Reapers and everything that could be sent to defend it was.
According to the codex it takes ~4 Dreadnoughts firing to break the shields of a Reaper Capital ship, prior to the invasion there was a total of 83 Dreadnoughts across all the races, even without the huge war casualties it's nowhere near enough to give the Reapers pause.

Well that's why it needs to be explained better. Like I said earlier if they let you "investigate" as you did with Vigil on Ilos it probably would have made alot more sense. Instead they left it up to mystery and fan rage which I don't suspect they anticipated. Joker could have left for any number of reasons, it just needs to be flushed out a bit more. Hacket could have order them to retreat simply because they were getting hammered by the repears and the catalyst had already been inserted anyway.

As for the catalyst I suspect they have more up their sleeves than they've revealed. The prothean VI on Thessia hints at this. A deeper cycle beyond the reaper cycle.

[Deleted]

@Mass Effect music
I think they have the best music out of any games I've ever played and I've played a lot of games over the years.

Awesome Piano cover of the ME3 Love Theme

I've been listening to the soundtrack practically non-stop whenever I've had the chance. I listen to it when I'm playing WoW, I listen to it on my way to school, I listen to it on my way home, naturally when I'm playing ME3... I can't get over the fact how stunning and how filled with emotions the whole soundtrack is.

And thanks for linking that video. I'm wiping tears right now.

[rhorle]

As for Joker it could simply be that the whole mission had screwed right the fuck up so he made a decision to leave the system to regroup and figure out what to do. The planet they landed on had weaker gravity and thusly joker could walk. As for how they survived the landing? Well you've suspended disbelief alot buy this point (hell shep came back from the dead ffs) and its a stretch that joker managed to land the normandy? Again no plot hole here, just a bit a typical and out of character for Joker.

Except that most of the squad arrived with Hammer and were at the forward base. If you listen to some of the npc's at the forward base you will hear that a lot of hammer didn't make it to ground or the forward base even with the AA guns down. But we are to believe that joker in the Normandy managed to evacuate the squad even if some of the squads were with Shepard just before he charged the beam? That the three Reapers that broke off from the battle in space just ignored the Normandy?

And then while all of that was happening Joker Managed to get the ship in FTL before the Citadel destroyed the Relays. Why would he be bugging out at that point? They would have known shepard made it aboard the Citadel and was docking the Crucible.

Except the Child AI references that he isn't a sleeper because the crucible introduces a new option to the equation that normally isn't available to the Reapers. The thing is that Bioware never fully explained what the function of the Citadel is to the reapers. Its clear it is much more then just a "get your buddies here" device that was stated in ME1. It does seem that it is some sort of reaper building device since the Citadel is collecting dead humans.

This is the reason why the ending sucks. Because it throws all this stuff at you with little to no context. Then you see things like "leaked" story elements that would have made the ending make a lot more sense and was actually connected to things you've experienced in the past ME games. Bioware screwed up at the very least. Maybe they have the perfect ending coming as DLC free or paid. At this point it sounds like they changed things so it didn't match the leak but forgot to re-write everything else to make the new ending fit.

[Deleted]

I have read a post a few pages back about the implants in Shepards face. Is it actually possible to get them visible on a fresh ME3 save? I have only played nearly full paragon Shepards so I have no clue about that.

I will probably start a full Renegade (Earth-born, sole survivor and stuff) this weekend. This was the only thing that bugged me out that you can´t see your cool glowing implants in your face.