Mass Effect 3: BioWare Shits on It's Fans

As many gamers have come to find out, the final installment of the beloved Mass Effect series was nothing more than a let down. Instead of the victorious ending they wanted for the character that they had spent countless hours emotionally developing, they were given something that resembled The Matrix franchise. You know, when a story gets so big, with so many different outcomes possible that they just decided to weakly and sloppy think of a conclusion...leaving plot holes?

Unfortunately I was one of those gamers who had become quite attached to the series. When I played the first one, it was something new and I loved it. I loved how I had a choice in what my character did. I had played RPGs before but there was something new about the Mass Effect series I liked. Right up until the end credits which featured the song "M4" by Faunts. I replayed over and over and thanks to it I actually quit smoking...briefly.

The way it ended we all knew that there was going to be a Mass Effect 2 by the way the first one ended. When the second one was announced I was ecstatic. I kept my fingers crossed hoping that they wouldn't butcher the series. Looking back, if they were going to screw things up in one of the games it might as well have been the second one. It's what they did with Dragon Age. However, I was relieved to see that I enjoyed the second one more than the first. I saw hope for the third to live up to the other twos expectations. I was wrong.

From the starting point, the game really didn't have a solid beginning. The first two had beginnings that drew you in. Even the simpleness of the first one. This one was more cut scene than it was ask questions or make decisions. However, I overlooked that because it's the last installment of the series. On a good note, I will say that the gameplay was a lot smoother than the previous titles.

Now onto the ending: SPOILERS

I read somewhere that there were sixteen (16) different endings that could be had. However, I have yet to see one after searching around on Youtube for most of my morning. One ending is you end up controlling the Reapers, however you give up your life to do it and the Mass Relays get destroyed in the process. Another where you apparently hurl yourself off the edge of the citadel and into the burning bright of the crucible, which seems to do the same thing the last one does. Then there is another where you blow up the system, destroy all synthetics and technologies putting every species back in the dark ages AND killing the Geth, Quarians, and Volus and whatever other species depends on environmental suits.

Now one question was brought up on one of the videos. In the second game there was a DLC called "The Arrival" where you must destroy one of the mass relays to ensure that the Reapers do not arrive in the system and wipe out all galactic life. Doing so, destroys the entire star system and all 300,000 colonists living there. So when these mass relays are destroyed, wouldn't it do the same thing? You would think! Science doesn't change just because you want to do a terrible job writing it.

Who created the catalyst? We know the catalyst created the Reapers but is the catalyst just some ghost boy that lives on the citadel? For a series that didn't go too far into the paranormal...what the hell? Weird.

What about all those left behind. All your team mates, we only see three get off the crashed Normandy. It would be nice to see how your widowed love is doing, if they survived the fight. It would have been nice to see Shepherd embrace their love in the end or something romantic and poetic.

The Normandy crashes on some remote planet that seems to be void of other humans and life, with not technology and no way to send for help. Just three people. I don't know how I feel about this. It's just downright ridiculous. Even if they could send for help, all the ships are rendered useless. Which brings me to the next issue. There were a lot of people in ships above earth's atmosphere. So, they're trapped now right? If you chose that the Reapers must die and all technology in the galaxy has been wiped out.

I've been writing now for a good solid thirty minutes and I'm sure I could go on. But, I've been starring at glowing screens for the past three days and need a good solid break. In conclusion, I would have to say that this was one of the most disappointing endings I've ever seen. For those that don't play video games: take Star Wars, the first three films for the seventies. Now, add the prequels.

PS BioWare, now would be a good time to get all your people together and start making up new endings as a DLC...would really recommend it.