It took more than 15 years of gaming and internet presence, but it finally happened: I got addicted to an online game. The game is, of course, Mass Effect 3 Multiplayer. I’ve been playing daily for a couple of months now and the impressions have long since coalesced. There are good things and bad things about it, but overall it’s unbelievably fun, subtly competitive, and obviously, addictive.
So I played the Extended Cut. Overall, I’m satisfied, but that’s not too much of a surprise since I was satisfied with the original ending as well. All the additions are definite improvements, there’s no room for debating that. Several occurrences that were previously open to interpretation are now properly spelled out or dramatized, and the options available to the player are expanded to include an additional final choice. Continue reading
Ha. I was neither right nor wrong. There will be an “Extended Cut” DLC for Mass Effect 3, but it will offer no new endings and it will cost no money. It will extend the existing endings by including additional cutscenes and dialogs in order to provide more closure. ETA: summer 2012. Continue reading
Former Mass Effect Lead Writer Defends Series Conclusion
Contrary to what you might assume, I’m not interested in the “defense” of the endings. This is what got my attention:
The Reapers’ goal was to find a way to stop the spread of Dark Energy which would eventually consume everything. That’s why there was so much foreshadowing about Dark Energy in ME2.
The Reapers as a whole were ‘nations’ of people who had fused together in the most horrific way possible to help find a way to stop the spread of the Dark Energy. The real reason for the Human Reaper was supposed to be the Reapers saving throw because they had run out of time. Humanity in Mass Effect is supposedly unique because of it’s genetic diversity and represented the universe’s best chance at stopping Dark Energy’s spread.
The original final choice was going to be “Kill the Reapers and put your faith in the races of the galaxy in finding another way to stop the spread with what little time is left” or “Sacrifice humanity, allowing them to be horrifically processed in hopes that the end result will justify the means.”
Gareth Fouche analyzes the plot of Mass Effect 3 in a well-reasoned, level-headed post. Can’t help but agree with most of his points. Can’t help but be grateful for my wonderful ability to keep disbelief suspended so high up, it spends most of the time clinging to the ceiling.
There has been a huge shit-storm in Mass Effect fandom over the way ME 3 ended. I can’t say I’ve been on the forefront of these… discussions, but some of my friends have been affected by the depression and have kept me informed on the hopes and fears boiling within the community. Like I said elsewhere, I think the particular ending(s) have little to do with the high emotions; I think the fans are mourning the passing of the entire series. Continue reading
Found this nerdgasmic article. Doesn’t fix any plot holes, but still, a marvelous read.
This is not a review. In fact, I don’t know if I’ll ever have the stamina to write one; you know, with objective criticism and all that. That would be exceedingly difficult, because, see, this game pulled on all my strings so hard. Other than some minor annoyances, I’d say that everything was done exactly right. Or, to allow for some weaseling, everything was done exactly to my taste. Continue reading
Well, shit. It’s true: Valern is the name of the salarian councilor, and the turian councilor is named Sparatus. Never mind that abomination. Why, oh why didn’t Bioware tell us this before? Would it have been so damn difficult to just come out and say so on the forums or whatever? Bah. Massive retcons in sight. I think I mention the turian councilor in every goddamn story I have out there.
