JsinOwl 644 Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 My problem with Mass Effect 3's ending, by Jason Wilson. What is Mass Effect all about? Yeah, killing the Reapers, saving the galaxy, blah, blah, blah. That's the plot. What are the overarching themes of Mass Effect? What are the ideas and concepts that drive the narrative? There are a bunch: racism, artificial intelligence, genetic modification, and so on. But there is one, that to me anyway, stands above all others. For me, Mass Effect is a tale about the power of teamwork. It is about accepting each other's differences and embracing the unique talents that each individual brings to the table. It's about believing in each other and the cause and persevering in the face of overwhelming odds. It is about Shepard's ability to bring out the best in people and to bring them together, to accomplish what no single person ever could. There are two trophies in Mass Effect 2 that summarize it perfectly: "Against All Odds" and "No One Left Behind" Which brings us to my problem with the ending of the series. It all comes down to: we can't do it through teamwork, we can't do it at all, we need the Prothean's tech and a star child to do it for us. Shepard makes the final choice, but it doesn't have to be him. It could have been anyone or no one who makes the final choice with zero change in the outcome. All that matters is that in the end, teamwork, loyalty, and friendship aren't enough to get it done. And that my friends, flies in the face of everything the Mass Effect series is about right up to that final moment. If you decide to put your dick in crazy, be ready to change your phone number and relocate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sennex 1,903 Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 Let me know if I can lock this thread; because you pretty much just crushed it Luke 23:34 'And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they don't think it be like it is, but it do." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Docwagon 856 Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 Mass Effect is, at it's heart, a game about blue titties. Wait, what's the question? Oh, right. The ending was fine by me. I think I just relate it to real military decisions and the like too much and the overarching narrative doesn't strike me the way it does you. I could be the greatest Admiral to ever command a float during WWII. My decisions and tactics could save ships and lives that would have been lost by a mundane admiral. Then some egghead invents the nuke and all it really takes is one pilot and one bomb and all of my decisions have no affect on the end result on the outcome of the war. Teamwork and tactics and all the rest makes huge differences on the battlefield. Sometimes the battlefield doesn't mean dick to the outcome of the war, though, and sometimes a disruptive power (technology in the real world) just up and takes the decisions out of your hands. That's just the way war goes. Hell, that's the way LIFE goes. Everything is cooking along, your plans are laid, nothing can go wrong and then...disruption. Think of the guys who worked their asses off to get satellite radio to be a thing, and before any real return on investment, high speed wireless and free apps kicks their business model out from under them. In short, its a reminder that regardless of how powerful you are, how smart you are, how good you are, there's always somebody better. Its a reminder to not step on people on the way up, because some day you may be coming right back down. in the end, Shepherd is just a man, not a god. Shepherd is us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L_C_Scipio 395 Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 I'm basically of Doc's way of thinking. Given the lore behind the Reapers, the actions of one man, or even one ship, were never going to be enough. To me, it almost would have been a letdown to beat the Reapers through conventional means. Like, why did it take somebody so long to be able to do that? Why couldn't any other cycle have done it? Sometimes, despite what modern positive thinking/self esteem bullcrap would tell you, your best just isn't enough. That's a theme that I personally can relate to all too well. So I guess the ending kind of spoke to me that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkArch3typ3 58 Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 No other cycle could take down the reapers because they did not know they were coming. Every Civilization had the citadel as it's hub, ironically the citadel was the gateway. You take out the hub and start travelling to the most powerful Civilizations. You take out communication so no other Civilization knows what is going on. They were kind of blind sided. The current Civilization was able to stop them through quick thinking and a bit of convincing through Shepard. I he protheans didn't have enough time to complete the crucible. With Shepards help, we were able to complete the crucible and, depending how you ended it, became the reapers. Slowly building the gateways for the next cycle to repeat. That's right folks, I became the reapers and I will be coming back to harvest you when you build up the technology again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lepercolony 275 Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 i totally agree. the first time i genophaged my crucible at the citadel, i was like Oh Shit now everybody's gonna get mass effected. best campaign ever imho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JsinOwl 644 Posted March 5, 2015 Author Share Posted March 5, 2015 -___- If you decide to put your dick in crazy, be ready to change your phone number and relocate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lepercolony 275 Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 -___- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JsinOwl 644 Posted March 6, 2015 Author Share Posted March 6, 2015 I like my entertainment to reflect the world as I wish it to be, not as it is. I experience mundane reality everyday. I want my entertainment to be uplifting, hopeful, romanticized cheese. I feel the same way about all art, that its greatest purpose is to re-envision reality as an ideal to strive for. If you decide to put your dick in crazy, be ready to change your phone number and relocate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Docwagon 856 Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 I like my entertainment to reflect the world as I wish it to be, not as it is. I experience mundane reality everyday. I want my entertainment to be uplifting, hopeful, romanticized cheese. I feel the same way about all art, that its greatest purpose is to re-envision reality as an ideal to strive for. Then you probably wouldn't like the end of Mass Effect 3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JsinOwl 644 Posted March 6, 2015 Author Share Posted March 6, 2015 Probably not. If you decide to put your dick in crazy, be ready to change your phone number and relocate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sennex 1,903 Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 The Circle is now complete Luke 23:34 'And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they don't think it be like it is, but it do." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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