Mass Effect 3 (expect spoilers for the entire series)

[Ashtrot]

Now, the above may be only two choices, but they carry significantly more weight than the three options you're given in the retail release, and it ties in Mass Effect 2 quite nicely.  I'm sorry, but there's just no comparison.  The retail release's three choices are fucking weak sauce.  I think Fable 2 had a more significant choice thrust upon the player at the end.

You have a point about the choices not being black and white, and to be honest, I think the Dark Energy ending is pretty fascinating myself - but then, if we're to assert that it was the originally intended ending all along, then it brings with it its own, completely new set of problems. First and foremost being, if the Reapers discovered that Mass Effect technology was causing Dark Energy to rampage out of control, why would they continue to allow galactic civilization to utilize it for MILLIONS OF YEARS before putting their final plan to contain the phenomenon into motion? Why not destroy all the Mass Relays and ensure that any spacefaring race does not utilize Mass Effect technology upon threat of extermination while trying to find a solution to the problem? Even hand waving that part, how exactly would they combat Dark Energy, an ostensibly natural phenomenon? I mean, it's like asking scientists now to find a way to control earthquakes and tornadoes. I get the feeling that fans are just enamored with 'what could have been' and thus elevate the Dark Energy ending into some sort of perfect ending when it has just as many problems - if not more - than the endings we got.

Since I've seen copies on ME2 with all the DLC included floating around I have a few questions:

-Are the 'prior events' from ME1 in ME2-PS3 version completely set in one stone path or are they randomized every time you start a new game? (As the PS3 has no ME 1 to download a prior save from.)

-If it's one single pre-game path; what things do they elect to count as canon? (Council living/dying, chosen romantic partner, ect.)

-Will I really be missing out on a large part of the 'make your own story' by playing a version that doesn't have ME1 backwards compatibility?

Just wondering because ME3's price is tanking; so it might be smarter/quicker for my situation to just buy the PS3 versions rather than waiting for a new computer than can handle ME2-3 and buying it off Origin.

Mass Effect 2 on PS3 comes with Genesis, a comic styled 'last time on...' type thing that lets you make choices for six of the major decisions from the previous Mass Effect. These include (SPOILERS, obviously): Whether you kill the Rachni off, which romance partner you select, who you leave on Virmire, whether or not you save the Council, whether you were able to talk down Wrex on Virmire, and who Shepard chooses to be the human Councillor.

Some choices affect side quest availability and dialogue during ME2 and 3. If you want to see everything you'll want to start with ME1. If you're okay with missing some side quests and extra stuff, then skipping ME1 isn't a catastrophic loss.

[Bleaker]

If you think about it, the fight between humans and machine is MUCH more significant then the Dark Energy stuff. Dark Energy was only mentioned in passing a few times with the Rannoch quest being the biggest thing mentioning it. That's not defending the endings though, they STILL suck. I feel bad for the people holding on to the Indoctrination Theory like my brother. It seems the Extended Cut was made to explicitly disprove it.

[Parn]

First and foremost being, if the Reapers discovered that Mass Effect technology was causing Dark Energy to rampage out of control, why would they continue to allow galactic civilization to utilize it for MILLIONS OF YEARS before putting their final plan to contain the phenomenon into motion? Why not destroy all the Mass Relays and ensure that any spacefaring race does not utilize Mass Effect technology upon threat of extermination while trying to find a solution to the problem? Even hand waving that part, how exactly would they combat Dark Energy, an ostensibly natural phenomenon? I mean, it's like asking scientists now to find a way to control earthquakes and tornadoes. I get the feeling that fans are just enamored with 'what could have been' and thus elevate the Dark Energy ending into some sort of perfect ending when it has just as many problems - if not more - than the endings we got.

Well firstly, it isn't the technology that is causing the expansion of dark energy, just that it relies on dark energy to work.  The expansion is happening regardless.

Secondly, I don't see how controlling natural phenomenon is outside the realm of possibility.  Sure, asking scientists now to control earthquakes and tornadoes is beyond our capabilities (which is why one of those two choices mentioned earlier likely means the doom of the universe and arguably a worse choice than betraying your own kind), but we don't know what the future holds.  Electricity is a naturally occurring phenomena that we have learned to control, manipulate, and regulate that allows us to enjoy the comforts we have today.  We have lightning rods, surge protectors, grounding, and all sorts of other measures to mitigate the damage that lightning strikes can cause.  Mere centuries ago, none of this would have been deemed even remotely possible.  Fire is a naturally occurring phenomenon, yet society has developed tools to combat it as well as harness it for our own uses.  We use it to cook our food while we simultaneously put it out with large quantities of monoammonium phosphate or water when our homes are threatened to be burned down.

If they had gone the dark energy route, there still would have been problems and unanswered questions, sure.  But I sincerely believe that there would have been a lot less controversy.

[Taelus]

That link is  very interesting. I'm much more on the side of the supposed "original" ending. It's a difficult choice, but it's way more pertinent to the story than what we got. The EC at least gave it some closure, but the core irrelevancy of the 'ultimate choice' to the plot of the series as a whole still smarts. Whatevs, though. Sad that after such a fantastic series I'm basically just apathetic to it as a whole. Not at all what I'd hoped would come of it.

[Taelus]

http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/08/03/leviathan-add-on-will-change-mass-effect-3s-ending?utm_campaign=ign+main+twitter&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social

"Rift in your ending"

I swear to god, Bioware, if "rift" in your ending means "1000 more points to your war assets meter" I'm going to fucking brain someone.

[ZeronHitaro]

Hmm; this might be the time to pick up 2 and 3 then. I delayed past my initial questioning because I noticed the DLC on ME2 had an expiration date for claiming. XP Thanks EA; nice to know that even if I bought it new the DLC would've been invalid. And they put this kind of important notation in tiny print on the backside.

[Agent D.]

So Leviathin is story only, no multiplayer additions? That's sort of...crap.

[John]

So Leviathin is story only, no multiplayer additions? That's sort of...crap.

Um, it seems like they've been making their regular MP updates free so as not to fragment the community.  Doesn't make sense for them to make a MP update paid if this is the case.

[Agent D.]

Well, I should elaborate a bit. I say it's crap because, like it's mentioned in the article, we all know the story already. Even people who haven't played the game, unless they have seriously been ducking all, and I do mean ALL mass effect 3 info still have a general idea of how the game ends. Leviathin is simply adding more meat to the bologne sandwich, it doesn't make it any less of a bologne sandwich. Now if this expansion can actually change the ending in full, yeah, this is a huge deal and I will be buying it ASAP. But given Bioware's desire to firmly state that

Code:

You are dead, deal with it

I don't see it happening. The multiplayer aspect at least keeps the game running for the vast majority. Many people won't bother playing through the entire game again just to play through an event where we can go underwater, and still watch the multicolor ending scheme that won't change at all. Call me pessimistic, but I just don't consider this a smart move on bioware's end.

[ZeronHitaro]

Actually I have a hunch how this might go. Two really.

Hunch #1:

Code:

Here; you have a weapon that can kill Reapers. Go do the 'refuse' option. Here's your Star Wars Death-Star-Blows-Up
ending, now shut up about it.

Hunch #2:

Code:

Here; you have a weapon that can kill Reapers. Go do the 'refuse' option. Hey look; you almost won!
I bet you if you buy a few more future DLC story quests with more legendary weapons
you might actually win someday.

Either way...I dread those options. As I said before, I actually like the idea that you can't always kill space Cthulhu.

[Taelus]

Actually I have a hunch how this might go. Two really.

Hunch #1:

Code:

Here; you have a weapon that can kill Reapers. Go do the 'refuse' option. Here's your Star Wars Death-Star-Blows-Up
ending, now shut up about it.

Hunch #2:

Code:

Here; you have a weapon that can kill Reapers. Go do the 'refuse' option. Hey look; you almost won!
I bet you if you buy a few more future DLC story quests with more legendary weapons
you might actually win someday.

Either way...I dread those options. As I said before, I actually like the idea that you can't always kill space Cthulhu.

I agree completely, I was suspecting something like one of these two scenarios. I'd ACTUALLY be okay with that. It allows them to maintain their original narrative vision (whatever the fuck that was) while still appeasing EVERYONE.

[kyuusei]

So what do you think of Leviathan? I admit I was in part afraid it wouldnt be worth the ten bucks, but I really enjoyed it. It took me 3+ hours to complete, was very interesting and you get a lot more on the Reapers than Starbrat could hope to tell you.

My one regret was not taking the husk head from the lab. :P Ship models can't compare to a screaming head.

[Taelus]

I had two thoughts about the plot threads it introduced.

1) Entirely made to attempt to justify their ending.

2) Fucking ridiculous.

Code:

So the Leviathans noticed that all the species they enthralled were creating AIs that rebelled... so to counteract this... they created an AI. Which rebelled. Face fucking palm.

That said, I guess the gameplay was still solid. But my god, they need to just fucking stop.

[kyuusei]

Yeah, the thing I hated was that it was as cyclical as the Starbrat's explanations. Knowing how the Reapers originated was kinda neat though. Even if it's like hey, this sounds familiar...

But still. Husk head.

[Taelus]

At least they can still get the gameplay right.