Massive spoilers, but OMG Also could this be the biggest troll of second hand game sales ever? Bought, finished and traded-in ME3? Guess what! It's not over yet! Bet you wish you'd kept hold of it for the real, true, free DLC ending! bwhahaha!
I feel like that video is trying to indoctrinate me with their thoughts... Whilst I sort of like the theory, I would find it incredibly annoying if I chose the 'wrong' option simply because I wanted to let the Geth live (one might say that the Reapers were using that against me, but meh). A few points though: a) It says the kid boards the same shuttle as Anderson, but whilst I can't go watch it atm, I don't think that's right? Anderson had only just left the Normandy behind, so wouldn't have thought he'd have boarded that shuttle so quickly. But I like that they noticed noone else interacted with the kid... would explain why Shepard views the Catalyst AI as him. Spoiler b) You mentioned a "best" option as the one where you need 5000 war assets, but isn't that the Synthesis option? Sent from bit-tech Android app
He admits the shuttle bit is incorrect in that vid, if you have captions on. Still right about no-one else seeing the boy though. The "best" option isn't synthesis, which is actually something Saren talks about at the end of ME1 - the merging of organic and synthetic. The best option is +5000 readyness points, red (right option) and then.... Spoiler There's a brief cut scene where Shepard wakes up, seemingly beneath the beam in London I chose synthesis, but it appears it's the fluffy nice solution. Sneaky reapers. Kill them all!
Oh Snap! Guess i'll have to grind that Readiness Rating and replay the ending ... might turn down the difficulty though (from Hardcore) - I don't really want to have to do that whole "5 Brutes and 4 Banshees" moment again . Finished the game with about 4700 Strength (with 50% Readiness), so it's only 4-5 more games on MP ;>. Although i tried to get ME3 out of the way before I started focusing on Uni work (what this whole weekend entailed ).
Very interesting vid. I did think at the time that it seemed like an hallucination, but then the game carried on to the end so assumed I was wrong. It did still bother me though...especially the fact you are not in your armour that you were while fighting..and then the Illusive man showing up seemed a bit far fetched. The kid showing up that was in your dreams was another hint something was up. I chose to destroy the reapers (right option) on my play-through. It seemed like the only real option of the 3 available.
One thing thats not shown in that video that also supports "indoctrination theory" is that next to the air duct where you first encounter the boy theres a warning message. Which basically is a human head with an electric bolt going through the top of the head and the message "WARNING"..... Its subtle, but its there.... Also in ME1 the Rachni define indoctrination as "songs the color of oily shadow", and in the last 10-15 mins as shown in the video you posted theres oily shadows dancing around the edges of the screen each time the reaper "growls". I personally believe "indoctrination theory" is the only way that the last 10-15 mins of the game makes sense theres too many mistakes or inconsistency otherwise. Personally I'm cool with that belief, at least until Bioware release DLC.
Sorry but honestly I don't think Bioware are clever enough to come up with something so poetic! Good video though and is a clever take on the ending to the game but still has some major flaws. Spoiler But what happens in the inevitable ending DLC if you chose the "wrong" option? Do you get to watch Shepard be controlled for 2 hours by the Reapers whilst those that chose the destroy the Reapers option get to actual wake up on Earth and actually do it?
Also, there's the fact that when you "wake up" after getting hit by the laser, every time you walk shady trees sort of form a path directing you to the beam (similar to trees you see in your dream). You probably spend 15min "realising" what's happened and have to somehow fight your way back into control?
Maybe. I think people are picking apart the rather flimsy ending Bioware made and trying their best to give it a more interesting, meaningful story. It's very clever and if fleshed out would be an incredible ending to ME3 in my opinion but... Spoiler If you are actually indoctrinated at the end of the game and you never leave Earth, then the conclusion of the story doesn't actually end, we are left with no answers at all. If they then released DLC to find out what happens when you break free of Reaper control... that in many ways is worse than the ending in the game! And what of the cutscene at the end with the Man telling the child the story of Shepard? I got that on my Synthesis ending, and it is also on the Kill/Control endings too. Also, the future DLC message after the credits says you are a legend for ending the Reaper threat, AM I BEING INDOCTRINATED TOO?! Ultimately I think it is just far too complicated and clever for the average no forum posting fan. And if they do proceed with the Indoctrination line with future DLC did Bioware actually intend for it in the first place or are they capitalizing on the thoughts of a couple of fans?
I agree that a paid DLC ending would be terrible... if it was free however (and even to second-hand users) then i wouldn't care so much. People would still probably QQ about how "it should have been in the shipped game" etc., but then i've heard (yes, on the internets) that it may have been to do with the Story leak they suffered a few months ago. Anyhow, with regards to "The Shepard"... i think of it more as a point in the storytelling he wanted to break at. Like "and that's all i'm telling you for now"... esp. since the conversation just starts with: Child: "Did that all really happen?" But then gets convinced by the Child to carry on/tell another story.
"And I'm done arguing with you. We simple disagree on the fundamentals of it so really there's no point."
Well I completed it on Sunday, after about 33 hours, getting nearly all side quests. I have to agree with the masses, the ending is ****. I think they ruined the core of mass effect, which is that your actions throughout the game have an impact on the ending. I enjoyed the game play, sound and the combat, all were better, I also liked the weapons mods, upgrades, variety of weapons and armour etc. I also though visually it was good and the character voice work also good. SPOILERS AHOY: Spoiler Sadly there are plenty of backward steps even when compared to Mass Effect 2. The lack of dialog in between missions from the various members of the Normandy crew sticks out like a sore thumb. The most common response I got out of Liara was ‘Hello Shepperd’, outside of the preset conversations at various points in the game. Bioware said they had reduced the number of recruitable characters to give deeper interaction between them. Sadly gone are the fascinating conversations like you could have with Thane, Legion and Morden etc that gave you some excellent back story and helped you appreciate the personal motivations of the characters. The Wiki entry says there is roughley double the dialog lines from ME2, and from a background noise point of view (citadel as an example) I can believed it, just a real shame it lacks from the main characters. The other big issues is previous choices from an imported character might as well not have made most of those choices in previous games, as they made next to no difference on many of the events in the game (the Quarians war with the Geth as a prime example) made a lot worse by how the ending completely fly’s in the face of any of your choice my removing all those choices! Why did I bother to broker peace between the Quairans and the Geth, when if I choose to destroy the reapers at the end, it also destroys all Synthetic life. On the subject of the ending, IMO, the game should have ended with a wounded Shepperd and Anderson, in the control room after activating the crucible, which then goes on to destroy the reapers in a shock wave which travels via the relays to the other reapers. With the reapers dead and based on your choices in the 3 games, it should have then shown you the outcome of decisions you made. This would have added some closure. Instead, you get 3 Deus Ex Human Revolution style endings (only worse!), a brief scene with a crashed Normandy and some survivors, a stupid and brief story board and then you get plonked back on the Normandy, with a message to say your exploits have become legend and you can continue the adventure via future DLC... My mate described the experience as good fun, up until you get a kick in the balls at the end with an extra slap for good measure in the form of DLC to finish the story. I have to say I like his description. It’s a shame really, as there are some stand out moments, Thane Krios and his involvement in the Kie Leng/Spectre/council incident, with a nearly tear inducing ending involving thane. A nice moment at the Grissom Academy if you helped out David in Overlord and some tough choices with the Krogen/Salarian situation and the Geth/Quarian conflict and as well as some well realised moments with previous characters . Although sadly, even some previously well developed characters end up with a decidedly average sidelining. Unfortunately, many of the other non priority missions were either short and very average or yawnsome fetch quests via planet scanning for war assets. Key locations like Ilium and Omega are absent despite being mentioned several times by various people and announcements. For me, Mass Effect 2 had a number of standout missions, from amazing recruitment missions like Garrus, Jack and Thanes, to excellent Loyalty Missions like Zaeed, Modens and Jacobs, to some truley Excellent DLC like Liar of the Shadow Broker and Arrival, even the gut wrenching decision at the end of Overlord. While ME2 was not perfect either, they way ME3 handles all this leaves a lot to be desired. When all of this is added together, it leaves quite the bitter taste. While I don’t think the game is 3 out of 10 material as many of Meta Critics users do, I also don’t think it deserves the 9’s and 10’s it’s getting from the ‘Professional Critics’. Personally I had expected more from Bioware, but after recently playing Dragon Age origins, it’s clear that Bioware are not as good at making RPG’s as they used to be :/
I wouldn't be surprised to see either of these pop up as DLC. There's certainly enough set up to be able to wedge a trip to Omega into the story.
I heard one of the future dlc's will be centred around Omega, but that is little more than a rumour at this point. Edit: check this out http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17444719
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17444719 NEEEEERRRRRDDSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Said in a Homer Simpson stylee)
Some interesting speculation as why the ending was so, off here. http://geek.pikimal.com/2012/03/22/...ass-effect-3-writers-forum-post-name-release/
