The Un-Beautiful Letdown of ME 3

In 2 words...the end. (Or endings}

What should/could have been an epic ending, a tour de force for a stellar sci-fi game and perhaps a precedent for those  to follow...a legend if you will....fell flat on its un-heroic, ugly face when it mattered the most...right at the end.

Mass Effect had the promise of being a trilogy that would set a bar of favourable comparision, one that for years gamers would be saying “yeah, but it was no Mass Effect”, or “I wish they would make another trilogy like Mass Effect, it was awesome”. Instead...Mass Effect seemingly is the comparable of dropping the ball, sticking it to gamers where and when it hurts and worse, scarring gamers for life over hard-earned money spent on what ultimately becomes an ungraceful fail in the final hour (might be 10-15 minutes actually). It should have been beautiful. It COULD have been beautiful.

And...I weep. I am a Sci-Fi fan. Old school. Mass Effect was gorgeous for me. Liked the voice acting, the characters, their development and interactions, the critical decisions and overcoming or adding to prejudices, the quests, the themes of self-determination or anihilation, the graphics...oh, it was fun. The end was going to be EPIC, a game that had the single player high five to no one in particular (likely because as a single player they were the only one in the room - like me) with a guttural “oh yeah!!!”(Um. Me again)

The end of the Halo trilogy for me was ...ok. The end of the Gears of War trilogy for me was a nod of the head and an alright (Marcus has weird hair but I can move past that). But the end to the Mass Effect trilogy was one I had anticipated and held highest hopes for and it just landed with...I dunno....a “thud”. I don’t want to get into spoilers but I just wanted to voice my utter disappointment. I am left confused at what on earth could possibly have gone wrong – new writers for the end, no writers for the end, what!?! I want a logic to this feeling of emptiness.

I am grieving what could/should have been and shaking my head with confusion.

Right now...I would not recommend Mass Effect 3 to anyone. Up to the end its actually pretty good but all because it is being driven to an end, a “this is it, do or die” arrival and then when you get there...ugh....sometimes the journey far outweighs the destination. Even sadder is that this is it...there is no opportunity for a redemption. This is the final Mass Effect Shepherd storyline product. Its a sting that for me that might have me thinking twice before investing five years and a significant amount of cash into another trilogy by this team of writers.

The worst part, for myself is...what it could have been. Potential for this game was outstanding. And that is what Mass Effect has now merely become – a what it could have been. All games can have endings but this is the first time I have been so critically dumbfounded by one (no matter which one you pick). Failure, is a hard pill to swallow and this one does it with such ultimate determination because if actually tries to control of your gaming and force you to do things if you want a good ending (one accursed word "multiplayer"). So, who wants a crappy ending, show of hands please. Seriously!?! Take my 59.99 and then blackmail me on top of that? Good grief, what was going on with the writers and who else thought this crap-a-doo-doo ending (or endings – but their ALL equally bad) would float the boat with Mass Effect fans? I had even considered getting myself a bit of ME swag but wow, not now. I am afraid hardcores will point at it and laugh and say “you played that sh*t, you loser?” with utter contempt. I have, after all, a reputation to consider.

So, I had to shrug off the endings, and finally settle with one for good but I didn't like it...um, in case you hadn't guessed that. It was a letdown.

I have heard you can obtain a better ending if you play mulitplayer but I don't roll like that. AND this is an unnecessary evil. If you make an AWESOME game you will not have to resort to this kind of marketing coercion. Gamers game for the ultimate experience, give them that and many more gamers will boldly follow with their money and the marketing will drive itself. And those that cannot let go of the ultimate gaming experience will want to continue (forever) in multiplayer land. (Halo proved this, World of Warcraft proved this, yadda yadda yadda). Give them the game and they will come. Screw them and THAT is what will spread (like a virus) and slow down the money flow. It isn’t rocket science. Is it?

I have been gaming since I was 12 (maybe younger) I am now 52. This is the worst ending(s) I have ever encountered. What a sad testament, no? For a game I had loved, that should have lived on but now I will likely just forget about.

I have heard a rumour that on Facebook there is a petition to have a new DLC ending or something...I am not sure what good it will do but I will “like” the petition because that is maybe worth having a Facebook account for. If nothing else it might send a message to developers that endings do matter and gamers can be fussy consumers when we are now being charged quite a bit per game.

Here is something else I have to ask myself...am I willing to boycott this developer because of this? Hmmm. They haven’t always screwed up so that is in my gamer blood. Maybe kinda sorta? I think the next time I see this same writing team attached to a project I will not be running out to get it and game it first, or second even. I will maybe wait for the reviews and then for the game to drop in price. And if a trilogy, I might hold onto my dollars for the distance to evaluate the verdict on the complete series. Once bitten, twice shy.

Damn...this was a great game...what a horrible, brutal shame it wasn't right to the end. (Shaking my head again). If fans did get a new DLC ending, what a miracle but maybe, maybe it would be brilliant.