Epic Round-Table Review: Mass Effect 3 (Spoiler Free)

[Marius]

You can cheat with the save game editor to set your EMS as high as you want if you hate grinding.

[Serval]

I loved the Mordin scene, yes.

The problem with the ending in regards to that is

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When a relay is destroyed, it goes super nova and wipes out the system, as shown in The Arrival DLC. So every single ending annihilates the entire galaxy and all that stuff before the ending means nothing.

If not, then all the endings just contradicted the basis for the start of the game established in The Arrival.

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I think that the crucible was turning all the energy of the relays into space magic, to accomplish whatever you chose to do.

So I don't think that the systems with relays in them all asploded.

[Seditary]

I don't buy the indoctrination theory in the slightest.

Because if its true, its even worse than what we have because it means there is no ending at all.

[Krogan]

I thought ME3 was a fitting finish to a very mediocre series of games, obviously none of your decision actually mattered in the end and if you play through the games again you realize that you didn't actually make any real impact on the game at all.

I think what disappointed me in this game was the lack of side missions and things to do, I think it took me less then 20 hours to do everything in the game and that includes flying around scanning every system and being forced to walk around every level of the citadel about 15 times to look for/turn in random mini quest.

It's fair to say that I could not find a single improvement in the game since ME2 and there were tons and tons that could have been made, but that didn't disappoint me as I would never expect Bioware to do such a thing as they are not in the business of pushing the envelope or innovating, they are just the masters of coats of paint.

[Marius]

Seems like I'm wrong about the 5000 EMS! Gamefront's investigation says you need 4000+ EMS to make the best possible ending available. Which is still impossible without multiplayer.

I got that with 4884 EMS. I don't agree this is the 'best' ending though.

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With everyone on the Citadel dead at the end of the game, my Femshep turned into a real **** to everyone after learning that Kelly was probably gone. When Liara asked to talk and share memories, Femshep told her to get stuffed.

She destroyed the reapers out of spite, but then somehow managed to survive in a cruel twist of fate.

She wanted to die, but she'll probably get over it. Just be rather bitter at how everyone she cared about has died.

Oh and how Liara and Kaiden managed to somehow extract themselves from the final battle in order to make off with the Normandy for the recivilisation... That was the final kick in the teeth. She's down on earth close to death, and everyone she knows is dead or abandoned her.

I think I would have been OK with the ending but for that stupid Normandy scene. I don't get how anyone can defend such extreme non-continuity. But suffice to say I didn't invest hours into the character to be basically told at the end 'Thanks for playing, but your entire squad buggered off leaving you to die. Trololol.'

I think what disappointed me in this game was the lack of side missions and things to do, I think it took me less then 20 hours to do everything in the game and that includes flying around scanning every system and being forced to walk around every level of the citadel about 15 times to look for/turn in random mini quest.

Press M to bring up a map showing the location of quest hand ins.

[Marcus Dunn]

1. lol - no Thane Garrus Tali OR Jack?! Garrus and Tali were my favourite characters in the entire game, by a large margin. Garrus in particular WAS Mass Effect to me - I don't know what it was, but I just found him to be a superbly enjoyable companion.

2. And I was the same with Krogan - I too found running around each level of the Citadel looking for objectives annoying - i had no idea there was a M map - i thought the V map was the only option.

[Marius]

The citadel has an m map. But the missions do not.

And yeah. Garrus died due to collector bugs. Tali got shot in the head. Jack died in a firefight. Thane died in a holding action.

My suicide mission was epic.

[ageNtreachery]

ME3 is the first time I have played the series and there was enough explanation that I didn't feel there were big holes in the story. There were definitely times where characters were greeting each other and you could tell there was a lot of back story but they said enough that I didn't find it a problem.

I'm not a fan of the ending but I have always disliked it when authors have run out of ideas and fall back on the tired old options of 'god being show up and changes everything' or 'it was all a dream'.

Anyway I like other 99% of the game enough that I went and got ME1 and I am actually enjoying that more than ME3. It's funny that the cover system works better in the first game.

[caitsith01]

spoiler free... Reapers attacking Turian Moon!

And Cerberus mechs attacking Shepherd... and Mordin returning... and strongly implying that half the crew is going to die... and references to about 5 other new characters... and telling us that Shepherd is going to survive in at least some endings...

[Tim Colwill]

I got that with 4884 EMS. I don't agree this is the 'best' ending though.

I think I would have been OK with the ending but for that stupid Normandy scene. I don't get how anyone can defend such extreme non-continuity. But suffice to say I didn't invest hours into the character to be basically told at the end 'Thanks for playing, but your entire squad buggered off leaving you to die. Trololol.'

Yeah! I don't agree that it's the 'best' ending, but it's clearly the canon one that BioWare will go with in the future.

The continuity problems at the end are bizarre as hell though.

[tacitus42]

Check out the vid:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDSwW7jflAQ

All the inconsistencies may have been deliberate.

[GuppyShark]

I was initially concerned about having to play a half-assed Gears Of War in Space multiplayer game with console-style matchmaking in order to get the 'good ending'. When I would rather just play a PC FPS with dedicated servers etc when I want to play Multiplayer.

Then I discovered all of the endings are equally terrible.

I feel liberated and disappointed at the same time.

EMS is pointless.

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Civilisation is going to end regardless of what you do.

[Slazza]

Check out the vid:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDSwW7jflAQ

All the inconsistencies may have been deliberate.

That video is retarded.

[tacitus42]

hah yeah. the white flashes are a bit over the top but i think it makes some interesting and compelling points.

[James O'Connor]

I just started the game up again and imported my character over - figured I'd try for an Insanity run/the level 60 achievement. I noticed before that the game had seen fit to delete all my kill stats, which is a pain since there were some achievements I hadn't gotten, but that's not a huge problem. Anyway, turns out importing your ME3 character into a new game immediately deletes your old saves, which is...a pain. Looks like I won't be playing the DLC unless this Insanity run is a success!