Mass Effect 3 - Extended CutAs previously mentioned I do not purchase new releases and as such I have not yet purchased Mass Effect 3 and up until very recently I was not interested in the series. This was due to the vehicle exploration in Mass Effect that I remember was going to be such a revolutionary idea when the game was being advertised, it just didn't interest me however I foolishly forgot how well Bioware can write a game story and after watching a playthrough on YouTube I became interested and now own the first two games and have seen the third played through and have full intention of purchasing it at some point in the future.

I decided I would watch the Extended Cut DLC to see what changed exactly and wh...

Mass Effect 3 - Extended CutAs previously mentioned I do not purchase new releases and as such I have not yet purchased Mass Effect 3 and up until very recently I was not interested in the series. This was due to the vehicle exploration in Mass Effect that I remember was going to be such a revolutionary idea when the game was being advertised, it just didn't interest me however I foolishly forgot how well Bioware can write a game story and after watching a playthrough on YouTube I became interested and now own the first two games and have seen the third played through and have full intention of purchasing it at some point in the future.

I decided I would watch the Extended Cut DLC to see what changed exactly and while there are some glaring issues (like the Normandy not being shot down by Harbringer when it picked up your team members) I believe that Bioware has done a good job of improving the ending. I was not overly disappointed in the original ending of the game per say but I believe that Yahtzee put it best when he compared the ending of Mass Effect 3 to an air filled balloon being let go, it was a let down but not terrible however the DLC improved the ending for almost everyone but I wanted to put out my own opinion and one conspiricy theory on the end of the game.

Before further reading I want to emphasise that I do not find the ending of either Mass Effect 3 or the DLC - Extended Cut bad but when I play video games I want to live happily ever after. I wanted the option to win the war and live happily ever after with my paramour on the house I won from Ahern after beating his challenge on Pinnacle Station - or if you romanced Tali a home on Rannoch allowing you to see her face - the fact that death was the only option was not what I was hoping for. When I heard that you could shoot the "Catalyst" I thought you may be able to get your happy ending because the "Catalyst" controls the Reapers I hoped that shooting and killing him would cause the Reapers to become inert allowing victory as the Reapers no longer had guidance from it. When I discovered that this is not the case I was disappointed but at the end of the day I cannot dictate how Bioware writes their story.

I do want to throw one theory out into the void however. Why when the "Refusal" option is chosen - either telling the Catalyst that you refuse to choose one of his three options or shooting it - does "the Shepherd" have more stories? Obviously it is referring to Commander Shepherd but how does he/she have any more stories? Could this be a possible future option to save the galaxy and deliver the happy ever after I'm hoping for? I doubt that this is a question that will be answered because it is unlikely that there will be more story based content for this game and I am guessing that is an intentional move so that you can create your own ending for the game because the details as to how the refusal ending of the story concludes is a little vague.

On the whole I do not want to see this trend of self sacrificing your character in a story based RPG become a common thing because it is not what I want out of my video games but all I can do is voice my opinion and hope that people listen and if I am ignored there is not much else I can do.