Mass Effect 3 Reaction Post
Okay, so I finished the game... I guess a week ago, right before I got on a plane. I just got off another plane, so I figure this is as good a time as any to finally get my reaction out.
I have a lot of feelings.
The first thing I want to say is that, in a discussion about Mass Effect 3 that does not include the endings, this is a game that blew me away. I was in tears for a significant portion of the game, from sudden-lump-in-throat to hugging-myself-while-crying-snotty-ugly-bawling-tears. The level of emotional depth - and I am learning that there is SO MUCH that I missed, and much of it just shockingly gutpunchingly REAL. It's amazing.
I started trying to summarize ME1 and 2 but frankly if you don't play this game you are probably not going to read this all the way to the end ANYWAY. If you are interested poke me and I'll engage you in the comments instead.
Ultimately I - like damn near everyone else, as far as I can tell - thought the endings were an abysmal failure. Here's why:
There are basically two choices at this point. Either you take the endings at face value, or you don't. If you take the endings at face value then the endings are stupid and fucked up and pointless and full of plot holes and completely destroy the replayability of 1. The two biggest ones problems are (a) you just fucked the galaxy forever since destroying mass relays destroys the system you're in and (b) wtf Normandy wru?? Also, it's worth noting that you do get "multiple" endings that are all basically the same with very minor thematic changes that don't sit well with the themes of the rest of the francise.
If you DON'T take the endings at face value, then are are two major things to consider:
(a) that is an epic mindfuck, a twist that's nearly at the level of KotOR, and (b) there's only ONE fucking ending, and you either get it right or not, and the ending actually happens right before you find out what happens. fuck your closure.
I admit it right here and now, I have been Indoctrinated. I think that this video
and this post:
http://uninhibitedandunrepentant.tumblr.com/post/19344938387/mind-holy-fuck
plus Casey Hudson's handwritten notes on the ending that include the statement "Lots of speculation for everyone"
plus this obnoxious tweet from Chris Priestly ("There are two types of people in this world. Those who can extrapolate from incomplete data")
plus this link, where a community manager directs a confused player bringing up plot holes to a thread wrangling with Indoctrination theory
plus the fact that all of the BioWare official statements have referred to "clarity" and "closure"
makes me think Indoctrination Theory is actually an intentional twist.
THIS IS MY FEELS.
I have a lot of feelings.
The first thing I want to say is that, in a discussion about Mass Effect 3 that does not include the endings, this is a game that blew me away. I was in tears for a significant portion of the game, from sudden-lump-in-throat to hugging-myself-while-crying-snotty-ugly-bawling-tears. The level of emotional depth - and I am learning that there is SO MUCH that I missed, and much of it just shockingly gutpunchingly REAL. It's amazing.
I started trying to summarize ME1 and 2 but frankly if you don't play this game you are probably not going to read this all the way to the end ANYWAY. If you are interested poke me and I'll engage you in the comments instead.
Ultimately I - like damn near everyone else, as far as I can tell - thought the endings were an abysmal failure. Here's why:
There are basically two choices at this point. Either you take the endings at face value, or you don't. If you take the endings at face value then the endings are stupid and fucked up and pointless and full of plot holes and completely destroy the replayability of 1. The two biggest ones problems are (a) you just fucked the galaxy forever since destroying mass relays destroys the system you're in and (b) wtf Normandy wru?? Also, it's worth noting that you do get "multiple" endings that are all basically the same with very minor thematic changes that don't sit well with the themes of the rest of the francise.
If you DON'T take the endings at face value, then are are two major things to consider:
(a) that is an epic mindfuck, a twist that's nearly at the level of KotOR, and (b) there's only ONE fucking ending, and you either get it right or not, and the ending actually happens right before you find out what happens. fuck your closure.
I admit it right here and now, I have been Indoctrinated. I think that this video
Click to viewand this post:
http://uninhibitedandunrepentant.tumblr.com/post/19344938387/mind-holy-fuck
plus Casey Hudson's handwritten notes on the ending that include the statement "Lots of speculation for everyone"
plus this obnoxious tweet from Chris Priestly ("There are two types of people in this world. Those who can extrapolate from incomplete data")
plus this link, where a community manager directs a confused player bringing up plot holes to a thread wrangling with Indoctrination theory
plus the fact that all of the BioWare official statements have referred to "clarity" and "closure"
makes me think Indoctrination Theory is actually an intentional twist.
THIS IS MY FEELS.