I finally finished ME3. I’m glad I hesitated to finish it so that I can form my own opinion about the game without any distractions. I remember at the time there being a lot of controversy surrounding the games ending or endings. So I shelved it away and waited to play it when all that noise went away. I haven’t read any spoilers about the game and I will be browsing articles about this game now.
MAJOR SPOILERS! DO NOT READ ON IF YOU HAVEN’T FINISHED THE GAME!
I didn’t have any problems with the ending. The ending structure or the choice presented to the player is another issue, either way you were presented with options and I don’t think players accepted the options given to them so the developers released more endings. I was fine with my ending. I might look into the other endings and DLC just to complete the series in the future.
This game gave me more than enough content to play through. The earier games only talked about other worlds and their wars but this time you actually get to visit them and you get inserted into the middle of all of it. The side missions all felt like they mattered as well. Some of them were as interesting as regular story missions. I liked the EDI character a lot. It’s the most streamlined of the three games. I’m glad I can take a step back and look at the trilogy and put it away now. This game gave me a sense of closure to one of my favorite franchises. I would even put it up against shows like Star Trek or movies like Star Wars as a original great Sci Fi universe to explore. I hold it that highly.
My only real issue with the game is the lack of exploration that made the original stand out. It is a bit to streamlined, but what is included is very well made.
BioWare actually hasn’t given more ending options (well one – Refuse, which simply has the Reapers continue the cycle), they just released an Extended Cut DLC that provides a slideshow with some narration after the light show. (And just so you know, in the standard ending, the ending is basically exactly the same no matter what you choose, just with a different coloured light. There’s a video on YouTube that has all the possible variations at the same time. They’re basically the same. One of the reasons people were so angry at the time.)
I agree that the franchise came up with an incredibly memorable galaxy to explore. It might be my favourite sci-fi setting, since it’s one of the few I’ve seen that actually put real effort into making sense.
Well, I honestly enjoyed the journey and the universe. I didn’t feel a need to replay for the endings, I just accepted it.