No, these are not my final thoughts about EA BioWare’s Mass Effect 3; rather, they are my thoughts about the ending of Mass Effect 3. There has been quite a controversy surrounding the end of the most recent Mass Effect game, as I’m sure most everyone who has played the game already knows. It would seem, based on the recent actions of BioWare, that fans have kicked up enough dirt to warrant an extended ending explaining the outcome of different choices. Well, I’m not going to talk about those choices or even the new extended ending. No, I’m going to address the complaints.
Let’s be clear: I am not the biggest fan of the ending, no matter what is explained. I just wasn’t so fond of it. That being said, I thought the game was — and still is — a lot of fun to play and completely worth the purchase. But why is this article not bad-mouthing BioWare or shredding Mass Effect 3? Simply put: because it isn’t mine.
BioWare set out to tell a story. And while some of us (most of us) do not like how the story ended, it’s not our story. I’ve heard people claim that Mass Effect belongs to the fans, but that isn’t even remotely true. Mass Effect is a story. It’s an adventure. In fact, it’s like a roller coaster. How much control does anyone who rides the roller coaster have over its ultimate destination? None. Absolutely zero. Video games, for the most part, are the exact same. It’s a story, and we all decided to hear it. Now, the story didn’t have a stellar ending, that’s true. Regardless, it’s the ending that the storyteller wanted us to hear.
Fans should ultimately count themselves lucky that BioWare has, in a sense, agreed to give us a (hopefully) better ending. That gesture of caring is almost unheard of in the gaming world. But even if the new DLC isn’t the new ending everyone wants, at least we got to be part of an awesome story and have a kick-ass ride fighting our way across the galaxy. Are we really going to let the ending spoil the entire series for us? I say, not for me.
Image Credit: EA, BioWare
