After having seen them all :
Pros :
- They explain better what was the intended message and conclusions brought by each of the choices, and also make the whole bit about organics vs synthetics less dumb and stretched. Now it makes a little more sense (even if it is still a little stretched).
- They ultimately fixed a lot of issues with the script and the story and I found it welcome.
- They kept the artistic integrity that was already here and improved it. I personally find the endings touching, or at least they bear the emotions intended (unlike in ME1 and 2).
- Special mention to both the control and synergy endings that are really meaningful. The destroy one is... well, standard, classic, almost tripe in comparison.
- Shepard dies. Even in the 3 happy endings, it adds a bittersweet taste to the story and it is very welcome.
- On the raison d'être of the reapers, it is a WHOLE LOT better now. I find it really interesting seen that way. Spoiler : they seem to be the result of ancient people that noticed that they had to do something to protect the galaxy from the inevitable wars between organics and synthetics, creators and their creations. LI explains quite well with an innocent tone how him, the future reapers, found an unique solution that implied to kill even their creators, and how a noble intention slowly became something grim and gloomy. And the irony...
Cons :
- They did not really fix what was the main issue with the end, meaning the gameplay issues. They try to do like Deus Ex 3 while it is actually a whole different game. Here you have to make choices on the story itself and the universe changes (to a certain point) according to what makes Bioware games main selling point : the ability for the player to make "significant" choices. In DE3, a very linear game focused on a specific story where the game chooses to give to the player the choice between different political and oriented endings full of shades of grey, it works well. In ME3, they still barely show what are the results of all the choices the player has made since the first one, and in addition LI almost tells the player that the synergy solution is the best, so it actually tries to influence the player in what is apparently (and probably, even if debatable), the best choice. After all if I remember correctly, you do not have access to all the endings if your score is too low ? Whatever.
- It is still impossible to save before choosing the ending you want, which is totally retarded. The game still makes a quicksave, but it is eventually crushed by a new quicksave when you get back into the normandy. Wtf ? So yes, you basically have to redo all the citadel level to see all the endings. I was not courageous enough to do so, so I had to watch the 3 remaining endings on youtube, like in the first version of the game... Fail.
- A lot of plot holes are still not covered.
Overall, I am more or less happy with the new end since it is now a decent one that is understandable and works. Of course it is not the indoctrination theory, but the Bioware version works too (the plotholes put aside). On a personnal level, I enjoyed them fully, instead of being frustrated to see a very good screenplay before while barely understanding anything and being confused about everything. So, in the end, it is an improvement, even if there are still a lot of things (gameplay especially) unadressed.
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Topic: ME3 Extended Cut impressions [spoilers] (Read 2957 times)