I think the fact that a lot of people don't talk about the rest of the game is testament to how bad the ending is. I beat the game a week ago and I'm still playing it but every time I pop in the disc in I think of the ending and how much I hate it.

I loved the Mass Effect 3 ending! I believe that what some people would say are "plot holes", are in fact deliberate in order to get your imagination going on all the possibilities of what could have happened. I haven't stopped thinking about the game since I beat it.

*No specific spoilers ahead (but perhaps some vague ones)*

In my own personal opinion, I hated the ending with a flaming passion. (But don't let that turn you off from my post.  I am capable (and in fact longing for) intelligent discussion of the topic.) After having invested hundreds of hours, hundreds of dollars, and an untold amount of passion into this story, I was incredibly disappointed with the conclusion.  What gave the Mass Effect series the potential to be great was experiencing a vast number of intricate, emotionally involving, and brilliantly unique stories within this fascinating world crafted by Bioware.  What gave the the Mass Effect series the potential to be possibly the greatest ever was getting to personally craft a vast number of intricate, emotionally involving, and brilliantly unique stories within this fascinating world crafted by Bioware.  It was that personal connection which made the games so powerful.  

I loved the series because my choices mattered, and for the first time ever, I felt I had control of the outcome of a story.  I cannot describe my intense excitement and anticipation of getting to the end of Mass Effect 3 and witnessing all of my choices culminate in the final, epic determination of the galaxy's fate.  A fate which depended implicitly upon MY choices.  I did not receive this.  Yes, it is possible my expectations were unreasonably high, but I truly felt cheated when essentially none of the heart-breaking decisions I had agonized over turned out to matter in the least.  And then, to cap it all off, we didn't even get to learn the conclusions of any of the characters or stories we had poured over for so long.  For a series which prided itself on delivering these very things (and quite deservedly so until the last 10 minutes), I was left shocked of their apparent sudden and complete ignorance of all they had promised us.  

As far as the Retake movement goes (which I must confess, I am a proud member of), I don't believe the criticisms of us are totally justified.  There are certainly strong arguments against what our requests would mean, but I think that if there was ever a game where players can protest the developers' choices, it would be this.  With Mass Effect, Bioware put an extraordinary emphasis on allowing the gamer to craft their story, and introducing a level of interactivity which had never been achieved before.  More than any other game, Mass Effect was about us:  the gamers.  It was about our choices, our relationships, how we wanted the story to develop.  Yes they created the game, but I prefer to see it more as them giving us a template, and the tools to go out and craft the story we wanted.  Then, when they didn't bother to give us the tools we needed to finish it how we had always dreamed, we felt betrayed, like we had been led along for years on top of empty promises.  So damn it, you may not agree with us but at least respect the pain on which this outrage is founded.  

tl;dr  I didn't like the ending because my choices didn't matter and I got no closure.  Also, lay off Retake.  Please :)

Honestly, I don't care if anyone reads this.  I just needed to get it off my chest.

What the GI staff members said begining at 2:30 in the vid is why this ening to mass effect needs to be fixed. These so called discussions have turned into a virtual riot within two weeks. In the history of the world, there has never been a game that has recieved the shear amout of backlash that ME3 is reciving now. And lets be clear about this, that is not normal for a game that is so well loved for 99% of the game. So weather you want a new ending or not, you have to admit that no game has ever enraged so many of its fans. However, I have to admit that the game isnt reciving the praise that it should be. For 180 hours, i had a blast on ME1, 2, and 3. But that still doesnt change the fact that the end is not what fans expected or wanted. So it may not be fair to the game or its developers that we are only talking about the 10min end and not the 60hours of pure awsomeness that it delivers on, but whats to be expected. I mean lets take the Sopranos. Its generally considerd one of the best dramas of the 2000's. But what do more people talk about...its end. The end has completely overshadowed the majority of the show. But as I said, how is that not suprising. When you end a series taht is considered a masterpeice, you better make sure it has a masterpeice ending.

*Spoiler Alert: This will hold anywhere form minor to major spoilers so if you have yet to finish the game, do so first.*

This is gonna be a long one so please bare with me.

I have stayed silent on this topic for a multitude of reasons and mostly because of my extreme displeasure for the ending despite the fact that other than those last 10 minutes, I was in love with the game. Coming from Mass Effect (my personal favorite game of all time which I had kept up with since its E3 announcement to launch day and beyond) and Mass Effect 2, I did not have unreasonable expectations for the ending of the game, I did expect more than 3 endings or at least endings that were different in at least a few ways but nothing really major fleshing out every bit of the end of the trilogy. I believed that in the end I would get a little closure (at least a small wall of text via Dragon Age: Origins style) to flesh out most of my decisions in the end and get closure on the end of Shepard's journey. I did not expect 400 endings with wildly different outcomes that were unreasonably unique like most people believe die hard fans of Mass Effect would expect. I expected a little closure, instead I received absolutely no closure. This is where the spoilers kick in, first problem was the three endings presented to me seemed oddly similar to an experience I came across earlier in 2001 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh7PmunYnok) and anyone who denies the similarities is in denial of reality, it is clear as day how much Deus Ex influenced the ending of this game to the near point of pure theft (this may sound harsh but this justifies any anger that I had when I wrote this). Secondly, the Normandy hauling away from Earth with the entire Normandy crew (although if you had "supposedly" lost crew members on Earth when you charged the Cipher they may not be there, although my friend said his love interest died in the charge but showed up leaving the Normandy in the ending cutscene) completely abandoning both the fleet and Shepard to whatever fate had come their way in a coward's fashion, which either was just plain old bad writing or a part of a bigger ending in which I will get to in the later end of this post. Third, any closure about the fleet you had assembled, the species you had essentially saved or damned, or the worlds you had rescued did not exist in any fashion leaving more than a few questions unanswered (this also applies to current and past crew members with no closure being granted on their situations, while some may argue that the crash of the Normandy is closure, it is only a sign that they somehow miraculously survived an impossible landing and the entry of an atmosphere from a collapsing FTL gateway that destroyed their engines and left them stranded on a new planet with little to no hope for rescue). Fourth,is if Shepard chose any ending other than the "Destroy Synthetics Ending", they saw Shepard transformed in to what looked to be a husk-like form with eyes similar to that of the Illusive Man and Saren, both of whom were indoctrinated (this also leads into the bigger ending theory). Fifth, Only and I mean ONLY by choosing the "Destroy Synthetics Ending" and having the necessary resources by the end of the game do you see the split-second of Shepard breathing despite being obliterated on the Citadel. Which leads in to the Fifth reason, how the hell did Shepard survive the impossibly large blast and why does the rubble around him look like brick, stone, and concrete despite the Citadel being made of a more alien looking metal (only adding more evidence to the bigger ending theory) [I am not even going to mention all of the plot wholes and strange events that take place in between being hit by Harbinger's beam and the meeting with the Catalyst]. The Sixth and final reason is that of both the almost overwhelming evidence of a bigger ending (you guessed it), the "Indoctrination Ending" (http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/355/index/9727423) [in which from the moment Shepard was hit by Harbinger's beam he had been unconscious and fighting the final stages of his indoctrination] and then the clear and present problem that Bioware did not sell us a completed game and had planned on selling us the actual ending for a later profit most likely due to pressure from EA. Whether or not you enjoyed the ending, the proof (even if the "Indoctrination Ending" is all a load of crap) all point to a major number of plot holes, a clear and present ripoff, and unanswered questions to what has been claimed by Bioware itself to be the end of the trilogy and of Shepard's story which leads into an expected and understandable outrage.

I personally supported the Retake Mass Effect campaign because it did not so much demand as politely ask that these problems be addressed due to a deep love of the franchise and more importantly because the money that me and all of the other supporters donated went to a good cause. Neither me nor the majority of disappointed fans support going to the FTC over this issue because that almost invalidates any legitimate anger as being petty and childish which many of the fans who are crying out are trying to avoid looking like due to their legitimate claims despite being called out as such by any who liked or were indifferent to the ending (especially those who had not even finished the game).

Worst of all, is that now people are claiming Bioware is "giving in to consumer demand" despite the ending holding no closure and being completely bitter rather than what Casey Hudson claimed as "a bittersweet ending". Perhaps this WAS Bioware's plan from the start because they seemed comfortable with misleading us about "more than the A, B, or C endings" or Casey Hudson's "around 16 different endings" claim. In honesty I could keep going but I will withhold unless asked to further evaluate on the topic because I doubt anyone would like a short novel instead of a summary of arguments. Thanks for reading and take care.

I just finished my insanity playthrough yesterday. I did id as a new game+, so I've now finished the game twice. I enjoyed the ending, and while I think the different possibilities could have been more varied, I loved the ambiguity of the endings. This game was the peak of my favorite franchise of all time. I hope bioware has the stones to stick to their guns on this rather than fold to the pressure of overwrought fans. Then end was the last 7 minutes of 120+ hours of fantastic gaming and storytelling. Bioware has my respect and gratitude for what they created here.

I believed the ending was great, and fans complaining to have the ending change is ridiculous. If you didn't like the ending, just let it go. Don't demand new content just because you're pissed off, that's stuff toddlers do. The creative artist should be able to do what they want . But changing things like that is absurd. It's like taking a test, you turn in the paper that you think is best and you can't(and shouldn't) be able to change it.

Like others have said, this would have been far more interesting if there was someone who didn't like the ending in the discussing, bringing up the main points of the complainants. Listening to you and then going over the posts on the forums, I keep thinking that you guys are missing the point or else are not informed (but this is spoiler-free, so it's maybe cause of that).

I really cannot understand why you people are being so dismissive of their opinions, and although do I agree that Bioware's fanbase is always vocal, their entitlement is justified, because it is not self-entitlement. Bioware presented them with an ending in a form it explicitly said it would not do. Not only that, but the ending is abysmal. I am not going to hate on people who dislike it, but there are very real issues with it.

Enjoyed the podcast guys, but I was kinda hoping to get Reiner,s thoughts on the Mass Effect 3 endings since he reviewed it before all this mess happened.  Was wondering if all this changed his mind?

I'm getting tired of the ME3 backlash. "I erased all my ME 1, 2 and 3 files, smashed my XBox into shards with a sledgehammer, and burned down my house. Bioware, you made me do this!" It sounds more like an abusive relationship to me. I thought the ending was pretty good, but I hope Bioware redoes it so my Shep can stop the Reapers and can still ride off into the sunset with Liara. See people, it's not that hard to have an opinion and be civil. I just hope that Bioware prints up a bunch of disks and distributes them for free at stores for those gamers who don't have access to the net. For something as intigral as the ending, it would be the right thing to do.

Perhaps Bioware bit off more than they could chew.

http://alizrak.wordpress.com/2012/03/18/the-broken-promises-of-mass-effect-3-spoilers/

All I'm saying, guys, is that the ending (singular) does not live up to the quality of the rest of the game. Mass Effect 3 is one of the greatest games in one of the greatest franchises in the history of this medium. The reason why the ending needs to be amended is not so much that WE as fans deserve better, its that Bioware has the talent and ability to do it, and Mass Effect deserves better.

The plot holes are undeniable. For a pretty good explanation of the biggest plot holes, people who don't care about spoilers can view this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4H_A7SeawU4

I know that a vocal portion of the GI staff supports the ending, and those are your opinions guys, I respect that. For my part, I can't stand to believe some of the things that actually occur in this ending (singular). Again, avoiding spoilers here, watch the video for a decent explanation of the plot holes.

Hell, at this point I'm even willing to swallow the fan indoctrination theory, at least that completely explains pretty much everything that happens in the last 20-30 minutes of the game.

I'm a writer, and an avid consumer of print, film, and video game stories. I appreciate a great and well-handled ambiguous ending. In fact, I would go so far as saying I love ambiguous endings even more than straightforward ones, mainly because I love to have an ending grip my mind and leave me contemplating it for days to come. The best recent example of this is the ending to Christopher Nolan's "Inception;" the plot builds up to the film's final moments so well that by the time the screen cut to black (the first time I saw it) I had the most enormous grin on my face.

An ambiguous ending is only good if it makes sense within the universe's lore. Again, it is practically impossible to debate this issue while avoiding spoilers, but there were several instances in the ending (singular) that threw some incredibly important facts about the nature of the ME universe and its races totally in the garbage.

I'm trying to be reasonable here and voice a non-confrontational approach to this issue because the fans that qualify for the label "whiny, entitled fanboys" give the rest of us who disliked the endings a bad reputation. Things like complaining to the FTC are so unnecessary; it's Bioware, everyone, and they seem to listen to their fans. This is the studio that made a largely enjoyable Sonic the Hedgehog RPG, give them some room to breathe and address our concerns in their own way, huh?

In any case, I want to repeat that an amended (not new) ended is not something that the fans deserve, it is something that Bioware is capable of, and the Mass Effect saga deserves. Please, everyone, try to see it that way.

This may be a bit of a long one, since I've been collecting my thoughts on the topic for awhile now.

First off, I want to thank you for actually having an even handed discussion about this topic, even if none of you support the side that is disappointed with the ending. I've seen the way many of the major gaming sites address the issue range from discourteous to flat out condescending and insulting towards those who are upset with the ending. I believe that is why your joke article(which I got a kick out of btw (: ) was received the way it was. When a large portion of the gaming media seems to be calling you whiny, entitled, and even cry baby based on the actions of a a few extreme examples like the FTC filing, it is easy to understand how many can get extremely defensive about their position.

Now I will say that I was very disappointed with the ending , and would support Bioware in providing alternate endings if they so choose to. I do not demand this however, and I do not want them to take away an ending that was enjoyed by a portion of the fan base. Why don't we take a nod from the film industry and treat it as a bonus feature, since that is how films provide alternate endings without ruing artistic integrity(although that ending screen saying we should buy their DLC sours my support for the artistic integrity argument). Blade Runner is a fine example.

I'd like to also hit on what you guys said about high expectations. I don't think our expectations were any higher than what Bioware was setting them to, both with their marketing and their previous games. I would like to make a comparison to another well regarded Bioware game, Dragon Age: Origins. It provided an ending that was influenced by my choices and leads to some pretty dramatically different and unique endings, unlike Mass Effect 3, even though I think the arcs are pretty damn similar if you think about it. You spend the whole game unifying multiple races, gaining the support of some at the expense of others. Seems familiar. You build relationships with members of your party as you see fit. Also familiar. You are funneled into a final showdown with an seemingly unstoppable force. Familiar again! So now why is it that DA:O was able to diversify its endings, allow the player's choices to influence the outcome, and provde, what I felt was, proper closure with an epilogue for all the major plot points and characters you influenced, while ME3 is only able to give, what I felt was essentially one size fits all ending? This leads me to believe that the ending was rushed and provides, as I see it, a poorly written and executed attempt to put together an ending that goes against what was being sold, and release it before an arbitrary release date.

So in short, if you're happy with the ending, I'm happy for you! The games are truly a fantastic experience that does so many things, so amazingly well. Just know that those of us that are unhappy with the ending and think it was handled poorly have multiple valid complaints and are essentially asking for a fix that amounts, for the sake of argument, to a bonus feature on a DVD/Bluray. We are not actively trying to take away or invalidate your experience. Cause that is what Mass Effect is about: your experience! :) All what we want is the ending to reflect that.

*spoiler*

Huh? They LIKED the ending? Lets examine that absent the tortured indoctrination theory. Sheperd IS the reaper and either controls the reapers, destroys them or turns all organic life into the Borg for a space of time exactly equal to the destruction of the FTL portal thingies. The FTL portal thingies blow up, each with the force of a supernova, thus destroying every single star system in which one is located. Most sentient life is wiped out and the reapers win one last time. The End.

Just great.

I don't even want to hear about downloads. There are too many offline gamers that Bioware will be screwing that way. I honestly don't think that there is any equitable way that Bioware can fix this mess.

Excellent episode, and great choice in logo image. :P

Personally, all I want with the Mass Effect 3 ending is an epilogue.

I love gameinformer

Wow, everyone in the comments certainly has a lot to say (and that's fine, of course). All I really have to say is a thank you to GI for trying to present the discussion as objectively and unbiased as possible.

All I wanna know is how you can overlook such massive plot holes... personally I expect it to end up being Indoctrination.. but I am SO perplexed about how if you don't believe in indoctrination you can find that artistic... I believe that Bioware stories need to be held at the same standard as cinema and if this was a film its ending would have been critically panned, e.g. The Matrix Revolution. GI can you enlighten us why (unless you believe it was Indoctrination) you think the end is artistic?

In conclusion: You've been Indoctrinated.

PLEASE SOMEONE AT GAMEINFORMER READ THIS PEOPLE PLEASE THINK.the developers promise the ending wouldnt be A B OR C. The ending was just THAT. Second the game doesnt care what you did,it just *** on your decisions.SO fans are rageing because the developers didnt deliver what they said they will.AND PEOPLE WE GOT THREE EXACT SAME ENDIGS WITH DIFFERENT COLORS!!!!COME ON!!WHY IS THAT "REVOLUTIONARY"?WHYYY?BECAUSE ITS LAZY?BECAUSE IT DOESNT DELIVER WITH WHAT THEY PROMISE?

It never felt like a ending to me to begin with. The problem is the indoctrination plot was too quiet. The average gamer can easily overlook it. Then the story went a 180 and indoctrination became the centerpiece which most gamers will find it confusing. But again, it's not the end. The war is still going and the choices you make in the hallucination will reflect the final results in the TRUE ending. I'm looking forward to it...as long as its free.