Poll: If the Citadel DLC was the actual ending of ME3

[Gennadios]

My Shepard died trying to shag Morinth at the end of ME2, whatever endings the rest of you try to come up with to justify something I refuse to acknowledge exists is all gravy.

So I guess that means the reapers win? Since Shepherd dying at the end of ME2 is a valid ending to the game I've always wondered what would have happened in ME3 without him. They should have at least had a cutscene or something for that scenario.

No, Isaac Clarke then inherits the N7 suit, and along with John Carver end the Necromorph Reaper threat by traveling to the frozen planet Tau Volantis to retrieve an item known only as the Codex, which promises to shine a light on the threat. It's a damn good ending, as good as any.

 

[AD-Stu]

Dislike the idea, for a few reasons. One is obviously that it's DLC, and the proper ending shouldn't be paid DLC.

The main one though is that it'd still be a bad ending. A different kind of bad ending, but still a bad ending. Three hours of average-at-best (your mileage may vary, obviously) slapstick humour would be just as emotionally and thematically out of place as the ending we actually got.

If the game had some kind of happy Hollywood ending, then I could absolutely see the Citadel DLC working as a post-ending celebration of the fun side of the trilogy. But not in its current state.

 

[BiscuitTrouser]

So basically, you're ignoring all of the writers speaking out in support of the ending because you refuse to believe that they wanted to tell a story that wasn't exactly what you wanted.

Ending-basher logic at its finest.

It didnt seem like they wanted it either. It was really confusing because i picked up some VERY strong themes from ME and ALL the endings (other than refuse) seem to tell me those themes are wrong.

Like the writers made it PAINFULLY obvious that trying to "uplift" people or use technology thats not your own or follow the path another planned for you is an awful awful awful idea. You have, in evidence:

The relays and citidel being a trap sprung because we were too lazy to forge our own path.
The turians "Uplifting" the krogan and making a path for them.
The attempt to "Use" the Rachni and force them to obey.
Keeping the reaper base.
Trying to force the geth to remain as slaves and not choose their own destiny.

Its pretty clear that the series has a theme of "Solve your own problems with YOUR hard work not someone elses, let others choose and forge their path".

Then you have shepard. Who had an over riding message:

We stand in unity because it is right, not because we are told to. People CAN make peace. The galaxy CAN handle its own problems. The reapers are wrong. War is NOT inevitable. Geth and quarians can make peace without outside intervention forcing them to do so. All it takes is talking.

I mean it was a theme rammed home every damn time.

All the endings, even destroy in a way, kinda ruin this. There cannot be peace without the catalyst making it happen by:

Destroying all synthetics so theres no war.
Enslaving god machines to do your bidding to prevent war.
Forcefully re writing everyones genetic code to make us behave ourselves. (Even if this is the level life is meant to achieve it is achieved all at once for us rather than by us which kinda takes away from the significance)

All of those involve either conceding that synthetics must all die or having the star child wave some space magic and fix it all for us. It makes the races bickering children until papa reaper can fix all the problems and take all personal responsibility for fixing them away from us. We arnt strong enough to forge peace alone. We fail. Synthetics and biological beings will fight because we are weak and stupid. The only way to prevent this is to change us or let someone else handle the hard work. It totally undermines the "unified strength" shepard is harping on about all game. It paints us as awful terrible beings who need follow blindly the path of a third party arbiter to get anything done. Which is everything the series so far has indicated NOT to do ever under any circumstances.

It seems like the writers did a total 180 with the message they were sending. A glorious REALLY well thought out message thats explored VERY well and interestingly in ALL the games. And then the endings kinda cut them all in half. Dont get me wrong as endings without context i dont see anything wrong with them. They are varied and different and quite interesting in terms of the results of each one. But it doesnt make any sense to me cannonically. I feel sad that all this unification shepard did was for nothing. That we cannot, by our own merits, achieve anything of worth. Theres no option to show the reapers we made the quarians and geth make peace. That we dont NEED their help or extermination at all. That we can handle it without the use of god machines (ironically literal deus ex machinas).

The refuse ending is kinda ruined because a writer revealed the next generation of life just use the catalyst anyway. Otherwise id take that one every damn time. Its an awesome ending but the writers didnt explore it fully. It seems like more of a "Im killing everyone over pride option" instead of "Im going to convince the catalyst to do things OUR way" option.