What happens after ME3? [SPOILERS]

[Nobody]

I didn't play the games back in the day for whatever reason and recently decided to buy the legendary edition and I don’t know if this is a controversial opinion or not, but I really didn’t find any of ME3’s ending satisfying at all, they all felt weirdly rushed and contrived. I feel like I didn't get proper closure with the world and its characters, like there is still so much more I can explore and do but the story is over, and the characters have nothing else to say.

All the endings boil down to “Shepard dies, everyone rebuilds, the end.”

The only ones I felt got proper closure are the Krogan and by extension Wrex and Grunt, Since I cured the genophage I assume the Krogans start rebuilding their civilization and get the chance to properly develop their civilization.

What happens to the Normandy? What happens with the rest of the crew? They have the tendency to go their separate ways whenever Shepard is gone but after solving the biggest treat in the galaxy where do they all go? What did the Leviathan even do and what do they do now that the reapers are gone? What happens to Garrus or Javyk? What can Javyk even do after everything that happened? What does Liara do as the shadow broker now since one of her motivations to become it was to help you defeat the reapers?

The quarians rebuild Rannoch but they’re all still wearing the suits anyway, since I romanced Tali, I guess she goes and builds herself the beach home she wanted and is now just sad and alone there.

In both Control and destroy endings you basically kill EDI and the Geth making their entire arcs pointless and leaving me in the dark about Joker, and the only one where they survive is merge which is such a weird ending that it just leaves me with further questions and somehow even less satisfied than the other two.

In the perfect destruction ending its implied that Shepard somehow survives but that doesn’t really answer anything, and how does he even survive after that in the first place?

I feel like I'm waiting for the next act of a play to continue the story while everyone has already left, and the theater is closed, and I don’t really know what to do.

I haven’t played andromeda yet and from what I’ve seen it doesn’t mention anyone of the Normandy crew since it takes place like 600 years after everyone i care about is probably dead and forgotten about, which to be fair isn’t necessarily a bad thing from a narrative stand point since they can’t dwell on the past if they’re going to tell and new story, but at the same time it’s strange how all of the events of the trilogy are just seemingly forgotten about in less than the average life span of an Asari.

Stargazer kind of made me a little angry, all the sacrifices every race made across the galaxy to stop the reapers all to just become some legend that people doubt ever even happened instead of an important and recorded piece of history.

[Alex_x86]

Well the endings were not received good by the players by all these reasons. As far as to what really happened: nobody knows. There was a fan theory about that Shepard was indoctrinated (oily shadows in the dreams, stupid kid that is basically seen by Shepard everywhere and which form takes Starchild) and that only red ending indicated that Shep broke free, however it was just cute fan fiction to explain all of the stupidity that happen in the last few hours of the game and completely unsatisfying ending. Other than that we probably should see how the authors of new ME game would try to weasel their way out of this sorry state that ME3 got them.

PS: The only value to me about the Stargazer scene is that it was voiced by Buzz Aldrin. And probably the irony there is that as today people doubt he was on the Moon these "future" people are doubting what we just played for 100 or so hours. Basically more of a social commentary on his own experience rather than adding something to the story.

[Jonathan Hunt]

A few comments and replies to your post.
About Javik.
With some options, he himself will tell his fate after ME3:
1. He will travel around the Galaxy;
2. He will become the ruler of the Hanars;
3. He will write a joint book with Liara about the Protheans;
4. He will return to the place where his friends died and kill himself.

In Control, Geth and EDI will not die. The Geth were shown in Control.
However, judging by the materials of Next Mass Effect in the canonical Destroy, the Geth are also alive.

In 2012, the developers themselves said that Shepard survived Perfect Destroy.

About Andromeda.
I recommend playing it. Next Mass Effect will have a connection between the trilogy and Andromeda

[Peaceful Panda]

Well the ending was widely panned, even after the extended cut. Hopefully the next game will address some of the questions we can't help but have.

Personally, I play as if indoctrination theory is canon (look it up if you don't know).

The theory has been denied by the devs, but there were huge shakeups during the writing/development of ME3, plus the game was rushed. I think I.T. was supposed to be a part of it, but got cut for time so we only have pieces of what was intended from the start.

[barzai]

Originally posted by SPACEWAVER:

Well... technically Andromeda. At least in terms of CE timeline.

As far as the endings go - none of them have been canonized yet. The most popular guess is that the Destroy ending is canon, but that hasn't been confirmed yet.

Personally, I would be upset if that was the case. Losing all synthetics (Shepard, Quarians, EDI, etc) sounds lowkey depressing.

Maybe that's what that image with all the dead Geth is supposed to mean.

But personally, ! don't see it. My long-standing theory is that the whole "if you push the Big Red Button, every synthetic dies" business was just chin-music intended to dissuade you from Doing The Right Thing.

Also, as I've pointed out in another thread, Destroy is actually the only option where Shepard LIVES...assuming your war score is high enough. So right there we have absolute proof that the Starbrat was lying to us.

[Alex_x86]

Originally posted by Peaceful Panda:

The theory has been denied by the devs, but there were huge shakeups during the writing/development of ME3, plus the game was rushed. I think I.T. was supposed to be a part of it, but got cut for time so we only have pieces of what was intended from the start.

There was a leak of the original plot that was tied to the dark energy and ME2 after Karpyshyn left so they panicked and rewrote the whole ME3 in a few months (without the person who basically wrote first 2 games). The result is a meh overall story and an awful ending with the lore that undermines first 2 games. For example why all that hustle in the first game with Sovereign trying to open the Citadel if the Citadel actually hosts the AI that controls reapers? Why couldn't that AI open the Citadel by itself?

[Syzy]

They dropped the ball so bad that they probably shouldn't continue the series. The personal story lines survived, but the underlying reason for the reapers is absurd and stupid; that sythetics and organics will continuously war with each other? so instead of letting that happen you create a cycle that does that anyway.
The dark matter plot makes a lot of sense, that galactic civilizations have to be culled and limited because mass effect proliferates dark energy and is killing stars and hastening the demise of the galaxy. That's a lot more insidious because then the reapers have a justification for culling civilizations because they're trying to preserve the stars themselves while giving every civilization it's time in the sun for a brief time before being culled and assimilated into a reaper. I really do hope they retcon the writing for ME3 and say the starchild lied through his teeth for the reasons because it really is kind of stupid.

[Jeebs]

Originally posted by Syzy:

They dropped the ball so bad that they probably shouldn't continue the series.

Regardless of how I feel about the ending, I think this is the case anyways. No matter what they do with ME4, it will never be as good as the original trilogy and the story will almost certainly upset some fans.

Originally posted by Syzy:

The dark matter plot makes a lot of sense, that galactic civilizations have to be culled and limited because mass effect proliferates dark energy and is killing stars and hastening the demise of the galaxy. That's a lot more insidious because then the reapers have a justification for culling civilizations because they're trying to preserve the stars themselves while giving every civilization it's time in the sun for a brief time before being culled and assimilated into a reaper.

This is very similar to the overall plot of Star Control 3, which I always felt was an inspiration to ME's writers given that there's more than one parallel. In fact, I often wondered if whoever wrote that game went on to work for Bioware, but as far as I know that's not the case.

The Elcor immediately made me think of the Clairconctlar and the Protheans sounded a lot like the Precrusors, to list two minor examples.

In SC3, hyperspace travel stops working and it's suggested that because it was punching holes through inter-dimensional space, it's causing fatigue to normal space. Stars are collapsing into themselves and vanishing without a trace, almost like they're falling into ID sinkholes.

Over the course of the game, you learn that there's a hyper-powerful race from another dimension that returns to feed on the psychic energy of the sentient beings of the galaxy every eon, and that the ID fatigue is related to them somehow.

Not exactly the same thing, but I see a lot of parallels between the two. It's possible that this was the reason they had to rewrite some things last minute. Could have been to avoid a lawsuit.

Originally posted by Syzy:

I really do hope they retcon the writing for ME3 and say the starchild lied through his teeth for the reasons because it really is kind of stupid.

Since Shepard kept dreaming about that kid (which was stupid and made no sense to me) might as well double-down and say that was just a scenario that played out in Shepard's head as they were dying.

Though honestly, I doubt very much that I will play ME4. I can't see any way that they can go on with this story in a way that I will enjoy and doesn't create multiple plot holes that cheapen the first three games.

[Nobody]

Originally posted by Jeebs:

Originally posted by Syzy:

They dropped the ball so bad that they probably shouldn't continue the series.

Regardless of how I feel about the ending, I think this is the case anyways. No matter what they do with ME4, it will never be as good as the original trilogy and the story will almost certainly upset some fans.

Originally posted by Syzy:

The dark matter plot makes a lot of sense, that galactic civilizations have to be culled and limited because mass effect proliferates dark energy and is killing stars and hastening the demise of the galaxy. That's a lot more insidious because then the reapers have a justification for culling civilizations because they're trying to preserve the stars themselves while giving every civilization it's time in the sun for a brief time before being culled and assimilated into a reaper.

This is very similar to the overall plot of Star Control 3, which I always felt was an inspiration to ME's writers given that there's more than one parallel. In fact, I often wondered if whoever wrote that game went on to work for Bioware, but as far as I know that's not the case.

The Elcor immediately made me think of the Clairconctlar and the Protheans sounded a lot like the Precrusors, to list two minor examples.

In SC3, hyperspace travel stops working and it's suggested that because it was punching holes through inter-dimensional space, it's causing fatigue to normal space. Stars are collapsing into themselves and vanishing without a trace, almost like they're falling into ID sinkholes.

Over the course of the game, you learn that there's a hyper-powerful race from another dimension that returns to feed on the psychic energy of the sentient beings of the galaxy every eon, and that the ID fatigue is related to them somehow.

Not exactly the same thing, but I see a lot of parallels between the two. It's possible that this was the reason they had to rewrite some things last minute. Could have been to avoid a lawsuit.

Originally posted by Syzy:

I really do hope they retcon the writing for ME3 and say the starchild lied through his teeth for the reasons because it really is kind of stupid.

Since Shepard kept dreaming about that kid (which was stupid and made no sense to me) might as well double-down and say that was just a scenario that played out in Shepard's head as they were dying.

Though honestly, I doubt very much that I will play ME4. I can't see any way that they can go on with this story in a way that I will enjoy and doesn't create multiple plot holes that cheapen the first three games.

That is sort of where i am too, the main problem with 3 and its endings is that they're fundamentally flawed at a base level to the point that you can't continue the story without breaking the lore further, let alone have it be satisfying, even though i wish they would retcon parts of 3 to make a more coherent story, they can't do that without make things even more convoluted and confusing and that almost always leads to even bigger holes.

And if they just continue with the universe and never acknowledge the events of the trilogy than they end up feeling point less since now noone in the galaxy remembers everything that happened.

Might be a little cynical but im not expecting 4 to fill the holes that these endings left me with, i get the feeling they're going to outright omit things like the fate of the Geth and the Quarians because of how massive the choices we do throughout 3 could impact the universe.

[Alex_x86]

Originally posted by SPACEWAVER:

Originally posted by Alex_x86:

There was a leak of the original plot that was tied to the dark energy and ME2 after Karpyshyn left so they panicked and rewrote the whole ME3 in a few months (without the person who basically wrote first 2 games). The result is a meh overall story and an awful ending with the lore that undermines first 2 games. For example why all that hustle in the first game with Sovereign trying to open the Citadel if the Citadel actually hosts the AI that controls reapers? Why couldn't that AI open the Citadel by itself?

I thought the story in ME3 was pretty good. The ending was absolutely horrendous tho.

To me story of the missions are ok (with exceptions), however from meta point of view I have way to many issues with the third game:
1. Illusive Man and Cerberus are bad from the beginning. They immediately trash Cerberus and show them indoctrinated. Just why? How? Can you at least spend a 30-40 minutes of a 30+ hours game to show me how Cerberus went off rails? Last time we saw them they were the only ones who were doing a stuff. Also it would've been even better if you show that they indoctrinated closer to the end instead of at the end of the 2nd mission in the game?

2. Kai Leng. Just hate everything about this guy starting from that he is written as "we have our own Shepard with ninjitsu and hoo.." to that it represents the most hated by me type of the boss: you face him, win a fight and then cutscene shows that you actually lost.

3. Hey, we've found plans from a previous cycle for the unknown device that nobody knows what it does and where even to connect it. Let's spend all of our resources to build it. And funny enough, it works. And even more funny thing is that Starchild tells us that every cycle adds something new, however all our cycle did was just built it. Even where to connect it was given us by the prothean beacon. Honestly it would've been much better if at some point there a was a voice of Harbinger saying that "This cycle as dumb as previous since they fell for our ruse as well. Cycle must continue".

4. Almost completely ignoring ME2. Yes, it is an issue with ME3, not ME2. The job of the story writers was to write a continuation (and from what I understand original plot was) of ME2, however this game is more like "too bad, ME2 is basically not necessary". Also as a bonus ME1 was made irrelevant which is what was in my previous message.

5. Leviathans are dumb: they saw everyone creates AI to solve their issues and then are getting wiped out by those AIs so they created AI to resolve this issue and almost got wiped out by that AI.

IMHO missions were fine but the whole meta of the game is way too stupid.

[Yakito]

I usually stop my play through right before the ending.
Every single ending sucks. They're all rubbish.
Sorry, I mean each colour you pick to see in the cinematic isn't my favourite colour.
That's all there is to it - colour.

Nothing you did all 3 games matter in the end.
For such an amazing trilogy I just can't forgive BioWare for the endings.

[barzai]

Originally posted by Yakito:

I usually stop my play through right before the ending.
Every single ending sucks. They're all rubbish.
Sorry, I mean each colour you pick to see in the cinematic isn't my favourite colour.
That's all there is to it - colour.

Nothing you did all 3 games matter in the end.
For such an amazing trilogy I just can't forgive BioWare for the endings.

While I agree with your view of the endings, the thing to bear in mind is that the entirety of ME3 is an ending...the "Long Goodbye." It's the journey, not the destination.

But I am willing to accept the ending as part of the price to be paid for that, the more so that I use MEHEM or whatever it's called now. Also, no Starbrat, either in the ending or in your dreams. The modding community deserves kudos for their work here.

[KripTed]

Shepard doesn't die if you have a high EMS of 7800 and choose to destroy. So not all endings are just Shepard is dead. It's heavily implied in the destroy ending that he is alive. It's the best ending.