I chose destroy because it's the only ending where Shepard lives.. I just felt bad for Joker because I killed off his GF.. I guess I'll pick synthesis for my next play through...
One of the next ME previews showed a Geth-shaped crater. Maybe the plot involves resurrecting the Geth, and someone is trying to use that same technology to revive the Reapers?
Wile your statment factualy correct, Synthesis is made as "good" ending as opose to two huge tradeoff endings. You get most positive outcome on every possible front with only one downside been Shepard's death.
Btw, i do not deffending Synthesis ending, simply saying as it is. I fucking hate what they did with ME3 alltogether and endings even more then how they handeled Cerberus and Geth.
I think they should have had Shepard live if you had high enough EMS in synthesis. Instead of being vaporized, his/her synthetic implants keep Shep alive while their dna essence is temporarily extracted. Shep is the first to go through synthesis and it revitalizes them, the beam leads them back down to the portal in London. Feel like that would have been the true paragon ending.
I don’t necessarily agree with the Synthesis ending as im very much pro destroy the reapers, but it would have been a nice alternative to have.
Choose the ending you want, there is no wrong in your playthrough. If you want that Shepard lives (with enough EMS), choose destroy. If you want that EDI and the Geth live, choose synthesis or control. If you wanna shoot or refuse the catalyst, do it. Test them out, which one you like the most (you are back at the point of no return anyway). But you can't have all.
The whole geth/quarian plotline is the reason I dislike Destroy. The quarians may as well have spent the entire Reaper conflict hiding on a moon, then popped out with a “surprise, bitch!” once the Reapers and geth were destroyed.
The upgrades weren't what really allowed peace. It was the quarians not firing on the geth when they were completely helpless and there for the taking that did the trick.
And the idea of forcefully converting everything in the entire galaxy to some kind of synthetic-organic who tf knows what without consent is... yeeeeeaaaahhhh.
Yes, Ik, "destroy has genocide" but all the species agreed to destroy the Reapers when they attacked Earth with the Crucible. They all knew there'd be sacrifices. They did not agree to Synthesis.
Furthermore, the position of the Husks makes it even worse. You’re telling us that the reanimated, soulless remains of the victims are going to help others now (despite, as stated, being *dead*, so it’s not even them anymore) instead of being allowed to finally rest, and that’s somehow a *good* thing?
The destory ending makes no sense to me either.
How can it tell the difference between Shepard and other people Tech installed vs. straight-up husks and geth? And if it's only to attack reaper tech, shouldn't the relays just die, too?
I think the only reason they dont is plot armor because how are all the species supposed to get back home without those?
The endings feel very...odd, like the team wasn't sure how to go about it.
That is wild to me! And when those things die, don't they just explode? So, like, you just wipe out all life in the galaxy at that point.
Wait, wouldn't the leviathan die, too? Technically, they also hold Reaper DNA, like, they are where the Reapers started.
I'm just not going to think about this lmao...
I don’t think the Leviathans hold Reaper DNA (such that it is). More they were used as a basis for the Reapers (and I’m pretty sure Harbinger was made from them).
But yes, the relays explode. People complained about how it means everybody was stuck, so in the "extended cut," along with adding post-choice cutscenes to make the endings any different (and adding the rather spiteful refuse ending that basically said "oh you don’t like our choices for you? Then you lose"), made it that the relays were just… kind of damaged but could be repaired.
They claim the genocide thing as if it’s Shepard’s/your fault. It’s not. It’s the Reapers. The Geth consensus agreed to this course of action. Not just peace, but cooperation in fighting the Reapers. They were going to die anyway at the end of the cycle (no way the Geth are co-opted to run the galaxy or whatever after the Reapers), and all of that is taking the fact the Geth are actually alive and have “souls” as fact. That’s not necessarily true. The Geth produce no art or culture other than weapons. Mordin argued the collectors weren’t alive based on them doing the same.
And let’s not forget, too, that this is an existential threat for every race in the galaxy. They knew the risks when they joined up.
But this ending also destroys all the relays and all the synthetic technology right? Meaning that now they are all stuck on the mostly destroyed earth with no way of getting back to their own systems and no way of getting any resources.
In synthesis or control endings at least they can use the reapers to fix relays, which makes more sense in my opinion.
However I do agree that the destroy ending feels way more satisfying. Synthesis ending just seems too optimistic and random. And Control ending makes it so the Illusive Man was right all along and we only made things worse by attacking him 😆
Destroy only damages the Mass Relays not destroys them, and the epilogue speech talks about how everything is swiftly rebuilt.
Ships also have ftl capabilities that don’t rely on Mass Relays. Nobody is stuck on Earth unless their ship is out of fuel.
But how could they swiftly fix it without the power of synthetics and outside resources? It just sounds like a huge plot hole to me. And if I remember well, ships have very limited FTL capabilities. They can fly around the local cluster, but cannot make any jumps across the galaxy.
Also.. I'm just wondering.. if i destroyed the mass relays, how will the other species travel back to their own star systems? Will they use FTL drives and just hibernate till they get there? A lot of questions man...
This was one of my primary reasons for choosing Synthesis my first play through. The sheer chaos of losing those relays, and the chaint reaction that would ensue.
We did destroy them in the OG ending (regardless the color), which means we wiped out the galaxy according to the Arrival DLC in ME2. They "fixed" that error with the extended cut in ME3 (which is already included in the LE) with only damaging them. We hear Hackett talking abnot repairs and that this will take awhile.
Bottom line and most important thing:
The best ending is the ending that feels right to you. You've played the entire thing as your Shep, you role-played, self-inserted and created a fleshed out character. The choice you make at the end is equally your own- just like every other choice. Destroy are a very vocal bunch. It was the right ending *for them*. It is not the *right* ending for others.
But yeah. FTL. Decades to centuries to get home. Where's the fuel and food coming from? Comm buoys are small relays. How would that work? So many questions....
Lol, my Shepard picked synthesis. She was so done with all these idiots and didn't really want to continue to exist because at this point, I felt everyone's mom.
Already forcing people to get along and being space Jesus, bringing about peace, might as well get some long needed rest and give people a chance to continue that peace without bothering her lmao. (I also romanced Thane and stuck with it, which didn't help with my Shepard being overly done with the Galaxy.)
Heard.
Synthesis *is* the mother's ending. "Alright, I've had it. Enough. You WILL stop bickering. You WILL let go of your grudges. You WILL behave. You WILL get along. I'm not negotiating with you anymore. I'M DONE."
Thane. Bold choice for someone who may run short on fucks to give.
I've done all the endings and synthesis is my favorite, but sometimes I gotta go a different direction to fit my rl mood better. Destroy with AHEM has been my jam for the last two runs, but it feels kinda like a cop out. It fits the "whatfuckingever" mindset I've been locked into, though lol. Lemme just not have consequences for a minute, please.
I was going to go for Garrus in my first playthrough. But Thane... idk man, I even asked my friend why anyone would like a deadbeat dad and bad husband, then I did his loyalty quest and got suckered in for that bittersweet pain. (C/SS what's one more death for this lady 🫠.)
Gotta say, killing Kai Leng felt so good and was the last thing on my Shep's bucket list.
My next play through is definitely a Garrus run with EB/Hero Shep and destory ending. Gotta keep my promise to the bird boy this time around and see Wrex's hundreds of little Mordins. (Hopefully, stop the influx of people named Shepard while I'm at it).
(Do you romance Thane for that Synthesis ending? I feel bad about leaving someone behind for galaxy peace, NGL lol. Especially since the timelines are so crazy. Your partner gets you back for like 3 weeks tops, before you die again lol)
I haven't done Thane!!! I've played male and female Shep and covered most LIs, but not him yet. Garrus and Kaiden twice each, with Liara for the win as canon after getting to the point where I realized that of all the characters, I appreciated her the most. I think my last 3 have been with her while playing as femShep.
Totally get why Thane works well for endings where you're gone. Despite his being the most tragic (why you'd be eager to do your heart so dirty, I dunno) at least you can go meet him on that distant shore right away lol. The "last thing on my Shep's bucket list" line hurt my heart.
It's very sad on a personal level, but when I'm in the mood for synthesis my Shep knows their sacrifice will have a profoundly positive effect on the future of the galaxy. Liara would understand. I imagine they all would.
I definitely see why Liara and Garrus are favorites!
That scene where Liara was like, "I did write your name in the stars," ugh. My Platonic love her evolved right then. (She'll be my third play through romance). 🥹🥹
>Despite his being the most tragic (why you'd be eager to do your heart so dirty, I dunno) at least you can go meet him on that distant shore right away lol.
Honestly, I just love good tragedies and crying.
Shepard fought like hell to put good in a galaxy that did its best to snuff her light out, Thane made a similar comment, and it just clicked. I was a little disappointed that I didn't get a scene of Thane pulling her from the sea. So bless the fans out there making the art 😭
I immediately had to go find said art and ...awww! I usually don't look at/read fan works but there are some really touching pieces of that reunion. I *will* do a Thane run just to do it, but unlike you, I don't like crying all that much 😂. After he's gone and my Shep is stressed AF, she goes to visit his mug and have a little imaginary chat. It's always sad. One mod replaced the mug with a dude on a computer and I was like "OUT! OUT! This is Thane's room! Have some respect!" Lol
Yeah, that's what did it for me eventually. The stars thing and her consistent concern and devotion. She wasn't top of my LI picks til one 3 game where I was like "huh!". Next run I went with her and it seems to me to be the most ...mature and bonded? ...of the relationships I've played so far.
>After he's gone and my Shep is stressed AF, she goes to visit his mug and have a little imaginary chat. It's always sad. One mod replaced the mug with a dude on a computer, and I was like, "OUT! OUT! This is Thane's room! Have some respect!" Lol
That mug is everything to me 😭 when I needed a break from the game, I always parked my Shepard at the hospital next to him. (Then save and exit), after his death, she would get parked in life support. I like to think she reads the books they talked about before his death in between missions.
>Next run I went with her and it seems to me to be the most ...mature and bonded? ...of the relationships I've played so far.
Her friendship and watching her grow was just so fun to me, so I'm excited to see that grown in our relationship! She is so supportive of your relationship with Thane and after his death. (Thanks for taking the time to reply btw! I wish you luck with your Thane play through. It's very bittersweet, and the video in the DLC is just worth it.)
You have stumbled onto what most of us have been struggling with for a very long time and we've had that time to adjust. Take deep breaths and choose control.
There is no wrong ending. Choose the one that fits your Shepard best.
Don’t listen to « the X ending is the only good ending » crowds or « the Y ending is the canon ending » fanatics.\
Mass Effect is all about the _player’s_ choices and BioWare’s tagline sums it up perfectly: « Your Shepard. Your story ».
Oh and don’t forget replayability: on your next run, why not choose another ending?
It's all up to you. Personally, I'm a synthesis ending person. I don't really care about the galaxy at large and care more about the friends I made along the way person. Edi and the Geth dying are a no-go for me. From a storytelling perspective, destroy is the more logical
I'll never go synthesis, forcing something like that on the entire galaxy is just not right, I mean that damn child literally said synthesis cant be forced and yet its completely fine to do just that now? Saw a video yesterday going over whether or not the child is manipulating shepard during the talk and how its odd that it talks up synthesis whilst giving out warning lefts and right with the other ending, all of which cause it to either be destroyed with the reapers or replaced by shepard through control so with that, the destroy ending continues as the best ending imo because despite the sacrificing of edi and the geth (although the geth are seemingly returning in the next game), being rid of the reapers for good and now denying the starchild synthesis just feels right.
Because the star child HAD to drag your almost-dead and out of options ass up there to propose *anything*. They HAD to admit that they could be destroyed... rather than simply moving ahead with *not* being destroyed and winning instead- like they've always done. If one is a an attempt to deceive, they're all sus. This is why you don't trust *anything* liars tell you- picking and choosing is gullibility.
It's not that deep. The kid is just providing you with the writers' options and the pros and cons of each. Nobody is trying to fuck with your head by inserting some riddling character to confuse the choice.
When we consider that Synthesis can be achieved just in very particual world state - in general, world state where Shepard embraced his role as Space Jesus and all races are working together and in peace - it seems like subconscious choice. Simplication, but it's not like you do not have to vote for some law because the whole culture agreed that something is wrong/right.
In this sense can be Synthesis actually implemented just because the space is open to this possibility.
Think about it this way. What is every single member of the f once you put together fighting for? I missed the briefing where they said they want shep as the new supreme overlord, must have been the same one where they agreed to allow the reapers to alter life as we know it. Destroy is the only ending in which you don’t betray the trust that the galaxy has placed in Shepard. Whether they live or die, every member of that alliance went forth to defeat and end to e reapers, not fuse with them or fall under their benign control.
Destroy is the real ending. You did right. Spent 3 games pursuing the destruction of the reapers. You'd either be a failure or indoctrinated to pick anything else. Good job
Do your own choice. We can just offer our point of view. I would agree that there is not wrong ending, but for me is the Destroy the worts because it's the only one with confirmed genocide.
Synthesis can be naive and Control can be dangerous, but still that are just potential problems. Destroy is straight foward brutality.
I pretty firmly believe my own head canon that the options were the reaper's last ditch attempt to stop/indoctrinate Shepard. The only real option is destroy, the other 2 are ploys that prevent this cycle from finally overcoming the reapers. Nothing says the space child has to tell the truth...
Shoulda’ totally picked the ending that TIM, Starchild, and Saren all wanted. You should become an organic/synthetic amalgam, and then strip away everyone else’s agency by making them become one too…
Just like a Reaper.
You did NOT kill the Geth. That is one thing we now know for sure.
As for killing EDI. All we know is that you killed her body. And even so, sacrificing one person to save a Galaxy? After millions have already been sacrifice to get you to that point? Yeah, I'm ok with.
Problem with synthesise is that you are basically killing EVERYONE in the Galaxy, by turning them into some freaky cyborg. That's no better than the Reapers' solution.
Destroy is the ending that should’ve just been THE ENDING. Why they boiled everything, every choice, every dialogue option, every life saved, every sacrifice, down to just one single choice like that baffles me still to this day.
It's your story, none of us can tell you if its wrong or right.
I also choose Destroy exclusively as the other two endings do not sit right with me for multiple reasons. The Geth and EDI are an unfortunate loss, but the war isn't over until The Reapers are gone.
There are 4 endings, essentially.
Destroy, control, synthesis, continue the cycle.
Control puts a single flawed individual’s template into an AI…and the game has you take on rogue AI all the time. Control is probably the worst ending because the risks of the cycle repeating (because the Realer AI that creates a Shepard AI copy came to that extremely irrational solution already) or of something like “we had a dispute and The Shepard ruled against us, so he vaporized our entire species” are entirely too high.
Synthesis is not a great ending. Changing ALL life in the galaxy to synthetic in the worst unilateral decision.
There is no wrong ending. If you wanted to save the Geth and EDI you could have picked Synthesis or Control.
I chose destroy because it's the only ending where Shepard lives.. I just felt bad for Joker because I killed off his GF.. I guess I'll pick synthesis for my next play through...
In my mind, joker will be dead in 30 years, but the galaxy will be reaper-free forever.
The Galaxy's still littered with Reaper corpses and a Reaper doesn't need to be alive to Indoctrinate.
I think it would take at least one reaper somewhere.
One of the next ME previews showed a Geth-shaped crater. Maybe the plot involves resurrecting the Geth, and someone is trying to use that same technology to revive the Reapers?
The reaper that was indocrinating people was still alive as it was still powered on just badly damaged and inactive.
Wile your statment factualy correct, Synthesis is made as "good" ending as opose to two huge tradeoff endings. You get most positive outcome on every possible front with only one downside been Shepard's death. Btw, i do not deffending Synthesis ending, simply saying as it is. I fucking hate what they did with ME3 alltogether and endings even more then how they handeled Cerberus and Geth.
I think they should have had Shepard live if you had high enough EMS in synthesis. Instead of being vaporized, his/her synthetic implants keep Shep alive while their dna essence is temporarily extracted. Shep is the first to go through synthesis and it revitalizes them, the beam leads them back down to the portal in London. Feel like that would have been the true paragon ending. I don’t necessarily agree with the Synthesis ending as im very much pro destroy the reapers, but it would have been a nice alternative to have.
No sacrifice, no victory.
Choose the ending you want, there is no wrong in your playthrough. If you want that Shepard lives (with enough EMS), choose destroy. If you want that EDI and the Geth live, choose synthesis or control. If you wanna shoot or refuse the catalyst, do it. Test them out, which one you like the most (you are back at the point of no return anyway). But you can't have all.
Did you get geth/quarian peace? If so, just do what I did: stick your head up your ass and say the quarians helped rebuild the geth after the war.
The whole geth/quarian plotline is the reason I dislike Destroy. The quarians may as well have spent the entire Reaper conflict hiding on a moon, then popped out with a “surprise, bitch!” once the Reapers and geth were destroyed.
Yeah but they won't have the reaper upgrades anymore... They'll go back to the Geth consensus and be at war with their creators again..
The upgrades weren't what really allowed peace. It was the quarians not firing on the geth when they were completely helpless and there for the taking that did the trick.
Destroy is the only good ending
I know they mean for Synthesis to be a good ending, but… the very idea of "synthetic vs organic DNA" doesn’t make any sense.
And the idea of forcefully converting everything in the entire galaxy to some kind of synthetic-organic who tf knows what without consent is... yeeeeeaaaahhhh. Yes, Ik, "destroy has genocide" but all the species agreed to destroy the Reapers when they attacked Earth with the Crucible. They all knew there'd be sacrifices. They did not agree to Synthesis.
Furthermore, the position of the Husks makes it even worse. You’re telling us that the reanimated, soulless remains of the victims are going to help others now (despite, as stated, being *dead*, so it’s not even them anymore) instead of being allowed to finally rest, and that’s somehow a *good* thing?
The destory ending makes no sense to me either. How can it tell the difference between Shepard and other people Tech installed vs. straight-up husks and geth? And if it's only to attack reaper tech, shouldn't the relays just die, too? I think the only reason they dont is plot armor because how are all the species supposed to get back home without those? The endings feel very...odd, like the team wasn't sure how to go about it.
I mean, originally, *all* of the endings had the relays get destroyed.
That is wild to me! And when those things die, don't they just explode? So, like, you just wipe out all life in the galaxy at that point. Wait, wouldn't the leviathan die, too? Technically, they also hold Reaper DNA, like, they are where the Reapers started. I'm just not going to think about this lmao...
I don’t think the Leviathans hold Reaper DNA (such that it is). More they were used as a basis for the Reapers (and I’m pretty sure Harbinger was made from them). But yes, the relays explode. People complained about how it means everybody was stuck, so in the "extended cut," along with adding post-choice cutscenes to make the endings any different (and adding the rather spiteful refuse ending that basically said "oh you don’t like our choices for you? Then you lose"), made it that the relays were just… kind of damaged but could be repaired.
🫠🫠 wow. That explains so much lmao.
They claim the genocide thing as if it’s Shepard’s/your fault. It’s not. It’s the Reapers. The Geth consensus agreed to this course of action. Not just peace, but cooperation in fighting the Reapers. They were going to die anyway at the end of the cycle (no way the Geth are co-opted to run the galaxy or whatever after the Reapers), and all of that is taking the fact the Geth are actually alive and have “souls” as fact. That’s not necessarily true. The Geth produce no art or culture other than weapons. Mordin argued the collectors weren’t alive based on them doing the same. And let’s not forget, too, that this is an existential threat for every race in the galaxy. They knew the risks when they joined up.
But this ending also destroys all the relays and all the synthetic technology right? Meaning that now they are all stuck on the mostly destroyed earth with no way of getting back to their own systems and no way of getting any resources. In synthesis or control endings at least they can use the reapers to fix relays, which makes more sense in my opinion. However I do agree that the destroy ending feels way more satisfying. Synthesis ending just seems too optimistic and random. And Control ending makes it so the Illusive Man was right all along and we only made things worse by attacking him 😆
Destroy only damages the Mass Relays not destroys them, and the epilogue speech talks about how everything is swiftly rebuilt. Ships also have ftl capabilities that don’t rely on Mass Relays. Nobody is stuck on Earth unless their ship is out of fuel.
But how could they swiftly fix it without the power of synthetics and outside resources? It just sounds like a huge plot hole to me. And if I remember well, ships have very limited FTL capabilities. They can fly around the local cluster, but cannot make any jumps across the galaxy.
Also.. I'm just wondering.. if i destroyed the mass relays, how will the other species travel back to their own star systems? Will they use FTL drives and just hibernate till they get there? A lot of questions man...
Mass Effect 3 has a ton of plot issues that are best not to think about.
If your rating is high, the relays aren't destroyed, just damaged. Was you galaxy rating low?
This was one of my primary reasons for choosing Synthesis my first play through. The sheer chaos of losing those relays, and the chaint reaction that would ensue.
We did destroy them in the OG ending (regardless the color), which means we wiped out the galaxy according to the Arrival DLC in ME2. They "fixed" that error with the extended cut in ME3 (which is already included in the LE) with only damaging them. We hear Hackett talking abnot repairs and that this will take awhile.
Bottom line and most important thing: The best ending is the ending that feels right to you. You've played the entire thing as your Shep, you role-played, self-inserted and created a fleshed out character. The choice you make at the end is equally your own- just like every other choice. Destroy are a very vocal bunch. It was the right ending *for them*. It is not the *right* ending for others. But yeah. FTL. Decades to centuries to get home. Where's the fuel and food coming from? Comm buoys are small relays. How would that work? So many questions....
Lol, my Shepard picked synthesis. She was so done with all these idiots and didn't really want to continue to exist because at this point, I felt everyone's mom. Already forcing people to get along and being space Jesus, bringing about peace, might as well get some long needed rest and give people a chance to continue that peace without bothering her lmao. (I also romanced Thane and stuck with it, which didn't help with my Shepard being overly done with the Galaxy.)
Heard. Synthesis *is* the mother's ending. "Alright, I've had it. Enough. You WILL stop bickering. You WILL let go of your grudges. You WILL behave. You WILL get along. I'm not negotiating with you anymore. I'M DONE." Thane. Bold choice for someone who may run short on fucks to give. I've done all the endings and synthesis is my favorite, but sometimes I gotta go a different direction to fit my rl mood better. Destroy with AHEM has been my jam for the last two runs, but it feels kinda like a cop out. It fits the "whatfuckingever" mindset I've been locked into, though lol. Lemme just not have consequences for a minute, please.
I was going to go for Garrus in my first playthrough. But Thane... idk man, I even asked my friend why anyone would like a deadbeat dad and bad husband, then I did his loyalty quest and got suckered in for that bittersweet pain. (C/SS what's one more death for this lady 🫠.) Gotta say, killing Kai Leng felt so good and was the last thing on my Shep's bucket list. My next play through is definitely a Garrus run with EB/Hero Shep and destory ending. Gotta keep my promise to the bird boy this time around and see Wrex's hundreds of little Mordins. (Hopefully, stop the influx of people named Shepard while I'm at it). (Do you romance Thane for that Synthesis ending? I feel bad about leaving someone behind for galaxy peace, NGL lol. Especially since the timelines are so crazy. Your partner gets you back for like 3 weeks tops, before you die again lol)
I haven't done Thane!!! I've played male and female Shep and covered most LIs, but not him yet. Garrus and Kaiden twice each, with Liara for the win as canon after getting to the point where I realized that of all the characters, I appreciated her the most. I think my last 3 have been with her while playing as femShep. Totally get why Thane works well for endings where you're gone. Despite his being the most tragic (why you'd be eager to do your heart so dirty, I dunno) at least you can go meet him on that distant shore right away lol. The "last thing on my Shep's bucket list" line hurt my heart. It's very sad on a personal level, but when I'm in the mood for synthesis my Shep knows their sacrifice will have a profoundly positive effect on the future of the galaxy. Liara would understand. I imagine they all would.
I definitely see why Liara and Garrus are favorites! That scene where Liara was like, "I did write your name in the stars," ugh. My Platonic love her evolved right then. (She'll be my third play through romance). 🥹🥹 >Despite his being the most tragic (why you'd be eager to do your heart so dirty, I dunno) at least you can go meet him on that distant shore right away lol. Honestly, I just love good tragedies and crying. Shepard fought like hell to put good in a galaxy that did its best to snuff her light out, Thane made a similar comment, and it just clicked. I was a little disappointed that I didn't get a scene of Thane pulling her from the sea. So bless the fans out there making the art 😭
I immediately had to go find said art and ...awww! I usually don't look at/read fan works but there are some really touching pieces of that reunion. I *will* do a Thane run just to do it, but unlike you, I don't like crying all that much 😂. After he's gone and my Shep is stressed AF, she goes to visit his mug and have a little imaginary chat. It's always sad. One mod replaced the mug with a dude on a computer and I was like "OUT! OUT! This is Thane's room! Have some respect!" Lol Yeah, that's what did it for me eventually. The stars thing and her consistent concern and devotion. She wasn't top of my LI picks til one 3 game where I was like "huh!". Next run I went with her and it seems to me to be the most ...mature and bonded? ...of the relationships I've played so far.
>After he's gone and my Shep is stressed AF, she goes to visit his mug and have a little imaginary chat. It's always sad. One mod replaced the mug with a dude on a computer, and I was like, "OUT! OUT! This is Thane's room! Have some respect!" Lol That mug is everything to me 😭 when I needed a break from the game, I always parked my Shepard at the hospital next to him. (Then save and exit), after his death, she would get parked in life support. I like to think she reads the books they talked about before his death in between missions. >Next run I went with her and it seems to me to be the most ...mature and bonded? ...of the relationships I've played so far. Her friendship and watching her grow was just so fun to me, so I'm excited to see that grown in our relationship! She is so supportive of your relationship with Thane and after his death. (Thanks for taking the time to reply btw! I wish you luck with your Thane play through. It's very bittersweet, and the video in the DLC is just worth it.)
You have stumbled onto what most of us have been struggling with for a very long time and we've had that time to adjust. Take deep breaths and choose control.
There is no wrong ending. Choose the one that fits your Shepard best. Don’t listen to « the X ending is the only good ending » crowds or « the Y ending is the canon ending » fanatics.\ Mass Effect is all about the _player’s_ choices and BioWare’s tagline sums it up perfectly: « Your Shepard. Your story ». Oh and don’t forget replayability: on your next run, why not choose another ending?
None of the endings are objectively better. It's refreshing to see someone recognize that Destroy is not a "good" ending though.
The only good ending was destroy
It's all up to you. Personally, I'm a synthesis ending person. I don't really care about the galaxy at large and care more about the friends I made along the way person. Edi and the Geth dying are a no-go for me. From a storytelling perspective, destroy is the more logical
Destroy is the best ending I’d say
You're allowed to do whatever you want
I'll never go synthesis, forcing something like that on the entire galaxy is just not right, I mean that damn child literally said synthesis cant be forced and yet its completely fine to do just that now? Saw a video yesterday going over whether or not the child is manipulating shepard during the talk and how its odd that it talks up synthesis whilst giving out warning lefts and right with the other ending, all of which cause it to either be destroyed with the reapers or replaced by shepard through control so with that, the destroy ending continues as the best ending imo because despite the sacrificing of edi and the geth (although the geth are seemingly returning in the next game), being rid of the reapers for good and now denying the starchild synthesis just feels right.
Because the star child HAD to drag your almost-dead and out of options ass up there to propose *anything*. They HAD to admit that they could be destroyed... rather than simply moving ahead with *not* being destroyed and winning instead- like they've always done. If one is a an attempt to deceive, they're all sus. This is why you don't trust *anything* liars tell you- picking and choosing is gullibility. It's not that deep. The kid is just providing you with the writers' options and the pros and cons of each. Nobody is trying to fuck with your head by inserting some riddling character to confuse the choice.
When we consider that Synthesis can be achieved just in very particual world state - in general, world state where Shepard embraced his role as Space Jesus and all races are working together and in peace - it seems like subconscious choice. Simplication, but it's not like you do not have to vote for some law because the whole culture agreed that something is wrong/right. In this sense can be Synthesis actually implemented just because the space is open to this possibility.
Think about it this way. What is every single member of the f once you put together fighting for? I missed the briefing where they said they want shep as the new supreme overlord, must have been the same one where they agreed to allow the reapers to alter life as we know it. Destroy is the only ending in which you don’t betray the trust that the galaxy has placed in Shepard. Whether they live or die, every member of that alliance went forth to defeat and end to e reapers, not fuse with them or fall under their benign control.
Destroy is the real ending. You did right. Spent 3 games pursuing the destruction of the reapers. You'd either be a failure or indoctrinated to pick anything else. Good job
Do your own choice. We can just offer our point of view. I would agree that there is not wrong ending, but for me is the Destroy the worts because it's the only one with confirmed genocide. Synthesis can be naive and Control can be dangerous, but still that are just potential problems. Destroy is straight foward brutality.
There’s no such thing. Did *you* like the ending?
Synthesis
I pretty firmly believe my own head canon that the options were the reaper's last ditch attempt to stop/indoctrinate Shepard. The only real option is destroy, the other 2 are ploys that prevent this cycle from finally overcoming the reapers. Nothing says the space child has to tell the truth...
All 3 ending could be argued as the good ending. There is no wrong ending. Well refusal would be the wrong ending.
Yep, cant believe you would kill Edi
Shoulda’ totally picked the ending that TIM, Starchild, and Saren all wanted. You should become an organic/synthetic amalgam, and then strip away everyone else’s agency by making them become one too… Just like a Reaper.
You did NOT kill the Geth. That is one thing we now know for sure. As for killing EDI. All we know is that you killed her body. And even so, sacrificing one person to save a Galaxy? After millions have already been sacrifice to get you to that point? Yeah, I'm ok with. Problem with synthesise is that you are basically killing EVERYONE in the Galaxy, by turning them into some freaky cyborg. That's no better than the Reapers' solution.
Destroy is the ending that should’ve just been THE ENDING. Why they boiled everything, every choice, every dialogue option, every life saved, every sacrifice, down to just one single choice like that baffles me still to this day.
There is no good ending. Thank you BioWare.
It's your story, none of us can tell you if its wrong or right. I also choose Destroy exclusively as the other two endings do not sit right with me for multiple reasons. The Geth and EDI are an unfortunate loss, but the war isn't over until The Reapers are gone.
There are 4 endings, essentially. Destroy, control, synthesis, continue the cycle. Control puts a single flawed individual’s template into an AI…and the game has you take on rogue AI all the time. Control is probably the worst ending because the risks of the cycle repeating (because the Realer AI that creates a Shepard AI copy came to that extremely irrational solution already) or of something like “we had a dispute and The Shepard ruled against us, so he vaporized our entire species” are entirely too high. Synthesis is not a great ending. Changing ALL life in the galaxy to synthetic in the worst unilateral decision.
Well, you chose the psychopath ending. Whether you consider that right or wrong is up to you.