[Spoiler Warning:This post concerns the ending toMass Effect 3, as you might expect. Don’t come whining to me about ruining the game if you fail to stop reading right now.]
I knew that quite a few BioWare fans fancied themselves better writers than the studio’s own storytellers, but I didn’t realize they’d go to the trouble of crafting their own ending to theMass Effecttrilogy. That’s what they’ve done though, and there is strong demand for it to become more than fanfiction.
Mass Effect 3currently offers three options to influence the ultimate outcome of Commander Shepard’s story, but a significant portion of gamers find every choice too depressing for their tastes. They want the chance for a more positive, hopeful ending. They also want to feel like their choices throughout the game are more influential on its conclusion. There’s a popular sentiment that Shepard’s actions just don’t matter.
Apoll on the BioWare Social Networkoutlines a new way to close outMass Effect 3, with 77% of the votes in favor of it. Anotherpoll for a more positive endhas 97% of11430 votersin favor. ATwitterandFacebook campaignhave also been set up to demand a “better” ending, either in a patch or offered as DLC.
This whole thing reminds me ofMisery, where Kathy Bates’ character grew so furious that the protagonist of her favorite books was killed off, she held the author hostage until it was rewritten. Obviously, a Facebook page is a little less scary than smashing a writer’s ankles with a mallet, but the passion is still comparable.
I suppose it’s a testament to how engagingMass Effecthas been, that it’s prompted such a heartfelt reaction from fans. Still, to demand a game be rewritten via a patch to suit your own opinion of what makes a better ending could definitely be seen as a little arrogant.
What do you reckon? Did the ending leave you with an empty feeling? Do you want something else? Should BioWare bow to the demands, or stand by its narrative decisions?
