Mass Effect 3 for Dummies

          After spending the afternoon, re-living some of the most touching and painful gamic moments of my life, the internet decided it didn't like the original ending to Mass Effect 3. Sci-fi worlds are incredibly difficult to bring to a close, this I can completely understand, especially in a world as complex and defined as that in the Mass Effect series. My take on the ending is that Bioware wanted to have an ambiguous and grandiose ending, but didn't want to leave the players hanging completely in terms of what happened to their beloved crew, which is why I appreciate its original ending. This instinct obviously didn't work out, as in any sci-fi universe, all or nothing is really the way to go. I personally enjoyed the ambiguity of the ending and thought the complaints about it were unprecedented and childish.

Bioware, I wish they hadn't hurt your feelings because you did a good job and the new ending is, quite frankly a little silly. My biggest problem with this entire debate is that video games are finally beginning to be taken seriously by the general public, and no longer being discredited as an art form. I think all of us gamers can agree that this is a good thing. However, when a piece of art is allowed to be comprised by the complaints of the general public, I believe it loses a great deal of its integrity and puts games back into the juvenile category of creation. What does a piece of art give us if it doesn't leave us with any questions?  In a sci-fi universe, that has endless possibilities, do we really want to be able to completely close the book without being able to fill in any of the blanks for ourselves?

After watching the original ending where the little boy is looking up at the stars talking to his Grandfather, my head filled with thoughts of how the universe would rebuild itself and how things would be different in the cycles to come. Watching a still image of a smiling Krogan, and a giant Reaper vessel picking up a shovel to help rebuild the world so easily, gives me nothing but a generic sense of complete closure of the series that left me feeling robbed of its depth.

Bioware stated that this is not something they plan to do in the future and I am glad to hear it. I know its all fun and games to complain about stuff on the internet, but brash anger and ignorant comments is not the way to help video games become a serious art form, which they truly deserve to be. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but there is always fan fiction if you want to answer all the questions yourself.

Video GameGirlfriend (aka Heather) is a freelance video game writer and gamer.
Read and comment on this and more of Heather's articles at videogamegirlfriend.tumblr.com.

Mass Effect In-Game Romance Need Some Pointers

Mass Effect has a great deal of pressure against its ending, but what I want to discuss are the romantic relationships. Whoever came up with these concepts obviously has a hard time understanding how ideal relationships are meant to begin. I certainly am no expert but I have an imagination that by far, exceeds the romance portrayals in this game.

The hit/miss in these "relationships" were a major turn-off because if you failed to answer the questions right in this case, it is over unless you auto saved beforehand. But for others who have no idea that a convo is the jump-start of relationship (like me) they will miss out of getting the relationships they really wanted (seriously, how am I supposed to know that Garrus would prefer a woman who wants a tiebreaker and not a woman who wants to wrestle a little? Does it not sound kinkier? Isn’t he not a hot blooded renegade with a compassion heart of gold?) So when you fail to earn someone's affection, it is done. You'll never get to go after them again. However, in real life you always have another chances, or at least one, second chance ( some people have many). I mean, after playing ME 2 then playing ME 3 seeing if I could kindle something with Garrus, I find out I cannot because I failed in ME2. Get the f**k out of here! I know what you might be thinking, " Just go for Kaidan." No thank you, I like my males with a mix of badass and gentlemen’s attitude not to mention being an alien whose rough gives him points.

There should also be an option to go on dates or hit the bars to raise the intimacy bar or something. Simply talking seems so cliche. Romance shouldn't be a major thing in ME, but for those who might take it seriously, buying gifts and offering them items is another way to express affection.  I mean granted they are stuck in a ship together and fight relentlessly together, but I don't think simple talking is an expression of interest. Especially if you don't know the targeted partner's preferences. Some other ideas to increase affection should be if you have a character in the party often, if you speak to them often, if you ask their opinion, or if in conversations you can do trigger options where in the middle of a sentences you can wink or brush some dust off the partner's shoulder. SOMETHING else besides a conversation that will roll the carpet to the captain's quarters for some nice bubbly champagne behind locked doors. Also, what gives with all the other relationships having a sex scene but Garrus is "let's build a family." Um, no. Take that suit off and show me what a real turian looks like!

Anyway, so trying to go through all the necessary completions to see if I can get another shot at romancing the turian again is turning bleak. Wasn’t there a saying, “If you don’t succeed, try again?” Doesn’t seem to apply here. Having already beaten ME2, there is no way I’d go back and play it again just to have a shot.  Bioware, if you’re going to change the ending, can you change the relationship settings so I can have a second GOOD shot at Garrus? Please? And change the romance with him. It's freaking gay. Otherwise, “I’m Commander Shepard and I think this game sucks balls.”

With love,

Narz

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