Should Bioware have changed Mass Effect’s Ending?

DISCLAIMER: SPOILERS FOR MASS EFFECT 3 BELOW

With the announcement that the ‘extended’ cut of Mass Effect 3 would be hitting digital stores tomorrow in the US (July 4th for EU Playstation) the controversy surrounding the ending has been rekindled. After the release of the final game in the trilogy, hardcore fans played through the story, keen to see the payoff for their years of involvement in this series. For the most part, they were disappointed. The Mass Effect series has been heralded as some of the most revolutionary titles of this generation of gaming, due to the fact your character, and the decisions you make can be imported and continued across all three games.

Of course, this is a monumental task particularly in terms of story writing, keeping track of all the possible outcomes and how they interlink and it was this ambition, the characters and the story that made Mass Effect so popular. So when these invested fans reached the finale and the entire series was brought down to a simple 3 way choice, even coloured as good, bad and neutral, they felt a slap in the face. All of their decisions, all of the species they had inspired to fight for their cause meant nothing.

So there’s the outrage, the ending sucks but here comes the controversial part. As is so typical of the internet, the nerd rage floodgates opened on Bioware and criticism poured down on them. Petitions were started to change the ending. If they complied, Bioware set a very dangerous precedent, completely undermining the value of artistic integrity. If Harry Potter’s ending had been so bad it drove fans to complain (I’m sure some people did) would you expect J K Rowling to withdraw all copies of the book, write a new ending and republish it? Of course not, it’s absurd. You may not like it but that is Bioware’s artistic vision, they shouldn’t have to change it.

However, more level headed people capable of actual contructive criticism raised the complaint of an undelivered promise. Through the development of the entire trilogy, Bioware claimed your decisions would have an impact. Whether people lived or died, whether civilizations flourished or floundered, it would make a difference in your game. It was here than fan’s had a problem. Say Wrex died in the first game, on Tuchanka he’s just replaced by another Krogan. Mordin died? Just put in a stock Salarian and brush past it. Nothing you’d done really mattered. You spend the whole third game rallying the various council species to fight in this final war against the reapers, with no real consequence. It all came down to the same 3 choices at the end that controlled everything. Admittedly I don’t believe it ever said on the box that all your decisions would affect the ending, so it can’t be taken lawfully as an undelivered promise so Bioware have no reason the HAVE to fix it.

Bioware have gone out of their way to show fan support, things such as free DLC for multiplayer, the operation weekends they run biweekly and they have listened to all the feedback and created the ‘extended epilogue’. On the Bioware FAQ they state “It does not fundamentally change the endings, but rather it expands on the meaning of the original endings, and reveals greater detail on the impact of player decisions.” This is the best possible middle ground they could have reached. By retaining the original endings they maintain their integrity whiles delivering on what fans were crying out for.

Ultimately, this shows Bioware’s commitment to making great gaming experiences, and catering to what their audience wants. From my own point of view, I find all of this criticism of the ending way over blown. Sure it wasn’t handled well, but the journey from Eden Prime at the beginning of Mass Effect 1 to retaking Earth at the end of 3 was a fantastic ride that I enjoyed thoroughly. Making a stupid choice at the very end didn’t detract from the fun I had getting to know my squad and kicking ass with them.