looks like she learned some taikwando but still phailed to dodge Shepard's punch

Shepard dies, reapers dies, earth destroyed, all squadmates die during the reaper strike at earth.

wtf

Reapers destroyed
Shepard survives
Earth saved

what more can we expect in war?

1. Who created the reapers?

2. Why reapers want to destroy all organic life every 50000 years? It's a cycle that has been going on for million of years. Most likely an AI created by some organic civilizations in the ancient days. The creators of the reapers were probably extinct.

3. Who is the master mind behind the reapers? The creators were probably extinct and this is the mystery surrounding mass effect universe that we might not get the answer

4. Who created the mass relays? Most likely the creators of the Reapers

5. Why the crucible must destroy all the mass relays when energy is released? Because the solution to chaos of the Catalyst won't work anymore , and the galactic civilizations are based on Reapers or their creator's technology which invariably will create the same synthetic-organic wars in future. The destruction of the Mass Relays is part of the plan of the creators to rid the Galaxy of the Reapers and their legacy in the time when they are no longer needed or the 'solution' does not work in future.

6. What happened to the earth after the energy is released and Shepard is alive? Most likely Shepard survives, but he losts his friends as a result of isolation caused by destruction of the Mass Relays

7. Is Shepard indoctrinated in the ending? If yes, when it started? When walking to the beam? After TIM shot himself? Or When deciding the choices on the crucible? Conspiracy theory but I don't think the writers intended for the story to be that way... I somehow predicted correctly of the destruction of Mass relays when I started picking this game few years ago. you cannot have everything, you must choose whether you want to live with the Reapers + Mass Relays , or you choose your own destiny by building this technology on your own. You have to earn the right, not simply copying technology. I think this was what the writters intended.

Also, if the Reapers didn't destroy the previous civilizations in the past, humans will not be able to prosper and they will all under the control of the Sparta Protheans as slaves. If you play the DLC , you will find out that the Protheans were not exactly a very peaceful race.




8. If the indoctrination theory is correct, then the reapers are not ended.

The ending also doesn't reward gamers as well.
1. All the endings are the same despite of the choices you made in Mass Effect 1, 2 and 3.
2. No reason to go for another play through as there is no different in the ending.




The answers to the creators of the reapers may be addressed in future series of Mass Effect, and the fate of Shepard's friend will be written in future but the Shepard's story is definitely done.


But I do agree with you that the bleak endings don't give a lot of incentives for me to play another round. I was quite devasated by the ending too, but hey it was a damn good story there...

It is still possible to rebuild the Mass Relays due to Legion's effort to integrate Reaper's logics into the Geth AI. The Geth-Quarian Empire will probably be the ones capable of rebuilding the Mass Relays.

The galactice community is still able to be linked with slower FTL drives and Earth definitely still has the FTL drive technology.

The protheans forced other races to submit to them or be destroyed. This is the reason why the protheans remain the only space-faring race in the last cycle - by force. If the reapers didn't destroy the protheans then, humans will be slaves to the protheans in the current cycle.


However, this is admitted by Jarek to be Protheans' weakness because there was no diversity in their cycle. Once the Reapers attacked them, they don't have any new ideas to counter them.

The current cycle in Mass Effect is very diverse, with AIs like Geth and a democratic system spearheaded by the Asari Empire. It created lots of war between them, but they have diversity in opinions and technique. This is the strength that Protheans lack.



I think the Catalyst perceived humans as the first being who proved them wrong, that their solution to the violent synthetic-biotic does not work anymore. It's due to synthetic-biotics cooperation that Shepard (shepard was also a synthetic-biotic cybernatics) was able to get into the Crucible to talk to the Catalyst, something unimaginable for the Creators of Reapers (who might be so ravaged by AI destroying bio organism). The Catalyst see that AI and Biotic organism can actually co-exist and defeat the Reapers. So the Catalyst was 'wrong' and realized it. Therefore, it gives a choice to Shepard to destroy the Reapers for good, along with their technology.

In some ways, the galaxy now will chart their own ways independent of Reapers' influence. With that, the technology the reapers give them will also have to come to an end.

It's really a very epic ending if you think about it.

I think it's unlikely the writers would introduce conspiracy theories or indoctrination. I mean, if Shepard was indoctrinated - the story is not finished. It would make a joke out of Mass Effect trilogy series. The producers were very clear to say that Mass Effect 3 will wrap up Shepard's story. I think they DID wrap up the story , not to everyone's liking.


The indoctrination theory is just a coping mechanism by some fans which refuse to accept the devastating ending... Let's say that Bioware is really suggesting indoctrination of shepard, they must have thought about a DLC. But if they do that, it will make other fans angry again because Bioware would be seen to deliberately leaving out the ending of the Mass Effect 3 for a future DLC.

There was a already a big fuss about Bioware craving out the Prothean story as a DLC. It won't make Bioware look good to do another DLC for Mass Effect 3 ending proper.

But as gaming industry is very much driven by money and commercial demand, Bioware "may" just concede with fans request for a 'happy ending'. Honestly, I am a sucker for good endings, and yes I would purchase the DLC for a happy ending....

Yea, the part about Shepard found below the rubbles didn't really make sense too. The citadel was destroyed and there was no way shepard can survive re-entry into the atmosphere without being pulverised.

Maybe Bioware is just testing the water whether there will be commercial demand for a DLC, another way to milk more money from fans...

I am quite satisfied with the ending, but somehow I feel there should have some closure to the fate of Shepard's friends. Like a proper epilogue. But this also shows Bioware's strength in their games. The character development has lots of depth in them. In some other games people can just die with you feeling nothing, but in Mass Effect it's different. The characters are very well written, and fans demand to know the fate (good or bad nevermind but at least a closure).

I think "the" ending for mass effect 3 was good, but the WAY it ends suck.

If they intend for Shepard to indoctrinated, the entire ending is a joke. Bioware is not known to do something like that. They already said they won't do a shepard story for Mass effect (4). So they are wrapping up the story, and the ending is the story they intended.

Means shepard completed his mission from Mass effect 1, the galaxy is safe, the reapers are wiped out. This is the main plot.

His death/surviving and the fate of his teamates are all open to speculation. They intend it to be this way.

Do you remember the introduction in Mass effect 1 when someone asked " Is he the type of person we want to save the galaxy?" and it's followed by "he is the one WHO can save the galaxy".

Indoctrination is a possible answer to the ending. But I feel the writers don't have this in mind when they were writing for the ending. Casey Hudson appeared to support the stand that the ending of the story is what it appears to be.... which means Mass Relay destroyed, shepard lives/dies, galaxy saved, earth saved.

Mission accomplished.

Indoctrination is just a way agrieved fans tried to rationalize the ending and hoping Bioware would make a DLC to change the ending....

If we are to go along Indoctrination theory, there will be more questions. Such as what happens to earth/galaxy/reaper at the end?? That's as good as NO ending at all.