Mass Effect 3’s ending is often rebuked for being a lackluster conclusion to an otherwise epic trilogy, but there are plenty of elements that make it great upon reflection, especially when looking at the series’ future. When Mass Effect 4 launches, the trilogy’s ending can be both accepted as a conclusion for fans satisfied with the experience, and re-interpreted as a stepping-off point for a set of new stories or even a continuation that explores the plot threads Mass Effect 3 left open.
There is no doubt that Mass Effect 3’s ending (even the best one) is flawed. It was disappointing to experience a massive set of stories where the player’s choices were hailed as king, only to be funneled to a point where those decisions feel like they have little to no impact on the conclusion. It felt wrong for the Reapers to declare that synthetics and organics can never live in peace when Paragon players united the Quarian and Geth after centuries of conflict. However, dissonance like this makes Mass Effect 3’s ending a perfect mid-point for what could be the start of a new trilogy with Mass Effect 4.
What Makes Mass Effect 3’s Ending Good
The buildup to Mass Effect 3’s conclusion is perfect. Commander Shepard’s Herculean effort to unite a galaxy mired by past grievances against an extinction-level threat feels cathartic. The fact that it was successful is all the more satisfying. Mass Effect 3’s story and ending demonstrate how overwhelming odds can be conquered when a community faces them together. However broad they may be, the choices the player must make in handling the Reapers are on par with some of the most complex decisions Mass Effect presents, giving the conclusion a sense of depth and severity most other games lack. By all appearances, Mass Effect 4 will be about the aftermath of that choice, which is a promising jumping-off point for further exploration of the themes Mass Effect 3’s ending calls into question.
Mass Effect 3’s Destroy Ending Perfectly Sets Up Mass Effect 4
The dead Reapers and destroyed mass relays featured in Mass Effect 4’s teaser trailer (seen below) may indicate that BioWare has decided to make Mass Effect 3’s Destroy ending the canon conclusion to the Mass Effect trilogy. While such a move could possibly alienate players who opted for the Control or Synthesis endings, Destroy ultimately makes the most sense as it opens the floor to prove that the Reapers were wrong. After describing the effects of the Destroy ending, the Catalyst tells Shepard that the resulting peace will not last as more synthetics will inevitably be created and then rebel. Shepard responds by saying there has to be another way, and indeed one is presented earlier in the game.
The newly established peace between the Quarian and the Geth, not to mention EDI’s devotion to the Normandy and defiance against the Reapers, is evidence that peace between synthetics and organics is achievable. The Geth have somehow survived Mass Effect 3’s ending, so it is possible that Mass Effect 4 will address this new path forward that the Reapers failed to comprehend. ittedly, subtle re-contextualizations of Mass Effect 3’s final conversation is a bit like cherry-picking. However, it may be one of the ways the plot moves away from the otherwise variable ending and explains why a continuation of the story in Mass Effect 4 is necessary.
Source: Mass Effect/YouTube