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What save game should I load to play the Extended Cut?

[SPOILERS] To experience the Extended Cut, load a save game from before the attack on the Cerberus Base and play through to the end of the game. The Extended Cut endings will differ depending on choices made throughout the Mass Effect series, so multiple playthroughs with a variety of different decisions will be required to experience the variety of possibilities offered by the new content.

So I have to play through the whole of the ending again just to watch some much longer coloured explosions... multiple times?

Yeah, think I will just wait for it to come up on youtube... it was annoying enough doing it the first three times.

Morathi's Darkest Sin wrote:Hmm, do I rush through to see the ending as it stands, or do I say feth it and do it after the changes, then look back at the story bits as they where before via youtube?

That's a tough decision! Hard to say without knowing what they've changed (1+Gig sounds like a lot, tho). Generally, I think it's always better to see for yourself what all the ruckus is about. You could do that on youtube, but many of the videos there are cut somehow, and of course they will not feature certain repercussions of the choices you made, not your select companions/LI, and not your Shep. I suppose it comes down to how much that bothers you. For a simple analysis, I suppose youtube might do, if you manage to find an uncut video, but I guess you will have little immersion.

On the other hand, "rushing through" also doesn't sound very immersive, so maybe it would be best to just take your time and enjoy the story as it unfolds?

Keep in mind you are not forced to download the DLC as soon as it comes out. You can still play as normal and simply get the Extended Cut once you're done?

As for multiplayer, iirc winning a single match gives +5% readiness, so it would not take too long to get the rating back up? Maybe we'll even play a match together or two.

The whole point of this thing is that you'll finally get "your" ending. I'm definately going to play the end again. It'll only take like an hour or something like that.

Yea ill probably play it before I start Dawnguard, I have a save right before Earth with all my possible assets.

Aye, think I'll play through twice. At least by waiting a little while (well, getting distracted by 40K and infinity) I now know when I need to leave a save point from to see all the new content.

Well it creates a save before the "point of no return" and drops you back off at that point when you complete the game (admittedly with that annoying message telling you to play DLC) so even if you do go too far all is not lost.

Anyone know what time it comes out? Like could I download it at 12:01 AM tomorrow? lol

New endings dont "add" much. The whole thing seems like Bioware was going "This is OBVIOUSLY what happened, how did you not understand? If you didn't you were stupid." Still leaves one glaring plot hole IMO.

vodo40k wrote:The whole thing seems like Bioware was going "This is OBVIOUSLY what happened, how did you not understand? If you didn't you were stupid."

It's honestly how I felt about the majority of the rage. Not all of if, mind you, but most of it. There were even people who thought the Catalyst was a ghost ffs.

What's the plot hole about? Don't mention specifics, please, just throw a category.

Harbinger and the massively convenient time delay.

Ending is still terrible.

Get ready for 5-7 minutes of new cutscenes that mean jack gak.

I like the new endings, and I'm fine with Shepard's death. I can't tell, but are the relays still broken, because that's the part I didn't like. No one goes home and earth is overpopulated.

Mr Nobody wrote:I like the new endings, and I'm fine with Shepard's death. I can't tell, but are the relays still broken, because that's the part I didn't like. No one goes home and earth is overpopulated.

Not in destroyed, (the one I saw) Shep lvies, relays survive, only the people on Earth are actually on Earth when relays get fethed up.


The DLC did say one thing that I love, The Catalyst IS fething LYING ITS ASS OFF TO YOU. It is TRYING to get you to go Control or Green, and doesnt want you to go destroy.



I actually really enjoyed the new ending. Not perfect but I thought it was good

Well, I just finished all four new endings. First, we know now that the Relays didn't go supernova and would ultimately be repaired along with the Crucible (although how they do this in Destroy is beyond me). Also, we know the Normandy didn't get disabled, and managed to take off again. Now, onto the endings.

1) Destroy - still doesn't feel right. I just committed genocide on a scale equal to the Reapers, since destroying them pretty much wiped out the last remnants of civilizations from over the past 37 million years at least.
2) Control - feeling worse. Humans (through Shepard) now command the Reapers, but I'm getting a dangerous vibe that Shepard's new existence is starting to get to his head. Leto II much?
3) Synthesis - one word: MAGNIFICENT. I preferred the Reapers going on a great journey across the universe in the original ending, but this is even better. As atonement for their actions, they help rebuild the ruined galaxy, starting with the disabled relays and the Citadel. Even better is what EDI said about transcending organic and synthetic.
4) Reject - who in Throne's name would choose this? I can almost hear Farseer Macha screaming into my head: 'What have you done? What have you done, Human? Fool - you have damned us all!" Every sacrifice Shepard has made had been for nothing. I almost threw up after I tried this. Only someone so childish that they can't realize victory will always have a price would choose this. The only good side to it is that its basically a big middle finger to people who believe the Catalyst was lying. I can hear the disappointment when it said: "The Cycle will continue."

Just finished the extended ending. Not a huge fan.

Too drawn out and all the stuff added in is stuff which I already assumed happened anyway.

Some of the added cinematics are nice but changes such as not being in control of Shepard when she is hit by Harbingers beam detract from the experience.

The biggest disappointment for me is that the extended cut didn't close any of the major plot holes....it actually made some of them worse.

1 - You get to say goodbye to your love interest, but the Normandy drops in to pick them up. The NORMANDY. Right in front of HARBINGER. While he's FIRIN HIS LAZERS!! How did he not take the shot to kill the Normandy when he can clearly see Shepard loading people onto it?

2 - Anderson. This one didn't change. There is one ramp to the control room, one access to that ramp, and no doors anywhere that I can see. Where did Anderson come out, and how did he get to the control room before Shepard?

3 - The StarChild explained where the Reapers came from, and who he was and what made him. He is an AI created by an ancient forgotten race to solve the problem of Synthetics destroying their creators. And what did he do? HE DESTROYED HIS CREATORS! He outright said that they became the first Reaper, and they did not approve. He destroyed them against their will. The "solution" to the problem of Synthetics killing Organics is to kill Organics and turn them into Synthetics that harvest advanced Orcanics? What the hell kind of logic is that? It's what we've been asking all along, and BioWare simply confirmed that yes, that's correct. They did that. Bah!

@ A Town Called Malus - Love the avatar

I think this just confirms the ending was BAD, plain and simple. Bioware had a golden opportunity which they did not exploit (although there is still nothing stopping you from believing in the IT). The EC overall came off as patronising and merely replacing existing plot holes with new ones, again doing nothing to rectify the horrendous break in narrative. The "Reject" ending is like Bioware saying "You dont like our endings? Fine everybody in the galaxy dies because you cant appreciate our "Art". The whole thing simply reeks of terrible writing. The only credit I will give to Bioware is that they "attempted" to explain what they meant, unlike what happened in "Lost".

Most people dont want "thought provoking art" they want a simple, cliche/disney boss battle and a conclusive wrap up of events.

Do the endings show the results of any of your previous descisions in the game? Because if not, then it's only marginally better than the original ending. (I have yet to download it, but that was my main beef with it in the first place. The lack of closure, and the fact that none of your descisions mattered. I actually sort of liked the whole "reaper AI kid" idea.)

GalacticDefender wrote:Do the endings show the results of any of your previous descisions in the game? Because if not, then it's only marginally better than the original ending. (I have yet to download it, but that was my main beef with it in the first place. The lack of closure, and the fact that none of your descisions mattered. I actually sort of liked the whole "reaper AI kid" idea.)

No.

Im sorry, i dont understand what anyone means when they say your decisions from the previous games didnt matter. When has that ever occured? What were you guys expecting?

DURING the game they refrence your decisions all the time and some of them really DO matter. The end of the game doesnt refrence them them but I never expected they would have.

The new endings provide plenty of closure



I also dont understand why anyone is upset at the reject ending. I thought the idea of it was fething hillarious and a good call on Bioware. "What, you say your Shepard wouldnt pick any of these options... um okay, how do you plan to win this war? You are refusing to use the Crucible soooo ya your cycle is going to die like all the others. What did you think was going to happen?"


New endings filled up several plot holes (not all but a few big ones), added closure, made endings unqiue, and added a fairly funny ending that makes sense. Ya I was pretty pleased with them

vodo40k wrote:The only credit I will give to Bioware is that they "attempted" to explain what they meant, unlike what happened in "Lost".

I actually liked the Lost ending. It wasn't perfect, but the problems were not as monolithic as they are in ME3. If you payed attention, it made sense for the most part. The ME3 ending is just a failing of the writers. They had a concept but failed to do anything meaningful with it, and wrote themselves into too many corners in the first two games.

Galdos wrote:Im sorry, i dont understand what anyone means when they say your decisions from the previous games didnt matter. When has that ever occured? What were you guys expecting?

DURING the game they refrence your decisions all the time and some of them really DO matter. The end of the game doesnt refrence them them but I never expected they would have.

The new endings provide plenty of closure



I also dont understand why anyone is upset at the reject ending. I thought the idea of it was fething hillarious and a good call on Bioware. "What, you say your Shepard wouldnt pick any of these options... um okay, how do you plan to win this war? You are refusing to use the Crucible soooo ya your cycle is going to die like all the others. What did you think was going to happen?"


New endings filled up several plot holes (not all but a few big ones), added closure, made endings unqiue, and added a fairly funny ending that makes sense. Ya I was pretty pleased with them

What plot holes did they fix?

Again, just small things.

1) Why were my teamates who were charging the beam suddenly on the Normandy
2) Why was the Normandy running from the battle
3) What happens to the millions+ aliens that are currently trapped at Earth without the supplies to sustain them.
4) Do Joker and female character that is with him (if any) perform Adam and Eve on this planet?

Those are all considered plot holes right? I think that cover them

GalacticDefender wrote:Do the endings show the results of any of your previous descisions in the game? Because if not, then it's only marginally better than the original ending. (I have yet to download it, but that was my main beef with it in the first place. The lack of closure, and the fact that none of your descisions mattered. I actually sort of liked the whole "reaper AI kid" idea.)

Well I got pictures of the Krogan rebuilding Tuchanka along with Wrex and Eve with their child, so that's one result of my choices. I doubt the pictures would have been the same if Wreav was in control, or if you didn't cure the Genophage.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Aldarionn wrote:

@ A Town Called Malus - Love the avatar

Thank you, you obviously have good taste in avatars

A Town Called Malus wrote:

Aldarionn wrote:

@ A Town Called Malus - Love the avatar

Thank you, you obviously have good taste in avatars

And cartoons!

Galdos wrote:Again, just small things.

1) Why were my teamates who were charging the beam suddenly on the Normandy
2) Why was the Normandy running from the battle
3) What happens to the millions+ aliens that are currently trapped at Earth without the supplies to sustain them.
4) Do Joker and female character that is with him (if any) perform Adam and Eve on this planet?

Those are all considered plot holes right? I think that cover them

And why was there a convenient pause in the middle of the battle, allowing Shepard to signal the normandy? Harbinger obviously decided to wait patiently while his mortal enemies ship flew directly in front of his face to allow it time to extract the crew and fly off again. And somehow a beam that has no problem eviscerating a shielded starship, neatly burns off shepards armour and only gives him one abdominal wound and no burns. Harbinger also decides to still fly off, he's not being very responsible if he leaves a lot of wounded soldiers on the ground who would potentially be able to reach the beam. Oh and the biggest one of all IMO, couldnt the reapers, I dont know TURN OFF THE BEAM or at least destroy it themselves and then rebuild it after the battle. If its really the ONLY WAY to the citadel you think they would cover their main weakness.

vodo40k wrote:

Galdos wrote:Again, just small things.

1) Why were my teamates who were charging the beam suddenly on the Normandy
2) Why was the Normandy running from the battle
3) What happens to the millions+ aliens that are currently trapped at Earth without the supplies to sustain them.
4) Do Joker and female character that is with him (if any) perform Adam and Eve on this planet?

Those are all considered plot holes right? I think that cover them

And why was there a convenient pause in the middle of the battle, allowing Shepard to signal the normandy? Harbinger obviously decided to wait patiently while his mortal enemies ship flew directly in front of his face to allow it time to extract the crew and fly off again. And somehow a beam that has no problem eviscerating a shielded starship, neatly burns off shepards armour and only gives him one abdominal wound and no burns. Harbinger also decides to still fly off, he's not being very responsible if he leaves a lot of wounded soldiers on the ground who would potentially be able to reach the beam. Oh and the biggest one of all IMO, couldnt the reapers, I dont know TURN OFF THE BEAM or at least destroy it themselves and then rebuild it after the battle. If its really the ONLY WAY to the citadel you think they would cover their main weakness.

Two words: plot armor.

Tadashi wrote:

vodo40k wrote:

Galdos wrote:Again, just small things.

1) Why were my teamates who were charging the beam suddenly on the Normandy
2) Why was the Normandy running from the battle
3) What happens to the millions+ aliens that are currently trapped at Earth without the supplies to sustain them.
4) Do Joker and female character that is with him (if any) perform Adam and Eve on this planet?

Those are all considered plot holes right? I think that cover them

And why was there a convenient pause in the middle of the battle, allowing Shepard to signal the normandy? Harbinger obviously decided to wait patiently while his mortal enemies ship flew directly in front of his face to allow it time to extract the crew and fly off again. And somehow a beam that has no problem eviscerating a shielded starship, neatly burns off shepards armour and only gives him one abdominal wound and no burns. Harbinger also decides to still fly off, he's not being very responsible if he leaves a lot of wounded soldiers on the ground who would potentially be able to reach the beam. Oh and the biggest one of all IMO, couldnt the reapers, I dont know TURN OFF THE BEAM or at least destroy it themselves and then rebuild it after the battle. If its really the ONLY WAY to the citadel you think they would cover their main weakness.

Two words: plot armor.

Two words: bad writing.

I didnt say it was perfect.

They simply answer how 1 happened, not how it makes sense.

Just finished the new ending. It was pretty awesome. Despite what they said they did change the ending not just "extend" it. It's not as apocalyptically grimdark as before with pretty much the whole galaxy being destroyed but that's fine with me. It's a nice galaxy afterall. They seem to have spent a lot of time explaining why the Normandy bugged out but it just ended up being exactly what I assumed so that was a bit unnecesary. The conversation with the catalyst is much more explanatory now but I kinda miss the ambigous, cerebral version. However my main problem with the ending, that is abrupt and doesn't show what happens to the galaxy and your friends, is fixed. It's a lot more epic now (at least it was for Synthesis, which I choose...again).