But Mass Effect 3's original ending did not accomplish that in a satisfying way, and instead the player is presented with three arbitrary choices that completely undermined their experience throughout trilogy.
Players wanted to see how their decision making throughout the Mass Effect trilogy would impact the various storylines and how their personal experience varied from other players'.
Related: Mass Effect Trailer May Confirm Which ME3 Ending Is CanonĪfter two full games of investing in the series' narrative and deep cast of characters, players were excited to finally see the Reapers make their move in Mass Effect 3. While player choice drove the narrative, Mass Effect 3's original ending failed to make it feel like those decisions ultimately mattered. The overarching threat of the Reapers was a constant focal point, but the player was able to decide what kind of leader Commander Shepard would be and had a significant impact on events which had both major and minor impacts over the course of the series. The Mass Effect trilogy reached the status and popularity it did because of how much influence the player was given through the games. When Mass Effect 3 released back in 2012, its ending was extremely controversial and so poorly received by fans it resulted in a wave of backlash rarely seen at that point in time. It was always going to be an extremely difficult challenge for BioWare to create a satisfying ending, given the player's level of influence, and the original ending of Mass Effect 3 was a complete failure.