While the Extended Cut DLC has answered many (not all) of the questions gamers have been asking since concluding Mass Effect 3, there is one particular nagging issue that BioWare wants to put to rest. Rumors had been circulating for quite some time in regards to the games ‘Destroy’ ending, and now BioWare wants to set the record straight. But, in order to talk about it fully, a spoiler warning must be issued. So consider yourself warned.
In the ‘Destroy’ ending, which sees Commander Shepard choosing to eliminate the Reaper threat completely and not give in to the Stargazer’s wishes, there is a small scene tacked on to the ending that shows Commander Shepard’s seemingly lifeless body taking a breath. Now with the addition of the Extended Cut DLC for Mass Effect 3, that ending also features Commander Shepard’s love interest, whoever that may be, refusing to place his name amongst the list of those Normandy crew members who were lost across all three games.
Many curious gamers took these two scenes to mean that Shepard had in fact not died, but was alive amidst the Crucible wreckage. Some even took this additional scene as validation for the Indoctrination Theory, which states those final couple of scenes all took place within Shepard’s mind, and only the ‘Destroy’ option would allow him to live on.
But now, thanks to some comments from BioWare’s Tully Ackland on the game’s official forums, we know what really occurred: Shepard is alive.
- You may notice that in the “Shepard lives” ending, the love interest hesitates to place Shepard’s name on the wall, and instead looks up as though deep in thought. This is meant to suggest that the love interest is not ready to believe Shepard is dead, and the final scene reveals they are correct. As the Normandy lifts off, there is hope that the love interest and Shepard will again be together.
Ackland also answers a couple other questions in regards to the game’s new endings, but we had already summed those up pretty nicely in our ‘Pros and Cons’ post regarding the new endings.
Gamers can finally end speculation that Shepard’s movement was his last breath, and can rest easy knowing the star-travelling war hero is alive. Unfortunately, the crew of the Normandy is stranded on a lush, forest-covered planet, and have no way of reaching him.
Additionally, if BioWare chose to use this as the canonical ending for Mass Effect 3, that would be the perfect jumping off point for more single player DLC. So far, aside from the Extended Cut, players have only seen the release of new content for the game’s multiplayer mode, but we expect more single player content is in the pipeline.
Though the debates over the Mass Effect 3 endings will continue for quite some time, at least we have yet another clarification regarding one of the questions left unanswered. Unfortunately, if it leads to more DLC and undermines the other endings to the game, that could upset even more fans.
Does it bring you any solace to know that Shepard did survive in the ‘Destroy’ ending? Will any DLC featuring Shepard undermine the ending players chose?
Source: BioWare Forums
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I think there should be DLC for finding Shepard and ending with him being honored or something. Cant just leave it like that. Yes the other endings he “dies” in them but those are choices to make. Should it upset the fans? No way! Its what makes the game. Choices. I think there should be a ME4 and Shepard should be in it. If he survived the ending of Mass Effect 3. I don’t think this series should of ending with just 3 games. There are tons of things that can make the story continue from the Krogan uprising and a war with them or Shepard training people in the N7 program only to be recruited again for some unknown threat to the Galaxy. As much as I love this series. I really think it should have more games added to it.
Ok …. First of all why does shepard need to die ????? I just don’t get it. You can make an awesome game without killing off the protagonist. Allright …. make achieving that ending super difficult, like you have to complete ALL missions (side quests) in ALL the series (1,2,3) and renegade points must be less than 5% … and so on…I bet my life, everyone will replay the series again & again & again to get that awesome ending. But this ……. was it worth it ????? Anyway, I really hope bioware makes a new DLC where, it shows someone (geth ?) shifting through the rubble, finding shepard and after some years (say 2-3), he comes back to meet his LI and go on to marry him/her. Now that would be AWESOMEEEEEE !!! AND it would satisfy most if not all. For me a happy ending is the best ending.