Your Emotional Investments in ME3

Legion's sacrifice was definitely saddening, but I preferred that going complete Renegade and seeing him executed in slow motion.

Any sort of confusion I felt about the Krogan (which wasn't much), was totally dealt with in my talk with Eve. I loved the moments shared by her and Shepard. You learn more about the culture and really come to understand what the genophage did to them as a people.

Then again, I'm all about story depth. Can't be helped!

I'm horrible with twitter links and given how long it's been it'd be hard to dig up. Plus I only have my phone as I'm in the middle of a major movement.

No problem; thanks and best of luck! I know how time consuming it can be.

Unlike my sister I was never moved to tears though I did choke up at a few moments. Certainly Mordin's death was one of those moments, as was Legion's sacrifice, and Garrus's pep-talk after Shepard's loss on Thesia. Sure it's a sci-fi game but these are the war stories that Commander Shepard carries with each loss of a brother in arms.

But there were also plenty of moments that made me smile.

• Mordin and Joker talking about certain relations without Joker realizing Shepard was there.
• Shooting bottles with Garrus
• Getting Rannoch back for Tali
• Killing Kai Leng
• Meeting Jack again.
• and the list could go on for a while...

There were also moments that made me pause and think. The Geth in the end were right. Do i save Koris or his people? Do I let the Rachni live or die (which at first was really rough because it seemed like Grunt was lost!).
Some decisions where a no-brainer because of how I played my Shepard. Siding with and supporting the Krogan was only validated by Eve and Mordin's willingness to sacrifice himself for that cause. That just worked. Of course I punched Gerrel, he was being a d-bag.
All these moments were the culmination of my countless hours of playing ME1 & 2. Just a pity the ending is what actually hurt, simply because it was all for naught.

My emotional investment...what else can I say that I thought about the game a lot even when I was not playing it. I tend to do that about the games I play, especially games that has themes or characters I come to care for and what happens to them. Backtracking and sidetracking just a tiny bit to Dragon Age: Origins. I never actually cried as such through any of the games, Dragon Age or Mass Effect, but there sure were times when I was pretty damn close. One such moment was when I went ahead with the ultimate sacrifice ending in Dragon Age once and I admit I actually did cry, and hard. The funeral scene and Alistair`s speech after the final battle...I would normally say its stupid to cry over a video game, but I did. That`s my emotional investment.

Mass Effect 3 had at least one tear jerking moment, and this came as kind of an surprise, but when Miranda, the ex-Cerberus cheerleader and former ice-queen of the universe died in my PT, I came pretty close actually.
When Thane died, it was different and dignified and it felt like a fitting end for a warrior with a lot to atone for who finally found peace. Also the prayer meant for Shepard was a nice touch. One thing the game did really well for me was to impress upon me the burden that Shepard carried seeing so many comrades in arms pass away and you could see that the toll of the years spent fighting against all odds were beginning to show. S/he was a human after all. I really longed for some kind of peaceful end to the story for Shepard at the end, even if that meant making the ultimate sacrifice, it would be an end at last.

Hence why artistic integrity does not cut it.

@Abledanger, Eloquently and beautifully said. And you brought up an interesting point that I hadn't thought about. I too think about the game when I'm not playing it. Albeit, in the obsessive I-wanna-game-now way, but also in the sense-of-wonder way. Miranda also died on my first PT and my friend was like, "It's because you didn't warn her." I replied, "I would've gone to her! I didn't think she'd be in this mission!" Then to see Tali getting drunk afterwards... I really just wanted a scene where I could sit down beside her and drink and reminisce with her. And I too enjoyed the integration of seeing the psychological stress that was on Shepard. S/he has fought and pushed so hard through all obstacles, but even Shepard is still human.

This series was the bar I measured every other game to. It was the shining example of what games could be and I hoped that other developers followed Bioware' example. At least until about March 8th. The kick in the daddy-bags betrayal that is the ending changed that mighty quick. Now I feel that my only attachment to this game is an example of how a developer can fall from grace in about 5-10 minutes.

After reading that, I'm pretty sure I just took an arrow to the knee...

Quick! Get me medi-gel!

<sudden realization>

Omni-gel fixed everything.... Omni-gel = Duct tape... We need omni-gel to fix the ending!

Damn them for getting rid of it!

Exogeni corporation are proud to present: Omni-ending, for all your plot hole filling needs

(Sorry, I'll go over there now )

Two things, @Kim Sparks:

1. Thank GOD I re-read your sentence, because I missed the word "plot" the first time.... ahem.

2. Tell me where to find that damn corporation!

Here we go again!

@Awesomologist....

ROTFL!

That's right! I went there AND I go there! Deal with it! XD

Haha @Elise Alenko, you should have seen the 'innocent' conversation I tried to have with ShyGravel earlier... that didn't go well at all! hanar tenticles.....

We must get together on XBL or something so I can hear all about it!

OMG.... DLC: Hanar Paramour?

Haha, actually I was kind of the hanar... very strange story, I think I destroyed her mind!... I'm now starting to think I should maybe stop talking now

Awww.... I'm at the part where Liara's in my cabin talking about her project and how would I want history to remember me....

AWWW and the MUSIC!!!!

I might get teary-eyed...

Sorry for this ramble..

The emotional investment in the series is why we are all so bitterly disappointed with the ending I feel. I confess freely that I am a complete ME addict, despite finding the game late compared to most. I had watched my friend play through 1 & 2 (I was not particularly fond of shooting games and enjoyed watching) till I heard ME3 was coming out. I immediately bought 1 & 2 and powered through, completing most with a Bro-Shep Paragade.

I romanced Liara in ME1, I didn't dislike Ash, but I felt for some reason, as my Gunnery Chief and me her Commander I would somehow be breaking Alliance regs! LOL.

In 2 (The best of the three IMO) I went completionist all the way. I was wary of Cerberus and despite being quite snarky with most idiots (The Council, Krogan that got in my way, Anyone on Omega except Aria) I was totally loyal to my old teammates, and meeting Wrex, Garrus and Tali had me choking up (When that slow ME theme plays, I get chills.) Liara was quite cold to me, and being the RPer I am, I felt a bit let down by her attitude. (Not realising what she had actually done for Shepard 'cause I hadn't read the comic.) Then I met Ash, and she totally blew me off and I started to get quite sad (though in a good way.) When I got Tali and did her mission, I felt a strong bond form which turned into my new LI. LotSB was incredibly poignant after that, Liara's reaction churned my gut and I felt like such an arsehole!

A lot of angst was felt in ME3. Liara asking Shep if he still had feelings for her so early after Mars and I just stared at the screen. Stared at the dialogue wheel. I stared. A good twenty mins passed and I hadn't clicked a decision. I couldn't betray Tali, but my Shep still had feelings for Liara. I finally clicked 'just be friends' and it was such a powerful and weighty decision all through the game (I felt they handled this well).

The time capsule scene had me choking up again, but getting Tali her homeworld back made it all worthwhile. I had developed a love triangle in my own head, felt real emotion for fictional characters and how they might *feel* and truly loved the whole universe.

Course, Mordin, Thane and Legion *sniffles* fantastic ends to fantastic characters, they would all be remembered. Did anyone else stare at the memorial wall on the Normandy every time they lost a member? I remember all those crew serving aboard Normandy and that is why we need a new ending.

This, Bioware, is why we are Holding the Line.

I started under the exact same circumstances -- I came into the franchise late, but now I'm pretty darn obsessed. Glad to have you aboard and that was no rant at all! Enjoyed the read!

I started playing Mass Effect with the second game and only because I wanted Shepard to be with Garrus and didn't want to wait <3 Shakarian is my emotional investment! I never tear up about it, but I get that excited-I-think-I'm-going-to-faint-from-their-perfectness feeling

But I will admit that I cried at Miranda's death scene in ME3. I didn't like her at first, but I came to absolutely love her by the end of ME2 and hearing her say "nobody's perfect" just hit me. She did everything for her sister, and she always seemed to be kind of sad, although she kept persevering. I'll never let her die again, but I thought it was a great scene <3