User blog comment:Caramellson/Try Honesty?/@comment-4237253-20120913021619/@comment-1786741-20120913103456

Relatively, speaking, the Catalyst is revealed for the first time far into the game and only a few missions away from Priority: Earth. If in account the series as a whole, this can easily be seen as sudden addition. Not only that, the Catalyst isn't really introduced perse until you meet him at the Crucible. Sure, you know that it EXISTS and you might need it to use the Crucible that you have no idea will even work but you know little to nothing about it. When you find out it's actually the creator of the Reapers, it's mind-blowing revelation that has little resemblance to the previous brief mentionings.

I also want to talk about this comment: "being told how to resolve the plot and then doing exactly what you were told how to resolve the plot is not a deus ex machina."

When were you told HOW to resolve the plot? Sure, you know the Crucible does SOMETHING, but you never know WHAT it does or IF it will even work. In the end, it's the Catalyst's "solutions" introduced at the very end and made available by the Crucible that truly solves the conflict.

Let's review: Was the Catalyst introduced suddenly and unexpectedly? Relatively yes. Was the problem solved abruptly through his intervention? The magic space beam saw to that. Wow, that sounds just like a...... LITERAL DEUS EX MACHINA. ?