Forum:My Thoughts on Ending Choices

Keep in mind this is just my opinion and that I ended with 100% Gallactic Readiness, so I was presented with the "optimal" versions of the choices.

General Thoughts: Having played through ME1 maybe 6 times, ME2 enough to get a "perfect" ending where none of the crew dies and now a 100% play through on ME3 I felt somewhat short-changed by the endings presented. They were too similar and ambiguous for my tastes, further exposition on the effects of you choice would have made it more fulfilling. All it would have taken would have been an addition 5 minute cutscene added for each choice just to give you a better feel for the impact your choice had. I have no problem with Shepard biting the big one to complete the mission (in my case it was hinted that he lived). I actually enjoyed the ominous foreshadowing of the dream sequences, especially the final one.

After going through all 3 endings I thought a lot about which one was the "best".

1. Destroy - After much thought this would be my preferred ending as it would have been (at least the way I played through all 3 games) the most "Shepardly" choice to make. I just couldn't swallow what the Catalyst presents you with. If you don't take the destroy choice it seems like you are disregarding all those that sacrificed so much in the fight against the Reapers. Plus it would go against the quality of self-determination which is an innate part of humanity, just because the Catalyst says synthetics will destroy organics doesn't make it absolute. The Catalyst was wrong about other things like your ability to get as far as you did against the Reapers and how peace was established between the quarians and geth. Even though it was short lived as the destroy option sacrifices the geth and other synthetics. Also the Catalyst is forcing it's "solution" upon the galaxy as a whole. Beings that I ended the genophage because one species has no right to force it's "solution" on another I just couldn't stomach having the Catalyst determine the fate of advanced civilizations. It went against what my Shepard fought for.

2. Control - IMO the worst possible choice. While you can control the Reapers initially it isn't guaranteed that that control is maintained. Given my distrust of the Catalyst this options just smacks of the Catalyst's bid for self-preservation. If you notice the Citadel is not destroyed in this option, it just closes back up. This leads to the possibility that while the Reaper threat is ended for the time being there is the distinct possiblity that they can and will return to finish the job. I think the Catalyst under-estimated or doesn't comprehend what drives Shepard/organics to be able to withstand it's solution with such determination. And in order to understand it offers "control" as a solution to absorb the information in order to make its efforts in future cycles more successful.

3. Synthesis - Initially this was my preferred ending as it seemingly had the least negative impact on the galaxy and actually would have postive effects. However after thinking about this I changed my mind. You are making a choice that fundamentally changes all life in the galaxy. In much the same way as the Catalyst chose to use the Reapers to force it's solution to a problem on all others. I just can't trust what the Catalyst says as again, this seems like a bid on self-preservation. As I said above the Catalyst doesn't undestand what drives organics to resist.