Forum:Anyone else bothered by how shallow ME3's ending was?

For those of us who have already beaten the Mass Effect 3 campaign, it was a bitter sweet moment. Maybe a little more bitter than sweet.

(Major Spoilers)

As we have all seen, at the end of Shepard's story, you the player are given what may be the toughest decision ever presented in the history of the Mass Effect series. You must choose one of three ways to stop the Reapers, all of which feature some form of sacrifice.

This is where the problems begin.

Mass Effect is a game based primarily around the ability to make your own choices and watch as those choices play out as you, the player, plays the game. Bioware has made it obvious throughout the years that this is Mass Effect's main selling point; this power to shape the universe in whatever way the player sees fit is what makes the game so popular. If this is the case, then why is it that no matter what my choices had been in previous games, my Shepard's ending is primarily the same as anyone else's? Why is it that the only differences in my ending as opposed to someone else's is whether my Shepard got vaporized and the pretty color of the Crucible's magical laser beam?

What IS in the ending isn't the only problem. Much of my disappointent came from all of the things that were NOT in the ending at all. What happens now that the Mass Relays are destroyed? What happened to all the different races in the galaxy now that they have pretty much been isolated from each other? What happens to the characters that we as fans were all so invested in and cared about so much? Do they all just carry on with their lives as if nothing ever happened? How can they when the galaxy has changed so much?

All of these questions, and countless more, remain unanswered as Mass Effect 3's end credits scroll up the screen. I'm not sure how the average gamer feels about this, but personally, I feel neglected as a fan. Mass Effect 3 was supposed to be the culmination of Commander Shepard's story, but as I watched the final "Thank You"s roll by, I felt as though all the choices I made in all three games were pointless. Without any kind of epilogue or anything to tell me what effects my choices had on the galaxy after the Reapers are gone, I couldn't help but think that it was all just a waste of time.

Don't get me wrong, I deeply enjoyed all three games of the Mass Effect series, Mass Effect 3 being one of the most fun and dramatic games I've ever played. That may be why the end of it all disappointed me so much. Maybe I'm just being dramatic and silly.

Something tells me though that I'm not the only one who feels this way. That's why I decided to create this topic when I've never bothered to use these forums before. If you're reading this and feel disappointed like I do, then voice your opinion and let Bioware know that we, the fans, are not happy.

Becuase in the end, we the fans are all that really matters.