Mass Effect 3 Player Points Out Unsettling Ending Detail

An eagle-eyed gamer has noticed an unsettling detail about the ending of Mass Effect 3 that would be easily missed by most players. The Mass Effect trilogy is packed full of interesting details, but this is one that BioWare perhaps wishes most players wouldn’t discover.

Upon the release of Mass Effect 3 in 2012, the game’s ending proved massively controversial. After three games of build-up and promises from developer BioWare, many felt it didn’t live up to the lofty expectations. With time healing all wounds, it’s easier to accept the ending of Mass Effect 3 nowadays, but at the time, it was mayhem in the game’s community. BioWare even had to release an Extended Cut DLC to expand upon the original endings, and while this helped, it wasn’t enough to fully satisfy all players. It’s a fascinating situation to look back on over a decade later, especially with no direct sequel released as of yet.

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Redditor 87SIXSIXSIX5432ONE pointed out the bizarre detail, which occurs in the final scene of the game. While the grandfather is explaining the story of “the Shepard” to his grandson, the young child is actually a shrunken-down adult model, resulting in some extremely strange proportions. This could be waved away as a time-saving measure, in which case this would make a lot of sense. However, Mass Effect 3 has a child character and the Catalyst, both of which use the same model, so it’s bizarre that this wasn’t reused in the name of proper proportions. This strange detail doesn’t change the fact that Mass Effect 3 remains one of the best sci-fi RPGs ever made, but it’s no doubt an odd choice.

Mass Effect 3 Unsettling Ending Detail

Many in the thread pointed out that they didn’t actually notice the detail until it was directly told to them, and this could explain BioWare’s choice to use it in the first place. It’s not a big deal if most players simply miss it, but it’s certainly one of those things that’s difficult to unsee for subsequent Mass Effect 3 playthroughs. Overall, the Mass Effect series is generally considered to be among the RPGs that encourage multiple playthroughs, so gamers should look out for this detail next time around.

After over a decade, it seems that Mass Effect 3 may finally be getting a direct sequel. Mass Effect: Andromeda was an interesting side adventure, but all signs point to the next game in the series finally carrying on the story that finished in 2012. The most recent teaser for the game was released on N7 Day in 2023, but there has been radio silence since that day. Although popular companion Liara is confirmed to return, it remains to be seen if the next Mass Effect will also be a continuation of Commander Shepard’s story. Just recently, voice actress Jennifer Hale confirmed she hasn’t been contacted for Mass Effect 4, so if Shepard is returning, nobody at BioWare has made their voice actors aware yet.

Mass Effect: Legendary Edition

Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is a three-game pack, featuring the original Commander Shepard trilogy. Players will have access to each game, as well as all of the appropriate DLC. The titles feature graphical enhancements and other small tweaks.

Franchise

Mass Effect

Released

May 14, 2021

Publisher(s)

Electronic Arts

How Long To Beat

100+ Hours

Metascore

87