Bittersweet Ending/Video Games: Difference between revisions

**:* Factor in Arrival, where {{spoiler|the Reapers invasion is halted, but at the cost of 300,000 lives.}}

*:* Discounting the other eight potential endings, even if you did absolutely everything, complete with [[100% Heroism Rating]] and [[100% Completion]], [[Mass Effect 3]] gives you three final options on how to deal with the Reapers. These are given to you by {{spoiler|The Catalyst, the controlling intelligence behind the Reapers, which lives in/as the Citadel.}}

**:* "Control", in which {{spoiler|Shepard takes control of the Reapers to order them to leave. However, to do this means his death, as well as the destruction of the Mass Relays which will send out signal. The galaxy will be spared, but it's uncertain when or if the remaining citizens will make it back to Mass Relay-levels of technology, and it is unclear whether the Reapers will return or war between Synthetics and Organics will resurge.}}

**:* "Destruction", in which {{spoiler|Shepard destroys The Catalyst, sending out a wave that will destroy all synthetics in the galaxy. The Reapers, as well as the Geth and EDI will die, and galactic civilization will go into a dark age with all of the Mass Relays destroyed. However, this is the only ending where Shepard seems to survive, if the Effective Military Strength rating is high enough.}}

**:* "Synthesis", [[Take a Third Option|the third option]], in which {{spoiler|Shepard sacrifices himself to introduce his DNA to [[MacGuffin|the Crucible]], sending out a wave through the Mass Relay network that transforms all life, both synthetic and organic, into hybrids of the two. Changed and with their reason for invasion gone, the Reapers retreat.}}

**:* In all three options, galactic life is pretty much guaranteed to take a hit, but as the [[Distant Finale]] shows, life will go on and the races of the galaxy will recover.