I loved the game as I played and probably got the most enjoyment from the Mass Effect series with it.
When I got to the ending and saw it for the first time, I was like ok, not great but not terrible. Though I hoped for something a bit more epic, but my expectations were pretty low by that point as I had already heard all the internet fuss about how bad it was.
Anyway, seen as I had a quick save right at the end I decideed to load it up and choose the other two options to see how the ending panned out. Then it really hit me as how bad it was.
It does feel like all the decisions made leading up to that point were pointless and had no effect on the turn out, all the endings were basically the same, and when that hit me it put me off playing the game again which till that point I had planned. But whats the point, if no matter how I go through the game and the choices I make basically have no impact on the final turn out?
EDIT:
While I don't think the ending is the best possible, at least it wasn't predictable. To me, the ending successfully portrayed the desperation and ultimate futility of the struggle, as well as the baffling alienness of the Reapers compared to the relative kinship of the citadel races.
The way I see it, some folks are mad that it doesn't spoon-feed some neat ending in which the hero thrashes the enemy, gets the girl and everyone lives happily ever after; which would be the laziest writing possible and would deservedly draw ire.
In fact, I don't believe many folks actually stopped to ponder the subtleties of the ending before reaching for the internet hate machine. So the ending is not fantastic, so what?
Some good points in there, and many I agree with.
If Shepard lives, what happens after that? presumably he died a slow painful death seen as everyone fled and left him to burn(sarcasm). Which like you say, they simply wouldnt have done. But before that point and the final mission when you go around talking to those you met during the series they all seem to be saying farewell to him as if dying is a foregone conclusion.
The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.
Ernest Hemmingway
