2. Mass Effect 3
Yeah, you all knew this one was coming. Never has a series' ending ever attracted as much criticism as Mass Effect 3 did - Commander Shepard's ending moments were totally ruined forever as gamers rose up against the nonsense we were presented with and demanded satisfaction. To give credit to Bioware, they did give us a bit of an epilogue that tied up a few loose ends, but the ending itself still remains highly controversial and basically didn't tie in with any of the choices you'd made across three games (which Mass Effect is based around). The result was a bit of a mess that felt kind of rushed.
Original Ending Provided that enough military strength has been achieved, Commander Shepard returns to the hub of the galaxy, the Citadel, to stop the Illusive Man and the Reapers. After the former dies after realising he has been indoctrinated (controlled by the Reapers), Commander Shepard finds out the truth about the Reapers from an AI construct and must make one of three decisions to decide the fate of the galaxy. No matter which decision you choose there's little change to the games' ending it all really ends with the galaxy being mostly destroyed thanks to the destruction of the mass relays, effectively leaving everyone stranded in space and with countless millions of creatures cut off from each other. It's just a big slap in the face really as everything you've done so far has no repercussions on the finale. In a game about choice, this should never, ever have happened.
Alternate Ending Commander Shepard, along with the help of his colleagues and friends, manages to battle through Reapers on Earth and finds a way to enter the Citadel. His companions are with him for this final push through the Citadel, and like Mass Effect 2 before it, this section is tense, filled with chances for companions to die and ultimately effects the final climatic moments. The Illusive Man confrontation still takes place and he can die in several different ways depending on the dialogue chosen. A companion can kill him, Commander Shepard can do it, or the Illusive Man can take his own life. It is also possible at this point for the Reapers to seize control of the Illusive Man, leading to the death of a companion. Knowing that the end is coming, the surviving members of Team Shepard let the Commander go on alone into the heart of the Citadel. They return to Earth, and are seen escaping on the Normandy. The Commander then meets the driving force behind the Reapers, discovering that the ancient sentient machines eradicate life based on the fact that an AI dictates that this should be so. The final decision that Commander Shepard should have to make should make sense in the context of decisions that come before it. The final moments of the game shouldn't rely on three decisions, but rather a significant amount that completely change the ending experience. We should also learn the fate of the galaxy after everything has went down.
Alternate Alternate Ending Sick of making choices, Commander Shepard retires and makes a new store in the heart of the Citadel called 'I'm Commander Shepard, and this is
your favourite store on the Citadel.'