10 Reasons You're Wrong About Mass Effect 3's Ending
2. The Defiance Ending Is Basically An Easter Egg
The hidden fourth ending is a pretty smooth touch as well.
As most games would, the original release of ME3 was programmed to just wait until you triggered one of the stated options, allowing you to empty your gun at the Catalyst with no reaction.
Nobody really quipped about it; it's one of those minor reality breaks that just blends into the background of the experience. In fact, at a point like this one, most gamers think nothing of shooting at an NPC like it's part of the scenery before proceeding; others will be half-testing if it actually does something. Well, surprise!
It also takes advantage of a player's habits with conversation. For those who play full Renegade, their stubborn dialogue choices might go unintentionally too far; rather than arriving at some persuasion sentence to talk yourself into a more perfect ending, you end up with So be it
Craftier still, after getting the bleakest conclusion possible, you learn the next Reaper war would be won thanks to your advances... a sad ending with a happy ending. It makes it okay for those gamers whose fired one shot at the Catalyst either by accident or out of habit, only to be briefly treated to an elaborate You f***ed up.