1. Mass Effect 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96CczhHtqgY And yet still, nothing on this list has infuriated fans as much as that ending for Mass Effect 3, an ending so maligned by fans that BioWare opted to release a new ending to, as they put it, "clarify events", which basically means to retcon what they released. What annoyed people was that after being promised that our choices throughout all three games would have a specific impact on the game's ending, this all turned out to be bunk, and it came down to three choices for the player, essentially a "pick the blue or red pill" scenario that could have existed in a standalone adventure. That it then ends in an extremely vague manner further upset people who sunk 100+ hours into this experience, to be rewarded with something that left them emotionally cold and feeling short-changed. It's the ultimate in a developer promising one thing and delivering another entirely; of course, the "new ending" added a little clarity, but still doesn't really make up in any way for how badly BioWare bungled this bookending chapter in the trilogy. Is it still an excellent game? Absolutely, but its reputation has been seriously coloured in the eyes of many fans. Though the new ending might be a testament to the power of consumer response, it's also slightly worrying with regard to artistic integrity; stand by your ending, or don't release it in the first place! Are there any other endings that left you outraged? Let us know the comments below.
Shaun Munro
Contributor
Frequently sleep-deprived film addict and video game obsessive who spends more time than is healthy in darkened London screening rooms. Follow his twitter on @ShaunMunroFilm or e-mail him at shaneo632 [at] gmail.com.
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