Mass Effect 3 – the leaked story and the final plot

We’ve all heard rumours about Mass Effect 3‘s leaked script (Rabidgames won’t give you a link – search for yourself and you’ll find it – but be aware that Bioware or EA or whoever might still want to shut down the evidence) … what the story was supposed to be and so on.
But let’s have a closer look at it to see what Bioware DID actually change:

[Obviously, there are spoilers everywhere!]

 

1. The ending

Actually, it has stayed the same. There may be minor variants, but that’s about it.
Still the same deus ex machina, still basically the same choices (although Synthesis seems not to be there):

• CUTSCENE: The DEVICE docks with the Citadel, Shepard leaps off the edge of the platform becoming one with the Reapers.
• CUTSCENE: The DEVICE docks with the Citadel, Shepard places his hands into the control mechanism and gains control over the Reapers. Earth is destroyed, and the Reapers leave.
• CUTSCENE: The DEVICE docks with the Citadel, Shepard destroys the tubes resulting in the Reapers being destroyed. Earth is also Destroyed.
• CUTSCENE: The DEVICE docks with the Citadel, Shepard places his hands into the control mechanism and gains control over the Reapers. Earth is okay, and the Reapers leave.
• CUTSCENE: The DEVICE docks with the Citadel, Shepard destroys the tubes resulting in the Reapers being destroyed. Earth is devastated.
• CUTSCENE: The DEVICE docks with the Citadel, Shepard destroys the tubes resulting in the Reapers being destroyed. Earth is okay.
• CUTSCENE: The DEVICE docks with the Citadel, Shepard destroys the tubes resulting in the Reapers being destroyed. Earth is okay. Shepard survives.

 

Another (probably really early ending) revolved around the mysterious dark energy which played a role in Mass Effect 2 – remember Haelstrom and Arrival? Yet it seems the ending was put to the bin as soon as Drew Karpyshyn left the Mass Effect writing team.

Here’s what the Reapers original motivation was, summed up perfectly by some guys on ign’s board:

“The Reapers’ goal was to find a way to stop the spread of Dark Energy which would eventually consume everything. That’s why there was so much foreshadowing about Dark Energy in ME2.

The Reapers as a whole were ‘nations’ of people who had fused together in the most horrific way possible to help find a way to stop the spread of the Dark Energy. The real reason for the Human Reaper was supposed to be the Reapers saving throw because they had run out of time. Humanity in Mass Effect is supposedly unique because of it’s genetic diversity and represented the universe’s best chance at stopping Dark Energy’s spread.

The original final choice was going to be “Kill the Reapers and put your faith in the races of the galaxy in finding another way to stop the spread with what little time is left” or “Sacrifice humanity, allowing them to be horrifically processed in hopes that the end result will justify the means.”

 

As we know, it came to the following ending plot (maybe as result of too many writers leaving Mass Effect … who knows):

“The Reapers new goal is that they are working to prevent a technological singularity. The quick definition of a “technological singularity” is basically a point when the machines of a civilization become more advanced than their creators and they are able to outdo their creators in pretty much every way imaginable.

The game attempts to justify the Singularity Motivation because all it takes is ONE incident with A.I. to bring about an apocalyptic war that would destroy all organics. Project Overlord was a very, very clear example of this: Cerberus nearly destroyed the entire galaxy. Organics lucked out big time that the Geth were so understanding and that A.I. like EDI are tame (and even then, EDI did something in the past before ME2 that may make you view her in a very different light: Mass Effect 3 reveals this).

The Reapers aren’t hypocrites (in concept) in the Singularity Motivation because they don’t perceive themselves as machines wiping out organics. They see themselves as immortal vessels that preserve a civilization forever that just happens to be synthetic. They see themselves as the saviors of organics for letting them grow and prosper and then harvesting them before they evolve to the point of singularity. “Imposing order on the chaos of organic evolution” as Sovereign said.”

Well, think of it what you will, but let’s face it, even the ending we got is not bad in principle – it actually makes sense. Instead, there are certain well-known side effects (i.e. Joker’s inexplicable desertion and the destroyed mass relays) which cripple and sour the ending.

 

2. Omega was part of Mass Effect 3

Well, Rabidgames is willing to bet we’ll be able to free Omega pretty soon – but of course, we’ll have to pay for it.
Originally, there were a couple of missions not just on Omega – including one beyond the infamous Omega 4 relay. We’ll see what we’ll get later this year …

 

3. The Prothean

Yupp, our dear friend Javik was supposed to play a far bigger role in Mass Effect 3 – at one point, he was even supposed to be the Catalyst himself. Plus, acquiring his help (he was awake and spreading havoc on Eden Prime in the leaked script) would have made you kill a Spectre, leading to a potential lethal confrontation with the Virmire survivor on Thessia: Our assassin friend Kai Leng – posing as an Alliance agent – led the Virmire survivor to Shepard. In an even more intense battle on Thessia, Kai Leng would escape together with the Prothean as hostage.

It seems ridiculous to change Javik’s role from an integral part of Mass Effect 3 to an optional (yet lore-wise still essential) DLC character. Shame on you, Bioware!

Also, Javik would have been an even bigger asshole …

 

4. Missions in the Hammerhead

Well, to be honest, Rabidgames is glad they cut that out. The Hammerhead missions in Mass Effect 2 were complete and utter rubbish! Had they brought the Mako (with better controls, of course) back however …

 

5. Journalists & Shepard

Khalisah al-Jilani (yes, that one annoying bitch you can punch over and over) and Emily Wong would join Shepard in a quest on the Citadel to shut down Cerberus operations there. Also, the pro-human party Terra Firma (introduced in a side mission in Mass Effect 1) would have been back to support Cerberus. It’s a shame we might miss such a potentially hilarious mission!

 

6. More missions on Tuchanka and Rannoch

The script describes that both worlds would have been featured in more missions, although the results would still have been the same. It just seems part of the missions were dropped for some unknown reason.

 

7. Experiments on the Keepers

There was a mission planned to have a look at some Keepers ceasing to function properly. Quarian Admiral Daro’Xen would have been responsible for the disapperance of the Keepers ( likely she’d been doing some more experiments with new “toys”).

 

8. Kal’Reegar

He (if he survived Mass Effect 2, of course) would have been on Rannoch, helping Shepard to battle the Geth.
While this would probably have had no impact on the story, it would still have been a nice little addition.

 

9. The Illusive Man

In the original script, Mr Harper was simply siding with the Reapers instead of trying to get control over his “allies”. Well, it seems we have finally found a change for the better now …

 

Rabidgames wonders: Apparently, Bioware’s reaction to the leaked script was punishing their fan base by cutting content from it – either as DLC, either lost forever. Time might tell what happened and why … maybe …