I’ll let Calculon sum up my feelings of the ending.
Surely we can come up with something better?
Did we really need to know where the Reapers came from? No, we really didn’t. Their motivations a clear enough; They’re a homicidal arrogant species that think they’re doing you a favour by killing you, nuff said.
Harbringer should have a stronger presence throughout the game. He/it was a great villain and was totally wasted in the game. Maybe have him assume direct control over the Illusive man in the end for a cool last boss battle. Maybe after he’s defeated, have Harbringer (in Illusive man’s dying body) explain their motivations to Shepard. Salvation through destruction and all that. Basically what the starchild tells you, but instead of it being treated as gospel, it would be further proof how evil and corrupt the Reapers are. Shepard would dismiss them as being fucked up.
Lose the starchild. Instead have a VI appear in the crucible. It would explain how it’s a combination of all the species that came before that tried to build the crucible. It’s been waiting for aeons, hidden in the Citadel, for someone to be successful. The Citadel is merely the last component of the Crucible and Shepard, an organic being, is the Catalyst. The game would come down to two choices: kill the Reapers or control them. Killing them would cause lots of collateral damage, but not blow up the relays (that’s just stupid). Controlling them would result in less deaths and the Reapers would be a powerful tool in rebuilding, but that control might not last.
If we really need to know where the Reapers came from, have the VI tell they where made by the ones who built the Citadel and the mass relays. If the Reapers went rouge or they’re doing what they were designed to do is unknown. This would explain why they aren’t attacking the Citadel in the end. They can’t destroy their former master’s creation.
Shepard dies in the end. I didn’t have anything against Shepard dying. A heroic sacrifice is a powerful ending to a story where you’re so invested in the character.
Show scenes of your crew mate’s final stand as the Crucible gets ready to do it’s thing. Joker desperately trying to keep the Normandy in one piece while fighting the Reapers. Joker doesn’t run dag nabbit! Show your squad mates fighting against ever increasing hordes of Reaper soldiers. How well you played the game determines how many of them live or die. In the end they cheer as the Reapers leave/are destroyed.
Keep the montage of people you cared about that ended with your love interest as Shepard makes her/his choice. I thought that was well done.
I don’t need a epilogue telling me what happens afterwards. The talks you had with your team before the last battle was all I really needed. As long as the galaxy isn’t as fucked up as in the real ending, I’m happy.
Anybody got any other ideas?
EDIT: I liked Anderson’s death scene. It was poignant and well done. It’s after that the end goes stupid.