Did you download the (free) ending DLC?
The complaint was that pretty much all choices had the same result as that, more or less.
Extended ending details:
[Spoiler]The original ending is pick a color, the narration is a little different but it’s more or less the same. Your preparedness didn’t matter all that much.
The extended ending had much more upbeat or downbeat prognosis for galactic recovery, depending on how well-prepared you were, etc. Like if you were super-prepared, there’d be talk that the mass effect gates were already undergoing quick repair, planets were working to rebuild as best they could, but unprepared endings were very pessimistic in prognosis. I think Prepared endings (or all endings?) showed the Normandy taking off again after repairs.
You also got more shots of how various races were doing, that kind of thing.
In case the StarChild made you totally stabby, the DLC added the “screw you” option to not choose, the Reapers destroyed everyone, and the next cycle found the data Liara compiled and beat them.
Plus if you were super-prepared and picked Destroy, your romantic partner wouldn’t put your name on the memorial wall, and you’d still get the quick shot of you gasping for breath in concrete rubble.[/spoiler]
I’ve never hooked up my Xbox to the internet, and none of the stuff you mention sounds familiar. So no, I didn’t see the “corrected” ending and yet I still wasn’t terribly disappointed because I knew what I was in for.
Ever see the “Shepard is a jerk” videos on YouTube covering the three games? In ME1 and ME2, even as a Renegade you’re still rather heroic.
But in ME3, if you choose a full-on Renegade path, Shepard can be an absolute monster!
Let’s see…
By means of not doing the Paragon interrupt, you can allow Samara to commit suicide to avoid killing her own daughter. And then kill her daughter anyway.
You can kill Mordin to prevent him from curing the genophage. And if Wrex is the Urdnot leader, he’ll find out, and confront you. And you’ll be forced to kill him.
You can choose the geth over the quarians, and as Tali sees the Migrant Fleet burning in the skies over Rannoch, she’ll jump off a cliff-- and there’s nothing you can do to prevent her from it.
You can kill Ashley/Kaidan as s/he defends Udina.
And in the mother of all “fuck-you” moments, in the Extended Cut only, you can choose not to activate the Crucible. “SO BE IT!” exclaims the ghost-child, and the Reapers succeed in exterminating galactic civilization.
Right now I’m deep in the second act of ME3 with a very Paragon, female, Vanguard Shepard named Lorelei. Romanced Liara in ME1, didn’t cheat on her in ME2; saved Maelon’s data, saved Wrex.
Only my second time through the game. I remembered a good deal of it, but the moments still hit you. But Mass Effect has that effect on you. I’ve played Mordin’s loyalty mission in ME2 a dozen times, and it still chokes me up.
My sister has the Citadel DLC, and she’s completed Citadel: Shore Leave. How does she trigger the next part of the DLC? She’s gotten everything else done in the game except to start the attack on the Illusive Man’s base, which will trigger the endgame.
You should have a message from Joker on the answering machine in your new apartment telling you to meet at a restaurant; the rest happens from there.
Also if you or anyone ever manages to kill the enemies with the silenced pistol and somehow not IMMEDIATELY get caught then please show me how.