I'm guessing budget constraints said "no, we aren't going to go and make each reaper look completely different." (as each would represent either the dominant species or minor species of each cycle) Also, it would have made the artistic unification of "all of these things that look completely different from each other are reapers." Yes, it could be explained in a dialogue line, but it wouldn't have the same "FEAR US" factor that trying to take down something that looks like Soverign has.
That being said, I still wish it could have happened. Show us the Prothean Reaper!

 

There's two possible explanations that can shoehorn the human-reaper thing into canon. The first is that it was the core of a new Reaper and the actual starship exterior would've been built around it later. That would mean every Reaper has a core like it which is unique and based on whatever race was liquefied to make it, but we never see them because the ship they're inside looks like a Reaper. The second explanation is that it wasn't ever meant to be a Reaper at all, it was meant to be something new and different. Maybe a new commander meant to replace Harbinger, or some type of scientist or weapon built to combat the spread of this dark energy.

The third, more believable explanation is that the lead writer lost a drunken bet.

 

It's been said by Bioware dev's that the inside of a Reaper, its core, is unique - they look like the race that they've been birthed from.

The shells around the core are custom made for each Reaper, due to size, specifications, etc, but they all follow the same format; essentially, making custom suits of armor for a person, for a regiment, but all following the same, identical 'uniform'.

 

I was reading in Game Informer how a Bioware dev was saying gamers need to stop thinking they're producers and telling them what to do/when they should release DLC, lmao. They just don't get it

 

Considering how little most gamers actually know about how even Day One DLC is produced (despite the availability of information) they really should shut up a lot of the time. Of course there have been times when DLC has been badly produced or has been basically worthless, but the constant complaining about DLC being 'cut content' or distracting from the main game is both stupid and wrong.

 

Well, most of the time; part of the problem with DLC is that there have been a very small number of cases where Day One DLC turned out to be cut content, which damages the reputation of all Day One DLC.

 

Fucking srs?

 

I'd agree with this most times, but in this case, something we've rehashed in here a ton, it's a fucking Prothean. This guy never leaves my party, and he's always adding background lore to the world everywhere I take him. I consider him a crucial part of the game that is total bullshit to charge for. It's not like their DLC team sat around after the game had been uploaded for testing and pressing and knocked this dude out, there's way too much content with him for him to be something quickly throw together. Zaeed by comparison was total worthless horseshit compared to Javik.

 

I'm sorry, that's bullshit.

Javik adds fuckall to the game that isn't completely irrelevant background information. You may really like the color he adds with banter and his unique dialogue but nothing he says is at all crucial or even remotely IMPORTANT to the plot. If you were arguing that as a Prothean it should have been, then ok I can agree with you there; but as he stands he's irrelevant DLC on par with Kasumi and Zaeed.

Marginally more involved, but not to a degree that his presences irrevocably changes the game, hell I haven't actually bothered taking him on more than one full mission in either of my playthroughs and nothing about my game experience is even slightly different than anyone elses besides the aforementioned incidental dialogue.

 

I don't agree. I bought the series for the universe. He adds a totally different perspective on events, and to me thats invaluable. Zaeed has some shitty war stories about blowing up a ship, Kasumi I can't honestly say I didn't get her, I hacked her in.

You haven't bothered actually using him, but you're arguing to me that he adds nothing? I can't get the guy to shut up when there's an option for background story to come up.

 

I've used him, but never for more than the one full mission(Grissom Academy on my first playthrough). Whenever I've tried I've usually restarted. Partially it's because his powers are, meh at best, partially its because I don't think he fits at all in the narrative that I've been creating except as a source of occasional information, and finally it's also largely because I find him uninteresting at almost every turn.

I'm not saying he doesn't add anything, I'm just saying what he adds could have just as easily been added by some datapads or something; which is fine when it comes from characters I give a shit about or from ambient sources, but doesn't really interest or make me value him when it comes from something that takes up a valuable slot on my squad.

 

Yeah Grissom he doesn't add much more then something about how all available hands should be fighting, not really anything there. As for the powers, I honestly find I wind up just Biotic Charging, then Nova-ing everything, my teammates aren't really worth a shit in the case where I just wipe out everything in melee, so I can't comment on his powers.

 

Fuck yeah Vanguards.

But I just started ( and by just I mean a couple of weeks ago) an Adept and Infiltrator. Grissom is the only mission I've completed with him, I've tried him on a few others and just wasn't interested in what he had to say. None of it is crucial, and frankly to my mind of little world-building value.

 

I have to support Midknight here... Javik adds a lot of more or less interesting info into the game and his dialog is better than that of many of the other teammates.

 

Interesting it may be (on that it's a matter of personal opinion), Important it is not though. His inclusion has no significant effect on the outcome of the game.

That's all I'm saying.

 

To be fair though, nothing has any significant effect on the outcome of the game.

 

Jesse would disagree.

I'd agree that the first time I played through ME2; I thought the same of Zaeed and never had him in my party other then in his loyalty mission. A year later and I do another replay, he's sort of grown on me.

Regarding Javik though. DLC the first day the game is out is fucked. Nothing that hasn't really been said, EA are greedy sods, etc. As it were though, I was pretty annoyed when they announced a Prothean squad mate. Despite all the content they have on Javik in particular for ME3, after 2 games of Protheans being dead and you finding the bits and pieces of their civilization, it just seems a bit of a cop out that they'd randomly bring one single Prothean back to life just so you could have him in your squad.

 

To a large extent true. ME3 was an enjoyable game for about 90-95% with the last 10-5% ranging from merely bad to downright terrible (the actual end end being at the far end of the spectrum).

I think the problem was they ended up wanting to do too much, which ironically ended up result in them doing far too little. I'm currently in the process of trying to work out my specific problems with the game as a whole and its constituent parts so that I can put them down on paper, so to speak.

 

I still think the idea of Humanity being super diverse is actually existentially horrifying when you consider just how inbred humanity is as a species.

 

So, I finally finished the game yesterday...and overall, I really liked it. It's not perfect, but then what is?

In no particular order, things I did and didn't like:

I liked the changes to scanning, although I'd prefer to have the Mako back (or at least, the ability to actually get onto a planet and explore it rather than just waving a cursor at it).

It was good to have some of my old ME1 squadmates back, although I've got to say that if I liked the ME2 cast half as much as I did the first games, I would feel royally shafted by their reduction to extras (yeah, ok, Mordin and Thane are badass and well handled, but the rest?).

I thought the actual gameplay worked well, for the most part. The cover system didn't always go as planned - I kept rolling out of cover, or stick to something I didn't want to - and I've only played as a soldier so far, which I think is the least interesting class, but generally I enjoyed it. Tightening the cover mechanics and getting rid of the infinitely spawning enemies would be great though.

The plot was great, up until the end (of which more later). I loved the missions on Tuchanka and Rannoch, and Thessia was pretty cool as well. As others have said, longer missions especially late in the game would have been cool, but I'm pretty happy with what I got.

Garrus was awesome.

The ending...I have mixed feelings about it. It certainly isn't perfect, and I'll be interested to see how they expand it in this DLC, but I don't hate it.

Spoiler

I went with Destruction. Control just seemed too risky, and Synthesis? Shepherd's a badass, but he's not a god. Dictating the course of evolution just seemed a little too much. And while I'll mourn the Geth and EDI, at the end of the day synthetic's can be recreated.
As for the rest of it...the scene with the Normandy survivors just doesn't make sense, particularly because in my playthrough, Ashley followed Joker out. Leaving aside the question of what the hell the Normandy was doing travelling through a relay, the last time I saw her before that cutscene was charging towards the transporter beam by my side. I'm pretty sure I saw her corpse as I staggered onwards. So I'm choosing to believe that it was actually an afterlife of some description.

My squad felt a little small, by the end, despite being the same size as ME1 (I don't have any of the DLC characters from any of the games, and I don't know if you can have Kasumi and Zaeed in your party in 3). I think not having a Krogan was the big thing, it being the first one without. And biotics seemed to be underrepresented - by the end, and including my soldier!Sheperd, I had three soldier classes, three tech characters, and Liara. That's going to change in my next play through, either vanguard or straight adept, but still.

Ultimately though, I really enjoyed it. I'll be playing the whole trilogy for a long time to come, I think, and although the ending was a hell of a swerve, I kinda think it would have worked if they'd spent a little more time on it, or brought in the whole idea of it earlier. So, if ME1 is a 9, and still my favourite of the series, I'd put both the sequels as solid 8's.