What's terrifying is that Shepard could very well have been indoctrinated. And indoctrination is described as being a prisoner in your own mind while Reapers control your body... and you're conscious the entire time, but you can't do anything but watch.
I guess it was good luck within bad that the Refusal ending in the DLC didn't result in Shepard becoming the Indoctrinated puppet of the Reapers. Its a moral victory, but a doomed one.
I guess it was good luck within bad that the Refusal ending in the DLC didn't result in Shepard becoming the Indoctrinated puppet of the Reapers. Its a moral victory, but a doomed one.
Agreed. The plausibility of Shepard being indoctrinated is terrifying as she/he has had enough contact with Reapers and their artifacts. The implications for Shepard are just as scary -- like you say, a prisoner in your own mind (though wasn't that just for Benezia?)or succumbing to believe entirely in the Reapers' philosophy. It's chilling to imagine Shepard's squadmates/LI having to take her/him down, not to mention the colossal damage Shepard could cause by being a sleeper agent.
I found Refusal refreshing in being able to tell Starbrat to stuff it, but ultimately as unsatisfying as the other endings. Shepard's speech was inspiring, and Starbrat's "So be it" was telling. But at the end of the day it was just giving an official option to simply letting the timer run out in the decision chamber.
I found Refusal refreshing in being able to tell Starbrat to stuff it, but ultimately as unsatisfying as the other endings. Shepard's speech was inspiring, and Starbrat's "So be it" was telling. But at the end of the day it was just giving an official option to simply letting the timer run out in the decision chamber.
I was honestly expecting Shepard to be the final boss in a Saren-Esque battle. He's got enough cybernetics in him to be hacked by an AI hybrid for goddness sake, whose to say that even if the organic side of him refuses that the synthetic parts would move on their own.
No - its not just Benezia. In the books, another was indoctrinated - Paul Grayson - he was a prisoner at first then he believed that he broke their control, but the Reapers were manipulating his desires through cybernetic implants and eventually, his personality was consumed.
No - its not just Benezia. In the books, another was indoctrinated - Paul Grayson - he was a prisoner at first then he believed that he broke their control, but the Reapers were manipulating his desires through cybernetic implants and eventually, his personality was consumed.
Wow, that would have been a plot twist. I don't know how it could have been implemented, but it is all too plausible. I actually just thought the other day about Shepard's cybernetics being similar to Saren's. Somewhat sad that it came to me two years after playing ME1 and 2 
. Saren's cybernetics, while not bringing back his personality, did resurrect him in a way. Then what do we see in ME2? Shepard being rebuilt using cybernetics and biosynthetics. By Cerberus, no less.Because nothing can possibly go wrong with that...
I was expecting TIM to have some sort of kill switch he could use on Shepard. He struck me as the type who would have a specifically tailored weapon to use if Shepard ever tried to come after him, or even caused major problems for Cerberus. You don't make your enemy into a supersoldier and allow a possibility of them killing you (if that makes sense).
My bad -- I haven't gotten around to reading the novels or the comics yet. Thanks for clearing that up
. Saren's cybernetics, while not bringing back his personality, did resurrect him in a way. Then what do we see in ME2? Shepard being rebuilt using cybernetics and biosynthetics. By Cerberus, no less.Because nothing can possibly go wrong with that...I was expecting TIM to have some sort of kill switch he could use on Shepard. He struck me as the type who would have a specifically tailored weapon to use if Shepard ever tried to come after him, or even caused major problems for Cerberus. You don't make your enemy into a supersoldier and allow a possibility of them killing you (if that makes sense).
My bad -- I haven't gotten around to reading the novels or the comics yet. Thanks for clearing that up