LogFAQs > #967979179

If I can personally say one thing about the catalyst, it's that the concept is brilliant(as long as you include the Leviathan DLC) and the execution is poor. Likely due to the head writer not finishing the writing for the trilogy. Of course, everything depends on one question: Do you, the player, trust the creation of the Leviathans to stick to its original programming? [Monologue incoming]

Narratively, the Leviathans wanted galactic order among organic and synthetic life. They create an "observer" to determine the cause of the chaos and how to bring order to it. The "observer" concludes organics must be "preserved" as a solution because organics cannot natively reach galactic order. Upon millennia after millennia, the "observer" perpetuates the cycle because organics repeat the process of sowing chaos with synthetics. Then you reach Shepherd's cycle. The cycle of a soldier who (potentially) does the impossible countless times and braves new frontiers. Shepherd reaches the control station of the Catalyst and the Reaper Conscience shares "truths" that Shepherd "earns." But, do you believe the "truths?" The entire goal of the Catalyst was to obsere and find a solution to Galactic Chaos. Harvesting to prevent "hyper advancement" keeps order, according to the Reapers. Then Shepherd appears in front of it. The "impossible is made possible" through one soldier and the Catalyst supposedly readjusts itself to that.

What makes it interesting is that, unless the conscience reaches "Legion-grade" evolution, it shouldn't have the capacity to lie. The cognitive capacity to lie is inherently NOT a synthetic function. Legion for example, could not understand other Geth processes spying on it in ME2 but with upgrades in ME3, Legion could obscure truth, feel shame and even comprehend moral dilemmas. An AI, no matter how evolved, would be cold and objective unless it's an organic hybrid(see also: EDI) The Reapers themselves were partially hybrids due to using the majority of Leviathans as bases but the conscience itself? There's no proof in either direction it would have organic elements. Going by the innate concept of synthetic life, only organics can muster the contradictive process to lie. So the Catalyst/Reaper Conscience would either be EXACTLY what it was waiting for(a hybrid that could see both sides and bring order) but lost its purpose because it's a hybrid(contradictory organic nature overtakes linear synthetic reason) or it's a full synthetic that can only perceive through its designed systems. Conceptually it really sounds complex and well-designed on paper. The execution is just so BLAH that BLAH is all most even consider to think on it.

Have thoughts on the ending choices as well, but typed out too much on the Catalyst/Reaper Conscience. Sooo..........will wait on those other thoughts.