While that's not really bad, I feel plenty of people are unfairly placing their dislike of how the ending was handled on the over-arching plot. AI singularity, while far from unique, is a story they could absolutely flesh out. It gives order to the Reapers (their higher power) while not taking away from the sheer abysmal creature that they are. It allows plenty of decisions that make sense as well:



a) Destroy the Reapers. The "what the galaxy wants" ending, that allows the populations to end the cycle and take a chance at the future. So far, AI's and Organics have proven to be able to co-exist and not be able to co-exist in some fashion, and yet the future still could end in the AI Singularity and life as we know it is changed/destroyed forever, but that's the choice for organics and AI to make for themselves.



b) Control the Reapers. The story answer that fits the whole AI singularity arc so well. Most if not all of AI dominance stories have organics as slaves. This ending allows for the opposite, organics now are the masters. It appears to be the safest ending for organics but the reverse roles make it an interesting dynamic, especially since stories never allow one entity to control another forever. It's also the ending that fits if certain damage is unavoidable if you kill off the Reapers, like say a planet (for here Earth) is destroyed or you have to sacrifice someone (Shepard or Anderson or Love Interest or something). You're given the chance to feel the weight of your decision BEFORE EVEN CHOOSING IT.



c) Merge the synthetics/organics. Similar to the Merge scenario, it's the out-of-left field option that allows Shepard, who's famous for this, to force a third option in a "it's this or this, nothing else" situation. It ends the reapers, perhaps destroy them but throws organics and AI together, departing the AI Singularity cycle and it's consequences. It's the Hegira of the cycle. Of course the catalyst or the higher power is evil, he's created a "full-proof" plan that no one can beat, keeping his order going and existing in power. Shepard, as only Shepard can (if Shepard makes certain necessary decisions and has a high enough reputation) throws a wrench in the plans and beats the higher power. Why, because that's what Shepard does. It's not Shepard taking down a Reaper by himself with just a pistol and singularity. It's Shepard showing off just how much a variable humanity, himself and the complacency of the higher power can do.





And then you decide the other factors based on in game situations. Too many squadmates dies, Shep wont live. Can't get true alliances, in-fighting may break out and higher numbers than before. You have a LI that hasn't died? They're the ones that "save you" rather than Liara or stock person. Plenty of possible things, and the ending(s) we got still can happen in this case. That's the thing, something like what we got should exist, but changing colors being the only real differences between the choices is not good enough. For the sake of the gamer, a Star Wars ending on the Endor Moon should be done. Challenging/risque or thought-provoking endings are fine for discussion but no matter the intelligence of the gamer will be dissatisfying in a game where the feeling that "nothing you did matters" takes place, no matter what you try to do.