Rio Analysis

Okay. So I'll start by saying I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything here; this is just my interpretation.

So I felt like I'd compile a list of evidence (to me at least) from the new Earth DLC and its trailer. You could boil it down to reused assets if you want but "nothing you say will ever convince me otherwise". Here it goes.

Let's start with the DLC itself, not the trailer"

Grasping at straws emergency induction ports: When I looked at the map order and realized that they are not in alphabetical order I was curious to know why there were in the order they are in (Rio, Vancouver, London). Then I realized what it spells when I used the first letter of each in order: RVL = Reveal.

Not grasping at straws emergency induction ports: Voices. So I am fairly sure the Shadow infiltrator is voiced by engineer Daniels. You can really tell with certain lines. Weird right?

Next, the new VI drone in the escort mission is, as far as I can tell, voiced by engineer Adams in a pitched up Salarian voice. Remember he voiced Padok Wiks in a higher voice. I can't tell who voices the Destroyer or Paladin but I don't recognize them. If it was engineer Donnelly putting on a North American accent I think that would really be interesting. Why? IMO this points to post ending DLC involving the GX12-Chekhov's-gun. Maybe the Normandy is fighting in space and if you don't have the GX12 the three engies get vapourised! It's a big "if" but I don't care.

The warning sign in Firebase Vancouver. You see it immediately after exiting the enormous ladder that it also a vent. Not just any warning sign either. The one used in SP Vancouver with the kid. The one (no longer) specific to that scene. Note it says "Warning: Code 89" on it. A Code 89 means a crime against nature = a reaper.

The existence of Firebase Rio: I'll start here by explaining why I think the map's existence is important. All of the MP maps are based off sections of the SP we've played on with the apparent exception of 2: Firebase Hydra and, now, Firebase Rio. But I don't think Hydra is somewhere we didn't go. Let me explain. As far as we can tell, (credit to BleedingUranium here) Firebase Hydra is most likely the cut beginning of the Geth consensus mission. I'll list the evidence I can think of off the top of my head for this:
- The name Hydra seems very fitting. A collective with many programs. It suits a Geth base.
- The map has Geth fighters on it; in effect it seems to be a fighter base.
- The map was released very soon after the base game; it would have already fully/partially existed.
- The map fits fairly well with the current mission. If you didn't notice on the map itself, there are Geth virtual reality pods in its control room, near an unused tram system.
- As you can see from the following vid at starting at about 1:40, the scene cuts quite abruptly from Shepard walking with his squad at the beginning of the mission (like always happens in missions right before taking control of Shepard) to the squad being inside. Shepard then pops out a heat sink. Why would you need to do that if you haven't fought anyone yet?
- There is no actual combat in this mission. I think the MP map area would have been that combat, but was cut most likely to either shorten the mission or, more likely, so as not to break the non-reality aspect of the mission.
Geth consensus mission: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtW-x_t7DZ4
So my point here is to simply emphasize that all MP maps, even Hydra, are based of SP locations. IMO this is clear evidence that points to a post ending DLC, seeing as they only way I can think of Rio being in SP is IT.

Rio: The map itself is quite interesting and unique, as it features a large as-of-yet unknown facility in the ocean. The whole area is heavily defended, and has the look of something quite important (some sort of research facility?) Close to the landing pad the N7 operatives land on, there is a gate (already open in MP) that says "Restricted Access" or something to that effect. This is the direction you would travel in the Rio SP mission. Following that path you will soon end up at the control-center looking thing in the middle of the map. This sparked my attention, and I immediately started looking for a ladder. Sure enough, go inside this and look up. There is a trap door in the ceiling. It closely resembles the trap doors in Chronos Station, so we know they’ve used that effect before. Looks like the ladder going through the trap door was cut in MP for obvious reasons. So the objective thus far would be to get inside the control center and activate the AA guns/drain the water/open the facility somehow. Not sure exactly how the mission would go after that, but whether this is an N7 facility or not, it is impressive that it has been this well defended up until the fleets' arrival. This would also most likely answer the question of how we would defeat the reapers if IT is true. Perhaps there is some sort of weapon there? My idea is that they’re building a mass relay, Ilos style. That would fit with the epic AA defenses. Plus, there is a section on the map called “Relay Station.” Further evidence to support Rio being a singleplayer location is the map’s combat design. It seems to be designed with the intention that the player does not have to watch their back. What I mean by that is in SP as you progress through an area, you kill the enemies in front of you and keep moving forward. You cannot employ this tactic in MP however, or you will be flanked and killed. The level is very linear in a literal and combat sense. So to add to it, the sun is rising in Rio. Now think about the game from a literary perspective. What's a very common element used by writers?

The night is darkest just before the dawn.

Where is it darkest? London.

Where is the dawn? Rio.

And that makes you think: Holy crap, it is super dark and depressing in London! What a weird way to end a story. Right now ME3 is just darkness; no dawn. Also chronologically, the sun would rise after night time, but that's secondary. It's symbolic. Speculation for everyone.

Earth MP trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qy7pkuocNuo
Aside from being quite epic, the trailer is very interesting IMO. Anyway, at 0:23, it looks like instead of Shepard, Anderson, and the squad, they replaced their models with the MP characters. This on its own means nothing; it is reusing assets. What is interesting is at 0:27-0:30 and at 0:38 especially it also looks like reused assets. But from where? There is no Rio SP mission. (Or is there? ) Let's look into 0:38-0:43 more closely. Assuming this is SP with the models replaced with MP characters, it would most likely be Shepard (judging from the looking-around animation and the camera emphasis on the destroyer-soldier, I would assume this is the replacement for Shepard's model), 2 squadmates and Anderson(? Further evidence for this is the lack of Cobras on their backs. IMO the trailer screamed "This isn't over yet!" Anderson's "Until the fleets return" line seemed to me that we have to hold out until "the fleets" arrive, metaphorically. Also, I heard that Anderson's trailer speech is, for the most part, in the EC files. Why they would be there is a mystery to me, as I can't even think of an IT reason for it. If you can, please post it.

Update! I was looking through the Earth DLC trailer again, and I found something very compelling! I have no idea how I, or anyone else missed this before, but there are 4 Alliance cruisers hovering over London! Pause the first time the camera pans over Anderson and the N7 characters, just after you can see the brute. You can clearly see 4 ships in the sky! Now, this is interesting on its own, but it brings up questions.
Why would they add a ship to the map just for a 2 second clip in an MP trailer? Better yet, why would they add 4 ships? I would imagine those ships take up quite a bit of processing power, but I don’t know.
Why put them in at all? Well, Anderson clearly says they must hold out until the fleets return, so they would not be there before the fleets arrive, naturally. This doesn’t leave much room, as you are with Anderson during the whole end sequence. I can think of a reason for them being there however. Perhaps some Alliance vessels disengage from the battle with Sword to delay Harbinger? I mean, why wouldn’t Hackett send Hammer some backup then, of all moments? The most important thing about the cruisers though, is how they are arranged. They are arranged suspiciously like the ships seen in the Take Back Earth trailer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DB6SkiBipls
Start at 2:02 of the trailer. See the fleet riding in behind the Normandy? Does it look familiar now? Believe it or not, this also relates to the “darkest before the dawn” theme that I mentioned earlier. Almost all of the promotional art for ME3, as well as this trailer (the non-gameplay one) have a common theme: Shepard is rising out of the rubble, and in almost all of those, (s)he is in daytime, the dawn. Not like the end of the game, which is dark. The Take Back Earth trailer seems almost like false advertising to me unless some Retake Earth DLC is released. It just seems like we never did take it back. We never had an awesome scene like in the trailer, fighting reaper forces with squadmates, with platoons of Makos and Hammerheads behind us and a Normandy-led multi-species fleet above.

Since the darkest before dawn theme seems much more apparent to me now, here is something else to think about:

What did Sovereign say in ME1? Our numbers will darken the sky of every world. Well, in the above trailer, right before Shepard shows up, what happens? A reaper shows up and blots out the sun, and the scene promptly fades to black. If that isn’t part of that theme, I don’t know what is. To me this means we must destroy the reapers before we can end the darkness. What did Shepard do in Leviathan? Breached the darkness.

There is more.

So yeah, there you go. Some things to think about!
- BansheeOwnage

Here are the relevant pictures:

Great analysis! We will soon see how this plays into the game once it is all said and done! I think it is hinted at enough of Shepard visiting Rio.

Awesome post.Maybe the final DLC is in Rio in a post ending DLC.There have been games that have post ending fighting. Bayonetta is one to name for example.Now what will be interesting is if they do a Rio DLC to take back earth since the reapers were not destroyed in the ending is that if someone picked control or synthesis that they are forced to fight there indoctrinated shepard as the reapers new general with a new character or other main characters through out the trilogy just as way to say we told you so before taking back Earth.While does who choose destroy get control of Shepard again and then get to destroy Harbinger for trying to mind fuck Shepard against his or her loved ones in sometype of epic battle involing the Normandy.

Whoa a lot of work has gone into this. At times it seems completely crazy, yet the overall idea makes a lot of sense. Rio as the dawn of the game... it does seem a very real possibility that if you guys turn out to be right, that's where they'd end it. Another Deus Ex-y finale perhaps.

Vancouver 2010 - London 2012 - Rio 2016

I'll just drop this here:


(Earthborn) Shepard: The city on Earth where I grew up was hard and dirty. I can see it as a war zone.


That is from 'From Ashes'. You know, the DLC chock-full of IT foreshadowing.

BleedingUranium wrote:Vancouver 2010 - London 2012 - Rio 2016

Is it definitely Rio now? Last I heard it was between Tokyo, Istanbul, Rio, and Madrid. Maybe that was for a different year or something. If not, I would say that is pretty awesome! Rio is the last destination!

401 Kill wrote:

BleedingUranium wrote:Vancouver 2010 - London 2012 - Rio 2016

Is it definitely Rio now? Last I heard it was between Tokyo, Istanbul, Rio, and Madrid. Maybe that was for a different year or something. If not, I would say that is pretty awesome! Rio is the last destination!

It is Rio. Also, there's Sochi (Russia) 2014, but that gives us another way to look at this too:

Vancouver - London - break - Rio

We're stuck in the cold winter of northern Russia no information

Summer = Vancouver
Fall = London
Winter = Sochi (hey, just trying to fit my model haha)
Spring = Rio

Renewal, revival, life.

Are you aware that winter and summer Olympics are scheduled independently.

And they each have a four year gap between than a a two year shift?

2012 London and 2016 Rio - are summer Olympics

2010 Vancouver and 2014 Sochi - winter Olympics.

BansheeOwnage wrote:The warning sign in Firebase Vancouver. You see it immediately after exiting the enormous ladder that it also a vent. Not just any warning sign either. The one used in SP Vancouver with the kid. The one (no longer) specific to that scene. Note it says "Warning: Code 89" on it. A Code 89 means a crime against nature = a reaper.

Wow, that's awesome. Police code 89

BansheeOwnage wrote:...All of the MP maps are based off sections of the SP we've played on with the apparent exception of 2: Firebase Hydra and, now, Firebase Rio. But I don't think Hydra is somewhere we didn't go. Let me explain. As far as we can tell, (credit to BleedingUranium here) Firebase Hydra is most likely the cut beginning of the Geth consensus mission. ...
- As you can see from the following vid at starting at about 1:40, the scene cuts quite abruptly from Shepard walking with his squad at the beginning of the mission (like always happens in missions right before taking control of Shepard) to the squad being inside. Shepard then pops out a heat sink. Why would you need to do that if you haven't fought anyone yet?

That's very compelling! Great analysis, and a very interesting read. Thanks!

demersel wrote:Are you aware that winter and summer Olympics are scheduled independently.

And they each have a four year gap between than a a two year shift?

2012 London and 2016 Rio - are summer Olympics

2010 Vancouver and 2014 Sochi - winter Olympics.

Yes.
/10char

Thanks you people!

Great stuff Banshee.

It's analysis like this which make me wonder just how much of this is deliberate on Bioware's part, because there's far too many links and suggestions within the game for it to be mere coincidence... and if every little thing we're picking up on is deliberate and intentional, then there's some SERIOUSLY clever work going on from the folks at Bioware.

ElSuperGecko wrote: Great stuff Banshee.

It's analysis like this which make me wonder just how much of this is deliberate on Bioware's part, because there's far too many links and suggestions within the game for it to be mere coincidence... and if every little thing we're picking up on is deliberate and intentional, then there's some SERIOUSLY clever work going on from the folks at Bioware.

Agreed. While I am sure a decent portion of our "hints" are coincidence, I am also sure most aren't. It would be icing on the IT cake if they would release a video (post reveal) that said which stuff was and wasn't planned.

BansheeOwnage wrote:

ElSuperGecko wrote: Great stuff Banshee.

It's analysis like this which make me wonder just how much of this is deliberate on Bioware's part, because there's far too many links and suggestions within the game for it to be mere coincidence... and if every little thing we're picking up on is deliberate and intentional, then there's some SERIOUSLY clever work going on from the folks at Bioware.

Agreed. While I am sure a decent portion of our "hints" are coincidence, I am also sure most aren't. It would be icing on the IT cake if they would release a video (post reveal) that said which stuff was and wasn't planned.

It would be a highlight of my friggin life.

SwobyJ wrote:

BansheeOwnage wrote:Agreed. While I am sure a decent portion of our "hints" are coincidence, I am also sure most aren't. It would be icing on the IT cake if they would release a video (post reveal) that said which stuff was and wasn't planned.

It would be a highlight of my friggin life.

I'd love to see something like this from Bioware once the DLC cycle is ended. Just to see the writers look at the various interpretation videos and say "that was deliberate", "that was unintentional" or even "I don't know WHERE you got that from!"

At this point I'd just be happy with any kind feedback from the Bioware developers, it would be great to discuss their actual intent and ideas for ME3 compared to the fans interpretations, and find out just how close or far we are from their vision.

I doubt it'll happen though. Bioware could quite easily leave the fans guessing forever on this one.

Guys.... was thinking this today...

Firebase Rio...

James Vega and Steve Cortez... both introduced in this one game, while Mass Effect was mostly lacking people with their name/culture origins in ME1-ME2 ...

The Silver Coast...

Is anyone else seeing a Spanish + South American trend here?

If we're not getting a DLC that is in Rio or somewhere related, I'd be astonished.


It was the Vega/Cortez part that really stuck out at me today. It's like Bioware is already inserting certain ideas in our heads before we realize.

That's good thinking Swoby!


Something I posted on the main thread a couple days ago, since it's Olympics-related:

Restrider wrote:

dork wrote:Disneywords‏@disneywords

A photograph can take you back in time to places and embraces that you thought you'd left behind. –The Tigger Movie


Retweeted by Michael Gamble

**

Okay, first "The Final Countdown", then MUSE and "Alive" and now this?
That's no coincidence anymore, if you ask me.

The lyrics to that Tigger Movie song seem very appropriate. I checked to see if there's a Muse song titled "Alive", there isn't. In fact, in my search I only found two songs with that word in them. The first is "Knights Of Cydonia" (a really good song), but only the chorus seems like it would be relevant:

"No one's gonna take me alive
The time has come to make things right
You and I must fight for our rights
You and I must fight to survive"


The second one is ridiculously fitting: "Survival".

Race, life's a race
And I'm gonna win
Yes, I'm gonna win
And I'll light the fuse
And I'll never lose
And I choose to survive

Whatever it takes
You won't pull ahead
I'll keep up the pace
And I'll reveal my strength
To the whole human race
Yes, I am prepared

To stay alive
And I won't forgive
Vengeance is mine
And I won't give in
Because I choose to thrive

Yeah we're gonna win!

Race, it's a race
And I'm gonna win
Yes, I'm gonna win
And I will light the fuse
And I'll never lose
And I choose to survive

Whatever it takes
You won't pull ahead
'Cause I'll keep up the pace
And I reveal my strength
To the whole human race
Yes, I'm gonna win!

Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!
Win! Win! Win! Win!

Yes, I'm gonna win!

And if that wasn't enough, "Survival" was specifically written for, and is the official song of the 2012 London Olympics.

ElSuperGecko wrote:
I doubt it'll happen though. Bioware could quite easily leave the fans guessing forever on this one.

that would be the worst injustice to the series.

KevShep wrote:

ElSuperGecko wrote:
I doubt it'll happen though. Bioware could quite easily leave the fans guessing forever on this one.

that would be the worst injustice to the series.

It really would. But honestly, I think Bioware will reveal it, simply because if it were me I'd want to. If the whole purpose was to indoctrinate the players themselves, I'd want to say "Gotcha!" at some point, not to mention the praise you'd get for pulling something like that off. It'd be the biggest twist/mind-game thingy ever, quite possibly.

BleedingUranium wrote:That's good thinking Swoby!

The second one is ridiculously fitting: "Survival".

Race, life's a race
And I'm gonna win
Yes, I'm gonna win
And I'll light the fuse
And I'll never lose
And I choose to survive

Whatever it takes
You won't pull ahead
I'll keep up the pace
And I'll reveal my strength
To the whole human race
Yes, I am prepared

To stay alive
And I won't forgive
Vengeance is mine
And I won't give in
Because I choose to thrive

Yeah we're gonna win!

Race, it's a race
And I'm gonna win
Yes, I'm gonna win
And I will light the fuse
And I'll never lose
And I choose to survive

Whatever it takes
You won't pull ahead
'Cause I'll keep up the pace
And I reveal my strength
To the whole human race
Yes, I'm gonna win!

Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!
Win! Win! Win! Win!

Yes, I'm gonna win!

And if that wasn't enough, "Survival" was specifically written for, and is the official song of the 2012 London Olympics.

Geez. That is... wow.