Endless spoilers about the end of the game and the consequences of things.
So I just decided to enter the Omega 4 relay.
No Legion, no upgrades, no loyalty.
Jack died when a laser tore through our unupgraded hull. Tali died in an explosion while we boosted the power to the kinetic barrier, overheating the engine. Thane died when we flew in close to take out the Collector ship at point blank range.
I then proceeded to make very bad decisions for the group.
Jacob got to go stealth through the ventilation because he offered. Grunt took the second group.
Jacob died from a shot to the head while trying to force a door closed.
We proceeded to find our crew members safe. I told Mordin to take them back. Grunt took charge of the diversionary group. Miranda took care of the biotic field while Garrus, Samara, and I walked through the base.
Miranda didn’t have enough power to shield us all the way so Garrus got taken away by a swarm. Then we heard that Mordin didn’t make it because he was defending the crew. Grunt survived commanding the diversionary group, to my surprise.
I left Samara behind to watch our backs and took Miranda and Grunt with me through the final stages. I saved the Collector base and things started getting even more out of hand.
I found Grunt dead on the flying platform at the end when I got up and Miranda waved me over. As I pulled the debris off of her, she looked at me and then collapsed in my arms.
I called Joker asking if Samara made it. She hadn’t.
So I was the only one left. It was just me and Joker.
Except, as I jumped onto the Normandy and clung to the edge for my life, the Collectors managed to get a few shots off and knocked Joker off balance. He was too weak to save me and I was too weak to get up. Commander Shepard told Joker to tell the others about the Reapers and fell from the Normandy. The airlock closed on Joker.
Everyone on the suicide mission was dead except for Joker, who reported to the Illusive Man himself.
I can’t believe that Bioware lets you do SO BAD at the end of the game and carries it out. I was legitimately awed by the fact that the ones I thought would surely survive had died. Not even the two I took for my squad at the end made it. My jaw was so wide when Shepard didn’t make it onto the Normandy. I was thinking “Wow, only Shepard and Joker make it out of this alive” and bad things just kept happening.