Mass Effect 3
With the Destroy ending being considered somewhat canon going into the new Mass Effect, it’s probably looked at as one of the better conclusions. The Reapers are destroyed and the galaxy is free from a continuing cycle of extinction, right? Unfortunately, not only is Commander Shepard presumed dead (though a secret scene hints at them being alive) but the Mass Relay network has been destroyed, thus setting the universe back significantly.
Every planet has suffered extensive damage in the war with the Reapers and Normandy’s own crew is stranded on a strange planet with seemingly no way off. This also doesn’t discount the reason for the Reapers’ existence, which was to harvest organic species at their peak before they had a chance to fall into ruin (mostly due to the creation of synthetic lifeforms which would slay their creators). Just because the Reapers are out of the picture, doesn’t mean that there aren’t other threats to deal with, to say nothing of all the existing problems between each race.
