Mass Effect 2: DLC Almost Before The Game

Home

News

Third Person Games

Written by Starfox

Wednesday, 20 January 2010 06:25

As we are a few days away from the launch date for Mass Effect 2, Bioware unveils the Cerberus Network (no link since the thing is for customers only), a site that will be reserved to original purchasers of the game, features being unlocked by a "one use" activation code that will be included with all the game copies whether they are standard or collector. The Cerberus Network will allow legit customers to have access to additional content at "no extra charge" said Bioware officials and that apparently right from day one (those who will buy a used copy will be able to access Cerberus too but only after having bought a new activation code; take the money where it is is always a philosophy, maybe not the brightest but still...).

Quote from: Bioware press release

Players who access ‘The Cerberus Network’ will receive the first DLC pack on January 26th (launch day in North America) featuring new missions and in-game items. Included in this pack is a mission that introduces Zaeed, a rugged and deadly gun-for-hire who is recruited to join Commander Shepard’s mission to save mankind.

So you won't even have the time to play the vanilla game, you'll already have new missions set for you and a new sidekick. And another DLC is already in the work for after the release date.

Quote from: Bioware press release

After launch, BioWare will release another DLC pack for Mass Effect 2 that introduces the Hammerhead, a new vehicle in the Mass Effect universe. This agile hover tank features improved handling on rough terrain and maneuvers deftly in combat -- a necessity for players traveling across harsh planetary environments throughout the galaxy. In addition to this new vehicle, BioWare will release new missions and unique in-game items, including Cerberus Assault Armor which boost shields, health and heavy weapon ammo and the M-22 Eviscerator Shotgun.

Let's hope that Mass Effect 2 DLCs will be somewhat richer than those for the first opus (culminating to a grand total of 2 including one of them being just one big Arena). It's nice and clean to actually offer something to people who actually bought your game but it's even better to offer real goodies and not some gimmick barely needed. With the first Mass Effect, Bioware indeed promised a lot of DLCs and ended up offering very little.

One thing is sure though, after years dedicating their resources to consoles only and leaving PC ports of their games to other companies, Bioware finally seems to realize that there is still a PC market for their games after all. With Dragons Age: Origin, Mass Effect 2 is the second Bioware game in a long time that is coming to PC on the exact same date than its consoles counterparts.

What's more? Well, the press release is also the occasion (at least for me) to learn that Mass Effect is indeed a trilogy. So I guess we may expect a Mass Effect 3 somewhere down the road, and possibly a "Cerberus Network Overload" going with it Grin

Discuss this news on the forum

The Foxhole

Related News And Articles