Don't get me wrong, Arrival sits comfortably between Overlord and Lair of the Shadow Broker in terms of quality and I still want to play Mass Effect 3 badly, but I don't want play it that much more badly after having played Arrival.
Arrival is Bioware's farewell to Mass Effect 2, and what a farewell this is. It's a really exiting mission that explains things leading to Mass Effect 3 and after you've finished it, you're left wanting nothing but more of this. Now, if only it was a little longer.
The Arrival DLC is a must own for Mass Effect 2 fans who are going to buy the sequel, it sets the tone perfectly, not only that but it gets you totally pumped for Mass Effect 3, and everything that happens in this DLC will play a pretty large role in the next game, I don't want to spoil anything about the story but lets just say that you seriously need to get this, it's definitely worth the price of admission, and has is decent in length, you will also play this without the help of your followers which makes combat more intense, my only complaints are that, you don't get to make any choices as it's all basically predetermined what happens, and that you can't always control what Shepard says, when your watching Shepard having a conversation in where you don't get to control what he/she says (which happens a lot) it takes out a lot of the RPG feel to the game, but the fact that is so much fun and that it ties in so closely to Mass Effect 3 make this a must download, and makes the wait for Mass Effect 3 almost unbearable.
Im not sure if its because Mass Effect 2 is such a great game that people had really high expectations for this DLC or if im just a **** for anything from the Mass Effect universe. I personally enjoyed this DLC quite a bit; however, not as much as i did LotSB or Overlord (i personally loved Overlord). There aren't any 'wow' moments in this DLC, but on the flipside, you wont be bored either. Its simply a fun expansion and that'll last a good couple hours. Definitely worth the 7 dollars.
Arrival is a DLC expansion on the lighter end of the scale, that doesn't really add anything new to the series, and with only about an hour of playtime, it's a little short, too. However, the quality of what is here is up to the same high standard that we're used to from Mass Effect. An essential purchase only if you're starving for more Mass Effect, whereas the rest of us can probably wait until Mass Effect 3.
Another DLC for Mass Effect 2 turned out to be quite mediocre. The story on its micro level doesn't bring about impressions similar to the basic game. Lack of emotional ties with the main female character and very few moral choices don't engage the player. However, this DLC is being saved from oblivion due to the macro level of presetned events and their connection to the main storyline. Reapers' involvement plays an important part.
It definitely feel overpriced compared to the experience in Lair of the Shadow Broker and can easily be skipped without missing out on events that lead up to ME3. However if you are a Mass Effect 2 junkie, you might find a sliver of entertainment value in Arrival, assuming you love fighting solo and don't give a hoot about the story arc.
For a piece of DLC that offers so little, $7.00 seems steep. Save some hard-earned money and watch the videos of it on YouTube instead… the most relevant bits can be seen in a minute or two, and those Microsoft points can instead be spent on something more substantial.
i liked this DLC a lot.
it was combat focused. whether that's good or bad is up to you. the first part reminded me a lot of splinter cell, which was a nice reprieve from the standard run and gun game play.
the second part was VERY combat focused. the ending was great. i won't spoil it but it's defiantly one of this "holy s***" moments.
is it a GREAT dlc compared to lair of the shadow broker? not at all.
is it a GREAT dlc for 7 dollars? you bet your a** is it.
Short DLC for Mass Effect 2, which links the game to Mass Effect 3. In general, the passage itself takes 2 hours about. And little is remembered at all except Shepard 's final escape from an asteroid flying to Mass Relays. Notably, in Mass Effect 3, the Alliance board will blame Shepard primarily not for his connection to Cerber, but for destroying the system with Mass Relays.
A very short chapter that really tells you nothing new, nothing that you didn't already know and expect in the upcoming ME 3 game. Sadly, this feels more like a quick cash-in then a true attempt to add something new to bridge the gap between ME 2 and ME 3. Sadly, Bioware was riding high on its DLC, but to make this the last one, is truly a disappointing way to treat its fans! Passing this up will in no way truly impact you in the story telling. Only, and I mean Only pick this up, if you are a Die-Hard Must have it all, Mass Effect Fan, all others may pass it up!
Nowhere near the standard set by Lair of the Shadow Broker. And no companions allowed?? WTF? On the upside, voice acting by Jennifer Hale still superb.
SummaryIn Mass Effect: Arrival, Commander Shepard is sent to the edge of the galaxy to rescue an undercover operative who may have evidence of an imminent Reaper invasion that has been looming since the very beginning of the series. Returning and playing a prominent role in Mass Effect: Arrival is fan favorite Admiral Hackett, who is voiced by ...