The mission to defreeze Javik is short, and you can beat it easily within about half an hour. If you're looking for a chunk of content as substantial as Mass Effect 2's Lair of the Shadow Broker you'll probably come away disappointed, and Javik doesn't really dramatically affect anything about the Mass Effect 3 campaign.
I love the Mass Effect Series, and for the enjoyment they give me, a bargain. The added squad member is my favorite so far, a bad-ass in combat and lots and lots of backstory for those (like me) who love the story and know it backwards and forwards. I bought all the ME2 DLC and based on the quality of this one, will probably buy all the DLC for ME3 as well. The story and integration into the main quest is also superbly done. Would I rather it be free? yes, I would prefer if everything were **** if you don't think that all that extra content is worth the same amount as 1.5 value meals at McDonalds then your priorities are different than mine.
From Ashes plunks a relatively mundane mission but sweetens the deal with a provocative, highly interesting additional party member. Given the gravity of said party member, how this wasn't a part of Mass Effect 3 is mind blowing. Is From Ashes exploitive? Probably, but Mass Effect 3 as a whole stands to benefit from his presence and I regret completing the game without him.
As Mass Effect DLC goes, From Ashes isn't as spectacular or impactful as ME2's Lair of the Shadow Broker; it's more a carbon copy of Kasumi - Stolen Memory, the companion DLC for ME2's thief character, Kasumi Goto.
Mass Effect 3: From Ashes is a missed chance from BioWare to create a DLC woth buying despite its cost. A mission way too short and poorly structured don't justify the price of what could have been a more complex and intricated piece of story and lore.
An awesome DLC! A new squad member and and a new mission! I love downloadable content for Bioware games they have so much in them! New experience in a new way!
Okay, the Day 1 DLC of such an important character is a terrible business practice, and his Eden Prime mission is really not long. However, the squadmember is really good in multiple ways.
He is a great character to interact with, and he has content throughout the game, and he has some great skills which make him a must have for players. Still, since I have to rate it, as a DLC, this is quite expensive. 7/10.
If you have Mass Effect 3 you need this DLC because it adds so much to the overall package, new story elements, a new character, and some sweet new bonuses, and the only reason I'm not giving it a higher score is because it does feel like a way for Bioware to take more of are cash by not including it with the main game, but overall I can't help but realize that every Mass Effect 3 player needs this DLC, with it you gain a new follower who is the last surviving Prothean so that alone adds many new story inclusions, and more information on the Protheans is pretty sweet, and he's just so curious and strangely likable I can't help but see him as a welcome addition to my squad, and to sweeten the deal with this DLC Bioware gives us two new achievements, and the sweet new Particle Rifle that's so powerful you feel like your carrying the Death Star into a battle, the rifle also has recharging ammo, and if you combine it with incendiary ammo and you have one of the most powerful and fun weapons in video game history, so if your playing Mass Effect 3 you need this DLC, sure Bioware is just trying to take more of our money by not including it in the main game, but you are doing yourself a disservice by not buying it for that reason, so you know what to do, go buy this now.
The mission was pretty forgettable. Afterward, I found I wasn't that interested in the new character and never used him. Talking to him was distracting on account of his clearly terrestrial accent, though a few interesting tidbits of backstory about the Protheans did crop up. I suspect From the Ashes was, at least initially, planned as a standard part of ME3, and was later removed to be offered as DLC, but that's just conjecture on my part. Of course, ME3 isn't really worth playing anyway, so the value of this DLC is largely moot.
Unlike what seems like almost *everyone* here rating the DLC based off of when it was released,(although it was an insulting move by itself, i'll admit) For the price you pay, the mission is painfully short, and Javik's lines of dialogue are hardly worth the money. While it was interesting to finally get a view of the protheans, I feel like they could have easily integrated Javik and his mission into the game and released ME3 without day-one DLC. A blatant attempt to take more of your money *after* you spent $60 dollars on a *full* game. If your interested in lore, the Mass Effect "wikia" is free.
SummaryUnearth lost secrets from the past and recruit the Prothean squad member in The Prothean Pack. Also includes a new appearance for each squad member. NOTE: Collectors Edition copies of Mass Effect 3 include a code for this content. [Xbox.com]