dlc

A while back, Bioware stated that the story between ME2 and ME3 would be told through ME2 DLC. The apparent first installment of that DLC has just been announced as "Lair of the Shadow Broker." Featuring a reunion with Liara, things might get awkward for anyone who dumped her for one of the new romance options!

This looks pretty exciting! I'd be ineterested to see if Liara's affection has any impact on dialog, though. These DLC packs tend to minimize the amount of voice work that needs to be done.

Some older news, as well - remember those Mass Effect: Redemption comics from Dark Horse? There's a new line of comics coming that will be telling the story of the Illusive Man. More information on that can be found here.

Back during E3, Bioware sneakily announced a new DLC pack for Dragon Age - Leliana's Song. And, it's out today! For all platforms! Surprise! $6.99, or 560 points, wherever those apply. You play as Leliana (with her same voice actress), exploring her past with Marjolaine, her mentor.

edit: Bioware also released the "Aegis Pack" of DLC for Mass Effect 2. It's 160 MS points, and includes a few new armor pieces for your N7 armor.

Well, the next bit of DLC for Dragon Age will be here on July 6 of this year. There's still no word on the next Dragon Age game, but this pack where you play through Leliana's past is oddly character-specific. I would not be surprised if this is the first of many character-based add-ons, but frankly, Leliana's my girl, so I'm content with just this!

The content is fully voiced, and shows why Leliana joined the Chantry before the events of Dragon Age: Origins. There's also a reward at the end that can be transferred into your Awakening or Origins save file.

E3 has everyone's attention elsewhere, but Bioware's just released new Mass Effect 2 DLC, named "Overlord." The pack costs 560 Microsoft points and features a new mission, heavier on action than previous DLC.

I'll be checking it out later tonight to see if this is the first step in telling the story between ME2 and ME3.

Earlier this week (March 23), a Cerberus Network DLC pack was released for Mass Effect 2, free to anyone who bought the game new or purchased Cerberus Network access. These Firewalker missions (five in all), have never really promised to be much. They're free. They represent content that was pushed out of the game proper. And, they bring back a remarkably hated driving mechanic from ME1. So is it worth your time?

Yeah, probably. Though really, anything that's free is technically worth your time, especially if its a new gameplay mechanic. I would say this is even worth some of your money, just based on the fact you get roughly an hour and a half out of it. These 5 missions are sort of pigeonholed into the game, immediately available via your terminal when you get free access to your ship. The first mission describes a scenario that has you recover the Hammerhead vehicle. This recovery consists of landing on a planet, walking 5 feet, then triggering a voice-less cutscene showing you approach the vehicle. Then, you're driving it. The rest of the mission is a loose tutorial/playground for you to figure out how it works. The next 3 missions are supposed to have been found through data you recovered in the last mission. One involves some pretty intense fighting, where you discover just how easy it is to blow up. There's no checkpointing, but that's not a huge problem since you can get through everything rather quickly. You take damage fast, but if you get out of the line of fire, you can recover quickly. Another mission has you essentially racing from checkpoint to checkpoint, refilling your timer slightly at each stop. That was thrilling for the few minutes it lasted. Then there's a sort of environmental hazard mission combined with some exploration on foot. No fighting in either of these. The last mission was fairly docile, with things to blow up, but not much you could really call "fighting."

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This is going to be quick, because I want to save my comments for after I play it, but new DLC for Mass Effect 2 is on its way in the very near future. Tuesday, March 23, the free Cerberus Network DLC for the Hammerhead (vehicle) missions will be released. Then, on April 6, the first paid DLC mission content will be released - Kasumi's Stolen Memory. This is a new character, so it's a recruitment mission, loyalty mission, and a barrel of fun dialog. It's not clear yet if she'll be terrible like Zaeed, though.

There's also a clothing pack with new clothes for Jack, Garrus, and Thane coming out on March 23. I can't imagine having to pay for this outside of Cerberus Network, but it's unclear right now. Garrus's thing fixes his armor finally.

This morning, the Return to Ostagar DLC for Dragon Age: Origins became available on Xbox Live, after over a week-long delay. The PC version should be available tonight, if it's not already, and the PS3 version is on its way in the near future. Apparently, Bioware doesn't really want you to know when to expect it.

I had some Microsoft points from Christmas, so I decided to plug them into DA:O content. I got Warden's Keep, which was a fun experience that supplies some utility to the game at large. There's new abilities, new items, and a party treasure chest for holding onto things without them taking up inventory. The story felt a bit less like filler than the one in Stone Prisoner with the random boss encounter, but it's worth a purchase just for the sake of having armor that looks cooler than the stock, recolored leather, chain, plate, etc.

Then, I played through Return to Ostagar. It has far fewer "utility" purposes, aside from allowing you to revisit things you potentially missed in your first time through the place. Notably, that includes adding the dog to your party and opening a chest by the mage's tent full of goodies (though nothing important). The story of the DLC has you returning to Ostagar for memorial purposes, as well as securing certain important documents that I have yet to see have an impact on the game at large (though it could, easily). It really is a lot of fluff, with some more chances to level up in a re-dressing of an area you've already been through, plus a small dungeon nearly identical to the one from the Dalish origin story.

To put it simply, the DLC might give you about an hour and a half worth of play time, as well as some new quips from your companions (mostly Alistair), a new gift for Alistair, and a rad set of armor and weaponry (that will just barely continue to be useful at the end of the game). For $5, it's worth it, if you liked the whole game; it adds an extra bit of content to lengthen that somehow enthralling story.

Yesterday, 360 and PC owners of Dragon Age expected to be able to download the new “Return to Ostagar” DLC for the low price of five dollars, but that was delayed. Instead, we got a glorious announcement of soon-to-be enjoyed DA:O riches. March 16 of this year, Bioware will release the first expansion to this wildly awesome game, entitled “Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening.”

Now, when I say “first expansion,” I refer to this tweet by BioWare noting specifically that it is the first expansion to the game. It’s true, there haven’t been any other expansions, so it is the first one, and it’s not a real confirmation, either. However, why would a developer say it’s the first if there isn't going to be a second? Hoho.

I will only speak in general terms for now, but you can see more details (full of spoilers) after the jump. This expansion pack will be sold for all relevant platforms at $40, and features a new villain, five new companion characters, and the option to start a new character at the point in the game where the content begins. It is indeed a continuation of the story from the first game, and it seems that many of the choices you made in your play-through will be carried over to the expansion content. A copy of Dragon Age will be required to play, so if this is something that sings to you, it might be a good time to get a hold of one of those.

Dragon Age: Origins is clear evidence of how exactly BioWare rose to prestige. They started out with basic enough concepts, adapting D&D campaigns into video games well enough that they started branching out into other franchises like Star Wars. Upon proving their chops with these games, they used their resources to develop an original franchise in Mass Effect, known for the kind of choice-based play that defines BioWare games. Then, in Dragon Age, they’ve gone back to their fantasy “roots,” defining a brand new universe apart from D&D entirely, populated by a vast history and cultural heritage. They know better than most that a player’s enjoyment of a game relies heavily upon story and characters.

So here we have the first of hopefully many installments of the Dragon Age universe, BioWare's return to the fantasy setting, free of the complicated D&D tropes used in Baldur’s Gate. Suffice it to say, I liked the game. I’m just about to start my second play-through, which is likely to be followed by a third, just for the achievements. This expansion just makes me more excited to see the various ways the game can end. Click “read more,” to see a spoiler-packed analysis and a trailer!