Mass of Mass Effect news.

Fans of Mass Effect rejoice, for there is a sum of news for your beloved franchise. Bioware learned from the mistakes of games like Fallout 3 and their own Mass Effect 1. Closing the game down after the game is bad for business and bad for gamers. Even after the main quest is done, there is usually a thing or two missed by players which means there's still unplayed content! It also makes it hard to release DLC. Mass Effect 2 has fixed that though and is still kicking. So lets get to it, there's a few things to go over.

What's this? A gift for me?

This is something that happened very quietly and if you don't load your game up every day, you might have missed it. Bioware actually released yet another weapon via the Cerberus Network. This time they have released a heavy weapon by the name of ARC Projector. According to the Mass Effect website's arsenal page;

"The Arc Projector ionizes targets with a non-visible laser to ready them for a high-voltage electrical attack. As the lightning-like bolt hits its first target, a sophisticated auto-targeting system paints succeeding targets with the ionization laser, allowing the electricity to take the path of least resistance and arc between them."

If there was anything left in the universe for me to kill, I would totally check this one out...





Bioware gives the old one two!

Bioware has also announced the release date for two more DLC packs. On March 23rd they will be releasing both the "Firewalker" and "The Alternate Appearance Pack" DLC for Mass Effect 2.

Firewalker will be available for free for those connected to the Cerberus Network and will not only add 5 new missions, but will also add a ground vehicle. As players of the first Mass Effect will thankfully note, the Mako was missing from Mass Effect 2. Bioware is hoping the new Hammerhead hovering heavy assault vehicle will be everything that the Mako wasn't. Specifically, fun and entertaining.

The Alternate Appearance Pack will be the first bit of DLC released that will not be free to Cerberus Network users. For the small sum of 160 Microsoft Points (two dollars), you will be able to add additional outfits for your crew. My favorite so far is hands down Jack's Doc Brown wrap around sunglasses.

Cerberus gives you a Goto woman
Lastly in DLC news, in April Bioware will be releasing another premium DLC titled "Kasumi- Stolen Memory." Apparently in this new mission you receive the services of master thief Kasumi Goto as you help in some sort of heist all Thomas Crown Affair style. According to Mass Effect's DLC page you will apparently be attending a party for "the galaxy's richest and most deranged criminal minds to recover data of great importance to Kasumi... and to the galaxy at large."

Along with the new crewman and mission, you will also be getting some new casual attire, weapon(s), research upgrade(s), and achievement(s). The pricing has not been announced yet, but word has it this DLC will be hitting land on April 6th. Hopefully it won't break our bank accounts.

License Ho!
Fresh off the success of the Mass Effect Redemption mini-series, Dark Horse has acquired the license to create an ongoing Mass Effect title. Details are scarce at this point, but they did say the story will be taking place after the second game. I think it will be safe to say that many of your favorite characters will not make an appearance, but most of us will be reading it anyways...