Mass effect trilogy dlc help

[verdugo136]

I downloaded the trilogy and i want to know somethings.

A. the mass effect wiki says some dlc was on disc, is that the same for the downloaded version?

B. what dlc do i still need?

 

[RJ 17]

A: Not really certain.

B: As for "What DLC Do I Need"? As long as you have the following you should be good to go. If you don't have the following, then this is what I would recommend.

ME1: Bringing Down the Sky (think that's what it's called).

ME2: Lair of the Shadow Broker (highly recommended)
Overlord (Interesting to play through, but not really that vital)
Arrival (Again, fun to play through, but can be skipped)
Kasumi and Zaaed (DLC characters, both are pretty fun but not absolutely essential)

ME3: Citadel (This is really the must-get DLC of the series)
Javik (DLC character that was very likely on the disc day-1...don't know if it was ever proven or not. Considering how much he adds to the story, it's hard to believe he wasn't originally intended to be in it)

Leviathan (Pretty neat, but not vital. Gives lots of background information on The Reapers)

Omega (Meh, I was unimpressed by this one...plus it's pretty buggy and just kinda feels hollow. It was mainly spit out as a big piece of fan service for people who just couldn't get enough of the Omega setting and absolutely loved a certain character named Aria)

So to review, "essential" DLC would be:
Bringing Down the Sky
Lair of the Shadow Broker
Javik
Citadel

All the rest can be given a pass, but they're still fun in their own right if you really enjoy the series and just want to do more in the game universe.

 

[ffronw]

*snip*

ME3: Citadel (This is really the must-get DLC of the series)

I think all of this is right except this one. Citadel was the worst of all the Mass Effect DLCs in my book. The tone was off, and it didn't feel like something that belonged. What it felt like to me was that Bioware was clinging to the idea that the people who were upset about the ending were angry because the ending wasn't happy, and rather than find out they were wrong, they just dashed off this "house party" DLC to give people a happy ending of sorts.

It's more like fan service than anything else.

Back when I was still with GameFront, we talked about this a lot, and we even had an article on the site about it. I don't expect you to read it, but if you're interested, here it is [http://www.gamefront.com/mass-effect-3s-citadel-bad-for-the-game-maybe-bad-for-the-future/].

 

[RJ 17]

*snip*

ME3: Citadel (This is really the must-get DLC of the series)

It's more like fan service than anything else.

That's exactly what it was meant to be. That's why the story line behind the actual mission is so absurd and silly, as well as why there's so many inside jokes and humor written into the dialogue as well as the party itself. It wasn't meant to be another apology for the ending or an attempt to make the ending "more happy", they already took their shot at that with the EC.

Citadel is not really meant to be taken seriously, or even really meant to be taken as part of the actual story of events of ME3...it's meant to be one last send-off, the last bit of single-player content with Shepard'n'Pals. Nothing but silliness and fun.

 

[ffronw]

That's exactly what it was meant to be. That's why the story line behind the actual mission is so absurd and silly, as well as why there's so many inside jokes and humor written into the dialogue as well as the party itself. It wasn't meant to be another apology for the ending or an attempt to make the ending "more happy", they already took their shot at that with the EC.

Citadel is not really meant to be taken seriously, or even really meant to be taken as part of the actual story of events of ME3...it's meant to be one last send-off, the last bit of single-player content with Shepard'n'Pals. Nothing but silliness and fun.

I don't know, it still just struck me as being really off-kilter. I can't explain it any better than that. I just know I did not enjoy it.

 

[RJ 17]

I don't know, it still just struck me as being really off-kilter. I can't explain it any better than that. I just know I did not enjoy it.

And hey, that's fair enough. You certainly don't have to like everything. I was just trying to explain that it's supposed to be off-kilter to the rest of the game.

On that note, however, just to be fair: I'm not certain if someone just now getting into the trilogy would have the same appreciation for the Citadel DLC as people who were on-board from the very beginning and literally spent years with these characters. As I said: it's really all about fanservice and spending some casual/silly time with the characters that (most of us) came to know and love over the years of playing and replaying the games.

 

[Beliyal]

On that note, however, just to be fair: I'm not certain if someone just now getting into the trilogy would have the same appreciation for the Citadel DLC as people who were on-board from the very beginning and literally spent years with these characters. As I said: it's really all about fanservice and spending some casual/silly time with the characters that (most of us) came to know and love over the years of playing and replaying the games.

I think Citadel could still be one of the best experiences, even if someone is just starting. Of course, provided they find the characters engaging and that they all survive until ME3. I mean, it takes a lot of time to play through the entire trilogy; if someone gets sufficiently enthralled by the world and characters, Citadel can still serve its purpose. I played the first two Mass Effects for the first time several months before the third was out, so I didn't exactly spent years waiting, but I was definitely engaged in the universe and have been replaying it several times, and still do every once in a while.

And I agree, Citadel is, to me, definitely a must-have DLC if you formed any connection with the characters. Its silliness was refreshing and welcome to me, just what I needed and it was well executed. Though I understand if some people found it too much. I'd still recommend trying it out though.

Captcha: finger lickin good. Rather appropriate.

 

[dangoball]

Is Bring Down the Sky still available somewhere? Last time I looked I couldn't find it...

I agree with the DLCs suggested in the first response, only that Arrival is actually quite important, if not to play through than at least read what happens there so you're not lost when everyone in ME3 starts calling your Shepard out for what happened in that DLC.

 

[RJ 17]

I agree with the DLCs suggested in the first response, only that Arrival is actually quite important, if not to play through than at least read what happens there so you're not lost when everyone in ME3 starts calling your Shepard out for what happened in that DLC.

If you don't get/play Arrival, then Shepard never completed that mission, it was just some random "black ops squad". The only thing the Alliance is still pissed off about is working for...the people you work for in ME2.

Almost dropped a spoiler.

 

[The Madman]

So I looked it up and depending on the platform you bought it on there can be a number of DLC that came included with the trilogy set. Assuming you bought it on the PC it will have come with the DLC for ME1 included and the 'cerberus network' which provides some smaller free DLC alongside Zaeed, but none of the major DLC for ME2 or 3 will have been included. So with that in mind if you're interested in buying the DLC, here's what you'll need to know:

Mass Effect 2​

-Kasumi - Stolen Memory: Good DLC, fun enough character, but not really essential to the plot in any way and although fun to poke around with Kasumi herself is not actually interactive like most of the standard crew of your ship. It's an entertaining enough piece of DLC but if you're looking to save money it can be safely skipped.

-Overlord: Again, good DLC but also non-essential. It doesn't provide any bonus characters or anything but is a good length mission with some interesting vehicle bits and an entertaining enough plot which ultimately ends up having little to nothing to do with the series overarching story. Again, not bad but can be safely skipped if you want to save money.

-Lair of the Shadow Broker: Essential. Probably my favourite piece of DLC in the entire Mass Effect series it's fairly important to the plot and provides one of the coolest missions in the franchise. This one is a must-buy for those interested in the 'full' sort of Mass Effect series. Might even be my favourite part of ME2, not just DLC, I really really liked this one and highly recommend it.

-Arrival: Plot heavily and important to the story, but sort of a bland mission even so. It's pretty integral to the overarching story and bridges the gap between Mass Effect 2 and 3's plot, but isn't terribly long or entertaining. Sort of a strange case then where how important it might be to you depends entirely on how heavy of a priority you place on story over gameplay and value.

Mass Effect 3​

-From Ashes: This piece of DLC frankly should have been in the default game as yes, it's pretty integral to the plot and yet was controversially offered as a piece of day 1 dlc and pre-order incentive as opposed to having been included for everyone as it probably should have been. Basically it gives a full new companion for the ME3 game that's well integrated into the crew (Unlike Kasumi and Zaeed from ME2's DLC) and some important story stuff. Kinda a must-buy, but it shouldn't be something you'd have to buy at all. I'm still grumpy about that.

-Leviathan: I actually quite liked this DLC but some others don't. In any case it's a solid piece of story content with a decent length and some fun gameplay and environments. It's not 'truly' story mandatory and ultimately doesn't add anything major to the game, but it's a fun adventure nonetheless. Worthwhile, but can be skipped if you wanna save pennies.

-Omega: This DLC is in the same vein as ME2's Overlord in that it's a pretty lengthy mission that's fun enough on it's own, but ultimately doesn't really contribute much to the overarching story. Pretty combat heavy so if you're really enjoying the gameplay it's a worthwhile buy, but from a pure story perspective it's pretty superfluous unless you really like Aria and Omega. Not bad, but can be skipped.

-Citadel: Some people love it, others hate it, but it's definitely worth playing. Citadel is a weird sort of DLC in that it's a basically a sort of love-letter to the franchise and in a way a letter of apology to the fans that were so angry about ME3's ending. Personally I love it, I love that it doesn't take itself too seriously and that it still manages some truly touching moments, but it's tonal shift compared to the apocalyptic vibe from the rest of ME3 can be a bit strange. Regardless of personal opinions though it's a huge piece of DLC that adds tons of content alongside a good length mission. Oddly enough I'd say worth buying, but wait till after you've already beaten ME3 to play it.

Think I'm going to save this post since ME's DLC comes up as a question pretty often and I actually put some time into this reply. In any case hope that helps!

 

[LetalisK]

The only one I would say you shouldn't get is Pinnacle Station. I like it, but it is kinda throw away DLC.

edit:

Oddly enough I'd say worth buying, but wait till after you've already beaten ME3 to play it.

Or right before the point of no return. Either way, it should be at the end of the game.

 

[Spushkin]

As I just bought Mass Effect Trilogy for PS3 as it was on Easter discount, I looked up what DLCs are included. If OP has a PS3 version this should help (or at least serve for comparison between platforms):

http://www.gamefaqs.com/ps3/684758-mass-effect-trilogy/answers/341891-dlc-included

 

[bigfatcarp93]

A: Not really certain.

B: As for "What DLC Do I Need"? As long as you have the following you should be good to go. If you don't have the following, then this is what I would recommend.

ME1: Bringing Down the Sky (think that's what it's called).

ME2: Lair of the Shadow Broker (highly recommended)
Overlord (Interesting to play through, but not really that vital)
Arrival (Again, fun to play through, but can be skipped)
Kasumi and Zaaed (DLC characters, both are pretty fun but not absolutely essential)

ME3: Citadel (This is really the must-get DLC of the series)
Javik (DLC character that was very likely on the disc day-1...don't know if it was ever proven or not. Considering how much he adds to the story, it's hard to believe he wasn't originally intended to be in it)

Leviathan (Pretty neat, but not vital. Gives lots of background information on The Reapers)

Omega (Meh, I was unimpressed by this one...plus it's pretty buggy and just kinda feels hollow. It was mainly spit out as a big piece of fan service for people who just couldn't get enough of the Omega setting and absolutely loved a certain character named Aria)

So to review, "essential" DLC would be:
Bringing Down the Sky
Lair of the Shadow Broker
Javik
Citadel

All the rest can be given a pass, but they're still fun in their own right if you really enjoy the series and just want to do more in the game universe.

...Are we maybe forgetting the Extended Cut? That's actually kind of critical.

Spoiler

Regardless of your opinion as to the ending being good or bad with or without it, you can't deny that it's at least explained a lot better with the EC>

 

[bigfatcarp93]

I downloaded the trilogy and i want to know somethings.

A. the mass effect wiki says some dlc was on disc, is that the same for the downloaded version?

B. what dlc do i still need?

Bring Down the Sky, Shadow Broker, Extended Cut (Free), From Ashes (Might be free, can't remember), Arrival and Citadel are critical.

Next on the list, Overlord and Leviathan are really good, Leviathan, Kasumi and Zaeed are fairly important. I also like Firewalker, but it's come to my attention that I'm pretty much alone there, and most people hate it. So maybe skip Firewalker.

EDIT: Also, as some people are saying, Arrival and Citadel must be played AFTER the main stories of their respective games.

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

I think all of this is right except this one. Citadel was the worst of all the Mass Effect DLCs in my book. The tone was off, and it didn't feel like something that belonged. What it felt like to me was that Bioware was clinging to the idea that the people who were upset about the ending were angry because the ending wasn't happy, and rather than find out they were wrong, they just dashed off this "house party" DLC to give people a happy ending of sorts.

It's more like fan service than anything else.

Back when I was still with GameFront, we talked about this a lot, and we even had an article on the site about it. I don't expect you to read it, but if you're interested, here it is [http://www.gamefront.com/mass-effect-3s-citadel-bad-for-the-game-maybe-bad-for-the-future/].

But that was the whole point! It was comical, deliberately! I mean you could have Grunt and Wrex get into a "SHEPARD!" shouting match, and Shepard him/her-self makes fun of the whole "I should go" meme.

Spoiler

And you could tell how absurd the cast thought the whole clone story line was, especially with the Traynor's tooth brush and space hamster jokes.

It was very self aware and tongue-in-cheek, like the Saints Row games. Remember, fan service is perfectly fine, especially if its the last thing they do for the Mass Effect trilogy. I considered it Bioware's way of saying "Thanks for the Ride!"

 

[K12]

I think that the Zaaed DLC is free so there's no reason not to get it. He's not the most original character (grizzled, gruff-voiced, cynical ex-mercenary) but he's a fairly good version of that character. And the Extended Cut DLC is definitely free.

In order of importance (of the DLC I own) I'd say:

Citadel (people who want everything ultra-serious all the time might not like it but it's the most fun part of the whole series, maybe treat it as an emotional breather before the darker main story finale if you care that much about the difference in tone)

Lair of the Shadow Broker (just generally great, especially if you like Liara)

From the Ashes (Javik definitely should've been part of the main game but hey EA needs that sweet sweet money)

Arrival (This should be done after the main story. The events of this and LOTSB are assumed to have happened in ME3 whether you actually do them or not)

Kasumi - Stolen Memory (doesn't add that much but it's a bit different and you get the full character roster with her)

Overlord (fun extra, maybe miss it if you're planning to go Renegade because the Renegade option is both evil and stupid)

Leviathan (weird and slightly preempts revelations in the main games ending but enjoyable)

Omega (combat combat combat, I'd miss it personally)

 

[RJ 17]

...Are we maybe forgetting the Extended Cut? That's actually kind of critical.

Spoiler

Regardless of your opinion as to the ending being good or bad with or without it, you can't deny that it's at least explained a lot better with the EC>

That's true, for some reason I just imagined that if the OP is just now buying the games that the EC would actually be included in it.

If it's not, then yeah, the EC is pretty vital.

 

[Auron225]

So to review, "essential" DLC would be:
Bringing Down the Sky
Lair of the Shadow Broker
Javik
Citadel

I'm not sure I'd call Bringing Down the Sky essential :/ Don't get me wrong, I loved it - it's a fantastic mission and it's tons of fun but I wouldn't think it integral to the plot. The other 3 I whole-heartedly agree with.

OT: The only DLC I never got was Arrival for ME2 - not so much out of choice, but just cause I didn't know it existed when I was already playing ME3. I'm saving it now for my next playthrough of the series.

That list sums up the essential ones well. For general enjoyment purposes, I'd also recommend;

Kasumi & Zaaed (ME2)- both interesting characters and they can have minor roles in ME3.
Leviathan (ME3)- extra knowledge on the Reapers from a whole other perspective really adds to it, but not essential like the others.

Overlord (ME2) and Omega (ME3) are entertaining enough, but if you are hesitant to get every DLC then these are the two I'd recommend ignoring. All things considered - they contribute the least to the actual plot.

EDIT: Almost forgot. For the love of all that is good and righteous - make SURE you have the Extended Cut Ending DLC downloaded and installed before you finish ME3. I know that won't happen for a while but if you only install ONE DLC, make sure it's that one!

 

[laggyteabag]

Is Bring Down the Sky still available somewhere? Last time I looked I couldn't find it...

If you are buying it on a console, it should be available on the store, but if you are looking to get it on PC, you have to ask EA support to give you a code (which is free), as Origin doesn't offer it for whatever reason.