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Review Mass Effect 2 - Overlord DLC Review

VentilatorOfDoom

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Tags: BioWare; Mass Effect 2

<p>The latest DLC entry for BioWares Mass Effect 2 <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/mass-effect-2-overlord-review?page=1" target="_blank">receives the review treatment</a> by Eurogamer scoring 8/10. Did BioWare put up an effort to increase their DLC quality which rivaled Bethesda's so far?</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Overlord, the latest and largest of the Mass Effect DLC packs, is a mixed bag in the best possible way. It's a medium-sized adventure that never lets one gameplay element dominate for too long, leavening the expected duck-and-cover combat with openworld exploration and a dash of environmental puzzling, all wrapped up in a story that builds to a satisfying and pathos-heavy finale. It is almost exactly what you want from a low-priced downloadable add-on.</p>
<p>...</p>
<p>Where the DLC drops the ball is in the way your characters react to what happens, or rather don't react. At all. Shepherd gets dialogue in a handful of new cut-scenes, but with 12 potential companions to cater for, there clearly wasn't any budget for new voiceover work in-game.</p>
<p>While that may be understandable from a practical development standpoint, it's a noticeable omission as a player. The circumstances of the ending are such that characters like Jack, Mordin and Legion would certainly have something to say, but seeing them standing mute reminds you that they're just digital puppets, not the fleshed-out characters of the main game's storyline.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Spotted at: <a href="http://www.rpgwatch.com/#15154">RPGWatch</a></p>
 

Cenobyte

Prophet
Joined
Feb 13, 2010
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Japan
Are there gamers who still play this game? I've uninstalled it quite a while ago now...

Same with Dragon Age. And quite frankly, the new DLCs doesn't really interest me a bit.
 

Rhalle

Magister
Joined
Nov 25, 2008
Messages
2,192
Cenobyte said:
Are there gamers who still play this game? I've uninstalled it quite a while ago now...

Same with Dragon Age. And quite frankly, the new DLCs doesn't really interest me a bit.

Never finished DA and so haven't touched any DLC; finished ME2 and refuse to participate in any EA franchise-whoring, even if I were to steal it from the interwebs.

DLC is pretty much a non-starter as far as I'm concerned.
 

Achilles

Arcane
Joined
Sep 5, 2009
Messages
3,425
Ignoring. Will not post thoughts as I can't even be bothered to download it. DLC is evil and needs to die.
 

Drakron

Arcane
Joined
May 19, 2005
Messages
6,326
Well Overlord is not that interesting, its more of the same.

To start you get the Hovertank from the start, even if you dont even started Firewalker so were the fuck did it come from? Shepard ass? (mistake nº1)

Then remember Legion? that NPC that come so late you have about 2 missions with him before LOL KIDNAPPINGS! kicks in? well the DLC is bugged as taking Legion and Tali (who are obvious choices as the only enemy type you face are robots) can make the game crash when going to one of the areas (mistake nº2 and more serious that nº1).

Also as you cannot save when in the Hovertak you are kinda fucked with going to one of the bases as someone decided it was a good idea to getting there be a environmental "puzzle", as in jumping from platforms to platforms in a lava river ... at least provide some parking spaces so we can save the game instead of "we you are going to die so let me rest to start from the beginning", its now pretty damn clear the hovertank is a POS that makes the Mako enjoyable and shoving it down on us is not going to make it more welcomed, its CRAP and the more we suffer with it, the more we hate it.

As Eurogamer puts, there is very limited voice acting ... besides Shepard(s) we have 2 more NPCs, there are some voice logs but hell do those count?

Its no "Bring Down The Sky" ... no new enemies, no new weapons, no new areas, Also it can be beaten in 1 and half hour.
 

Der_Unbekannte

Educated
Joined
May 12, 2010
Messages
554
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The Republic of Krautland
Drakron said:
As Eurogamer puts, there is very limited voice acting ... besides Shepard(s) we have 2 more NPCs, there are some voice logs but hell do those count?
Well that's the inherent flaw of the DLC concept. Why would you hire the original voice actors again just for 2 or 3 sentences. And in a game like Mass Effect where you got a shitload of companions that would be damn expensive.
 

Drakron

Arcane
Joined
May 19, 2005
Messages
6,326
Der_Unbekannte said:
Well that's the inherent flaw of the DLC concept.

No, its just a question of how much money are you willing to spend.

Look at Fallout 3 DLC that for most part featured plenty of dialog with a good amount of NPCs.

Why would you hire the original voice actors again just for 2 or 3 sentences.

They are doing that with Shepard(s) voice actors.

If you dont want to spend money with voice acting and clearly EA does not then do something else, like the weapons packs ... attempting to do missions and not spend any money with voice actors is just not going to work.

And in a game like Mass Effect where you got a shitload of companions that would be damn expensive.

Not all of your party members should have something to say but not seeing a NPC to react when they do in the game proper shows the problem with the DLC missions.

You expect Legion would have something to say when you get inside the Geth ship, you also expect Miranda to say something when in a Cerberus base.

Point is Bethsoft did set a bar with their Fallout 3 DLC as EA is not even trying with Mass Effect 2 DLC, it also falls short of "Bring Down the Sky" that had Kate, Simon, Charn and Balak and each was voiced by different voice actors and was far more of a interesting mission that DUR DUR CERBERUS GOES MISSING GO HELP IT SHEPARD.
 
Joined
Sep 4, 2009
Messages
3,520
Drakron said:
Also as you cannot save when in the Hovertak you are kinda fucked with going to one of the bases as someone decided it was a good idea to getting there be a environmental "puzzle", as in jumping from platforms to platforms in a lava river ... at least provide some parking spaces so we can save the game instead of "we you are going to die so let me rest to start from the beginning", its now pretty damn clear the hovertank is a POS that makes the Mako enjoyable and shoving it down on us is not going to make it more welcomed, its CRAP and the more we suffer with it, the more we hate it.

Really... you had problems with the jumping sections? They were stupid, but ridiculously easy. When you hit one, jump, aim at the next, accelerate. The new hovertank handles much better then the Mako. Pity we never do anything other then running around filler connecting areas with either of them, which makes both of them equally shitty ideas.

The only thing positive about the DLC is that it has some decent atmosphere at times.
 
Joined
Sep 4, 2009
Messages
3,520
Clockwork Knight said:
I still don't get how anyone had problems handling the mako, soooo...

It jumped around a crapload on uneven terrain, but thats more of a problem of Bioware deciding you need to scale mountains constantly, not the Mako itself.

The new hovercraft is a real joy, though. It has a turbo mode to accelerate faster, it has vertical thrusters, and it has in the air control (turn/accelerate/vertical thrust). But its never used for something that isn't Banal, Shit, Boring go from point A to point B because we like to make you waste time running around shit.
 

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