Free Mass Effect 3 DLC out next week
By
Eddie Makuch, News Editor
Biggest-ever multiplayer add-on for role-playing game Retaliation brings new enemy faction, class kits, "Hazard" version of existing maps, weapons, challenges, and upgrades.
BioWare will release the biggest downloadable content pack to date for Mass Effect 3 next week, the company has announced. The free Retaliation Pack is due out on October 9 in North America for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. It will arrive for PS3 in Europe on October 10.
The Retaliation Pack includes a range of new offerings, the first of which is a new enemy faction that features the Collector Praetorian, Scion, Abomination, Trooper, and Captain. Additionally, it brings the new Turian Havoc Soldier and Turian Ghost Infiltration to help combat the threat.
The DLC also adds new "Hazard" versions of existing maps, which feature new environmental hazards and traps. Further, the Retaliation Pack adds new unlockable weapons like the Collector Assault Rifle, Sub-Machine Gun, and Sniper Rifle.
Lastly, the multiplayer DLC brings a new multiplayer "challenge" feature that allows gamers to track progress against one another. By completing various assignments, players can unlock titles and banners that can be displayed in-game.
By
Eddie Makuch, News Editor
Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He works out of the company's Boston office in Somerville, Mass., and loves extra chunky peanut butter.
182 comments
"the multiplayer DLC brings a new multiplayer "challenge" feature that allows gamers to track progress against one another. By completing various assignments, players can unlock titles and banners that can be displayed in-game."
I think this describes the mechanics of me3 to the full. Trophy /achievement hunter?s paradise. It was never meant to be a single player game but a multi player game. And I so wished they would have done so instead of adding the single player like an unloved addition. That way I would, maybe, still be able to play me1 and 2?.
I appreciate that they release somewhat regular updates to the multiplayer, but that has really grown stale, if I just want cooperative PVE I have borderlands 2. I'll probably just wait until the next single player campaign hits. Thought leviathan was good, even if it was largely pointless story wise. Here's hoping for the Omega dlc, and the ability to shoot Aria in the face with an assault rifle.
Finally there sounds to be something worthwhile. Too bad it requires Gold just to play single player. Probably the reason why all this is free.
My Mass is so ERRECT for this!! just one more day!!!
"One mo' LEEFFFFT!" -Drell voice in MP when 1 enemy is left =D
1 Like The only way I could enjoy this better is if the Collector Theme plays during boss waves now. :)
3 Like Although I did enjoy it, I eventually got bored with ME3's MP. And like most, I wasn't to thrilled with the randomness of the upgrades. But, free if free, so I might have to dust off the ol' ME3 box and give the game another spin....... at least until I get bored with it again. ;)
1 Like Does it include a good ME3 ending? Then IDFC! BIOWARE SUCKS WORST COMPANY EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1 Like They were good if not generic.
The thing I've noticed with you brain-dead idiots is you need everything spelled and painted word for word before you have a basic concept of any narrative given to you.
3 Like Let me spell someting out for you.
Most of us dont like the ending STILL (even after EC) is not because we cant rap our tiny little heads around it. Its because there are even more inconsistencies then before the EC and even more plot holes because of the EC.
BTW...They (bioware) were not good at all with the narrative at the end. Its a copy and paste ending from Deus Ex, hell even the consequences are the exact same, its so much the same infact that its just sad.
@i_like_pie223 @emperiox @Brean24 @Skyrim25 @MysteryJ0ker Bioware explained it themselves when they said they were planning to have intdoctrination, but there were issues with the gameplay so they scrapped it.
10 bucks says that was to be the epic end twist, but they decided to simply remove it and rewrite the material they had.
1 Like @Skyrim25 @MysteryJ0ker @emperiox What do you mean more plot holes after EC? The EC literally explains everything that wasn't explained before the EC. It explains the "star child", it explains the three endings, it explains what happens with your squadmates, it explains what happened after the Mass Relays were shut down. I'm sorry but if you still had issues with the ending after the EC, that's one thing, but to say there were more plot holes and inconistencies is simplly factually incorrect.
3 Like ...But can we hand-pick our upgrades yet? Guess not. So here's a bunch of free new DLC that you can't use unless you happen to randomly find stuff in one of the packs.Hell, I'm still trying to unlock stuff from the FIRST DLC release.But, at least it's free. <grin>
2 Like I guess it's good news for those that still play ME3 MP. Personally, I got really bored with the uninspiring promotion & unlock system really fast. Oh, and it's pretty hilarious to see Bioware still trying to salvage their image by releasing free stuff. You can't question their commitment!
3 Like I don't get why ME3 MP doesn't have an unlock system similar to BF3, Just makes more sense then the "here's a present box full of stuff, hope you don't get something you already have...for the 5th *&#$ing time"
3 Like @Nerdonomicon funny I seem to notice a lot more praise for the company in recent months. Here is a different story all together though. I didn't like the ending but guess what one crappy ending isn't going to kill me. Leviathan was good, Omega will be better and BW model for multiplayer was in place before the game went on to store shelves so the ending controversy has nothing to do with them giving us awesome free content in MP. I for one am excited to see the return of a interesting enemy and more new content including 16 new kits, six redesigned maps, and much more.
@drago17 An interesting enemy that the point of the last game was to destroy completely. Pulling this one nullifies all of this, for once. As for your point, I don't really know. While the multiplayer expansions were consistently good in my opinion, I honestly didn't like Leviathan very much - once again they'd tried to repent for the awful ending by explaining more of it, but the more they explain the deeper into the metaphorical mud they push themselves. I really think they should cut their losses in this regard, as much as I love the Mass Effect games.
its too late for a re-amped MP for this game. majority left after realizing there isn't much competition on this game. i only play during wknd operations and thats about it
People who are STILL playing ME3's tacked on multiplier need a EBgames gift card for Christmas this year because I have a hard time believing the multiplier is that fun/rewarding.
8 Like @redness19 really? I have issues playing MP of ME3, it's fun, and this DLC being free and quite large I am surprised, very few if any companies issues DLCs this size for free
@thorn3000 @redness19 "very few if any companies issues DLCs this size for free"
Its like you completely have no idea what you are talking about.
EA Defense Forces member spotted.
Most PC developers give free DLC all the time.
1 Like @jorge69696 @thorn3000 @redness19 Skyrim doesn't have free DLC, it has mods, which is different. Max Payne 3 doesn't have free DLC, you have to pay for it like Skyrim. Black Mesa Source isn't DLC, it's a remake of Half Life 1, it's a mod at worst, a full game at best, still not free DLC. The only game you listed that has actual free DLC is Witcher 2. Also Max Payne 3 doesn't have mods, Black Mesa Source doesn't mods, it's a mod itself, but regardless, Mass Effect 3 is moddable, some games just don't build up a good modding community. ME3, Max Payne 3 are two of them.
@thorn3000 @redness19 Skyrim, Max Payne 3, The Witcher 2, Black Mesa Source.
Also, any moddable game has basically, free dlc. It's even better than dlc because it is not limited by the developer.
@jorge69696 @redness19 can you back up that claim with any examples of free DLCs in the last 3 years? 3 different examples should be enough, if it's really "Most PC developers give free DLC all the time" you should have no issue what-so-ever finding 3 examples (besides Bioware) in the last 3 years...
3 Like @jorge69696 @thorn3000 @redness19 Most PC developers give free DLC all the time.???? Look at all the DLC you have to pay for on steam. Times have changed.
Instead of continuing to release free DLC that expands multiplayer, why can't EA/BioWare do what they should have done in the first place and give the PC version the attention it deserves?
The way ME1 was ported is the way ME2 and ME3 should have been handled. Instead, in both cases we've got broken console ports that show the disrespect the publisher and developer have for their most lucrative customers.
Give us higher resolution textures, controller support, a non-broken menu system and hotkeys. Rocksteady, Square Enix, Crytek and Gearbox are able to take care of their PC customers properly, and given the projected download size Ubisoft will be doing so as well with AC3.
The game, in spite of being an excellent example of storytelling, the PC version is a pathetic console port of a game that targets two 6 year old hardware configurations and makes compromises to hit both.
3 Like @mostevilmuppet you mad? why want controller support for the PC? Pc has the mouse as native to is, besides a mouse is 1 gazilion better then a controller for aiming is shooter or part shooters like ME ....I played all three mass effect and have not seen any evidence of your so called "bad porting"...have you played Resident evil 4 or Dark Souls? those are bad ports...mass effect is one of the best, I have not even noticed they were ports in any way...I have also not seen any evidence of broken menu system or bad resolution for textures, don't know what kind of game you are playing but you need to lay off the weed...
I'm definitely not mad.
Controller support for a game designed for consoles makes sense - surely you can see that? The fact that keys cannot be remapped and the same key is used for running, taking cover, vaulting and interacting is of very poor design.
Regarding the ports being poor, you will be able to appreciate this. Look at ME1 on your PC - you have rebindable keys, graphical options, hotkeys for things such as the journal and squad screen and consistent behaviour in menus. Looking at ME3, you can change the selection with the keyboard in some cases but not others, you can activate the selection with the keyboard in some but not others and you cannot navigate stores entirely with the keyboard, requiring you to use the mouse to buy items whilst the actual item of selection is changed as you move over each item - even the main menu screen is an example of this.
Looking at the textures, it is clear that they are of low resolution - look at the jagged parts of various Alliance uniforms of Garrus' collar.
I don't need to lay of the weed at all (such comments do not help anyone) - put a game like Sleeping Dogs or Arkham City on PC against the version available for PS3 or XBox 360 and you'll see the improvements that are available due to less downscaling of textures to compensate for memory constraints and better leveraging available APIs and graphical capabilities.
Taking games such as Mass Effect 3 or Darksiders II and putting them through the same comparison will show you that the game has simply been transported as-is to PC without giving PC customers the benefit of better graphical assets even though doing so is of minimal effort for the developer and the profit per PC customer is significantly higher than per console customer given the lack of platform royalties involved.
That said, I'm actually chuffed to bits that they're adding hazards to the maps. If I had invested more time into the multiplayer and knew all of the maps like the back of my hand like most people probably do, the hazards add a nice challenge to all of the maps. I love seeing Bioware's great efforts to balancing the multiplayer classes and weapons, if only this much effort had been presented from the beginning or if multiplayer had gotten its own game, maybe things wouldn't have gone to sh!t like it did.
To me, Casey Hudson is a four letter word from now on and Bioware's last chance to redeem themselves in my eyes is Dragon Age III Inquisition. Casey seems to refuse to correct the spacechild mistake and retcons his own lore on the Citadel's function, it just proves a point like a hammer to the nail, that Casey gives zero fvcks about his fans.
4 Like The rEApers have finally consumed Bioware completely. They tried to warn us and..we didn't listen! We didn't listen!WE DIDN'T LISTEN!
WE.DIDN'T.LISTEN!
I understand that they can't really have post-final-mission DLC, but quite frankly that is all I really want since most people I know stopped playing the multiplayer.
LOL ah internet trolls and others who have no know classification, Have yet again proved to me and all who reads the comment section and possibly the world. That the human race is indeed the most absurd and childish things to ever come to be how some of you have made it this long, well it just goes well beyond any logic -.-
3 Like Whenever I see new multiplayer dlc oming out I think of just how much stuff shepard missed
5 Like It's free because Bioware knows most people don't give a damn about the crappy multiplayer on SINGLE-PLAYER game. It's funny reading all the comments from idiots acting like we should be happy for something like this, when in reality if bioware truly wanted to make us happy, they'd give us one of the single-player DLCs for free. But of course, the pathetic DLC apologists thinks that just because we get free, lame multiplayer DLC, we should all be happy and ignore the legitimate concerns that have been raised.
3 Like @pound-u And what makes your view right as a posed to the people who do like the multiplayer? and if you dont like the multiplayer why are you reading a news article on the MULTIPLAYER dlc anyway?
@everyday182 @pound-u The title of the article only says free DLC, not which side of the game to which it applies.
5 Like everything coming regarding mass effect is interesting to me, no bitc**ng nor complaining, love this stuff and looking forward to explore this DLC regardless if its free or not....
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Mass Effect 3
- Publisher(s): Electronic Arts
- Developer(s): BioWare
- Genre: Role-Playing
- Release:
- Classification Board: MA
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