Mass Effect 2 Arrival DLC Reviews

Based on these latest reviews for Arrival, I’m not sure that the Mass Effect 2 DLC is getting the reception BioWare was hoping for.

GameSpot gives it a 5.0/10:

Decent shooting does not make for a fitting finale to Mass Effect’s second chapter, however–not when prior add-ons have set the bar so high. Compared to what has come before in this universe, Arrival is a husk–outwardly familiar, yet lacking the character and careful construction that give Mass Effect 2 its soul. This is how a game can suffer when the elements that make it special are remixed or removed. By withholding excellent characters, squad banter, and the element of choice, Arrival transforms Mass Effect 2 into a mediocre third-person shooter.

IndianVideoGamer gives it a 5/10:

In the wake of excellent add-ons such as Project Overlord and Lair of the Shadow Broker, Arrival feels like nothing more than a playable trailer for Mass Effect 3. Through this forgettable piece of DLC, Bioware has demonstrated the different ways Mass Effect 2 could have gone wrong, and by clocking at just above an hour on normal difficulty, it is not doing any favours to its Rs 390 price tag. It’s a pity that a game as glorious as Mass Effect 2 gets a swan song where every note is off-key.

Gameolio gives it a 6/10:

While Arrival did have some genuinely good moments in it, I felt a little short changed at it’s conclusion. There is a plot, and yes it does explain a couple things relevant to Mass Effect 3, but not in the scope I imagined it to be. The ending of Mass Effect 2 gave me all the information I really needed, this felt more or less supplementary to that. At 560 MS points I would say it better to catch this when it is a deal of the week. If your totally fanatical about Mass Effect 2 I would imagine you’d have already bought the DLC by now — what did you think about it?

God is a Geek gives it an 8/10:

It’s great to get some more out of this title, especially with the next instalment looming on the horizon. Although Arrival will only take a few hours to finish, it definitely is worth purchasing and is an absolute must if you are a fan of this epic saga, as it will also give you an idea as to how Mass Effect 3 will begin. If you take Arrival in the context that it is supposed to be played, then it is a good addition to the Mass Effect universe. It may not be as explosive as Shadow Broker, but it does deliver some bang for your buck.

And GameTrailers gives it an 8.2/10 in their video review.