Mass Effect DLC pulls into orbit

  • By Emma Boyes, Tor Thorsen, GameSpot UK
  • Posted Feb 6, 2008 9:24 am PT

90-minute "Bring Down the Sky" mission will arrive March 10 and introduce a new world, achievement, and race from prequel novel to BioWare's platinum-selling RPG.

Today, BioWare unveiled the first downloadable content update for its popular sci-fi role-playing game Mass Effect. Even before the Xbox 360-exclusive game was released last fall, the Canada-based EA subsidiary had promised that it would release a series of updates for the game, which has already sold over 1 million copies worldwide.

Titled Bring Down the Sky, the update will include a new uncharted world and the introduction of the Batarians, the scheming alien race who clashed with humanity in the prequel novel Mass Effect: Revelation. The aliens have hijacked a mobile asteroid station in the Asgard region and set the ship on a collision course with nearby colony planet Terra Nova. Naturally, Commander Shepard is dispatched to foil the plot.

But while Bring Down the Sky is relatively cheap at just 400 Microsoft points (£3.40 or$5), it is also fairly short, adding only around 90 minutes of extra gameplay. Available on Xbox Live on March 10 at 2 a.m. PST, the game will also add an extra, as-yet-unnamed achievement worth 50 Gamerscore points.

268 Comments

  • TheKing867

    Posted Sep 17, 2008 7:37 pm PT

    I think they should make more DLC for Mass Effect.

  • matthew57

    Posted Aug 17, 2008 12:23 pm PT

    Can anyone tell me how i actually play bring down the sky, i`ve been told i go to the galaxy map but how do i do that, when i got to the end of the game it was mainly cutscenes and then shepard walks off and the credits came up and then it goes back to menu.

  • jdcheek

    Posted Aug 7, 2008 2:37 pm PT

    @MONKEY_SANDWICH

    B/c the game cost us $60 dollars already. That's why. I wasn't one of the ones complaining about paying but I can see that being the reason for so many complaints.

    It's not about the fact that it is inexpensive, it's the principle of the thing. Microsoft is content to squeezing every little bit of money they can out of us. It's rediculous that they do this with games like Halo 3 and CoD 4, where if you want to play online (mind you we already pay for that with Live Gold subscriptions) you really don't have a choice but to buy new maps. Maps that only give you 10 minutes of playtime at any given time.

    It's underhanded and dirty.

  • Teka522001

    Posted Mar 16, 2008 5:28 am PT

    Bring down the sky is a great add on and it is one of the best 90 minutes in the entire game. You can look down the back of your sofa and probably find £3.40 so why not get it!!! I really enjoyed it!

  • monkey_sandwich

    Posted Mar 11, 2008 5:34 pm PT

    this is awesome news. i dont see why so many ppl are complaining about having to pay for this. bioware have obviously spent time and money developing it, so why would they give it away?

  • chewygun

    Posted Mar 10, 2008 3:47 pm PT

    any chance of this DLC becoming free? oh wait, EA's in charge now.

  • appokalipto

    Posted Mar 7, 2008 3:18 pm PT

    this is awesome news , hope theres more sex scenes aswell

  • dark_onefff

    Posted Feb 24, 2008 10:49 pm PT

    come on people, its only $5 ( 400 MS pts.) its pocket change. Its only a rip off if the DLC sucks which i doubt it will. i cant wait till it comes out.

  • gmreedy

    Posted Feb 24, 2008 4:31 am PT

    BioWare alredy announced there to be a Mass Effect trilogy. so yes, there will be 2 sequels.

  • wolf164

    Posted Feb 23, 2008 11:12 am PT

    I agree with everyone here that there should be another sequel to Mass Effect but for now one or two extra parts to this game is just as good. After this DLC comes out, they should also make another little add on like finding traces of Shepard's family or continuing a mission that Shepard's parents didn't finish depending on what a person chose in there background info. That would be cool, not long but cool.

  • Anemal

    Posted Feb 21, 2008 2:26 pm PT

    Mass Effect 2 and 3 are planned, but who knows how long it'll take for them to get here. These content downloads seem like a step forward to the future of gaming... hopefully the 90 minutes that it'll take will be if you blaze through it guns smoking, if I'm paying $5 for a content package I want it to last a couple of hours.

  • akillu

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 5:32 am PT

    Mass effect rocked, is there any news of a sequal?

    p.s that inter species love seen was bit wrong especially the "you ready for round two?

  • freerunner01

    Posted Feb 14, 2008 4:52 am PT

    Cant wait for this and the new announced maps for the CoD4

  • Dark_Lord777

    Posted Feb 13, 2008 1:17 pm PT

    wow now i regret buying the Heroic DLC for halo 3. That was a waste of 800 points.... this i will actually use!!!!!

    thanks bioware!

    now if Infinity Ward would release some DLC for CoD4....

    hmmmm

  • Staryoshi87

    Posted Feb 13, 2008 9:47 am PT

    Hopefully this content is added free to the PC version, as I'm selling my 360 today

  • clarkspark

    Posted Feb 13, 2008 8:38 am PT

    I'd like Mass Effect 2 now...please?

  • lanista

    Posted Feb 11, 2008 12:06 pm PT

    "(£3.40 or $5), it is also fairly short, adding only around 90 minutes of extra gameplay"

    Seems cheap to me. How much would a movie cost? Presumably you can replay this add-on. So compare the cost to a DVD which you can re-watch.

    $5 equates to about $3.30 per hour. Proportionally therefore a full length $50 game would have to be more than 15 hours long and a $60 game would need to be 18 hours or more before it became better value!

    Keep bringing em on Bioware!

  • shugday

    Posted Feb 11, 2008 6:33 am PT

    On my third play through I have noticed a few things...I love this game!! The story is compelling, the characters are vibrant, combat is a blast, the side quests and missions definitely add to the gameplay experience, but why oh why oh why are we forced to drive around in a unrealistically-indestructible-almost-impossible-to-fight-in-on-higher-difficulty-levels-SUV with guns? It is insanely frustrating trying to navigate the sometimes ridiculous terrain. It is the only thing in the game that detracts from the enjoyment of it...I can even accept the lack of variety in the building styles...you trying to tell me that there is only one floorplan each for bunkers, hab units, and spaceships??? Variety is the spice of life and I hope Bioware realizes that what is already great can be insanely good....As for the DLC... Juicy....gives me a reason to take another break from COD4...keep it coming BIoware!!!!

  • oshaun123

    Posted Feb 11, 2008 4:41 am PT

    very nice i look forward to playing it in the game for months on end

  • coneman1

    Posted Feb 10, 2008 8:05 pm PT

    I will purchase it!, I WILL!!!!!!

  • jamesallenyz431

    Posted Feb 10, 2008 10:03 am PT

    least now i should be able to get the lvl 60 achievement

  • centuryslayer

    Posted Feb 9, 2008 5:23 pm PT

    90 minutes is alot, must be one damn nice sidequest :]

  • davidwwone

    Posted Feb 9, 2008 4:48 am PT

    i can't believe i downloaded prince of persia and used the last of my points. new races and worlds this should be good, but i would like new content added to worlds already in the game.

  • staticgod

    Posted Feb 8, 2008 5:08 pm PT

    just a rip-off

  • tricko

    Posted Feb 8, 2008 3:19 pm PT

    400 points.. thats brutal...

  • cocomacoco

    Posted Feb 8, 2008 10:31 am PT

    5????? for 90 mins????

    give me a break please, the game is the best, but i payed enough already buying it, it sucks that they are so greedy like to make you pay, after you buying this game that nobody knew for sure if was good.

  • iory2

    Posted Feb 8, 2008 6:46 am PT

    5$ for 90 minutes of new content to this amazing game its not expensive from where i stand it just depends how much work they put into the DLC
    I'll get it for sure and its the first DLC ever that im paying for, theres a lot of games with worse DLC for more money.

  • sean_ph

    Posted Feb 8, 2008 12:57 am PT

    400 MS pts for 90 minutes? unless its all gunfights, not worth it. i love Mass Effect and all but there really should be some value to the DLC.

  • Dryker

    Posted Feb 8, 2008 12:36 am PT

    Screw new worlds and races, what Mass Effect needs is a full game update. Fill the planets you explore with more interesting things to see and do and I'll gladly pay $10 and actually start playing the game again.

  • fgjnfgh

    Posted Feb 7, 2008 11:54 pm PT

    nice just 400 point well i have 480

  • mattg90520

    Posted Feb 7, 2008 10:17 pm PT

    kinda poo that you gotta pay but i likely will. hope that future dlc bridges the gap between the two games because im already frothing for the sequel

  • wingnut99

    Posted Feb 7, 2008 9:28 pm PT

    I dont have the game... I want it. can some one buy it for me?

  • goneing

    Posted Feb 7, 2008 8:29 pm PT

    I am always up for more Mass Effect, and will download this on the day it is released. I've played ME twice through with two different charactors and playing it for a third. Hope when ME2 comes out it's as good as the first.

  • SaxxyGamer18

    Posted Feb 7, 2008 8:21 pm PT

    I really hope they start releasing patches to fix the bugs that riddle this game, though. That's what they should do. And $5 for about 90 minutes? It's cool and all, but...isn't that a bit of a rip-off? Just thinking out loud.

  • sonofabear17

    Posted Feb 7, 2008 5:54 pm PT

    thats cool.yep ill download it

  • guppieface

    Posted Feb 7, 2008 3:10 pm PT

    wow. "achievement". unless the world you go to is way better than the rest of mass effect, im not excited. the only dlc i have bought from xbox live that has been worth it are extra maps for gears of war and lost planet. i still have mass effect, but its collecting dust until i want to go into another mass effect building that has a stairway on the -left- side and kill thorian creepers/mercenaries.

  • joshua05

    Posted Feb 7, 2008 1:03 pm PT

    Yay some new content.

  • ghost867

    Posted Feb 7, 2008 12:36 pm PT

    AWESOME!

    Thank you Microsoft, for not trying to charge me $10 for something like this. I am very, very appreciative. And no, I'm not going to thank Bioware, because Bioware has no control over DLC pricing. So thank you Microsoft. I guess somebody learned their lesson with the Halo 3 maps eh? I guess not having the game being number one played on Live might be a sign the maps were a... FAILURE.

    Anyway, just my opinion, I just hate what they do with DLC pricing. Though, why is this taking so long? Does anybody realize how soon people sell off old games to GameStop? Bring stuff out a month or two after it's release, not 4 months after release. Luckily, I've been busy with Rock Band/Guitar Hero, and stuff like Ratchet and Uncharted on my PS3, so I haven't finished my second play through. Therefore, no sale to GameStop.

  • NeleNel

    Posted Feb 7, 2008 11:47 am PT

    Mass Effect has so much potential to add even more stuff to it. Limitless space, and with the addition of this new race into the game, i'm definately looking forward to it.

    And while the main storyline itself yes, is short, but when you add in the side missions that are constantly available, it's a quality game

  • qaz88aof

    Posted Feb 7, 2008 10:03 am PT

    yay )

  • mergedsalem23

    Posted Feb 7, 2008 9:48 am PT

    Spencertaylor your are right about mass effect it's real short I beat the game in four days and I'm not talking about playing stright through, I took breaks did what I have to do.

  • thegman1985

    Posted Feb 7, 2008 9:44 am PT

    spencertaylor wow this is so sad. fkn bioware and their lying ways. they said they'd have dlc before the end of the year and 3 months later, all they muster up is 90 minutes of gameplay? and btw its probably a little exxagerated cos mass effect was a lot shorter than they promised. and apparantly it just a new mission. no new weapons no new armor. just a new level. pathetic.
    -

    Dude the game has only been out three months and in three months they've managed to render a new world, new scripting, new events, and a new race with its own characteristics and look. Also this is only the first of the DLC, Bioware has said they were going to do more. As to the game itself, it was only short if you played it straight through like most people did.

  • spencertaylor posted Feb 7, 2008 9:07 am PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    spencertaylor

    Posted Feb 7, 2008 9:07 am PT (hide)

    wow this is so sad. fkn bioware and their lying ways. they said they'd have dlc before the end of the year and 3 months later, all they muster up is 90 minutes of gameplay? and btw its probably a little exxagerated cos mass effect was a lot shorter than they promised. and apparantly it just a new mission. no new weapons no new armor. just a new level. pathetic.

  • encore36

    Posted Feb 7, 2008 8:47 am PT

    I love this game! One of my favorites of all time, but i'm not sure this content is worth it.

  • bcooper565656

    Posted Feb 7, 2008 8:05 am PT

    i loved this game im going get that DLC. i played since day this game came out have not stop.

  • Kraige

    Posted Feb 7, 2008 7:41 am PT

    dryden555 what said this was going to be anything like the side quest it may (and IMO will) be like one of the story worlds, Feros Noveria etc.

    As Meszamil said it looks like this is going to be one of atleast 5 (guessing from achievments) dlc's for this gam I just hope Bioware release them at a steady rate so they can keep me busy untill ME2.

    All in all I can't wait to play this and I aim to as soon as its released it sounds awesome.

  • dryden555

    Posted Feb 7, 2008 7:21 am PT

    the side missions are by far the _weakest_ part of Mass Effect so I'll pass. 90 minutes of driving around on a barren planet? nope.

  • spidermanc2k

    Posted Feb 7, 2008 7:02 am PT

    90 minutes huh? That's actually not too bad.

  • Meszamil

    Posted Feb 7, 2008 5:40 am PT

    360 Games are allowed up to 250 extra achievement score in updates, and yet this DLC gives us only 50. From this I'm just going to assume that this could be just one download in a series.

  • cleanslate1982

    Posted Feb 7, 2008 5:17 am PT

    Really?!? I mean, REALLY?!?!? All we are getting are some batarians, a new unchartered world, and one side mission?!?! That's horrible, the uncharted worlds and the side missions on them were the worst part of the game. The only appealing part of this DLC is the addition of the Batarians. They need to add one or both of the Alliance Space stations into a DLC, with story missions and side quests. They were supposed to make episodic content to bride between this game and ME2.

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