New Mass Effect DLC, avatar items now available

By Tor Thorsen, GameSpotPosted Aug 24, 2009 4:46 pm PT

[UPDATE] Microsoft releases Pinnacle Station, a 13-mission, two-to-three-hour add-on to the popular Xbox 360 role-playing game; Mass Effect outfits hit Marketplace en masse.

Back in June, BioWare's Twitter page promised an announcement about new Mass Effect downloadable content within days. Now, over two months later, the second downloadable expansion has finally surfaced on Xbox.com--apparently by accident.

Hopefully, Pinnacle Station's "combat scenarios" won't pit players against Krogan warriors or Ansari commandos.

Titled Pinnacle Station, the add-on does not yet have a price or release date, and any attempt to purchase it results in a prompt for a special promotional code. However, the flat page for Mass Effect, which can itself be bought digitally via Games on Demand, does list a "Pinnacle Station Theme" for MSP240 ($3) as being available for immediate purchase.

The first Mass Effect DLC, Bring Down the Sky, cost MSP400 ($5) but only featured 90 minutes of gameplay set on a planet-threatening asteroid. By contrast, Pinnacle Station is described as having two-to-three hours of gameplay and set aboard "a remote, top-secret Alliance space station," which can be landed on a planet's surface. The expansion will have players "test the limits of [their] combat prowess" in "13 exciting combat scenarios," apparently confirming reports that it would feature a gladiatorial arena of sorts.

As of press time, Microsoft had not returned requests for comment on the Xbox.com Pinnacle Station page or whether the expansion would be released for the PC edition of Mass Effect. Reps for BioWare parent Electronic Arts politely declined to immediately offer further details.

[UPDATE] Those details came early Tuesday, when the Pinnacle Station add-on went live, costing MSP400 ($5) and weighing in at 246MB. Simultaneously, Microsoft also released a slew of premium Mass Effect avatar outfits ranging from MSP320 ($4) suits of Alliance armor to MSP80 ($1) shirts.

173 Comments

  • mauro_rubens

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 9:24 pm PT

    I loved Oblivion battles in Arena, solidsnake7882, and me too, I don't like those kind of Arena battles, but because I liked Mass Effect so much I want to give those two missions a try.

  • mauro_rubens

    Posted Sep 19, 2009 9:17 pm PT

    I loved so much Mass Effect for both Xbox and PC I can't wait to get my hands on second wave... Mass Effect 2. As for these download contents I'm going to get those for PC as I can't make my BXox works from here, Brazil.

    Those dammit guys from Microsoft, never fulfills their word.

  • solidsnake7882

    Posted Sep 13, 2009 7:11 pm PT

    Anything that extends the gameplay for me I'll gladly buy. I don't mind battle arena type games I quite liked that in KOTOR and Oblivion. Hopefully it will be good enough to tide me over for ME2 release.

  • ManBearPig67

    Posted Sep 2, 2009 8:55 pm PT

    What can you expect? EA owns them now.

  • Keiner

    Posted Aug 29, 2009 2:03 am PT

    Please..Someone, for the love of that which is holy tell me your not spending actual money on avi clothing. That whole concept boggles the mind. I would like it more if it was free but theres no way in the firey pitts of hell that I'm spending money on avi clothing

  • Bgrngod

    Posted Aug 29, 2009 1:12 am PT

    Surprise surprise... it's CRAP.

    I loved the original game, despite it's flaws, but I can't handle playing another Battle Arena. The review was spot on calling it a cliche. My soul dies a little inside every time a new game is released that includes a Battle Arena mode.

  • Angry_Jawa

    Posted Aug 27, 2009 7:55 am PT

    It is unfortunate that for the wait, this DLC dissapoints. With fighting challenges replacing the more familiar mission style, the DLC suffers. There is little dialogue, chuggy frame rate, and it is as if the DLC was initially an attempt at a multi-player mode that was scrapped in development and they just used the maps.

    Not quite as bad as Horse Armour, but pretty darn close...

  • HawaiiBen

    Posted Aug 27, 2009 12:55 am PT

    johnnyc3po, kinda dissappointing doesn't even begin to cover it. That was the worst DLC i have ever paid for. Frame rate was a joke, the "missions" would only be a challenge if you were level 1, and your "prize" was a crappy apartment where you get to pay for items that are a joke. Now don't get me wrong, i love Mass Effect, and for the most part Bioware. Yes this DLC is longer but at least Bring Down The Sky had a real story and tied into the game a little bit. Pinnacle Station is a f***ing joke. only took 2 hours because it froze forty thousand times. I was under the impression (was told by Bioware in a previous GameSpot article) that the next DLC would lead into the story of ME2. This did nothing of the sort. Not even close. If this (Pinnacle Station) is what ME2 is like then I will be boycotting it. I gave Bioware four dollars and they proceeded to take a huge dump on my face that took forever because of the choppy frame rate. Thanks Bioware. Give me my points back.

  • johnnyc3po

    Posted Aug 27, 2009 12:18 am PT

    Kinda disappointing DLC from such an awesome game, kinda looks like they're trying to cash in ready for ME2 by getting people back onto the original game for 1 last spin.

    Would've been nice to have had some real missions on there, and a bit more variation in tasks and locations.

    All in all though can't complain with a cheap add on for easily one of the best games on the 360 to get us ready for ME2

  • chefbabyryan

    Posted Aug 26, 2009 7:56 pm PT

    Pinnacle station was (all three rooms of it) disappointingly short, and way too easy. Also sloppy and slow frame rates make it look like you're playing it on the xbox 1. And "Shepard's Apartment" is basically one room with an item dealer that can sell you crap that is worse than the dealer thats on your ship!! wtf man haha I would like to see more DLC though, I still love the game. Come on Q1 2010

  • dirtygringo426

    Posted Aug 26, 2009 4:50 pm PT

    Really, this seems to be more of an appetizer to the main course that is Mass Effect 2, and I'm fine with that. The DLC is cheap, so far pretty fun, and it's gotten me slightly more pumped for the sequel. Why complain? As was said below, it's a completely optional buy.

  • sidewinder_na

    Posted Aug 26, 2009 2:35 pm PT

    As much as i like an excuse to reboot my PC version of ME
    (as if it needs "special" circumstances),
    I really dislike the fact that this content shows up on the brink of the transition between two games. This is bad enough. but to actually charge players to get it as well makes me consider which is WORSE: That bioware take lessons in marketing from EA (see SPORE), or that they actually believe in coming up with new additions so late in the game players' attention span (whom probably moved on at this point).
    I should go in an uproar that one of the most admired and respected games in recent history is being jumpstarted in this crude manner, mainly for PR's sake
    but i will only say this: Mass effect is good enough as it is,
    it doesn't any last-minute additions to keep its position (as the attention to it's next chapter shows),
    And while it doesn't matter if this content was pushed at this time as a publicity stunt or not, it DOES matter
    that bioware wouldn't turn this into a habit, and start supporting it's creations and community based on this ill-mannered model.
    I do hope these words are a paranoid expression, and
    nothing more, but this wouldn't be the first time they weren't.

  • 008Zulu

    Posted Aug 26, 2009 2:24 pm PT

    Maybe PC is so slow is because they have to reconfigure the puzzles for the pc version, add higher rez textures. You know, general optimisation stuff.

  • BattleSword1

    Posted Aug 26, 2009 2:21 pm PT

    Everyone always seems to freak out when something's overpriced. No one's forcing you to buy it...

  • Hunt270

    Posted Aug 26, 2009 2:11 pm PT

    Avatar Outfits sounds lame. Who likes them anyways? DLC sounds good. maybe I'll dip my toes in on this one?

  • kardon16

    Posted Aug 26, 2009 1:19 pm PT

    Great I will buy this as soon as I can!! but I could not care less for the avatar outfits

  • pyire

    Posted Aug 26, 2009 12:56 pm PT

    The PC always seems to be left out of the loop?
    The DLC was infact released for the PC at the same time as the 360, you can grab it from EA download service for a few bucks.

  • heysharpshooter

    Posted Aug 26, 2009 10:40 am PT

    Seems kind of pointless to release more DLC for this game. Im pretty sure most people are just waiting on ME 2 at this point.

  • bennie12

    Posted Aug 26, 2009 10:35 am PT

    Odd that they waited so long, whatver, probably will get it because the game rocks

  • siarhei

    Posted Aug 26, 2009 7:47 am PT

    The new DLC is even worse than Mothership Zeta...
    At least there was some storyline...
    I guess that might explain why they released the DLC so quietly...
    And having to load a "half-way" file is annoying.

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