BioWare has announced that Mass Effect: Arrival, the final mission for Mass Effect 2, will be available for download on March 30, 2011.
In Arrival, Commander Shepard is sent to the edge of the galaxy to rescue an undercover operative who may have evidence of an imminent Reaper invasion that has been looming since the very beginning of the series.
Returning and playing a prominent role in Mass Effect: Arrival is Admiral Hackett, who is voiced by science-fiction actor Lance Henriksen.
BioWare has announced that the next Mass Effect 2 downloadable content pack, The Lair of the Shadow Broker, will be released on the 7th of September.
The game will cost 800 Microsoft Points on Xbox 360 and 800 BioWare points on PC.
BioWare describes the DLC thus: “Two years ago, Commander Shepard died and Liara T’Soni fought in a desperate struggle against the Shadow Broker to recover her former Commander. Now that Shepard is back, it’s time to even the score and team up with Liara to confront the mysterious and sinister Shadow Broker in the latest expansion to Mass Effect 2.”
BioWare has announced still more downloadable content for Mass Effect 2. Called the Lair of the Shadow Broker, the DLC will see players teaming up with Liara T’Soni to confront the mysterious Shadow Broker.
The official website reads, “Two years ago, Commander Shepard died and Liara T’Soni fought in a desperate struggle against the Shadow Broker to recover her former Commander. Now that Shepard is back, it’s time to even the score and team up with Liara to confront the mysterious and sinister Shadow Broker in the latest expansion to Mass Effect 2.”
There’s no date or pricing information as yet. BioWare has released the screenshots from the Lair of the Shadow Broker, which you can see at the bottom of this article.
Amidst the annual news famine in the run-up to E3, CinemaBlend has discovered a BioWare job listing that suggests Mass Effect 3 is to include multiplayer functionality.
The LinkedIn profile for senior EA recruiter Jeff Goldstein said the developer’s Montreal studio is seeking a “Multiplayer Programmer (Mass Effect).”
The post has since been removed.
Legendary Pictures has secured the rights to bring BioWare’s Mass Effect saga to movie theatres.
The project is still in the early stages of development but prodcuer Thomas Tull says Mass Effect is “ripe for translation,” adding that it has “depth, compelling characters and an engaging back story.” Ari Arad, co-producer, describes Mass Effect as “a parable whose conflicts mirror the ones we currently face in our own world. This story emphasizes the need for all cultures to learn to work together.”
It’s a sentiment that’s very close to the themes of Avatar, and that movie may have paved the way for a Mass Effect adaptation. The Hollywood Reporter writes, “One of the by-products of the success of ‘Avatar’ has been showing that moviegoers will follow and invest themselves in non-human characters if given a reason to, which opens the door for more alien movies.”
BioWare has stated that the narrative gap between Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3 will be told entirely through a “constant stream” of downloadable content.
“We have a bunch of packs that are in the works right now,” said BioWare’s project director Casey Hudson.
“So, for the time being there’s going to be a continued stream of DLC for people.
Two years after Commander Shepard repelled invading Reapers bent on the destruction of organic life, a mysterious new enemy has emerged. On the fringes of known space, something is silently abducting entire human colonies. Now Shepard must work with Cerberus, a ruthless organization devoted to human survival at any cost, to stop the most terrifying threat mankind has ever faced.
To even attempt this perilous mission, Shepard must assemble the galaxy’s most elite team and command the most powerful ship ever built. Even then, they say it would be suicide. Commander Shepard intends to prove them wrong.
Features:
Mass Effect 2 Strategy Guides.
- From the makers of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age: Origins, and Mass Effect comes the dark second installment in the thrilling Mass Effect Trilogy!
- Command a unique team of amazing characters on a perilous mission in the most dangerous regions of space.
- Players of the first Mass Effect can import save games to continue the story of their own Commander Shepard. New players will find a thrilling stand-alone adventure awaits them - a polished and action packed adventure that surpasses the first game in nearly every possible way.
- Take cover, command an elite squad with ease, utilize 19 weapon classes including heavy weapons, and unleash deadly powers against your foes with an all new and improved combat system.
- Increased intensity with precision shooter controls to let you control the action and overcome insurmountable odds.
- Featuring a new location based damage system: target key weak points, and blast off limbs, ignite enemies, or cripple and disable enemy troops.
- Visit familiar locales, such as the Citadel, and travel to deadly unknown new worlds to save mankind.
- Survey unique planets and embark on side missions to uncover more secrets in the Mass Effect universe.
- Robust Character Customizations
- Choose a player class, customize your appearance, and tailor your own abilities and strengths. As you progress so do Shepard's abilities.
- Control the conversation. Improved conversation system where you can take matters into your own hands - often with the liberal application of force.
