mass effect 2 review 2019
Test: Mass Effect 2: ArrivalSupposed to link Mass Effect 2 to the third installment in the series, the additional Arrival chapter is probably one of the least exciting of all. Not content with not keeping his promise, he goes so far as to take from you the fate of Shepard.
Since the announcement of this DLC, we are led to think that Arrival aims to introduce the events of Mass Effect 3. Look away if you have not finished the game because we will not go by 4 paths: l 'final scene of the game, it introduces the attack on Earth, this DLC, it teaches us absolutely nothing. This does not mean that it will have no consequences. But the way they are brought may not please everyone. We will come back to it. In the meantime, what's going on in Arrival? Without saying too much, it is the Alliance which requests Shepard's help via Admiral Hackett who has come to ask our good commander to go and rescue Doctor Kenson, a scientific figure claiming to have discovered evidence of an imminent invasion of the Harvesters. Only, no luck, Madame is trapped in a remote colony of Butarians, one of the Alien races who hates humanity the most. It's up to you to rescue her. A mission which will have to be fulfilled alone, a condition sine qua non that this good old admiral (well especially Bioware in fact) justifies awkwardly. Well let's admit, we will do without our playmates, too bad for the combat system based on teamwork.
Arrival is divided into two segments. The first will be the dark and gloomy Butarian prison, the second a lab whiter than white. Aesthetically, we can't really say that this DLC makes us grow big "Wow", and in terms of architecture, it all looks a little too much like a succession of similar corridors in which you will spend about 95% of your time fire on waves of enemies. Mass Effect has never taken on the air of a simple shooter. We recognize that the chapter suddenly offers a certain challenge, but Mass Effect 2 is not really made for this kind of exercise. The interest of the fights resting on their tactical aspect and the management of the team members, being alone quickly becomes rather tiresome. In addition, we give up on exploration and the dialogues are practically non-existent and above all completely closed.
But what is most unbearable in this add-on is the complete failure of the staging and the way Bioware will take the fate of Shepard from us. Despite a scenario that is quite heavy in its implications, the poor narration and the weak staging make the player remain distant and not frankly concerned. But where Bioware leaves us behind, it is by breaking with what makes the heart of Mass Effect: moral choices. Save or exterminate a race, choose to whom we give a technology, betray or remain loyal etc. Here, the player is faced with an important choice, at least he is left to think that he has the choice and ... paf, in the end, the decision is made for him. After two games in which we are taught to forge our commander Shepard and to assume our choices, now Bioware takes away one of the greatest charms of its series. And it is in all subjectivity that we find the thing particularly unpleasant. Kind of like we were robbed of something.
The notes
Graphics 13/20
The environments seriously lack variety and the design of the levels is confined to sad corridors. In addition, Dr. Kenson's 3D model is poor in detail. Not really a success
Gameplay 10/20
Arrival is a series of solo gunfights. It is not really exciting but at least there is a certain difficulty.
Lifespan 10/20
It takes just over an hour to complete this chapter. It's in the small average of other content.
Soundtrack 9/20
The dialogues are rare and since Shepard is alone most of the time, he does nothing but soliloquy, but by reusing the group's speeches. "They saw us", "We are spotted". Great, Shepard is seeing imaginary friends now. High class.
Scenario 11/20
Even if in the end this DLC does not introduce anything or almost the third part, the scenario still has an interesting background. The trouble is, its narrative processing is completely missed.
A beautiful disappointment that this add-on which does not keep its promises. Those who were waiting for a teasing or an intro to Mass Effect 3 will remain on their hunger, except for a moral choice that the game takes for us, which everyone will appreciate as it should. Side gameplay, the string of solo fights singularly lacks interest but at least has the merit of being a bit strong at times.
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