Okay, so I’m gonna start this with a disclaimer: i had initially titled a lot of these entries as “best,” but I ultimately decided to go with “favorite” instead. “Favorite” and “best” are two completely different animals, even if they’re both subjective, and this entry is a great example of that. The best Mass Effect DLC that Bioware put out, obviously in my opinion, is Lair of the Shadow Broker from Mass Effect 2. The story is great, the character development for Liara, who was arguably one of my least favorite characters in the first game, pushed her up into my Top 5, and I legitimately adore the soundtrack:
But my favorite is 100% the Citadel DLC for Mass Effect 3. Is it full of fan-service? Yes. Is it silly? Oh, most definitely! Is it a proper send-off to the Mass Effect series? Without a single doubt.
So much of the third game is mired in the reality of war, a war with a seemingly inevitable loss against an overwhelming force, and to have a short respite from all the desperation was welcome, as I imagined the characters would have felt. You know, if they were real and everything. I loved having the ability to bring the entire squad along with me (even if they weren’t on my squad), and every scene – except Ashley’s, oddly (or not so much, I guess, considering my general dislike of the character) – that I got to spend with my teammates separately was cherished. I really did feel like I’d gotten to know these fictional characters through the now countless hours I spent flitting around the galaxy. And the party? It’s like Bioware sat down in my brain and answered all of my questions.
- What’s a krogan like when he’s drunk?
- What’s a prothean like when he’s drunk?
- Do Wrex and Grunt get along?
- Is Samara always uptight?
- Who would hang out together when they aren’t on a mission? What would they talk about*?
- Will Jack** and Miranda ever get over their issues with each other?
- Is Shepard really that bad of a dancer?
Sure, the story leading up to the party is a bit hokey, but I mean … I wanted something fun at this point in the game, right before heading into the resolution of the trilogy, and Citadel provided that in abundance.
* Zaeed and Garrus planning out how to rig Shepard’s apartment in case someone else wants to attack her is hilarious and so fitting for both characters.
** My favorite quote from the whole party is Jack saying, “I still really hate you, but you have fantastic tits.”
a little more juju 