Mass Effect 2: Lair of the Shadow Broker Review

By Dan Whitehead Published 8 September, 2010

Asari state of affairs?

Version tested: Xbox 360

Nine months after launch, and Mass Effect 2 finally has a DLC offering to compare with Dragon Age: Awakenings. Not in terms of size – Lair of the Shadow Broker still takes the best part of an evening to polish off – but as a showcase for the strengths of both parent game and BioWare itself. This is a solid, thrilling, satisfying addition to an already expansive universe; one that leaves you on an appropriate note of hopeful melancholy.

It starts with a slow burn, though. The Illusive Man drops you a line saying that he's found some info on the mysterious Shadow Broker, the information dealer who retrieved your space-blasted body, and whom your former ally Liara T'Soni wants dead. From that simple beginning, it's off to Ilium to meet with Liara and things quickly take on a conspiratorial tone.

It's a testament to just how well this miniature story plays out that I find myself retreating from anything that feels remotely spoiler-like even at this early stage. Suffice to say that it pulls off a near-perfect balancing act, finding room for all the elements that Mass Effect 2 excels at while maintaining an energetic forward momentum. There are some fun conversation options, a little investigate work, some blistering corridor gunplay, and at least two epic stand-offs where enemies pile on from all sides. Add in two enjoyable boss fights and you've got an experience that is much more varied and substantial than its short playing time suggests.

'Mass Effect 2: Lair of the Shadow Broker' Screenshot 1

Getting the old gang back together carries a genuine emotional kick.

It even finds time along the way for a plot twist (rather heavily signposted, but nicely paced all the same) and offers a jaw-dropping bit of visual showboating as you battle your way across, around, under and over the hull of a giant space cruiser hurtling through an atmospheric storm. It perhaps resembles the climax of the first game, where you fought through the crumbling Citadel, a little too much but when the view is this dramatic, who cares about a little thematic repetition?

Mostly, it's a tour de force for BioWare's scripting team, who tie together dangling plot threads from the first game and the sequel, weaving them into a new narrative that seamlessly enhances your understanding and enjoyment of both games. There are beautiful character moments that benefit from the richly drawn cast and the organic, interlinked world they inhabit. There are fist-pump moments of classic Shepard bad-assery, and a memorable Paragon/Renegade moment with a hostage. There are fleeting references and clever in-jokes that will thrill those who have fully immersed themselves in this rapidly expanding universe.

Clocking in at over 1.5 GB, this is clearly more than an off-the-cuff cash grab. There are cut-scenes to rival anything in the full game, and new dialogue that allows for any combination of characters you might take with you. It even takes into account the romantic entanglements you may have made during your two-game career, without painting itself into a corner that won't make sense to those who haven't popped their virtual cherry.

For all its successes, Lair of the Shadow Broker's real treasures lie at the end, however. Obviously, the risk of spoilers is even greater here, so if you don't want to get even a sniff of a hint of what might unfold, skip to the score at the end now.

You see, it's only once the story is resolved that the true benefit of this DLC becomes apparent. The prize for victory is access to the Shadow Broker's network, a vast resource of information that proves both entertaining and indispensable.

Unlocking the Shadow Broker's base as an open location, to which you can return at your leisure, you get such perks as a terminal where you can purchase mining manifests, marking mineral rich planets on your Galaxy Map and saving you a lot of tiresome scanning. You can also invest a few thousand credits in various missions, undertaken on your behalf by the Shadow Broker's operatives. The pay-off for these comes with the passage of time, making it the gift that keeps on giving. And that's not to mention the healthy amount of credits and research items you'll accrue along the way.

'Mass Effect 2: Lair of the Shadow Broker' Screenshot 4

Still would.

But still there's more. A video archive contains brief YouTube-style clips taken from around the galaxy. Some contain incidental characters you'll already know, others are just random and bizarre. The game promises more each time you return, and they're quirky enough to make it worth the effort.

Fans of Mass Effect's expanded narrative would also do well to check out the dossiers the Shadow Broker has collected on your travelling companions. An absolute jackpot of character development, it manages to add more colour to an already fleshed-out cast. There are some great gags – witness Legion's Gamer Profile from the MMORPG Galaxy of Fantasy, Miranda's e-dating records, or the top five tunes that Garrus listens to through his visor. There are also some more meaningful entries, such as a transcript of the conversation where the infant Jack was taken from her mother for study.

It all adds up to a downloadable package that stuffs in an awful lot of content, while maintaining the pace and rhythms of a lean blockbuster movie. For the duration of this story, it's a satisfying side-dish, prepared and presented with flair. For the player planning another jaunt through Mass Effect 2, it adds far more to the game than some of its disappointingly slender predecessors. The only major downside is that it makes the wait for Mass Effect 3 all the more agonising.

9 / 10

Mass Effect 2: Lair of the Shadow Broker is available now to download on PC and Xbox 360.

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About Dan Whitehead

Dan has been writing for Eurogamer since 2006 and specialises in RPGs, shooters and games for children. His bestest game ever is Julian Gollop's Chaos.

Read more articles from Dan by visiting the Dan Whitehead archive page.

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Comments (69) Latest comment 1 year ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Paperghost #1 1 year ago

    liked it a lot, however the focus on running into endless waist high cover rooms and shooting everyone in sight over & over again is wearing a little thin now. some great lines and them making a good job of the Liara reunion saved it. also some bits remind me too much of the horribly basic "same room fetch quests" that drew some ire from ME2 - at one point, you're told to switch off some flames coming out of pipes, and before you can think "well, guess I'll have to go looking for the switch" it turns out the switch is about five paces to the left making it a bit pointless.

    also - i seem to recall the devs claiming this would be better suited for anyone who has already completed the main mission. with that in mind, it seems a little odd to give you credits / resources etc if you've already done everything with your character. having said that, i have a Shepard who I've intentionally left halfway through the story to be able to take advantage of DLC like this.

  • Chalee #2 1 year ago

    That sounds BEAUTIFUL!

  • jonbwfc #3 1 year ago

    Small quibble - isn't the image on the front page from the Overlord DLC, not shadow broker?

  • RealityCheque #4 1 year ago

    Question: can I resume my spacelesbian relationship with Liara? :)

  • Miths #5 1 year ago

    Just brought my second ME2 playthrough (engineer FemShep) out of temporary retirement, and once I'm through the Horizon mission - where I left off several months ago - I'm getting started on all the DLC, none of which I've played through yet with any character.

    Is it possible to play the DLC missions after completing the final mission by the way? I might use my soldier FemShep from my first play through instead.

  • StarchildHypocrethes #6 1 year ago

    Damn you Bioware and you're ability to make me endlessly fritter away my MS Points!

  • Vortex808 #7 1 year ago

    So is it best to do it after all the regular campaign, or just before getting to the point of no return mission in my second playthrough?

    Sounds as good as we all hoped for though.

  • Razorus #8 1 year ago

    Yes, it's possible to play the DLC after the suicide mission though I recommend doing them before the Reaper IFF mission.

    EDIT: One or two bits of dialogue seem to suggest that this DLC is set after the suicide mission.
    Edited by 1 at 08/09/10 @ 14:23

  • udat #9 1 year ago

    Hmm, I wonder if this DLC will make me regret hooking up with Miranda...

    ...and Kelly Chambers...

    And finally Tali...

  • spekkeh #10 1 year ago

    Sounds like actually worthwhile (even great) DLC for once. I'm not sure when I'll be playing it though, as I'm going to have to redo parts of ME2 because of downed teammates first.

  • The-Bodybuilder #11 1 year ago

    I'm gonna buy all the DLCs combined.
    Should be the worth of a stand alone game.

  • Miths #12 1 year ago

    Who wouldn't want to hook up with Kelly? :)

  • Markitron #13 1 year ago

    Well worth the cash, Id say wait until after you finish the suicide mission to do it tho. Obviously its possible to do it whenever but Bioware have said they intend it as the first set of ME2/ME3 bridging DLC.

  • spekkeh #14 1 year ago

    I'm gonna buy all the DLCs combined.
    Should be the worth of a stand alone game.

    ...personally until now I felt most DLC was pretty inconsequential. They offer a setting so you can shoot at enemies. But to me Mass Effect was never about shooting enemies, it's about forging meaningful relationships with a band of people who all join up for the same goal.

    With no real dialogue options and a small goal that's diverting at best (especially when it seems the main story of ME2 is already concluded), the DLC adds little of meaning. Certainly not to warrant a standalone game. But I've yet to play this, at least I can pretend that Liara, while she doesn't add anything to the plot as a whole, is a meaningful character to my Shepard.

  • lucky_jim #15 1 year ago

    Started this yesterday, will probably finish it today. Haven't read the comments or review yet because I'm avoiding spoilers, but it's very impressive so far. I've enjoyed every single bit of ME2 DLC (well, the story ones, you can keep your outfits and all that guff) but this feels like the best of the lot.

    800msp is quite a lot for something that can be polished off in an evening though.

  • muscleblade #16 1 year ago

    This weekend will be a great one. Need to finish Minervas Den first. Did i miss the review of Minervas Den btw.

  • SpookyTang #17 1 year ago

    Love Mass Effect 2 and i do buy lots of digital downloads but i'm going to wait on some sort of bundle arriving before buying the extra's.

  • jonbwfc #18 1 year ago

    @Spekkeh
    I'd agree with you about the initial DLCs, particularly the stuff on the Cerberus network but I would say those criticisms weren't valid for at least the Kasumi Goto DLC, which had a great story, albeit TV episode rather than movie length. The base mechanisms for Mass Effect are what they are and you're never going to get an ME DLC that involves a lot of jumping on the heads of cartoon turtles but some of the DLCs definitely do have the plot and dialog to sustain the shooting.

  • spekkeh #19 1 year ago

    Well, Kasumi was nice, while it lasted... But in the end I still felt it was slightly meaningless. Fun, but meaningless. If I were to play the game again I probably wouldn't include Kasumi in my squads, because you know she wasn't made to have lots of dialogue options for the main story arc, whereas the rest of crew was.

  • andywilkie35 #20 1 year ago

    Weird - the shadow broker is a mysterious character that is alluded to in both games, so one would naturally assume that he would have an important part to play in the third game perhaps.

    But no of course not, its just for MOAR dlc

  • Pirotic #21 1 year ago

    I keep meaning to get back into the game, but can't remember if I can continue the game now I've finished it or if I'd have to revert to an earlier save to play these expansions. If anybody could let me know how they 'plug in' to the existing game that'd be welcome :) I hope I don't have to finish the game again after the expansions to have a final save I can import into ME3
    Edited by 1 at 08/09/10 @ 16:00

  • Lateralus2001 #22 1 year ago

    Hopefully this DLC will be part of the package, when the game of the year edition comes to PS3.

    *crosses fingers*

  • levitate #23 1 year ago

    I want a Mass Effect 2 Complete Edition Pack. The retail game + all dlc. Then I can crawl back into my cave and come back in a few years when either Mass Effect 3 is out or the human race need a man to repopulate the planet.

  • GamesConnoisseur #24 1 year ago

    Seem likely all dlc will be on disk for PS3 to make up for all the waiting, still a great game and a great dlc, this links up with the ME2 graphic novel that's also available via iTunes. Not sure if on PSP PSN comic store but I would image it will due to appearance on PS3 early next year of ME2.

  • jonbwfc #25 1 year ago

    I kind of assumed that would be the case - that there'll soon be a 'game of the year' edition for ME2 on 360/PC and that would be what the PS3 would get. However I did hear somewhere that the 'hours of extra content' they said the PS3 version would have would be a 'minimum interaction' version of ME1 - basically the character generator, followed by a playthrough of all the core cutscenes and the chance to make 'the important choices' so you're up to speed with the ME storyline without getting the whole game.

    Could be one, could be the other, could be neither. I guess we'll find out in a few months.

  • Sunyavadin #26 1 year ago

    Best DLC yet, though hampered by a glitch that resets the difficulty to casual each time I load a new area, making it impossible to get the hardcore achievement...

  • Sunyavadin #27 1 year ago

    Weird - the shadow broker is a mysterious character that is alluded to in both games, so one would naturally assume that he would have an important part to play in the third game perhaps.

    But no of course not, its just for MOAR dlc

    Um, if you actually PLAY this DLC you'll learn that he DOES have a MAJOR part to play in ME3...

  • kangarootoo #28 1 year ago

    "Then I can crawl back into my cave and come back in a few years when either Mass Effect 3 is out or the human race need a man to repopulate the planet."

    Why, do you happen to know one?


    Ahahaho, I kill myself ;)

  • Eurolamer #29 1 year ago

    "Asari state of affairs?"

    It's a 9 from me. Best pun for a while.

  • Bremenacht #30 1 year ago

    800 points - I was expecting 1200.

    So glad they're offering something to save some time on that crappy mini-game. Glad to see that they're bothering to develop the ME background again, having apparently invested all their story-telling abilities into the loyalty missions, and little else.

    Anyone who hasn't already bought/played ME2 should consider getting this from the get-go. Alas, I didn't enjoy ME2 enough to consider replaying the whole thing.

  • darc #31 1 year ago

    "Mass Effect 2 finally has a DLC offering to compare with Dragon Age: Awakenings."

    Oh dear god. That dull? ;)
    Edited by 1 at 08/09/10 @ 16:43

  • darc #32 1 year ago

    "you get such perks as a terminal where you can purchase mining manifests, marking mineral rich planets on your Galaxy Map and saving you a lot of tiresome scanning."

    Don't know about the rest of you, but I would have found this more useful before I'd finished the game. :/

    Still love Mass Effect and this does sound great. Despite my snarky comments I foresee buying this.

    (But for the record I wasn't very impressed with the DLC for Dragon Age.)

  • BlitzwingHaz #33 1 year ago

    I don't understand the moaning about having already finished the game, just start a new one then, I'm sure you haven't played through all the romance options or character types.
    I'd probably do this mission as early as possible once I start a new playthrough.

  • Drpwnage #34 1 year ago

    May be a silly question, but is the DLC only available for PC via the Bioware site? Setting up a transactional account and pissing about with Bioware points is not something I can be arsed doing.

  • kangarootoo #35 1 year ago

    @darc

    Absolutely. That sounds more like hindsight than a perk :)

  • darc #36 1 year ago

    "I don't understand the moaning about having already finished the game"

    Not sure I'd characterize that as moaning but whatever. My point is simply that it would have been nice if you could have optionally completed a quest or earned a perk in order to avoid the mining sequence before you'd already spent dozens of hours of your life at it.
    Edited by 1 at 08/09/10 @ 16:58

  • Markitron #37 1 year ago

    @darc

    ye just get a couple of locations for rich planets, thats all. Its nothing you couldnt have just spent 2 seconds googling if you wanted

    Here, ill save ye the bother for your next playthru:

    http://ww w.gamefaqs.com/boards/944907-ma...

  • Badassbab #38 1 year ago

    Sweet! I liked the last dlc but a 9/10...greeeeat!

  • MattyD #39 1 year ago

    The character intelligence dossiers are amazingly funny! It's also worth pointing out that the new Shadow Broker facility lets you use Retrain Powers on your party members, so you can redistribute their squad points and (hopefully) get rid of the odd one or two points you always seem to be left over with.

  • Centrifugal #40 1 year ago

    Yes, this mining manifest seems a little pointless, considering Bioware have told us that canonically, Lair of the Shadow Broker takes place after the suicide mission to destroy the Collectors and as such more catered to profiles which have completed the game.

  • NightAntilli #41 1 year ago

    I thought it was a great DLC. Probably the best one yet. However, there's one thing I didn't like, and that's how it started. It's too straightforward.. What I mean is You get a mail from TIM saying "Hey I found the SB, tell Liara," and you immediately go on the mission.. . It feels like an excuse imo... But, that's the only drawback. I loved the pacing, loved the variety, loved the additional information you get etc ^_^

  • Miths #42 1 year ago

    Just started the DLC mission ten minutes ago (I'm tired so I've decided to postpone the rest until tomorrow), and I definitely hope it's a bit longer than the Kasumi mission, which I just finished earlier tonight. That one was enjoyable - and I suspect I might be be using Kasumi a lot for the remaining two thirds of my second play through - but it was over way too soon.

    Well, at least I get to play all four mission based DLC packs in a row, as I haven't played any of them before - including also Overlord and Firewalker, which I'll get to tomorrow as well.

  • Spiral #43 1 year ago

    Just bought this, and I've got enough Bioware Points left over for either Stolen Memories or Witch Hunt. Is there going to be a review of Witch Hunt to make my decision any easier? ;)

  • athalon_2010 #44 1 year ago

    I just bought the game, and all the dlcs. How can i start this one? for the others, i have some new registers on the log(kasumi, etc), but not on this one. need some help plz xd

  • lucky_jim #45 1 year ago

    I've just finished this and enjoyed it hugely. 800 point is a bit steep given the length, but tbh I was always going to get this.

    Is this the final bit of DLC? I'm at "the point of no return" on my second playthrough, and I've been holding off progressing because I wanted to get all the DLC done during the course of the game rather than after it, if that makes sense.

  • DUFFKING #46 1 year ago

    athalon, you need to reach a certain point in the story, then you'll receive information about the quest.

  • BlitzwingHaz #47 1 year ago

    @darc
    Sorry, my comment came out a bit cheekier than I meant it too, I can see your point about the mining, its the one aspect that puts me off starting again. Hopefully doing the Shadow Broker mission as early as possible will help.
    I can see what people mean about the game's formula becoming really apparent the more DLC we get, but thats why I reckon it was a good idea for them to stick the vehicle bits in there.

  • athalon_2010 #48 1 year ago

    thanks duffking :)

  • fictionskin #49 1 year ago

    To those complaining about tying up the Shadowbroker storyline here, relax.

    The Shadowbroker is still going to play a major part in MASS EFFECT 3.

    You'll know if you play through this DLC.

  • Quixz #50 1 year ago

    Buying this and you can't stop me!! LOl

  • Sevens #51 1 year ago

    "Mostly, it's a tour de force for BioWare's scripting team, who tie together dangling plot threads from the first game and the sequel, weaving them into a new narrative that seamlessly enhances your understanding and enjoyment of both games."

    Yep, this should indeed have been part of the 2nd game. But hey DLC is so cool. Way better than complete games. Not to mention digital distribution. It's the best thing that could have happened to consumers.


    P.S.:

    "To those complaining about tying up the Shadowbroker storyline here, relax.

    The Shadowbroker is still going to play a major part in MASS EFFECT 3.

    You'll know if you play through this DLC."

    ... hehe. What nonsense: "Relax, people. It's not that a story arc which crosses the first and second game is finished in DLC. Not at all: A story arc that spans three games can only be properly played if you buy the bridging DLC. That's... uh... way better, you know."
    Edited by 2 at 09/09/10 @ 01:41

  • lucky_jim #52 1 year ago

    Is anyone suggesting this was cut from the original game? If not (and I've not heard that anywhere else) I don't know what all the bitching is about. It's a bit of the story which would have gone untold if it wasn't for DLC.

  • Sevens #53 1 year ago

    "Is anyone suggesting this was cut from the original game? If not (and I've not heard that anywhere else) I don't know what all the bitching is about. It's a bit of the story which would have gone untold if it wasn't for DLC."

    "Cut" -- well, that depends on your definition. It definately should've either been part of the 2nd or third game. This is rather essential content. "Gone untold if it wasn't for DLC" -- pfft, that's hilarious. If there wasn't DLC - digital distribution - it would've been part of one of the main games (see above: 2 or 3).

  • Paperghost #54 1 year ago

    yeah, given the big deal made of the broker in both 1 & 2 (and the spinoff comic) it would be rather surreal if the shadow broker thread was never mentioned in ME3 if DLC never put in an appearance.

    the recent DLC for fear 2 reintroduced a character that is a HUGE plot point for fear 3 - miss the DLC, and the new game won't make any sense. Similarly, the morrigan storyline is tied up in what looks to be short DLC. hell, that could have easily been the basis for DA2. and now another important chunk of storyline becomes resolved in DLC. not sure its a trend i want to see catch on.
    Edited by 1 at 09/09/10 @ 03:08

  • Sevens #55 1 year ago

    "yeah, given the big deal made of the broker in both 1 & 2 (and the spinoff comic) it would be rather surreal if the shadow broker thread was never mentioned in ME3 if DLC never put in an appearance.

    the recent DLC for fear 2 reintroduced a character that is a HUGE plot point for fear 3 - miss the DLC, and the new game won't make any sense. Similarly, the morrigan storyline is tied up in what looks to be short DLC. hell, that could have easily been the basis for DA2. and now another important chunk of storyline becomes resolved in DLC. not sure its a trend i want to see catch on."

    Excellent examples, and I obviously agree.

  • Eisenstein #56 1 year ago

    I would complain that the DLC isn't part of the main game if the main game was too short, but even with cheating up my minerals I usually spend 30-35h for a playthrough (I have 5 now) without the DLCS, which is pretty long for a full-price game nowadays. Add the three major DLCs and it's another 10h on top.

  • sirtacos #57 1 year ago

    Aw shiiit. I can't wait to play this. Keep it coming Bioware!

  • NewbieZilla #58 1 year ago

    The facebook "like" thing isn't working for me.

    Edit: Using Chrome.
    Edited by 1 at 09/09/10 @ 09:07

  • chukcyQ #59 1 year ago

    I fuck real whores instead of playing wussy games like this.

  • telboy007 #60 1 year ago

    Seriously? No one has made a reference to the omni-gel line? Made me chuckle anyway.

    Also got squashed by a drop troop transport completely randomly.

    Brilliant.

  • Lord_Gremlin #61 1 year ago

    It's AwakeninG, NOT AwakeningS.

  • Caimbeul #62 1 year ago

    "Hmm, I wonder if this DLC will make me regret hooking up with Miranda...

    ...and Kelly Chambers...

    And finally Tali... "

    - Can you really do them all in the same game? dont they get peeved off if you start showing interest in one of the others?

  • 32768Colours #63 1 year ago

    Continuity-wise, is it a bit weird playing this dlc after you complete the game?

    My Shepherd told the Illusive Man where to stick it after the suicide mission. I would've thought the last thing he'd do is give me more work. Or does this all get explained sensibly?

  • Rack #64 1 year ago

    Sounds interesting, I was hoping for some resolution with Liara and Mass Effect 2 is brilliant enough that I want to dive back in, but just how insanely overpriced is this? I'd expect about 5 hours of top quality ME2 gameplay for that, this being DLC we'd normally get 30 minutes. Is this an hour? 2?

  • Alkeno #65 1 year ago

    Downloaded. Told myself "just a taster, 10 minutes and go to bed".

    It's now 3-4 hours after that point and all I can say is that I've seen things on this DLC that put most missions on the main game to shame. Hilarious dialogue, epic cutscenes, two proper boss battles and a huge (albeit rather predictable) ending. And then there is the final door. That door that shows up when you think it's all over and it's not over. It's the gates of FAN SERVICE KINGDOM. This DLC is better than Zaeed, Kasumi and Overlord combined together and binded in asari silk.

    And the best part is that I messed up with Liara and have to go through it again. And I have to rub Miranda on Liara's face. And I have to rub Tali on Liara's face. That's a lot of rubbin' for 800MSP. A steal.

    Tomorrow is gonna be a tough day at work.
    Edited by 1 at 10/09/10 @ 00:27

  • Miths #66 1 year ago

    Just finished LotSB - best two hours of gaming I've spent since ME2 was released. It was just plain awesome from start to finish, and it was great that my FemShep finally got to spend some time with Liara again.

    I'm not one to complain about paying for DLC, but I have to admit that LotSB felt so relevant to the overall story - and the relationship with Liara (I'm not sure how much would have differed if you don't carry over an ME1 save with her as a love interest though?) - that it seems like it should have been part of the main game.
    In any case, it's an absolutely must buy for every ME fan in my opinion.

  • dfunked #67 1 year ago

    @ Rack - lasted about 90 minutes for me
    Its worth it, especially for the spoilers mentioned towards the end of the review, but still pretty damn pricey for the playtime you'll get out of it...
    Edited by 1 at 11/09/10 @ 21:29

  • pweidman #68 1 year ago

    Stellar DLC. A must buy if you like ME2. And a reminder of how great that early 2010 game was and still is. ME3 can't come out soon enough. Kudos to Bioware.

  • Rizzle #69 1 year ago

    Nice, fun chunk of game that, although I don't take kindly to Liara's bashing of the good ol' Mako in the short vehicle sequence if you hit too many mines - the Mako was quirky fun on the PC version!