EA: more Mass Effect for early 2011

By Robert Purchese Published 9 February, 2010

Plus: New ME2 DLC released today.

EA boss John Schappert has told disembodied investors to expect "something far-reaching from Mass Effect" early next year.

The third part of the trilogy? He wouldn't say, although this would support BioWare's promise of a short turnaround this time. Another alternative is a Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening style expansion pack.

Specifically, this "far-reaching" addition will be launched sometime between January and March 2011, according to Kotaku.

But most of us will still be gorging on Mass Effect 2. To keep us frothing, BioWare will release two new pieces of DLC today. They are the Cerberus Assault Armour and the M22a Eviscerator Shotgun, and they are both free.

The armour boosts heavy weapon ammo capacity, shields and health by 10 per cent. The shotgun has a longer range than normal and apparently breaks rather a lot of laws in its design.

You'll need the Cerberus Network - provided with new retail copies of the game for free - installed in order to download and play these additions.

Check out our Mass Effect 2 launch DLC roundup to see what else you get with the Cerberus Network.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (37) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • menage #1 2 years ago

    Aaah, I was hoping for a new mission when I read that.
    Edited by menage at 09/02/10 @ 08:33

  • Moribundman #2 2 years ago

    OK lets edit this, strip it down and make the essential point only:

    This link on Destructoid gets you the additional 3 modular Dr Pepper visors for FREE and is actually legit since you are entitled to one free non-purchase code a day. [link url=http://www.destructoid.com/get-mass-effect-2-dr-pepper-promo-dlc-without-dr-pepper-162580.phtml
    ]http://www.destructoid.com/get-mass-effe...[/link]

    This is not a "sealed in" suit, and you get two visors (both of which look better than the standard one) and basically a Shepard N7 equivalent of the "balaclavas" worn by Thane and Zaeed in hostile environments.
    Edited by Moribundman at 09/02/10 @ 10:16

  • X #3 2 years ago

    I'm not sure what to make of this having been previously excited by the DLC.

    At first I couldn't wait for new content as I suspected it would be quite a sizeable game and could bolt on DLC as I played and add a lot to the experience to make the game even more epic. It's probably my own fault rather than theirs but I can't see me playing the game again (just for example) with a new gun due to the way the game works with the story.

    Big 'chunks' of mission DLC I'm sure will be great but will they really feel the same once the suicide mission has been done and you're waiting for Mass Effect 3?

    This is coming by the way from someone who has not yet finished the game but is putting this off due to this situation.

  • Freek #4 2 years ago

    There's allot of replay value due to all the different classes, powers and choices you can make. I can see myself comming back to the game a couple times, adding new content just sweetens the deal.

  • spekkeh #5 2 years ago

    EA boss John Schappert

    Are you srs?

    Anyway, not too interested in new armor and weapons. Got the Collectors and Knights armor, but decided to wear neither as the big obscuring helmet made any sort of emotional connection impossible (that and it was just ludicrous to walk around in a collectors armor and people still recognized and liked you).
    However, if the story DLC is any good, I'll be certain to buy that, and that's a first for any game, specially one I've already spent so long playing.

  • Beano #6 2 years ago

    I'm currently on my second playthrough - a great game (not a perfect 10 though!) and I'm really looking forward to DLC... hopefully new missions and places to explore :)

  • LHH #7 2 years ago

    @mickey2010
    Same as. The game feels cut down, by that I mean you goto a place, blow it to hell, leave and next.
    I loved the game though and am on a second playthrough but the epicness (if such a word exists) of the first just isn't there.
    I blame the planet scanning.
    Landing on barren worlds was a huge factor in my liking of the game. It was the cookie cutter bases on the barren worlds that let them down.
    Here's hoping for some funky alien vistas on remote worlds with the Hammerhead!

  • Miths #8 2 years ago

    It's Mass Effect: Galaxy 2 for iPhone :p.

    As for ME2, it proved to be the best overall game experience I've ever had in my ~25 years of gaming. Not perfect in all areas (though I certainly don't miss the RPG stables they've removed or streamlined, and which were implemented in a rather clunky fashion in ME1), but the great parts more than made up for the minor flaws, and the combat is just so much better than ME1 that I don't think I could ever stand going through the first one again.

  • Darren #9 2 years ago

    The new free DLC will be welcome as I'm now on the finishing stretch of the game having decided early on to do ALL the available side and character quests to prolong this exceptional game, which even at this point in 2010 is looking to be a contender for my Game of the Year.

    And Mass Effect 3 or a proper expansion pack for Mass Effect 2 for Jan/Feb 2011? Yes, please! :D

  • DeadlyByDesign #10 2 years ago

    Anyone have any pics what the new armour looks like? As for the game...I love it. Just mopping up my last 2 loyalty missions and making 1 or 2 upgrades to the normandy before I make the jusmp through the omega 4 relay. Cant wait.

  • Miths #11 2 years ago

    [link url=http://masseffect.bioware.com/universe/arsenal/armor/
    ]http://masseffect.bioware.com/universe/a...[/link]

    I strongly suspect it's going to be like the other DLC/pre-order armors where you can't remove the helmet, which means it's going to be utterly useless to those of us who like to see Shepard's face during conversations (particularly if we've actually managed to make a pretty attractive FemShep :)).
    I'll be sticking to my modified N7 armor with no head gear or the small visor.

  • Moribundman #12 2 years ago

    It is like the other DLC armour (see the above link I posted, and one of destructoids associated stories is effectively the story to which we're writing feedback, only with a screenshot).

    I too don't particularly like the "full set" armour and felt that 3-4 alternatives for each armour piece fell short of the degree of customisation they were hinting at. This has not gone unnoticed on Biowares own forums however, so maybe at some stage they'll release a free patch/DLC that allows the helmets of these suits to be optional in the style of the first game (if you choose not to have a helmet on your N7 armour in ME2 and you enter a hostile environment then you wear one anyway. They should allow the reverse on hub worlds where much of the plot/emoting happens).

    ANYWAY people, I imagine they will release additional modular N7 armour too. Please see the above link, where you can download three additional (and in my opinion better) visors for free without having to move to America and drink Dr Pepper.

  • menage #13 2 years ago

    Some people are hard to please:p

  • neems #14 2 years ago

    Hopefully, the harder people are to please, the harder developers will try to please them.

  • kangarootoo #15 2 years ago

    That Cerberus armour, is that not the same armour that was free to people that pre-ordered from Play.com?

    Seems an odd thing to do, but its not a huge deal I guess. I guess the inferno armour I got from my Amazon pre-order will turn up as a free download soon.

  • Moribundman #16 2 years ago

    I would say Bioware have been trying pretty damn hard already. ME2's support is already surpassing Dragon Age and I'd say its pretty unparalleled in terms of ongoing comittment.

    Honestly people...

    You release a load of top quality DLC FOR FREE in the first week or two of release and you get "Bleugh why wozzn't dis in da game?!!"

    You leave it a little while and polish something really special you get "Wot happened to teh DLC?!!"

    You release some extra skins/weapons for free you get "Waaah. Not special enough, I want missions!!!"

    You release a huge mission pack for 800MSP and you get "I can't believe they are charging for a few extra levels. Screw Bioware!!!"

    Some people out there make even Xbox/PS3 fanboys look sane with their cretinous and bipolar propensity to whinge about any news whatsoever.

  • udat #17 2 years ago

    I have a code for that inferno armour but I am not sure how to use it. When I started Mass Effect 2 it logged in to an EA account automagically (presumably the one I created back in the day for BF1943) and I applied the Cerberus Network code. That worked fine and dandy, but now I have to log in to the website to apply my Amazon pre-order code and I haven't the faintest Idea what my account name is, never-mind the password.

    Meh.

  • Miths #18 2 years ago

    @menage

    If you're referring to not wanting to use DLC armors because of their fixed helmets, I really do think that's a pretty large oversight on Bioware's behalf (and so apparently do many people on the official forums).
    With a game with this much focus on conversation and some of the best facial animation out there, forcing players to keep the main character's face covered up at all times if they want to use DLC armor (or pre-selected N7 helmets), is not a particularly good choice in my opinion.
    It's a damn shame, because the Blood Dragon armor in particular looks pretty cool.

  • kangarootoo #19 2 years ago

    @udat

    Its a proper faff redeeming that code. Christ knows what they were thinking.

    Go here,
    [link url=http://www.MassEffect.com
    ]http://www.MassEffect.com
    [/link]

    Click on redeem code. That should take you to a bioware website. You need to log-in using an EA account that is tied to your XBL profile. Now if you have played an EA game online already (Fight Night, BF1943, etc) you should already have an account.

    If you can't remember your account name, just type in the email address you have assigned to your XBLive account and choose the "forgot password" option. That should get your password sorted.

    If you don't already have an EA account, you need to set up a new one and associated it with your XBL profile. WARNING: don't set up a new account if you already have one assigned to your XBL profile. You can't switch it, and if you redeem your code you won't be able to transfer it (without maybe contacting EA support, or maybe MS support, I dunno).


    I got my inferno armour redeemed in the end, but whoever thought that having to redeem the code via a website instead of XBL needs a serious talking to.

    Good luck.

  • metalangel #20 2 years ago

    @X: Which is why I'm waiting to buy this... a GOTY with all the stuff included.

  • Moribundman #21 2 years ago

    @metalangel Good luck (honestly!) but I'm not sure it fits Bioware's business model to release a GOTY edition. You would possibly get all the ongoing free DLC included, but not the bolt ons which they plan to continue releasing over 2 years.

    @kangarootoo It's not the same armour, but its in the same style. Full body helmeted armour sets that have different pre-set styles and overall bonuses for the entire suit (as opposed to the modular, customisable bonuses from the N7 pieces).

    So far there are 3 sets of "full body" armour - The Collector Armour (from the CE) and the Inferno and Terminus armours (from preorders via play.com, amazon.co.uk or the digital deluxe edition).

    The Cerberus will be the 4th and apparently will be free to anyone on the Cerberus network.

    Personally my thoughts are if they keep releasing free suits of armour and gun options this frequently it will be a joy to keep downloading them and mucking about with new characters or even my "game complete" ones... (I might even stump up the MSP for a really special heavy weapon/character/mission pack).

  • Beano #22 2 years ago

    @Darren: You can still complete side missions after finishing the main story line.

  • Beano #23 2 years ago

    "With a game with this much focus on conversation and some of the best facial animation out there, forcing players to keep the main character's face covered up at all times if they want to use DLC armor (or pre-selected N7 helmets), is not a particularly good choice in my opinion. "

    I agree completely. I'm only using the closed helmets on my second playthrough where I tend to rush through the conversations anyway :)

  • menage #24 2 years ago

    @Miths

    No, I was talking about people who don't like ME2.

  • XanderFish #25 2 years ago

    @Moribundman

    Those Dr Pepper downloads are impossible to receive in game. You have to create 3 accounts with Dr Pepper, EA and Bioware and then somehow link them to your gamertag. I followed all the steps and then they still didn't show up in the cerberus network downloads. Thanks for the link but it was a bit useless really.

  • geeza2020 #26 2 years ago

    Cheers Moribundman - good work!!

    xanderfish - worked fine for me!

    Beano - I've only just started using a helmet on my second playthrough for the same reason. That and the fact that on insanity i need all the stat boosts i can get!
    Edited by geeza2020 at 09/02/10 @ 12:22

  • Moribundman #27 2 years ago

    @Xanderfish you don't.

    You create a made up email/address et al (it doesn't check if they are real, just that they are unique), type one of those three codes in on the following page, it takes you through to EA.com and you can log onto your existing account from all 3 Dr Pepper log-ins.

    Once you've done that, the items are logged on your EA account and freely downloadable on the 360 or PC versions of the game.

    A bit convaluted but I managed it fine when drunk on Saturday! ;-)

  • Moribundman #28 2 years ago

    @Beano & Miths There are some great bits of facial animation in the first one (snarling when you perform certain renegade actions... smirking when you get Anoleus busted... a satisfied smile at the very end of the game) and a load more in ME2 too.

    They've been smart to a certain degree by having many of the highly emotional scenes (love stuff, chats with the illusive man) take place in your casual gear, which ensures no helmet, but they DO need to go with more suits with a visible face.

    Sometimes its cool to do the more battle-oriented missions with a helmet (and the voice processing for talking through the helmet is cool) but it certainly does deaden the chat scenes.

  • XanderFish #29 2 years ago

    @Moribundman

    I'll give it another go but it just confused me before, thanks for the reply though. Would be nice to get that DLC.

  • Shrike #30 2 years ago

    Finished last night, heart lept a little when I saw this headline. It'll be funny to log in to my end-game save to pick up these particular items, though, given that Martin Sheen and I aren't friends any more. What a great game, though - I didn't think it'd really be able to surprise me, given that I'm the kind of person that reads the novels - but it did. Avoiding all info beyond the first few teaser trailers was the best decision I've ever made. I wonder if BioWare realise how much their new advertising methods - trailering every character, etc - directly affect the quality of their storytelling.

    Would have really affected my enjoyment if I'd known in advance who Archangel was, for example, or even that the Normandy was going to be replaced with a bigger Normandy.

  • andromeda #31 2 years ago

    I'm upset here because I've been salivating over this game for weeks and when it finally arrived i jumped head first into it.
    I loved the first one, and was so excited at the prospect that it had been streamlined and improved!

    I'll admit that I'm not very far into it, but last night, while fighting my way back out of the prison ship having collected Jack, I got immensely bored of blasting away at numerous troopers and commanders etc. I switched off and watched a movie instead.

    I still get excited at the thought of the Mass Effect world and love the atmosphere and story, but I'm also drawing steadily towards the "can't be bothered" realm.

    Please you lot, help me out this rut and get me back in,. tell me it gets better!

  • Shrike #32 2 years ago

    @andromeda

    I was in a similar boat - I loved ME1, and was so used to the combat system that I'd become pretty good at it. Coming first in all the Pinnacle Station missions on Insanity was really satisfying when I finally got my strategies and equipment setups right. So the less granular ME2 came as a bit of a surprise - I loved the better physics, but felt like all that I'd learned from the first game was now irrelevent.

    But I ended up really enjoying it, and the key is to play on a high difficulty setting. Luckily I'd started on Hardcore, and I'd reccomend changing if you're on medium. The harder the game is the more you have to think about weapon load-outs, armour, skills and crew-mates, which feels a lot more like the first game in terms of planning and preparation (I've always considered my Sole Survivor-Shepard as someone who gets through situations through "having a plan", so it's more immersive for me that way too.)

    I think class choice is important too. Infiltrator suits what I like to do well - using cloak to manage agro and to move around, setting up flanking etc. If you're playing Soldier I'd encourage you to look into a switch OR to wait until you get a chance to add some more involved powers to your character, which you will do.

    There is depth there if you go looking for it, but as ever with games you have to want to challenge yourself. Now that every game comes with a "path of least resistance" option, it's really a case of getting out what you put in.

    Hope that helps.

  • andromeda #33 2 years ago

    @Shrike

    THanks very much, you make some interesting points.

    And i am indeed playing on the default difficulty setting, If that's medium ( cant remember now) I guess thats why i seem to skip the weapon loadouts ; partly because i find the selection system a bit confusing ( anyone else unsure of what you've actually selected?) and also because no matter what, the battles seem to be a piece of piss anyway!

    I shall follow your advice i think, and level up the difficulty, whether i restart or not - thats a tough choice, but thanks for your pointers!

  • Moribundman #34 2 years ago

    @Shrike Are you playing on PC? I ended up buying the first game on both formats and while the graphics are very purdy and the strategic combat is much more sensible on the PC I found it pretty tough to master (probably because I've not played PC action games for aaaaages). I've heard the controls are totally different for ME2, which is a shame. The 360 version of ME2 was a massive improvement control-wise...

    If they EVER release some kind of set for a PS3 release, they'd better go back and clean up the other two versions to a consistent graphical, inventory and controller standard on all platforms! ;-)

    On this note - does anyone know, since Dragon Age and ME2 link via your EA/Bioware/Cerberus accounts - do DLC items from one version of these games appear in the OTHER versions, if you attach an EA account to both your 360 and PC versions of the game?

    ie. If you have the digital deluxe edition with the exclusive Incisor rifle et al on the PC, and you link your PC ME2 to the same account you've linked your 360 ME2 to, can you use the rifle in the 360 version? When I installed those visors you get taken to a website which implies that DLC applies to any version of the game linked to your EA account, which would also explain why the incisor rifle appeared in that "free" list of 360 DLC despite only being available with the DD edition...

  • Moribundman #35 2 years ago

    @andromeda The default difficulty is "Normal" but the loewst I'd recommend for any sort of decent challenge would be "Veteran". Bear in mind you've then got "Hardcore" and "Insanity" above that right off the bat this time... You can change the difficulty at any point, so unless you've started on Insanity and you're gunning for the achievement you can change gear whenever the games getting to easy (or too hard).

    Insanity is just that. If you aren't patient and careful you'll have trouble escaping the Cerberus base! Definitely leaving that for a later playthrough once the plot seems less fresh in my mind... I'm happy the difficulty is less erratic than in Dragon Age.

  • Shrike #36 2 years ago

    @Moribundman

    No, I've played both versions on 360. I imagine though that the first game is easier on the PC because I've heard it makes firing off powers accurately a little more straightforward, which is crucial particularly in the Pinnacle Hunt scenarios (if you care about such things).

    ME2 feels like a very natural fit with the 360, especially now that powers are limited in use by the state the enemy is in and share a global cooldown. You're never going to fire several in succession so the selection wheel is as good as any other method. Because I use my PC for other things - working from home, graphic design - I don't have a particularly 'cinematic' set-up compared to the 360, so I'll always consider Mass Effect a comfy-chair-and-TV thing.

    As an aside, though, I consider Dragon Age to be completely a PC game, and wasn't considering the 360 version even before it turned out to be a bit shoddy. I'm not sure where these decisions come from.

    Finally, yes, as far as I know you can unlock DLC/items for both versions, with the exception of anything that comes through the Cerberus Network which I think is platform-locked. Looking at my profile on the Bioware Social Network, I've got all of the Dr. Pepper items, the Collector items, and Blood Dragon armour unlocked for both PC and 360 - despite as I've said only owning Dragon Age on the PC and ME on the 360. The only thing I don't have on both is Zaeed and the Crash Site, so I presume it's because I activated my Cerberus Network code on the 360.

  • Moribundman #37 2 years ago

    @Shrike Wish I'd known! I would def have bought DA on the PC if I'd known I could use the BD armour on 360 ME2, and I feel it would have been a MUCH richer experience (will prob still but this on PC when it comes down in price, and certainly intend to "do" any DLC on the PC...)

    As for the helmet issue, looks like you can see expressions a bit better with the Cerberus armour (per the screenshot on the Bioware site). Also has anyone got the Inferno armour working ingame? I saw a vid on youtube which suggested the Inferno armour has a large semi transparent window (the bit that looks "gold" on the promo shots).