BioWare Dates Mass Effect 3: Leviathan

[Andy Chalk]

BioWare Dates Mass Effect 3: Leviathan

The new single-player DLC for Mass Effect 3 will be here soon.

The fact that things came to a pretty definite conclusion at the end of Mass Effect 3 doesn't mean that BioWare can't squeeze in some story-expanding DLC months after the fact. There's plenty of space in the middle bits to cram something in, after all, and that's the plan for Leviathan, the upcoming expansion that sees Commander Shepard and the gang hunting for a massive, mysterious creature that kills Reapers for fun.

BioWare says Leviathan will "expand upon the events of Mass Effect 3, with gripping and emotional storytelling, compelling new characters, and powerful weapons and upgrades." It hasn't been overly forthcoming with plot details but IGN [http://ca.ign.com/articles/2012/08/03/leviathan-add-on-will-change-mass-effect-3s-ending] revealed earlier this month that Shepard becomes drawn into Admiral Hackett's hunt for the Leviathan following the murder of a scientist who had begun to make some headway in the search. The murder at first appears to be a matter of Reaper indoctrination, but apparently there may be other forces at play.

It sounds pretty cool, but is it actually interesting enough to bother with? We all know how the Mass Effect story ends, after all, so no matter what you do or what happens in Leviathan, the outcome will be the same. Eidos did something very similar with The Missing Link DLC for Deus Ex: Human Revolution, but that game didn't end with quite the same degree of finality as Mass Effect 3. I used to say that more Mass Effect could never be a bad thing, but now I'm not so sure.

In any event, Mass Effect 3: Leviathan [http://masseffect3.bioware.com/downloads/leviathan/] comes out on August 28 for the Xbox 360, PC and PlayStation 3 in North America for 800 MS Points or $9.99; PlayStation 3 users in Europe will have to wait until August 29.

Source: BioWare [http://blog.bioware.com/2012/08/15/leviathan-dlc-officially-dated/]

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[Nimcha]

It sounds pretty cool, but is it actually interesting enough to bother with? We all know how the Mass Effect story ends, after all, so no matter what you do or what happens in Leviathan, the outcome will be the same.

You could say the same for any (side) mission in the game. I fail to see how that's a point against this DLC.

Knowing how something ends doesn't need to detract from its entertainment value. Have you never read a book twice?

 

[The_Darkness]

Huh. Bioware is dating Mass Effect 3: Leviathan. I wonder if they're seeing a film at the cinema or going out clubbing together? In any case, I hope it's the beginning of a beautiful relationsh- Oh, that's not what you meant...

OT: August 26th? Eleven days away? Awesome. I'll probably have finished Dark Souls by then, just in time to boot up ME3 for this before diving into Darksiders 2.
And I'm seriously looking forward to meeting Leviathan. I may even buy it dinner... (What food do Reapers eat?)

 

[Saviordd1]

It sounds pretty cool, but is it actually interesting enough to bother with? We all know how the Mass Effect story ends, after all, so no matter what you do or what happens in Leviathan, the outcome will be the same.

You could say the same for any (side) mission in the game. I fail to see how that's a point against this DLC.

Knowing how something ends doesn't need to detract from its entertainment value. Have you never read a book twice?

This, it almost seems like he's trying to both play to the bioware fans by announcing this and the new bioware attackers by being skeptical.

OT: I'm excited, looks fun.

 

[Gizmo1990]

Despite my hatred for the ending (for me the EC just turned the Shit into polished shit) I was never one of the super angry, bat crap crazy people as I loved the rest of the game. However I have tried to replay it twice now and I just cannot do it. The ending has actualy managed to suck out the enjoyment for me. For all 3 games. Something about knowing that all the epic stuff you do will end with a magic space kid telling you a bunch of bullshit that makes no sense has ruined the whole series for me.

Bit pissed of about that so I will give it a miss.

 

[RJ 17]

I had some spare microsoft points laying around so I went ahead and picked up that weapon pack for the single player...no new weapon they come out with could possibly break the campaign more than the Krysae sniper rifle...that gun just isn't fair for the enemies.

As for this, I'll be getting it. I'm one of the few that - while extremely disappointed with the ending - never actually raged about it and tried my best to explain my interpretation of it (which, coincidentally, turned out to be exactly what they made the EC into...I predicted those endings with my interpretations of the original ones long before the EC ever was even considered ). Personally I still enjoy the game. Hell, I played it through 8 times straight when I first got it. I'll be picking this up because it's more fun in the ME universe and really that's all that matters to me.

 

[SamuelT]

Calling it now. Space Whale.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

Despite my hatred for the ending (for me the EC just turned the Shit into polished shit) I was never one of the super angry, bat crap crazy people as I loved the rest of the game. However I have tried to replay it twice now and I just cannot do it. The ending has actualy managed to suck out the enjoyment for me. For all 3 games. Something about knowing that all the epic stuff you do will end with a magic space kid telling you a bunch of bullshit that makes no sense has ruined the whole series for me.

Bit pissed of about that so I will give it a miss.

I feel your pain. I own both the PS3 and 360 versions of the game, and while I got all the trophies for the PS3, the ending just made it so I couldn't get those last achievements on the 360. Knowing that none of your choices matter in the final moments of the game just kills the entire trilogy for me too. I don't feel the weight and dread behind the choices anymore.

I wish I could be as excited about this as I was about Mass Effect 2's DLCs, but I just can't. My forces can already stomp the Reapers, and knowing that this 'traitor' Reaper will only increase a number on the table and not change anything else just kills it for me. Adding Zaeed and Kasumi changed the ending to Mass Effect 2. This will not have the same effect for me. I'll still buy this and play it, but for the first time it will be for the trophies and achievements first, and storyline a distant second. And that kills me.
(sorry if this is a double post. Got an error message the first time I tried to post this)

 

[Dango]

I don't really have any opinion on this, I just wanted to point out that it comes out on my birthday.

 

[hazabaza1]

Price point?
Haven't seen anything about price on this, could it actually be free?
Naww.

 

[Something Amyss]

You could say the same for any (side) mission in the game. I fail to see how that's a point against this DLC.

Except, generally, you haven't already played to the end. Or paid for the right to do so.

"Midquel" DLCs tend to sell worse than actual followups, unless they're released alongside and whatnot. And hell, remember when EA defended the From the Ashes DLC being on-disk and launch D:C by saying that the drop-off was great and the time to drop DLC is early? Kinda comes back, eh?

EDIT: Dropped this part somehow:

Have you never read a book twice?

Let's face it: Games are treated far different. And while I'll play a game I love over and over again, "replay" in video games is generally determined by multiple endings and multiplayer. Thankfully, books have not been modernised in this sense, as I don't think I'd want to feel obligated to read my books with friends to get the full experience. Sure, there's asynchronous multiplayer, but I don't need four copies of the book open at once with three friends waiting to do that.

 

[Tomeran]

I'll follow suit:

It sounds pretty cool, but is it actually interesting enough to bother with? We all know how the Mass Effect story ends, after all, so no matter what you do or what happens in Leviathan, the outcome will be the same.

Wut? People have been begging for single-player DLC for months rather then just the multiplayer ones and now when its finally being released, there's this? No pleasing everyone I guess.
Its pre-ending for a fairly good reason. And if the "no difference in the ending"-argument really gets to you so much, just consider the fact that the ending is not the entire mass effect experience.

Im thrilled for this one, because I remembered the DLC for ME2. Lair of the shadow broker in particular, as that was one of the best DLC's I've ever experienced. Leviathan is gonna have to work hard to meet up to that one in terms of quality, but since 98% of ME3 is pretty damned good, who knows.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

Despite my hatred for the ending (for me the EC just turned the Shit into polished shit) I was never one of the super angry, bat crap crazy people as I loved the rest of the game. However I have tried to replay it twice now and I just cannot do it. The ending has actualy managed to suck out the enjoyment for me. For all 3 games. Something about knowing that all the epic stuff you do will end with a magic space kid telling you a bunch of bullshit that makes no sense has ruined the whole series for me.

Bit pissed of about that so I will give it a miss.

mostly this, i tried starting up the third game and my brain instantly wants nothing more to do with it since i've beaten it once, and with the craptastic ending, nothing is changed at all with this DLC, so i might read/youtube it, but couldn't care less about it.

(and yes, I did buy all the story DLC's from the previous games, so I do buy DLC quite often.)

 

[Something Amyss]

Calling it now. Space Whale.

I would buy the game for that.

 

[teh_Canape]

Price point?

I think they said it when they announced both Leviathan and Firefight
Firefight = US$2
Leviathan = $US10

 

[hazabaza1]

Price point?

I think they said it when they announced both Leviathan and Firefight
Firefight = US$2
Leviathan = $US10

Ah, thanks.
Probably won't bother with it then.

 

[teh_Canape]

Price point?

I think they said it when they announced both Leviathan and Firefight
Firefight = US$2
Leviathan = $US10

Ah, thanks.
Probably won't bother with it then.

I'd say you should wait
who knows, might be on the same level of Lair of the Shadow Broker

 

[ProtoChimp]

Wait wasn't this spoiled already? Isn't it a rogue reaper?