Mass Effect 2: Overlord Review

Massively satisfying.

Mass Effect 2 was an incredible game; that’s undeniable. Its DLC, however, have been the very definition of a mixed bag. The free content, Firewalker, was weak, while Kasumi was medorcre at best. However, the third content pack, Overlord, proves to be by far the best yet, with a rounded-out story and plenty of variety.

[image1]Once again, like Kasumi, this new DLC starts out in a strange fashion if you have already finished the main Mass Effect 2 story. Regardless of your decisions and their repercussions, Shepard receives a message from the Illusive Man about a distress call from a distant planet.

Upon arriving, Shepard’s crew is greeted by a scientist whose experimental artificial intelligence has gone rogue. Everything is not as it seems, of course, and it’s up for the commander to fix things, following either the paragon or the renegade school of thought. The story and setting for Overlord are very well-done, with a strong ending that will hopefully have an impact in Mass Effect 3.

Between combat sections, there’s plenty of driving using the new Hammerhead tank… along with platforming. Yes, there are platforming sections… while in a tank. You’ll understand what I mean when you get there. It’s just plain weird. But considering that what I’m calling a "tank" is actually a hovercraft-like vehicle, it really isn’t. It’s just not what you’d expect to be doing when playing Mass Effect 2.

[image2]All the elements in Overlord work extremely well as a two-hour content pack. The so-called missions are pretty short and don’t feel like actual missions but more like slices of a bigger setting, which begs the question of why they are called missions in the first place.

Overlord is more of an extended side-mission with plenty to do. It’d be hard to ask for more, even though I did miss the thrill of picking up a new equipment piece or memento for my captain’s cabin. All the while, I’m curious to see how my decisions will ripple into the final act of the Mass Effect trilogy, since I’m a space renegade with a heart of gold who had plenty of opportunities to be become more of a menace just during this story.

Regardless how you classify it, everything in this DLC is so exciting to play through, that it doesn’t make feel like this an attempt to grab even more money from players. Overlord is a tightly knit downloadable content that is well worth your time and 560 Microsoft Points.