Mass Effect 2: Arrival

 Xbox 360
Metascore
65

Mixed or average reviews - based on 24 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 24
  3. Negative: 2 out of 24
  1. Destructoid
    Mar 29, 2011
    85
    Don't get me wrong, Arrival sits comfortably between Overlord and Lair of the Shadow Broker in terms of quality and I still want to play Mass Effect 3 badly, but I don't want play it that much more badly after having played Arrival.
  2. GameShark
    Apr 9, 2011
    83
    It's not as consistently awesome as Shadow Broker, but that's ok – The Arrival more than does its part in setting the stage for a killer third installment of the series.
  3. GameTrailers
    Apr 2, 2011
    82
    It's over in a flash, but when it's done, you'll be eager to find out what happens next.
  5. Eurogamer Spain
    Apr 4, 2011
    80
    Not as good as The Lair of the Shadow Broker, but it's a great offer for fans of the universe created by BioWare, setting interesting events that will be further inspected in Mass Effect 3.
  6. Gamereactor Sweden
    Apr 1, 2011
    80
    Arrival is Bioware's farewell to Mass Effect 2, and what a farewell this is. It's a really exiting mission that explains things leading to Mass Effect 3 and after you've finished it, you're left wanting nothing but more of this. Now, if only it was a little longer.
  7. Cheat Code Central
    Mar 30, 2011
    80
    Rationalizing the cost versus the content is a tough one, but I can say this will not hold you over till the release of Mass Effect 3.
  8. TeamXbox
    Apr 2, 2011
    75
    At 560 Microsoft Points, the add-on is a bit steep with its lack of content and for the casual player, but for the completionist who want to absorb the complete canon of the series and prepare for the next game, it's worth a stab.

Awards & Rankings

72
#72 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2011

User Reviews

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User Score
6.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 103 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 35 out of 103
  2. Mixed: 45 out of 103
  3. Negative: 23 out of 103
  1. Miz3k
    Mar 29, 2011
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. First off, this isn't a forum, its a review site. If you don't like a review, click the button at the bottom and vote. This isn't the place for you to rant. If you want to argue with and berate someone because their opinion differs from yours, go to a forum and do it. Now, for the review. Well, Bioware successfully got me to throw away more of my money. I should have just balled up $7 and tossed it into the crapper and flushed. For your $7 you get about an hour and a half of the most frustrating Mass Effect content I've ever played and three new achievements. Story-wise, without giving away spoilers(there really aren't any, what is described on the download screen is pretty much the story of what you'll be playing), there are a lot of things that had me scratching my head. After the make new friends plot-line of ME2, Bioware had to do something to tie this game into the trilogy, this is that tiny common thread. You'll see familiar things and topics from the original will be touched upon(not in depth), add in the setting and all this seems familiar. This is about the only thing I can say I like about this DLC, as I thought ME2, like Dragon Age 2, strayed too far from what made the original so cool, barely resembling the game I fell in love with. This to me has the look and feel of the first game, but when you really start to think about the plot all kinds of questions start forming, things just don't make sense. The whole thing breaks down like this. Hackett sends you a message, he wants you to find a lady-friend of his that is being held by Batarians, you rescue her, she explains the Reaper situation, there is a stupid plot twist and yet another no-win scenario for Shephard insues. The dialogue is worse than the story, things get repeated a lot and conversations in general seem disjointed, like you are talking to the other person through those hand-held family radios people take to Disney World so they don't lose their kids. Much like Dragon Age 2 there is absolutely no exploration, you run down strings of linear corridors with obviously placed loot scattered about. Enemies pop up, you kill them, sometime you protect the doctor/scientist/whatever while she pretends to be doing something important, sometimes you'll have to turn off valves and coolant tanks. Problem is its all so straight forward, walk here, now push this, have some minerals, push that, kill some guys, and everything is right in front of your face, so obvious, you literally don't have to think through the entire demo, unless you crank up the difficulty all the way. But the thing that bothered me the most is it was a solo mission, no squadmates, and given the level of importance of the mission, I thought this was kind of stupid. Hackett said he wanted secrecy, but when you see the ending you'll realize it wouldn't matter if you took an entire army in there. I get the feeling that Bioware is setting me up for something, slowly acclimating me and others for what is coming next. A straight-up shooter, no RPG elements, very little squad stuff, just you and some guns, Marcus Fenix style. I hope I'm wrong, but these games keep getting simpler and dumber with each new entry. The ending of this DLC sets up ME3, but not how I or anyone else would have thought. This setup is also kind of dumb (to me) because the universe is about to be destroyed by the Reapers and Shephard and the Alliance are worried about war with the Batarians and a court trial, that's right Phoenix Wright: Ace attorney fans, court drama, exciting. This was my chief complaint with ME2. Something terrible was happening out in space and only you could stop it, but first you had to help Jacob sort out his daddy issues, or help Jack get revenge, or any other of the monumental wastes of time forced upon you if you wanted to survive. Everybody need friends, right? Hah! Good call Bioware. A sane person wouldn't even consider something like that if they had a deadline to meet like Shephard. ME3 had better be freakin' epic because I was mildly disappointed with ME2 and all of its DLC (except Lair of the Shadow Broker), I was beaten and mugged for $60 worth of the same dungeons over and over plus a terrible story in Dragon Age 2. I just hope that Bioware isn't influenced by EA and gives ME3 their all because something that started out so epic and awesome should go out with a bang.… Full Review »
  2. Cryoakira
    Mar 30, 2011
    3
    Very disappointing. Save for the end that lead to ME3, the story is basic, lacking both in interest and choices. The action is basically a 2Very disappointing. Save for the end that lead to ME3, the story is basic, lacking both in interest and choices. The action is basically a 2 bases shoot-out with nothing new or original. Since you're by yourself, there are neither interactions nor dialogues with your crew. What should have been a great final for ME2 ends up being its worst DLC.… Full Review »
  3. webcamsio4
    Mar 29, 2011
    0
    This was a far cry from any other Mass Effect related mission and dlc. It felt like Bioware is catering to their purely shooter fans moreThis was a far cry from any other Mass Effect related mission and dlc. It felt like Bioware is catering to their purely shooter fans more than ever. The mission forced Commander Shepard to solo, with a temporary companion for a short period of time. What an odd feeling, especially as the rest of the game is mainly focused on recruiting a team. What makes game play and the story both fun and re-playable were the teamwork between Shepard and team members. This dlc was very underwhelming, and at times, comical.… Full Review »
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