Home

 › 

Articles

 › 

Mass Effect 3: Citadel Review for Xbox 360

Mass Effect 3: Citadel Review for Xbox 360

If The Citadel’s Rocking, Come On In

It is the end of an era. Mass Effect 3 is finally, really ending and it’s going out with a bang. The Mass Effect 3 Citadel DLC is out, and it’s changed my life. Well, not really. But it did rob me of about four hours of sleep the night it was released, keeping me up until almost 2AM, and caused a ten-minute giggle-fit the following day when I watched Shepard and Javik make their movie debut. This is an add-on for the fans—Mass Effect 3’s “Shadow Broker”—and isn’t an optional experience.

Mass Effect 3: Citadel Screenshot

The new adventure begins with the best order ever: Take some shore leave. The Normandy needs repairs, the crew’s been overworked, and Admiral Hackett orders Shepard to Anderson’s apartment. Except it isn’t his anymore. The moment she arrives, Anderson calls in to give it to her as a gift. Thanks, Dad-Shepard-Never-Had! Here she gets a huge suite with a fireplace, bar, art gallery, and hot tub. All I ever got from my dad was a used car.

Anyways, the good stuff ends quickly before Shepard gets a chance to enjoy it. After exploring her awesome digs, she gets an invitation for sushi with Joker. She gets the VIP treatment at what’s apparently the hottest restaurant on the station and is sitting down to a nice meal when some Alliance officer named Maya Brooks runs up, saying people are trying to kill her. Again. And they’re different people than last time. Then mercenaries show up to shoot stuff, and Shepard falls through a gigantic fish tank and down the sides of some buildings. Her identity has been stolen by a mysterious figure who’s hired Cat6, a group of fearsome former Alliance renegades, to kill Shepard. Shepard goes through used car lots, a casino, Citadel archives, and the Normandy.

Mass Effect 3: Citadel Screenshot

I think what I love most about the Mass Effect 3 Citadel DLC is the script. It’s as though BioWare asked all of its staff to bring their best Mass Effect fan fiction to the break room, and the silliest, funniest, and cheesiest ones provided fodder for Citadel. From Shepard getting an incredible apartment from Anderson, to Vega ordering a pizza during a mission briefing, to bumbling and adorable new NPC Brooks telling Commander Shepard that friendship is her secret weapon, Citadel is easily the kind of DLC of fanboy and fangirl dreams. Yet, despite the silliness, it does make sense within the canon of the Mass Effect universe.

Mass Effect 3: Citadel Screenshot

So there’s one reason to buy it. The other is for all the content. I know Mass Effect 3 Citadel is being billed as a DLC add-on, but I think “expansion” is a more appropriate definition. This thing is huge, over 3GB, and it’s worth every bit of space it’s hoarding on my PS3’s hard drive. There are nine missions, a whole new area of the Citadel to explore, romantic interludes galore, a massive apartment that can be customized, two new weapons, and I lost track of how many new weapon mods. And all of your squadmates from Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 who survived and aren’t normally part of your team come back and join your squad in the Combat Arena. It is everything I have ever wanted in a Mass Effect add-on. There are so many violent and non-violent moments to enjoy.

Not to mention the Mass Effect 3 Citadel DLC gives us more treasured moments with our favorite characters. It provides the perfect bonding experience, seeing as how squaddies can be invited to Shepard’s new digs. Or, when Shepard’s out on the town, the crew could be at locations and events can be triggered. The Garrus date is my new favorite social event in the series. Still, the moments with the team aren’t the only great parts. Even characters who aren’t present get development, as new Anderson information comes up thanks to excerpts from his biography conveniently placed around Shepard’s new apartment.

Mass Effect 3: Citadel Screenshot

The overall quality of Mass Effect 3 Citadel is just fantastic. The voice acting is top notch, the new areas are detailed and look fantastic, I dig the new music, and even the casino and arcade games are a decent way to kill some time. I did experience some texture issues, mainly where clothing didn’t display properly for a moment. You know, the minor Mass Effect 3 hiccups we’ve seen before. They happen, but they’re usually brief.

I’d say the Mass Effect 3 Citadel DLC is the add-on to acquire. It’s full of fun and feel-good moments. In fact, I’d say that it’s so good that it makes up for the lack of a happy ending. Sure, the world’s coming to an end, things look grim, and, depending on your choices, Shepard won’t come out of this alive. But until that happens, we’ll enjoy some fluff and plan a rocking party.

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 4.5 Graphics
All the new areas look fantastic, but there are still some texture issues in event scenes. 5.0 Control
Shepard and her team are easy to control, and none of the essential gameplay mechanics have been changed. 5.0 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
All of the voice actors return with fantastic performances and the new background tracks provide the perfect ambiance. 5.0 Play Value
This DLC is loaded with content, so even after the nine missions are done, people will have plenty of reason to explore the new areas alone or with virtual friends. 4.8 Overall Rating – Must Buy
Not an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.

Review Rating Legend
0.1 – 1.9 = Avoid 2.5 – 2.9 = Average 3.5 – 3.9 = Good 4.5 – 4.9 = Must Buy
2.0 – 2.4 = Poor 3.0 – 3.4 = Fair 4.0 – 4.4 = Great 5.0 = The Best

Game Features:

  • 9 new missions for Shepard and her crew to undertake.
  • New social events for every Mass Effect 3 squadmate.
  • Prior Mass Effect squadmates return for socializing and arena battles.
  • Five new areas are added to the Citadel.
  • New weapons, weapon mods and war assets can be acquired.

  • To top