Cerberus Network DLC Review

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Mass Effect 2: Cerberus Network DLC - Review

Mass Effect 2 is on the shelves and in our Xbox’s, and EA and Bio ware have decided to spice the game up with some free dlc (well, free in most cases!) in the shape of downloadable character Zaeed Massani and bonus mission ‘Normandy Crash Site’.

Add this to the Dragon Armour which came free with Dragon Age: Origins and we’ve already got a few tasty treats from the Mass Effect 2 world to tuck into! These are available via the Cerberus Network which is on the games main menu. So lock and load people (and aliens) and lets see if they are any good. . . .

Shepard shows off this seasons latest in ‘clothes to kill in’

Dragon Armour

This armour is available via a code or payment and most people will have it as a code that came with Dragon Age: Origins which also gave access to a suit of armour in that game. The Dragon Armour is available from very early in the game, just before you first meet the ‘Illusive Man’ for the first time you can change into this armour.

The armour looks awesome. I mean seriously awesome, compared to the dull old N7 gear you normally have. It has a good blend of medieval and futuristic to give an overall look that just screams ‘I’m going to bounce you round the room with Biotics then shoot you in the face with a shotgun’. The back story that accompanies the armour in the game suggests it was got for you personally by the Illusive Man from the Edmonton Dragons, a team who participate in Earths Urban Combat Championship and its even signed by there players! This has no bearing on how the armour performs its functions but it’s a nice little story nevertheless.

As with all additional armour and clothing pieces in the game the Dragon Armour conveys a serious stat boost to its wearer making it a difficult item to not use in the early goings where you really wont find much better protection. It is geared slightly towards Biotic characters, granting an additional 15% increase to you powers damage, nothing to be sniffed at during some of the tougher missions! You also get a 10% increase to your shield strength allowing Biotic Shepard’s to get in close for those kills where you can see the whites of your enemies eyes!

Because this DLC is free, it is hard to judge whether or not it is worthwhile, though as mentioned it looks kick-arse good and is stronger than the regular armour especially early in the game. Had I needed to pay for it, I’d probably say its worth a couple of quid but no more. If you have the code on the other hand you should use it and be pleased with how cool you look!

The original Normandy

Normandy Crash Site

I’m not to sure what the point of this little piece of DLC is. Alright, so for those who played the first game it’s a trip down memory lane and an excuse to get a bit nostalgic, but that’s it really. You are set the task of going to the planet Alchera, a three mooned barren ice planet to erect a monument to honour the original Normandy’s crew who died when it crashed. A simple scanning of the planet will find you the crash site in no time and then you’re ready to land. And when you land you’ll notice you are alone. Your squad don’t make this trip with you despite the fact some of them served on the ship as well!

The lack of a back-up team is a clear indication of what sort of mission this is, a totally non-violent one. You kick around in the snow for a bit and then you’re informed you can place the statue. The statue is small, bland and unattractive, hardly a fitting memorial for those who do fondly remember the original crew. So with your gun holstered and you’re statue in place its time to find 20 dog tags to return to the dead servicemen’s families. As you rummage through the debris of what was once a proud vessel looking for these dog tags you’ll occasionally trigger a flash back where a brief video will show a crew member or area of the ship from the first game. It was kind of nice to see the old ship in it’s former glory and to see characters such as Pressley again but it just felt like I was bored running around this rock. You get 10xp per dog tag which is a nice little incentive to visit though. You can also find Shepards old N7 helmet lying around. But you can’t wear it, it’s just an ornament for your desk. Magic, no?

Blue Suns mercenaries feature heavily in Zaeed’s back story

Zaeed Massani – Bounty Hunter

Now this is what you want from DLC! With the Zaeed Massani pack you get a new crew member who stays with you throughout the game, and a new ‘loyalty’ mission where you must do something for Zaeed to make him loyal to your cause. Zaeed looks very cool indeed, his face is a criss cross of old scars and one of his eyes is a faded dull colour and has a scar running through it. He also looks older than most of the current squad which fits his back story of being a veteran bounty hunter nicely. Zaeed is of the soldier class and is armed with assault rifle and sniper rifle and seems to be quite a tough dude to kill when fighting. You can find him on Omega collecting a bounty, which seems consists of him kicking crap out of aliens before collecting his money.

The bounty hunter has been hired by the Illusive Man to add a bit of fire power, experience and ruthlessness to your team. His fee has been paid but there is a catch, you must help him to right an old wrong; take out the Blue Suns mercenary leader, Vido. He takes up residence on the Normandy in the starboard quarters on the engineering deck. You can’t talk to him directly like most characters instead you interact with his memorabilia around his cabin and he tells you in depth stories about his life and how he got them. This works really nicely and makes a change from the usual conversation style. When talking to him you understand why he’s on the mission, it sounds like he’s already survived a few suicide missions already!

To help Zaeed you travel to Zorya, a Blue Suns controlled jungle planet, to confront their leader. Zaeed is an obvious automatic choice and as usual you can enlist the help of a third squad mate to help out. The new area looks cool as well with lots of freaky looking animals running around. The mission itself is quite long and very combat orientated, with some nice set pieces against large groups of mercs. This can be a pretty tough mission due to the amount of enemies you face but is entertaining and rewarding as you storm the base to complete your objectives. It’s also tough because you can’t save often manually. Halfway through there is also your classic paragon/renegade option but it’s quite a large scale one and will have you thinking hard. When you have finished the mission you are rewarded with a lot of cash and xp as well as a flame thrower I found lying around on the planets surface. You also unlike Zaeed’s ability to use Inferno grenades which are pretty damn tasty.

This is a really nice bit of DLC especially considering the size and scale of it and because it’s free. It’s one I would have paid for if I’d have had to. Zaeed fits seamlessly into the group and just like all the others speaks when you’re running around, giving you information that relates to him and the area. He’s also just damn good on the battlefield and can take down a lot of enemies once upgraded and levelled up a bit. That grenade does a lot of damage over a good area.

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In conclusion

All in all i think that for free DLC these are welcome additions to your Mass Effect 2 world. A little more thought could have gone into the Normandy crash site which I did find a little dull, but the Dragon Armour and Zaeed are both really nice additions. The armour helps to just spice things up and keep your character looking fresh (and damned cool!) whilst conveying worth while bonuses to biotic classes. And as for Zaeed he’s just a good character with an interesting story and a wonderful mission to play through and a great squad member, even if he is a little blood thirsty and ruthless at times. The Mass Effect 2 game can only expand and get even better with more content like this.

Written & Reviewed by Paul Riley

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