[DarkBow]

Mass Effect 2: Lair of the Shadow Broker DLC
Price: 800 MSP


Barely 10 months after the release of Mass Effect 2 and a good 40 hours of gameplay later, Bioware has released the first major DLC in the ‘Lair of the Shadow Broker’ and right from the get go I’m going to have to say that this is most likely the best piece of downloadable content I have played this year, maybe even ever!

As much as I would absolutely love to dissect every little thing that occurs I’m going to have to hold back and refrain myself from writing any possible spoilers and give away any relevant storyline plots. Hmm….

If you’ve played through the main game you shall remember encountering one Miss Liara T’Soni who mentions on many occasions about a Shadow Broker of whom she seeks revenge. If you have played through the original Mass Effect you will remember her as a previous team member of yours. Some may even recognise her as something more (yeah, I did go there myself, I have no shame!)



You will very quickly receive a communication from the illusive man regarding information that has been found regarding the Shadow Broker and that you should report to Liara ASAP. So off we go to Illium and that probably as much I can say with regards to any plot.

Bioware have certainly concentrated on clearing up some loose ends from the main game and have also added in a lot of gems. This DLC will probably take about 3-4 hours to go through and it’s an adrenaline rush the whole way through. You will get the chance to fly/drive (whatever its to be called) a skycab around the heights of Illium as well as exploring it on foot. There are two very interesting boss battles and a pretty noticeable, but very well executed twist.

A point that gets a special mention and probably the most breathtaking part of this whole DLC isn’t the story, nor is it the chance to drive a space cab. It’s the amazement of being on an the outside of an enormous ship in the middle of an electrical storm battling your way through enemies to get inside. This part is graphically beautiful and easily the best looking part of both the main game and the DLC put together. I found myself stopping every now and again just to look around and take it all in.



The Lair of the Shadow Broker takes player to the heights of Illium for the first time and also to a brand new location where the Shadow Brokers ship can be found. Once you complete the DLC there are a few little bits inside which may not seem relevant but after taking the time to read through some of the articles on some of the computers there are a good few laughs to read and then a few to fill in some blanks. You can also tip off various factions of anything happening that they may need to know about. For those who like blue alien love then there is a chance for you to ‘get involved’ if you play your cards right, I made sure that was the case

The Lair of the Shadow Broker is an absolutely stunning piece of downloadable content which really did put the spring back into the Mass effect step that it needed. Not a lengthy piece but with some truly fantastic scenes and some great storytelling you can finish off this latest Mass Effect chapter in style. The Lair of the Shadow Broker is definitely worth the full 800 points.

My Rating: 9

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