Review: Mass Effect 2: Firewalker DLC

I still maintain that the MAKO and everything Bioware designed around it were the Achilles Heel of the first Mass Effect. I despised driving that thing, and the six-wheeled bastard still managed to somehow pop up just about everywhere like a sci-fi version of Herbie. It was the worst possible sight when after plodding through Noveria, finally managing to get the garage key, I find the thing parked in there, waiting...mocking me.

So I can say with no undue enthusiasm that I relished the sight of a totaled MAKO amongst the wreckage of the Normandy SR-1 in Mass Effect 2. In fact, I flew all the way back to Omega just to do a little dance in celebration (lies). I'm just glad Bioware saw reason, but when I heard that they were going to attempt to add in more vehicle levels, I began to second guess that thought: perhaps they didn't see enough reason...perhaps.

To those of us who bought ME2 new, this package will likely be the last bit of free content to be delivered through the Cerberus Network. It was a fun ride while it lasted, though I'm not sure if anything we received was all that great. I have yet to keep any of the armor or weapons provided on any of my characters, since it all kinda sucks. And the non-interchangeable DLC armor upgrades are still a slight problem.

Anyway, yeah, the Firewalker DLC. I'm typically not one to look a gift hovercraft in the mouth, but I would have deemed this whole package passable if I had shelled out money for it. Still, I'll be damned if that little hovercraft doesn't handle like a dream and is actually fun to fly around, but we have to remember that this is a very isolated set of missions (four missions, I believe). There are no dialogue options here, no great rewards other than some minerals and credits, and your party members will have a grand total of three lines of dialogue (give or take one), all of which are more than likely stock lines to fit any situation. "Let's get out of here!" and shit like that.

There is a bit of a story, but I'm not sure what it could possibly mean. It certainly doesn't have any bearing on this game. Rest assured, you get a few "thank you" letters in your inbox.

To give credit where credit is due, Bioware have redeemed the MAKO with these missions. So much so, in fact, that I wanted to play around with it even more! But after those four missions, you're done. A shame, that: because this whole thing seems too little too late to have any sort of relevance to the overall game. Hopefully we see the return of the Firewalker in ME3, but here it means little more than an hour of killed time, a few minerals, and a demo of what could be a great game mechanic in the future.

R.I.P. MAKO, you will not be missed. >=)