User blog comment:Bluegear93/Your opinion on Arrival/@comment-1691295-20110405105302

I really liked it, but I think the whole thing was hurt by Dr. Kenson. Her voice acting was generally pretty terrible. Never once did she sound at all like she should have. When she was desperate, she didn't sound it, when she was bound and confused, she didn't sound it, when she was angry, she didn't sound it, and so on. It didn't help that her facial animations were just as bad. Her face, and its animations, looked like they belonged to generic human NPC #4, not a major character. In LOTSB for instance, Tela Vasir got a unique facial appearance which was just as detailed and well animated as the other major characters.

I think the level design was fantastic, the Project Base levels in particular were gorgeous and I really loved the feel of rushing through the base to start the project, there was a real sense of urgency which was greatly enhanced by the fantastic score. Some have complained about the presence of a timer, but I have to confess I didn't even know there was a time limit the first time through. I was already being pulled along by the level design and the urgency in the story and didn't need a timer to tell me the stakes.

I wasn't a fan of the no-squad combat. It felt too much like a generic shooter. Part of the fun of Mass Effect 2 is using your powers and weapons in combination with your squad's to take down a variety of enemies. Here, no matter your class, all the emphasis was on shooting and getting into cover, things that, while perfectly fun, are missing all of what makes Mass Effect unique.

I think the plot was great, the idea of delaying the invasion of the Reapers by destroying a relay. In fact, in retrospect I actually wish ME2 was built around this idea instead. I find it much more compelling and relevant to the main plot than the Collector diversion (I found ME2s over-arching plot to be weak, but the individual character stories and story telling to be amazing).

I do have major issues with the way the plot would fit into the story pre-Suicide Mission (or pre-anything else in ME2 at that). I think that the fact that it was even possible to play pre-SM greatly diminished the story. It would have been dramatically better if they had made the DLC exclusively post-Suicide Mission. If they had done that then I think that would have given them the opportunity to put more emphasis on the threat. As it stands they weren't really even able to emphasise the threat quite as much as they should have and the ending of the DLC feels a little too relaxed, given what just happened. The Reapers were minutes away from invading the Galaxy and even then they have still arrived at the edge of the Galaxy! Why is it back to business as usual as soon as the DLC is over?

I also wish there was some choice to make at the end. There is a major moral choice, but the game makes it for you. I understand the reasons, since the story wouldn't work if you made the choice differently, and you can't have major plot choices being made in DLC, since most players of ME3 won't have played it, but that doesn't stop me wanting it.

Overall I really did enjoy it, but at the same time I think it removed a most of what makes Mass Effect so great: The squad combat, great supporting characters and the moral choices Shepard has to make, all gone.