User blog:Bronzey/Lair of the Shadow Broker - Impressions/Review (spoiler free)

So, LotSB was released a few hours ago, and I'm downloading it now. I'll write down some impressions as I play through, with a final review at the end for those who are yet to make up their minds (800 MS/BWP is a hefty investment). I'll try not to reveal any plot details, although I may comment vaguely on general developments.

Initial impressions

 * Firstly, I'm getting very annoyed with Bioware for not thinking of a new way to give Shepard missions. Being contacted by Cerberus (via email, no less) after the main story has finished is both nonsensical (in my case) and ridiculous. Surely another means of mission delivery can be arranged - I'm sick of the continuity being broken by having Cerberus involved after the events of the game's ending.
 * OMG! Major awesome moment. The cinematics and dialogue are much better than I had expected.
 * Epic nostalgia. Woah.
 * Some of the environments are spectacular.
 * Hah! Loving this line from Shepard, when it takes ages to hack a door: "Don't you miss the old days when you could just slap on omni-gel on everything?" (Sly ME1 reference)
 * Combat sequences are fun, if a little too long. One sequence drags on a huge amount.

Review
An extremely well polished effort once again from Bioware. The story is interesting, occasionally funny and suspenseful - although those looking for intricate conspiracy theories will be a tad disappointed. The contact with Liara is often sentimental (there are loads of references to the first game), and Bioware have managed to integrate the player's choices and actions in both ME and ME2 nearly seamlessly. I was constantly impressed by the sheer level of detail and care shown to the gameworld - from extra dialogue to a fun vehicle sequence to an absolutely intriguing reward at the end. My only concerns are the slightly repetitive combat sequences, some weirdness with Liara thinking I was a romance option (I think? It was hard to tell) and the slightly cliched path that the plot takes towards the climax of the mission. The ending 'reward', without spoiling anything, is a nifty and fun addition to the game universe and appears to be the start of an ongoing feature by Bioware (not entirely certain).

Overall, this is another fantastic addition to the ME2 DLC stable, and if the quality of LotSB is any indication of future DLC, we're in for a fantastic ride between now and ME3. Though the price is steep, for committed ME2 players or fans of a good story and combat this is definitely worth it.

What did everyone think of it?