User blog comment:JakePT/Arrival has Arrived/@comment-1691295-20110329133918

Ok, thoughts:

I really really dug it. It has a great atmosphere and level design, particularly the latter half. It's got a really cool story and having Hackett back was great.

I do have issues though. I can't image playing it mid-game. It would just be stupid to have such a major event happen mid game and have no-one mention it afterwards. Wouldn't the Collectors mission take a HUGE back-seat after what happens in this? The Mass Effect plot line for anyone playing this mid-game would be downright dumb, absolutely no one would be reacting to things properly. ME2 was not plotted to have something like this happen when it can.

I also think the cinematics were a step back from Shadow Broker. Arrival's aren't bad, at all, in fact they're probably better than the main game for the most part, but Shadow Broker's were so well done, better camera work, direction, pacing, than anything else BioWare had done that it's a shame the last DLC doesn't quite live up to it.

I really dug the score though. It was apparently scored by the same guys that scored Kasumi, according to Rob Blake (head audio or something, on the forums). It was kind of a return to ME1's more 80s-esque synth-sound, but kept elements of the more modern sounding ME2 soundtracks. The score in the final moments in particular is fantastic.

So overall a great piece of DLC that certainly lives up to all the rest, though in my opinion doesn't quite exceed Shadow Broker, which I think is the gold-standard of ME DLC so far. That said, if even some of ME3's levels are as good as this, then we are in for an AMAZING game.

I think the single worst part of this DLC is Kenson. I think her VA is generally pretty terrible, never once do her words carry the weight they should, because of the crappy acting. Her poor facial animations and design don't help in this department either.

I do want to ask people something about the audio. *SPOILERS* When going outside during the approach to the relay, was the audio supposed to be muffled? Or was that just me? I've also noticed that after the final conversation all my ambient sound aboard the Normandy has gone silent. It's really weird.