User blog comment:The Shadow User/Squadmates in Mass Effect 3/@comment-730941-20101014105000/@comment-1691295-20101016023456

I'm with you 100% on the new races thing. While the drell are fine and all, it did irk me a bit that they just show up for part 2 so they can have a new-looking character (for a romance no less).

"New races" shouldn't be a selling point.

On the issue of new characters showing up that Shepard hasn't heard of, I don't think that's a big deal. The Collector's for example. While they need to be explained for the character, the dialogue does indicate Shepard knows who they are or what they're supposed to be. Clever writing can help avoid that issue.