EA and BioWare have released a new single-player add-on for Mass Effect 3. Omega puts players back in the boots of Commander Shepard as she attempts to help Aria T’Loak regain control of the Omega space station, which players will remember as one of those seedy gathering points for rogues, scoundrels, and other galactic ne’er do wells. Omega’s under Cerberus control, and Aria needs Shepard’s help to get her station back.
If you’ve finished Mass Effect 3 already, you’ll start Omega by loading a new save that’s created just before the original game’s climactic Cerberus base attack. You won’t be bringing your crew along, though. Instead, you’ll team up with Aria T’Loak, and with Nyreen, a female Turian, as you attempt to regain control over Omega.
Omega focuses on action: As you fight your way through the station, you’ll encounter enemies of ever-increasing challenge level as you attempt to wrest the station from Cerberus’ control. This isn’t diplomacy or puzzle-solving, it’s “shoot or biotically blast everything that moves.” That said, there’s plenty of good story and dialog here, and the new Adjutant enemy adds a bit of survivor/horror flair. Nyreen, the first female Turian in the series, is a stark counterpart to the ruthless Aria, and the interplay between them provides some interesting elevator conversations. Also, your Paragon/Renegade choices can have some interesting repercussions for Omega’s colonists.
In the end, you won’t find great revelations in Omega, but you will get about 3.5 to 5 hours of fast-paced, action-packed gameplay in Omega, depending on whether you’re a run-and-gun-to-the-exit type, or a kill-everyone-and explore everything player. As the latter, I finished the add-on in just over five hours, with a leveled-up Shepard, some new weapon upgrades, and a bunch of new war assets to show for it. These will come in handy as I play through the end again to see an additional ending in the free Extended Cut add-on.
Omega is available now for 1200 MS Points.
Article by Denny Atkin (Gamertag: Editer)