Mass Effect 3: Citadel DLC Reviews

Quite a few reviews have gone live for Mass Effect 3’s latest DLC, Citadel, and the general verdict for the latest (and last) piece of downloadable content for the space opera threequel seems largely positive.

Destructoid, 8/10.

For those of us who are heavily invested in the series, for whatever reason, it means putting away something special. This was a modern sci-fi epic that attempted, at least, to give the player a voice. I don’t think this trip quite took the path that anyone thought it would, but it’s been an interesting ride.

If this is how BioWare wants to close Shepard’s chapter, I can live with this. It’s not a perfect finale, but it’s one that highlights the best we’ve seen from the series so far, and it’s not without its own set of endearing idiosyncrasies.

Kotaku says you should play it:

Citadel has the nostalgic enthusiasm of an action-movie reunion, a team of old heroes putting the gang back together for one final caper. It’s a fine reminder of just how much care, talent and love went into building the world of Mass Effect in the first place. While debates over the actual ending of Mass Effect 3 will never truly be resolved, it’s nice that the trilogy could go out on such a light-hearted, affectionate note. This is the sendoff Commander Shepard deserves.

Eurogamer, 9/10.

It’s been a bumpy 12 months since Mass Effect 3 was released. Those who disliked the game’s three-flavour ending will probably find no solace in Citadel’s three-choice party scenes, and it’s a fair to assume that many will have moved on from the game in the intervening year. For those who’ve stuck by the series, however, and are willing to revisit it one final time, BioWare has excelled itself. The developer has clearly had a lot of fun creating a send-off to its characters that’s worthy of the series’ history and reminiscent of some of the saga’s finest moments.

“I won’t say it’s been easy,” Shepard is told in a touching final scene. “But we’ve had a good run.”

Leviathyn, 9.0/10.

Citadel, as a final sendoff for Commander Shepard and a piece of loving fan tribute raises the bar in every way. The time and effort poured into this DLC is obvious in a way it usually isn’t in such expansions and while Citadel may be one of the more expensive DLCs out there ($15), it’s worth every penny to have one last hurrah with the Mass Effect trilogy’s cast.

Citadel, in short, is what DLC should be. Horse armour it ain’t.

Games Reviews, 9.0/10.

Mass Effect 3: Citadel is the perfect way for Bioware to finish the Mass Effect Trilogy. It feels like a good series finale of your favorite television show. It offers one last adventure for Shepard and the team and gives players a chance to get deeper into their relationships and for each to have a more fulfilled ending. It may not be super action-packed, but it delivers in every other aspect. Mass Effect 3: Citadel is a great way to say goodbye to the characters you fell in love with, and you’ll be smiling at the end.

Ars Technica, scoreless.

For players like me who are emotionally invested in the series, “Citadel” is excellent. It’s like a gift from Bioware, a perfect bit of fanwankery made canonical. Whether or not it fits in with the larger tone of Mass Effect 3 is questionable, but it gives us all one last chance to see Shepard and his crew happy. This can sometimes be a bit too much, like eating your entire haul after trick-or-treating, but who doesn’t want to overdose on candy every once in a while?

Finally, Shacknews has a “field report”, scoreless.

Citadel offers an entirely different kind of closure for the trilogy, as it avoids the spectacle of the final confrontation against the Reapers. In the chase leading up to the final battle, events from the fiction’s past that have direct impact on Shepard and his crew play out before him, almost like the series’ life flashing before the eyes of the player before it dies. Big moments near the end take a backseat to nuanced character interactions throughout. While I had no problem with how Mass Effect 3 ended Shepard’s story, Citadel is a more formal and wholly welcome–farewell that pays tribute to everything the franchise has done. Bravo, BioWare.