Review: Mass Effect 3 “Leviathan” DLC

It’s been six months since Mass Effect 3 was release, and I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that the one thing I’ve wanted most since finishing the game is more content to expand the story of Shepard further. While we’ve seen BioWare put out numerous DLC packs for Mass Effect 3 during this time, all (except for the “Extended Cut”) have revolved around multiplayer with new maps and characters – but if I’m honest, it’s hardly been the additional content I’ve been longing for. Recently however, BioWare have released the first single-player based DLC for ME3 titled “Leviathan.” The question is, after all this time, is it been worth the wait?

Without spoiling the storyline too much, “Leviathan” revolves around the discovery of a potential Reaper-killer referred to as… well you guessed it — Leviathan. Initially considered to be a rouge-Reaper, little is known about Leviathan, how it operates and or even exactly what it is. Throughout the mission you’ll travel to new locations in the galaxy and discover that it’s much more than a mere Reaper-killer, but a key to understanding the origins of the Reapers themselves – and that not just Shepard’s after it!

As far as gameplay is concerned, “Leviathan” pretty much delivers the same Mass Effect goodness we came to love from the franchise. Much like the DLC packs of Mass Effect 2, you’ll find some slight variations in the non-combat side of things (which comes in the form of some detective work as you discover clues to understanding the location of key characters in the DLC as well as the final hiding spot of Leviathan itself), but for the greater part it’s the tried-and-true, “go here, fight-off Reaper forces, travel there, fight-off more Reaper forces”. This is by no means a complaint mind you, if anything it was great to get back into the game (and its combat) and spend more time with Shepard and his team. What I also appreciated from the DLC was the sense of urgency I felt while playing, where, much like in Mass Effect 3 itself, you always had the impression that you had to hurry – the situation was dire and there was no time to waste.

All-in-all, “Leviathan“ is a great expansion to Mass Effect 3, but one I fear might be too little too late. I enjoyed having a reason to play the game once again, but I question if gamers other than fans will still have an interest anymore after all this time. I must also be frank and say that for 800MSP, Leviathan does seem somewhat overpriced, especially when compared with the “Shadow Broker” DLC for Mass Effect 2, which cost just as much, but seemed to offer a whole lot more. To me, this DLC is on-par with the “Overlord” expansion from the last game – solid and worth 560 MSP). “Leviathan” does drop a massive bombshell in the final cut-scene that leaves things open to a potential prequel to the original Mass Effect that I do hope we see come to fruition in the near future. This DLC is certainly something I’m sure fans will appreciate, but for its price, perhaps not one everyone else should rush to check out.