New Mass Effect 2 PS3 Details: Interactive Comic and DLC Included with the Game

Recently on a BioWare German forum, some information was released regarding how BioWare is handling the back-story that leads up to Mass Effect 2. Just yesterday on the BioWare Social Network site, Producer Jesse Houston clarified some of that information. To help bridge the gap between the first and second game, PS3 owners will play through an interactive comic that tells the core of Mass Effect 1’s story and will also allow them to make some of the major choices found in the original title.

BioWare Edmonton (the team behind Mass Effect 2) will be teaming up with Dark Horse Comics to create this interactive comic. Jesse also mentioned that the initial release will be exclusive to PS3 owners and will be available via the Cerberus Network. When Jesse says “initial release” that makes me think that they will bring this to the 360 and PC, and that only makes sense.

While PS3 owners will never be able to experience Mass Effect 1, the interactive comic should give them enough information so that they can enjoy Mass Effect 2 as much as those of us who played the original on the 360. I will say that the decisions made in Mass Effect 1 aren’t as huge as the ones made in Mass Effect 2. There are some moments but ultimately the original title wasn’t created with a sequel in-mind.

Along with announcing the comic, Jesse mentioned what will be included with Mass Effect 2 on the PS3. BioWare will be packing in four DLC packs which includes the Lair of the Shadow Broker, Project Overload, Kasumi: Stolen Memory and Blood Dragon Armor, and of course the entire game, all on one blu-ray disc (as opposed to the two discs needed on the 360). Also included is the extra content given to 360 and PC gamers, Zaeed and Firewalker. The extra content included with the game should add up to around 6 hours of gameplay. Having paid for most of these DLC packs I can tell you that this is a great deal for PS3 owners.

While PS3 owners won’t get to experience Mass Effect 1, they will be getting the better game in Mass Effect 2 and will be getting a lot of great content. I personally don’t think the story in Mass Effect 1 ties into the story in Mass Effect 2 all that much, so I really don’t think PS3 gamers are missing out on that much. That said, it’s nice to see that BioWare is doing something to help bridge that gap between the two games, even if it is just an interactive comic.

[Source: Social.Bioware.com ]