The first thing I want to tell youl about this DLC right away is that it was able to keep me nailed trough midnight and then some. The fact alone that it kept me going so far into the night, is proof that it is not as bad as some would have you believe.

The best description I can give you about it that almost nothing about this DLC is what you would except. Especially in the regards of interaction with your squad.

The most important thing I want to clear up is that they actually give you a reason to hang out on the Citadel, and the reason is not just go partying because you don't give a crap about the war. Some might argue that it's not a very good reason, but it was enough for me to put aside my reservations about the DLC.

Citadel is clearly divided into two parts. One half is the storyline conspiracy part, and the other is hanging with your mates.

First I'm going to dissect the story part, which I believe is the weaker of the two. At the beginning it felt really cheesy, I didn't know to take it seriously or not. I only realized a bit later that it was meant to be taken seriously. There is a mission where you have to sneak around avoiding guards and security cameras. Which was a good distraction from the usual ME gameplay, but it was just too simple and short to really get into the hang of it. That reminds me of the Kasumi DLC from ME2. By the time I started really enjoying the level it was already over. And sadly after that it's only a bunch of firefights throughout maintenance areas of the Citadel, and the so called Council Archives, with soldiers that are almost exact copies of the Cerberus troops from the base game, they only look different. So they're actually reskinned Cerberus troops. That annoys me, because it means that the developers opted for the cheapo way of adding content. By using the same type of units, they can use the same behavioural routines and AI for them as the Cerberus soldiers used. They're supposed to be some elite mercenary group formed by dishonourably discharged alliance soldiers, that's the part I had the hardest part believing. How come we never heard about them before? And why are they following the guy leading them? There seemed to be no nothing in it for them at the end of the line, if they succeed.

The story part ends with a bossfight, that is not very satisfying, because its overly scripted. It plays out exactly the same no matter how good you are. Until the time comes to actually kill the boss you can't kill him (its like kai leng on tessia all over again) if you manage to get his health off he immediately recharges to full health. I think I would have killed him 6-8 times at least by the time the game actually lets you end the fight. (Someone told me he uses medi-gel but I didn't pick up on that when I played)

Of course there are some good moments in it, but apart from that its short, and the fights are not very unique they feel exactly the same as fighting Cerberus, so there's nothing new there.

The ability to work with more than 2 squad-mates they shown in the trailers, is a scam, they're not actually in your team, but separately running around, much like in the ending of ME2. You have multiple teams and you only hear from the others on the radio, and sometimes you see them running around like crazed rats, but that's all.

And another disappointment to me, that you only can use the same team mates you use in the base game already. You can't fight again with Miranda, Jack, Samara, or Jacob, or anyone who is not already selectable in base ME3. That's the part I felt most mislead by. Because they suggested in the revel of the DLC and even in the trailer that you could fight again with your old mates. But the fact is the only "new" character you can take with you during the missions is Wrex. I truly beleived all your old partners in crime will be in the story part, and not just some training simulation crap. Which feels exactly like multiplayer only the maps are smaller, and you have an AI partner.

So enough about the story part. The "social" part consists of three things. You can roam in a new part of the citadel, where there are a few points of interest, but since I don't think that's very important I won't waste words on casinos and the other silly minigames. The important part is that you can meet up with some of the old and new squad either randomly or by invitation on the citadel. In most cases these meetings were very-very short except when you meet your LI, but they at least give you new character moments. You also can customize your apartment with a few things, did I mention you get a large luxury apartment on the citadlel? One of the more interesting parts are the datapads scattered around the apartment where Anderson speaks of various topics on old recordings. It's supposed to be Anderson's old apartment. I really enjoyed those (I think Keith David is the best voice actor in the entire ME series, he really makes Anderson come to life).

There are two things left to discuss, the first is the ability to invite squadmates or previous acquaintances to the apartment and have a chat with them. These mostly depend on the person you invite, since I don't want to spoil anything I'll only say that while some are less satisfying and short others are really great. Not everyone is available to invite right off the bat, its like, you do one interaction which then makes a new one available.

The last thing left to discuss is the party that you can host. Which felt really really weird to me. It had a really weird vibe to it. There were a few great character moments in there, and some characters were really funny. It would have made a hell of a lot more sense put after the ending (had there been a proper ending) And then the mood could've been explained with the losses, and it would have made a great conclusion for the characters. But in the middle it just feels weird, when everyone is strolling back to the Normandy on the morning after. It's feels completely disconnected from the main storyline.

+

  • Some great character moments  
  • Funny dialogues  
  • bitter-sweet, feel-good mood  
  • Lots of opportunities to speak with mates  
  • Ability to spend more time with LI, even if it's someone not available in squad.  
  • Anderson's recordings  


-

  • The conspiracy part is not very well made, it's right on the margins of suspension of disbelief
  • Recycling of Cerberus troops  
  • Only able to use regular squad in story part  
  • Some character interactions are really short and/or dissatisfying I craved for more in most cases.  


In conclusion this DLC is pure fan service. It's about the characters, not about the cheesy quest you get with it. But at least this story comes to a satisfying conclusion unlike the game at large.

I give it a 7 out of 10