At long last, fans will be getting the promised Extended Cut DLC to Mass Effect 3, won (in late March) by popular demand, outcries of dismay, and a very public campaign of protests by fans and critics frustrated by the endings they were given. It will be available June 26 for Xbox, PC and Playstation 3. The new DLC is offered as a free download (1.9 GB) and adds additional scenes and epilogue material to the original set of endings (a Director’s Cut, if you will) in hopes of offering players closure and a more balanced finale. As with the original ending treatment, the extended endings will require multiple playthroughs for players to see all the possibilities played out. The long trilogy of Mass Effect games depicted an evolving narrative centered very heavily on players’ choices and relationships with other characters; Bioware is hoping that the new material will honor that long investment and the passion of the trilogy’s fans. Only time will tell if the compromise finally satisfies the masses.
“The Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut is a downloadable content pack that will expand upon the events at the end of Mass Effect 3. Through additional cinematic sequences and epilogue scenes, the Extended Cut will include deeper insight to Commander Shepard’s journey based on player choices during the war against the Reapers. The Extended Cut will be available to download at no additional charge on June 26th on Xbox 360 and PC and PlayStation 3.” (via Mass Effect)
Bioware announced the launch today along with the video interview (above) and the following additional insights about the DLC posted on their official blog, including how to access the new material in-game:
“The Extended Cut expands on the endings of Mass Effect 3 through additional scenes and epilogue sequences. It provides more of the answers and closure that players have been asking for. It gives a sense of what the future holds as a result of the decisions made throughout the series. And it shows greater detail in the successes or failures based on how players achieved their endings.
The Extended Cut is an expansion of the original endings to Mass Effect 3. It does not fundamentally change the endings, but rather it expands on the meaning of the original endings, and reveals greater detail on the impact of player decisions.
[SPOILERS] To experience the Extended Cut, load a save game from before the attack on the Cerberus Base and play through to the end of the game. The Extended Cut endings will differ depending on choices made throughout the Mass Effect series, so multiple playthroughs with a variety of different decisions will be required to experience the variety of possibilities offered by the new content.”
Sources: Mass Effect Official Website, Bioware Blog (Mass Effect 3)
