Arrival sets up a cool story for Mass Effect 3, but feels very, very cheap doing so.
I think I can describe my overall disgust with Arrival better algebraically. Don't worry I'll keep it simple. Let (x) = ME2: Arrival and (y) = Superman 64. Now, insert (x) and (y) into the algebraic expression x < y. You should get this:
ME2: Arrival < Superman 64
Ok, I admit I've never played Superman 64. And I did give Arrival a 6/10, so it's not like it's a complete waste. (Although it comes about as close as an asymptote.) The fact is, Arrival has a decent story that feels rushed, and poorly executed in nearly every way possible. It shows that Mass Effect is only great when both it's RPG and 3PS elements work in together in tandem.
Arrival's story surrounds a long lost Reaper artifact that warns of an "imminent Reaper invasion" on the entire galaxy. In order to see the artifact for yourself, you have to rescue who is effectively one of the most uninteresting, and worst acted characters in Mass Effect history, Dr. Amanda Kenson. There is know reason for Dr. Kenson to be as blatantly dull as she is. I won't say much more about Dr. Kenson to prevent spoiling the story, but suffice it to say there were many opportunities for character development that were not taken.
Arrival tries to act like a stealth game for Dr. Kenson's rescue. This really isn't that bad, it's just way to short and lacks character. It's not at all memorable. After you rescue the boring Dr. Kenson, it's off to see the Reaper artifact, and then fight a series of bland battles, to reach your objective of prolonging the Arrival of the Reapers.
These battles are part of what holds Arrival's thin frame together, but when I said they were bland, I ment it. Why are the battles bland? Because you don't feel compelled to fight them. The story is so poorly executed that that these battles feel like a chore. They also feel like they were meant for a straight-up 3PS. And straight-up 3PS Mass Effect 2 is not. Mass Effect 2's combat is good, but it's not perfect.
Since I pretty much just tore Arrival to shreds, you might be wondering why I even gave it a 6/10. The reason, Arrival has a good (albeit very thin) story that was executed horrendously. But in a way, Arrival did exactly what it set out to do, bridge the gap between Mass Effect 2 and 3. I really think Arrival has provided a good beginning for ME3, it's just a shame the overall presentation was so shallow and sucky. A combination of the cool in-theory story, a couple of cool looking environments, and the ok combat warrants a score of 6/10 IMHO. So would I recommend Arrival to a Mass Effect fan? Yes, but only to bridge the gap between ME2 and ME3.
To end this review I'd like to make a short plea to BioWare:
BioWare, please don't let Mass Effect 3 suck like Arrival.
thegamer16