Here we are, at the end of an era as they say, as Citadel marks the absolute last piece of dlc for the Mass Effect Trilogy. It's been six years since the release of the first game and while its truly sad to see this dlc signal the end of an era, BioWare could not have gone out on a higher note. Citadel stands as the true end-cap to the series, not the cobbled together extended cut that fan outcry forced out of BioWare. This dlc was truly crafted with fans in mind. All along the way BioWare winks and nods to the series's past going so far as to reference memes from popular fan-fiction and internet communities. The add-on is supremely well written with one-liners and pop-culture reference being thrown out in a fury of delightful reverence. This was the send off the Mass Effect universe deserved and it was an absolute delight to go on this victory lap disguised as dlc even when it gets cheesier than it can handle. But as much as I feel like gushing about this last hurrah let me state with absolute clarity, this dlc will only have the impact as I've described it if you are a die-hard fan. If you love this universe and the characters that inhabit it as much as I do this piece of content will leave a massive smile plastered across your face for the duration of its endearingly wacky run-time.
I should probably describe the dlc as that is typically the approach a "review" would take. Without going into too much detail as the many surprises in store for prospective players is a large chunk of your overall enjoyment, Citadel involves a conspiracy that aims to usurp the now legendary Commander Shepard and end his life. But while the structured missions allow for an excuse to return to this universe and revel in the 6 years of history and fan adoration its the small things that make this dlc the single greatest thing to come out of BioWare in a very long time. Suffice to say everyone involved in the development of this add-on is talking directly to fans with a story-line so cheesy there isn't a cracker in the galaxy that could support it. It's all in good fun though, and its a blast to revisit this world in a more jovial fashion. Everyone comes back for this final farewell, unless they have been killed previously (narratively or as a result of shitty player decisions) and they all get the treatment they so richly deserve. If one of your favorite parts of Mass Effect 3 was the sniper competition on the Citadel with Garrus than you will absolutely adore this dlc. The real meat of this content is in the social interactions you can have with all your current and past squad mates. I will simply state that just when the story raps up the party is only just beginning. The dlc has a lot more to offer than is initially made clear, but a little exploration reveals more social interactions than the entirety of the trilogy. All of which culminates in a surprisingly poignant ending that had me on the verge of tears as I realized this was truly the last time I would see all these characters I have grown to love over the past six years.
Fans = (6 out of 5)
Literally Everyone Else = (2 out of 5)
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