Bring Down the Sky: A Mass Effect Vignette

Published March 11, 2008

Bring Down the Sky, the eagerly anticipated first downloadable episode for Mass Effect™, is here at last and ready for download on Xbox LIVE® Marketplace. Weighing in at 400 Microsoft Points, Bring Down the Sky brings all the production value, drama, and emotion of the game's core story line to a thrilling, ninety-minute vignette that will test your combat prowess, strip bare Commander Shepard's emotions, and ultimately demand a decision only a hero could live with.

Smarter, faster, deadlier than your average threat.

A Hurtling Threat

Located on the outskirts of the Exodus Cluster lies the Asgard system, home to one of humanity's most remarkable success stories, the planet Terra Nova. Terra Nova's bursting population of over 4 million finds prosperity in the booming platinum mining industry.

Alas, hurtling through heavens on a collision course with Terra Nova is the asteroid X57. Originally destined as a natural, orbiting space station for the planet, the on-site research and development team have suffered assaults at the hands of the vicious and fanatical Batarians.

It boasts the same amazing production value you would expect while managing to create an original and distinctive story that stands among the finest dramatic moments of Mass Effect.

Having successfully commandeered the asteroid and its critical facilities, the Batarians, under the command of the murderous Balak, have set it on a suicide course for Terra Nova, intent on obliterating the millions that live and prosper there.

Such is the dramatic foundation for Bring Down the Sky. What drives the Batarians' murderous intent, what fate has befallen the on-site crew, and what will you have to sacrifice to find success? You'll find answers to those questions and more during the thrilling hour-and-a-half to two hours of gameplay of Bring Down the Sky.

Getting Started

The only requirement for instant access to Bring Down the Sky is that you have the Normandy and its Galaxy Map. Provided you've completed the core Citadel missions, you're good to go. Simply open the Galaxy Map, zoom out to the Milky Way view, and you will see a note marking the location of the rogue X57 asteroid.

Shortly after landing on X57, you'll be greeted with a distress call from an unknown woman who has survived the Batarian attack, helping to set the mission's frantic tone. From start to finish, the quest to save Terra Nova screams along with the pitch of a high-intensity thriller, complete with a haunting soundtrack, startling discoveries, ruthlessly difficult decisions, and what may be the game's most challenging, tactically intensive battles.

The Batarians are a shade smarter than your average Geth combatant and so make better use of cover, equipment, and abilities than any enemy you've faced so far. Likewise, the enemy turrets you'll face off against in the MAKO only show themselves when a nearby, active threat is confirmed, so there'll be no long range, zoomed-in cannon shots to neutralize the missile turrets in complete safety. If you can shoot them, they can shoot you.

Ready the MAKO drop.

In addition to several bouts of superb action, you'll find plenty of opportunities to explore, and, better yet, valuable rewards for your diligence in doing so. In addition to new equipment never before seen in Mass Effect, you'll also find a wealth of information thanks to a few new Codex entries, most notably the Batarian race's back story.

Bring Down the Sky's drama isn't isolated to just combat. You'll find plenty of dramatic and even emotional use of the dialogue wheel, allowing you to role-play through some of Commander Shepard's most heartbreaking decisions yet.

What's more, Bring Down the Sky's final climactic battle takes place in a spectacular set-piece worthy of any of the core story line locations of the original game. This is no mere added planet with just a few nondescript bunkers and a handful of enemies, but rather a fully realized and wonderfully detailed planetoid/installation, offering some truly amazing visuals.

Bring Down the Sky continues the Mass Effect tradition of remarkable storytelling, wonderfully acted dialogue, and top-notch action. It boasts the same amazing production value you would expect while managing to create an original and distinctive story that stands among the finest dramatic moments of Mass Effect. Enjoy your time on X57, but watch your step. The Batarians are merciless.

Article by Ryan Treit