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felker_s's avatar
felker_s
5 years ago

Is the Citadel DLC part of Mass Effect's canon?

Heya,

Well, I know if this page had a downvote function, this post would be swimming in it, but here goes, lol.

So I was wondering this the first time I played this DLC in OG ME3, and now that I got around to play it in MELE, it occured to me again. The Citadel DLC is so damn out of place. Are we supposed to consider it an official part of the canonical story?

It is as if BioWare asked some seventeen year old tumblr user to write a story, then read through tons of cringy fanfic to get ideas for the cheesy character banter.

The tone doesn't fit anywhere in ME3's story - no, not even before the Cerberus base assault, as many seem to argue. Characters don't act like themselves, every line is some corny, forced joke. Everyone is written to be painfully clueless and stupid just so the plot can happen.

Speaking of the plot... Sigh. The story just makes my head hurt. A clone. A fkin clone. Surely they cannot be serious with all this.

If this was some non-canon fun the devs wanted to have, I'd happily ignore it and move along, but if I'm to consider this as something that actually happened in the universe, then it is just horrible writing.

I'm sorry, but playing through this just makes me annoyed, it's like when your favourite TV show does that "special episode" to spice things up, and you end up wanting to jump out the window while watching it, lol.

me legendary edition

5 Replies

  • draconiam's avatar
    draconiam
    Seasoned Ace
    5 years ago

    I would not put it past Bioware to think this was something to have an epilogue DLC like Fallout 3 Brotherhood of Steel but, both fan reaction and creative desicions changed that.

  • DocTheGamer's avatar
    DocTheGamer
    Seasoned Veteran
    5 years ago

    Personally I don't think the quality of the writing in the Citadel DLC deviates much from the rest of the game. The tone does, but it's supposed to; they're on shore leave and having a party, it's not a setting we've seen these characters in.

    Ultimately it's as canon as the rest of the optionally playable game, which is to say if you don't like how it plays out you can skip it in your playthroughs, and then it's not "canon" to your Shepard. 

  • felker_s's avatar
    felker_s
    5 years ago

    @DocTheGamer
    "Personally I don't think the quality of the writing in the Citadel DLC deviates much from the rest of the game."

    Eh... ME2 is all about how the Lazarus Project was about Shepard and only Shepard. In ME3, Miranda is all broken up about the thought of her initially wanting to install a chip in Shepard's head. It is mentioned through both games time and time again that the Illusive Man did not want to alter Shepard's personality in any way... And now it turns out there's a goddamn fully conscious CLONE, with no memories. Gimme a break. Won't even start on the forced "funny" dialogues and everybody being oblivious and straight up stupid towards Brooks.

    Sure, ME3's writing had really annoying B-type movie moments compared to other games (e.g. Kai Leng's stupid plot armor), but nothing else gets to such a low point as this DLC.

    But yes, as you say, after I get the achievements, Citadel gets a huge skip from me on any future playthrough.

  • SofaJockeyUK's avatar
    SofaJockeyUK
    Hero+
    5 years ago
    @felker_s Absolutely it's canon content. I tend to go after Sanctuary. You can of course simply skip the whole thing by not going to your apartment, but in my view it's the best of the ME3 DLCs.

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