Although Mass Effect 3 made the biggest error in this regard, the practice of withholding extremely important story events behind a paywall had been going on in the series ever since the second game. You only have to look at the pivotal Arrival DLC that came out shortly after the release of the second entry to see that essential story content was being sold at a premium outside of the base experience. Although extra content can be a fantastic way to keep audiences engaged in your product (and off a Used Game shelf), it can pose a real problem - especially in a series so lore-focused as Mass Effect - when integral story events or vital characters arent included in the main game. Take Javik's inclusion in the third title for instance, youd think that the inclusion of a Prothean in the this trilogy-ending entry would be hugely important to the series' overall plot; you know, considering theyre just about the most mysterious and influential race to be featured in the franchise other than the villainous Reapers. Yet unless you paid extra for Mass Effect 3, to this day you wouldnt even have an inkling into Javik or his species' background - which would be fine, if information on this didn't form the crux of essentially all three games.
Josh has over 11 years of experience as a published writer, having worked nine of those years as a full-time content producer at WhatCulture. In that period he has created hundreds of articles, videos and podcast episodes for multiple WhatCulture channels, specialising in gaming, horror and film & TV. He now primarily works as a senior content producer and presenter on WhatCulture Gaming where he co-hosts the WhatCulture Gaming Podcast, a top 3 UK most listened to gaming podcast that he co-created in 2018. Over the years he has reviewed several high-profile gaming releases, covered industry events with on-site reporting, opined on breaking news, and even kicked off his interviewing career by chatting to childhood hero, Tommy Wiseau.
