Mass Effect: Bring Down the Sky Interview

IGN: What's the story with the Batarians? Why didn't they make it onto the disc? What kind of personality do they have?

Hudson: In the Mass Effect universe there is a wide range of species types, from ones that are very common and familiar to ones that you might hear about but may never see. The Batarians were written into the rich backstory of Mass Effect, but we weren't sure if we'd ever bring the player face-to-face with one of them. As we fleshed out opportunities for adventures in downloadable content, we found a way to introduce the Batarians through a very compelling storyline.

Batarian society is based on a very isolationist government, which strictly controls the movements of its citizens and information flow to and from their home planet. Although not true of all Batarians, the few that have been encountered abroad have proven to be brutal and aggressive representatives of their species.

IGN: Will the download introduce any new items, skills or other content aside from the Batarians into the game we haven't yet seen?

Hudson: Changes to the main game experience will be along the lines of opportunities to gain more experience, paragon / renegade points, and levels, as well as finding things to use or sell to make money, and an achievement that contributes to your Gamerscore. You'll also find that enemies within the new adventure have some different behaviors that put some twists on the combat you'll find there.

As far as future content goes, BioWare is not ready to talk just yet. Regarding questions on future downloads extending the main story, the upcoming PC release containing the Bring Down the Sky content on the disc, and future plans for patches to the main game, BioWare answered either that it has not yet determined or is not ready to release those details.

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