Arrival Choices

Arrival DLC Choices and Consequences

The 'Arrival' DLC for Mass Effect 2 throws Commander Shepard into a desperate race against time to prevent an impending Reaper invasion. This mission is packed with critical decisions that have significant ramifications for the galaxy's future and Shepard's own path. This guide will break down the key choices you'll face and their potential outcomes.

The 'Arrival' DLC begins with Shepard investigating a Batarian facility on the planet Krant. You'll quickly discover that the Batarians are working on a weapon designed to bring about the Reaper invasion. Your primary objective is to stop them and gather intelligence. Throughout the mission, you'll encounter various hostile forces, including Batarian slavers and their security forces. Combat is intense, and you'll need to utilize your squad's abilities effectively.

One of the earliest significant choices involves how you deal with the Batarian prisoners you find. You can choose to free them, which might lead to them aiding you in combat, or you can leave them to their fate. While freeing them seems like the Paragon choice, it's worth noting that their assistance is often minimal, and they can sometimes become a liability. The more impactful decision comes later.

As you progress through the facility, you'll learn about the true nature of the threat: a massive Reaper artifact designed to disable the galaxy's defenses. You'll also discover that the Batarians are not the masterminds but pawns. The real enemy is an unknown entity that has orchestrated this entire operation.

The most critical choice in 'Arrival' occurs at the very end. You will confront the entity responsible for the artifact, a powerful AI. This AI reveals its plan to use the artifact to bring the Reapers back to the Milky Way. You are presented with two primary options: destroy the artifact, or attempt to control it. Each choice has profound consequences:

• Destroy the Artifact: This is the more direct approach. By destroying the artifact, you prevent the immediate threat of the Reaper invasion. However, this action also alerts the Reapers to your existence and your capabilities, essentially confirming that you are a threat they need to deal with. This choice directly leads into the opening of Mass Effect 3, where the Reapers are already on their way.
• Attempt to Control the Artifact: This option is more complex and carries greater risk. If successful, you can potentially use the artifact to your advantage or at least gain valuable intelligence. However, the AI is incredibly powerful, and failure to control it could result in a catastrophic outcome. If you succeed in controlling it, you gain a powerful weapon, but the Reapers are still aware of you. The narrative implications are that you have a more proactive role in the coming war, potentially with advanced technology.

Your choice here directly influences the opening cinematic and the initial state of the galaxy in Mass Effect 3. If you destroy the artifact, the game begins with the Reapers already attacking. If you attempt to control it and succeed, the galaxy might have a slightly different starting point, with Shepard having a more direct hand in the initial defense. There are no immediate companion repercussions from these choices, as 'Arrival' is a standalone mission, but the galactic consequences are immense.