<s>
Mass	B-Application
Effect	I-Application
3	I-Application
:	I-Application
Omega	I-Application
is	O
a	O
major	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
(	O
DLC	B-Protocol
)	O
pack	O
developed	O
by	O
BioWare	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Electronic	O
Arts	O
for	O
the	O
2012	O
action	B-Application
role-playing	I-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
Mass	B-Application
Effect	I-Application
3	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
on	O
November	O
27	O
,	O
2012	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
delayed	O
release	O
in	O
Europe	O
on	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
platform	O
set	O
for	O
November	O
28	O
,	O
2012	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Omega	O
received	O
mixed	O
reviews	O
from	O
critics	O
;	O
the	O
temporary	O
squadmates	O
who	O
join	O
Shepard	O
for	O
the	O
duration	O
of	O
the	O
DLC	B-Protocol
pack	O
and	O
the	O
new	O
enemy	O
types	O
they	O
face	O
are	O
generally	O
well	O
received	O
,	O
while	O
its	O
strong	O
emphasis	O
on	O
linear	O
combat	O
sequences	O
,	O
lack	O
of	O
compelling	O
storytelling	O
,	O
and	O
price	O
point	O
of	O
the	O
pack	O
has	O
been	O
criticized	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mass	B-Application
Effect	I-Application
3	I-Application
:	I-Application
Omega	I-Application
is	O
a	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
(	O
DLC	B-Protocol
)	O
pack	O
for	O
the	O
2012	O
action	B-Application
role-playing	I-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
Mass	B-Application
Effect	I-Application
3	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
DLC	B-Protocol
pack	O
is	O
set	O
within	O
the	O
Milky	O
Way	O
galaxy	O
in	O
2186	O
,	O
during	O
the	O
midst	O
of	O
a	O
galaxy-wide	O
invasion	O
by	O
a	O
highly	O
advanced	O
machine	O
race	O
of	O
synthetic-organic	O
starships	O
known	O
as	O
the	O
Reapers	O
,	O
and	O
prior	O
to	O
Shepard	O
leading	O
Earth	O
's	O
final	O
stand	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
narrative	O
for	O
the	O
DLC	B-Protocol
pack	O
begins	O
after	O
Shepard	O
speaks	O
to	O
Aria	O
T'Loak	O
at	O
the	O
Citadel	O
space	O
station	O
's	O
Purgatory	O
nightclub	O
,	O
where	O
she	O
is	O
depicted	O
as	O
plotting	O
her	O
revenge	O
in	O
exile	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
access	O
the	O
DLC	B-Protocol
,	O
the	O
player	O
must	O
accept	O
her	O
request	O
to	O
help	O
her	O
retake	O
Omega	O
,	O
which	O
has	O
been	O
occupied	O
and	O
blockaded	O
by	O
Cerberus	O
General	O
Oleg	O
Petrovsky	O
's	O
forces	O
during	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Mass	B-Application
Effect	I-Application
:	O
Invasion	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
time	O
of	O
its	O
release	O
,	O
Omega	O
was	O
Mass	B-Application
Effect	I-Application
3	I-Application
's	O
biggest	O
DLC	B-Protocol
pack	O
to	O
date	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Condominas	O
noted	O
that	O
the	O
DLC	B-Protocol
pack	O
's	O
promotional	O
subtitle	O
,	O
"	O
how	O
far	O
are	O
you	O
willing	O
to	O
go	O
?	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
developers	O
decided	O
to	O
focus	O
on	O
character	O
relationships	O
as	O
the	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
's	O
core	O
theme	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
DLC	B-Protocol
pack	O
's	O
narrative	O
anchor	O
revolves	O
around	O
the	O
triumvirate	O
between	O
Aria	O
,	O
Nyreen	O
,	O
and	O
Omega	O
station	O
:	O
Aria	O
being	O
driven	O
out	O
of	O
the	O
space	O
station	O
she	O
once	O
ruled	O
was	O
described	O
to	O
be	O
akin	O
to	O
"	O
someone	O
whose	O
lover	O
has	O
been	O
taken	O
away	O
"	O
,	O
while	O
Nyreen	O
is	O
presented	O
as	O
a	O
calming	O
influence	O
to	O
offset	O
Aria	O
's	O
rage	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nyreen	O
was	O
originally	O
an	O
Asari	O
mercenary	O
unrelated	O
to	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
mission	O
to	O
retake	O
Omega	O
station	O
or	O
have	O
any	O
history	O
with	O
Aria	O
,	O
but	O
Mass	B-Application
Effect	I-Application
3	I-Application
writer	O
Ann	O
Lemay	O
decided	O
to	O
expand	O
the	O
character	O
's	O
role	O
as	O
a	O
foil	O
to	O
Aria	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Lemay	O
also	O
used	O
the	O
opportunity	O
to	O
redesign	O
Nyreen	O
and	O
introduce	O
her	O
as	O
the	O
first	O
major	O
Turian	O
female	O
character	O
in	O
the	O
Mass	B-Application
Effect	I-Application
trilogy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Aspects	O
BioWare	O
considered	O
to	O
be	O
challenging	O
during	O
the	O
development	O
cycle	O
of	O
Omega	O
are	O
the	O
combat	O
design	O
as	O
Omega	O
station	O
is	O
a	O
complex	O
space	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
balancing	O
Aria	O
's	O
biotic	O
abilities	O
with	O
the	O
DLC	B-Protocol
pack	O
's	O
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
adjutants	O
,	O
also	O
called	O
"	O
pariahs	O
"	O
early	O
in	O
development	O
,	O
were	O
originally	O
envisioned	O
to	O
possess	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
teleport	O
around	O
the	O
battlefield	O
,	O
but	O
were	O
never	O
fully	O
developed	O
as	O
their	O
abilities	O
"	O
proved	O
too	O
much	O
even	O
for	O
the	O
relatively	O
generous	O
physics	O
of	O
the	O
Mass	B-Application
Effect	I-Application
universe.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Omega	O
was	O
not	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
Wii	B-Device
U	I-Device
version	O
of	O
Mass	B-Application
Effect	I-Application
3	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpot	O
editor	O
Kevin	O
VanOrd	O
criticized	O
Omega	O
's	O
"	O
shallow	O
storytelling	O
"	O
which	O
squander	O
its	O
potential	O
,	O
and	O
compared	O
the	O
pack	O
's	O
self-contained	O
nature	O
unfavorably	O
to	O
Mass	B-Application
Effect	I-Application
2	O
's	O
"	O
wonderful	O
add-ons	O
,	O
which	O
were	O
pleasantly	O
inserted	O
into	O
the	O
adventure	O
at	O
large	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Eurogamer	O
's	O
Tom	O
Phillips	O
said	O
combat	O
is	O
Omega	O
's	O
best	O
aspect	O
,	O
but	O
drew	O
comparisons	O
between	O
it	O
and	O
Mass	B-Application
Effect	I-Application
2	O
's	O
Arrival	B-Application
,	O
which	O
he	O
considers	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
"	O
disappointing	O
expansion	O
that	O
saw	O
Shepard	O
leave	O
his	O
team	O
behind	O
and	O
embark	O
on	O
a	O
meandering	O
quest	O
to	O
bridge	O
the	O
story	O
between	O
Mass	B-Application
Effect	I-Application
2	O
and	O
3	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
asserted	O
that	O
the	O
in-universe	O
excuses	O
given	O
that	O
Shepard	O
must	O
travel	O
alone	O
to	O
Omega	O
without	O
the	O
Normandy	O
or	O
its	O
crew	O
"	O
serves	O
no	O
story	O
purpose	O
here	O
"	O
and	O
that	O
this	O
line	O
of	O
reasoning	O
"	O
barely	O
works	O
in	O
Arrival	B-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Jessica	O
Vasquez	O
from	O
Game	O
Revolution	O
commented	O
that	O
"	O
probably	O
the	O
best	O
thing	O
that	O
comes	O
out	O
of	O
this	O
DLC	B-Protocol
are	O
the	O
two	O
new	O
powers	O
you	O
unlock	O
,	O
Lash	O
and	O
Flare	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
US	O
edition	O
of	O
the	O
Official	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
Magazine	O
commented	O
that	O
Omega	O
has	O
hints	O
of	O
some	O
rich	O
backstory	O
,	O
but	O
called	O
it	O
a	O
"	O
limited	O
,	O
pricey	O
thrill	O
aimed	O
only	O
at	O
the	O
series	O
 '	O
most	O
devoted	O
fans	O
"	O
given	O
its	O
negligible	O
narrative	O
impact	O
on	O
the	O
main	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
UK	O
edition	O
of	O
the	O
Official	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
Magazine	O
gave	O
a	O
more	O
favorable	O
review	O
,	O
commenting	O
that	O
"	O
small-scale	O
stories	O
are	O
what	O
Bioware	O
does	O
best	O
"	O
and	O
that	O
"	O
long-term	O
Mass	B-Application
Effect	I-Application
fans	O
will	O
appreciate	O
this	O
return	O
visit	O
"	O
in	O
spite	O
of	O
the	O
pack	O
's	O
steep	O
price	O
.	O
</s>
