Mass Effect Andromeda is little more than two months away—last night EA slapped a March 21 release date on the long-awaited BioWare RPG. Finally. And if that prospect’s got you in the mood to play (or replay) the original Mass Effect trilogy, EA’s willing to get you a third of the way there.
Starting today, EA’s new freebie “ On the House ” game is Mass Effect 2, generally regarded as the best of the series. Here’s the quick and dirty Origin description:
“Are you prepared to lose everything to save the galaxy? You’ll need to be, Commander Shepherd. It’s time to bring together your greatest allies and recruit the galaxy’s fighting elite to continue the resistance against the invading Reapers. So steel yourself, because this is an astronomical mission where sacrifices must be made. You’ll face tougher choices and new, deadlier enemies. Arm yourself and prepare for an unforgettable intergalactic adventure.”
Think of it like The Magnificent Seven, except in space—most of your time is spent assembling your crew before pulling off one spectacular, high-stakes mission together at the end.
A few oddities here:
- EA just gave away free copies of Mass Effect 2 on December 20, so it’s likely you already grabbed a copy. That makes this giveaway not quite so thrilling.
- I mean, it’s the middle entry of a trilogy that’s centered around your choices! Sure, you can play Mass Effect 2 without playing the original, but it’s by no means the optimal way. I wish EA was willing to throw in a copy of the original Mass Effect which, let’s face it, nobody’s buying at this point anyway.
Oddities aside, it’s free. If it follows typical On the House trends, you can expect the deal to be up for about a month and a half—but don’t wait! For all I know this could be another one-day deal. Provided you don’t already own a copy, head over to Origin and grab your copy.