Still don’t have Mass Effect 2? Here’s an expensive way to get a free copy of the oft-acclaimed sequel: buy Dragon Age II. In a celebration ending April 30, past and present owners of any version of Dragon Age II can sign up to receive a free digital copy of Mass Effect 2 for the PC. Just head on over to Dragon Age II’s official Web site, hit the rectangular “Get Mass Effect 2 Code” link in the middle of the page, and follow the directions to claim your own.
This is all an obvious marketing stunt that trades exposure for a free game, but to hear Mass Effect and Dragon Age series creator BioWare tell it, this Mass Effect 2 giveaway is simply an effort to reward fans of Dragon Age II since the game has sold over one million copies to date.
There have got to be catches with this, right? Yeah, I've spotted a few small ones. In order to claim your Mass Effect 2 code in the first place, you’ll need to have a valid Online Pass connected to your copy of Dragon Age II. Also, the copy of Mass Effect 2 you’ll receive in return won’t come with an Online Pass, so you won’t be able to access the Cerberus Network (or any DLC) without forking over $10 first. Oh, and also, all of this is done through the EA Store, which isn't the... most popular or solid of services. But otherwise, hey, free game!