Mass Effect 3 artbook comes with DLC for Xbox 360 and PC

Attention art lovers and collectors of fine alien weaponry. From now until February 20, BioWare and Barnes & Noble are giving anyone who pre-orders Dark Horse Comics' forthcoming book, The Art of Mass Effect Universe, a free DLC code for a Collector Assault Rifle and character boosters in Mass Effect 3.

As discussed on the Dark Horse blog, the free Collector weapon is a variant on the human assault rifle that uses organic parts and shoots pellets that “strip shields of enemies with deadly efficiency.” It will be available to download for free with the unspecified character perks using a code sent via email before March 8 to fans who pre-order from Barnes & Noble.

Unfortunately for PS3 owners, the free DLC is only available to PC and Xbox 360 versions, much like the free DLC codes that are set to ship with those Mass Effect 3 action figures.

The book itself is 184 pages of concept art and behind-the-scenes musings from BioWare on the Mass Effect world, it's technology, weapons, and people. It is currently listed on sale for $26.91 and is slated to arrive on February 21, just weeks before Mass Effect 3 itself arrives on March 6 in North America, and March 8 in the UK.

Matt Bradford wrote news and features here at GamesRadar+ until 2016. Since then he's gone on to work with the Guinness World Records, acting as writer and researcher for the annual Gamer's Edition series of books, and has worked as an editor, technical writer, and voice actor. Matt is now a freelance journalist and editor, generating copy across a multitude of industries.