Well, it took a week but the Mass Effect 3 Datapad app is out for iOS devices. I've been looking forward to trying this out just to see where they went with it. I'm very interested in companion apps for games and this is just that.
So what do we get for $0.00? Well, a datapad app. It contains all the Mass Effect codex entries from the series. Some of them even have the original voice over from the games. It's nice having all the lore in one place. Too bad I've heard it all in-game already (other than what I haven't obtained in Mass Effect 3 yet). It also has a built-in feed for the @MassEffect Twitter account. If I wanted that I'd just follow it with my Twitter client. There's also a Media section with videos and screenshots. I can find these online so not useful either.
The real draw to me is the Mail feature. You've maybe read about this. It's that little feature where in-game characters send you "text" messages as you progress through the game. You aren't missing anything important in these messages but you are missing small bits of character development. It's an interesting idea and I like seeing more from the characters.
The final remaining feature is the Galaxy at War map which shows your current Galactic Readiness and provides a way to increase it. It's pretty simple meta-game. There are hotspots on the map and you can send a fleet to them. The missions take a varying amount of real-world time to complete at which point you are rewarded with Galactic Readiness and in-app credits. From what I've seen there are 3 difficulties of tasks each taking longer as the difficulty goes up but also granting a larger reward. Fleets can be "crippled" after a mission which causes that fleet to be unavailable for a period of time. It happened to me after a mission and it took an hour before I could use it again.
The credits you earn for completing missions are used to buy upgrades. You can reduce the time missions take to complete, buy more fleets (You start with 2 but it looks like you can have 5), better shielding for your fleets which reduces their chance of being crippled and the final upgrade boosts how much Galactic Readiness you get when missions complete.
I have no complaints with the app. It does what was advertised and I expected no more. Actually the Galaxy at War mini-game beat my expectations as I either forgot about it or didn't pay attention when I read about the app weeks ago so I wasn't expecting it. The app is not necessary at all but is an interesting supplement to the game. It gives me hope for the future of companion apps because I can see a lot of potential in this sort of thing. For example, imagine if the Galaxy at War component was a lite turn-based strategy game. Something a bit more substantial and fun on its own with tangible benefits in the main game.
If you have an iOS device and love Mass Effect then check it out, It's free.