Mass Effect 3 - 13: Bet you could really go for a bottle of cool, refreshing Tupari!

[Anteros]

The Cerberus pack and Firewalker, and Zaeed's character stuff are all included with the Steam purchase of ME2.

I fully expect the nature of Bioware (and by extension EA) DLC has been discussed to death here and elsewhere. Cosmetic packs and additional weapons are easily overlooked, but $7-$15 for minor storyline extensions is frequently seen out of balance in terms of cost-to-effort. Stuff like Day1 DLC (From the Ashes) also leaves a bad taste in some people's mouths.

I've reached that point in my life where time is more precious than money, but it still makes me uneasy to consider that minor additions to gameplay are possibly worth more combined than the actual game on release, and Bioware has apparently zero sales on Bioware points, making their prices actually static regardless of age or demand of a particular DLC.

Agreed. I bought all these DLC because I was extremely invested in the Mass Effect storyline and I wanted the full experience. That said, being forced to buy things like plot central-day one DLC made me decide to never support EA again in the future. I'll never buy one of their games again. At least, not unless they clean up their act.

Edit: Also, if you don't buy arrival, at least go watch a youtube video of the cut scenes or read a synopsis or the start of ME3 won't make sense.

[Avilan the Grey]

I still refuse to argue that the From Ashes is even remotely plot central. Shadow Broker is plot central. Arrival is too. Leviathan probably. Not Ashes.

[Anteros]

Maybe not. Remember that Leviathan was supposed to be part of the original game as well though, and it was cut in favor of making it a DLC.

Also, in a game like Mass Effect that relies so heavily on your squad interactions for the entertainment value, I do consider a fully fleshed squad member like Javik to be important. Maybe not quite plot central, but it adds a lot to the game to have him.

[KillianHawkeye]

Javik is certainly not plot-critical, but he's one of the more interesting squadmates in the entire trilogy and I agree that he's totally worth getting.

[Jayngfet]

Not to mention that all Javik's stuff is already in the base game. The only thing buying the DLC even does is change one line of code so that the player can access it. It was stuff done and finished long before ME3 ever shipped and then hacked off just to charge more to the userbase. Given that they expect you to pay full price either way, that's kind of awful.

Javik may not be critical to the plot, but that's kind of a meaningless distinction. The five hundred fetch quests aren't plot critical, but you don't get charged extra for those. Non-Default guns aren't plot critical, but at least you don't have to pay to unlock most of them. Heck, Bioware is cutting that practice out from Inquisition specifically because it's a show of naked greed that should earn nothing but contempt.

[Dienekes]

Javik is certainly not plot-critical, but he's one of the more interesting squadmates in the entire trilogy and I agree that he's totally worth getting.

Ehh considering the nature of the Reapers true purpose and the concept of the inevitability of war between AI and living tissue are only really referenced in Javik's dialogue and the Leviathan, I'd argue that he's pretty important if you're trying to make the game's narrative make sense. I still wouldn't pay a dime for either of them, but that's because I'm a stingy bitter person.

[Jayngfet]

As a random aside, exactly how strong are the various races in the galaxy?

As in, can an Asari go round for round with a human of the same weight? Turians are big, but what can they lift and what's their endurance like(they're big and heavy, but they're also spindly and covered in heavy metal)? Krogan are bigger, but most of that weight looks like it's taken up by plating and redundant systems instead of actual muscle(they mostly just force their weight into a headbutt or a charge, instead of lifting and punching). Drell are supposed to be stronger than they look, but they're all pretty darn skinny and tend to use guns instead of brute force in a straight up fight. Elcor are big, but they aren't exactly fast or powerful in a fistfight and aren't nearly as cut as anything that's not a volus.

I mean while we probably aren't winning any deadlift contests, humans are probably in the top bracket for muscle power for their size. I mean according to the wiki, humans and turians are equal in musculature anyway, even with Turians being larger, and a peak human can overwhelm a peak turian, and are generally stronger than basically any of the council races. Proportionally the human body looks to hold more muscle per pound than basically any other species out there, barring the Yagh, obviously.

Which kind of makes me wonder why nobody except James seems to comment on how huge humans can get. People mock him for dissing biotics and doing like five million pull ups, but I'd bet he's quite literally the most muscular soldier in the entire galaxy. If he lands a punch on 99% of the things that he'd fight besides reapers, they're going to stay down.

[Avilan the Grey]

From what I can tell (and it is hard to judge since Shepard is so enhanced, and so are all elite troops from all species though not to the same degree) it seems the capability of all species' muscles are about the same as on Earth, meaning an non-military Asari would be as strong as a fit civilian female human. Turians are... birds, so they are probably lighter than the other species, but muscle mass is about the same. This would mean they are easier to wrestle, lift and push than say an Asari or Salarian of the same size.
Krogan are massive, but their muscles do not seem to be stronger (they probably are stronger than a human of the same height though, since they weigh more and therefore has more developed muscles in their legs to carry that weight).
Elcor are stated to be strong enough to punch through ship bulkheads. But they evolved on a VERY high-gravity planet and their muscle mass is probably the only one in the game outright hinted at being much denser per volume unit than the other species.

When it comes to military elites though... Knowing the extensive bio- and cybernetic enhancements that human troops go through, I must assume other militaries do the same. However I have no idea if the enhancements MATCH in any way or if they prioritize different things. So I really can't speculate if an Asari Commando and an "average" (non Shepard) N7 would be evenly matched, for example.

[Jayngfet]

Shepards enhancements don't really seem to do all that much, physically, since they only really get extreme like towards the end of 2 as an optional thing. Ash has something a bit more substantial starting out, but she can't exactly flip cars and is basically just a really good human by in-universe standards. Kaiden's enhancements are basically just biotic focused and they didn't exactly make him get the greatest stuff either.

Commando stuff probably isn't terribly standardized, since they pledge their loyalty to individual figures and Liara's dad can just swap out implants that are new and not tested on Asari with no oversight. James still needs to work out constantly to maintain bulk and Jacob's abilities as a biotic soldier are far less than what natural prodigies like Jack can accomplish using mostly natural talent. Likewise Salarians aren't frontline fighters so their implants aren't going to be super extensive, and the conversation we hear an asari and salarian merc get into has him favor guns over them, and a soldier in 3 values his armor more than any augmentations he could get.

Most of the other N7 candidates or ex members mostly seem to rely on skill rather than some kind of cyborg godpowers. Even Kai Leng only got new legs out of necessity and Lee Riley still needed help to fight off the enemy. James again has to work out to maintain stuff and we never really see Anderson in his prime so he's a moot point. The generic multiplayer N7's you start with are basically just soldier Shepards anyway.

Krogan leg muscles being stronger is something I can buy though. Combine that with a head plate and it'd be a highly damaging charge and the exact sort of thing evolution would hand them.

[Bit Fiend]

From what I can tell (and it is hard to judge since Shepard is so enhanced, and so are all elite troops from all species though not to the same degree) it seems the capability of all species' muscles are about the same as on Earth, meaning an non-military Asari would be as strong as a fit civilian female human. Turians are... birds, so they are probably lighter than the other species, but muscle mass is about the same. This would mean they are easier to wrestle, lift and push than say an Asari or Salarian of the same size.
Krogan are massive, but their muscles do not seem to be stronger (they probably are stronger than a human of the same height though, since they weigh more and therefore has more developed muscles in their legs to carry that weight).
Elcor are stated to be strong enough to punch through ship bulkheads. But they evolved on a VERY high-gravity planet and their muscle mass is probably the only one in the game outright hinted at being much denser per volume unit than the other species.

When it comes to military elites though... Knowing the extensive bio- and cybernetic enhancements that human troops go through, I must assume other militaries do the same. However I have no idea if the enhancements MATCH in any way or if they prioritize different things. So I really can't speculate if an Asari Commando and an "average" (non Shepard) N7 would be evenly matched, for example.

Turians have birdlike features, yet they're very unlike birds on earth. It's explicitly stated that Turians are too dense to swim (no pun intended), so they must weigh considerably more than a human of same height. In a fistfight I'd bet on the Turian any day.

[Avilan the Grey]

Shepards enhancements don't really seem to do all that much, physically, since they only really get extreme like towards the end of 2 as an optional thing. Ash has something a bit more substantial starting out, but she can't exactly flip cars and is basically just a really good human by in-universe standards. Kaiden's enhancements are basically just biotic focused and they didn't exactly make him get the greatest stuff either.

Shepard is far more advanced than any ohther human due to the Cerberus reconstruction.

Turians have birdlike features, yet they're very unlike birds on earth. It's explicitly stated that Turians are too dense to swim (no pun intended), so they must weigh considerably more than a human of same height. In a fistfight I'd bet on the Turian any day.

Good points.

[Bit Fiend]

Shepard is far more advanced than any ohther human due to the Cerberus reconstruction.

Yup, by ME2 Shepard is closer to the Terminator than to Kyle Reese, so it's not really a contest.

[Avilan the Grey]

Yup, by ME2 Shepard is closer to the Terminator than to Kyle Reese, so it's not really a contest.

INdeed.
Which Samantha truly likes... During the party, if Joker informs her that Shep is over 30% (corrected) cybernetics, she... sounds very intrigued, to speak child-friendly language. Even if Shep is male.

[Divayth Fyr]

Ehh considering the nature of the Reapers true purpose and the concept of the inevitability of war between AI and living tissue are only really referenced in Javik's dialogue and the Leviathan, I'd argue that he's pretty important if you're trying to make the game's narrative make sense.

It still won't ;P Though it will shift the questions to the stupidity of the Leviathans.

Spoiler

Show

Because clearly the solution to the problem of AIs killing their creators is to create an AI and leave it without any supervision or control. Who would have thought it can go wrong ;P

[Avilan the Grey]

It still won't ;P Though it will shift the questions to the stupidity of the Leviathans.

Spoiler

Show

Because clearly the solution to the problem of AIs killing their creators is to create an AI and leave it without any supervision or control. Who would have thought it can go wrong ;P

But remember, they envisioned it as simply just another tool.

[Bit Fiend]

It still won't ;P Though it will shift the questions to the stupidity of the Leviathans.

Spoiler

Show

Because clearly the solution to the problem of AIs killing their creators is to create an AI and leave it without any supervision or control. Who would have thought it can go wrong ;P

It's less stupidity but more hybris. It never occurred to them, that they are just another organic life form. They saw themselves as above and beyond all life in the galaxy, be it organic or synthetic.

[Calemyr]

Because everyone has an opinion, here's my take on the ME DLCs

ME1:
Bring down the sky:
Plot: Shepard vs a bataarian terrorist on an asteroid hurtling towards a settled planet.
Review: Decent plot, but none of your party (except Shep) has anything to say.
Reward: One ultra-rare armor or omni-tool of your level. Handy, but ultimately unimportant.
ME3 Impact: Let the terrorist live and he grudgingly leads the surviving bataarians to your side.
Opinion: Okay. Take it or leave it.

Pinnacle Station:
Plot: Minigames! Woo!
Review: Never played it. ME1 did not have a good enough gunplay system to support a DLC like this.
Reward: A leaderboard and an apartment.
ME3 Impact: Haven't heard of one.
Opinion: Leave it.

ME2:
Operation Hammerhead:
Plot: Cerberus tries to outdo the Mako, and you get to put it through it's paces.
Review: The Hammerhead handles better than the Mako but has paper thin armor. You get to use it in a few missions, and it's fun, but they're not replayable so there.
Reward: A Sphere artifact for your cabin.
ME3 Impact: The mechanic mocks the hell out of the Hammerhead's design. It was destroyed during retrofit and the mechanic doesn't care.
Opinion: If you get a Cerberus Network code, it's a nice addition. On it's own it's just a few driving courses with a missile-launching hovercraft.

Zaeed:
Plot: Zaeed Massani wants revenge. You need an ally. There's a lot of people needing saving. You'll be lucky to get two out of three.
Review: It's just one more mission and a teammate. Good mission, though, and a cool teammate. To quote Joker: "He's just like you, only he takes checks!"
Reward: Flamethrower Heavy Weapon, either a heavy weapon or an assault rifle upgrade, and Zaeed "No Survivors" Massani
ME3 Impact: Zaeed's presence in the Kidnapped Ambassador leads to a peaceful resolution... nah, who am I kidding, he's Zaeed "No Survivors" Massani...
Opinion: The best part of the Cerberus Network bundle. Good if you like more party members, otherwise it's just decent.

Kasumi:
Plot: Crash a swanky party for criminal elites, break into an impregnable vault, steal his stuff, and look darn good doing it.
Review: This mission is a classic caper mission. Less combat and more talking, but pretty cool if you like that sort of thing. Kasumi is a lot of fun if you like chipper girls armed with a lot of curiosity and no respect for personal privacy.
Reward: A very good SMG and several minor upgrades.
ME3 Impact: Her aid in helping the salarian Spectre can be quite a game changer for that mission. Three assets instead of just one.
Opinion: Ocean's Eleven in Mass Effect 2. If you like the sound of that or enjoy the thought of a charming master thief as a playable ally, it's worth it.

Project Overlord:
Plot: A rogue AI takes over a research site and threatens to escape into the extranet. Cerberus is to blame. Duh.
Review: This is a pretty good one. A large multi-stage mission with the Hammerhead to traverse the space between. Very pretty scenery and the final act is very emotionally striking
Reward: A few upgrades, but mostly just a really good story.
ME3 Impact: The survivors of Overlord make an appearance in ME3, one in Jacob's mission, one in Jack's. The one in Jack's nets you a free Mattock upgrade. (Otherwise you have to buy it).
Opinion: I really liked this quest. It's a more or less standalone plot. Does that sound good to you?

Lair of the Shadowbroker:
Plot: Liara is obsessed with the fate of a friend. This obsession leads to a war with a rival information broker: the infamous Shadowbroker.
Review: A very well done multi-stage mission that includes Liara as a temporary ally and some of the coolest backdrops and fights in ME2.
Rewards: The Stasis prestige power, and a boatload of resources, trophies, upgrades, and interesting intel.
ME3 Impact: Technically, this DLC happens whether you play it or not. The only real advantage in playing it is knowing why Liara's suddenly a badass now.
Opinion: Get it. Cinematic presentation, gorgeous vistas, closure with Liara, and more loot and trivia than you could ever hope for. Just frickin' epic.

Arrival:
Plot: Hackett sends you after a researcher who claims to have found a Reaper artifact in a secluded bataarian prison system. She got caught. Up for a jailbreak?
Review: The mission is interesting but frustrating. There's only one outcome, and there's nothing you can really do about it but minimize the damage.
Rewards: A chance to talk to the Harbinger. And to not be the only one working against the Reapers for a change.
ME3 Impact: Mentioned a lot in the opening scenes of ME3. Either you ran the mission or some other N7 team did. Outcome's the same, it's just whether you are given the credit and the blame.
Opinion: Bridges the gap between ME2 and ME3 a bit and provides context for the beginning. Otherwise it's just a pretty good mission.

ME3:
From Ashes:
Plot: Eden Prime is once again under fire after another Prothean relic is discovered. But this time, it's an actual live Prothean. Is Javik everything the legends make his kind out to be?
Review: Javik is wonderfully alien personality and the mission to recruit him does a great job of setting him up. His commentary throughout the game is a great bit of straight-man black humor.
Rewards: An ME1-style clipless plasma rifle and a powerful soldier/biotic ally with a brand new perspective on most everything.
Opinion: It was well worth the price of the Collector's Edition, and it's worth it on its own.

Leviathan:
Plot: An archeologist is on the trail of an enigmatic Reaper-killer. Anything that could kill a Reaper would be a valuable ally, right?
Review: Kind of a CSI: Citadel mission arc where you investigate the mission hub for clues to determine what planet you need to visit. An excellent mystery with an end result that gives a hell of a lot of much-needed context to the ending of ME3.
Rewards: A lot of war assets, the Dominate prestige power, and revelations that make the ending of the game a lot less of an atrocity retroactively.
Opinion: It's quite worth it. It shows the Reaper conflict on a much bigger scale than we've ever seen it before.

Omega:
Plot: Aria is getting ready to take back Omega and she needs the heaviest gun she can trust. Lucky you. But when the queen retakes her throne, what kind of leader will she be this time?
Review: Not a particularly exceptional quest line, but a solid one. You don't get to use any of your traditional allies, but you gain a pair of temporary allies that are powerhouses in their own right. Your words and actions throughout the questline have a visible impact on its resolution, which is a very nice thing to see.
Rewards: Two new prestige powers: Lash (from the multiplayer) and Flare. Both of them are very powerful and extremely cool. You also get to see a female Turian for the first time.
Opinion: This one is not vital by any means, but it's a good solid ride. Lots of new enemies and upgrades drawn from the multiplayer DLCs.

Citadel:
Plot: Even legendary cyber-zombie god-killers need a vacation. Anderson gives his Citadel apartment to Shep as a place to blow off some steam. Unfortunately, R&R is interrupted by a hacker attempting the gutsiest identity theft in history: Shepard's!
Review: Good grief, were to begin? The actual quest line itself is a lot of fun and brings the trilogy together in a way that the franchise desperately needed. Wrex returns as a temporary ally along with a very green intelligence expert, and Wrex more than lives up to the mythos that's built up around him. It picks immense fun at the ME trilogy throughout, including Shep's oft referenced "I should go". Beyond that, however, it adds an arena mini-game that allows you to build parties of current and past allies (Shep, Wrex, and Grunt dominate as a team), and a lot of superb one-on-one hangout scenes with everyone alive that's been in your crew. Then, to top everything off, there's the grand mother of all parties as all your friends gather to send the trilogy off in style. Clever, funny, jam packed with content, and a great celebration of everything good in Mass Effect, this is the ending Mass Effect 3 deserves.
Rewards: Closure with Shepard's story. Oh, and a badass armor modeledafter the phantoms or Kai Leng (depending on your gender) as the grand prize for the arena game.
Opinion: Um... yeah... so... basically... I kinda like it. This is what saved ME3 for me and took me off my nerdrage about the incredible ending the trilogy has. "I should go."

Well, that's my take, anyway.

[Jayngfet]

Shepard is far more advanced than any ohther human due to the Cerberus reconstruction.

Not in any way that actually matters. Yeah, he's got a few microchips and whatnot in his body, but they're explicitly just to bring him back up to what he was at before he died. Both Miranda and The Illusive Man make it abundantly clear that they didn't give you any real boosts so much as just bring you back to the level you were at in ME1. You aren't super strong, you aren't super fast, you don't have super reflexes. Everything you get in 2 is apparently stuff Shepard could always do but the game wouldn't let you.

This isn't speculation, it's said point blank right there in 2 and 3.

[KillianHawkeye]

Not in any way that actually matters. Yeah, he's got a few microchips and whatnot in his body, but they're explicitly just to bring him back up to what he was at before he died. Both Miranda and The Illusive Man make it abundantly clear that they didn't give you any real boosts so much as just bring you back to the level you were at in ME1. You aren't super strong, you aren't super fast, you don't have super reflexes. Everything you get in 2 is apparently stuff Shepard could always do but the game wouldn't let you.

This isn't speculation, it's said point blank right there in 2 and 3.

On the contrary, Shepard can use guns in ME2 such as the Widow and the Claymore, both of which are noted as having so much recoil as to break the arms of a normal human who fires them, and both of which were stated in ME3 as having undergone extensive redesigns to lessen the severity of said recoil. Shep's ability to use these guns is because of the strengthening that came along with her return to life.

And when Miranda and the Illusive Man go on and on about how they brought Shepard back "exactly as she was," they are referring to her mind and personality only. They want Shepard to be the same person who can make the same decisions that they believe will lead humanity and the rest of the galaxy to victory over the Collectors/Reapers.

[Anteros]

On the contrary, Shepard can use guns in ME2 such as the Widow and the Claymore, both of which are noted as having so much recoil as to break the arms of a normal human who fires them, and both of which were stated in ME3 as having undergone extensive redesigns to lessen the severity of said recoil. Shep's ability to use these guns is because of the strengthening that came along with her return to life.

And when Miranda and the Illusive Man go on and on about how they brought Shepard back "exactly as she was," they are referring to her mind and personality only. They want Shepard to be the same person who can make the same decisions that they believe will lead humanity and the rest of the galaxy to victory over the Collectors/Reapers.

I was about to say this as well. Shepard is explicitly the only human strong enough to use these guns without breaking his arms.

[Avilan the Grey]

Not in any way that actually matters. Yeah, he's got a few microchips and whatnot in his body, but they're explicitly just to bring him back up to what he was at before he died. Both Miranda and The Illusive Man make it abundantly clear that they didn't give you any real boosts so much as just bring you back to the level you were at in ME1. You aren't super strong, you aren't super fast, you don't have super reflexes. Everything you get in 2 is apparently stuff Shepard could always do but the game wouldn't let you.

This isn't speculation, it's said point blank right there in 2 and 3.

This is basically wrong on all levels.
For one thing Shepard IS super strong (as pointed out regarding weapons). She can beat the Shadow Broker in one - on - one combat.

[Psyren]

And headbutt Krogan battlemasters

Also, biotic Shep gets upgraded to L5 implants when they bring you back - you were only an L3 in ME1. Upgrading you requires going under the knife (the reason Kaidan hasn't done so, and is still an L2 years later) and Cerberus did you a solid.

[Jayngfet]

This is basically wrong on all levels.
For one thing Shepard IS super strong (as pointed out regarding weapons). She can beat the Shadow Broker in one - on - one combat.

You know, that'd be really good information to have.

Too bad it's locked behind DLC that I don't own and referenced basically nowhere in the base game. Or that once they did multiplayer every single n7 marine hits exactly as hard as Shepard does. Or referenced when they make you hunt down augmentations anyway for apparently no reason.

[Krade]

Too bad it's locked behind DLC that I don't own and referenced basically nowhere in the base game. Or that once they did multiplayer every single n7 marine hits exactly as hard as Shepard does. Or referenced when they make you hunt down augmentations anyway for apparently no reason.

I know you don't like DLC, but at some point you're going to get over the fact that this is gaming now. This is how it is and how it will be for the foreseeable future.

Also, why don't you have Lair of the Shadow Broker? It's easily one of the best pieces of DLC for any game ever. Not getting it on principle is only denying you the enjoyment of it.

[Avilan the Grey]

You know, that'd be really good information to have.

Too bad it's locked behind DLC that I don't own and referenced basically nowhere in the base game. Or that once they did multiplayer every single n7 marine hits exactly as hard as Shepard does. Or referenced when they make you hunt down augmentations anyway for apparently no reason.

First of all you do have that information. It is not spelled out in ME2, but there are several indications that you are stronger than you "should" be. You apparently are strong enough to break all the bones in an Elcor's body. Half the tech you have in you or put in you is experimental super prototypes. You survive hits that takes out TANKS. Compared to ME1, where Saren can manhandle you easily... In ME2 you are at least as strong as him and probably stronger.

Second... Again, I consider what happens on the Multiplayer field almost as canon as I consider fanfiction to be canon (for one thing, as far as I understand it, even the easiest multiplayer difficulty is higher than Insanity. Which of course means all the powers and stuff is out of whack). Yes, there are canonically squads of special forces cleaning these places out. But it doesn't happen like in the multiplayer.

Edit: and as said above... why don't you own it? It's not like it's expensive.

[KillianHawkeye]

You know, that'd be really good information to have.

Too bad it's locked behind DLC that I don't own and referenced basically nowhere in the base game

No, the information I posted about weapons that only Shepard (among humans) can use is right there in the base game, in the descriptions of the weapons. It is not locked behind a paygate or hidden in any way, shape, or form.

EDIT: Anyway, if can't be bothered to download the DLC, don't be surprised when you don't get the full story.

[Divayth Fyr]

EDIT: Anyway, if can't be bothered to download the DLC, don't be surprised when you don't get the full story.

"Bothered" isn't really the right word to use when it comes to something you'd need to pay for, is it?

[Avilan the Grey]

"Bothered" isn't really the right word to use when it comes to something you'd need to pay for, is it?

Point. If someone feels like they don't feel like paying "extra" for the "full" story that's one thing. However I have never understood the hostility towards "DLC" by people who at the same time praize "Expansions".

[Talderas]

On the contrary, Shepard can use guns in ME2 such as the Widow and the Claymore, both of which are noted as having so much recoil as to break the arms of a normal human who fires them, and both of which were stated in ME3 as having undergone extensive redesigns to lessen the severity of said recoil. Shep's ability to use these guns is because of the strengthening that came along with her return to life.

I was about to say this as well. Shepard is explicitly the only human strong enough to use these guns without breaking his arms.

Mass Effect 2 - Squadmates
Sniper Rifle - Garrus, Legion, Thane, Zaeed
Shotgun - Grunt, Jack, Jacob, Tali

There are certainly other humans besides Shepard who can use the Widow (Zaeed) or the Claymore (Jack, Jacob).

[Calemyr]

Mass Effect 2 - Squadmates
Sniper Rifle - Garrus, Legion, Thane, Zaeed
Shotgun - Grunt, Jack, Jacob, Tali

There are certainly other humans besides Shepard who can use the Widow (Zaeed) or the Claymore (Jack, Jacob).

Nope. Grunt can use the shotgun and Legion can use the sniper rifle, if you research it for them. Shep can use them if you pick one of them on the collector ship. Nobody else can use the weapons, it's simply not available in the weapon's menu without some sort of mod.