Every now and then a game comes along that is so anticipated that it requires a few days off from work to fully enjoy it. Not for my own enjoyment (well not entirely) but because, heck, the game deserves your full attention! Grand Theft Auto IV got 3 days off work, in which I managed to 100% the game and get my key to the city (thank you Rockstar!) and before that was Mass Effect, which is easily one of the best RPG games I have played. Mass Effect 2 has been recently announced and teased, and the second the release date is secure those days are being booked!
Commander Shepard is back, dismissing any rumours of his demise. Mass Effect 2 will carry on from the original, allowing for you to import your first character and continue progressing – a nice touch which will certainly help you immerse back into that familiar body armour.
It has already been explained that the second act of BioWare’s epic Sci-Fi trilogy will continue the story, however taking it into deeper and darker territory than the first. The game sees you exploring the deep reaches of the galaxy in order to discover why humans have been disappearing through many worlds. Once again you are set to save mankind, and as expressed by the team themselves “launch an all-out assault on the heart of enemy territory”.
This is not only advancement on the story either, the engine has been improved and new features implemented. One such example comes from the camera during dialogue sequences, which now allows for movement – something greatly appreciated when considering the long corridor sequences that can now be spiced up with character interaction; not to mention the possibilities with faster paced conversations, allowing actions and environment alterations in the background. Even the Commander Shepard has been improved, with only having 20 different cover animations in the original he now has over 200 – quite a remarkable upgrade!
The recently released E3 trailer (attached above) looks set to bring Mass Effect 2 back as promised, in full force. With one of the only sentences uttered throughout the minute and a half long clip being enough to give out a curiosity and anticipated “oooooh!” – “It’s not the Geth… brace for abrasive manoeuvres! “. If it’s not the Geth attacking, who the heck is it?!… and then the trailer closes. Outside of this short trailer the game was shown to a little more detail behind closed booths. One interesting new feature that was shown is the ability to cut dialogue sequences via action, as has been demonstrated with being able to stop an NPC speaking mid-sentence and force the truth out of him – or failing that, kill him for wasting your time. A nice little feature that could alter the game depending on your split second decisions.
If you, like me, are unsure if your initial character is prepared for the deeper and darker adventures that await him, it might be time to pick up the original and get preparing yourself now, as soon you will be called up once again to serve the SS Normandy. Mass Effect is certain to be a hit when it lands in early 2010, so expect more previews to be coming before the release right here on Console Monster!
