Mass Effect 2 Hands On preview page 2

21 Dec 2009 at 15:01:10 by Richard Walker

ME1's dialogue wheel remains intact, much as you'd expect, so your preferred responses are selected via a twiddling of the analogue stick as before. Being the good-natured souls that we are, we agree to aid the Illusive Man, especially since The Collector's are responsible for the recent disappearance of many of humankind's dwindling numbers.

Pressing on with our fraught space station escape, we're given access to a modest arsenal of weaponry, including one of Mass Effect 2's new heavy weapons - the grenade launcher. Blasting rampaging mechs into pieces is great fun, although we can't help but wonder what kind of mess a well-aimed grenade will make of organic enemies.

And speaking of enemies, damage is body part specific too, so a shot to an arm causes it to break off whereas a shot to the head has the appropriate effect. One thing's for certain however - Mass Effect 2's shooty bits are a lot more satisfying than they were in the last game. BioWare ought to be applauded for the effort they've invested in ironing out the kinks.

What's more, story and action are seamlessly integrated, so between shooting robots and running through corridors to the escape point, there's time for some chat to flesh out Miranda and Jacob's characters, and even time for an unexpected double cross and a brief meeting with a familiar face. There's even the opportunity to stop at a terminal to customise Shepard's armour, which is no longer restrictive, allowing you to mix and match pieces as well as opt for various types of helmet to equip. You can also change how Shepard looks during his down time by altering his casual appearance - a nice touch.

Anyway, following a fast-paced escape, the mission finally concludes with a status screen, which details your stats and enables you to level up in preparation for the next chapter, which in this particular case is down on the surface of a planet where The Collector's have decided to take up residence. Our time here however is painfully cut short as producer Adrien Cho tells us that's all they're willing to show us for today and no more.

Just as we were finding ourselves becoming inexorably absorbed once more into Mass Effect's deeply compelling sci-fi world, we're dragged kicking and screaming back into reality, where January 29th 2010 seems to be an eternity away.

One thing is made massively clear during one solitary hour of play however. This has most definitely been the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Or rather the timely renewal of a beautiful friendship. Predictably, Mass Effect 2 is going to be brilliant and is without a doubt, our most anticipated game for next year so far. Bring it on.

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