Mass Effect 2 already sounding like *the* game of 2010

Mass Effect 2

Moody pose in Mass Effect 2 - probably just before he enters a "loading" lift.

The original Mass Effect had its problems - loading times, graphical glitches - but was still a masterful RPG. It was a game that effortlessly sucked you into its inter-planetary sci-fi storyline and made you actually care about the characters and not just the weapon or ability they added to the party. The stunning facial animations helped here - way more impressive than Bioware's other recent title, Dragon Age - as did the script. And don't get me started on the fantastic Blade Runner/Vangelis-inspired soundtrack. So you could say I am just a little bit excited about Mass Effect 2. The sequel launches on January 31st and the hype is building up nicely. The developer Bioware is promising better combat and - hurrah! - more varied and meaningful side missions...

We made a few changes to the way you navigate the Normandy so you get a better sense of exploration, you actually move the position of the Normandy versus moving a crosshair for where you want to go. You have fuel and space probes you burn to explore deeper into space. And then we also added a mini-game that is a new way to get resources off of a planet. So instead of having to drive around on a planet in the vehicle as a mission, where you're just really picking up rocks and having to jump out and do that kind of stuff, now it's part of a really cool planet exploration mini-game where you're spinning the planet around underneath you, you can feel with the controller rumbling, you can hear the sound of anomalies and resources being picked up by your sensors and close in on them and send space probes. So that part is a lot more interesting. Running around and getting resources is now in a cool mini-game instead of you doing it on foot.

The combat too has seen an overhaul.

The two areas we've made the biggest improvements in is in combat, which again contains countless improvements, from the feel of how you aim, the way you track enemies, the way you move and take cover - a completely new cover system - and the weapons feel fantastic. So, all the stuff we've done in the combat area. But then all of the things we've done to make the RPG aspects a lot more intuitive. I wouldn't say they're simpler, because you can do a lot more - there's a lot more customisation, there's more research and upgrades, there's just generally more there in the RPG side of it too - but what we've done is we've moved things into interfaces and screens where you can realise the full potential of these things without them becoming cumbersome or it having too many items and all that kind of stuff.

As you'd expect though, combat is only one part of the game. Relationships and romance are also key.

Maybe in previous games you would talk to characters and there's a relationship there, but again, it might not tie back into the main storyline. Here, the reason you end up talking to your characters, outside of the fact that it's interesting and there's a relationship there, is that you can figure out what it is that's going to make them loyal to you. And then you go and do a mission where you learn a lot about their back story. It unfolds in a way you can learn about and appreciate that character. So you're developing their loyalty, you're developing their relationship, and then we also have a number of romance options in this game where if you develop a relationship over the course of the game, some of them will become love interests. Whereas in Mass Effect 1 there was a love interest for male or female, and then Liara was another option, in this one, male and female characters each have several love interests.

There's lots more in the interview, including confirmation of downloadable content (anyone else already nostalgic for the days when games were released in one final form?) and some vague plot hints.

Anyway, what do you think? Played the original and can't wait for Mass Effect 2? Or too busy shooting and scoring in Modern Warfare 2 and FIFA to even notice?