Editor’s Note: Each week in December we’ll be unveiling another nominee for Blast’s 2010 Game of the Year Award, here’s our this week’s — Bioware’s space masterpiece Mass Effect 2. Keep checking back each week until the final week, when we reveal the winner along with all of the yearly award winners.

The release of Mass Effect in November 2007 was the beginning of a cult following and the birth of a wonderful RPG franchise from Bioware. The major aspects of Mass Effect that made the first title shine weren’t just your typical answers like beautiful graphics and fun gun play (some opinions were the combat was clunky). The story of Commander Shepard and the characters that joined you along the way made this title the epic RPG that it was. The universe that Bioware introduced us to had the depth and creative story to suck gamers in and have them wanting more. The announcement that your game save from the first title would have a direct impact on the sequel left the gaming community waiting in even bigger anticipation.

The level of excitement for the release of Mass Effect 2 made me a little skeptical for a few reasons. The promises that Bioware made in assuring gamers a more developed story and revamped combat for the sequel had me worried. The balance between RPG elements and combat are tricky and I was afraid if Bioware went to much in one direction the franchise would lose its RPG roots and epic story. The announcements of voice over contributors such as Martin Sheen and others had me worried as well. I didn’t want to see Mass Effect go the route of say, the Call of Duty franchise, with huge explosions, big name voice over talent, and a sub-par story (not to mention a new game every 6 months). I wanted my thirty plus hours I put into the first Mass Effect to mean something, and for the sequel to blow me away.

On January 26^th 2010 Mass Effect 2 was released and Bioware delivered on every promise made with a sequel that I can say, is an almost perfect action RPG. The game was an instant game of the year contender for many reasons. There is one fact that had been true since I had been a young lad and even rang true in the first Mass Effect. When you have an RPG, the combat will be turn based and not as smooth as say, an FPS title. That wall has been torn down thanks to Bioware. Mass Effect 2 has a smooth FPS like combat in a RPG setting. The dreams of gamers being able to duck and take cover after blasting an enemy in the face with a rocket launcher, or look down the sights of a sniper rifle in slow motion in an RPG, were answered. This successfully brought in the interest of gamers that have never even purchased an RPG before. The core fans of the franchise like myself didn’t cringe at this new combat system or the FPS elements either, because of the story and in depth character detailing. The universe that Bioware had developed in the first title was back, and better than ever.

The evolved combat, epic story, or improved graphics are not the only aspects that awarded this title a game of the year nomination by Blast Magazine. The choices you made in the first title had a deep impact in the sequel, just as Bioware promised. This was the first time a sequel actually took a game save from the first title and made you deal with the consequences. For example if you (as I did) decided to have Wrex take a bullet in the first title he would not be around in the sequel. The blank slate that is Commander Shepard and the tools Bioware has given you to mold him or her into your own hero or anti-hero are nothing short of amazing. This game keeps you coming back for replay after replay and just playing as a different class warrants another play through.

The main factor that really sets this franchise apart and brings Mass Effect 2 to the top is the characters you meet that join your mission along the way. There are a lot of RPG’s or action RPG’s out there that have characters that join the main character along the way. These characters help you fight or play a part in the story but in most cases you never really get to know their back story, and many won’t hold your interest for very long. This is what sets Mass Effect 2 apart from the rest; I had such a blast getting to know every character in this game, and their back-stories. The team at Bioware did such a great job with these characters. Besides them having special combat abilities, they also have great stories and you feel a real connection to them. My two favorites were Jack the wild, emotionally-disturbed, biotic-powerhouse, and Mordin the scientist who would talk a thousand words per minute, and even break into song at moments.

. The gaming market right now has so many titles out there that have over priced or lack luster DLC. I can’t tell you how many times I have shelled out 800 Microsoft points for a couple weapons in a game and been highly disappointed. The DLC market in my opinion has felt like a way for developers to make a little more cash, not quality additional content for the gamer to enjoy. There has never been a game that offered armor, weapons, characters, and expansions for such fair prices. The sheer amount of DLC support this game received was phenomenal especially since the game is quite large to begin with.

For those of you gaming faithful without a chance to attend E3 this year, EA has something nice to keep you busy. Instead of reading about all the fun you’re not having in Los Angeles, you can get download the ‘Overlord’ pack for Mass Effect 2 starting June 15. Overlord reportedly runs about 10 hrs and features a powerful AI villain reminiscent of the shadowy character from Ghost In The Shell. The horror-style adventure spans 5 planets and can be had for 560 MS points starting Tuesday.

Source: Major Nelson

The newest DLC pack for Mass Effect 2 features a rougue, sentient AI to battle wits with and adds five new planets to the Galactic map, each of which can be explored with the Hammerhead tank that was first featured in the previous Firewalker DLC pack. Bioware touts this expansion as the most sweeping of the contest released yet for ME2 and has been speaking about the fact that players should expect a horror-type experience complete with flickering lights, dark corners and a perturbed alien intelligence pulling the strings and playing with all the switches.

Overlord runs a  little over two hours and features some seriously upgraded handling on the improved Hammerhead vehicle. For extended details, have a look at the GameSpot interview with Mass Effect 2 executive producer Casey Hudson. This DLC pack should drop sometime in June.

Source: Gamespot

Remember that clock that showed up on the Dragon Age and Mass Effect 2 sites a few weeks ago? Well, now we know that it’s been counting down to  a little something called the Bioware Bazaar. If you login to social.bioware.com before April 10th, you’ll be given 1000 tokens that can be spent in the bazaar towards a slew of cool paraphernalia. Top prizes include Dragon Age and Mass Effect-branded PCs and Xbox 360s. You can see the full list of official rules and prizes here.

In order to get the good stuff, you’re going to have to hustle though . Vast amounts of additional tokens can be earned by staying tuned to Bioware’s Twitter for ‘Bazaar Challenges.’ These ask you questions like, “What was your most memorable experience playing a BioWare game?” or “What did Commander Shepard have for breakfast?”

There are 100 winners of each challenge and they each get an extra 500 tokens toward the auctions. I think it’s doubtful you could get any of the hardware without winning about 5 or more challenges or so. Challenges are currently about 9 questions deep, with 3 hours allowed for responses to each – so you should probably get to work.

Challenge Submission Judging. At or about 3 hours after the Challenge has ended, Sponsor or its designee, the Challenge Judges, whose decisions are final and binding on all matters relating to the Challenges, will independently evaluate and judge all eligible Submissions received on a per-Challenge basis and select in its sole and absolute discretion up to 100 Submissions that shall win the prize of 500 tokens. The Challenge Submission Judging shall be based upon the following criteria in the Judges’ sole and absolute discretion: 60% creativity, 20% appropriateness to topic, 20% skill and quality of the submission (i.e. grammar and writing skills). The Judges’ decisions for any particular Challenge are final and binding. PLEASE NOTE THAT, WHILE YOU MAY SUBMIT MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS NO MORE THAN ONE OF YOUR SUBMISSIONS WILL BE SELECTED AS A WINNER IN ANY CHALLENGE.

Auctions will begin April 6th at 9am PDT and proceed every 15 minutes after that. You can check out some additional ways to earn boo-ku Bazaar tokens below.

Good Luck!!

Additional Methods of Earning Tokens

1. Additional Tokens can be earned as follows:
   1. 1200 Tokens: Register your Dragon Age: Origins Game OR Score 100% On Dragon Age: Origins QuestionnaireRegister your Dragon Age: Origins game using your BioWare Account at http://social.bioware.com/user_bw_games_register.php. If you previously registered your Dragon Age: Origins game using the BioWare account associated with your Token account, then the additional tokens will be automatically awarded to your Token account within 8 hours of your initial registration for the contest. If you do not own Dragon Age: Origins and/or cannot register your game for any reason, then you can earn the same amount of Tokens by scoring 100% on the Dragon Age: Origins questionnaire available at this URL: http://social.bioware.com/token_questionnaire.php?game_id=1. Answers to the Dragon Age: Origins questionnaire can be found by reviewing the content of the website available at http://dragonage.bioware.com/. Either method entitles the entrant to only 1200 Tokens–entrants cannot earn double tokens by registering their game and submitting the questionnaire. Tokens will be awarded to your Token account within 8 hours of your successful completion/submission of either the game questionnaire or game registration.
   2. 1500 Tokens: Register your Mass Effect 2 Game OR Score 100% On Mass Effect 2 QuestionnaireRegister your Mass Effect 2 game using your BioWare Account at http://social.bioware.com/user_bw_games_register.php. If you previously registered your Mass Effect 2 game using the BioWare Account associated with your Token Account, then the additional tokens will be automatically awarded to your Token Account within 8 hours of your initial registration for the contest. If you do not own Mass Effect 2 and/or cannot register your game for any reason, then you can earn the same amount of additional tokens by scoring 100% on the Mass Effect 2 questionnaire available at http://social.bioware.com/token_questionnaire.php?game_id=10. Answers to the Mass Effect 2 questionnaire can be found by reviewing the content of the website available at http://masseffect.bioware.com/. You need not own Mass Effect 2 to earn the 1500 tokens. Either method entitles the entrant to only 1500 Tokens–entrants cannot earn double tokens by registering their game and submitting the questionnaire. Tokens will be awarded to your Token account within 8 hours of your successful completion/submission of either the game questionnaire or game registration.
   3. 1750 Tokens: Register Your Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening Expansion Pack OR Score 100% On Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening QuestionnaireRegister your Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening game/expansion pack using your BioWare Account at http://social.bioware.com/user_bw_games_register.php. If you previously registered your Dragon Age: Origins– Awakening game/expansion pack using the BioWare Account associated with your Token Account, then the additional tokens will be automatically awarded to your Token Account within 8 hours of your initial registration for the contest. If you do not own Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening and/or cannot register your game/expansion pack for any reason, then you can earn the same amount of additional tokens by scoring 100% on the Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening questionnaire available at http://social.bioware.com/token_questionnaire.php?game_id=11. Answers to the Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening questionnaire can be found by reviewing the content of the website available at http://dragonage.bioware.com/awakening/. You need not own Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening to earn the 1750 tokens. Either method entitles the entrant to only 1750 Tokens–entrants cannot earn double tokens by registering their game and submitting the questionnaire. Tokens will be awarded to your Token account within 8 hours of your successful completion/submission of either the game questionnaire or game registration.
   4. 500 Tokens: Create And Upload A Character In Dragon Age: Origins – Character CreatorGo to http://social.bioware.com/page/da-character-creator, log in with your BioWare Account associated with your Token account, download Dragon Age: Origins – Character Creator and accept the Dragon Age Origins – Character Creator EULA. Follow the instructions to upload a character in Dragon Age: Origins – Character Creator while logged into the same BioWare Account associated with your token account. Once you have created the character, you must click “Upload Info” in the final character creation screen. If you previously uploaded a Character via the Dragon Age: Origins – Character Creator while logged in to your Dragon Age: Origins account, you will automatically be awarded 500 Tokens within 8 hours of registering for the contest. You need not own Dragon Age: Origins to download the Dragon Age: Origins – Character Creator or to upload a character to earn 500 Tokens. Tokens will be awarded to your Token account within 8 hours of your successful upload of the character. Entrants may upload multiple characters but are eligible for only one 500 Token award for doing so.
   5. Get Your Friends To Click On Your Unique URLGo to http://social.bioware.com/promotion_code.php, log into the BioWare Account associated with your Token account and follow the instructions to create a unique URL. For each click that your URL gets, you can earn Tokens.Tokens will be awarded directly to your Token account for clicks to your referral URL in the following manner:

10 tokens per unique click (based on IP address) per day up to 500 tokens; and then 1 token per unique click (based on IP address) per day thereafter.

If you’re anything like me, you may not have gotten around to dropping the $60 you need for Mass Effect 2 just yet -  even though it is like the hottest shooter – RPG – Hollywood – Dr. Approved – Out of This World – Masterpiece you can get on the Xbox 360 right now. Fortunately, your resistance to launch day hysterics has proven you richer once again. BestBuy has your budget in mind, making ME2 available this week for the very agreeable price of only $40.

You can’t really ask for much more than this from a gamer’s perspective. What could very well be GOTY at a 30+% discount less than 2 months after launch? Recession indeed.

I almost feel bad paying just $40 bucks for it. This game has obviously reviewed pretty well. Can I maybe tip someone at BestBuy? Take one of the cashiers out to lunch?

The Maker approves…

From: Destructoid

Looks like the folks who cruised through Mass Effect 2 won’t have to wait around for additional content to make itself available.  "Kasumi’s Stolen Memory," available April 6th, will introduce players to a new character, a new weapon and what is reportedly a new way to play the game.

The DLC can be launched at any time and features a scavenger hunt in a gorgeous mansion ala Resident Evil for its first act.  The Space Rogue Kasumi is searching for a rare item inside the mansion which Sheppard must find first.   Once it is located, Sheppard is forced to blast his way out through heavy resistance.

Bioware claims this to be some of their best stuff yet.  We’ll see in just a few weeks.

BioWare said, before Mass Effect 2 released, that we’d see a heaping of DLC for it, and the beginning of that promises gets fulfilled later this month with the release of the Firewalker hovercraft content.

It focuses on a hovercraft called the Hammerhead and it’ll be free for those who signed up for that nifty little “Cerberus Network” dealio. For those without access to the “Network,” the DLC will run you an undisclosed price.

The DLC unlocks five new missions full of action-oriented segments of death and destruction. Fun, fun.

FireWalker DLC

Role-playing hasn’t been kind to science fiction. Whether it be table top or video game, there just haven’t been too many successful adventures into deep space for fans of all things sci-fi (or SyFy apparently). The original Mass Effect managed to change this with its deep storyline and heavy focus on both dialogue and moral choices. Although there was definitely a line of division between those who loved the interactive novel approach and people who just thought the game was too talky, it’s hard to deny that Mass Effect was simply the best interactive science fiction around.

Well, until the sequel. Mass Effect 2 is a direct sequel of course, but more than that, Bioware set out to refine the gameplay of the original—beefing up its strengths and, frequently, eliminating what didn’t work. The result is nothing short of stunning.  The continuing saga of Commander Shepard is proving to be one of the most rewarding and interesting experiences in all of gaming, particularly because the game makes you feel as if you’re actually part of something epic.

Importing your Commander Shepard from the first game and seeing the decisions you made affect the second part of the storyline is a superb gameplay mechanism. Further, the past and present decisions will eventually have significant consequences to the third part of the story—whenever Mass Effect 3 is released. It’s this sense of continuity that makes Mass Effect so damned engaging. Although the gameplay is as much shooting action as full-blown role-playing, the sheer amount of choices, characters, and situations to explore makes this series feel like a singular experience on your Xbox or PC.

Few titles bring together such a cohesive sense of action and actual role-playing in so seamless a fashion. Combat is much more intensive this time around, with simple, yet effective cover system and team mates that are more useful. You can easily adjust NPC situational behavior and use their special abilities on the fly, and both ally and enemy  AI react surprisingly well. This makes your computer-controlled cohorts far more useful allies during some of the harsh combat missions, and also makes the choice of team mates for individual missions a bit more important.

While action is a more focused effort this time, the RPG elements are very much in control. The stats and character developments have been streamlined, but you are always fully in control of how Shepard and his group advance. Dialogue choices in particular affect your morality, but the game allows you to be both a paragon (good) and a renegade (bad) in whatever measure you deem fit. Dialogue trees allow for both paths, and there are even chances to change the conversation mid-stream for a specific moral action that can have long-term consequences.

The set of characters that join Shepard are a motley bunch. You’ll track down some old friends, but mostly the cast is completely new. There’s  a surly, dangerous merc; a nearly psychotic biotic chick covered in tattoos and not much else; a hilarious alien scientist; a scarily sexy blue-skinned priestess of the law; a zen-like reptilian assassin, among others. Each has a distinct personality and personal mission that Shepard can complete to earn their trust.

Although a couple of them will likely grate on you, causing you to hardly ever use them, the group is fascinating to talk to, learn about, and fight beside. Just the same, it would have been nice had the selection of possible team mates been both larger and more pliable. There’s no real options here except simply not seeking them all out. You can’t ditch characters you don’t want, you can only ignore them. Another issue is that transitioning from the original game leaves some real gaps—particularly in the relationship department.

If Shepard found love in the original Mass Effect, don’t expect it to have much meaning this time around. This is especially strange given how important so many of your other choices turn out to be. The game clearly wants to foster Shepard into new relationship directions, but the option to be monogamous to your first love in some real way would have been nice. That said, it’s much harder to find romance in Mass Effect 2 than in the first game and especially in comparison to Dragon Age.

The other main complaint with the game is that it seems to go by much too quickly. Skilled players will blow through most of the side missions and the main story in around 30-35 hours. Gamers who take their time will likely make it to the 40 hour mark. It’s certainly a testament to the game’s addictiveness and expert design that 40 hours seems too short, but Mass Effect’s galaxy is a place that you’ll want to spend more time in.

While many chided Bioware’s Dragon Age for having middling graphics, that’s definitely not the case here. Mass Effect 2′s visuals are stunning. The level of detail of the characters is nearly movie quality, and the locations look much more varied and interesting this time around. The voice acting is universally excellent, the digital surround effects immersive, and the soundtrack is great.

Blast Factor: While Mass Effect 2 is an undeniably better game than the original, it’s important to stress that it’s the middle of a greater story. As such, it’s highly recommended that you play the original first and transfer that character over to the sequel. You’ll find a far richer and more rewarding experience that way. Either way, this is a truly great game. Epic, mature, and intelligent, Mass Effect 2 is just the sort of title that the industry needs to see more frequently. Where so many RPGs, especially those from Japan, are merely cookie-cutter copies of each other, this is a sci-fi adventure boldly going where few games have gone before.

Mass Effect 2 is available on the Xbox 360 for $59.99, and the PC for $49.99. A copy of this game was given to us by the publisher for reviewing purposes.

Mass Effect 2, the recently released space RPG from BioWare is definitely not coming to PS3.

Despite rumors circling around stemming from PS3 source code found in the game BioWare’s Chris Priestly says it’s all rubbish.

“The Unreal Engine is cross platform, hence the PS3 code,” he writes on the BioWare forums. “This was brought up back in Mass Effect 1 days as well.”

“Mass Effect is for the PC and Xbox 360,” he went on to say.

We’re sorry PS3 gamers. Mass Effect 2 is a terrific title, truly one of the best, but I think you have something Xbox 360 gamers don’t have. Are we even?

Source: Destructoid

Electronic Arts today announced that its baby boy Mass Effect 2 sold over 2 million million  units since it launched Tuesday at midnight.

Internal data from EA reveal the staggering figure and even touted the game’s over 40 perfect review scores as evidence of its apparent worth.

“Mass Effect 2 is poised to be one of the biggest games of 2010. We could not be more proud of the game’s universal acclaim and early commercial success,” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, co-founder of BioWare.

BioWare has said additional content, in the form of add-on DLC, is planned for the title. So if the going’s already good, it’s likely to get much  better!

Source: IGN

2010 sees its first AAA release this week as BioWare’s epic Mass Effect 2 comes to Xbox 360. But right next to it are two very notable projects; No More Heroes 2 and MAG.

Tuesday, Jan. 26 is absolutely pacccked and we’ll have reviews of Mass Effect 2 and MAG in the very near future. Check back for those reviews, but for now, take a look at the full list of new releases for the week below.

Monday (Jan. 25)
“Aha! I Found It!” Hidden Object Game (Wii)
Number Battle (DS)
Legend of Kay (DS)

Tuesday (Jan. 26)
Mass Effect 2 (PC, 360)
Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars (Wii)
MAG (PS3)
Blood Bowl (360, PC)
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Justice for All (Wii)
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle (Wii)
Horrible Histories: Ruthless Romans (PC, DS, Wii)
Fast Food Panic (Wii)
Shadow of Destiny (PSP)
Imagine: Party Planner (DS)

Wednesday (Jan. 27)
Hotel Giant 2 (PC)

Thursday (Jan. 28)
Legend of Vraz (PC)

Friday (Jan. 29)
The Lost Cases of Sherlock Holmes, Vol. 2 (PC)
Simplz: Zoo (PC)
Monsteca Corral (Wii)
Mole Control (PC)
Playmobil Knights (DS)

Source: Kotaku

GameStop today announced that thousands of stores nationwide will open their doors late next Monday evening to sell Sony’s Massive Action Game (MAG) and BioWare’s Mass Effect 2 at the strike of midnight on January 26.

Power to those who stay up until midnight!

According to GameStop, over 2,500 stores will participate in the midnight sale, with many of those stores holding some sort of launch event beginning at 10 p.m.

Wondering if you’re local GameStop is opening? Take a look at this behemoth of a list (.pdf link), and just to be safe, give ‘em a call to confirm.

We’ll have reviews of both games up on the site soon. Keep checking back.

In an odd twist of fate Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre and Commander Shepard will share the same screen this weekend.

No, I’m not talking about some strange Pro Football/Video Game gay adult film, rather that a 2-minute trailer for Mass Effect 2 will show during the NFC Championship game this weekend when the Vikings take on the Saints in front of a packed stadium and 35 million watching on FOX.

The press release issued to us said the trailer would show, as you could probably guess, during the 4th quarter.

Sounds like I’ll have to move the refrigerator in the living room tomorrow. Can’t get up to grab a beer during a commercial knowing I could possibly miss the trailer now could I?

Mass Effect 2 comes to Xbox 360 and PC this Tuesday. We’ll have a review up before you know it. Keep checking.

The epic, hotly-hyped, and emotionally-intense role-playing-game from BioWare, Mass Effect 2, comes to PC and Xbox 360 next Tuesday, but what would a AAA release be without some serious fanfare?

Enter the Mass Effect 2 launch trailer.

Narrated by Martin Sheen, who provides voice to a character in the game, and spiced up with action, guns, aliens, and sex, this trailer does it all.

Have a look.

Electronic Arts and BioWare today detailed plans to encourage gamers to buy a new copy of Mass Effect 2, instead of a used copy from these guys.

Announced today was The Cerberus Network, which is BioWare for a waypoint, or conduit, for gamers to access what will become a host of downloadable add-on content for Mass Effect 2.

Those who buy a new copy of Mass Effect 2 next Tuesday when the title hits shelves will receive a download code to download The Cerberus Network, and those who pick up a used copy will be forced to pay a one-time fee, which was not disclosed by Electronic Arts today.

On January 26, the day Mass Effect 2 releases, gamers can download, via The Network, DLC that features new missions and items, free of charge. And what’s better, more content, available the week after next, is on the way in the form of even more missions and a new vehicle, the Hammerhead.

So, this is how Electronic Arts plans to attack used game sales. Think it’ll work?

If you have a couple hundred extra hours laying around, BioWare’s Mass Effect 2, a sequel to an absolute stellar original, hits shelves in just a few weeks, at the end of January.

But today, on this first day of the new 2010 year, we’re treated to the full-on and awe-inspiring cinematic trailer from BioWare, as the studio is likely currently abusing QA testers to hammer out the bugs in the game.

Mass Effect 2 comes to PC and Xbox 360 January 26. Here’s the trailer.

Straight from IGN’s Ultimate Video Game Gift Guide comes this hot and fresh trailer for BioWare’s epic role-playing-game Mass Effect 2.

It’s the game’s official cinematic trailer, and well, it’s cinematic to say the least. What don’t we see here?!

In an effort to create the most emotionally engaging narrative, Electronic Arts and BioWare today announced they’ve gone out and secured what looks like the most star-studded collection of voice-actors a video game has ever seen.

Here’s the full list of celebrities making appearances in the title.

Martin Sheen ("The West Wing," "Apocalypse Now,” and lots more)

Seth Green (“Austin Powers,” “Family Guy”)

Carrie-Anne Moss ("The Matrix")

Emmy Award-winner Shohreh Aghdashloo ("House of Saddam")

Yvonne Strahovski and Adam Baldwin (“Chuck”)

Keith David ("Crash")

Michael Dorn ("Star Trek: Deep Space Nine")

Tricia Helfer, Michael Hogan ("Battlestar Galactica")

We didn’t think BioWare needed such an impressive lineup to create the level of allure in storytelling the studio is so well known for, but it can’t hurt, can it?

BioWare co-founder Ray Muzyka certainly likes the cast.

"Credible, powerful personalities are vital to delivering a compelling story experience in BioWare’s games, and we have assembled an amazing ensemble cast that surpasses the very high bar set in the original Mass Effect!"

Look for Mass Effect 2 exclusively on PC and Xbox 360 in the end of January

If you played Mass Effect, the epic and space-themed RPG from BioWare, you know all about elevators, and how it sucks to sit and wait in them.

Sure, a somewhat clever and creative thought on BioWare’s part. Stick us in an elevator, and we’ll forget we’re actually experiencing a loading screen, but really, we knew, and we didn’t like it.

Well, according to BioWare, Mass Effect 2 will keep the elevators, but won’t use them as lengthy load experiences.

"The elevators were made in ME1 so we didn’t have to show boring loading screens," wrote associate programmer Thomas_R_Roy in recent ME2 official message board post. "However there were a lot of complaints, so we’ve gone back to loading screens and movies. We still have elevators in ME2, but you don’t wait inside them. We’ll cut to a loading screen instead."

And what about these loading screens, I thought they were “boring”?

"We’ve tried to make the loading screen more interesting this time by adding interesting visuals and information," the associate programmer added.

Now, it remains to be seen what the interesting visuals and information will be, but we trust you BioWare, just don’t let us down or we might do this to you.

Source: Destructoid

If you thought Mass Effect 1 was a huge game content-wise, its sequel is going to be even larger, if the number of discs needed is any indication.

BioWare Community Manager Chris Priestly recently revealed on the BioWare forums that the game come with two discs to hold all the game’s content and will require a disc-swap, sometime during the experience.

On Xbox 360 there will be one swappage of discs, but on PC, where the title must be fully installed prior to playing, you won’t have to.

“Even though there is a disc swap, it occurs at a carefully planned place in the game (that does not interfere with gameplay) and is done once,” Priestly said. “You do not swap back and forth. One swap and then done.”

Basically, the game is going to be ginormous, which I’m now being told is not actually a word.

Source: IGN

BioWare today released the minimum system requirements for the impending space role-playing-game sequel, Mass Effect 2.

As someone who only plays World of Warcraft (on a laptop no less), I’ve never got too caught up in this whole PC thing.

But you, dear PC gamer, are a horse of a different color, but these requirements don’t seem very taxing, but have a look to make sure.

OS = Windows XP SP3 / Windows Vista SP1 / Windows 7
Processor = 1.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo or equivalent AMD CPU
Memory = 1 GB RAM for Windows XP / 2 GB RAM for Windows Vista and Windows 7
Hard Drive = 15 GB
DVD ROM = 1x Speed
Sound Card = DirectX 9.0c compatible
Direct X = DirectX 9.0c August 2008 (included)
Input = Keyboard / Mouse
Video Card = 256 MB (with Pixel Shader 3.0 support). Supported Chipsets: NVIDIA GeForce 6800 or greater; ATI Radeon X1600 Pro or greater. Please note that NVIDIA GeForce 7300, 8100, 8200, 8300, 8400, and 9300; ATI Radeon HD3200, and HD4350 are below minimum system requirements. Updates to your video and sound card drivers may be required. Intel and S3 video cards are not officially supported in Mass Effect 2.

Happy gaming!

Source: Mass Effect Forums via Kotaku

Electronic Arts and BioWare today announced a Mass Effect 2 Collector’s Edition brimming full of premium goodies, and available in “limited” quantities.

When Mass Effect 2 releases Jan. 26, 2010, gamers can pick up the Collector’s Edition and be treated to the game wrapped in a hard-shell “tin case, a 48-page hardcover “Art of Mass Effect 2” book, Issue 1 of the Mass Effect Redemption comic book, and a bonus DVD with behind-the-scenes and making-of videos.”

What’s more, and more vague for that matter, is the inclusion of “unique in-game weapons and armor,” only attainable through the purchase of the CE. What could it mean?!

“We’re really excited to roll out this Collectors’ Edition featuring so many unique items, including special Collectors’ Edition armor and weapons and content that will surprise Mass Effect fans,” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, co-founder, BioWare and Group General Manager of the RPG/MMO Group of EA. “The limited edition comic book and bonus DVD will really enhance and expand the overall Mass Effect 2 experience.”

Mass Effect 2 and the Collector’s Edition, release January 26, priced at $59.99 and $69.99 respectivley.

EA via Kotaku

Bioware announced that Mass Effect 2 will hit shelves on January 26th. Commander Shepard will bring back the intense shooter action and will entertain players with the new storyline. So to support the launch of the game, BioWare is releasing unique Mass Effect pre-order incentives. At GameStop, Terminus Gear is available with pre-orders (for those that don’t know Terminus Gear includes Terminus Assault Armor and the M-490 Blackstorm Heavy Weapon). Other outlets will offer the potent Inferno Armor as their incentive. The second part of the trilogy is sure to pack a punch so go pre-order as soon as possible!

Listings on two non-United States sites today show “Mass Effect 2″ for PlayStation 3, leading us to believe BioWare’s project will no longer be a Microsoft-exclusive.

The first was spotted on Russia’s EA site (though it’s since vanished) and the second on an Australian retailer’s page. The former seems more believable than the latter, but we’re ready to believe.

BioWare previously failed to confirm or deny a PS3 version of the game, so if they aren’t making it, why not just say so?

Sources: RPG Site, VG247, Kotaku

Electronic Arts and BioWare told us all about their DLC plans for Dragon Age Origins this morning and the incentives behind new purchases, but now we get to see them all in action.

Trailers here are for the Blood Dragon Armor, Stone Prisoner, and Warden’s Keep DLC headed to Dragon Age Origins November 3.

And of note: the original story didn’t indicate that the Blood Dragon Armor can also be used in Mass Effect 2, because it can. Honestly, I thought it was a misprint. But alas, it is not, and you can actually wear the armor in both games. Watch the videos and it’ll all make sense.

Mass Effect 2 developers BioWare today unveiled the sassy and powerful “Subject Zero” as the latest character in a growing Mass Effect 2 cast.

BioWare, masters of the role-playing genre continue their digital dominance in character creation in Mass Effect 2 as Subject Zero is quite the lady. She’s up-front, lethal, and in a hyphenated word, bad-ass.

You can experience her wrath, sensuality, and persuasiveness, when the title drops in early 2010, but for now check out this character reveal video with all of the same elements.

Humans are vanishing accross the galaxy. No one knows why. Commander Shepard has been chosen to lead a crew into space to discover the cause of the vanishing. However, his crew will be vital to not only solving the mystery, but for his very survival. Gamers will need to build a diverse and loyal in order to succeed. Players will be able to select from a motley cast of characters. The first of these characters is Thane, a deadly assassin revealed in June. The latest character to be revealed is Grunt, a violent and unpredictable Krogan fighter who has never known defeat. If he can be tamed, his strength will be an asset…but can he be trusted?

Mass Effect 2 is scheduled for an early 2010 release on Xbox 360 and PC.

Some things slipped out of E3 relating to the storyline of Mass Effect 2, the sequel to the hit Xbox 360 and Windows PC RPG, that maybe not everyone wanted to know. Maybe there was a little too much information for some people’s liking, as far as major plot points and such go. Then again, for some people, it just made them want more. For that second group, EA has sent over a post-E3 video detailing many of these points, so now you can see it for yourself. You’ve been warned though, so no complaints about spoilers. For the first group, we have some screens for you, which are spoiler free assuming you don’t get uppity when a single polygon from a forthcoming game is seen in advance.

LOS ANGELES – Oh hell yes.

The Electronic Entertainment Expo is back. It’s better. It’s … over. Damn.

While it still wasn’t the spectacle of the 90s, the conference was easily three times bigger than it was last year, and there was some actual news this time.

Here’s what we took away from the conference this time around:

BEST GAME
Uncharted 2

The first Uncharted is still one of the best games on the Playstation 3, and that’s not a knock on the console’s library either. This sequel looks to improve on the gameplay of the fantastic original, while also including a brand new multiplayer mode–one we will have impressions of for you in the near future.

BEST WII GAME
Super Mario Bros. Wii
Nintendo
Q4 2009

Mario is back. This new four-player side scroller is the first game to remind us of the good old days since the good old days, except now, with that multiplayer involved, it gives you a reason to want to punch your friends in the face.

BEST XBOX 360 GAME
Mass Effect 2

Bioware is promising a darker, more developed game than the first, which is saying something considering how well-done the original was. We’ll need to see it for ourselves, but what we saw was impressive.

BEST PLAYSTATION 3 GAME
Heavy Rain
Sony/Quantic Dream

This is a sleeper, but IGN also recognized the potential for Heavy Rain by nominating it for Best of E3/Best PlayStation 3 game. Blast got to play a demo, and we were thoroughly impressed by the control, decision-making abilities, dialog, and visuals. This is an excellent-looking game.

BEST MULTIPLATFORM GAME
Rogue Warrior
Bethesda Softworks
PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Fall 2009

Rogue Warrior looked great in a demo, and nothing is cooler than getting to play out the experiences of a real life badass navy seal voiced by Mickey Rourke. This game is full of pure action, explosions, and a great mix of stealth and offensive firepower.

BEST SPORTS GAME
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 Wii with MotionPlus
EA Sports
Nintendo Wii
June 8

Wii MotionPlus adds an amazing new dimension of reality to games, but nowhere was it more noticeable than in the latest Tiger Woods game. You have to position your wrists straight and do a full swing with follow-through. The MotionPlus makes you get off your couch and actually do stuff, and where better than at a virtual Bethpage?

BEST MUSIC GAME
The Beatles Rock Band
Harmonix/MTV Games
Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii
Fall

With The Beatles Rock Band, Harmonix officially takes back the music game genre, eclipsing Guitar Hero and coming out from its shadow. Beatles Rock Band will feature the most recognizable songs in history from the most recognizable band in history.

BEST PC GAME OR MMO
Star Wars: The Old Republic
Lucas Arts

This ambitious massively multiplayer game promises all voice acting and no text dialog — thousands and thousands of lines of voice acting. And it’s Star Wars.

BEST PERIPHERAL
Mad Catz Rock Band Wireless Wooden Fender Stratocaster
$299
September 2009

Mad Catz had Fender build them a real guitar, and instead of strings, they wired buttons into it and unleashed it for Xbox 360. It uses no dongle — it’s compatible with Xbox 360 wireless technology. It’s a real guitar, with wood and a shiny finish. If you like to play fake guitar, this is as close to real as it gets.

GUTSIEST PROJECTS

Heavy Rain
Sony/Quantic Dream
PlayStation 3

We’ve been looking forward to this one for a long time. From the same team that put together Indigo Prophecy comes Heavy Rain, a psychological thriller adventure that’s more about story and drawing you in than it is about shooting endless bad guys.

Wet
Bethesda Softworks
Xbox 360, PlayStation 3

Eliza Dushku is awesome.

M.A.G. Massive Action Game, 256 player online multiplayer
Zipper Interactive/Sony
PlayStation 3
TBA

Second year in a row for M.A.G. on the gutsiest projects list, and it still stands. This game is either going to be huge or a huge disappointment.

James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game
Ubisoft
December

This is one of the first video games from a movie that stands on its own merits.

Biggest letdown: Atari. Where were you this year? One word kids: Ghostbusters. Or is that two words? Either way, with the failure of some recent releases, it’s the best chance for Atari to impress this generation. Despite a hell of a showing over the past year, the company hasn’t been able to blow up. Ghostbusters should sell millions, given it’s on every console, so let’s hope that’s a step in the right direction.

Marc Normandin and Bradley Ouellette of the Blast staff contributed to this report.

Mass Effect was an absolutely exceptional title. ‚ The RPG style was heavy, with hours and hours of detailed, wondrously performed voice acting revealing bits and pieces of the drawn out story but also fused well with the squad based shooter experience BioWare implemented to heighten the drama and emotional attachment of the story.

However, critically speaking, the over the shoulder shooter mechanics could be frustrating at times, especially at lower levels when pumping rounds into a nearby enemy with any precision was a task in and of itself.‚  I played Mass Effect for its RPG elements and the somewhat flawed shooter experience was only a mere detriment to my experience, however BioWare has monumental plans for the sequel to bring the shooter feel to the forefront.

Speaking at GDC yesterday in an interview with IGN, Ray Muzkya of BioWare explained that, of the “bigger buckets of things we’re working on” for Mass Effect 2, perhaps the most important is the way the game feels in terms of its shooting and its action.

“One of them is the intensity of the action, amping that up so people will see this as a shooter RPG”, he said. “It’s going to feel like shooter fans are going to have a great experience”.

Sadly, BioWare made no mention of anything to do with their other project, Star Wars: The Old Republic, but as always keep checking back for future details.

via Kotaku, IGN interview