Mass Effect 2 video shows off Adept class

By Robert Purchese Published 27 November, 2009

Plus: Quarian team-member Tali returns.

BioWare has popped out two new videos for Mass Effect 2; one showing the improvements made to the Adept class and the other detailing the return of Tali.

Adepts wield the game's biotic abilities with more power and breadth than any other class. Available to them are abilities Warp, Shockwave, Singularity, Throw and Pull as well as Heavy Pistol and Submachine Gun weapon training.

"We've improved Biotic powers for Mass Effect 2. You can curve them around corners or around cover to hit hidden enemies. You can precisely angle a throw or pull to send an enemy flying off an edge. And when you combine multiple powers on a target the results are devastating," said Christina Norman, lead game designer, during the video.

We follow Shepard as he does just that: hits an enemy with Warp so he floats and then sends him careering into the air. "Up close the Adept is even deadlier," she adds, showing the Shockwave that ploughs through ranks of enemies and sends them flying.

"In Mass Effect 2 no one is better at controlling the battlefield than an Adept, and no one is better at killing enemies without firing a single shot," she said.

Tali was a part of Shepard's party during Mass Effect 1. She, a Quarian, was on a mandatory pilgrimage for her people that ends once something of worth is found and returned to the Migrant Fleet - the huge armada the Quarian's call home.

Tali is back, this time with a purple scarf over her envirosuit, but everything is not at all well back in Quarian land. This video shows Shepard having a heated exchange with a Quarian counsel before Tali is given the strongest possible sentence: exile from the Migrant Fleet.

Tali joins new characters Thane, Grunt and Subject Zero on the character roster for Mass Effect 2. There are still six empty slots left to fill.

Joining the videos are a clutch of new screenshots. Mass Effect 2 will be released on PC and Xbox 360 on 29th January 2010.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (27) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Mox #1 2 years ago

    That's not what Warp used to do.

  • VicViper #2 2 years ago

    Bioware as much as I'm really want to play ME2 please stop spoiling everything leave some oh my god did you see what I just did moments, like the Vangard video (My class) that dash/teleport was badass but part of the thing about powers is unlocking them and finding out what they do.

    Can't wait to walk around the migrant fleet a bit though

  • matrim83 #3 2 years ago

    @Vic +1

    Seriously Bioware stop flooding us with so many videos. I have no self control and I am spoiling the game for myself. :(

  • jonbwfc #4 2 years ago

    What I want to know is, who is the woman in the white 'Wilma Deering' style outfit that we keep seeing in the videos? She's new.

    (NOTE, yes, that Buck Rogers reference does mean I'm old)

  • ybfelix #5 2 years ago

    @jonbwfc: Miranda is a character from iphone game ME:galaxy

  • Miths #6 2 years ago

    Great that Tali is back. Next to (female) Shephard she was my favourite character.
    I really gotta find time to replay ME before the second one lands. I bought the PC version a few months ago (originally played it on 360), but there have just been too many other games taking up my time. Hopefully I can make it through Dragon Age in December.

  • jonbwfc #7 2 years ago

    @ybfelix : cheers!

  • Moribundman #8 2 years ago

    SPOILERS (if you are particularly sensitive and not wanting to see anything about the plot):

    <a href=""> Yeah, unless they are just used in a one off sequence (a la the "redshirt" marine who gets shot at the start of ME1) Miranda and Jacob are very much a part of your team. I played it (along with about a million other people) at the EG Expo!

    Garrus looks to be making a cameo as well although my guess is he's not on your team. Liara is a big focus of the comic, and is almost certainly appearing, but not necessarily as a team member (there are already 2 biotics on the team). Bioware has mentioned that the survivor between Ash/Kaiden will make an appearance, as will Wrex if still alive. Makes absolute sense that none of these guys will be playable since any of them could be dead. My guess is an extra mission/mission thread from anyone left alive, possibly different depending on whether they were a love interest.

    Bioware also dropped hints that the love interest in this one would not be a PC, but whether they meant you carry over the previous one and none of those three are on your team, or a new one is open for debate.

    OK I am officially obsessed with this game... ;-)
    Edited by 1 at 27/11/09 @ 11:30

  • butler` #9 2 years ago

    i desperately want to replay teh original too (pref on the hard diffs)

    but everytime i try the ally AI, which is normally bad, is often fatal at higher difficulty

    anyone done it / got any tips?

  • Machetazo #10 2 years ago

    Yay, Tali! :D

  • TonyCocaCola #11 2 years ago

    Man I really wish i didnt delete my old save game.. I got about an hour into a new playthrough a few months ago and left it..

    I know i dont technically have to do this but im gonna have to go back and run through the game just so i have that savegame.. Its almost like work!

  • tachometer #12 2 years ago

    Looks like it could be DLC for ME1

  • Xerx3s #13 2 years ago

    "anyone done it / got any tips? "

    Tip one: Level them in a lower lvl playthrough and then use them in a higher lvl playthrough (was piss easy tbh).
    Tip two: Use wrex. Not only is he incredibly funny but his uber shield, uber armour, uber resistance and extremely rapid regeneration makes him almost impossible to kill.
    Tip three: Use regeneration mods on all armour, it's the best thing to have.

  • VicViper #14 2 years ago

    @butler`

    As Xer says once through on normal will typically have you set for gear and money, I'm considering insane and most of my team have at least specter level gear (well that the highest level ) and by the end of hardcore you'll be swiming in money.

    Another tip I would say is try to never rely on your allies I mainly use them as distractions to allow me to actually do the killing although maybe this will come back to haunt me in insane. And set them to activie use powers (in the option menu) as they spam the shit out of their biotics and tech skills which is handy.

  • Mox #15 2 years ago

    I actually prefer to manually use their abilities; using a Singularity or AI Hack at just the right moment can be a real game winner, and it's important to make sure that Warp gets used on the right targets (i.e., the ones that have used Immunity). Mind you, I played as a Soldier and therefore didn't have too many buttons to press of my own.

  • Moribundman #16 2 years ago

    @Tachometer No. It REALLY doesn't. The graphics are fantastic, whereas the interface is massively refined/changed around yet familiar. Videos don't necessarily show graphic off in the best way - in-engine Assassins Creed 2 looks brilliant, but the vids that hit Xbox Live this week blurred them up, made them look worse than the first game...

    ME2 is a tightened, tweaked and all round damned promising game. If you really think it looks like DLC then don't bother buying it. You clearly aren't that bothered. Go play FIFA or Modern Warfare.

  • Moribundman #17 2 years ago

    @Xerx3s can you actually change the difficulty settings on a levelled up (pre-played) character to insane and still get the Insane completion achievement for that game?

    As far as I saw, it retains the level you previously played at when you go back to replay a profile and you only get to adjust it after the intro (when Nilus has spoken to you)... Consequently I assumed you wouldn't get the achievement since you haven't done a complete playthrough?

    Let me know if this is not the case as I have a kick ass team at level 60 and I can replay it without getting pwned in the insane level fight against Benezia like my green newbies do!

  • Xerx3s #18 2 years ago

    "@Xerx3s can you actually change the difficulty settings on a levelled up (pre-played) character to insane and still get the Insane completion achievement for that game? "

    Yes but only if you have it on insane during the entire game. There was a forum post on what you may or may not do to get the achievement. Can't find it any more so you probably have to google a bit.

  • Xerx3s #19 2 years ago

    I switched it to insane the moment I got access to the menu (I think it was after the first conversation between kaiden and joker) and got the achievement but I'm sure that there is some sort of part in the storyline that figures as begin marker.
    Edited by 1 at 27/11/09 @ 13:23

  • butler` #20 2 years ago

    Ah thanks guys.

    It's cus i wanted to play a different class (naturally...) so started from a fresh char on hardcore, which proves to be fecking pointlessly hard.

    I guess I'll play through it with my 'main' char.

    They could have approached difficulty a lot better.

  • AphoticCosmos #21 2 years ago

    I'm ignoring all news on ME2 now. I want it to be eleventy billion times more awesome when I play it and actually, y'know, have some surprises left.

  • Xerx3s #22 2 years ago

    I think that they designed the harder difficulty levels around the concept of replaying the game with your levelled character. Maybe they should have locked it out for low level characters (D2 style).

  • Xarius302 #23 2 years ago

    cant wait for this! looks colossal!!!

  • Dgzter #24 2 years ago

    Never used Tali too much alas. Maybe a new play through to get me to January is required. I really hope there is more incentive to chop and change your party from time to time.

    Otherwise, cannot wait. Winsome!

  • trip919 #25 2 years ago

    Potential masterpiece alert! Potential masterpiece alert! You’re spoiling us Bioware! You Minx!

  • Kanjin #26 2 years ago

    Moah Tali!

  • metalangel #27 2 years ago

    Insane isn't too hard. You really want a good biotic on your team (Liara if not you) because a lot of tough enemies are well dealt with by lifting and/or throwing them off ledges. I think I was me (infiltrator with sniper rifle) with Liara and either Wrex or Ashley through my Insane playthrough. Don't be afraid to retreat (many battles take place in those big prefab buildings which have a standard layout so just retreat to the 'lobby' to heal) or to force the enemies to come at you one by one (again, many other battles take place in those underground tunnels so hide behind a closeable door and get enemies to come at you down the hallway with your squad stationed to fire down the hallway at them. When you are in trouble, shut the door to slow them down).

    Prioritize rocket enemies and biotics, I think most of my deaths in Insane were down to rocket drones killing me in one or two hits.