Spotlight
VideoMass Effect 2 Arrival DLC trailer
Final add-on available today.
Digital FoundryFace-Off: Mass Effect 2
Hi, I'm Commander Shepard and this is my favourite platform on the Citadel.
Digital FoundryMass Effect 2: PS3/360 Engine Performance
The same scenes tested on both platforms...
Key events
1st September 2016
15th June 2015
3rd March 2014
26th September 2012
11th January 2012
29th November 2011
5th April 2011
29th March 2011
18th March 2011
8th March 2011
27th January 2011
19th January 2011
18th January 2011
18th January 2011
18th January 2011
18th January 2011
13th January 2011
5th January 2011
4th January 2011
22nd December 2010
22nd December 2010
22nd December 2010
13th December 2010
10th December 2010
17th August 2010
21st June 2010
25th May 2010
17th May 2010
7th April 2010
11th March 2010
26th January 2010
21st January 2010
18th January 2010
16th December 2009
11th December 2009
23rd November 2009
26th May 2009
18th March 2009
23rd February 2009
Mass Effect's dialogue was inspired by awkward TV comedy Extras
"This is not a joke."
Remember 2005 British TV comedy series Extras, written by The Office duo Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant? The one where Gervais played an actor stuck making a living as an extra, and where a string of guest stars like Ben Stiller, Patrick Stewart and Samuel L. Jackson appeared? The late, great David Bowie even popped up in Series 2. Good, wasn't it?
BioWare reflects on a decade of Mass Effect
Tapestry tool to archive your choices now live.
BioWare has celebrated a decade of Mass Effect by releasing a new video featuring developers involved in the much-loved, now much-missed space franchise.
EA: "I see no reason why we shouldn't come back to Mass Effect"
Soderlund offers hope alongside confirmation series is shelved.
EA executive Patrick Soderlund sees no reason why Mass Effect shouldn't be revisited in the future, but said if it was, it would have to be in a fresh, exciting and relevant way.
Editor's note: Jordan Erica Webber is co-author with Eurogamer contributor Daniel Griliopoulos of the weighty tome Ten Things Video Games Can Teach Us: (about life, philosophy and everything), out this month. We've asked her to write a few thoughts on video games as works of philosophy. Beware: there are spoilers for Soma, the Mass Effect and Fallout series ahead.
BioWare veteran and Anthem lead designer Corey Gaspur passes away
"Corey was a talented designer and an even better person."
One of BioWare's lead designers, Corey Gaspur, has passed away.
BioWare boss Aaryn Flynn quits, just months after Mass Effect Andromeda launch
Series' former director Casey Hudson returns.
BioWare's general manager Aaryn Flynn is leaving the acclaimed RPG studio after 17 years with the company.
His departure comes roughly four months after the launch of Mass Effect Andromeda, a game that debuted to lackluster sales and disappointing critical reception. Our Edwin Evans-Thirlwell called it "probably BioWare's worst RPG yet" in his review, and the tepid reaction to the game has put the sci-fi series "on ice".
Interestingly, Flynn's role will be replaced by the Mass Effect series' project director Casey Hudson, who left the company back in 2014 and accepted a position as project director at Microsoft Studios the following year, where he was to work on HoloLens projects.
Whether you're traversing an expansive open world, climbing crumbling ruins or sneaking between shadowy city corners, the landscapes and environments we see in games have never been better. Gone are the days of miracle-growing trees popping up at certain draw distances. Instead, we have places and environments deliberately and carefully designed, and landscapes so realistic we can relate to them, be astonished by them, even yearn for them. Naturally, ever-improving graphical capabilities have a lot to do with this, because as environments get more realistic, we increasingly experience them as 'real', but there can be, and often is, so much more to it than just the technical ability to crank up the aesthetics.
Curing the genophage.
Ask a Mass Effect fan to pick their favourite mission from the trilogy and you'll probably hear a range of responses. There's the Virmire level in Mass Effect 1, for example, where BioWare unexpectedly forced players to choose between two squadmates' lives. Then there's the superlative Suicide Mission finale of Mass Effect 2, perhaps the most intricately-plotted episode of the whole series. There are whole flowcharts to explain that one.
Get up to speed for the trip to Andromeda.
On the eve of Mass Effect Andromeda's EA/Origin Access trial and just a week out from the game's launch, we decided it was time to refresh our memories of gaming's greatest sci-fi trilogy.
Mass Effect 2 free to download on PC right now
Collector it.
Mass Effect 2, one of the best games of all time, is now available to download on PC via Origin for absolutely nothing.
Mass Effect 2 and 3 now available on Xbox One backwards compatibility
What do you Mako that?
UPDATE 5.05pm Microsoft has just made the announcement official:
Sounds like we won't get a Mass Effect trilogy remaster
Our hopes have been Wrex.
EA appears to have decided against releasing a Mass Effect trilogy remaster.
That's according to EA exec Peter Moore, who has poured cold water on the prospect in a new interview.
"Could we make an easy buck on remastering Mass Effect? Yes," he told IGN (around the 1hr 16 mark). Have a thousand people asked me that? Yes they have. Do we have... No."
Mass Effect is getting four spin-off novels bridging the gap to Andromeda
N. K. Jemisin is penning the first, due this August.
The Mass Effect series will be getting four new spin-off novels bridging the gap between the trilogy we all know and love and the highly anticipated fourth entry, Mass Effect: Andromeda, due in Q1 2017.
Origin Access adds Mass Effect Trilogy
Plus Trine 1 & 2 and Peggle.
Origin Access - the PC service granting players loads of EA games, discounts, and early access to upcoming title for £3.99 a month - has added the Mass Effect Trilogy to its Vault.
EA lambasts Donald Trump for using Mass Effect audio in campaign ad
UPDATE: Video removed due to copyright violation.
UPDATE 11.16pm 4th April 2016: As predicted, the ad in question has now been removed from Donald Trump's Twitter account due to a copyright strike.
Decorated writer Drew Karpyshyn returns to BioWare
Lead writer of Mass Effect 1 & 2 and KOTOR.
Writer Drew Karpyshyn has returned to BioWare. He left in 2012 - I interviewed him after his departure - to concentrate on his Chaos Born trilogy of fantasy books and, now that they're complete, he's decided to return.
Microsoft announces native Xbox One-360 back compatibility
UPDATE: Saves transfer via cloud. Small Preview list of games shared.
UPDATE: Microsoft's tech people confirmed to Eurogamer at E3 that Xbox 360 save files will transfer to Xbox One via the cloud. Old games you don't own will also be available to buy further down the line.
The small list of Xbox 360 games compatible with Xbox One in the Preview programme was shared.
Banjo Kazooie: N n B
BioWare have the years gone?
Mass Effect and Dragon Age developer BioWare has turned 20 today, but it doesn't look a day older than 19.
See inside BioWare Edmonton with Google Maps
I spy with my little eye...
I'd love to visit BioWare headquarters in Edmonton, Canada, and now I sort of can. And I don't even have to leave my desk.
BioWare boss polls fans on potential Mass Effect Trilogy re-make
"Organic implementation" with all DLC "definitely what I have in mind."
BioWare Edmonton and Montreal boss Aaryn Flynn has discussed the possibility of a re-mastered Mass Effect Trilogy, and polled fans on what features they would want included.
Mass Effect and KOTOR project director Casey Hudson leaves BioWare
"BioWare is as magical a place today as it was when I started."
BioWare executive producer Casey Hudson has left the renowned studio after 16 years.
New Doctor Who character sure looks like Garrus from Mass Effect
Looks like the BBC has been doing calibrations.
Sci-fi fans have spotted a familiar face in the BBC's new Doctor Who - an alien who looks a lot like Mass Effect squad member Garrus.
Mass Effect 2 and the importance of character
Collectors edition.
Editor's note: With the recent release of Mass Effect Andromeda, quite possibly BioWare's worst RPG to date, we look back to one of its best. This retrospective first appeared on Eurogamer in June 2014.
Epoch: Returns - a game inspired by Mass Effect 1's planetary exploration
UPDATE: The Kickstarter campaign has been cancelled.
UPDATE 17/03 4.30PM GMT: The Epoch: Return Kickstarter campaign has been cancelled. It failed to gather enough fundraising momentum, making only $26,158 of its $150,000 goal.
BioWare "discussed" Mass Effect PS4/Xbox One remasters
"If we can put solid plans together we'll share."
BioWare has discussed internally the idea of remastering the Mass Effect series for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
A fan asked BioWare boss Aaryn Flynn on Twitter what he thought about a next-gen, 1080p, high-resolution texture, 60 frames-per-second version for PS4 and Xbox One.
Flynn's response: "We have discussed that internally. If we can put solid plans together we'll share."
Should BioWare give up romances?
Dragon Age writer David Gaider mulls the answer.
Remember all that hullabaloo about revealing lesbian sex in Mass Effect? However ludicrous the criticism, it's the sort of steamy content BioWare fans have come expect - love stories, love scenes, and often quite daring and progressive ones (for video games, at least).
BioWare artist reveals cut Mass Effect ideas
See how Tali's face originally looked.
Veteran BioWare designer Matt Rhodes has posted an array of Mass Effect concept art from throughout the sci-fi trilogy which hints at early ideas for the series' characters and conclusion.
EA makes some Online Pass content free on Xbox Marketplace
UPDATE: EA confirms it's eliminating Online Pass from all its existing titles.
UPDATE: EA has told Eurogamer it is in the process of eliminating Online Pass from all its existing titles.
BioWare on next-gen: "There will be a big leap, but it won't be as obvious"
Because of the Cost Effect.
Temper your expectations about the generational leap in graphics between this generation of console gaming and the next, urged BioWare art director Neil Thompson.
CGHub makes its own Mass Effect characters
Look at them, EA!
Look at them, EA!
Buffy and Mass Effect actor Robin Sachs dies aged 61
He was Zaeed Massani.
Robin Sachs - voice of Zaeed Massani in Mass Effect but better known as Ethan Rayne in Buffy - has died aged 61.
More romance in BioWare games or less? Writer discusses
"...wish fulfllment on a level that reduced the characters into romantic playthings, sex dolls."
BioWare adventures are known for their romances. It's one of the first thing players talk about with their friends; "Who did you go for?"
BioWare's "increasingly toxic" forum repels Dragon Age writer David Gaider
"Perhaps there is something to be said about whether the games BioWare makes still satisfy our core fans."
David Gaider has worked at BioWare for 14 years. He first helped make Baldur's Gate 2 and now he's lead writer of the Dragon Age series of games. He's a part of the old BioWare and the new.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 PC disc 2 is, for some, Mass Effect 2
UPDATE 2: Treyarch dev tells gamers to contact Activision customer service.
UPDATE #2: Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 developer Treyarch has told gamers they should contact Activision's customer service if they experience "issues" with their game disc.
BioWare calls for your feedback as it embarks on “entirely new” Mass Effect game
“What do you want to see in it?”
BioWare has called for fan feedback as it begins work on the next Mass Effect game.
Mass Effect Trilogy includes DLC, amount depends on platform
PC gets more than Xbox 360. PS3 release date now "TBA".
BioWare's Mass Effect Trilogy bundle will include a limited selection of DLC.
Mass Effect Trilogy Edition announced for PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Original Mass Effect to finally launch on PS3, five years later.
BioWare has announced the Mass Effect Trilogy Edition, a compilation of all three Mass Effect games in one big box.
That means that PlayStation 3 gamers can finally play the original Mass Effect (published, back in the day, by Microsoft), just five years after it originally hit Xbox 360.
Mass Effect Trilogy Edition will launch in North America on "N7 Day" - that's 7th November if you're not BioWare, likely meaning a Friday 9th November in the UK.
The writer who left BioWare: Eurogamer interviews Drew Karpyshyn
On poor fiction, text versus graphics, KOTOR, the Mass Effect 3 ending and Children of Fire.
Drew Karpyshyn not only resembles Commander Shepard facially - he created him. Drew Karpyshyn was one of BioWare's greatest ever writers. He was lead writer of cherished Star Wars role-playing game Knights of the Old Republic, and he was lead writer of Mass Effect 1, 2, and all the books in-between (not Deception). Along the way, Karpyshyn also influenced Baldur's Gate 2: Throne of Bhaal, Neverwinter Nights, Jade Empire and massive storied MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic - a job that meant he couldn't be a part of Mass Effect 3.
2K Games boss says photorealism aids diversity, Notch disagrees
Can games do nuanced emotion like Brokeback Mountain yet?
2K Games boss Christoph Hartmann has gone and said something controversial. He's declared that only when games approach photorealistic graphics will they be able to broaden their genre-horizon and properly do nuanced emotion like Brokeback Mountain - rather than the Mission Impossible experiences we get today.
Ms. Effect: The Rise of FemShep
Profiling sci-fi's greatest accidental heroine.
Her name is Commander Shepard, though her friends call her anything from Jane to Shiva to Lydia. She's one of the most popular heroines in gaming history; a three-time galaxy saviour who takes no crap and wouldn't be caught dead in a chainmail bikini. To most, she's a long-haired redhead, but she's been seen trying other colours and styles. To some, she's a diplomat, to others, a ruthless, trigger-happy bitch.
Mass Effect: The Stories So Far
Reap the spoilers: a review of the wider universe of books, comics and add-ons...
Looking forward to Mass Effect 3? Of course you are. If you've only played the first two games, though, you've barely scratched the surface of BioWare's amazing sci-fi universe. There are books, comics and of course, a whole stack of downloadable add-ons that fill in the gaps, take you to places Shepard doesn't get to go, and explain details you may have missed - like exactly why everyone hates Cerberus so much. But which ones are worth your time, which are essential if you want to appreciate the full story, and which can be skipped? We've checked them all out. For you.
KOTOR, Mass Effect lead writer Drew Karpyshyn leaves BioWare
Not because of Mass Effect: Deception.
Drew Karpyshyn, the lead writer of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Mass Effect 1, has retired from BioWare and video games.
BioWare responds to Mass Effect: Deception outcry
Changes coming to correct "errors and oversights".
BioWare isn't happy with the new Mass Effect: Deception novel either.
Fans pick apart canonical errors in Mass Effect: Deception book
Some even burn it.
The just-released Mass Effect: Deception book has gone down like a lead balloon with Mass Effect fans. The novel is apparently riddled with canonical errors.
Origin sale offers Mass Effect 1 and Dead Space 1 for £3
Sequels not much more expensive either.
You-hoo, PC gamers, there's a juicy sale going on over at EA's digital distribution shop Origin.
Updated Mass Effect Liara statue has smaller breasts
BioWare listens to fan feedback on bishoujo figurine.
Mass Effect 3 features cancelled ME2 Citadel quest
Plus, lead writer discusses writing around ME2's ending.
Mass Effect 3 will feature a Citadel mission originally intended for Mass Effect 2, according to the game's lead writer.
Speaking in an interview with OXM, Mac Walters explained that BioWare had planned to include more Citadel content in Mass Effect 2 but then changed direction, leaving a number of mission ideas on the cutting room floor.
However, at least one of those threads will be resurrected in the impending threequel.
Saturday Soapbox: Failure is Not an Option
The consequences of not having enough consequences.
"Batman must save Gotham," says everyone's favorite butler/surgeon/IT guy Alfred during the third act of Batman: Arkham City. He's not kidding. If I allow Bats to fail at rescuing even one of serial killer Victor Szasz's hostages it's off to the game-over screen. Retry or quit, there is no fail.
BioWare wants Liara statue feedback
Busty figurine proving divisive.
BioWare wants your feedback again, this time for a prototype figure of Mass Effect 1 squad member and romance option Liara T'Soni.
BioWare: 18% play Mass Effect FemShep
"Aren't enough female heroes in games."
BioWare has revealed that "18 per cent of everyone who plays Mass Effect plays it with a female character".
Mass Effect 3 box has lady Shepard
'FemShep' a cover girl at last.
Lady Shepard will feature on the Mass Effect 3 Collector's Edition box, BioWare has said.
Mass Effect 2: Genesis hits Xbox 360
Previously PS3-exclusive comic expands.
Mass Effect 2: Genesis, the interactive backstory comic created for the PlayStation 3 version of stupendous role-playing shooter Mass Effect 2, is out now for Xbox 360.
Mass Effect anime film for summer 2012
Will fans of Shepard flock to see it?
A Mass Effect anime feature film is currently being produced for a summer 2012 airing, BioWare has announced.
New Mass Effect novel announced
Deception due out later this year.
A fourth Mass Effect novel is on its way to bookshops, publisher Del Rey has announced.
Mass Effect: Deception will continue the story of enigmatic biotic Gillian Grayson, who was introduced in the second book in the series, Mass Effect: Ascension.
It's being written by one-man game tie-in factory William C. Dietz, who has also churned out books expanding the Resistance, Hitman, StarCraft and Halo universes.
Buy Dragon Age II, get ME2 free
BioWare says thanks for 1 million sales.
Any gamer who buys – or has already bought – Dragon Age II can claim a free PC download of Mass Effect 2, developer BioWare has announced.
VideoMass Effect 2 Arrival DLC trailer
Final add-on available today.
Mass Effect 2 Arrival DLC date confirmed
Don't fear The Reapers.
As rumoured yesterday, Mass Effect 2's Arrival DLC pack launches on 29th March, publisher EA has confirmed.
The DLC sees Commander Shepard dispatched to the edge of the galaxy to rescue an undercover operative who is thought to have evidence of an imminent Reaper invasion, nicely setting things up for Mass Effect 3, which is due later this year.
Fan favorite Admiral Hackett, voiced by science-fiction legend Lance Henriksen, is said to play a prominent role in the new expansion. You'll have to scrape together 560 MS Points / £5.49 / 560 BioWare Points to find out in what capacity.
Mass Effect 2 Arrival DLC date outed?
Plus, BioWare shows new screens.
Mass Effect 2's Arrival DLC releases on 29th March, if a new leak is to be believed.
Mass Effect 2 takes top honours.
Mass Effect 2 has taken the top prize at this year's gaming BAFTA ceremony, with Heavy Rain the other big winner.
Mass Effect 2: Arrival DLC screenshot
First look at the game-bridging expansion.
First look at the game-bridging expansion.
EA happy with Mass Effect 2 PS3 sales
Did "very well" with digital experiment.
EA has declared itself happy with the experiment of releasing Mass Effect 2 for the PlayStation 3 digitally and physically in shops at the same time – and sparked hope that gamers could see more games launch in the same way in the future.
Mass Effect 2 launched in January as a Blu-ray and a 12GB PSN download – on the same day.
"Sony had never done a day and day release," CEO John Riccitiello told an audience at the Morgan Stanley Technology Conference (as reported by IGN). "They were very cautious about their infrastructure so it was mostly a technology test."
Mass Effect 2 Arrival DLC spotted again
Inside the Dragon Age 2 box.
The Mass Effect 2 Arrival DLC uncovered last month has been sighted again - this time inside the Dragon Age II game box.
Mass Effect 2 Arrival DLC outed
How the Reapers found Earth?
The next significant Mass Effect 2 add-on has been spotted and goes by the name of Arrival.
Mass Effect 2 is AIAS game of the year
But game Oscars dominated by Red Dead.
Red Dead Redemption was the most prolific winner at this year's AIAS (Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences) Interactive Achievement Awards - gaming's equivalent of the Oscars.
BAFTA GAME Award shortlist revealed
Vote for your top title of 2010.
The 10-game shortlist for this year's public vote prize at the GAME British Academy Video Games Awards was announced this morning.
Clint Mansell making Mass Effect 3 music
BioWare hires Aronofsky's favourite.
Mass Effect 3 may sound very different to Mass Effect 1 and Mass Effect 2 - BioWare has hired Clint Mansell, whose best work has been done partnering with celebrated filmmaker Darren Aronofsky (Pi, Requiem for a Dream, The Wrestler and Black Swan), to make the game's music.
Mass Effect 2 PS3 save bug patched
BioWare delivering "ASAP" to Sony.
BioWare has fixed the PS3 Mass Effect 2 bug that was corrupting save files and throwing away hours of gamers' time.
That fix will be part of a patch that also speeds loading and level streaming; adds telemetry (an information reporting system); corrects spelling mistakes (!); alters the picture in Shepard's Cabin so that it reflects the love interest chosen during the interactive comic; and eradicates a bug causing the PSN download version of ME2 to crash in Shepard's Cabin.
But alas, the patch first needs to be delivered to Sony for validation and distribution. BioWare - wrote community manager Chris Priestly on the company forums - will do this "ASAP". Friday is his best estimate of when the patch will be submitted.
BioWare on PS3 Mass Effect 2 save bug
"Working to understand what is occurring."
Has your PS3 Mass Effect 2 save-game corrupted after tens of hours and become unplayable? Don't worry, BioWare knows about this and is busy "working to understand what is occurring".
Mass Effect 2 is available to download from the European PlayStation Store – and it costs a whopping £48.
UK charts: LittleBigPlanet 2 number one
PS3 Mass Effect 2 helps RPG into seventh.
Sony and Media Molecule's enchanting user-generated platformer LittleBigPlanet 2 has entered the UK all-formats chart at number one.
PlayStation Store update 19th January
Costume Quest! Mass Effect 2! Minis!
On the re-stocked PlayStation Store today you'll find Costume Quest on Ice and add-on content for Mass Effect 2.
That wildly acclaimed second space opera by BioWare heralds the series' arrival on PS3. You can buy, for instance, a complete N7 arsenal of weaponry for roughly six quid, or you can ever so slightly alter what your team-mates look like for £1.59. See what you've been missing?
As to how Mass Effect 2 holds up on PS3, we've compared the PS3 demo and final code; talked about the game's installation and faced the PS3 and Xbox 360 version off against one another. We even reproduced the PS3 digital comic that retells the big events of Mass Effect 1.
Digital FoundryMass Effect 2 PS3 install: the facts
It's a big one...
Either Digital Foundry's PlayStation 3 debugging station is in desperate need of a new hard drive or else Mass Effect 2 can take anything up to 52 minutes to install for a relatively paltry 4272MB of data, not including the additional downloaded DLC.
Digital FoundryFace-Off: Mass Effect 2
Hi, I'm Commander Shepard and this is my favourite platform on the Citadel.
Xbox 360
PlayStation 3
Digital FoundryMass Effect 2: PS3/360 Engine Performance
The same scenes tested on both platforms...
The same scenes tested on both platforms...
Digital FoundryMass Effect 2: PS3/360 Gameplay Performance
Frame-rate tests from in-game action.
Digital FoundryMass Effect 2: PS3 Install Time-Lapse
Another lengthy wait analysed by Digital Foundry.
Another lengthy wait analysed by Digital Foundry.
Digital FoundryMass Effect 2: PS3/Xbox 360 Face-Off
Only minor differences between the two games...
Digital FoundryMass Effect PS3 demo vs. final code
Has final game been improved?
The only taste of Mass Effect 2 on PlayStation 3 that gamers have had so far is a demo that we took a look at before breaking off for the Christmas holiday. Our first thoughts? Aside from an unlocked frame-rate and lighting variations, it was much the same as the Xbox 360 version.
LittleBigPlanet 2! Mass Effect 2! Mindjack!
Ah, 2011. Full of optimism, hope and... wait, today's the most depressing day of the year. And it's raining everywhere. Yeah!
Digital FoundryMass Effect 2 PS3: demo vs. review code
Performance analysis of the demo and the final game.
PS3 Mass Effect 2 demo code is old
Final game "noticeably better" - BioWare.
Six of one, half-a-dozen of the other: that's how Eurogamer compared the PS3 demo performance of Mass Effect 2 to the existing full Xbox 360 game.
Digital FoundryMass Effect's Interactive Comic walkthrough
Choose your own adventure video by video.
The Mass Effect franchise has gone cross-platform, but for licensing reasons it's unlikely that PlayStation 3 owners will ever get a version of the original game for their console. This is something of a problem, because BioWare envisaged the series as an interlinked story where decisions you make in the first game have ramifications in both the sequel and this year's concluding chapter.
VideoMass Effect 2 ready to launch on PS3
With over 6 hours of bonus content.
PS3 Mass Effect 2 "not a simple port"
Plus, PSN digital release confirmed.
The belated PlayStation 3 release of Mass Effect 2 is much more than a straightforward port of the PC and Xbox 360 original, developer BioWare has boasted.
BioWare reveals Mass Effect backstory
Check out first five pages of new comic.
BioWare has published a taster of the forthcoming Mass Effect Evolution comic series, which promises to flesh out the backstory of its RPG franchise.
PS3 Mass Effect 2 gets free launch DLC
No charge for new weaponry, armour.
PlayStation 3 owners who pick up Mass Effect 2 when it launches later this month will be privy to a batch of free DLC for BioWare's epic action RPG.
According to the game's Facebook page, you'll be able to download the Terminus Armor and M-490 Blackstorm Projector Weapon free of charge from the PSN Store until 23rd February. After that, you'll need to open your wallets.
What does it do? Well, the armour increases running speed, beefs up your shields and augments ammo capacity, while the M-490 creates a devastating miniature black hole.
New Mass Effect 2 DLC announced
Plus: Cerberus Daily News to stop.
There's another lump of downloadable content coming to Mass Effect 2, BioWare has announced.
However, the Cerberus Daily News posts - those fictional bulletins found opposite the Mass Effect 2 main menu - will hereby cease.
"The Cerberus Daily News will begin a hiatus on January 24th, finishing its run of one full year," the CDN announced on New Year's Day (caught by NeoGAF)
Eurogamer's Game of the Year 2010
Do you ever miss those talks we had on the elevators?
It's just over 11 years since we flipped the switch on Eurogamer and started pumping our thoughts about games out into the world, and this will be the seventh game of the year we've named in that time. Despite a few leftfield choices along the way though (Psychonauts in 2005 is still my favourite), we've never crowned an RPG - until today.
Digital FoundryMass Effect 2 demo: PS3/360 performance analysis
New engine vs. the old... PS3 vs. 360.
Digital FoundryMass Effect 2 demo: PS3 vs. Xbox 360
Is the PS3 game really the "definitive" edition?
Recent news that Mass Effect 2 on PlayStation 3 is running on a newer, enhanced engine and may even be the "definitive" version of the game raised more than a few eyebrows. While performance is close, Unreal Engine 3 typically favours the Xbox 360, and it's safe to assume that BioWare's prior customisations to the tech were carried out very much with the Microsoft platform in mind. So, is the PS3 version genuinely enhanced and improved?
Based on the demo code released last night, our conclusion is that the PS3 version of Mass Effect 2 is different as opposed to definitive, and while nobody is likely to be disappointed with the game, a direct comparison with the Xbox 360 version suggests that while some elements are improved, others have been downgraded and the effectiveness of some of the aesthetic changes will all come down to personal taste.
The format of the demo is similar to the Xbox 360 sampler: you get to witness the destruction of the Normandy, you'll create your own in-game avatar and then witness Shepard's resurrection and the pitched battle through to the end of the intro level. After that, the focus shifts to a secondary action-orientated level. In the 360 game, that was Shepard's orbital prison breakout, while on PS3, the mission shifts to a visit to a plague-ridden planet as our hero attempts to add a brilliant, if eccentric medic to his (or her) team.
Dead Space 2! LBP2! Mass Effect 2!
The outstanding additions to a jam-packed PlayStation Store today are three demos: one for Dead Space 2, one for LittleBigPlanet 2 and one for Mass Effect 2.
Digital FoundryMass Effect 2 demo: Xbox 360 vs. PS3 Face-Off
Comparison video of BioWare's epic space opera.
Survivor.
They got me again when I found the MSV Estevanico.
Mass Effect's Citadel "like Manhattan"
Ripe for thousands of stories, says BioWare.
BioWare's gargantuan science fiction Mass Effect universe was designed from the beginning to provide opportunities to tell spin-off tales in comics and novels – but one area in particular could be ripe for further investigation: the Citadel.
BioWare Docs videogame Hall of Famers
Join Miyamoto, Suzuki, Molyneux, Carmack.
BioWare co-founders Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk have been inducted into the AIAS Hall of Fame alongside videogame greats such as Shigeru Miyamoto, Peter Molyneux and Yu Suzuki.
PS3 Mass Effect 2 uses ME3 engine
"This really is the true, best version."
The new, PS3 version of Mass Effect 2 will look better than the original on Xbox 360 - that's because BioWare's using the Mass Effect 3 engine to power it.
PS3 Mass Effect 2 demo announced
Download it next week.
A demo of the PlayStation 3 version of Mass Effect 2 will be released on the European PlayStation Network on 22nd December, EA has announced.
EA failed to mention the content of the demo. We're checking now.
Mass Effect 2 PS3 will launch in Europe on 21st January – a year after the release of the Xbox 360 version.
PlayStation 3 Mass Effect 2 release date
Suicide mission begins (restarts) next month.
PlayStation 3 owners will finally be able to play Mass Effect 2 next month.
The science-fiction role-playing shooter is due out on 21st January in Europe and 18th January in the US, IGN reports.
The PS3 version features a raft of bonus content, including an interactive comic designed to help bridge the storylines of Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2. Choices made while interacting with the comic carry over into your Mass Effect 2 adventure.
Mass Effect 2 PS3 "as good, if not better"
BioWare talks up port.
BioWare has reassured PS3 users that their forthcoming version of Mass Effect 2 won't make any sacrifices in its visual and will be "as good, if not better than the Xbox version".
BioWare: "Too many games today"
Says we gamers can't "keep up".
You think you have trouble keeping up with all the games coming out? BioWare co-founder Ray Muzyka spends up to three hours a night on games and still thinks that's not enough.
PS3 Mass Effect 2 gets interactive comic
Make your choice.
The PlayStation 3 version of science fiction role-playing game Mass Effect 2 will include an interactive comic designed to introduce newcomers to the series.
No longer Shadow of the Lairbroken.
BioWare's community liaison Chris Priestly has told fans that the Lair of the Shadowbroker add-on for Mass Effect 2 has been fixed.
ME2 360 owners prefer Grunt to Miranda
Must be liz-ard abs.
Xbox 360 gamers preferred team-mate Grunt to team-mate Miranda, although the opposite was true on PC, BioWare has revealed.
Mass Effect 2 Shadow Broker DLC dated
Liara T'Soni joins the party.
The next episode of Mass Effect 2 downloadable content, The Lair of the Shadow Broker, will be released on the PC and Xbox 360 on 7th September.
Mass Effect 2 confirmed for PS3
Coming January 2011.
BioWare boss Ray Muzyka has confirmed Mass Effect 2 for PS3.
The game will be available in January 2011.
That's it.
New Mass Effect 2 DLC stars Liara
In Lair of the Shadow Broker.
BioWare has unveiled the next lump of Mass Effect 2 DLC as Lair of the Shadow Broker.
BioWare's Zeschuk defends paid DLC
"We're not gouging anyone," he insists.
Bearded BioWare boss Greg Zeschuk has insisted he's not "gouging" money from fans for multiple chunks of premium DLC.
On Dragon Age 2, Star Wars and DS MMOs.
Yesterday, BioWare co-founder Dr. Greg Zeschuk delivered a keynote presentation to the Develop Conference in Brighton entitled Creative Game Development: How we do it at BioWare. In it, he discussed BioWare's rise from being two men in a Canadian garage to the triple-A developer it is today.
New sniper rifle and armour.
BioWare has released a new downloadable content pack for role-playing shooter Mass Effect 2.
Doctor in the house.
Bonnie and Clyde. Morecambe and Wise. Zeschuk and Muzyka. Only two of them sound like words made up by someone trying to cheat at Scrabble, but all of them are known for being highly successful partnerships. Whether you're all about murderous crime sprees, dancing with Angela Rippon or setting up Canadian development studios focused on producing globally successful role-playing videogames in the sci-fi and fantasy genres, it takes two to make an impact.
Good lord.
Overlord, the latest and largest of the Mass Effect DLC packs, is a mixed bag in the best possible way. It's a medium-sized adventure that never lets one gameplay element dominate for too long, leavening the expected duck-and-cover combat with openworld exploration and a dash of environmental puzzling, all wrapped up in a story that builds to a satisfying and pathos-heavy finale. It is almost exactly what you want from a low-priced downloadable add-on.
It begins, as all these things do, with a new marker added to the Galaxy Map. There you'll find an abandoned Cerberus research facility, dead bodies strewn all over the place and signs of an almighty struggle everywhere you look. Once you discover the chief scientist, conveniently also the lone survivor of the massacre, you start to unravel what went down.
Turns out Cerberus has been researching ways to combine the human mind with that of the Geth. The result turns out to be an adorable little Labrador puppy called Scraps McKenzie, who joins your crew and amuses everyone with his mischievous ways. Actually, no. The result is a murderous Virtual Intelligence that has taken control of all the technology on the planet, and now plans to beam itself into space so it can spread to other worlds. Announcing its presence by howling in an often-incoherent digital roar that is genuinely unnerving, it makes for an effective - if mostly unseen - enemy.
VideoMass Effect 2 - The story so far
New DLC and a new demo for EA's space epic.
New DLC and a new demo for EA's space epic.
Mass Effect 2 Overlord DLC dated
Duke: Manhattan Project for XBLA too.
Microsoft's latest Xbox Live schedule has given us solid dates for the Mass Effect 2 Overlord expansion and the Xbox Live Arcade re-release of Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project.
Project Ten Dollar "improves experience"
EA UK boss denies it's about second-hand.
Electronic Arts' UK general manager Keith Ramsdale has claimed that 'Project Ten Dollar' is about enhancing the value of EA games, and not an attempt to upset second-hand sales and illegal downloads.
EA hints at Mass Effect multiplayer
Job posting reveals series' ambitions.
An EA job advert for a "multiplayer programmer (Mass Effect franchise)" at BioWare Montreal suggests, in big neon lettering, that multiplayer is coming to Mass Effect.
EA sells off Mass Effect movie rights
Doctors Ray and Greg to exec produce.
A big screen adaptation of hit RPG series Mass Effect is in the works at Legendary Pictures.
BioWare bosses Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk will work as executive producers on the film, along with Casey Hudson - who executively produced the games. There's no script just yet but Mark Protosevich, who wrote I Am Legend and Thor, is in talks to produce one.
Legendary Pictures' previous offerings include 300, The Dark Night, The Hangover and Watchmen. The company will work with Warner Bros. to co-finance and distribute the Mass Effect movie.
Mining won't be ditched for Mass Effect 3
"Functionally it serves a purpose."
BioWare's Casey Hudson has said that the controversial mining mini-game from Mass Effect 2 will not be thrown out for the third game in the series.
Mineral scanning "optimised"!
BioWare has released a patch for Mass Effect 2 on Xbox 360. A PC version "is in the works".
Top of of the list is "optimised" mineral scanning, according to community manager Chris Priestly's forum post.
Grunt's Fotification ability has been "fixed", as has an "issue" where players could receive additional talent points.
VideoMass Effect 2 at EA's London showcase
Geth AI runs riot in the new DLC pack.
Geth AI runs riot in the new DLC pack.
ME2 Overlord DLC priced, dated
Uses Hammerhead, is horror inspired.
EA has revealed the next significant paid add-on for Mass Effect 2. It's called Overlord and will be available in June for 560 Microsoft Points (£4.80/€6.70).
Shots from the latest DLC.
Shots from the latest DLC.
EA: Project $10 "a positive experience"
Riccitiello not opposing pre-owned sales.
EA boss John Riccitiello has called Project Ten Dollar and the new EA Sports Online Pass initiative a "positive consumer experience" that offers a "boat-load" of content buyers otherwise wouldn't have access to.
Mass Effect 2 Equaliser Pack live
Shepard herds new armour in.
BioWare has released the Equalizer Pack downloadable content for Mass Effect 2.
BioWare DLC codes do not expire
Bonus DAO, ME2 content is timeless.
EA's told Eurogamer that codes for bonus Dragon Age: Origins or Mass Effect 2 content do not expire and can be redeemed beyond what the leaflets inside the retail boxes say.
Firewalker Pack and Kasumi - Stolen Memory.
It's been interesting to see BioWare, consummate master of the long-form narrative, come to terms with the new storytelling territory offered by downloadable content. After fumbling the ball with a drab pair of morsels for the original Mass Effect, it's been far more proactive with its sequel, as well as its sibling, Dragon Age. It's not been an easy journey, however. Finding ways to insert new, compelling tales into enormous pre-existing stories, and making those tales resonate on their own terms, is a skill that the RPG behemoth is arguably still grinding towards, one painstaking XP point at a time.
Mass Effect 2 has fared better than Dragon Age, that much is clear. There's not really been any DLC that can compare to Return to Ostagar for sheer pointlessness, and even the less compelling offerings have either been free (as in the case of the Normandy Crash Site interlude) or easily ignored (as in the case of downloadable sunglasses for Thane).
What is most exciting is that the two most recent additions to the Mass Effect tapestry showcase a developer that is using DLC not to suck up more cash by offering more of the same, but to play around with parameters of the original game in novel ways.
Mass Effect 2 DLC now live after delay
Kasumi's Stolen Memory held up.
Kasumi's Stolen Memory, the first paid downloadable content pack for Mass Effect 2, is now live.
BioWare bosses apologise for Bazaar
Promise future events for "excluded" fans.
BioWare bosses Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk have apologised for restricting the BioWare Bazaar competition to North American residents only (but not those in Florida or New York).
BioWare countdown reveals competition
North American gamers bid on loot.
The BioWare countdown timer we mentioned last week has run down and revealed... a North American competition to win PCs and merchandise.
Mass Effect 2's Stolen Memory DLC
Meet Kasumi Goto, who costs 560 MSP.
Meet Kasumi Goto, who costs 560 MSP.
For Jack, Thane and Garrus.
BioWare's offering a new set of costumes for Mass Effect 2 tomorrow alongside the known-about Firewalker DLC.
Mass Effect 2 Hammerhead next week
Firewalker DLC out on Tuesday.
BioWare has dated the Mass Effect 2 Firewalker DLC for 23rd March - or this Tuesday, if you don't like numbers.
BioWare: EA helped us "see everything"
Didn't understand DLC when independent.
BioWare's full of praise for new owner EA, which has helped the RPG-maker see the light in terms of creating, pricing and planning downloadable content.
More Mass Effect 2 DLC announced
Kasumi's Stolen Memory in April.
BioWare's announced the Kasumi's Stolen Memory downloadable content for Mass Effect 2.
Due 6th April, this introduces the last and twelfth recruit to the roster: Kasumi.
You'll find her - a thief - on The Citadel, and help her on a top secret recovery mission should you feel helpful. Joystiq said the task requires a disguise and leads to a run-in with an art collector.
BioWare "think of games as franchises"
Sequels are fun to make, says Muzyka.
BioWare once steered clear of sequels, but today the EA-owned company has a very different mindset.
Mass Effect 2 Hammerhead in late March
Firewalker pack introduces vehicle.
BioWare has announced plans to release the Firewalker pack for Mass Effect 2 in late March, introducing the Hammerhead heavy assault vehicle.
Featuring the Hammerhead.
Featuring the Hammerhead.
There was always the sense that Mass Effect was a console game where the ambitions of the developer were held back significantly by the technology utilised. BioWare's use of Unreal Engine 3 was an inspired choice in creating the look and feel of its epic space opera, but in terms of the basic performance level the Xbox 360 version of Mass Effect was legendarily disappointing.
NPD: ME2 helps 360 overcome PS3
But Nintendo is still ruler of all.
Xbox 360 sold comfortably more units than PlayStation 3 during January in North America.
EA: more Mass Effect for early 2011
Plus: New ME2 DLC released today.
EA boss John Schappert has told disembodied investors to expect "something far-reaching from Mass Effect" early next year.
UK charts: Mass Effect 2 holds on to top
Plus: Dante's Infourno, Star Trek in at 11.
Mass Effect 2 has held onto the UK All-Formats chart top spot for a second week.
Shepard is heterosexual "by choice"
Muzyka explains lack of gay relationships.
BioWare co-founder Dr Ray Muzyka has said that the absence of gay relationships in the Mass Effect games is a storytelling decision.
BioWare unable to address ME2 text issue
Will bear SDTV users in mind next week.
BioWare has said that it can't do anything to bump up the text size in Mass Effect 2 to placate struggling SDTV owners, but that it will try to avoid the problem next time.
More free Mass Effect 2 DLC very soon
Couple of weeks away, says BioWare.
BioWare has said that more free Mass Effect 2 downloadable content will be released soon.
BioWare: PS3 refs in ME2 code erroneous
UE3's fault, not proof of another SKU.
BioWare has denied that Mass Effect 2 is on its way to PlayStation 3 after fans uncovered references to the Sony platform in files included with the PC version.
Spoiler-free views on The Price of Revenge and the other one.
Everyone is safe! If you've played Mass Effect 2 for more than a quarter of an hour (behaviour we recommend), nothing you read below will spoil anything. If you still haven't started playing, you might want to get that out of the way before you read page two, but you're quite safe until then.
UK chart: Mass Effect 2 takes lead
MAG features, Tatsunoko bombs.
BioWare's galactic PC and Xbox 360 RPG Mass Effect 2 has entered the UK all-formats chart at number one.
Ray Muzyka: BioWare's Illusive Man
On E3 reveals, new games, Mass Effect 3.
A%
Mass Effect 2 DLC is out now and free
Shepards are delighted. (Slight spoilers.)
Free downloadable content has already been released for Mass Effect 2, days ahead of Friday's launch. Don't read any further if you're allergic to even tiny spoilers.
Of things to come.
For games that are so obsessed with their own fake histories that their creators often commission novels to promote them, RPGs are curiously happy to ignore their real-life predecessors. Fable II takes place in the same world as Fable, but only notionally. Fallout 3 was inspired by its ancestors, but made its own radical way. And virtually everything Square has made since 1997 has Final Fantasy stamped on it, but the majority of the games wouldn't recognise one another at a family picnic.
Mass Effect 2 is meant to be different. For a start it is neither beginning nor end - it's the second instalment in a trilogy of releases cataloguing the antics of humans and their alien friends in space, in a future dogged by myth, politics and a suspiciously readymade transport network. But more importantly it is designed to allow for choices that may have already been made by the player in the first game, and to bequeath several years' worth of possible decisions to a future sequel.
The game begins shortly after its predecessor. Commander Shepard and friends have vanquished Saren and his master, and are rumbling around the galaxy trying to wipe out any remaining Geth robots. All of a sudden a massive, unknown alien ship assaults them. The attack plunges you, as Shepard, into a fiery playable prologue in the heart of a disintegrating spaceship, introducing or reintroducing basic movement and conversation skills in violent and eye-catching circumstances.
VideoMass Effect 2 launch trailer
It's nearly here it's nearly here.
More Mass Effect games after third one
Zeschuk: universe too "valuable" to ditch.
BioWare co-founder Dr Greg Zeschuk has said the developer will continue to create games in the Mass Effect universe following the completion of the current trilogy.
BioWare outlines Mass Effect 2 DLC plans
Hammerhead hover tank! New character!
BioWare plans to release a free DLC pack including new missions and a new character for Mass Effect 2 next week.
Mass Effect 2 DLC details this week
BioWare won't charge for launch content.
BioWare has said it will not charge for any Mass Effect 2 downloadable content released alongside the game next week.
"Addressing rumours: BioWare will not be charging extra for any new Mass Effect 2 content on launch day. More DLC details next week," the developer tweeted on Friday.
Those rumours were based on a story in Norwegian newspaper DagBladet (since removed, but Joystiq retains details) that said we should expect new armour, weapons, a new planet and a new ally to follow the game's launch.
Mass Effect 2 has "intense" DLC schedule
Plus: work has begun on Mass Effect 3.
BioWare's Mass Effect project director Casey Hudson has said the second game in its space opera trilogy will have an "intense schedule" of downloadable content, the first fruits of which will appear "shortly" after launch.
Mass Effect 2 does have New Game+
Or you can just go back in after the end.
BioWare has incorporated "New Game+" into Mass Effect 2, despite originally ditching it because it would make it harder to handle the transition to Mass Effect 3.
Mass Effect 3 to finish story arc?
Plus: romances reflected in ME2.
BioWare has hinted that the current Mass Effect story arc will conclude at the end of the third game.
How ME2 will work without ME1 save
"What can you remember?" asks Muzyka.
BioWare's Ray Muzyka has explained that Mass Effect 2 allows players to choose their backstory through dialogue options should they not have a Mass Effect 1 saved game to hand. The sequel will also take educated guesses at what you would have done.
ESRB outs Mass Effect 2 mature content
Colourful summary of sex, drugs and so on.
The American Entertainment Software Rating Board has published its summary for Mass Effect 2, outlining the various themes that earned the game a Mature rating.
VideoMass Effect 2 - Blur trailer
President Barlett sizes Shepard up.
Biotic and tech lovers unite.
Biotic and tech lovers unite.
BioWare details Mass Effect 2 voice cast
Barlett! Worf! Tigh! Trin! Jayne!
BioWare has revealed that a colourful and storied collection of veteran sci-fi actors have joined the voice cast for Mass Effect 2.
In Mass Effect 2, Commander Shepard gets caught up with the shady Cerberus organisation as he tries to work out why human colonies are disappearing. We already knew that Cerberus would be headed up by the Illusive Man, played by President Bartlett from the West Wing (occasionally also known as Martin Sheen), and now we know one of his top operatives, named Miranda Lawson, is played by Yvonne Strahovski from TV series Chuck.
Strahovski's character has been "genetically engineered for superior mental and physical traits", apparently. Strahovski's not the only Chuck alum, either. Adam Baldwin also makes the transition, taking on the role of Kal 'Reegar and proving that you really, really can't stop the signal.
Drinks tea well, excels at long lunch breaks.
Drinks tea well, excels at long lunch breaks.
Mass Effect 2 elevator change explained
"A lot of complaints." Load screens it is!
BioWare has said that loading screens providing "interesting visuals and information" are Mass Effect 2's alternative to the first game's divisive elevator sequences.
Mass Effect 2 comes on two discs
"You cannot fit this much awesome on one".
BioWare has confirmed that Mass Effect 2 will ship on two game discs when it's released for PC and Xbox 360 early next year.
She's a pro biotic.
She's a pro biotic.
Mass Effect 2 video shows off Adept class
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.
Tali returns, as does the Adept class.
Tali returns, as does the Adept class.
Mass Effect 2 will use Dragon Age DRM
Plus: PC system requirements revealed.
EA has revealed that Mass Effect 2 will use the same DRM copy protection as Dragon Age: Origins.
BioWare defends story structure
"Nothing wrong with it," says Weekes.
BioWare staff writer Patrick Weekes has defended the way the developer structures stories in its games, picking apart a tongue-in-cheek, fan-made "RPG Cliché Chart".
Collectors' edition.
People didn't really respond all that well to the unveiling of the new Mass Effect character Subject Zero. A troubled lady with attitude and tats, she looked like the kind of person you'd rather have blasted out into space through an air lock than get stuck in a lift with - a particularly poignant worry given the original Mass Effect's excessive elevator-based predilections.
Mass Effect 2 Collector's Ed detailed
DVD! Art! In-game treats! Tin!
EA has unveiled the Collector's Edition of Mass Effect 2, which arrives in Europe on 29th January 2010.
Significant DLC plans for Mass Effect 2?
Retail quiz points to extensive support.
BioWare is planning to support Mass Effect 2 with oodles of downloadable content, according to a report.
BioWare targeting end of January.
BioWare has announced that Mass Effect 2 will be released in the UK on 29th January for PC and Xbox 360.
L4D2/Mass Effect 2 PS3 listings an "error"
EA Russia left red-faced.
EA has told Eurogamer that PlayStation 3 listings for Left 4 Dead 2 and Mass Effect 2 were posted to the publisher's Russian website in error. They've since been removed.
VideoMass Effect 2 - Subject Zero
Not one to take home to momma.
Not one to take home to momma.
Split/Second coming to the Expo
Mass Effect 2 and Army of Two 2 too.
Just imagine. Imagine a world where for just £6 you could attend a fabulous gaming show packed full of incredible games, organised by your favourite website and attended by all of your lovely friends. Wouldn't that be beautiful?
Mass Effect 2 "such a better experience"
BioWare relishing first sequel in 9 years.
BioWare lead writer Mac Walters reckons there's a surprising amount of difference between Mass Effect and its upcoming sequel, even after a million plays through.
Squad core.
I made a bit of an error with Mass Effect. Going for edgy realism, I designed my particular Shepard to resemble the western approach of Kilimanjaro after an improbable collision with an aerial crocodile farm - all rugged escarpments and pockmarked, gnarly-leather skin. He is not what you'd call a looker.
Mass Effect 2 on PC/360 simultaneously
No space in between this time.
BioWare has confirmed that Mass Effect 2 will launch simultaneously on PC and Xbox 360 early next year.
Drell assassin Thane joins the crew.
Drell assassin Thane joins the crew.
BioWare explains Mass Effect save usage
Tiny details in first game to make an impact.
BioWare has explained how your Mass Effect save-game will be put to use by the sequel, which is due out next year.
At length on making Dragon Age, the toolset, and the merger with Mythic.
If you're a game developer who's prone to epileptic fits, repeated coronary occlusions, or regular spells of choking during lunch, you could do a lot worse than seek employment with BioWare, an RPG house run by not one, but two, MDs. With the release of Dragon Age: Origins looming, and a merger with stable-mate Mythic, the developer behind Warhammer Online, recently announced by parent company EA, we caught up with co-founder Dr Greg Zeschuk to discuss the ramifications of the new organisational structure, and what we can expect from the studio's latest, significantly darker take on fantasy. We also asked what he made of this strange lump on our neck. (It turned out to be peanut butter.)
BioWare "interested" in modern setting
"It's rich with possibility."
Renowned RPG maker BioWare may be ready to ditch fantasy and science-fiction and focus on a modern-day setting instead.
No same-character replay for ME2
And Insanity will be harder, say devs.
BioWare has explained that Mass Effect 2 will not allow same-character campaign replays like the original.
Shepard's delight.
By the end of BioWare's first Mass Effect game, regardless of the gender, facial features, moral alignment and sexual predilections of your own personal Commander Shepard (ours was a half-hearted moral fence-sitter with a tendency to try and screw anything that moved, despite the fact that he looked like an ageing sixth-form college lecturer), they were blasting into space as a fully-fledged Spectre agent, ready to kick off some serious intergalactic shenanigans. They were a pretty big wheel down at the cracker factory, in other words, but sometime soon after that - according to the sequel's enigmatic announcement trailer, at least - they promptly dropped dead.
Not so sheepish now.
Not so sheepish now.
ME2 characters and new details revealed
Shepard "much bigger and more powerful".
BioWare has unveiled some of the new characters, locations, weapons and story details for Mass Effect 2.
You'll play as Shepard again for at least a portion of the game, according to an OXM preview read by NeoGAF. He will be "much bigger and more powerful" and "presented in a darker, grittier style".
We'll be able to recruit a new character called Thane, a smooth, suave assassin shown breaking another person's neck from behind in a screenshot. Plenty of characters will return from Mass Effect 1, such as Joker (voiced by Seth Green), and we'll also meet many new faces, such as a Krogan called Grunt and a tough and wiry Salarian scientist. There's to be an entirely new Drell race, too.
ME2 will "really beat up the hero"
BioWare offers more on "dark act".
Mass Effect 2 overseer Casey Hudson wants to take players to the most brutal parts of the universe in this upcoming "dark act".
Mass Effect iPhone is a side-story
Plus: Shepard likely for Mass Effect 2.
BioWare has confirmed Mass Effect: Jacob's Story for iPhone and iPod Touch, after a focus group tester broke NDA to leak the project last month.
BioWare making Mass Effect for iPhone
Graphic novel-style prequel to ME2.
BioWare has revealed Mass Effect: Jacob's Story for iPhone, a two-hour "animated presentation" that will introduce the characters and story of Mass Effect 2.
Multiplayer not ruled out for Mass Effect 2
Could a co-op mode be in the works?
BioWare doctor-bosses Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka have hinted that a multiplayer mode could still feature in Mass Effect 2.
Reveals first real plot elements.
BioWare showed GDC crowds two videos of Mass Effect 2 gameplay and unveiled the first details of the space opera sequel.
Mass Effect 2 officially announced
PC and 360, early 2010, not much more.
We all knew about it anyway, but EA has finally officially confirmed development of PC and Xbox 360 RPG-shooter sequel Mass Effect 2.
EA also reiterated that the game, which sadly is still not in development for PlayStation 3, is the second instalment in a planned trilogy, although the publisher dropped few hints about what to expect ahead of its "early 2010" release.
"Saren's evil army of Geth soldiers has just been defeated, and humans, still struggling to make their mark on the galactic stage, are now faced with an even greater peril," according to the story blurb. The original teaser trailer hinted that Shepard had been killed, although this seems unlikely.
Mass Effect 2 teased in trailer
Shephard killed in action?
BioWare has released the first footage of Mass Effect 2.
The teaser clip shows no gameplay footage, but instead lists known details of protagonist Shephard before proclaiming him/her "killed in action". The clip closes with what appears to be a Geth destroyer zapping the camera with its laser eye.
So far that's more or less all we know about the sequel, although we've heard BioWare is planning "much darker" experience based around the differences of organic to synthetic life.
Mass Effect to get arena DLC next
Plus: sequel will be "much darker".
BioWare has said the next downloadable addition to Mass Effect will be a Fight Club-style arena. Expect less of a focus on story, and more on gambling and good old-fashioned dust-ups.
Dead Space heading to Wii this year
Mass Effect II, Bad Company by April 2010.
Electronic Arts boss John Riccitiello has said that a sequel to Battlefield: Bad Company is in development along with a Wii Dead Space game, and that Mass Effect II will be released before the end of the company's next financial year.
