Mass Effect 2 Preview

CVG is first in line with a GamesCom-based preview of Mass Effect 2, which includes quite a bit of commentary from lead designer Casey Hudson.  A little something to get you started:

Another problem with the shooting in the first game was the AI. Your team-mates weren’t the sharpest tools in the shed, despite wielding some kick-ass biotic abilities and weapons. They didn’t react when enemies flanked and gunned them down, so the easiest thing to do was to ask them to hang back while you handled the fight yourself. Thankfully, that has all changed too. “You also have better control of your squad, with separate squad movement orders so you can place each squad member exactly where you want him or her. And you can fire their powers in real time as well, using context-sensitive buttons.” The actual make-up of your squad is still something Bioware is keeping under wraps. Some of the characters from the original will make a return – in the demo we spotted Liara, Joker and someone who looked a lot like Ashley – but they won’t be in your team. The smart money is on them appearing as NPCs to flesh-out the backstory and to keep key plot points from the original rolling.

To compliment the improved action, several other item options have been tweaked. The inventory system has been given a complete overhaul, although Hudson was cagey about how they’ve done it. Providing we don’t have to wade through every new item and weapon upgrade, reducing each one to omni-gel individually, we’ll be happy with whatever has been altered. Similarly, although many of the weapon mods from the original will return, the way you use them had changed. “It’s still a heat-based system so there’s no need to find ammo clips,” reassures Hudoson. “But instead of overheating the weapon and having a forced cool-down, the player is able to actively eject a heat sink to choose how and when the weapon gets reset.” This is great news – the old weapons simply wouldn’t work with ME2’s more fluid combat.