Mass Effect 2 Preview

BioWare’s GamesCom demonstrations of Mass Effect 2 seem to be paying off, as yet another hands-on preview has surfaced over at Play.tm.

The demo’s succession of cover-to-cover battles provided plenty of action, which was padded in terms of choice by access to the trusty combination of assault rifle, shotgun and sniper rifle, and enhanced by a first taste of Mass Effect 2’s fearsome missile launcher. Capable of delivering multiple rounds of ordnance in quick succession, dispatched missiles home in on any nearby enemies if individual targets are not specifically picked out by the player through the zoom scope. In short, it’s fabulous and provides a tantalising glimpse at the expanded arsenal of weapons promised for Mass Effect.

Battle atmospherics were also enhanced by more authentic blood spatter, fantastic localised explosions and billowing clouds of shield resonance that erupt into the air when characters are under attack. And any Mass Effect fans unhappy with the first game’s overheating weaponry will be pleased to note that overheating has been completely removed for the sequel.

Beyond the obvious appeal of its action, Mass Effect 2 will also provide somewhere in the region of 30 hours of total narrative gameplay time, which BioWare has said will also include improved side-quest exploration thanks to 360 degree planet scans that enable the player to select exactly where to land the Mako. That said, try as we might we couldn’t extract any concrete information as to whether the new planetary scans and selective Mako landings will lead to improved secondary content once on the surface.