Mass Effect Interview, Part Two

TeamXbox has released the second installment to their Mass Effect interview with BioWare joint-CEO Ray Muzyka, this time focusing on the combat system, the possibility of a demo and other downloadable content, and more.

Q: How did you decide on that combat system? It seems like the next step in evolution from Jade Empire, a little more action-oriented than the turn-based system we saw in KotOR. How did that all come about?

A: I think that’s a really good summary of it. We wanted to make a combat system that’s very accessible, and we wanted to have elements in real-time, so players could just point and shoot. We also have elements of tactical, squad-based combat that really allow you plan and have specialists on your team to do different things. One guy’s gonna be able to take out EMP powers, take out the shields of your enemies, another will be able to use ranged weapons and grenades. One might have biotic powers, kind of like Force power, you’ll be able to use those to great effect. The key is to have a balanced party, you can take the rights guys into battle with you and use them to great effect. And you’ll feel smart as a result. Or, if you just want to run in and let the two guys in your party use their AI, they’ll be smart. You can use the main character to play it sort of like an action game, if you prefer. Again, it’s about letting the player play the game the way they want to play it.