Some of the more interesting new features of Mass Effect 2 are things that we haven’t yet seen, like the game’s significantly modified story structure. We are told that Commander Shepard must go on what’s deemed to be a "suicide mission" and has to gather specialists from around the galaxy to assist him. This mission is available from fairly early on in the game, though you won’t stand a chance if you go straight to it. Instead, you’ll have to go on a series of quests to recruit comrades for said battle. Who you recruit and how you treat your crew will all effect how they will behave during the final encounter, as treating them poorly might make them leave you high and dry. On the other hand, building up a sense of camaraderie among your team may make them risk their lives to save yours. This leads to far more endgame possibilities than the original, where the ending was dependent on a scant few binary choices late in the game. As such, no two playthroughs of Mass Effect 2 will be exactly alike.

Your crew in ME2 will mostly be comprised of new characters, though you will be able to import your ME1 save data to bring back some familiar faces. It is unclear if these returning characters will be able to join your party. You’ll also be able to continue playing as your previously-crafted version of Commander Shepard from the outset, as the game doesn’t force you to rebuild your avatar. For those who haven’t played the first game, the story was built to be able to hold up on its own, and all of the vital backstory will be presented in-game to bring everyone up to speed without pandering to series veterans.

While the most interesting new additions are all theoretical at this point, it looks like the fine folks at Bioware know exactly what they’re doing. They’ve taken just about every piece of criticism from the first game to heart and have done everything in their power to improve them. While it’s still a long way off, Mass Effect 2 looks to be one of the most finely crafted action-RPGs ever created.

While a release date has not been announced, you should expect to get your alien groove on sometime in Spring of 2010 on Xbox 360 and PC.