Mass Effect 2 is almost upon us, and I don’t know about you, but I’m going a bit stir crazy with pre-release excitement. Luckily for us obsessive types, the kind folks at Bioware have released a fairly steady stream of screenshots, interviews, updates, and general information on what is looking to be a sequel that will somehow manage to surpass its predecessor in a multitude of ways. One of the more recent revelations has been the news that one of your allies from the first game will not only be making a sizeable appearance but can also be recruited to your Mass Effect 2 squad.

In the first Mass Effect, players run across a lone Quarian who is in the process of completing a pilgrimage away from the safety of her people. As a member of Shepherd’s heroic crew, the enigmatic Talia expressed awe and excitement at the prospect of exploring the galaxy and coming into contact with strange new technologies and species. As a Quarian, Tali specialized in engineering and advanced technologies, using her skills to sabotage enemies and break into complex encrypted networks.

Interestingly, it was her people who created the game’s primary antagonists, the robotic Geth. Due to their mistreatment of this enslaved cybernetic species, the Geth rebelled and were free to wreak havoc across the galaxy. From the look of the trailer below, the Quarians are still riding their moral high horse and refusing to take any responsibility, while Tali’s newly minted exile status will be sure to prove compelling in Mass Effect 2’s already exciting storyline.  Her childlike look at the universe will probably evolve according to her new role, while running across the newly sentient Geth character Legion that has been mentioned in previous Bioware briefings will no doubt spark some serious conflict. And the icing on the cake; looks like we finally get a look at the rag-tag Quarian fleet while getting up close and personal with a culture players were only able to read about in the previous game.

Oh dear, looks like I geeked out all over this post. Can’t be helped when a game that let’s you save/condemn the universe any way you want  is just on the horizon. Check out the trailer, drool over all the science fiction goodness and look out for another peek into the game as we take a look at the newly enhanced Adept class.