Shepard of some kind will return in Mass Effect 3

Even if your Shepard dies in the second game, a new Shepard will be playable in third game.

BioWare's Casey Hudson has revealed that while Death in Mass Effect 2 will mean the end of the line for your Shepard character, those mourning the character's death will have a new Shepard to command in the third game.

"If your Shepard dies in the end of Mass Effect 2, that's the end of him / her," explained Hudson on an IGN blog. "In that case, you can play Mass Effect 3 as "a" Shepard – just not "your" Shepard. As in real life, not being able to keep living is really the main down-side of death. So if you care about playing the next game with your character, make sure you survive this one."

Staying alive will be no easy feat, with Hudson stating at E3 that "in Mass Effect 2, you're not expected to survive".

Mass Effect 2 is scheduled for release early 2010 for Xbox 360 and PC.