Mass Effect 2 confirmed for January 29

BioWare has announced that Mass Effect 2, the highly anticipated sequel to the epic sci-fi action RPG Mass Effect, will be released in the UK on January 29 for Xbox 360 and PC.

“Our fans are in for a genuine thrill in the New Year with Mass Effect 2 – the second instalment in the trilogy will be of amazingly high quality,” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, co-founder, BioWare and Group General Manager of the RPG/MMO Group of EA.

In support of the launch, BioWare is releasing unique Mass Effect 2 pre-order incentives at key retailers in North America and across Europe.

Pre-order bonuses include special-ops armour and weaponry that are designed to boost Commander Shepard’s skills and abilities. Terminus Gear includes the powerful Terminus Assault Armour and the M-490 Blackstorm Heavy Weapon. Terminus Armour is designed for use in extreme planetary conditions, increasing run speed and personal shields, and augmenting weapons with an additional magazine of reserve ammo. The M-90 Blackstorm Heavy Weapon generates a high-powered localized gravity well, accelerating particles to near-infinite mass, and ultimately expanding the selection of heavy weapons available to players when they gear up for combat missions in Mass Effect 2.

Inferno Armour will also be available as a separate pre-order incentive. This item is used by officers to monitor battlefield conditions by recognizing elevated heart rates, and regulates sub-systems with extreme efficiency to allow for greater response times – together these abilities translate in-game into a negotiation bonus for Commander Shepard and an increase in run speed and augmented damage from combat powers.

“BioWare’s fans worldwide have been eagerly awaiting this epic sequel, and we couldn’t be more excited to reward them for pre-ordering by delivering some awesome bonus content!” added Dr. Muzyka.

Specific UK retail partners for the two pre-order bonuses will be revealed soon.