Interview | Casey Hudson

Mass Effect introduced us to a sprawling Galaxy filled with interesting races and a vibrant Humanity experiencing its first years reaching for the stars with interstellar travel. An epic tale saw Commander Shepherd and his team of allies narrowly averting the complete destruction of all sentient life at the hands of the godlike Reapers. With the release of the sequel edging ever closer we were lucky enough to get this exclusive interview with Casey Hudson, the Executive Producer of Mass Effect II.

Can you tell us a little about yourself and what you do at BioWare?

I’m the Project Director for Mass Effect and the Executive Producer of the Mass Effect franchise.  So for Mass Effect 2 I act as the game’s Director and Producer, guiding the creative, technical, and business vision.  In terms of the franchise as a whole, my role as Executive Producer means I’m in charge of planning where the main game series is going, as well as incorporating ancillary products such as novels or comic books into the universe in a way that ensures quality.

At the end of the first Mass Effect Commander Shepherd has effectively saved all sentient life in the Galaxy from the genocidal Reapers. Where does a hero go from there, what tasks lay ahead for the Galaxy’s only Human Spectre Agent?

That’s the big question answered by Mass Effect 2!  I can only say that it starts with a bang, and the answers and new revelations come fast and furious from that point on.  Mass Effect 2 is packed with big ideas and surprising twists, under the ongoing story of Sheppard and the threat of the Reapers.

Can you tell us a little about BioWare’s inspiration for creating the Mass Effect universe and story?

We had finished work on Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and we knew we wanted to do a new science-fiction RPG but at the same time we wanted it to be more accessible, using 3rd person shooter combat.  And we knew we wanted to try creating our own universe – one that would capture the sense of wonder and excitement of the great movies of our youth, but would also deal with more mature themes.  With that, we set about designing gameplay and a universe that would support those goals.

In Mass Effect relationships between Shepherd and his companions were important. It was even possible to develop a romantic relationship. How will Mass Effect 2 build on this and will we see some familiar faces joining us again?

Mass Effect is a series that’s very much about the biggest story we can possibly tell, rendered through the most intimate personal relationships we can create.  So relationships that were nurtured in the first game are respected across the entire trilogy.  That’s actually one reason why the ME1 love interest aren’t part of your squad in ME2.  They are a part of the story, and you will meet them, but since Shepard is on a suicide mission, much of the squad could die.  And to make sure these important characters are around for ME3, they are involved in other aspects of the plot in ME2.  You will however have a chance to develop new relationships and find new love.  More characters are romanceable in ME2 than in the first game.

There was lots of talk that choices and actions made in the first game would have a direct impact on its sequel – would you be able to elaborate on this?

At the end of Mass Effect, the game made a special savegame that represents the end state for how you left the galaxy.  When you start ME2, you have the option to start an import utility.  From there, you can view the various endings you had in ME1, and decide which one you want to continue from.  Once you select it, it gives you a detailed breakdown of the main decisions in that savegame, and Mass Effect 2 begins.  Since the ending savegame from ME1 contains many choices from that game, you will see the effects of these things showing up in character dialog, the existence of certain plots, and even whether certain characters are alive or dead.

Some of us have put a lot of time into the first game. Will we be able to take our current character with all of his or her stats and bring it over to Mass Effect 2?

Yes, you’ll be able to bring in your character, with the same appearance and all the various story decisions.  Since the skills and weapons systems are all new, there is no direct mapping from the old character to the new one.   The game does however compensate the extra work you may have put into a character by giving you extra skill points and other bonuses based on how you played and what level your character was.

As good as the first game was there were still a few tarnished bits. I’m mainly thinking repetitive locations for the side missions and the inventory system. Please tell us there will be some changes here!

The space exploration aspect has been completely redone with a new approach.  Gathering resources is now done through a very cool planetary scanning minigame, and through that system you uncover special locations that you can land at.  Those locations are called N7 missions, and they provide unique gameplay or out-of-the-ordinary story experiences that you can’t get elsewhere in the game.  Instead of re-using elements, they are each hand-crafted story and gameplay sections that reward you with something unique.

The first Mass Effect was released when BioWare was an independent studio and published by Microsoft Game Studios. Since then you’re been bought by Electronic Arts. Has this had some sort of impact on how the game was created for better or worse?

There hasn’t been a lot of difference, but we do get a lot of support that we wouldn’t have otherwise.

If there was one thing that you’d dearly love to include in the game but can’t because of time or finances what would that be?

With the first game, there were a few things we really wanted to add that we just didn’t have time for.  One was the ability to keep playing after the end of the story.  Another was really good DLC extendibility.  Other ones included really fun easter eggs or things to do in your quarters on the ship etc.  Mass Effect 2 has really been an opportunity for the team to get in pretty much everything we wanted to do in the first one but weren’t able to!  So we’re very happy with all the extra things we were able to pack into the sequel.

If you’ve just come from playing Mass Effect 1 what changes in gameplay would we notice in playing through Mass Effect 2?

Most likely you’ll instantly notice the vastly improved feel of combat.  We’ve moved some things around, and some systems (such as inventory) have been re-implemented in better forms.  But without a doubt, Mass Effect 2 just feels a lot more visceral and fun than the original.

Will DLC have some sort part in continuing the story before and after the release of Mass Effect 2?

Yes!  We have some amazing DLC lined up that will flesh out the story and provide ongoing narrative even after players have completed the main game story.

When is Mass Effect 2 going to be released and will it be the same date internationally?

Mass Effect 2 will be available around the world beginning January 26th, 2010.

You know how number 2 will end. Is there room for a trilogy?

Of course!  Since our announcement in 2005, we’ve been consistent in our promise that Mass Effect is designed as a trilogy.  So you’ll be able to take your character through three enormous stories, which span arguably the biggest science-fiction story ever told.  The ending of Mass Effect 2 is meant to feel satisfying and definitive, yet it still plays a part in the ongoing story.