BioWare is onto something with Mass Effect. In truth, the Canadian developer has been " onto something" for a number of years now (let me count the ways, Baldur' s Gate, Knights of the Old Republic, Jade Empire…). Every time I see it, Mass Effect comes more and more into focus. It' s a cumulative force of RPG knowledge, honed, sculpted and built upon next-generation technology. And it' s just itching to usher in this next generation in a totally new way. After its excellent E3 showing in May, BioWare came to X06 with riveting new details and sharp, beautiful graphics in its behind-closed-doors 30-minute presentation.

Producer Casey Hudson, who demoed the game at X05, illustrated how BioWare plans to handle exploration, customization, and combat in Mass Effect in our demo. (We were denied video, by the way.) " Our goal at BioWare is to tell great stories," Hudson explained. " We plan on telling the story of Mass Effect in different ways than we told Jade Empire and Knights of the Old Republic. In this next generation, we' re using new techniques to tell it."

Hudson pulls up a commanding map of a galaxy on a holodeck of sorts, which is your menu system for the game. It' s brilliantly lit, designed with different-sized planets, moons, suns and derelict space stations, all of which you can get to. This system is shown on the command deck of your ship, the Normandy, the space vessel that enables you to travel from planet to planet seamlessly. You take on the role of Command Shephard, otherwise known as a specter. As the only human specter, Shephard must defend and protect humans from the world' s biggest threats, one of which has just surfaced. The universe of Mass Effect pits you against a pending swarm of genocidal machines. In the past, your galaxy was populated and thriving, until it was wiped out by hordes of the crazed mechanical enemies. With another crippling invasion of the verge of wiping everyone out once again, it' s up to you to discover the truth of the situation, and how to rectify it.

The map is your, well, your road map of this tremendous region of space you' ll command, defend, and fight in. You' ll be blown away at the size of it. The colorful bright light of each planet dots an expansive stretch of 3D space, and the knowledge that every single spot isn' t just a new world, but a treasure trove, a planet of gameplay, story, and experience -- instantly strikes a chord with even the tamest of explorers.

Hudson clicks on a planet, Caleston, a harsh world overruled by machines and brutally aggressive AI. he clicks again, and we get a clearer, bigger picture of it. In seconds, we' ve chartered a course for it. An in-game cutscene shows the larger ship expulsing a warthog-like terrestrial vehicle, something BioWare calls a Mako. This six-wheeled vehicle is an open-top buggy equipped with jumps jets, which you' ll see firing off from its underside as it jettisons from the Normandy, hitting a few hard jet bursts before the craft makes a hard landing on the rocky, desert terrain. One neat thing about the jumpjets is that they function in a gravity-based atmosphere. You punch them for a second and your craft lifts up for a moment or two before dropping down again. You can control the left and right jets separately, a little like a low-rider in space, or you can use them together to hop up and shoot enemies on higher grounds with either machine guns or a cannon. You' ll steer it from a third-person perspective and the vehicle is fully upgradeable. You' ll need the upgrades too. On this particular planet you might confront 40- to 60-foot tall robots and AIs.

As first demonstrated at E3, the character interface system is light years ahead of other RPGs including Jade Empire and KOTOR. The high level of character facial animation is so convincing and unlike any other game we' ve seen that, at some level, I just want to watch the characters talk. And talk and talk. I could bypass playing the game if I could just watch their reactions to one another. Some characters, especially a few of the females, sport high pitched valley-girl voices, and the contrast of voice versus appearance is almost too much. We' re not sure, but these voices don' t seem final. Nevertheless, when talking with other characters you' ll see a tree of text choices. Each one is written in simple terms, but fleshed out in more sophisticated dialog than the text represents. The flow of conversation is as fluid as can be, given you have control over the timing of each response. However, if an NPC starts in on a sentence you already recognize and you don' t want to hear in its entirety, you can cut him or her off, creating an even more realistic sensation of realism.

You travel in a squad of three, you plus two others, and each character is fully customizable. You can switch freely between them at any time, and upgrades, tweaks, and menu options are similar but are ultimately more sophisticated than BioWare' s previous RPGs. To command your NPCs to move, pointing your reticule is the fastest course of action. Naturally, the D-pad assists. Pressing left also commands them to aim at a target, down switches you to them, and up means stay or remain. You can equip a total of four weapons simultaneously, and can access them at any time. Your characters are essentially your own, so you' re not only able to enhance and grow your own characteristics, but theirs as well. There are a few classifications or specialties: soldiers (great with weapons), tech specialists (a class that' s excellent at knocking out shields and power systems), and Vanguards, those smart folks who can control Biotics, i.e., a class that can enhance genetically to manipulate objects (sort of like telekenetics). Each specialty becomes clearer and more defined as the game progresses, and you' ll learn new tactics and skills to exploit your special skills.

When you encounter a substantial enemy with your squad, you can handle the fight in a number of ways. You could try to defeat it yourself, while letting your team AI handle itself. BioWare told us the AI generally takes care of itself in combat. So if you' re facing a large enemy about 30 feet away, you can point to the left and your team mate swiftly makes its way over to the left. But instead of standing vulnerable, it will find cover on its own. Another way to handle combat is to strategize. Ooh yes, big console word. When you see an enemy, you can press the back or the start button, which stops time. In this paused timeless existence, you can pick up and place each of your teammates in specific locations.

Hudson faced a 25-foot mean-ass robot and used one specialist to remove its shield, then followed up with a Biotics " lift," letting the machine drop and crash onto the ground. As you grow stronger, you can fully enhance your character. Upgrading a second specialty is just like getting a minor in college. If you want to minor in Classics with a major in English literature, you can do it. At some point, we' re not sure yet, the game enables you to start up secondary sub-classifications.

Mass Effect is easily one of the best-looking and most promising games of X06. In fact, it' s easy to say now that Mass Effect is one of the most impressive looking next-gen games on the planet. It' s that far ahead of everything else. It' s BioWare' s attention to detail on so many fronts that is so awe inspiring. The character animation in top-notch, and the scale and scope of galaxies you explore is mind-boggling. You can travel to planets, moons, even derelict space stations and explore. An obscure, out of-the-way space station might be empty and void of anything valuable. Or it might have life forms on it revealing tidbits of story, weapons, or mini-missions. Or it could be the key to the main narrative you were looking for. The combat looks fluid enough, and the combination of interactive environments and character specialization combined indicate just how ambitious a project Mass Effect is.

Each time we see the game, however, we see set pieces: quick looks into features that are impressive on their own, yet clearly play into a larger framework that BioWare doesn' t want to reveal just yet. This game is large and as deep as it is ambitious, folks. It' s one of Microsoft' s big guns for a reason.