That last addition may catch the eye of Mass Effect fans. During the buildup to the launch of the original much was made of the open universe in the game. It promised planets to adventure on outside of the main story arc and potentially a dynamic world where the characters built in the main game could continue and write their own stories. The generic planets and quests that appeared in the final game failed to live up to expectations.

With the core tech of the engine in place this time around it sounds like BioWare may have been able to achieve much of what they originally set their sites on. It wouldn't come as a complete surprise. Earlier this year we noted that co-founder Greg Zeschuk had told MTV's Multiplayer blog he projected as much as two-years worth of DLC for Dragon Age: Origins. Factor in their growing experience working on the Star Wars: the Old Republic MMO and it all starts to point to a studio perfecting long-term plans for the worlds they invest so much work in.