warning: spoilers! (yah i know that this isn't NEW but its still nice to preserve the innocence of those who haven't played it yet. those of you who want to keep it a surprise, leave this place now!) ~trashleg
So I don't know about anyone else, but this is literally the first time I have seen confirmation that Ashley returns in Mass Effect 2.
She was my favourite non-Shepard character in the first game, so I am happy to have her back. She is seen at 3.12 in the linked video.
HOWEVER, I would wager given what appears to be going on that this is in the fabled first five minutes of the game where the Normandy goes down and people die. As such, it is entirely possible that this is the first and LAST time we see Ashley. Of course, if you chose to kill her off in the first game, she won't appear at all if you import your save.
I would advise against skipping through the video to the part about Ashley though, as there is some REALLY interesting stuff on how the planetary exploration will work. Whilst remaining uncompulsory, there will be inherant advantages and disadvantages to exploring non-main story planets. You will burn fuel as you travel to them, but will need to go to some to get upgrades necessary to achieve certain (I assumed more successful) story conclusions towards the end of the game. Additionally, the missions you will find on some of these side planets will be far more interesting, will go from anywhere from ten minutes to nearly an hour, and will all somehow link back to the main story. They could be about anything core to the Mass Effect universe, such as the Collectors, Reapers or Cerberus.
AWESOME.
starcraft - Playing Games = FUN, Talking about Games = SERIOUS
