Mass Effect 2 - Preview Roundup

Here's another short list, this time for Mass Effect 2:

• Worthplaying
• Joystiq
• GameZone

...and a sample from the Joystiq piece, with a significant spoiler:

Yup, this was the point in the demo that Hudson prefaced with: "What we're about to show you is actually a spoiler that is from something that we will never show again outside the game." So, consider yourself warned before you read on for the the long answer to: Is Commander Shepard alive or dead?

Our next glimpse into the game opened in the midst of chaos. Shepard's ship, the Normandy, was hemorrhaging flames and metal. Hudson explained that it had been "severely damaged by a new force in the galaxy." Shepard is played as the good captain, evacuating as many of his crew as possible and presumably sacrificing his own opportunities to hop inside the various escape pods along the path. One too many missed opportunities and Shepard is seen cannon-balled out of the Normandy's exploding side, careening helplessly into space, gasping as the last of his air tanks fizzle out. And then, silence.