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While everyone was floored at E3 2009 by what BioWare is doing in terms of story and characterization in Mass Effect 2, one aspect of the game that isn't getting a lot of play is the combat. Longtime BioWare fans love the pause-and-play skirmishes the company has been serving up since Baldur's Gate. Newer gamers would prefer something smoother and more fluid. It looks like BioWare is keeping up with the times. Project director Casey Hudson told G4tv.com aboot about the combat improvements:

"Much of the way Mass Effect 2 plays is similar to Mass Effect, but every part of it has been improved. The biggest difference, in fact, is when you pick it up, it feels like a precision shooter. It has all the depth that we had before, but now weapons feel accurate and powerful right from the beginning. We have physics-based special-abilities. All of these things can now be fired in real time, so you don't have to pause the game to select tactical options. It just feels so much more fluid. It feels fantastic."

I'm sure that younger gamers and players that are relatively new to BioWare games will love the improvements that Casey was talking aboot about. As an old school BioWare fan, I'm a little saddened by this inevitable modernization. I fondly remember the epic battles I waged in Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate II -- part of the fun was hitting the space bar in the middle of a fight and spend minutes thinking about all the cool ways I could dispatch my enemies before finally delivering the deathblow. I totally understand that the majority of fans desire combat that's faster and smoother, but I wish there were more gamers that enjoyed a break in the action so that they could plot their cerebral assassinations.

Click here to watch the entire Mass Effect 2 interview in glorious HD.

What do you guys and dolls think? Do you like that Mass Effect 2's combat will be more fluid than the original's? Or do you enjoy pause-and-play gaming? Also, isn't Casey's Canadian accent awesome?

If you’re looking for a free tactical online first-person shooter set in an urban environment during a fiction war between Russians and the rest of Europe, then Red Duck’s Alliance of Valiant Arms might just be for you.

During this E3 2009 interview, the game’s project manager Wook Kim breaks down some of the game’s features, including its approach to combat.

“The game uses the Unreal 3 game engine, so it has really high, super graphics. And it’s very ream oriented, so there’s going to be a lot of communication going on with your team, and there’s very fair, balanced gameplay.”

If that sounds like something you might be interested in, then be sure to watch the full interview.

For more interviews from E3 2009, check out the rest of our features.

Infinity Ward’s Modern Warfare 2 might be the most high profile and most anticipated military FPS of the year, but Codemasters believes its own Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising has what it takes to stand toe-to-toe with the Activision juggernaut, as well as every other shooter coming to market over the next few months, or ever, apparently.

As the game’s lead designer, Tim Brown, explained during E3 2009, Dragon Rising will offer a very different experience than that found in other run-and-gun shooters.

 “The difference in our game…is that it’s all tactical. You’re not the hero. You tip the balance, but it’s not all down to you. You’re going to rely on your guys, and they’re going to rely on you.”

Brown went on to say that Dragon Rising will be “the most realistic shooter you’re going to see on a console ever.”

Predictions don’t really come any bolder than that, so be sure to check out the rest of the interview to see what has Brown so confident.

For more interviews from E3 2009, check out the rest of our features.

A lot of people might not agree with me, but I am a huge fan of racing games that at least try to have a narrative thread running through them. It just makes everything that much more compelling, because you have characters and stories to give the races additional significance beyond just who placed where or what was the fastest lap time.

Thankfully, the folks over at Codemasters listened to my ranting, and decided to use narrative to give its upcoming racing title Dirt 2 an edge over the competition. The game's lead designer, Matthew Horseman, explained during E3 2009:

Of course, the game doesn't skimp on the racing elements either, so to find out more, be sure to watch the full interview.

For more interviews from E3 2009, check out the rest of our features.

Net Devil’s upcoming space-based MMO Jumpgate Evolution was one of the truly great surprises of E3 2009. Not only does it pack all the depth and variety you’d expect from an MMO, it also brings space to life in a way that I haven’t seen in quite some time.

It should come as no surprise then to hear what famed sci-fi franchise Net Devil president Scott Brown cites when discussing the game’s sense of scope.

And believe me, the cosmic vistas and interstellar battles that you encounter in this game are stunning, and on par with those found in any number of famous sci-fi movies. This is one game you should definitely keep on your radars.

To find out more about all what awaits you in the vastness of Jumpgate Evolution, be sure to watch the full interview.

For more interviews from E3 2009, check out the rest of our features.

Square Enix surprised a lot of people when it unveiled Final Fantasy XIV at Sony's E3 2009 press conference. Some gamers thought that it might be the second coming of the MMO Final Fantasy XI. Producer Hiromichi Tanaka said that's not the case:

"Characters in the trailer looked very similar to the ones in Final Fantasy XI. That's pretty much the only thing that's going to be similar. The gameplay and the story are going to be completely different."

For more details on Final Fantasy XIV, be sure to watch the entire interview.

For more interviews from E3 2009, check out the rest of our features.

X-Play's Blair Herter had the honor of sitting down and chatting with Nintendo's legendary Shigeru Miyamoto during E3 2009. Among the topics discussed were:

• Going four players with New Super Mario Bros.
• Super Mario Galaxy 2
• Integrating ideas from 2D development into a 3D game and vice versa
• Introducing fresh ideas after decades of game development
• The new Zelda game
• Metroid: The Other M
• His thoughts on Microsoft's and Sony's respective forays into motion controls

Regarding that last bullet point, Miyamoto said, "I think it's a testament that everyone has been able to see that when gamers are using their entire bodies to play in a physical nature, that they're having fun. It's just nice to see that everyone is recognizing that it's a fun style of gameplay for our audiences."

Be sure to watch the entire interview to get all the answers from one of the most brilliant developers in gaming history.

For more interviews from E3 2009, check out the rest of our features.

Infinity Ward Community Manager Robert Bowling discusses the importance of narrative pacing and the diversity of gameplay experiences awaiting players in Activision's highly-anticipated FPS Modern Warfare 2.

"It's all about pacing," Bowling explains. "There's places where you want to ramp it up to eleven and places where you want to have a more subtle intensity. We're telling a story here and crafting an action movie experience."

Check out our interview below:

Imre Jele discusses how a robust combat system, engrossing narrative and player freedom all contribute to Dead to Rights: Retribution being a franchise reboot worthy of keeping your sights on.

Is this a sequel? "Dead to Rights: Retribution is a brand-new start for the franchise," said Jele. "We took the best elements of the original game and tried to reintroduce them to a new console generation."

To find out more, be sure to watch our video interview.

For more interviews from E3 2009, check out the rest of our features.

Ash Ismail, the Lead Designer on W.E.T., provides a quick breakdown of Bethesda's upcoming action shooter.

Like the House of the Dead: Overkill team, Ismail and the A2M team really liked "Grindhouse." "Our story is...crazy characters, crazy scenarios," he says. Speaking of Tarantino, W.E.T.'s heroine, Rubi Malone seems just as inspired by "Pulp Fiction's" The Wolf as "Kill Bill's" The Bride. Ismail describes her as "what we call 'a problem-fixer' -- she gets paid a lot of money to fix messy problems; problems that cause a lot of collateral damage." Plus, he breaks down the meaning of the title; Metal Gear Solid 4 fans might catch the reference. Check out our interview from E3 2009:

Does that entice you to shoot, hack, and slash your way through countless waves of hapless goons yet?

For more interviews from E3 2009, check out the rest of our features.

Raphael Barent, Game Play Programmer from Ubisoft, previewed the intricate story and details behind Splinter Cell: Conviction last week at E3 2009.

The part that'll set off gamer conspiracy theorists --no, it's not anything regarding console exclusivity-- comes somewhere around the middle of the video when Barent says something seemingly innocuous. For those of you who played Splinter Cell: Double Agent, you'll remember that Sam Fisher's daughter died in a car accident. Or did she?

Before you talk amongst yourselves and start picking apart the meaning of his words, watch the interview!

For more interviews from E3 2009, check out the rest of our features.

Some of the supporting voice cast from Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, give us an interview at E3 2009, talking about their roles in the game.

Emily Rose (Elena Fisher), says that she's relieved that Naughty Dog has offiicially unveiled Elena's return for the sequel. "In the first game, she's a lot younger, she's a lot more naive, and she looks at things as being very possible, and in the second (game), has seen murders and adventure...the way that any person grows, you see that in her. She's a little bit more hesitant, a little more cynical," Rose says.

Actors Claudia Black (Chloe Frazer), and Robin Atkin-Downs (Tenzin) also provide some perspective on the way the game has changed through the eyes of their characters in it. Take a look, and answer the question below:

Uncharted director Amy Hennig has said in interviews that the game's characters are visually inspired by their voices more than any particular famous Hollywood faces. Would you agree?

We met up with Patrick Bach, Senior Producer from Electronic Arts, to talk about what we can expect in Battlefield: Bad Company 2,such as better vehicles and more multiplayer options.

"I think the team play aspect of the game is key to what we're building," said Bach. "Battlefield has been around for quite some time -- ever since [Battlefield] 1942 we've been focusing a lot on team play in different ways. And this time, on the console, we're actually making it into a true Battlefield experience by having the team play be a part of everything in the game."

Watch the interview below.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Senior Producer Interview

For more interviews from E3 2009, check out the rest of our features.

Nolan North, who plays hero Nathan Drake in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, gives us an interview about his perspective on the role he plays in the game, Nathan's job as the hero, and the style of the game itself, in this E3 2009 interview.

"It's interesting to come to E3 and walk around and say 'I did that,' but then it blows your mind to see what the animators have done," North says.

So now you've seen the man behind Nathan Drake (and the rebooted Prince of Persia). Tell us, does it weird you out when you see the voices behind your favorite game characters?

EA associate designer Yuri Bialdskursky previews their latest Wiimote-wielding football game Madden NFL 10. How will this year's game be different?

"We have five different body types and each one of those body types personifies the position that it's meant to capture," said Bialdskursky. "Your quarterbacks have a very heroic build, your runningbacks short and stocky, wide receivers are lanky at best -- they're meant to communicate that speed [and the] characteristics of the position they play."

Watch the video and find out more for yourself, man.

For more interviews from E3 2009, check out the rest of our features.