PAX 09: Mass Effect 2 screens show characters, explosion

While we should never neglect the narrative and RPG components of Mass Effect 2, we can, at times like this, indulge in the visual splendor. Developer BioWare just released four new images of the game in celebration — or perhaps for new preview opportunities — at PAX 2009. Either way, this stuff looks beautiful.

A few of the images show super assassin Thane — one of the new characters that Shepard has to recruit into his squad. Another shows Grunt — a volatile (imagine that!) Krogan — and the other depicts a grenade launcher explosion and enemy ragdoll action.

And, yeah, it looks just as great in motion, too. This game needs to come out. Now.