When I first previewed Mass Effect what seems like ages ago at E3 in Los Angeles, the Bioware presenters just seemed far too ambitious.  A shooter, RPG, and adventure game, all rolled into one, with vehicles, to boot?  That just seemed like a game that wanted to be too much.  But while I was skeptical, I really hoped that Bioware could pull it off – if they did, they could create one of the best games of all time.

Of course, as we all know, Mass Effect was a tremendous success.  Not only was ME critically-acclaimed, but it stands as one of the most beloved titles on the Xbox 360 platform due to its memorable characters (with superb voice acting), epic storyline, and rich universe.  From the time I spent with a demo at CES 2010, it’s looking like Bioware is taking gamers to an enhanced and darker experience with the highly-anticipated sequel.

The sequel’s storyline has a few surprises, including a traumatic event that Shephard suffers, affecting him physically, and possibily event his status as a Spectre.  Decisions made by gamers in the first Mass Effect may even affect the story of ME2.  I was also told that the novel, Mass Effect: Ascension fills in the gap between ME and ME2, and serves as a great setup for the sequel.

Visually, ME2 has a darker atmosphere and a grittier look.  The graphics engine from ME has been optimized, with improved textures and character models, and it seems like framerate issues are a thing of the past.  While ME had highly impressive graphics, I’m hoping that ME2 will present additional animations.  Unfortunately, I only saw a small portion of ME2, so I was unable to determine whether there will be new animations.

In terms of gameplay, there are additional weapons, abilities (Shephard can “charge” at a group of enemies, going through obstacles and cover to take them out with a swift blow), and armor to customize your crew.  Moreover, not only has the Citadel been rebuilt with varying and unique environments in the different sections, the Normandy has received huge upgrades, including a captain’s quarters, where you can upgrade weapons and such.  The Mako we’re told, has been upgraded as well, but alas, details were kept under wraps.

New mini-games used to unlock doors or to hack computers require you to play short match games (match the same colors of computer code), and re-route circuitry.  The mini-games were fun little diversions that added that extra dimension to the game.

Of course, the Paragon/Renegade system is back, but in addition to the storyline being affected by a gamer’s ethical choices, scars on Shephard’s face will either heal and recede, or grow and become more prominent.  Additionally, during conversations with other characters, there will be a quick-time option to take either Paragon or Renegade action, which will also affect short-term events.

With new, richly-written characters, weapons, skills, and another epic mystery to solve, Mass Effect 2 will set the bar high for gaming in 2010.  Mass Effect 2 is set for release on January 26, 2010.

One of the most anticipated games of the year is the continuation of the critically-acclaimed Splinter Cell franchise.  Having gone through early development issues (and purported storyline issues), as well as the ill-founded rumor of a replacement for the voice of Sam Fisher, Conviction has gone through a troubling couple of years.

More recently, while developer-guided demonstrations appeared at E3 and other events, hands-on time with Conviction was extremely limited.  It was to my surprise then that a demo of Conviction was playable at the 2010 Consumer Electronic Show, an expo that is not generally known for it’s gaming offerings.  Not only was part of the single-player campaign playable at Microsoft’s gargantuan booth, but one of the multiplayer modes was also playable over at the Dolby booth, of all places.

Conviction’s single-player campaign begins with Sam Fisher on the lam, and without the support of the spy organization, Third Echelon.  Fisher initially resorts to using rudimentary and make-shift tools to uncover the conspiracy and somehow get back into full support.  In terms of gameplay, Conviction seems faster, and more intense.  Fisher sneaks, climbs, and hides like his usual predator self, but now he can slide into cover when running, and vault over cover as an absolute necessity at times.  The need for increased agility was quickly apparent when I encountered a group of enemies; the A.I. possessed a pack-like approach to hunting me down.

One of the more more memorable moments in the level I demoed included an interrogation of the last remaining enemy.  Fisher’s techniques are brutal, and some are even context sensitive.  Positioning Fisher and his unfortunate interviewee to the hood of a nearby pickup truck and hitting the action button will result in different interrogation action than moving the enemy near a tree stump.

Another excellent moment in the level required patient observation and careful planning to elimate a group of enemies all within just a few moments.  To aid in this, Fisher was in possession of a heartbeat sensor, which works similar to sonar, effectively giving you the positions of each target in an area.  Moreover, the mark and execute feature allows gamers to quickly eliminate enemies during any assault (executes are only available after hand-to-hand takedowns).

Graphically, Sam Fisher has never looked better.  Naturally, the large, projected images and level cues added a dramatic flair, and despite the dark and shadowy environments, I never had any difficulty seeing them.

Game Director Patrick Reading sat down with me and gave me a preview of co-op in Conviction.  The co-op modes Ubisoft is including with Conviction will undoubtedly appeal to gamers, especially in light of the recent co-op trend.  Offline gamers will be happy to know that Conviction will support split-screen co-op in addition to co-op over Live.

Aside from the prologue story-mode that lead up to the events of the single-player campaign, players can also engage in Deniable Ops Missions, three of which are co-op, and one mode that pits spy versus spy.  The co-op modes are similar to the familiar horde mode many co-op games have been featuring, but naturally, Conviction will require stealth, teamwork, planning, and deception (the A.I. will never assume there is more than one of you).

One feature I was excited to learn about was the Persistent Elite Creation System, which allows gamers to earn points through gameplay challenges in both single-player and co-op games, to use on equipment upgrades, visual customizations (like uniforms, skins, and camo), and even accessory upgrades (such as ammo packs).

Gamers have been treated with some incredible run-and-gun action games recently, and Splinter Cell: Conviction, seems to be bringing an intelligent stealth-action game that gamer have been missing for far too long.