Taking a couple of cues from Knights of the Old Republic, the gameplay is squad based (you have two alien companions to help out when things get hairy) and has a sophisticated dialog system. There’s an interesting twist to the dialog setup this go-round. Going for more dynamic pacing and in the interest of more immediate and realistic exchanges, Bioware has streamlined the usual clunky dialog tree approach. When you engage in dialog exchanges with NPC’s, rather than having to read through and choose from long lines of complex dialog, you choose from a variety of short phrases that represent emotional gut reactions to whatever’s being said. You choose these without knowing exactly what the hero character then is going to say, knowing only the gist of the emotional tenor of the dialog. This approach adds to the fun by making the dialog more spontaneous and organic-feeling.