he game starts you off in command of a ship, the Normandy, which you'll use to explore various planets and other galactic locales (such as abandoned space ships). The dialogue system is a refined, more dynamic version of what you've seen in previous Bioware games. You'll no longer read the lines and select which one you want to say; now you use a dialogue wheel to choose the approach you want to take (bully, bribe, or be nice, for example), and your character takes it from there. Combat is realtime, but highly tactical. With three combat specializations, the options for handling individual battles should vary greatly. Even after you've finished the main story, you can continue exploring the galaxy (occasionally visiting planets in your own customizable all-terrain vehicle), and Bioware promises downloadable content that should extend the gameplay experience well beyond the initial quest.