ESRB outs Mass Effect 2 mature content

The American Entertainment Software Rating Board has published its summary for Mass Effect 2, outlining the various themes that earned the game a Mature rating.

It's all broadly in line with the first game. You can still get it on with alien and human team-mates, for instance. "Clothed alien/human characters may prop a partner on top of a space console, clear away the clutter from a bed-slab, unzip a future-blouse, or just talk it out," according to the ESRB note.

"Though an alien/human may gyrate her hips while on top (fleeting - one-to-two seconds), actual sex is never depicted - the camera cuts away to space furniture and ceilings."

The violence is as you will have seen in the numerous trailers - freezing and shattering enemies, setting robots on fire, levitating enemies and of course shooting them a lot. We're also told to expect pools of blood. Love those pools of blood.

Elsewhere, there's some stuff about drugs, pole dancing and suggestive comments. Check out the full summary if you want to make a call on whether you're safe, but beware that the first line is a bit more illuminating about the central disappearing-human-colonies story thread than some would perhaps like.

Mass Effect 2 is due out for PC and Xbox 360 on 29th January.