Mass Effect 2 will have regular loading screens instead of elevator loads

Mass Effect 2's associate programmer, Thomas Roy, has said on the official forums (login required) that the game's ditched the elevator loading from the first game for typical load screens.

But, instead of boring old hat, the load times will offer "interesting visuals and information" instead of the long, boring screens with a progress bar.

Speaking of elevators, last week, BioWare's Casey Hudson explained the "new" elevator scenes a bit more, via an interview with VideoGamer.

"The whole ship is so rich and full of things to do," he said. "Even better, what used to be slow elevators or slow transitions from one deck to another now is faster transition and it actually is part of the narrative.

"You go to the elevator control and then you see what's on the elevator control panel as the schematics of the Normandy reveal where you are in the ship, and they show you different decks as you transition. Then all of a sudden you're there.

"So it makes it an interesting part of the narrative. I find that now, in between missions out in the universe, I come back to the Normandy and I just want to run around and do all the new things and check out the stuff I bought, talk to everybody, because it's a lot smoother and there's just so much more to do. I think people will be really excited about that."

More through Joystiq.