Bioware recently let out the good word that their next space opera action RPG, Mass Effect 2, will be available early next year (but in late January) for all and sundry to explore and get caught up in the drama and exploits of protagonist Shepard and co.

As for the goodies awaiting those who pre-order the game, there are two different bonuses (one of which is exclusive to megalith Gamestop), of which BioWare co-founder Dr. Ray Muzyka said:

“Our fans are in for a genuine thrill in the New Year with Mass Effect 2—the second installment in the trilogy will be of amazingly high quality. BioWare’s fans worldwide have been eagerly awaiting this epic sequel, and we couldn’t be more excited to reward them for pre-ordering by delivering some awesome bonus content!”

Reward us with…? Anyway, if you pre-order Mass Effect 2 at Gamestop, you’ll be entitled to The Terminus Gear, which comprises:

• The Terminus Armor is designed for use in extreme planetary conditions, increasing run speed and personal shields, and augmenting weapons with an additional magazine of reserve ammo.
• The M-490 Blackstorm Heavy Weapon generates a high-powered localized gravity well, accelerating particles to near-infinite mass, and ultimately expanding the selection of heavy weapons available to players when they gear up for combat missions in Mass Effect 2.

If you pre-order at a non-Gamestop games emporium, you’ll be treated to the Inferno Armour, which helps players along with faster running speed and improved damage-wielding abilities during combat.

When is that magical release date, though? Mass Effect 2 releases simultaneously on Xbox 360 and PC on January 26th in North America, and January 29th in Europe.

Still a bit of a wait, so in the meantime you can browse through El33tonline’s previous coverage of Mass Effect 2, or watch a few recent trailers to whet your appetite:

Subject Zero Trailer

GC 09: Omega Trailer