After the momentous events at the end of Mass Effect, it was surprising that the sequel didn't spend much time in the Citadel. Speaking to OXM , lead writer Mac Walters has said that the huge station that forms the galactic centre of government will form a bigger part of Mass Effect 3.

"There was a Mass Effect 2 plot that was a kind of callback to the first Mass Effect that was going to be on the Citadel, and we cut it. But now it's made a resurrection in Mass Effect 3," says Walters. "That's the nice thing about trilogies, sometimes you get a second chance." Hopefully it won't be a sequel to the Keeper scanning side quest.

Walters also talks about the difficulties of writing Mass Effect 3, particularly the difficulties of writing around the fact that any number of former companions and crew members may be dead or absent at the start of the third game. "They're more hurdles. Sometimes they're hurdles that we've given ourselves, so we kind of smack ourselves in the head and say 'What the hell were we thinking? Why did we do that?'"

Mass Effect 3 is out in March. Resident sentient Mass Effect encyclopaedia Chris Thursten has convinced me and Hatfield to play through the entire Mass Effect series, starting in January, completing every sidequest and slice of DLC in preparation for its release. We may go a bit space mad in the process, but it'll probably be worth it. Will you be retreading Shepard's steps ahead of Mass Effect 3?