'Mass Effect 2': Isn't it romantic?

Mass Effect 2‘s big draw might be its thrillingly customizable play or its narrative and emotional depth. But its major buzz comes from its rah-rah-rah-romance. Well, “romance” — non-playable PG-13 heavy breathing that you can only see through specific choices in the game isn’t quite the stuff of Valentines odes.

The stories make sense, the sexytimes scenes themselves are pretty tame — and sometimes even kind of sweet. But man: talk about the uncanny valley. Game developers have perfected explosions, weapons, cars, sports — and yet this kiss (skip to 5:40) is about the creepiest thing I have ever seen. (Yes, that’s Chuck‘s Yvonne Strahovski.)

Are you loving Mass Effect 2, PopWatchers? What does your Commander Shepard look like?