It not terribly linear, you only have a handful of planets to visit, and each of them is a city, a dungeon and some other unique thing to the planet. But each of those are still quite large and the order and method you choose for each of them your choice.
As for my video game life recently, its a very sad story. I have never been a fan of MMO, having tried several and not liked any of them. A few seemed good at first, like EVE, but time required mixed with repetitive game play, and a monthly fee for the better ones all ways turned me off.
For instance my friends(all of them not just the same small group), for years have be trying to get me to play World of Warcraft, something I had no interest in what so ever. Well one of them the other day pulled be aside and gave be a talk in hopes that I will play. The thing with this case wasn't so much as he was listing what WoW has, it was that I haven't ever given it a shot, and he pulled up several example where my opinion of a game was change when I actually tried it. So in the end I got the 10 day trial and am so fucking pissed off to say that I
enjoyed it and am paying a monthly fee for a game.
WoW: Better then I thought, not as good as I heard.
Sorry to split the current conversations, but I felt like this deserved a post:
http://www.wiiblog.net/metroid-other-m-trailer-2371/
"Metroid: Other M". Strange name, but the trailer is incredible. In my opinion, it has the potential to outdo the whole Prime series. Time will tell, but I'm really hopeful!
EDIT:
I just saw the Mass Effect 2 E3 footage and new releases. Looks better then before, something the very impressive, Bioware has always been great on my list. According to IGN there will be a whole new team and Shepard is still alive. I wanted Tali and Garrus back, I was so pissed that she wasn't romanceable in the game considering that she was the only attractive person in the game. Garrus is just a BAMF.
I always pronounced Aran : Uh-ron not like Er-in. Although now that I think about it I am obviously wrong.