Everything We Know About Mass Effect: Andromeda
BioWare's latest in the Mass Effect series is also the very first to be stepping away from the iconic Council Spectre and Systems Alliance badass, Commander Shephard.
UPDATE 05/01/2017: Official release date announced at CES 2017 - coming March 21st/23rd.
UPDATE 08/11: NeoGAF article summaries Game Informer piece on Mass Effect: Andromeda.
UPDATE 07/11: BioWare release the Official Cinematic Reveal Trailer for Mass Effect: Andromeda. Product listings reveal features of the upcoming sci-fi RPG such as confirmation of multiplayer.
The Big Bang Theorem
The universe is large and Mass Effect: Andromeda will be taking place in our neighbouring galaxy, Andromeda, if the title didn't give it away. Beside changing the galactic scenery BioWare is also jumping to DICE's Frostbite 3 engine.
This is a radical departure and was confirmed to be in the works back in November 2012. This will be BioWare's second major release with the Frostbite 3 engine which has undergone extensive customisation to handle an RPG environment. The first was Dragon Age: Inquisition where the two teams are said to have been 'sharing notes'.
Andromeda is also the very first Mass Effect to be releasing entirely on 'next-gen' hardware with Xbox One and PlayStation 4, which is why the BioWare team have been ambitious in their scale.
New Galaxy, New Stories
While some serious drama went down in the Milky Way between Team Reaper and Team Shep on Earth, the new Mass Effect will be side-stepping the whole galactic-wide dust-up as they literally leave 99.9% of all that behind.
With more recent information now out we know that Andromeda begins after the events of Mass Effect 2 and before Mass Effect 3, where the Reapers attempted to arrive through one of the Mass Relays and that Commander Shephard was responsible for destroying and subsequently 'requested back home' to Earth.
It's here that humanity gets nervous and launches the Andromeda Initiative that is effectively a series of galaxy-to-galaxy sleeper Arcs that will carry those daring enough to try and reach the neighbouring galaxy to try and ensure their survival, should the whole Reaper scenario go bad.
The Andromeda Initiative is scheduled to launch in the year 2185 where it will take a colossal 600 year journey to Andromeda with its crew suspended in cryostasis. It's privately funded and independent from the Systems Alliance, which means it likely got some funding from Cerberus.
The Hyperion Arc is the 'main' ship that is travelling to Andromeda, but there are others such as the Nexus - which contains the Initiative's founder Jien Garson. There are also three other Arcs with each housing a separate species from Citadel space. The Arcs are on course for "Golden Worlds" within the Andromeda's helios cluster.
The Nexus Arc left ahead of the others to get set up early in preparation for the other Arc arrivals, of which there are four. Something goes wrong for the human ship - you had one job Arc! - which leaves it exposed and in serious danger within hostile space.
Hello My Name Is...
Who are we? Following the naming convention so far, where Shephard was named after the first American astronaut Alan Shepard to reach space, we are now carrying the name Ryder which is after the first American female astronaut, Sally Ride.
We play as one of the two Ryder siblings - brother or sister - and we're one of the daring certified explorers and future colonists of Andromeda. Our corresponding sibling will also be in the game carrying out their duties. The Pathfinder is effectively the one in charge of their Arc's operations and is consider the best person for the job - this role is fulfilled by our character's father.
Dude, Where's My MAKO?
Vehicles and exploration are a major feature in Mass Effect: Andromeda and as such we will be getting some new wheels and a sweet starship called the Tempest. While the MAKO doesn't make a return specifically, its spiritual successor - the NOMAD - improves upon everything except it won't be involved in combat, according to BioWare.
The Tempest is the 'new Normandy' of Andromeda and it wouldn't do well to have pinched the original considering it was being converted by the Systems Alliance for the upcoming war with the Reapers at the time. It's our sleek new vessel for exploration in a whole new galaxy.
Tempest highlights:
• Obvious homage to the Normandy, important for familiarity
• No loading screens between ship sections/decks
• Galaxy map used for navigation, view kept in-ship (no mini ship)
• No manual ship piloting, travel seamless between Tempest and NOMAD
• Pick planet, head to cargo deck, board NOMAD, land on planet - no loading
The Nexus Arc will be our main hub for all Andromeda Initiative business, and is sort of like the new Citadel. It's a forward command centre that is coordinating between all four of the Arcs and their inhabitant species. It has its own level-up system as we adventure around Andromeda suggesting we can improve and maybe even customise (to a degree) the massive space station.
Bullets And Biotics
Classes are no more. BioWare has completely thrown out the previous class system for characters as now you'll be able to pick and choose whatever skills you like, be they something traditionally 'soldier' or even 'biotic' in nature. We will also get to respec at any time with it 'explained' within the game rules. Probably magic amnesiac space beans. Those Salarians are a clever bunch.
Combat feature highlights:
• Global cooldowns replaced with individual ability timers
• Emphasis on hotkeyed abilities without needing to pause
• Cover-based combat remains the bread-and-butter
• Jetpack can hover for height advantage, increased mobility
• Less linear design to avoid 'bad feeling' giveaways for trouble
• Orders and attacks can still be queued
• Classes gone but specialisations remain, can be unlocked
• Customisable loadouts for quick-changing skills
• Some combat abilities having an 'alternate fire' mode if charged up
• All armour elements can be customised
• Iconic weapons return alongside melee options
Love Is In The Airlock
It just wouldn't be a BioWare RPG without some boot-knocking and yes there will be new romances available to those who can't keep their armour zipped. It's unclear who we'll be romancing as nothing substantial has been revealed about the full companion cast yet.
Loyalty missions also return from Mass Effect 2 though they don't have the same impact they did, such as whether or not a companion would actually survive the endeavour. Also these loyalty missions can actually be tackled after the main story is concluded. They're entirely optional for fans who'd like to explore more with a character, or not.
Confirmed companions:
• Asari squadmate nicknamed 'Peebee', smart and 'bubbly'
• Human male named Liam, former police officer with 'light attitude'
• Human female named Cora
• Krogan male called Drack
• Turian female Vetra
• Unknown sixth squadmate, presumed to be of a 'new race'
Interestingly there's also a replacement to the AI EDI in Andromeda who is referred to as SAM in the most recent gameplay trailer. Apparently they serve a role similar to EDI in the original Mass Effect trilogy, however Mac Walters has described the relationship between the Ryder sibling and SAM as something much closer.
The Dialogue Wheel of Life
Mass Effect: Andromeda will be similar in many ways to the previous games as it will still be using the dialogue wheel for conversations and decisions, and it will be embracing more action-orientated combat thanks to Frostbite 3's affinity for shooting and exploding stuff.
BioWare is moving away from the Paragon/Renegade system that has been in since the original Mass Effect, with the team adopting a different approach to allow for a wider variety of responses and emotional reactions across the game.
• Agreements / disagreements don't necessarily 'punish or reward'
• Dialogue is now tonal: heart, head, professional, casual
• Tone doesn't effect some meter like Paragon / Renegade did
• Interrupts replaced with ambiguous 'narrative actions'
• Decisions far less black or white, consequences nuanced
Exploration this time with the NOMAD will be absent any combat it seems as BioWare are focusing more on the spirit of exploration itself. Also the combat in the original MAKO was so easily exploited it became rather pointless in the original Mass Effect, and almost comedic.
There'll be many planets to explore with their own biomes, so, pack a lunch. While obviously not letting us explore whole planets - this isn't Star Citizen! - the areas we can nose around are vast.
Major choices, fancy sci-fi weaponry and biotic abilities remain a cornerstone of Andromeda. From what leaks have come from BioWare so far the destructibility, which was largely missing from Dragon Age: Inquisition, will play a more pleasing role.
Leaving A Mark
Andromeda is a whole new galaxy of possibilities and there are plenty of things to keep in mind, like the new 'enemy' that's going to be challenging the invading aliens - which would be us. Our primary adversary is the 'Kett', who aren't some hideous visage but understandable.
Crafting is a major feature in Andromeda and we'll be surveying all new discoveries on our journey to strengthen our new home. These discoveries can lead to new schematics and research options which can be exploited. The mineral nodes of the original Mass Effect aren't returning and neither are the mass produced and identical prefab outposts.
We can scout and deploy forward outposts on planets to get a presence there which also lets us fast travel and have access to loadouts should we wish to change our gear etc. Most visitable planets will have one major enemy position to overcome.
Similar to Dragon Age: Inquisition, there will be times its prudent to withdraw and return later when we're better prepared in skill and gear. Some missions will also lead us across multiple worlds and locations.
Multiplayer Mayhem And Missions
It has been confirmed by product listings that Mass Effect: Andromeda will support 1 to 4 players in multiplayer, although the actual specifics haven't been fully revealed yet.
Multiplayer highlights:
• Card-based economy that rewards credits and XP for progression
• Microtransactions but everything can be earned in-game
• Enemy type and map are set, much like in Mass Effect 3 with modifers
• BioWare will release custom crafted missions with locked modifiers
• Players are part of 'Apex Force' from the Nexus, a militia strike unit
• Multiplayer will grant some advantages to the single-player
• Prestige XP carries over multiple characters
Departure Date
Now that the N7 Day tease has happened with the Official Cinematic Reveal Trailer and the ANDROMEDA INITIATIVE – Orientation Briefing trailer, we'll have to wait until December for the 'full reveal'.
It has been confirmed that the new Mass Effect won't be coming to Nintendo Switch with no plans in the future.
Mass Effect: Andromeda has been official dated March 21st, 2017 for North America and March 23rd for Europe.
