Even as Bioware’s sacred N7 Day wrapped up, a slew of new details escaped about the upcoming Mass Effect: Andromeda overnight
The biggest news is that Sarah or Scott Ryder, who will be the protagonist of the game depending on your choice, will not choose from the preexisting classes which featured in the previous three games. Instead, you will be able to select Ryder’s skills from a flexible specialisation tree, which you can adapt according to your playstyle.
You’ll also earn ‘titles’ similar to the previous classes of Adept and Vanguard, and will be able to respec your setup at certain points in the game thanks to a “narrative reason”, which will allow you to enjoy multiple play styles.
Previously in the series only certain classes could use ‘biotics’, essentially space magic, so it will be interesting to see how this is implemented.
The game will also feature a dynamic cover system, and you will be able to use Ryder’s jet pack in battle, which alongside the use of melee weapons such as hammers and swords should make for an interesting mix of combat styles.
The game will also feature more romance choices than any other Bioware game, with a more realistic set of relationships to satisfy a greater number of players.
Beyond the combat, it was also announced that the game’s Paragon and Renegade morality system would be removed in favour of a wider range of options: heart, head, professional and casual, without a visual meter tracking your choices.
The game will also feature more romance choices than any other Bioware game, with a more realistic set of relationships to satisfy a greater number of players. Some characters will be interested in long term relationships, and for others it will just be sex.
The names of two squadmates were also revealed, with the asari which has been featured in several trailers now called Peebee (a nickname) and a new human squadmate named Liam. Previous leaks also hinted at a krogan named Drack and another (possibly human) squadmate called Cora, as well as a salarian squadmate. Turians will feature in the game but have not been shown.
The Ryder sibling you don’t choose to play will remain a part of the game and you will be able to interact with them, though they won’t be a squadmate. You will be able to influence their looks as well as the looks of Alec Ryder, the Ryder sibling’s father, though not as extensively as you will be able to edit your own character.
You will be able to replay the game as the other Ryder sibling in a New Game+ mode.
The game’s antagonists have been revealed to be called the Kett (previously Khet) and although they seemed pretty nasty in the trailer, apparently Ryder will also have a reason to sympathise with them.
The game’s revamped Mako, known as the Nomad, an RC version of which will be included in the $199 Collectors Edition, will also play a big role in exploration. You will need to solve puzzles throughout the Helios system and there will be a number of bosses to defeat.
The game’s cover also shows a destroyed Ark, which lends more weight to Bioware’s implications that not everything goes smoothly during the arrival in Andromeda.
There will be four ‘Arks’ in Andromeda – one for each Milky Way species – and a hub known as the Nexus, similar to the Citadel, which Ryder will be able to visit. These Arks are led by Pathfinders, of which your Ryder will be one, following in the footsteps of their father, who was previously a Pathfinder and disappeared during his trip to Andromeda.
The game’s cover also shows a destroyed Ark, which lends more weight to Bioware’s implications that not everything goes smoothly during the arrival in Andromeda.
Multiplayer will affect the main game’s campaign – though not as extensively as it did in Mass Effect 3 – and is described as an improvement on ME3’s four-player horde mode. It will feature a card-based item system and will let you pay for more packs, though it will be possible to unlock everything through normal progression. There will also be a system for picking specific cards, as well as regular events where you will face specific maps and enemies for increased rewards.
Bioware have promised more updates over the coming weeks, and we’ll make sure to report them as they come in, so stay tuned!
More N7 Day coverage:
https://culturedvultures.com/n7-day-loyalty-missions-return-mass-effect-andromeda/
https://culturedvultures.com/n7-day-mass-effect-2-3-now-backwards-compatible-xbox-one/
https://culturedvultures.com/n7-day-mass-effect-andromeda-199-collectors-edition/
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