When Bioware's epic Mass Effect trilogy ended in 2012 with Mass Effect 3, fans were less than thrilled at the beloved franchise's finale. Luckily, three years later the game developer promised to reintroduce fans to the inventive and astronomical world of Mass Effect with a follow-up game, Mass Effect: Andromeda. Now, with the game's early 2017 premiere looming, fans are finally getting a glimpse at the new and improved addition.
Last week, Mass Effect: Andromeda released an awesome trailer that offered us our first real glimpse into the new and improved ME universe. The snippets of gameplay which made up the five-minute trailer ranged from breathtaking intergalactic cutscenes to intense combat. The only downside of the otherwise exhilirating trailer is that it left most new information about Andromeda up to fan interpretation. That is, until now.
Today, IGN released a video in which Andromeda creative director Mac Walters and Mass Effect producer Mike Gamble essentially provide commentary over the trailer footage. Their voiceover on top of the video adds a revelatory layer to the already exciting trailer, and provides fans with even more insight into this upcoming franchise addition. Watch the video, above.
Some of the most highlighted aspects of the trailer include Andromeda's new transportation sequences, worlds, and combat gameplay. Walters and Gamble were both clearly interested in the new travel and combat. Walters said of the former:
"You are a pathfinder, an explorer at heart, and so showing off some of those beautiful locations waiting to be discovered was important for us."
And Gamble added:
"I think one of the things that we really were focused on with Andromeda was making sure that you didn't just have barren planets to explore, but you would find places filled with life and have a history all in and of themselves."
Each of these comments shows a conscious improvement upon some of the weaker aspects of the early Mass Effect games, and Gamble's statement reminds one of some of Mass Effect's less fruitful journeys in the Mako. The Nomad, a pathfinding vehicle, provides players with a modified way to explore new territory. The creators were also eager to highlight the game's new combat gameplay, emphasizing its newfound "mobility and freedom." According to Walters and Gamble, players will even be able to gain and develop all available powers within Andromeda, something unavailable in previous Mass Effect games.
It's awesome to get this added context, and to have some of the improved elements of Andromeda explained to those of us who aren't quite sure how to put a name to all the different aspects of the trailer. So far it looks like Andromeda will provide players with Halo-like combat, all while upholding Bioware's famous narrative strength. Though some past Mass Effect games have been critiqued for their difficulty balancing RPG elements and combat, it looks like Andromeda will be a much-needed step forward in achieving that stability.
So far most news about Andromeda has been good, and this nice video extra is no exception. Now we just need to shake down Bioware for a concrete release date...
The rumored release date for Mass Effect: Andromeda is March 2017; a precise release date is yet to be confirmed beyond "Spring 2017."
Source: IGN