Mass Effect: Andromeda

Mass Effect: Andromeda
Developer(s) BioWare
Publisher(s) Electronic Arts
Director(s) Mac Walters[1]
Producer(s)
  • Fabrice Condominas
  • Mike Gamble
Designer(s) Ian Frazier
Artist(s) Joel MacMillan
Series Mass Effect
Engine Frostbite 3
Platform(s)

Release date(s) Q1 2017[2]
Genre(s) Action role-playing, third-person shooter
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Mass Effect: Andromeda is an upcoming action role-playing third-person shooter video game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.[3][4][5] A successor to 2012's Mass Effect 3, Mass Effect: Andromeda is the first game in the series to feature an open world environment. The game was officially announced on June 15, 2015, during the Electronic Arts press conference at E3 2015.

Gameplay

Mass Effect: Andromeda is an action role-playing game in which the player takes control of either Sara or Scott Ryder from a third-person perspective.[6] Unlike previous installments in the Mass Effect series, where players began each new game by choosing from six different character classes that each had their own unique set of skills, players instead have free rein to assign any skills that they want and build towards a specialty over the course of the game.[7] Points assigned to each skill can be constantly reallocated so that players can experiment with multiple gameplay approaches without having to restart their games and build up their skills from scratch again.[8]

The game features an open world environment, which is a departure from its predecessors. Players are able to play as either a male or female human character. Players will be able to pilot the reintroduced and customizable six-wheeled buggy-type vehicle, Nomad, to explore the new planets featured in the game. The E3 2016 trailer revealed that, much like the Normandy from the predecessor series, a space ship named the Tempest will be under the player character's command. The game features various planets for players to explore, with each having their own characteristics. Similar to its predecessors, the game features a dialogue tree, choices, romantic relationships with companions, and cooperative multiplayer.[9]

Plot

The game takes place 600 years after the events of the first three Mass Effect games,[10] in the Andromeda Galaxy. The player character's intergalactic journey began during the time in which Mass Effect 2 takes place, separating the new setting from the events of the third game.[11] Players choose from either a male or a female sibling with the other continuing to feature in the story. They are the children of Alec Ryder – an N7 special forces soldier – and designated as a Pathfinder, an operative tasked with discovering new planets for the Human species to colonize. They will explore an open world galaxy aboard the starship Tempest.

Development

Andromeda was announced on Twitter by former BioWare Edmonton executive producer Casey Hudson in November 2012. He asked, "We're in early stages of designing a completely new Mass Effect game. What would you want to see in it?"[12] On November 12, 2012, BioWare confirmed that they are working on a new Mass Effect project and that it would use DICE's Frostbite 3 engine, much like Dragon Age: Inquisition.[13] In March 2013, Hudson revealed at PAX East that BioWare was beginning work on the next installment in the franchise. The video game was officially announced to be under development at E3 2014 on June 9, 2014, where Andromeda was briefly shown with early conceptual footage and information.[14] According to then BioWare community manager Chris Priestly, BioWare does not want people to refer to the next game as Mass Effect 4. This statement was followed up by BioWare Edmonton chief Yanick Roy, emphasizing that the original trilogy was concluded and they are focusing on a new story in the Mass Effect universe. On January 19, 2015, it was revealed that the next installment involved 200 developers.[15] It was suggested that the title would not be Mass Effect 4 and that the Mako, a six-wheeled vehicle used in the first Mass Effect, would make a return in the fourth installment.[16] A multiplayer component was also confirmed.[17]

Mass Effect: Andromeda was revealed on June 15, 2015, during Electronic Arts' press conference at E3 2015 in the form of a trailer; it was subsequently uploaded to the Mass Effect YouTube channel on the same day.[18] A teaser trailer was uploaded to the channel on "N7 Day", November 7, 2015, featuring the voice of Jennifer Hale as Commander Shepard.[19]

During EA Play, an event held by Electronic Arts in conjunction with E3 2016, a third trailer was released. This trailer contained several scenes that leaked in early April, confirming the legitimacy of those scenes and possibly of the others released along with it.

Speaking during Morgan Stanley's Technology, Media & Telecom Conference on March 2, 2016, EA chief financial officer Blake Jorgensen stated that Mass Effect: Andromeda's release had been delayed from its original Q4 2016 date, and will now release in Q1 2017.[2]

According to BioWare, the game will feature an open world this time around, stating that "A big open world is the big thing the team is trying to embrace, and that's expressed through those amazing looking planets."[20]

Ian S. Frazier, lead designer of Mass Effect: Andromeda, revealed on Twitter that the game is developed by BioWare studios: Montreal, Edmonton, and Austin.[21]

Accolades

Year Award Category Result Ref
2016 Golden Joystick Awards 2016 Most Wanted Game Won [22]
Global Game Awards 2016 Most Anticipated Game Won [23]
The Game Awards 2016 Most Anticipated Game Nominated [24]

References

  1. ↑ Pierse, Conal (November 7, 2014). "Introducing Some Dev Team Leads For The Next Mass Effect". BioWare Blog.
  2. 1 2 Blain, Louise (March 2, 2016). "Mass Effect Andromeda is delayed to early 2017". GamesRadar. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
  3. ↑ Dyer, Mitch (June 15, 2015). "E3 2015: Mass Effect Andromeda Announced for Holiday 2016". IGN. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
  4. ↑ Jones, Gary (July 13, 2015). "Mass Effect 4: BioWare gathering secret feedback for Xbox One and PS4's Andromeda". Express.co.uk. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
  5. ↑ Scammell, David (June 15, 2015). "Mass Effect Andromeda confirmed for 2016 on PS4, Xbox One & PC". VideoGamer.com. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
  6. ↑ Gray, Kate. "Mass Effect: Andromeda – everything we know so far". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  7. ↑ Phillips, Tom. "Mass Effect Andromeda: story, gameplay, planned release date and everything we know". Eurogamer. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  8. ↑ Joe, Juba (December 2016). "Unexplored Territory: Mass Effect Charts a New Course". Game Informer. No. 284. p. 90.
  9. ↑ Phillips, Tom (July 2, 2016). "Mass Effect Andromeda: gameplay, story and everything we know". Eurogamer. Retrieved July 4, 2016.
  10. ↑ "E3 2015: First Mass Effect Andromeda story details revealed". BioWare. June 15, 2015. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Now we know exactly when Mass Effect Andromeda is set". BioWare. November 7, 2016.
  12. ↑ Hudson, Casey. "New mass effect game".
  13. ↑ BioWare (November 12, 2012). "An Update From BioWare Montreal | BioWare Blog". Blog.bioware.com. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  14. ↑ "E3 2014: New Mass Effect Contains "Nods" for Fans of the Original Trilogy". Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  15. ↑ Bhat, Aditya (January 19, 2015). "Mass Effect 4: New Details Reveal its Massiveness, Possible Release Date and Nearly 200 Devs Engaged in Development". Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  16. ↑ Martin, Chris (January 19, 2015). "Mass Effect 4 release date and features: Set for 2016 with new characters and places". Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  17. ↑ Hillier, Brenna (February 12, 2015). "Mass Effect 4 multiplayer on the cards". VG247.
  18. ↑ "Mass Effect™: Andromeda official E3 2015 announce trailer". BioWare. June 15, 2015. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
  19. ↑ S. Good, Owen (November 7, 2015). "See Mass Effect: Andromeda's new teaser trailer". Polygon. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
  20. ↑ Favis, Elise (2016-06-13). "Mass Effect: Andromeda Will Feature A Huge Open World And More". Game Informer. Retrieved 2016-08-11.
  21. ↑ https://twitter.com/tibermoon/status/793932064634634240
  22. ↑ Sheridan, Connor (November 18, 2016). "Overwatch scoops five awards, Firewatch wins Best Indie Game: Here are all the Golden Joystick 2016 winners". GamesRadar. Retrieved November 18, 2016.
  23. ↑ SW, Ed (November 24, 2016). "Global Game Awards 2016 Results: Game Of The Year - Best Indie - Most Anticipated". Game Debate. Retrieved November 28, 2016.
  24. ↑ Jones, Brad (November 17, 2016). "Big names nominated for top honors at The Game Awards 2016". Digital Trends. Retrieved November 21, 2016.

External links

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