Faster Combat and a Jetpack
Combat is one of the areas that’s been changed up the most for Mass Effect: Andromeda, having battles play out at a much faster pace than ever before. Mobility is the big change hitting Andromeda, letting Ryder jet around the battlefield. You can execute a quick dash to either side, or use the new jetpack to boost yourself to a higher vantage point.
This added mobility is going to integrally change how you play Mass Effect, and hopefully it’s in a good way. Performance will need to be top notch, of course, in order for the sense of speed to come across correctly. Andromeda definitely stands to have the most exciting, action-packed combat system of the entire series.
Automatic Cover System
In addition to faster combat, it’s also been streamlined by allowing Ryder to go into cover automatically. Simply walking up to a piece of cover will cause the character to back up against it on their own, and doesn’t need any kind of button press or input. While this could work well, and really streamline the battle experiences in Andromeda, hopefully it works correctly.
It could also be frustrating, however, if Ryder doesn’t quite sync up correctly with pieces of cover. Even with the past games in the series, the cover system could be finicky at times, with Shepard accidentally jumping over objects or not taking cover when you meant them to. Andromeda’s new system could be either adaptive and intuitive, or frustrating, we’re hoping for the former.
Less Party Management in Battle
The level of control you have over your party in Andromeda is a bit different than past titles. You no longer have the ability to pause the game and bring up a command wheel and issue orders. The catch here is that your allies will adapt their combat styles to how you’re approaching things. If you adopt a sneaky approach they will too, or if you go in guns blazing they will as well.
This change means you have more time to focus on your own actions, bringing your entire arsenal to bear against enemies. Of course, at the same time you hope your allies are able to give you sufficient support since it isn’t as easy to command them. This pretty much depends on how good your squadmates’ AI is, and if they properly adapt to the situation. Not being able to pause battle could lead to a much more exhilarating experience, but only if your team reacts properly.
No Paragon and Renegade
Perhaps the biggest change for Andromeda, is the removal of the morality system from the original trilogy known as Paragon and Renegade. Bioware has been vocal about why they removed this, as the system felt like it was ingrained with the Commander Shepard character. They also want players to really think about the choices they’re making, instead of just picking the Paragon or Renegade choice.
This could result in much more meaningful choices for Andromeda, and it’s sure to have some morally challenging moments just like previous games. However, the Paragon and Renegade systems have been a constant part of Mass Effect since the first game, directly playing into the experience. Hopefully, Bioware has found a way to make the absence of this system not seem obvious, or have some new features to put in its place.
New Alien Races
Like previous entries in the series, Mass Effect: Andromeda features a diverse selection of alien races that you’ll be interacting with. Not every race from the original trilogy will return, but we’ll be getting a few new ones to keep us company. The advance Angara are one, while the militaristic Kett are another. You even have a new party member named Jaal who’s an Angara.
Really only time will tell if these new races fit into the series, but hopefully they’re just as fleshed out and comprehensive as each of the other races in Mass Effect. Anything less could feel misplaced.
The Nomad and a Larger Emphasis on Exploration
One of the worst aspects of the very first Mass Effect was driving the Mako, a vehicle that just didn’t work half the time you wanted it to. Andromeda brings a similar vehicle called the Nomad, letting Ryder and crew easily get around the expansive planets in the game. The main worry here is that the Nomad will have similar control issues to the Mako, but hopefully years of experience have allowed Bioware to nail down the controls.
This time around there’s also a much larger emphasis on exploration, matching with the overall themes of Andromeda. There are over a dozen planets in Andromeda each of which function as a small hub world filled with activities. There are sidequests to take, squadmate loyalty quests, enemy bases, rare objects to scan, and more. It remains to be seen how much of this content is engaging, however, and how much is just busy work. Mass Effect has always been about fascinating characters and stories, and hopefully Andromeda’s sidequests can stick to that, and not come out feeling like meaningless activities or fetch quests.
Published: Mar 17, 2017 09:55 am