Hello Fogg, thanks for taking the time to talk a bit about Andromeda with us.
Sure, Fogg. My pleasure.
So, after E3, how would you describe the game in a nutshell?
Mass Effect: Andromeda is a new Mass Effect game, in which the player must find a new home for humanity in the Andromeda galaxy. The game is more 'open and free' compared to the first three games, it has a big focus on exploration.
How did we get to Andromeda, it's pretty far away?
Information on the exact timing, motivation and technology of the trip is still vague and considered spoilers. But it is confirmed that we flew there, instead of just warping to Andromeda. It's also confirmed that the journey took a long, long time. Hundreds of years (BioWare said that 400 years wasn't a 'bad guess' and let 600 years slip themselves). And at the end of the trailer we see a woman wake up from stasis, saying 'We made it'. So the colonists (as BioWare calls them) were probably in stasis during those centuries.
Who is the woman from the trailer anyway?
She is called Ryder and she's the default female protagonist. The voice you hear is also the actual voice actress for the female protagonist.
So Ryder is by default a female?
No, there's a default male Ryder too. BioWare just decided to use the default female Ryder for this trailer. Although it's suggested that the male character you see running and jumping around in the trailer (the one that gets stuck in the mouth of a beast) is the default male Ryder.
I understand, so I just choose between a male and female character, like in the other games?
Not entirely like in the first three games. Apparently there is a 'trick' to it. Character customization seems to be a bit different this time around.
Why? Can I be a Krogan? Finally!
No, you can't be a Krogan.
A Salarian then?
No, you can only play as a human. Mass Effect is about humanity's place in the universe and can only be experienced from the human perspective. Also, BioWare believes in defining the player's character a bit.
So what's the big change in character customization about, then?
There's not just one Ryder. There is a Ryder family, and the fact there are more Ryders is tied into the story. The player has family members. There's already a lot of speculation about this, but officially we just know that there are more Ryders than one and that therefore the character customization is a bit different.
Do we know anything about this Ryder, the protagonist?
Yes, Ryder is a bit different than Shepard. Remember Shepard was already a big hero at the start of the first game? Ryder is not. Ryder is still 'green'. Experienced enough to know how to win a fight, but the whole game is about Ryder becoming a hero, instead of a hero becoming a legend. The story is also describes as more 'personal'.
Can Ryder be in any way related to Shepard?
No, there's no connection whatsoever.
Who's the N7 guy?
We don't know, he's a big mystery.
We also saw an Asari in the trailer. She raised some eyebrows.
Haha, good joke, Fogg! You're funny.
It's not that funny, Asari don't have eyebrows. How does BioWare explain that change?
They didn't, since no one asked them to.
Is she a squad mate?
We don't know. Actually, I don't think there's any official information on squad mates yet. Except that there will be loyalty quests for them.
I saw a Krogan, an Asari, a Salarian, but no Turian or Quarian. Are they not in the game?
They haven't said anything about that, the same goes for the Drell, Vorcha and all those other Milky Way races. We'll just have to wait and see. I wouldn't start panicking about it tough.
So those big ships, that look a bit like the Citadel, what are they?
The big ships are important to the story, but BioWare didn't say what they were. They didn't use a name like 'Ark' or anything.
One ship that did have a name is the Normandy like vessel with Tempest written on it.
Yes, that seems to be our new Normandy. It can land on planets and there's stuff to do inside it too.
I know that name, Tempest! I remember that from last year's 'survey leak' on Reddit. Does that mean all that leaked information is pretty much legit now?
I'm only sticking to confirmed information in this post, keeping all the information from unofficial sources out. Read the 'leak' at your own risk, so you only have yourself to blame when there are spoilers in it, or features that are not in the actual game and can lead to disappointment.
Any news on the native species of Andromeda?
We will encounter new species that already live in Andromeda. Some of them might be friendly or hostile based upon the player's decisions.
How do we communicate with those new species?
That will be explained later on, they did figure something out for that.
How big is the game, will it ruin my social life?
The game is bigger than any other Mass Effect game, but how big is unknown. They did say that there are different planets, each with a single climate (so you have a desert planet, a jungle planet, etc. like in Star Wars) and that those planets serve more purposes than just one goal or objective. Players are encouraged to stick around and explore them.
So, did the choices I make in the original trilogy impact the new game?
No, the big choices Shepard had to make do not impact Mass Effect: Andromeda. It's pretty much confirmed the colonists leave for Andromeda before those big choices. So the ending of Mass Effect 3 still happened the way you wanted it to, but it doesn't matter in Andromeda. When the colonists left exactly, is still very vague.
But there will be new choices and consequences, right?
Yes, the dialogue wheel is pretty much the same as in the first three games. The only difference is that the paragon/renegade system seems to be gone, morality will no longer be as black and white as it was in the original trilogy. Choices are more 'grey'.
And romances, can I romance stuff?
Yes, you can. Relations will be more realistic than in the other games. It's about more than just choosing the flirty option during dialogues. It's more 'organic'. That's also the case for your relationship with squad members you don't romance, those relations are also more natural. BioWare confirmed that there are gay romances in Andromeda. The game contains sexual content and nudity.
Do we meet people from the old games in Andromeda?
Probably not. There will be some references (or easter eggs) to the original games, but that's it. Andromeda is all about a new start. Creating room for new characters and stories. All the mechanics from the Mass Effect lore will be re-explained for new players.
How about Cerberus, any word on them?
None.
I did see that the Mako returns. God help us all.
BioWare now openly says that the Mako had quite some nasty habits in the first game. They tried some vehicle exploration in Mass Effect 2, but ultimately decided to leave it entirely out in Mass Effect 3 because they weren't too good at it. Now the Need for Speed team helped out creating the Mako and it's supposed to be very fun. You're going to use it quite a lot.
Can I drive different vehicles, or even better: fly them?
No, there's only the Mako.
Any news on actual gameplay, like combat?
There hasn't been much information about combat mechanics, but we do know that it's squad combat, third-person and cover based. When you see the armor, the weapons on the characters back and the weapons themselves, it all looks very similar to the earlier games.
How about multiplayer?
Multiplayer will be similar to that of Mass Effect 3, but won't affect the main story in any way. It's entirely optional. Multiplayer matches will have more 'freedom' and are more 'chaotic' in Andromeda.
How much of the game is already done, how far along are they?
Mass Effect: Andromeda is in it's final stretch, now they are just polishing the whole thing. Still there have been a couple of modest changes ('but nothing radical') to meet the release date.
Will Andromeda be the start of a new trilogy?
That's not confirmed. But it's hinted that there may very well be new Mass Effect games after this one. Not necessarily a trilogy, tough. There are a lot of new people working on Mass Effect and they're very enthusiastic.
Any news on the PC requirements?
Yes, they'll be similar to those for Dragon Age: Inquisition and Star Wars: Battlefront.
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