Watch: Mass Effect Andromeda Gameplay Trailer

[Gennadios]

So we do have an open world game with resource gathering, and a boss monster fight with a native species and... some other some other native species. Right.

Reminds me of that time I got jumped by two tigers and a gorilla.

Too close to Dragon Age Inquisition for comfort, I never did beat that game.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

Really? Because there's plenty of that too. Just not from every character. They all have unique expressions that fit their personalities.

I've only recently played through the main game, first game I finished in a while even, and I honest to God cannot recall any sort of elaborate facial expressing in any character. All small stuff, more downplayed emotions. But no guffaws, no knee-slapping laughs, no sobbing, no utter shock, etc. To put it in different words; everyone was so composed. People aren't composed all the time.[/quote]

What about when Geralt find Ciri?

 

[Ishigami]

There are dozens of other species they could have used as crew members in this "brand new stand alone mass effect game"... yet they had to take two of the same (fan favorite btw) races that where part of your crew in every single ME game so far...

Its not that at this point they have 2 galaxies full of species to pick from... and give us something new instead of retreading the same old same old.

Because the old races from the Milky Way travel to Andromeda.
It makes utter sense that you start out with the old races. The first thing you meet after cryostasis will be the ones that travelled with you.
It's not just one ark. Hyperion is just the ship with the humans or probably mostly humans. There is the Nexus which is a small Citadel and at least 3 other arks as well. Those pieces of information are included in the Andromeda Initiative video series.
This is not a "humans only" show.

Also why are there krogans and turians onboard? Arent those considered Rival nations to the human one? Last time i checked before the reaper attack (aparantly the mission to the andromeda galaxy started before ME3) the human and turian nations werent exactly known as working together hand in hand.. quite the contrary... and krogans? Why would you take a krogan with you on an exploration mission thats suposedly there to "save humanity"? Krogans arent exactly known for their scientific achievements and the humans have their own security forces... so why take a krogan along who could turn out to be a huge security risk (due to no ties to humanity and their mercenary nature)?

Krogans in outer space are usually mercenaries. True they are no scientists like the Salarians but guess what they are: Resilient and strong. Makes for a good soldiers.
Turians are not really mankind's enemy. True they fought a first contact war with mankind but that was a misunderstanding. They were however opposed to mankind's rapid growth of influence and colonization efforts.
If there is a race that is actually enemy with mankind it would be the Batarians.
Asari will be in MA:A as well as party member.

Every other race would have made more sense then those two... so for me the only explanation why they are part of the crew is to function as garrus and wrex standins...

Like the Geth, Batarians, Vorcha and Yahg? Those are more or less truly at war with the citadel races.

This IS valid critisism seeing as bioware seems to be unwilling to explore new territory in leu for "brand recognition" despite this new game suposedly being all about the unexplored and alien territory of the andromeda galaxy...

You have seen very little to nothing yet you already talk like you've played thru it...

 

[spartandude]

Spoiler: Ok a brief over view of my recent history with Bioware.

ME 1: One of my favourite games.
DA:O: One of my favourite games.
ME 2: Has it's flaws but I still really like it.
DA 2: What the fuck is this shit?!
ME 3: Seriously Bioware? Are you just not trying anymore?
DA:I: Recently brought on sale. Currently enjoying it alot more than I thought I would. All the warts of open world but still pretty damn good.

So looking at this.... eh it seems alright. I'm approaching this with the same cautious optimism I has when I got Inquisition on a sale. I really hope however they do learn from the mistakes they made in Inquisition and tone down the open world a bit for more focused stories and quests. There's nothing here that has me worried but at the same time isn't lighting my world on fire.
My biggest concern is the story ofcourse which Bioware has, to put it politely, completely fucked up in their past few games. Luckily however I'm not planning on buying it day one regardless and will likely wait for a sale. So I guess my opinion doesn't really matter too much here.

 

[Cowabungaa]

snip

Definitely the most emotional scene in the game, yes, and I loved it. But I'd still regard that as extremely composed considering what he thinks has happening. Just look at Geralt, he's holding his shit together pretty damn well. And every character in the game looked like that to me; keeping their shit together no matter what. No one really lets go.

Geralt displays a lot of rage in some parts of the game despite being "stripped of emotions" and so does Triss when she kills Menge. Then there's the Bloody Baron. He's very expressive as well. There's quite a bit of sad faces in a ton of scenes and there's sobbing at the end of the battle for Kaer Morhen, Ciri's facial expression stands out. There's quite a bit of laughter in later parts of the game when Geralt finds Ciri. And Hjalmar laughs out loud in a few scenes too.

I know the scenes you refer to, yes. Again, it's all very held back, very composed. Even Hjalmar's laughter came across as mirthful chuckles more than anything in terms of facial expression.

I'll say this though; The Witcher 3 didn't have BioWare stoney faces. All the emotional expression did feel genuine, it's just that they all looked so held back. Like, I looked back at these cutscenes from the first act [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DacqMmV3070] for a bit. The first cutscene with Kiera for instance, for all the desperation those villagers must be feeling all I read from their faces is "mild concern". When I look up the Bloody Baron questline again he too is damn good at holding back his grief. You can see it, definitely, but subtly.

 

[Dragonbums]

I'm confused on the goal?

Like they are running away specifically because the Reapers are exterminating all life forms. Why would they try to find new homes on planets that have lifeforms. Especially when said life forms are from the galactic era the Reapers are targeting. Like, it wouldn't be permanent at all.

 

[spartandude]

I'm confused on the goal?

Like they are running away specifically because the Reapers are exterminating all life forms. Why would they try to find new homes on planets that have lifeforms. Especially when said life forms are from the galactic era the Reapers are targeting. Like, it wouldn't be permanent at all.

While it is assumed they are leaving the Milky Way due to the reapers we don't actually know. But also I think it's assumed that the Reaper threat is purely a Milky Way thing and not an Andromeda issue.

 

[Dragonbums]

I'm confused on the goal?

Like they are running away specifically because the Reapers are exterminating all life forms. Why would they try to find new homes on planets that have lifeforms. Especially when said life forms are from the galactic era the Reapers are targeting. Like, it wouldn't be permanent at all.

While it is assumed they are leaving the Milky Way due to the reapers we don't actually know. But also I think it's assumed that the Reaper threat is purely a Milky Way thing and not an Andromeda issue.

Ah, okay. But I guess...maybe I'm a lore idiot with this game, but is this a journey TO Adromeda? Or are we- the players assumedly already there. And if that is the case wouldn't that make the Reapers a bunch of morons in their goals?
Like they constantly talk about how their whole schtick is to bring all life forms to extinction. Wouldn't them knowing the existence of Adromeda and to extension- the very lifeforms they are dead set on exterminating be a major loophole in their goal? Like even humans are there. And they are very new to the galactic civilization.

I'm not trying to necessarily trash the story. But I have been cursory following it. But now I'm a bit confused on what's going on.

 

[spartandude]

snip

...becuase.... ehhm... reasons?

The Reaper invasions weren't to destroy life but preserve it... by destroying it. Ok they would take a species and turn them into reapers because they feared that if left unchecked we would make AI and then AI would wipe us out so they wait till we are advanced enough and then come in to do their thing. Not saying the it's a good motive but that's what the game gives us.

I guess they just weren't concerned with Andromeda. Maybe the Milky Way was their only concern. I guess when you think about it, doing every galaxy might be an impossible job even for the reapers (following plot lines established in ME1 was difficult enough)

 

[Dragonbums]

snip

...becuase.... ehhm... reasons?

The Reaper invasions weren't to destroy life but preserve it... by destroying it. Ok they would take a species and turn them into reapers because they feared that if left unchecked we would make AI and then AI would wipe us out so they wait till we are advanced enough and then come in to do their thing. Not saying the it's a good motive but that's what the game gives us.

I guess they just weren't concerned with Andromeda. Maybe the Milky Way was their only concern. I guess when you think about it, doing every galaxy might be an impossible job even for the reapers (following plot lines established in ME1 was difficult enough)

I guess? But if that's the case when it comes to Andromeda than wouldn't it be entirely possible for Protheans and other various 'extinct' species to be there as well? Like if they are only targeting the Milky Way- and Adromeda is a galaxy even humans found out about shortly thereafter (and the people of Adromeda are very aware of what happened at the Citadel so it's not like they isolated themselves.) why would the Reapers even hype up their whole deal as total extinction? It's clear that it's not. Not saying nuking the whole Milky Way of lifeforms isn't a big deal or anything, but if your gonna leave Andromeda alone than why go all ham into killing literally everything in the Milky Way? Might as well just nuke them to the 2012 technology age again and be done with it.

I guess this is one of those games where the devs really hope you don't think about it too much in relation to the previous 3 games. The problem is that they keep talking about events in the previous 3 games in some relation. And slapping in old aliens in there (including humans.) doesn't help them at all.

 

[spartandude]

Snip

Hey I'm not going to defend the ME3 ending. It's just the reason they gave us for the Reapers. Clearly the writing team weren't very good/ hadn't played the first game.

But in terms of the people of Andromeda. I wasn't aware that they knew about what was going on in the Milky Way. I was under the impression that the first contact Citadel Space and Native Andromeda was when the ark ships (from the premise of this game) arrived. If you've seen anything that tell me otherwise please show me, I'm not all that up to date with this game. Just keeping an eye on it.
I mean we've known about Andromeda since we had telescopes. So I guess for this game it's just a case of the Citadel races just getting their hands on the technology. And knowing about Ilos at the end of ME1 they may have thought that escape was better than hiding.
I think you're right to say that the dev's are probably hoping we don't think too much about it.

This video demonstrates alot of problems (except for the different physics thing which I really think he got wrong.)

 

[Dragonbums]

Snip

Hey I'm not going to defend the ME3 ending. It's just the reason they gave us for the Reapers. Clearly the writing team weren't very good/ hadn't played the first game.

But in terms of the people of Andromeda. I wasn't aware that they knew about what was going on in the Milky Way. I was under the impression that the first contact Citadel Space and Native Andromeda was when the ark ships (from the premise of this game) arrived. If you've seen anything that tell me otherwise please show me, I'm not all that up to date with this game. Just keeping an eye on it.
I mean we've known about Andromeda since we had telescopes. So I guess for this game it's just a case of the Citadel races just getting their hands on the technology. And knowing about Ilos at the end of ME1 they may have thought that escape was better than hiding.
I think you're right to say that the dev's are probably hoping we don't think too much about it.

This video demonstrates alot of problems (except for the different physics thing which I really think he got wrong.)

I guess I figured they 'knew' what was going on with the Reapers because Aria 2.0 was making jabs at them for being 'kicked out' of the Citadel. Which would be an odd thing to say in relation to the Reapers mass executing everyone.

Sorry, I didn't mean to come off as picking you apart or anything. I'm just...not really sure how and where this story really takes place on a timeline. I think a story heavy trailer is in need. I care a lot more about that aspect than the shooting elements so I was really trying to gleam that more than anything.

 

[Dalisclock]

Still not sure how to feel about this. Not enough to go on to form a real opinion. I am getting a bit of a Witcher 3 vibe though.

 

[Metalix Knightmare]

That face when she stole the gun. How EASILY she stole the gun.

https://twitter.com/GamingAndPandas/status/804931879350784000

Goddang Bioware, did your animation team leave with your better writers?

 

[Metalix Knightmare]

That face when she stole the gun. How EASILY she stole the gun.

https://twitter.com/GamingAndPandas/status/804931879350784000

Goddang Bioware, did your animation team leave with your better writers?

yeah, bioware has always had a problem with physical interaction. its why whenever someone hands something to someone, its always JUST offscreen

Yeah, but did they always have faces like that? When she's taking the gun she looks REALLY off. Like she's trying to imitate a face that she thinks she SHOULD be making.

 

[Zhukov]

[snip]

Your questions aren't terribly clear. I shall try to answer the general gist of what you seem to be asking.

The game starts upon or shortly after the arcs arrive in Andromeda. (There might be some prologue stuff regarding their departure but the game proper takes place entirely in Andromeda.)

It is presumed that it's an attempt at a Noah's Arc plan. Send a bunch of people to colonize Andromeda so if the Reapers wipe out everyone in the Milky Way then at the least the various species won't be extinct. There is a single line of dialogue in ME3 that supports this, in which the Asari Councillor says, "There are preparations to make, the continuity of civilization to consider."

There is no indication that the Reapers are concerned with Andromeda in the slightest. They're only ever considered as being a Milky Way thing. Granted, there's no specific reason to believe they aren't reaping it up in Andromeda. I can basically guarantee they won't show up though, after the ME3 ending nobody at Bioware is going to want to touch the word "reaper" with a ten foot pole.

However, as far as I'm aware there has never been a specific confirmation in any of the material or by any of the developers that the arcs were made with the intention of Noah-ing the Reaper invasion. It's just been assumed by the audience because it kinda makes sense. In fact, one the Andromeda Initiative videos says the project was "launched" the year before the invasion. That could mean they literally launched off into dark space before the Reapers showed up or it could mean they began construction that year, then got a whole lot more motivated when the Reapers came a-reapin'.

Bottom line is that the whole Andromeda premise is Bioware trying to put as much distance as possible between their new game and That Ending. I wouldn't be surprised if they say the arcs left the Milky Way before the Reaper war started and nobody in the game ever mentions reapers at all. Which would make sense since the reapers weren't widely believed in basically right up until they set about ruining everybody's shit. However, that would just lead to more questions. For instance, would that mean that any Krogan coming along are still nigh-infertile due to the Genephage? Why are they undergoing a massive effort to leave a supposedly safe and still massive and relatively unexplored Milky Way?

Bottom-bottom line is that it's a retcon of sorts. They're retroactively sticking a major development into the setting that was never mentioned in the previous games. That's going to inevitably result in some narrative awkwardness.

 

[Hawki]

It is presumed that it's an attempt at a Noah's Arc plan. Send a bunch of people to colonize Andromeda so if the Reapers wipe out everyone in the Milky Way then at the least the various species won't be extinct. There is a single line of dialogue in ME3 that supports this, in which the Asari Councillor says, "There are preparations to make, the continuity of civilization to consider."

It isn't. The Arks were launched 1 year before the Reapers showed up in force, and the initiative was based on establishing a trade route between the galaxies - basically long-term planning.

There is no indication that the Reapers are concerned with Andromeda in the slightest. They're only ever considered as being a Milky Way thing. Granted, there's no specific reason to believe they aren't reaping it up in Andromeda.

I think it's easy enough to explain. The Reapers exist outside the Milky Way, nothing's ever been said about them being at an equidistant point between galaxies. Since their interest only lies in the Milky Way, there's no reason to go into slumber any further out then they have to. And since the Reapers are following the Catalyst, which is basically a slave to its own programming, there's not really any reason for them to consider Andromeda.

However, that would just lead to more questions. For instance, would that mean that any Krogan coming along are still nigh-infertile due to the Genephage? Why are they undergoing a massive effort to leave a supposedly safe and still massive and relatively unexplored Milky Way?

There's four Arks - one for humans, one for salarians, one for turians, one for asari. It can be presumed that any krogan are just along for the ride. Which isn't a plothole - most krogan don't seem to care about long-term survivability in the original trilogy bar Wrex, they just go with the flow.

Bottom-bottom line is that it's a retcon of sorts. They're retroactively sticking a major development into the setting that was never mentioned in the previous games. That's going to inevitably result in some narrative awkwardness.

Nah, not really. At the most, it's a soft reboot. The Arks are retroactive, but they don't actually retcon anything.

 

[Zhukov]

It is presumed that it's an attempt at a Noah's Arc plan. Send a bunch of people to colonize Andromeda so if the Reapers wipe out everyone in the Milky Way then at the least the various species won't be extinct. There is a single line of dialogue in ME3 that supports this, in which the Asari Councillor says, "There are preparations to make, the continuity of civilization to consider."

It isn't. The Arks were launched 1 year before the Reapers showed up in force, and the initiative was based on establishing a trade route between the galaxies - basically long-term planning.

Yeah, I mentioned that in my post.

Thing is, the initiative being "launched" could just mean begun rather than physically departed.

Do you have a source confirming they actually leave pre-clusterfuck?

I think it's easy enough to explain. The Reapers exist outside the Milky Way, nothing's ever been said about them being at an equidistant point between galaxies. Since their interest only lies in the Milky Way, there's no reason to go into slumber any further out then they have to. And since the Reapers are following the Catalyst, which is basically a slave to its own programming, there's not really any reason for them to consider Andromeda.

Eh, like I said, it's all a moot point.

I'd bet hard currency there aren't going to be Reapers or anything remotely reaper related because Bioware never want to hear that word ever again.

Although I wouldn't put it past them to pull some other Ancient Evil out of their arses. I still have a soft spot for Bioware but I'll be the first to admit they stick to their fucking formula like dead insects to flypaper.

There's four Arks - one for humans, one for salarians, one for turians, one for asari. It can be presumed that any krogan are just along for the ride. Which isn't a plothole - most krogan don't seem to care about long-term survivability in the original trilogy bar Wrex, they just go with the flow.

Well, the initiative's head engineer is a Krogan, so they aren't all "just along for the ride".

Anyway, I wasn't suggesting it was a plothole. It's just going to be awkward. Are they still pissed off about the Genophage? If not, why the hell not? If so it's going to feel like a retread.

Nah, not really. At the most, it's a soft reboot. The Arks are retroactive, but they don't actually retcon anything.

Hence my use of the words "of sorts".

No, they don't actively remove anything from canon but they are trying to say that a intergalactic colonization effort somehow went unmentioned in the previous games. And that's before you get into the details. For example it's been detailed that they invented a new kind of engine to drive the arcs, one which circumvents the needs to discharge static. Gee, that would have been handy back in ME3.

It's going to be awkward. Period.

The only reason I'm not grumpy about it is because I'm glad they're starting (relatively) fresh instead of doing a prequel or trying to salvage the wreckage of The Ending That Shall Not Be Named.

 

[Hawki]

Do you have a source confirming they actually leave pre-clusterfuck?

https://www.vg247.com/2016/11/08/the-cast-of-mass-effect-andromeda-left-the-galaxy-before-the-reaper-invasion-in-the-original-trilogy/

Although I wouldn't put it past them to pull some other Ancient Evil out of their arses. I still have a soft spot for Bioware but I'll be the first to admit they stick to their fucking formula like dead insects to flypaper.

Maybe, but they're not the only ones guilty of using that formula.

 

[Gordon_4_v1legacy]

That face when she stole the gun. How EASILY she stole the gun.

https://twitter.com/GamingAndPandas/status/804931879350784000

Goddang Bioware, did your animation team leave with your better writers?

yeah, bioware has always had a problem with physical interaction. its why whenever someone hands something to someone, its always JUST offscreen

Yeah, but did they always have faces like that? When she's taking the gun she looks REALLY off. Like she's trying to imitate a face that she thinks she SHOULD be making.

Frostbite wasnt a lot of fun for the DIY faces for the characters in DragonAge, there's just something off about them.