Mass Effect: Andromeda - Preview

HiddenX · February 25, 2017

RPG Site has previewed Mass Effect: Andromeda:

Mass Effect Andromeda Hands-On: Finally reassured and impressed by Bioware's latest

Mass Effect: Andromeda is pretty damn close, and how close it is has left us a little... well, worried. The game is almost out and we've barely heard anything, so when EA finally gave us a call and asked us if we wanted to come and play the game we of course snapped their arm off.

Here's the good, short news: a little over three hours with Andromeda greatly reassured us that EA hasn't got anything to hide with its weirdly reticent marketing strategy - the game actually feels pretty damn good and seems to have some interesting, fresh new ideas for the series while remaining absolutely true to what people loved most about the trilogy. Also, no: it's not Inquisition in space.

You can find me nattering over some gameplay footage (provided by EA - they didn't let us record our own) - below. Then more words!

[...]

More information.

luj1 · February 25, 2017

I didn't like that all skills are available from the start, or that you can switch classes at any moment. Where's the replay value in that? Where are choices, consequences?

And why am I typing as if expecting a real RPG from this carcass of a franchise?

NFLed · February 25, 2017

"The game is almost out and we've barely heard anything..."

Personally, I'm having difficulty avoiding hearing anything. I would rather learn about the game once I receive it.

Releasing info early, though, can help with sales, and can give all of the haters just that many more chances to post their obligatory negative comments about ME, Bioware, EA, or whatever else they want to get off their chests. So I guess it's a win-win for most everyone.

rjshae · February 25, 2017

Level 70? It must be pretty easy to level up.

ChienAboyeur · February 25, 2017

The product is said to be 20 hour long, commanding a replay to maximize all the skillls. The levelling must be fast.

Bioware are masters at buzzing. The release of their products is associated with controversies out of nothing. Which show a deep knowledge of their customers'desire.

The controversy over the levelling system is made in a way players will end telling that the system was not as bad as expected, expectations set by players themselves, out of nothing.

The vid, in a common manner these days, demands to believe otherwise than what is evidenced in the vid.

Skills are obviously not all available from the start, they must be unlocked and skills have ranks, that are unlocked when specializing.

The system has nothing new. Yet Bioware managed to build a controversy out of it. That will work to their benefit, since the system can not be as bad as players were led to fancy.

joxer · February 25, 2017

ChienAboyeur said:
The product is said to be 20 hour long

That's almost shorter than Doom. And Doom is also huge on disk space.

azarhal · February 25, 2017

joxer said:
That's almost shorter than Doom. And Doom is also huge on disk space.

That's still twice longer than any of the ME game trilogy main path length, they are sub-10 hours games if you focus on the main quest only.

MEA smallest planet map is apparently larger than all of DAI combined, so I doubt it's 20 hours for completionist runs...

elco · February 25, 2017

Let me guess. It is a homosexual dating sim?

joxer · February 25, 2017

azarhal said:
That's still twice longer than any of the ME game trilogy main path length, they are sub-10 hours games if you focus on the main quest only.

MEA smallest planet map is apparently larger than all of DAI combined, so I doubt it's 20 hours for completionist runs…

WTF? Apart from mainstream media "pro" reviewers, who else plays only the main quest in RPGs? Every ME game has at least 40 hours of game. If ME4 is 20 hours, that's half less, not twice longer.

elco said:
Let me guess. It is a homosexual dating sim?

No, the rumor is that it finally allows orgies with the whole crew. In any case please let us know when you buy it - I do not want a RPG only 20 hours long that is supposed to be epic.

ChienAboyeur · February 25, 2017

joxer said:
That's almost shorter than Doom. And Doom is also huge on disk space.

20, 30, 40 hours. The point was, contrary to a bethesda product, a run wont be extended to 100 hours, the levelling up must move along.
Beside, Bethesda modding scene provides mods to speed up levelling up for players who want it faster.

MEA uses the same formula as all the others: one first run to get used to the product and a second run to play a PC closer to what she is supposed to be, that is a proficient character. First run to build up points, second run to start with a proper character.

joxer · February 25, 2017

I can buy a season of any TV show for less cash than $60 that lasts more than 20 hours. I'm sure many will be paying a crapload of $ some shortie instead of an epic RPG, but I'll just skippit.
And wait till it gets discounted on Steam. :evilgrin:

azarhal · February 25, 2017

joxer said:
WTF? Apart from mainstream media "pro" reviewers, who else plays only the main quest in RPGs? Every ME game has at least 40 hours of game. If ME4 is 20 hours, that's half less, not twice longer.

My completionist runs (no dlcs) of ME1, ME2 and ME3 are all around 20-25 hours and I don't skip dialogues. I considered them very short game, that's why they are so easy to replay.

By the way, if the game is really only 20 hours long for completionist, you'll have to explain how the previewer's hand-on was set 15-20 hours into the game, at which time they spent 4 hours wandering around, skipping quests and things to do to try to explore as much as possible…

From the preview I linked: After some major introductory story beats, BioWare took me from that initial first hour to “several days in” to the story — around 15-20 hours into the game,

Maylander · February 26, 2017

azarhal said:
My completionist runs (no dlcs) of ME1, ME2 and ME3 are all around 20-25 hours and I don't skip dialogues. I considered them very short game, that's why they are so easy to replay.

By the way, if the game is really only 20 hours long for completionist, you'll have to explain how the previewer's hand-on was set 15-20 hours into the game, at which time they spent 4 hours wandering around, skipping quests and things to do to try to explore as much as possible…

From the preview I linked: After some major introductory story beats, BioWare took me from that initial first hour to “several days in” to the story — around 15-20 hours into the game,

Including all the DLCs, ME2 and 3 are both around 40 hours for me. ME1 is at about 25. A full run through everything (and I've done several of those) takes around 110 hours, in total, including a bit of this and that (easy for me to check, since I'm near the end of such a run now). MEA might not be bigger than all three combined, but it's certainly going to be bigger than any one of the three previous games. I have no doubt about that. In fact, I'd be surprised if it wasn't significantly bigger.

azarhal · February 26, 2017

Maylander said:
MEA might not be bigger than all three combined, but it's certainly going to be bigger than any one of the three previous games. I have no doubt about that. In fact, I'd be surprised if it wasn't significantly bigger.

Ian Frazier, the lead designer, confirmed on twitter that MEA is "the biggest ME so far" today.

edit:
Some of the previews had 360 degree images. Someone on the uBSN converted them into 360 views:
https://kuula.co/post/7l7Hg
https://kuula.co/post/7l7Hx
https://kuula.co/post/7l7Hc

joxer · February 26, 2017

azarhal said:
My completionist runs (no dlcs) of ME1,

I wish I was skilled in thrasher maw hunt like you. It took me at least a couple of dozen hours to find them all. In bumparound Mako.

azarhal · February 26, 2017

joxer said:
I wish I was skilled in thrasher maw hunt like you. It took me at least a couple of dozen hours to find them all. In bumparound Mako.

1. Land on planet
2. move to large flat areas
3. Speed across it with Mako
4. Profit!

Most of them have POI traps nearby them too.

Grifman · February 26, 2017

luj1 said:
I didn't like that all skills are available from the start, or that you can switch classes at any moment. Where's the replay value in that? Where are choices, consequences?

And why am I typing as if expecting a real RPG from this carcass of a franchise?

The replay is that no one will force you to switch power or classes. Play with one set of powers, then switch in another game. See, very easy

Morrandir · February 26, 2017

I spent about 100 hours in each of my previous playthroughs of ME 1 and 2...

Deleted User · February 26, 2017

Hey, remember how I said I thought ME's new classless system is similar to Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning's? Guess who was the lead designer for Reckoning? Ian Frazier!

zahratustra · February 26, 2017

Grifman said:
The replay is that no one will force you to switch power or classes. Play with one set of powers, then switch in another game. See, very easy

So what's the point of having that ability in the first place?

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