I love the Mass Effect series. It’s one of the most fully realized sci-fi stories in the past decade, and while I did have some issues with Mass Effect 3 (namely that I wish it had relied more on your decisions and who survived from Mass Effect 2 rather than turning them into background characters), I can’t wait for the next installment, Mass Effect: Andromeda.
But it looks like I’m going to have to learn to wait a little longer. BioWare announced today that the game has been pushed back to “early 2017”, and I’ve got a feeling this won’t be the final delay for the game. Delays are just a regular part of development now, and it takes at least a few pushes before a game is deemed ready to hit shelves (and even then it will probably need a day-one patch).
BioWare at least softened the blow by revealing a few new tidbits about the game:
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More Freedom: One of our biggest ambitions is to give players an unprecedented level of freedom for a Mass Effect experience –where you’ll go, how you’ll get there, and how you’ll play.
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New Uncharted Worlds: We’re leaving the Milky Way behind and headed to Andromeda, where we’ll meet new allies, confront new enemies, and explore fascinating new worlds.
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The Next Great Mass Effect Experience: Mass Effect: Andromeda will be the first Mass Effect game for today’s consoles and the first built on the Frostbite engine. We’re pushing the technology to deliver visuals, story, and gameplay that have never been done in franchise history.
All of this sounds like good stuff, but I’m curious to know if/how the effects of the original Mass Effect trilogy will affect the new game. I also hope that the gameplay is tighter and doesn’t lapse into feeling like a Gears of War clone, which is what the climatic battle of Mass Effect 3 felt like.
BioWare also says there will be an update on June 12th at the EA Play press conference, so hopefully we’ll get some more info then on this highly-anticipated sequel.
