Mass Effect: Andromeda won't necessarily be the start of a new trilogy, but it does signal the beginning of a new series. So said creative director Mac Walters during a lengthy video discussion with Game Informer, during which he suggested that players might want to hang onto their Andromeda saves once the game is over.
"I don't think it would hurt to keep them," Walters said. "Right now, to be honest, we are focused on this game, and as I've said to people before, we very much think of Andromeda as a series. What we do with that series is TBD at this point. I think right now, we know we don't want it to be a trilogy, in the sense of, we're planning this three-part story in three games. But that said, key elements like the Pathfinders, even the Ryders themselves, those are things that are going to make another appearance in the next game."
Walters said BioWare has been playing coy about the structure of Mass Effect going forward not because of any technical concerns, but simply because it's not "locking in" on a vision for the future just yet. He did reveal a little bit about the approach to Andromeda's ending, however, saying that it will be "complex," and a "big, bold ending, much like Mass Effect 1 was. But it's got a bit more variation, more akin to Mass Effect 2 in it, based on how you play." Given the not-entirely-positive response to the conclusion of the original Mass Effect trilogy, a strong finish for Andromeda has to be one of BioWare's top priorities.
Other tidbits covered during the chat: the PC version will have native controller support, there will not be day/night planetary cycles (although some will have "different states" that can impact gameplay), there will be occasional nods to the original trilogy but overall Andromeda will be a clean break from Shepard's story, and BioWare is still keeping mum on how the Quarians fit into all this. The video is embedded below, or you can opt for a quick rundown of the high points on NeoGAF.
Mass Effect's Jennifer Hale, who played femshep, 'saw no line' before she recorded them for Bioware's flagship trilogy: 'It was all cold reading on the spot'
BioWare veteran calls out the 'cruelty' of fans celebrating layoffs: 'You are crossing a line, and you're probably attacking the wrong person anyway'
