Mass Effect: Andromeda | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Mon, 16 Apr 2018 16:57:48 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png Mass Effect: Andromeda | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 Mass Effect Andromeda was a ‘defining moment’ in refocusing BioWare https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/mass-effect-andromeda-was-a-defining-moment-in-refocusing-bioware/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/mass-effect-andromeda-was-a-defining-moment-in-refocusing-bioware/#respond Mon, 16 Apr 2018 16:45:17 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=370359 BioWare had a tumultuous 2017, with Mass Effect Andromeda failing to have the staying power of past games in the series. At the time, fans had hoped for DLC to expand on Andromeda's story and make up for some of its loose threads. Unfortunately, it just wasn't meant to be, but BioWare hopes to not …

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BioWare had a tumultuous 2017, with Mass Effect Andromeda failing to have the staying power of past games in the series. At the time, fans had hoped for DLC to expand on Andromeda's story and make up for some of its loose threads. Unfortunately, it just wasn't meant to be, but BioWare hopes to not run into similar issues in the future.

Last year, BioWare veteran, Casey Hudson, returned to the studio as a General Manager. Today, he published his first blog post in a series intended to give fans insight into the studio's vision for the future. Addressing Andromeda, and what it's lack of DLC means for the future, Hudson wrote:

“When I returned to BioWare last summer, Mass Effect: Andromeda had just been released and there was a significant movement among players asking for a story DLC that would answer questions surrounding the fate of the quarians. As you know, we were not able to deliver story DLC for Andromeda—this was as frustrating for us as it was for players, and it was something we knew we had to solve in future games.”

Hudson says that Andromeda “ultimately became a defining moment in refocusing BioWare's mission”. The team wants to provide new experiences, but doesn't want to give up its roots as a studio that excels at characters, world building and storytelling.

The first game out of the gate to show this off will be Anthem, which is set to release in early 2019. While there has been some concern surrounding the game after EA's antics with Battlefront 2, it is well known that Anthem is a very important game for BioWare as a whole. It's main studio has been working on it for years, so hopefully, they all brought their A-game.

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KitGuru Says: I think that EA may have pulled the plug on Andromeda a little too soon. After all, story DLCs in past Mass Effect titles had been very good. Fortunately, it sounds like BioWare has learned from these mistakes, hopefully that all shows when Anthem arrives.

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Bioware’s Anthem will get a public beta but it is still some ways off https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/biowares-anthem-will-get-a-public-beta-but-it-is-still-some-ways-off/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/biowares-anthem-will-get-a-public-beta-but-it-is-still-some-ways-off/#comments Fri, 29 Sep 2017 15:36:52 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=348213 While most games under the EA umbrella do get a beta these days, Mass Effect: Andromeda did not. This has led to questions surrounding Bioware's next game, Anthem, and whether or not it will receive a beta. The good news is, it definitely will, though it won't take place for quite some time. Anthem is …

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While most games under the EA umbrella do get a beta these days, Mass Effect: Andromeda did not. This has led to questions surrounding Bioware's next game, Anthem, and whether or not it will receive a beta. The good news is, it definitely will, though it won't take place for quite some time.

Anthem is currently being labelled as Bioware's take on the Destiny formula. It's a co-op game centred around PvE content, exploration and taking on fun, repeatable missions. There will likely be a bunch of differences between Anthem and Destiny by the time the game comes out in late 2018, but for now, that's the information we have to go off of.

Over on Twitter, Anthem's game director, Jonathan Warner, answered a fan's question about whether or not there would be a beta for Anthem, confirming that there would be one. However, later on he also added that the game is “still a distance out”, so it is too soon for specific details.

Anthem is due out in late 2018, so we will likely see more of it at E3 next year, with a beta some time in the late Summer or Autumn. That is, as long as the project doesn't get delayed, which is always a possibility.

KitGuru Says: As much as I love the gameplay in titles like Destiny and The Division, both games suffered from a lack of interesting story content. With Bioware at the helm and esteemed writers like Drew Karpyshyn on board, that shouldn't be an issue with Anthem. With that in mind, this game certainly has my attention. Are many of you guys looking forward to Anthem next year? 

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Bioware Montreal is now merging with EA Motive to work on Star Wars https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/bioware-montreal-is-now-merging-with-ea-motive-to-work-on-star-wars/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/bioware-montreal-is-now-merging-with-ea-motive-to-work-on-star-wars/#respond Tue, 01 Aug 2017 09:24:46 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=342431 Following on from Mass Effect: Andromeda’s fairly disappointing launch, it was reported that sequel plans would be put in hiatus and that the studio behind the game, Bioware Montreal, would be disbanded and merged with other parts of Bioware. Now EA has officially confirmed that Bioware Montreal will merge, though the team will be staying …

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Following on from Mass Effect: Andromeda’s fairly disappointing launch, it was reported that sequel plans would be put in hiatus and that the studio behind the game, Bioware Montreal, would be disbanded and merged with other parts of Bioware. Now EA has officially confirmed that Bioware Montreal will merge, though the team will be staying close to home, merging with Jade Raymond’s Star Wars studio, EA Motive.

EA Motive formed a couple of years back when Jade Raymond, jumped from working on Assassin’s Creed at Ubisoft to working on Star Wars for EA. Right now, EA Motive is working on an unannounced Star Wars game.

EA confirmed this change for Bioware Montreal in its latest quarterly earnings call, during which CFO Blake Jorgensen said: “We’re building out a new studio in Montreal, as we’ve told everyone. And we’ve hired over 100 people into that studio that are brand-new to EA. This is to build the new IP around Jade Raymond’s team that she’s been building. I was in that studio last month. And it’s a wonderful new addition to our team. And we brought our BioWare Montreal team into that same facility. So they now all sit in one new studio together.”

It is worth noting that Bioware Montreal and EA Motive shared an office floor in the same building already. So while the two teams are now merging, much of the talent involved won’t need to relocate.

KitGuru Says: With Bioware Montreal now merged with a new studio to help out on new projects, it seems doubtful that we will see any single player Mass Effect Andromeda DLC. I do hope that the franchise will return some day though.

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Latest Mass Effect Andromeda patch removes Denuvo, adjusts cut scenes https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/latest-mass-effect-andromeda-patch-removes-denuvo-adjusts-cut-scenes/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/latest-mass-effect-andromeda-patch-removes-denuvo-adjusts-cut-scenes/#comments Mon, 10 Jul 2017 16:25:54 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=340297 Mass Effect Andromeda might not be returning for single-player DLC but the team left at Bioware Montreal is still patching. In the game's latest update, the studio is still making small changes to cut scenes and animations in order to show the game in a better light. Beyond that, Denuvo DRM has also been removed. …

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Mass Effect Andromeda might not be returning for single-player DLC but the team left at Bioware Montreal is still patching. In the game's latest update, the studio is still making small changes to cut scenes and animations in order to show the game in a better light. Beyond that, Denuvo DRM has also been removed.

Mass Effect Andromeda patch 1.09 began rolling out recently and while the removal of Denuvo isn't listed in Bioware's patch notes, small improvements to facial animations and cutscenes are. One particular YouTuber ‘Yongyea‘ put together a short comparison of one of the game's earlier cut scenes. Essentially, the entire scene was re-worked with different camera angles and shots in order to avoid Ryder's poor facial expression. There could be more changes throughout the game's later cut scenes but it will take a while for players to uncover them.

As for the DRM removal, we don't have confirmation from Bioware that this was an intentional move but nonetheless, DSOGaming has confirmed Denuvo's removal. Some games have been ditching Denuvo within a certain amount of time after release, so it wouldn't be unprecedented. However, it is also worth noting that Bioware accidentally rolled out a version of Andromeda in the past with an outdated version of Denuvo, so it could have potentially been a mistake.

KitGuru Says: Unfortunately the changing of camera angles and shots in cut scenes does seem to indicate that these animations can't be fixed, leaving Bioware to try and dance around them instead. Still, it should help present the game better overall for those who have waited to pick it up. 

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Mass Effect Andromeda’s latest patch improves character creation https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/mass-effect-andromedas-latest-patch-improves-character-creation/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/mass-effect-andromedas-latest-patch-improves-character-creation/#comments Wed, 07 Jun 2017 13:52:56 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=337341 While there is talk of Bioware placing the Mass Effect series on ice for a few years, Andromeda is still receiving patches to improve overall quality. This week, Mass Effect Andromeda patch 1.08 released, which focusses on improving the game's character creation and making some additions/changes to certain dialogue options. The patch is rolling out …

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While there is talk of Bioware placing the Mass Effect series on ice for a few years, Andromeda is still receiving patches to improve overall quality. This week, Mass Effect Andromeda patch 1.08 released, which focusses on improving the game's character creation and making some additions/changes to certain dialogue options.

The patch is rolling out across consoles and PC now. It makes it possible to change Ryder's appearance onboard the Tempest and expands the range of options available in the character creator. The other major change is that Scott Ryder can romance Jaal.

Here is the full list of single player changes:

  • Ryder’s appearance can now be changed onboard the Tempest
  • Expanded the range of options available in the character creator
  • Jaal can now be romanced by Scott Ryder
  • Dialogue for Hainly Abrams was adjusted to change the flow of personal information she discusses with Ryder.
  • Fixed issue with Nomad upgrades Shield Crafting quest
  • Nexus level and cryo pod points are retroactively granted
  • Vendors now carry weapon mods for Level 60-71 players
  • Vendors now sell weapon augmentations for automatic fire, burst fire, and single-shot fire
  • Improved clarity of descriptions for augmentations
  • Plasma Charge system now works properly for shotguns
  • Beam Emitter augmentation now causes guns to fire a constant beam with scaling
  • damage based on the weapon’s damage per second
  • [PC] Added experimental support for Dolby Vision™ technology.

Beyond that, some changes were made to multiplayer, with the Stealth Grid challenge now working properly. Fiends now attack in the right direction and no longer sprint when close to a target. An issue with melee attacks has been fixed and players should no longer enter the T-pose when hit.

KitGuru Says: Mass Effect Andromeda didn't get the glowing reaction Bioware had hoped for but at least improvements are still coming. Perhaps once the final animation fixes are in, the game will get a bit of a boost.  

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Bioware quietly fixes slipup that led to early Mass Effect Andromeda crack https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/bioware-quietly-fixes-slipup-that-led-to-early-mass-effect-andromeda-crack/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/bioware-quietly-fixes-slipup-that-led-to-early-mass-effect-andromeda-crack/#comments Mon, 10 Apr 2017 10:28:17 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=329683 Denuvo has been slipping somewhat recently. Resident Evil VII only took one week to crack and pirates successfully managed to break in to Mass Effect Andromeda fairly quickly too. However, it seems that in Mass Effect's case, the fault lies with Bioware, who forgot to update their version of the anti-tamper software before releasing the …

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Denuvo has been slipping somewhat recently. Resident Evil VII only took one week to crack and pirates successfully managed to break in to Mass Effect Andromeda fairly quickly too. However, it seems that in Mass Effect's case, the fault lies with Bioware, who forgot to update their version of the anti-tamper software before releasing the game- an issue that has been quietly fixed in the latest patch.

It turns out that Mass Effect Andromeda may have actually shipped with an older version of Denuvo in place. As a result, the game was cracked in a short space of time, just like Resident Evil VII earlier this year. Andromeda's 1.05 patch quietly updated Denuvo's anti-tamper tech while also fixing a few other problems with the game.

At this point, those downloading and cracking the older version of the game will still be able to play. However, due to this Denuvo update, subsequent Andromeda patches will stop the crack from working. This also means that while pirates technically can still play the game, they won't be getting the best version, until crackers get around to sussing out this new version of Denuvo.

KitGuru Says: It seems that animations weren't the only thing Bioware rushed through to get Mass Effect Andromeda out in to the world. The team also forgot to update the version of Denuvo it was using, which has opened up the floodgates for piracy much quicker than anticipated.

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Bioware is putting a plan in place to fix up Mass Effect Andromeda https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/bioware-is-putting-a-plan-in-place-to-fix-up-mass-effect-andromeda/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/bioware-is-putting-a-plan-in-place-to-fix-up-mass-effect-andromeda/#comments Thu, 30 Mar 2017 08:41:16 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=327932 Following the game's launch just one week ago, Bioware has received a ton of feedback regarding Mass Effect Andromeda. Some of it was positive, with many fans of the series going on to enjoy the game but there has also been some blowback over cut corners. As a result, today Bioware made a statement, promising …

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Following the game's launch just one week ago, Bioware has received a ton of feedback regarding Mass Effect Andromeda. Some of it was positive, with many fans of the series going on to enjoy the game but there has also been some blowback over cut corners. As a result, today Bioware made a statement, promising a plan to improve Andromeda going forward.

“We've received quite a bit of feedback, some of it positive and some of it critical. That feedback is an important part of our ongoing support of the game and we can't wait to hare more of our immediate plans”. Bioware's statement went on to say that it will share more details on the 4th of April.

In the meantime though, Bioware wants to continue hearing from people playing the game so that they can gather information and prioritise changes. We have already heard that perhaps Bioware will try and improve the game's animations but no promises were made at the time. Hopefully, we can get some more concrete details on that front next week.

KitGuru Says: Mass Effect Andromeda is a good game but isn't without its problems. Hopefully we will start to see improvements after next week's announcement. 

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Here is what Bioware is fixing in the next Mass Effect Andromeda patch https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/here-is-what-bioware-is-fixing-in-the-next-mass-effect-andromeda-patch/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/here-is-what-bioware-is-fixing-in-the-next-mass-effect-andromeda-patch/#comments Tue, 28 Mar 2017 08:33:49 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=327544 As fun as I am finding Mass Effect Andromeda at the moment, the game has plenty of shortcomings, some of which include various bugs and in-game issues. Fortunately, Bioware is already working to fix Andromeda's problems, with the next patch focussing on various bugs, performance drops and unintended progression blocks. While Bioware is still mulling …

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As fun as I am finding Mass Effect Andromeda at the moment, the game has plenty of shortcomings, some of which include various bugs and in-game issues. Fortunately, Bioware is already working to fix Andromeda's problems, with the next patch focussing on various bugs, performance drops and unintended progression blocks.

While Bioware is still mulling over ways to improve Mass Effect Andromeda's character creation and animation, in the meantime we can expect plenty of cleanup in other areas. For starters, here are the performance fixes coming in the next patch:

  • Enabling Crossfire may not yield to a significant performance increase.
  • Dolby Vision is currently disabled for PC.
  • Screen appears stretched in 4:3 and 5:4 resolutions.
  • Attempting to run the game in 16:9 or 16:10 portrait display may cause the game to crash.
  • Players may experience performance drops in the Storm Canyons.

Some changes are also being made to squadmates to stop them from teleporting on top of the player and following when told not to. The PS4 is getting a few fixes, including a bug that would see Ryder frozen in mid-air if you skipped too many cutscenes. The game will auto save more often and while there is a proper fix coming for specific quests not triggering the next stage, in the meantime players can force progression by leaving a mission area and returning.

Finally, there are a few more ‘general' fixes for all platforms:

  • Running in a zig-zag pattern can result in Ryder entering an unintended animation state.
  • Audio may stop during play. Closing and restarting the game will restore audio.
  • Immediately creating a new Ryder after exiting a current playthrough can result in Journal quest items carrying over and a number of bugson the Hyperion.

KitGuru Says: This patch should start rolling out this week. Hopefully the next batch of fixes follows shortly after, though I must admit, I've encountered way more issues on the Xbox One version of the game compared to the PC. 

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Mass Effect Andromeda Performance Analysis https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/mass-effect-andromeda-performance-analysis/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/mass-effect-andromeda-performance-analysis/#comments Sat, 25 Mar 2017 10:30:29 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=326017 After a near five year break from the franchise, Mass Effect returns this week with an all new entry to the series. Mass Effect Andromeda leaves earth and Sheppard behind in an effort to expand the universe with new characters, a new story as well as all new planets and enemies. Aside from that, this game has also …

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After a near five year break from the franchise, Mass Effect returns this week with an all new entry to the series. Mass Effect Andromeda leaves earth and Sheppard behind in an effort to expand the universe with new characters, a new story as well as all new planets and enemies. Aside from that, this game has also seen Mass Effect move over to the Frostbite engine, which works incredibly well in the Battlefield series, but how does it hold up in a huge RPG like this? Today, we will be taking a look at just that, alongside 1080p, 1440p and 4K benchmarks on PC. 

Click images to enlarge. 

Taking a look at the graphics options menu reveals quite a bit of scalability. This is a common theme when dealing with the Frostbite engine, as it was initially designed for shooters like Battlefield, which require high and stable frame rates.

All of the options you would expect are there, so those with high-end systems will be able to crank things up, while those with lower-end or perhaps older generation GPUs will be able to make plenty of adjustments to try and optimise performance.

Click thumbnails for 1440p screenshots. 

As for actual graphical quality, Mass Effect Andromeda is a very good looking game. While I have only been able to check out the first planet so far, I have been impressed by the scenery, texture work and effects on display.

I've also had the opportunity to check this game out running in 4K with HDR on by plugging my PC into my Samsung JS8500 SUHD TV. At 4K with HDR enabled, this game offers visuals that surpass almost any other high-end PC game out right now.

However, as has been widely reported at this point, character models and animations aren't always great. This is unfortunate as it does bring down an otherwise visually stunning game but from my own experience, these issues aren't nearly as prominent as the highlight reels would have you believe.

I have also noticed that many animation glitches being shown actually originated from console versions of the game and did not appear on PC for me. Finally, I have also found that some of the poor facial animation is less noticeable on the male character, so if you are playing Jack Ryder over Sarah Ryder, you will notice less ‘lazy eye' moments.

For our performance tests today I will be running Mass Effect Andromeda on the following system:

  • CPU: Intel Core i7 6700K with 4.2GHz boost clock.
  • Motherboard: Asus Maximus VIII Hero.
  • RAM: G.Skill 16GB 3200MHz DDR4.
  • Storage: 1TB Samsung 850 Evo SSD.
  • OS: Windows 10: Anniversary Update.

For graphics cards, I will be running the following:

  • MSI GTX 1080 Gaming X.
  • Asus GTX 1060 Strix.
  • MSI GTX 970 Gaming 4G.
  • AMD R9 Fury X.
  • XFX R9 390x Ghost Edition.
  • Sapphire R9 290 Vapor-X.

The latest drivers (at the time of benchmarking) were used for performance testing, as was the game's planned day-one patch. On the Nvidia side, we are using driver version 378.78 while on the AMD side we are running Radeon Software version 17.3.2.

Mass Effect is by far the most demanding game so far to be based on the Frostbite Engine. For the most part, 1080p scores are solid across the board but for 60 frames per second on an older R9 390x, R9 290 or GTX 970, you are going to want to turn down some graphics settings.

The same can be said for the GTX 1060 and R9 Fury X at 1440p. The GTX 1080 manages perfectly fine at ultra settings in 1080p and 1440p but at 4K, you will need to dial things back a bit to achieve higher frame rates.

One thing that is well worth noting is that the minimum frame rates are all close to the average across the board, which means you will have a fairly consistent experience while playing. That said, with a game as huge as Mass Effect Andromeda, there is the chance that you will come across more demanding sections of the game later on.

As for the game itself, I have had the chance to play the first few hours of Mass Effect Andromeda and so far, I am enjoying it. If you are a Mass Effect fan, then there is still a lot to like here. The combat system is fun, the biotic powers are excellent and from what I have seen so far, side quests are much more interesting than they were in Dragon Age: Inquisition.

The character creation isn't great so I ended up sticking with the standard ‘Jack Ryder' preset. This is certainly one of the areas where Bioware cut corners, which was likely a result of Andromeda's troubled five years in development.

With that in mind, if you are worried about poor quality then perhaps wait for a sale but from what I've played, Andromeda is an enjoyable game and I don't think you should let the gifs floating around deter you from giving it a shot.

KitGuru Says: Mass Effect Andromeda might not end up being the masterpiece we were hoping for but there is still a lot to like about this game. It runs well on PC, has fewer bugs (so far) than the Xbox One version and it has enjoyable combat mixed with an intriguing story. There are some odd moments here and there but they are few and far between. 

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Mass Effect 1 and Uncharted animator speaks out on Andromeda criticism https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/mass-effect-1-and-uncharted-animator-speaks-out-on-andromeda-criticism/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/mass-effect-1-and-uncharted-animator-speaks-out-on-andromeda-criticism/#comments Fri, 24 Mar 2017 12:22:45 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=326850 Over the last week or so, Mass Effect Andromeda has received plenty of criticism for its animation quality. There are certainly parts of the game where characters aren't looking as good as they should and sure enough, these moments have all been compiled into highlight reels and spread around like wildfire. Since then though, Mass …

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Over the last week or so, Mass Effect Andromeda has received plenty of criticism for its animation quality. There are certainly parts of the game where characters aren't looking as good as they should and sure enough, these moments have all been compiled into highlight reels and spread around like wildfire. Since then though, Mass Effect 1 and Uncharted animator, Jonathan Cooper, has stepped in to explain how animation usually works in a huge RPG and where things may have gone wrong with Andromeda.

In a long series of posts on his Twitter page, Cooper explained that animating an RPG is a huge undertaking and often results in quality/quantity trade offs. With the frostbite engine, designers will often sequence together pre-created animations together in a tool that looks a lot like an audio editing suite. Given the huge amount of potential interactions in an RPG, conversations are often tiered based on the likelihood of a player actually encountering it.

Conversations that are more likely to be triggered will get more attention. For the rest, ‘default' movements and animations will be placed in using an algorithm to fill in the blanks. This is a technique that The Witcher 3 used to great success.

However, with Andromeda, the ‘algorithm' being used seems to have a lower overall standard of quality, leading to some awkward moments with lots of lazy eye, lack of emotion or body language that does not fit the scene. Cooper speculates that the Andromeda team originally intended to hit every conversation by hand and tweak it to perfection but underestimated just how huge an undertaking that would be.

In short, the algorithm Andromeda is using to generate animations for each scene isn't necessarily picking the animations it should from the overall pool. However, since Cooper did not work on Andromeda himself, this is partially speculation, albeit informed by years of experience.

KitGuru Says: It is nice to see someone with so much experience dive in and explain how animation works in huge games like this. I'm no developer, so I don't know if the algorithm could be improved post-release to generate better results during conversations but it would be nice if that were the case. 

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Bioware may fix Mass Effect Andromeda animation but no promises yet https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/bioware-may-fix-mass-effect-andromeda-animation-but-no-promises-yet/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/bioware-may-fix-mass-effect-andromeda-animation-but-no-promises-yet/#comments Wed, 22 Mar 2017 12:27:56 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=326437 It is safe to say that Mass Effect Andromeda's launch hasn't been without its fair share of problems. Once people started getting their hands on the game last Friday, the internet was swiftly filled with comments about the poor character creation tool, along with plenty of gifs showing poor animation. While these issues won't be …

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It is safe to say that Mass Effect Andromeda's launch hasn't been without its fair share of problems. Once people started getting their hands on the game last Friday, the internet was swiftly filled with comments about the poor character creation tool, along with plenty of gifs showing poor animation. While these issues won't be fixed anytime soon, Bioware is looking into options for improving these areas of the game.

Bioware's lead designer, Ian Frazier has taken to Twitter this week to address fan concerns over animation, noting that the studio is “looking at patching lots of issues and wants to strongly support the game moving forward”.

With Mass Effect being the sort of game to feature lots of dialogue and character conversations, poor animation sticks out like a sore thumb. However, not being able to get your character looking quite right within the game's character creation tool is also an issue for some people.

When it comes to this, Frazier said he “can't promise anything yet”, but the studio is looking in to adding to or fixing the character creation in Andromeda. Right now, Bioware is putting together a list of things about the game that could be better, but when it comes to something as large-scale as character animations throughout the entire game, a fix will take a long time.

KitGuru Says: Bioware hasn't committed to fixing character creation or animations but it is good to know that the studio recognises that these areas are underproduced. Hopefully we will get confirmation on a patch soon. Are any of you playing Mass Effect Andromeda already? How are you finding the game so far? 

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Mass Effect Andromeda drivers now available from Nvidia and AMD https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-tech-news/matthew-wilson/mass-effect-andromeda-drivers-now-available-from-nvidia-and-amd/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-tech-news/matthew-wilson/mass-effect-andromeda-drivers-now-available-from-nvidia-and-amd/#comments Mon, 20 Mar 2017 14:40:35 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=326045 Mass Effect Andromeda launches this week and as with most big releases these days, that means it is also time to update graphics drivers. Both Nvidia and AMD have released new GPU drivers for Bioware's upcoming sci-fi RPG, though these updates contain other improvements as well. Let's start off on the Nvidia side. If you …

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Mass Effect Andromeda launches this week and as with most big releases these days, that means it is also time to update graphics drivers. Both Nvidia and AMD have released new GPU drivers for Bioware's upcoming sci-fi RPG, though these updates contain other improvements as well.

Let's start off on the Nvidia side. If you are planning on grabbing Mass Effect Andromeda this week, then you will want to upgrade to the GeForce Game Ready 378/92 driver, which also contains some optimisations for Rock Band VR, which is coming to the Oculus Rift in a few days.

This driver is obviously recommended by Nvidia for those looking to get the best day-one experience. However, it is also important for those planning to play in HDR and at 4K resolution. You can catch a glimpse of what the game looks like in 4K with HDR enabled in Nvidia's showpiece video, though you will need an HDR enabled monitor or TV to fully experience it.

On the AMD side, you will want to upgrade to Radeon Software version 17.3.2, which brings a significant 12 percent performance improvement for RX 480 users. A tessellation profile is also included to further optimise the experience for Radeon GPU users.

This driver also fixes a texture corruption issue exhibited in The Division while using the DirectX 12 API. Flickering and black screen issues is also fixed for multi-GPU users playing For Honor.

GeForce users will be able to update to the latest driver via the GeForce Experience. Meanwhile, Radeon users will also be able to upgrade straight through the Radeon Software menu.

KitGuru Says: Mass Effect Andromeda is finally here and so far, it seems to be shaping up nicely on the PC. We will be putting up a performance analysis a little later today with 4K, 1440p and 1080p benchmarks, so keep an eye out for that. 

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Mass Effect Andromeda’s ten hour trial contains around five hours of story content https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/mass-effect-andromedas-ten-hour-trial-contains-around-five-hours-of-story-content/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/mass-effect-andromedas-ten-hour-trial-contains-around-five-hours-of-story-content/#comments Thu, 16 Mar 2017 11:11:32 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=325519 Bioware’s long-awaited return to the Mass Effect franchise is now at our doorstep and those of you with a PC or Xbox One can jump in and play around ten hours of the game right now. The EA/Origin Access trial for Andromeda is now live and while story progression is gated, word is now starting …

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Bioware’s long-awaited return to the Mass Effect franchise is now at our doorstep and those of you with a PC or Xbox One can jump in and play around ten hours of the game right now. The EA/Origin Access trial for Andromeda is now live and while story progression is gated, word is now starting to spread about just how much of the story you can get through.

For those of you who missed it, earlier this month Bioware clarified some details about its Mass Effect Andromeda trial. Previously, we were confirmed ten hours of game time but it turns out that you will be stopped from continuing the main story after a certain point. How long does it take to hit that point? Well it looks like players are starting to hit the wall after four or five hours. Do be warned though, there are spoilers in the thread.

So if you are planning on grabbing the trial to play over the weekend, you'll be able to get a four to five hour head start in the story as long as you don't rush through cutscenes and conversations. You will be able to pick up exactly where you left off when the full game unlocks on Tuesday.

This trial is only available via EA Access on Xbox One or Origin Access on PC, so you will need to subscribe for access. This also means PS4 players are left out until release next week. It is worth noting that once you hit the story progression limit, you can continue to play the game's multiplayer mode, which will grant you some in-game rewards for single player.

KitGuru Says: I'll be testing out the Mass Effect: Andromeda trial over the weekend to get a feel for the game before buying. It'll also give me a good chance to assess PC performance a bit. Are any of you planning on playing Mass Effect Andromeda this week? Or will you be waiting for the full game to unlock?

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Bioware explains how Mass Effect Andromeda’s multiplayer ties into single player https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/bioware-explains-how-mass-effect-andromedas-multiplayer-ties-into-single-player/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/bioware-explains-how-mass-effect-andromedas-multiplayer-ties-into-single-player/#comments Tue, 14 Mar 2017 09:30:36 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=324977 We have known for some time now that Mass Effect Andromeda will include its own multiplayer mode and similarly to Mass Effect 3, it will tie back into story progress. However, not everyone was a fan of how this system was handled back in the Mass Effect 3 days, so what has Bioware done to …

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We have known for some time now that Mass Effect Andromeda will include its own multiplayer mode and similarly to Mass Effect 3, it will tie back into story progress. However, not everyone was a fan of how this system was handled back in the Mass Effect 3 days, so what has Bioware done to change things this time around? This week, a dev working on the project explained just that and fortunately, this time you won't need to play the multiplayer in order to achieve the best ending.

In Mass Effect Andromeda, the multiplayer mode can tie in to story but Bioware isn't going to try and force you to play it. According to the game's lead designer, Ian Frazier, Andromeda will allow you to send out your ‘strike team' on little missions while you continue on with your more important quests in game. However, every once in a while there will be an ‘Apex mission', which will be harder for your strike team to pull off alone. These are the missions where you may want to step in, resulting in a multiplayer round. However, if you have levelled up your strike team enough, they should be able to handle it themselves.

The exact quote does contain some minor spoilers for Andromeda, so if you'd rather go in blind, than perhaps stop now. Here's the full quote from Frazier (via Gamespot):

“At a certain point fairly early in the plot, we say, ‘Hey, there's this militia that is waking up from the cryopods from the Milky Way.' They can do missions where the Pathfinder isn't. When Ryder has more important things to do, you get the ability to assign AI Strike Teams to go do these missions. It's all set in real-time, so it's going to take an hour, five hours, or whatever for one of these missions to happen. Your teams have a different percent chance to succeed based on their stats and equipment and everything. You can gear them up, you can train them up, you can send them to do these missions, but they're going to take a while to do it.”

“Some of these missions are called ‘Apex Missions.' They're generally a little harder. You can send your teams to do them, but it's going be really hard for them unless you've really leveled up your teams. Or you can do it yourself in multiplayer. You can just hit a button, it'll quick-save your single-player game and launch you directly into multiplayer where you can solo if you want, you can match-make with friends, or you can do a public game and match-match with strangers.”

This transition from single-player to multiplayer is said to be seamless and the missions themselves won't feel out of place with the overall story. Rewards earned through these multiplayer missions carry back over to the single player campaign, providing you with new crafting materials or firearms.

KitGuru Says: From the sounds of it, Andromeda's multiplayer will help with gearing up but won't have an effect on the overall ending of the game like it did with Mass Effect 3. However, if the transition between Apex missions and single-player is seamless, then players may choose to just go ahead and do them every once in a while anyway. How many of you are planning on grabbing Mass Effect Andromeda when it launches? 

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Story progress will be gated in Mass Effect Andromeda 10-hour trial https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/story-progress-will-be-gated-in-mass-effect-andromeda-10-hour-trial/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/story-progress-will-be-gated-in-mass-effect-andromeda-10-hour-trial/#comments Mon, 06 Mar 2017 16:25:36 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=324151 Some new details have come to light about EA's upcoming Mass Effect Andromeda trial for EA/Origin Access members. It was revealed earlier this year that members of the service would get to play ten hours of the game five days before its initial release date, which you could spend doing either single player or multiplayer. …

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Some new details have come to light about EA's upcoming Mass Effect Andromeda trial for EA/Origin Access members. It was revealed earlier this year that members of the service would get to play ten hours of the game five days before its initial release date, which you could spend doing either single player or multiplayer. Unfortunately, the game's producer has since clarified that story progress will be gated.

This means that you will be unable to to continue the main quest after a certain point until the game actually comes out. We don't know how long into the game this progression gate comes into play but I would assume it would be sooner rather than later in order to avoid spoilers spreading across the internet prior to Andromeda's actual release date.

While the main quest will come to a stop at some point, players will still be able to explore. It is unknown if you will be able to continue doing side quests after coming to a standstill on the main quest. From what we can tell, multiplayer progress is not gated, so you'll still be able to play that while waiting for the full game to unlock.

KitGuru Says: This is slightly disappointing news as I was planning on just playing a few hours of story content each day leading up to the final release. Then again, we don't know how far into the story we can get before being forced to stop so the trial may still be worth having. Are any of you planning on grabbing Mass Effect Andromeda later this month?

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Mass Effect Andromeda’s multiplayer tech test has been cancelled https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/mass-effect-andromedas-multiplayer-tech-test-has-been-cancelled/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/mass-effect-andromedas-multiplayer-tech-test-has-been-cancelled/#comments Thu, 02 Mar 2017 16:10:48 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=323909 While Bioware is traditionally a single-player focussed studio, they have experimented with multiplayer in Dragon Age and Mass Effect games in the past. That's not changing with Mass Effect Andromeda this year, which will have its own multiplayer. Unfortunately though, we are no longer going to get the chance to try it out before launch …

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While Bioware is traditionally a single-player focussed studio, they have experimented with multiplayer in Dragon Age and Mass Effect games in the past. That's not changing with Mass Effect Andromeda this year, which will have its own multiplayer. Unfortunately though, we are no longer going to get the chance to try it out before launch as the multiplayer technical test announced last year has been cancelled.

Bioware initially opened sign-ups for its Mass Effect multiplayer test back in November and has kept them open ever since for those on Xbox, PC and PS4. However, it appears something has caused plans to change as today in a blog post, Bioware confirmed it would be no longer be holding a multiplayer test but would be showing the game's multiplayer at PAX East in the US.

“Join us at the BioWare Base (room 2AB) and be one of the first to join APEX and defend our new home in Andromeda. Featuring different character kits each day, this is your chance to try out Mass Effect’s fast-paced cooperative multiplayer on PC. While we will have live multiplayer at PAX East, there will no longer be a multiplayer tech test for players at home. Thank you to everyone who signed up. We look forward to seeing you in Andromeda.”

Unfortunately, the statement doesn't really clarify why there will no longer be a multiplayer test for those not able to attend PAX, though it could just be a case of deeming the servers stable enough to not warrant one. In the meantime, from the 16th of March, those on EA Access (Xbox) or Origin Access (PC) will be able to play the first ten hours of Mass Effect Andromeda's single player prior to its official launch on the 21st of March.

KitGuru Says: It is usually better to be safe than sorry with multiplayer games these days, which is why EA and Ubisoft have been so big on beta and alpha tests over the last year or two. Hopefully this cancellation doesn't end up hurting the game in the long run. Are many of you planning on grabbing Mass Effect Andromeda later this month? 

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Mass Effect Andromeda video shows off new combat, system requirements released https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/mass-effect-andromeda-video-shows-off-new-combat-system-requirements-released/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/mass-effect-andromeda-video-shows-off-new-combat-system-requirements-released/#comments Sat, 25 Feb 2017 17:07:01 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=323285 Mass Effect Andromeda is coming out very soon, which means it is time for Bioware to start unveiling new gameplay, alongside other important details like PC system requirements. Not only has a new Mass Effect Andromeda trailer dropped this week, but now we also know what hardware we are going to need for a smooth experience …

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Mass Effect Andromeda is coming out very soon, which means it is time for Bioware to start unveiling new gameplay, alongside other important details like PC system requirements. Not only has a new Mass Effect Andromeda trailer dropped this week, but now we also know what hardware we are going to need for a smooth experience on PC.

At minimum, you are going to need a system with an Intel Core i5 3570 or AMD FX-6350. You'll need 8GB of RAM, a GTX 660 or Radeon HD 7850 as well as 55GB of storage space. If you want to turn the settings up, you are going to need a Core i7 4790 or AMD FX-8350, 16GB of RAM and a GTX 1060 or RX 480.

If you want to know a bit more about what to expect from Mass Effect Andromeda's combat and squad changes, then you can check out the gameplay video above, which shows off the seven combat profiles: Soldier, Engineer, Adept, Sentinel, Vanguard, Infiltrator, and Explorer. Each class comes with individual skills and bonus abilities and each squad member will two passive skills and three active ones.

KitGuru Says: Mass Effect: Andromeda is starting to look quite good, so I am being cautiously optimistic about it. How many of you are planning on buying Mass Effect Andromeda next month? Is your rig up to the task?

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Mass Effect Andromeda’s new dialogue system moves away from Paragon/Renegade https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/mass-effect-andromedas-new-dialogue-system-moves-away-from-paragonrenegade/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/mass-effect-andromedas-new-dialogue-system-moves-away-from-paragonrenegade/#comments Thu, 09 Feb 2017 18:36:41 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=321397 Mass Effect Andromeda is coming out in just over a month, so Bioware has been trickling out new bits of information here and there. A couple of weeks back we got an introduction to the Andromeda mission crew and this week, Mass Effect Andromeda's creative director spoke a bit about the game's all-new dialogue system, …

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Mass Effect Andromeda is coming out in just over a month, so Bioware has been trickling out new bits of information here and there. A couple of weeks back we got an introduction to the Andromeda mission crew and this week, Mass Effect Andromeda's creative director spoke a bit about the game's all-new dialogue system, which does away with the Paragon and Renegade decisions of the original trilogy.

Paragon and Renegade decisions were an essential part of the original Mass Effect games and allowed you to easily go through the series as a good or bad person. However, with Mass Effect Andromeda, the lines between good and evil are going to be somewhat blurred.

Speaking with GamesRadar, Creative Director Mac Walters explained that the new dialogue system focusses less on good and bad responses and more on agreeing or disagreeing.

“So, Paragon and Renegade is gone. The reason they’re gone is because they felt very Shepard – they were very tied to the Shepard character, so they didn’t really make sense if we weren’t going to have Shepard as our protagonist. “What we have now is based more around agreeing and disagreeing. The reason I like that is because in the trilogy it’s like, ‘I’m gonna play Paragon,' and then you know which way you’re moving the stick on every conversation. You don’t have to think about it, because you’re just going to hit Paragon every time.”

“With agree and disagree it changes by the circumstance and it changes by the character you’re talking to, so you have to actually be more engaged in what’s going on, to know if you’re going to do that.”

On top of that, the dialogue system now has tones of voice, so you can customise your choices even further. Unfortunately, we didn't get too many details on that but given that the game is coming out in six weeks, we should expect to learn more quite soon.

KitGuru Says: The new dialogue system does sound like an improvement. As much as I liked the Paragon and Renegade theme of the first few games, RPGs can be about more than being entirely good or entirely evil. What do you guys think of Andromeda's changes to the dialogue system? 

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You’ll get to play 10 hours of Mass Effect: Andromeda before release https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/matthew-wilson/youll-get-to-play-10-hours-of-mass-effect-andromeda-before-release/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/matthew-wilson/youll-get-to-play-10-hours-of-mass-effect-andromeda-before-release/#comments Mon, 23 Jan 2017 17:03:16 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=318403 Bioware's long-awaited return to the Mass Effect franchise is approaching us fast, with Mass-Effect: Andromeda set to kick off an all-new adventure in March. However, if you would like to play the through the first ten hours of the game a little early before committing to buying the game, then EA would like to give …

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Bioware's long-awaited return to the Mass Effect franchise is approaching us fast, with Mass-Effect: Andromeda set to kick off an all-new adventure in March. However, if you would like to play the through the first ten hours of the game a little early before committing to buying the game, then EA would like to give you that opportunity with an extended trial.

Mass Effect: Andromeda will be getting a ten hour trial on the 16th of March- one week before launch. However, as has been the case for a couple of years now, you will need to be an EA Access (Xbox) or Origin Access (PC) subscriber in order to take part. The PS4 does not have an EA Access style service, so Sony fans are going to need to wait.

masseffect-andromeda-2

While PS4 players might miss out on the generous timed trial an entire week before the game's launch, Mass Effect: Andromeda will be having a multiplayer beta, which will be open to PlayStation players as well as Xbox and PC.

Mass Effect: Andromeda is the start of a new journey, completely separate from the original trilogy. Unfortunately, not much else is known about the game as Bioware has been very quiet when it comes to details.

KitGuru Says: I'm still looking forward to Mass Effect: Andromeda though I must admit, Bioware's silence and the lack of in-game footage has made me a little nervous about it. Are any of you planning on picking up the new Mass Effect in March? That EA Access trial is looking very tempting. 

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It looks like Mass Effect: Andromeda is coming in March https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/it-looks-like-mass-effect-andromeda-is-coming-in-march/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/it-looks-like-mass-effect-andromeda-is-coming-in-march/#comments Mon, 10 Oct 2016 14:19:23 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=308278 While EA and Bioware have been taking their time to publicly commit to a new release date for Mass Effect: Andromeda, it looks like Dark Horse Comics is a little more keen as pre-orders for the game's art book kicked off today. Dark Horse claims that its art book will be releasing “simultaneously with the …

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While EA and Bioware have been taking their time to publicly commit to a new release date for Mass Effect: Andromeda, it looks like Dark Horse Comics is a little more keen as pre-orders for the game's art book kicked off today. Dark Horse claims that its art book will be releasing “simultaneously with the game”, while also giving a March 21st release date.

EA and Bioware announced earlier this year that the return of the Mass Effect franchise would be pushed from late 2016 to ‘Q1 2017', which could mean anywhere from January to March. If this Amazon pre-order listing is anything to go by, then it looks like we can expect the game later on in March.

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It is worth noting that it was Amazon US with the 21st of March listing for the Dark Horse's Mass Effect art book. Over on Amazon UK, the date is adjusted to the 23rd of March, so it looks like the game will have a slightly staggered release, with some countries getting it later than others.

This news was probably supposed to be announced on the 7th of November, otherwise known as ‘N7 Day'. Bioware had already promised to give us more details on that date and given the studio's long-lasting relationship with Dark Horse Comics, it seems likely that this information is accurate.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Bioware and EA have been light on the details when it comes to Mass Effect: Andromeda. However, hopefully things will start to ramp up in November and while this release date probably wasn't intended to be revealed just yet, as a fan of the series I do hope it sticks. Are any of you looking forward to Mass Effect: Andromeda next year?

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Mass Effect: Andromeda to ditch Paragon/Renegade system https://www.kitguru.net/professional/development/jon-martindale/mass-effect-andromeda-to-ditch-paragonrenegade-system/ https://www.kitguru.net/professional/development/jon-martindale/mass-effect-andromeda-to-ditch-paragonrenegade-system/#comments Wed, 22 Jun 2016 07:37:05 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=296780 The original Mass Effect trilogy was an important series in the history of gaming, helping showcase how player choice just in talking with characters could have a dramatic effect on the NPCs and the player. However it was rather binary, so in the upcoming Mass Effect: Andromeda, you won't get good and bad conversational options, …

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The original Mass Effect trilogy was an important series in the history of gaming, helping showcase how player choice just in talking with characters could have a dramatic effect on the NPCs and the player. However it was rather binary, so in the upcoming Mass Effect: Andromeda, you won't get good and bad conversational options, more ‘shades of grey.'

That's how creative director at BioWare, Mac Walters described it in his chat with GamesRadar (via PCGN). The idea isn't to get rid of conversational options, but to make them less obvious as to which is the path of light and which one leads to a darker side.

masseffectandromeda

Having characters talk like I imagine they would has been a really fun feature of more contemporary games

Perhaps drawing on the likes of Telltale's The Walking Dead, or Game of Thrones conversational titles, Mass Effect: Andromeda will be much more nuanced and instead of giving players clear choices which define them as characters and players, they will instead be given more options.

“I think now we’re moving away from that,” Walters said about the Paragon/Renegade system. “We’ve been looking for other ways to engage more of those shades of grey; less about it being obviously being right or wrong and more about giving people a sense of choice.”

“[Gamers are] looking for more of those shades of grey,” he said.

The most recent look we had of the upcoming Mass Effect title was a new trailer at E3, which showed humanity heading further afield than ever before, strange alien creatures and new highly-detailed companions to interact with.

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Mass Effect: Andromeda is planned for release in March 2017.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: I like how this is shaping up. Though I must admit the only Mass Effect I finished was 2. I bailed out on one about three quarters in and never touched three. Should I go back and finish them all?

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