Mass Effect Andromeda Won’t Feature Fully Explorable Galaxy

Players will be somewhat limited to what they can explore in Bioware’s upcoming Mass Effect Andromeda.  While fans are clamoring for details after a show stealing reveal earlier this year at The Game Awards, Mac Walters, Creative Director of the game revealed to fans that the entirety of the Andromeda galaxy will not be explorable and will be limited to local clusters.

When one fan made the assumption that you wouldn’t be able to explore the entirety of Andromeda due to the Tempest Relay functionality, Walters confirmed with a “That’s a wise assumption. Yes.”  Meaning that no, you won’t be able to explore the entirety of the galaxy.

Walters also revealed new details about character customization and face models for custom characters in Mass Effect Andromeda.  According to Walters, Sarah Ryder does have a face model and that “customizable characters are based on scans,” says the developer.

Andromeda will limit players on where they can explore in the galaxy

Mass Effect has never been about going anywhere in the galaxy, none of the previous games had this feature.  However, it’s nice to see Walters gettting out in front of any speculation that this may be the case.  As we’ve seen in other games released this year, making too many promises or not clarifying these things to fans ahead of release can lead to real disappointment from fans (see No Man’s Sky).

Mass Effect Andromeda has been years in the making, and fans have been waiting patiently for the next chapter in this popular sci-fi series.  Mass Effect Andromeda’s release date is currently set for Spring 2017 on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.

Recent reports also suggest that the game will be playable first on the Xbox One.  While this is a rumor at this point, it does make sense considering the relationship that Electronic Arts has had with Microsoft in this console generation.  Games like Star Wars: Battlefront, Titanfall 2, and some of the EA Sports titles launched ahead of other platforms with the EA Access program.

The wait has indeed been long, but the first gameplay trailer for the game showed off many of the new features that fans can expect from the game.  You can check out this gameplay reveal below:

Mass Effect: Andromeda Gameplay