With the launch of Mass Effect Andromeda coming up fast, so too is the Early Access preview that EA Access and Origin Access users will be getting. As a result, Bioware producer Fernando Melo has taken to Twitter to answer a couple of questions about the 10-hour trial, which starts on March 16th.
For those only interested in single-player, you can certainly do so, but you won’t be able to get as far in the story as you might in the full version of the game, as Melo says you only get to explore one of the game’s many (and rather large) planets, calling it a “gated” experience. He does, however, say you can continue exploring or start the story content over for more experience points.
On the multiplayer side of things, there’s a bright spot for those disappointed by the cancellation of the game’s multiplayer beta, as you can play as much multiplayer as you want. If that’s not enough, those who complete certain challenges, called Missions, can unlock loot boxes called “Pathfinder Rewards” that include crafting materials and other goodies that can be used in both single player and multiplayer modes, apparently, which makes sense since experience earned in multiplayer also carries over to the story mode.
One of the most controversial aspects of Mass Effect 3 was the fact that the multiplayer mode felt “required” to get the best ending of the game. That won’t be a problem for Mass Effect Andromeda, at least as far as the Missions go, because designer Ian Frazier adds you can send an AI squad to handle them and never set foot in multiplayer if you don’t want to.
Mass Effect Andromeda hits the PS4, Xbox One, and PC on March 21st in the US and March 23rd in Europe. So far, there are no plans for a Nintendo Switch version, but Bioware’s not writing it off completely.
