Electronic Arts is giving Mass Effect: Andromeda fans a chance to try out the game before it hits stores. If you’re an Xbox One owner using the EA Access program, or a PC gamer using the similar Origin Access service, you’ll get to try out the full game for 10 hours, starting on March 16th, before having to wait until launch day, which is March 21st.
For those with the Access services, this comes as little surprise, as most of EA’s big releases usually hit Access a few days beforehand so users can download free trials, which then lock after a set amount of time is elapsed until you either buy a physical or digital copy of the game.
The good news is any progress made while playing the trial carries over into the full game, regardless of whether or not you went with a disc or download. That includes achievements and story progress.
The biggest surprise is the sheer amount of time EA is giving people this time around; usually the trials max out at 6 hours, but with Mass Effect: Andromeda they’re offering 10 instead. That won’t be enough time to blow through the game, but should offer gamers at least a substantial chunk of time to figure out whether or not they want to buy it.
Unfortunately for PlayStation 4 users, the demo is not coming their way, and is exclusive to the Access service. EA approached Sony about offering EA Access on the PS4, but Sony turned them down.
More Titles hit EA Access Vault
One additional perk Access users have is the Vault, which offers free downloads of games throughout EA’s library, including the original Mass Effect trilogy. The games are free to play as long as your Access membership is active, and four more have been added to the list: Dead Space: Ignition, Madden NFL 17, Skate 3 and Zuma’s Revenge.
Published: Jan 23, 2017 03:25 pm