Mass Effect Andromeda Issues Refocus Bioware on Characters & Story for Anthem

Mass Effect Andromeda, depending on who you ask, was either a mediocre action title, or a complete failure of a game. The difference usually depends on how invested the particular person was in the Mass Effect universe. Did they casually play through the trilogy, noting its plot elements but not getting too involved? Or do they have a picture of Garrus hanging from their wall that they kiss every night? It’s this latter group that seemed to sink Andromeda’s fate as Bioware lost some of that magic that brought those players into the series in the first place. And it seems like Bioware knows this, announcing a renewed dedication to those elements that made Mass Effect so popular.

Bioware General Manager Casey Hudson announced the new direction in an extensive blog post detailing development on Anthem. The game is a multiplayer focused adventure from the makers of Mass Effect, but potential players have been skeptical. Would the game renew that original magic that made the ME series so beloved, or would it follow the path of Andromeda? It seems like Bioware is hoping for the former.

Speaking of the failure of Mass Effect Andromeda’s story based DLC Hudson says, “That experience ultimately became a defining moment in refocusing BioWare’s mission. We need to delight players with new experiences and innovation, but we must stay focused on the importance of the world, character, and storytelling elements that players expect from our games. And our games must be designed to continue delivering new stories and experiences, in an ongoing relationship with players in the worlds we’re evolving together.”

That goal of delivering on the world, story, and characters seems to be guiding the team behind Anthem. “It’s in that spirit that we are working through production on Anthem–a game designed to create a whole new world of story and character that you can experience with friends in an ongoing series of adventures. It will be unlike anything you’ve played, but if we do it right, it will feel very distinctly BioWare.”

Anthem is set for an early 2019 release, so expect to hear more about the game at E3 2018.