The latest in Bioware’s carefully controlled marketing campaign for Mass Effect Andromeda has hit our computers, and it does not disappoint. Finally we get to see our team in action and oh what a sight! It’s cut together like a tense action movie starting with a pensive, “Is that our Golden World?” and ending with a battle-tense, “They want a fight, we’ll give it to them!”
The music serves as a good accompaniment to the proceedings. Initially light and wondrous, the soundtrack moves into a foreboding bass heavy thrum as our dire situation is voiced by Papa Ryder. Then, as the pulse pounding action ramps up so do the tunes. There’s a strand of the familiar as the end puts me in the mind of Spectre Induction from the first game in the original trilogy.
Not only do we see the squaddies in their element, we see their relationship to our player character, Scott Ryder. While he’s confidently punching and sassing his way out of tough scrapes; Vetra, our turian mate suggests caution. Our salarian pilot Kallo Jath frantically works the console. Peebee is a total action badass. Drack and Scott are bros, brawling out with foes then helping each other up off the ground. Cora is a (potential) boo, and determined Liam delivers the final confrontational line.
Liam is also #TeamNatural and if you don’t think my Sara Ryder is going to have a big, nappy ass afro then you would be sorely mistaken. Please let character gen have that style on offer. I will be a sad little bear if not. Overall the character models are really well done.
One intriguing bit in the trailer that made my eyebrows rise was when the enemy identified themselves as the Arkcon. Hmm sounds familiar…
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The Andromeda Initiative briefings have been a huge success in my opinion. These 4th wall-straddling videos have been an ingenious way to front load a great deal of exposition, gameplay mechanics, and world building.
This briefing, voiced by Cora highlights the small but intact initial Pathfinder team charged with finding a home for the 20,000 inhabitants of the human ark to Andromeda. She states that “we act under our own authority” and “represent the tip of the spear” for humanity in Andromeda. This is interesting language considering that during the trailer, Scott asserts they are explorers not an army. Me thinks there’s a little self awareness gap going on with these human spears/explorers.
It’s already been apparent that something goes wrong ,but seeing the original team and their positions right after watching the trailer, which depicts a very different compliment, hammers that point home.
There is a great detail where Papa Ryder was part of the initial team to step through the Charon Mass Relay, starting Earth on its path to interstellar citizenship. This highlights how fast we went from that discovery to being major players in space and pioneers in a new galaxy. (I love that he’s also an N7. In my head canon, he met Shephard at her medal ceremony after the Skillian Blitz.)
I’m also intrigued by the role of Pathfinder skipping over Cora, the second in command, and landing on one of the baby Ryders’ shoulders. Maybe whatever process makes one the Pathfinder, is linked to the DNA in some way. So much speculation! So little time!
For even more details on the characters and mission, check out the latest at Mass Effect and join the Andromeda Initiative today!
Mass Effect: Andromeda launches on March 21, 2017 in North America and March 23, 2017 in Europe.
Not to be outdone…
Mark Darrah, Executive Producer of the Dragon Age Franchise blessed us with some teaser art for a new outing of some kind. A game? A book? A comic? Who knows. All I know is I desperately miss The Iron Bull…
— Mark Darrah (@BioMarkDarrah) January 26, 2017
— Mark Darrah (@BioMarkDarrah) January 26, 2017
So sneaking that Mark Darrah!
I’m highly suspicious of Cora her last name is Harper…the Illusive Man’s last name is Harper. I’ve got some thoughts about that but I’ll wait to see what happens. It might just be a coincidence.
I hope she’s TIM’s daughter who rejected his Earth First mentality and ran off to train with asari.