The space traveling video game franchise “Mass Effect” is known to be very popular among gamers but they are not as good as the other games in the stable of game publisher Electronic Arts (EA), in terms of sales.
But EA expects that things will change for the better for the franchise with the release of the fourth game of the series entitled “Mass Effect: Andromeda” on the PlayStation 4, the Xbox One, and the PC next year.
EA and game developer BioWare have yet to announce a specific release date in 2017 when “Mass Effect: Andromeda” will roll out to the gaming consoles and the PC.
Andrew Wilson, CEO of EA, announced during the company’s recent investor day that “Mass Effect: Andromeda” could go on to become the biggest one of the franchise so far.
Wilson said that the new “Mass Effect” game will have grown in the category of role-playing games and break beyond the franchise’s core gamer audiences, reports Attack of the Fanboy.
He said that they have seen other games in the category do such and they honestly believe that “Mass Effect: Andromeda” will do that.
EA executive vice president Patrick Soderlund shared a little detail about “Mass Effect: Andromeda” using a crowd technology developed for “Rory McIlroy PGA Tour” which has been adopted by BioWare to have big crowds that gamers can walk through.
The same technology was used in “Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst” to have a large crowd on the street layer. Reports also have it that the other game teams within EA will also be adopting the same technology, details Dual Shockers.
Delay in the release of the game
Some fans are getting worried that there might be a delay again especially considering that game developer BioWare has yet to make an announcement regarding the exact release date of the game on the gaming consoles.
However, Greg Zeschuk, retired co-founder of BioWare, recently issued a statement saying that fans should not be wary at all because their wait for the highly anticipated “Mass Effect: Andromeda” is going to be completely worth it.
Zeschuk said that he is also an ordinary game enthusiast who is waiting for the game but he is quite confident that the long development process will be good for the game, having known the development team working on it.
He added that “Mass Effect: Andromeda” is in good hands and that it will certainly not depart from the original theme that the franchise has been known for, allaying some of the fears of fans. He also said that the game is going to be pretty incredible and fans and gamers would surely be delighted with it when it finally comes out.
As he is no longer connected with the company, Zeschuk also said that the best thing about leaving BioWare is being able to play BioWare games without knowing everything that is going to happen. He expressed confidence in the BioWare development team and how they are doing it.
Deviating from the storyline
It seems that the concern of some gamers that “Mass Effect 4” will deviate from the storyline emanated from the fact that the upcoming installment of the game is more of a spinoff rather than a sequel.
Apparently, “Mass Effect: Andromeda” will have new maps, new location, and new characters which were requested by fans themselves. It will also come out as the very first “Mass Effect” game with a multiplayer mode.
It will also be the first “Mass Effect” game that shall no longer have Commander Shepard in it. But the game’s mode of transportation in Mako shall remain the same.
But Mac Walters, creative director of BioWare, assured fans of the franchise that “Mass Effect: Andromeda” won’t be disconnected from the other games in the franchise.
He said that they are looking at bringing back the sense of wonder and exploration to the game that was there in the original trilogy. He added that they want to ensure that they are stepping up the game so that it won’t come out as a “Mass Effect” game with shiny new features.