Mass Effect Andromeda release date: Here’s what to expect from BioWare’s space epic this March

6. Is there anything else I need to know about Mass Effect: Andromeda’s combat?

To switch Mass Effect: Andromeda’s combat up even more, and to stop it from falling firmly into third-person shooter territory, BioWare has simplified skills and brought in player profiles. Skills allow you to focus your abilities into one of three areas: Combat, Tech or Biotics. Combat skills focus more on heavy weaponry and general weapon proficiency; Tech bestow you with the use of experimental weaponry and gadgets, and Biotics is all about those magic-like abilities of fire, ice and some other Star Wars Force-like nonsense.

By balancing out your skills, you can also unlock player profiles that provide stat boosts depending on your loadout and skill selection. These profiles can then be mapped to a Favourites tab which can then be switched between on the fly during a battle. So, if you find yourself set up for a long-range war of attrition with a foe, only to discover you’ve been flanked by a close-quarters-favouring opponent, you can change at the tap of a button and take them out. This video explains it a little better.

7. I heard something about weapon crafting in Mass Effect: Andromeda, is this true?

As far as we know, yes. BioWare had already confirmed item crafting but in a tweet Andromeda’s lead designer Ian S Frazier revealed this also applies to weapons and armor. It also appears you can name your creations too.

8. Is Commander Shepard in Mass Effect: Andromeda?

Nope. Commander Shepard isn’t in Mass Effect: Andromeda and neither is your old crew, so stop hoping for cameos.

Instead you’ll be taking up the role of a Pathfinder known as Ryder who isn’t the figure we first saw during Mass Effect: Andromeda’s initial reveal. That figure, it turns out, is Ryder’s father and both the male and female default avatars are his children. BioWare also confirmed that these Ryders are siblings, indicating both will appear in the story regardless of who you choose to play as.

9. So if I’ve lost my old crew, who am I fighting alongside in Mass Effect: Andromeda?

So far we know seven of your companions in Mass Effect: Andromeda although there are likely to be a few more we don’t yet know about.

Humans Liam (who’s last name we still don’t know) and Cora Harper join your team from the outset as they travel with you from the Milky Way alongside Dr. Lexi T’Perro – an asari voiced by Natalie Dormer. We also know a krogan named Nakmor Drack, a female turian called Vetra Nyx and another asari simply known as Peebee will join you later on alongside an angara by the name of Jaal. If angara doesn’t ring a bell, that’s because it’s a new race to the Mass Effect universe.

10. So, erm, can I still romance some aliens in Mass Effect: Andromeda?

Yep, it wouldn’t be a Mass Effect, or BioWare game if you couldn’t woo some alien ass into bed. Turns out that this time around we’ll be subject to more alien booty, boob and groin than ever before as BioWare revealed that the ESRB (America’s game rating body) listed it for “nudity” instead of “partial nudity” like Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3.

Previously BioWare has been rather coy with how it displays the raunchy goings on. This time around it’s likely to take the Witcher 3 approach to sex scenes, so expect to see some alien boobs going on, but don’t expect an eyeful of krogan crotch. Still, BioWare’s Aaryn Flynn assures fans that it’s all going to be tastefully done stuff.