Mass Effect: Andromeda Is Not the Start of a New Trilogy

Mass Effect: Andromeda is not the start of a new trilogy for BioWare's spacefaring RPG series. This is according to creative director Mac Walters, who spoke to Game Informer about how Andromeda's story isn't similar in structure to the three games in the Commander Shepard series.

Andromeda's main character, Ryder, begins the game as an untested solider, with the story playing out like the traditional hero's journey. For the first Mass Effect, Shepard was already a known quantity in the game's universe. For Andromeda, the hope is that it will tell a contained story, Walters said.

That being said, he explained that BioWare could make more Mass Effect games in the Andromeda galaxy.

"At the end of this, we want it to feel like a story has completed," Walters said about Andromeda's story. "Yes, for the universe, there's much more you could explore, and we want to tease that, but it feels like its own story. It's like, 'Great. I had my Ryder sibling becoming-a-hero story. What's next? Is it going to be Ryder? Is it going to be something else? Who knows?'"

Producer Michael Gamble said Andromeda will tell a "different type of story" than what fans of the series are used to. "We want to leave the ending, and what we're doing with it, as a surprise," he said when asked if there would be multiple endings. "This is a different type of story, so it will be something different than the trilogy. We can't wait to hear what fans think."

Walters reiterated this in a video that Game Informer uploaded today. In that video, in which he answers 101 questions in six minutes, Walters also confirms that Andromeda's campaign can be played offline and that crew members and companions cannot die. He also teased that campaign co-op could work in the Mass Effect universe, though he didn't confirm any plans for Andromeda.

In other Andromeda news, BioWare has discussed the game's romance options, how it balances its shooter and RPG elements, potential DLC, and more. Additionally, BioWare has explained how Andromeda avoids dealing with Mass Effect 3's ending and revealed it will have a crafting system and an updated New Game+ mode.

In addition to a new trailer and a separate video that revealed some key story details, we've also learned about Andromeda's deluxe edition and the fact that loyalty missions are coming back. BioWare has also confirmed that a multiplayer beta will be held before launch.

The December issue of Game Informer is available to buy now.

Andromeda is scheduled to launch this spring for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. While not confirmed, multiple retail listings have suggested a March 21 release date.

More Andromeda gameplay footage will be shown during The Game Awards in early December.