Electronic Arts and BioWare have released the first in a new series of Mass Effect: Andromeda gameplay videos. This one is focused on combat—specifically weapons and skills.
Mass Effect: Andromeda‘s action is built around fluid, fast-paced combat. It promises freedom of movement with the use of a jump jet that allows you to jump, evade, and hover while fighting. There’s also a new dynamic cover system that allows you to seamlessly use almost anything, including your own vehicle, for cover. This level of freedom allows you to approach the battle in your own style.
There are four categories of guns in Mass Effect: Andromeda—pistols, shotguns, sniper rifles, and assault rifles—plus a range of melee weapons. All guns are available to every player without class restrictions. Guns and gear fall into three technology types based on where the technology originates.
- Milky Way weapons are high-impact weapons that typically use physical projectile ammunition, and are great against most non-shielded targets.
- Remnant weapons typically use beams, have a high rate of fire, and are extremely accurate. They never run out of ammo, but you’ll have to wait for your gun to cool down from time to time.
- Helius weapons are technology from civilizations that live in the Helius cluster of Andromeda. They’re generally plasma-based, meaning they’re slower speed, but benefit from heat-seeking technology. Some are charge-based, dealing more damage the longer it’s charged.
Melee weapons vary in damage and speed. Hard-hitting hammers deal great damage, while lightning-fast shivs or swords allow you to get in and out of harm’s way at maximum speed and precision.
In addition to weapons, you can also develop skills and abilities. Like weapons, all skills are available to every player without class restrictions. Each of the three main skill categories is designed to facilitate a certain style of play.
- Combat skills are good if you’re focusing on weapons, gear, and becoming the ultimate soldier. These skills focus on improving weapon damage and accuracy, as well as giving you the ability to use flat cannons, grenades, trip mines, and more.
- Tech skills allow you to equip your Pathfinder with more experimental weaponry, or focus on strategic improvements for you and your squad, like Cryobeam, Flamethrower, Invasion, and Energy Drain. You can also deploy your own assault turret.
- Biotics skills—by controlling dark energy, your Pathfinder can harness the power of mass and gravity. Biotics skills like Pull and Throw allow you to use your enemies as a shield, or even a weapon. Abilities like Annihilation Shield or Singularity can disrupt and damage anyone or anything caught in their grip.
Each skill can be upgraded to become stronger and more effective, and each offers choices when upgrading, allowing you to customize your upgrades.
Mass Effect: Andromeda is due out for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on March 21 in North America and March 23 in Europe.
Watch the footage below.