Voices of Our Heroes
It wasn’t too long ago that we found out the nature of our protagonists in Mass Effect: Andromeda this time around. Instead of being two different versions of one character, they are actually siblings who both exist in the massive universe at the same time. Today, during all of the N7 Day announcements, the voice actors for these sibling protagonists were revealed.
Playing Sarah Ryder is Fryda Wolff who has appeared in games like Fallout 4, Civilization: Beyond Earth, and Octodad: Dadliest Catch. Playing her brother, Scott, is Tom Taylorson, who was actually Octodad. Their father, Alec Ryder, is voiced by Clancy Brown who has a long list of acting credits which includes video game roles (Hades, God of War III), cartoons, and movies.
What are You Doing?
In Mass Effect: Andromeda, players will take control of one of the Ryder siblings as they assume the role of Pathfinder, thought it’s not yet clear how you obtain that role. As the Pathfinder, you are tasked with exploring an unknown galaxy, one that humans have never stepped foot within before, as you search for and colonize planets for humanity.
Taking steps on a new planet is nothing new to the Mass Effect series, but Andromeda looks to add a but more of a threat to the ordeal as well as wrapping it in a ton of mystery. From the trailers that were released during N7 day, we briefly meet a villain who is intrigued by these humans he’s come across, so much so that he’s willing to dissect them (while they’re still alive, it seems).
Only the general mission of finding a new home has been revealed, so it will be interesting to see what else this upcoming game has in store for us.
What Is a Pathfinder?
According to the Andromeda Initiative orientation, a Pathfinder is a “blend of elite solider, scientist, and guide who will be tasked with finding a new home.” In essence, each Pathfinder is the captain of their respective ark, choosing what planets to explore and colonize as they endeavor to finally find a place for everyone to settle.
We know that as part of the story you will become one of these central individuals, though we have yet to find out how. The fact that the trailer states you’re the new one, means there was one before you after awaking. It is possible that it was your father, who is part of the story, but we’ll have to wait on confirmation from the developers or until we play the game ourselves.
New Gameplay?
There wasn’t much shown in the way of new gameplay during N7 Day 2016, though we did get some brief glimpses. During the new trailer we got to see a new, terrifying alien race. Well, we got to see parts of it, such as the legs, hands, and back of one particularly curious alien’s head as he decided to check the inside of a human. There was also a lot of variety shown in the different locations as well as some really large aliens you’ll have to fight down the line.
A true gameplay reveal is slated for later this year, though. If you watch the brand-new trailer on YouTube there is another announcement at the end stating that the gameplay will be shown off on stage at this year’s The Game Awards, which is set to air on Dec. 1. That should give us a better grasp of how players will get to actually experience the worlds and threats that were shown off.
The Andromeda Initiative
The Andromeda Initiative is BioWare’s means of getting information about the upcoming title to fans. As part of N7 Day, the first video, titled “Orientation Briefing,” gave fans some insight into the events that will lead to the start of your intergalactic adventure.
Jan Garson, founder of the initiative, explains to us that 600 years prior to the start of Mass Effect: Andromeda, you and thousands of other humans and select alien species are placed in cryogenic sleep aboard five massive space arks. You’re then sent far away to the edge of the Andromeda galaxy, where no humans have ever stepped foot. From there, it is up to the survivors to explore and colonize planets safe for humanity and the other races.
The initiative will continue to provide new videos and information to those who have signed up, filling in several blanks before the game’s anticipated release.
New Features
Some information that wasn’t revealed as part of the two new videos released concerned new features that players will be able to enjoy when the game releases. These were revealed as part of the product details for the game’s pre-order pages on online marketplaces such as Amazon and Best Buy. The features include:
- Destructible Environments
- Boosted jumps for added verticality
- New weapons
- New Biotics
The weapons and Biotics were expected, but having destructible environments can be a very big deal depending on the degree to which you can affect the world around you. The verticality may also prove to be very interesting, provided there aren’t just random jumps that add nothing new to the experience aside from the act of jumping up. Both of those features can very well be the core of planets that really promote thorough exploration, and that’s never a bad thing in an RPG.
When Can You Play It?
Mass Effect: Andromeda is set to be released in Spring of 2017 which honestly isn’t too far off. That means we’ll be exploring a new galaxy and being hunted by new alien races within the next seven months, so the excitement is growing palpable. Of course, it’s just a window, and those are always subject to change (this is an age where we waited 10 years for a Final Fantasy game, after all). Hopefully, that season gets swapped for a month sometime soon. Until then, we can only keep an eye out and see what else BioWare has to share about our upcoming journey into the stars. Happy N7 Day!
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