Developer Bioware has said that its upcoming game "Mass Effect: Andromeda" is its biggest game, featuring major improvements in the series.
In an interview with Game Informer, "Mass Effect: Andromeda" producer Mike Gamble said, "This is the biggest we've ever gone, in terms of the number of pieces of content." However, the Bioware executive added that although there is a mix of new and old yet improved content, players will not be overwhelmed and disoriented with how big the new game is. "Although we have a lot of different areas to go to, we want to make it so whenever you go to those areas, you remember them," Gamble explained.
As part of the new and improved content, one of the things that will feature in the upcoming installment is the return of Loyalty Missions. Introduced in "Mass Effect 2," the gameplay was dropped in the succeeding sequel. Creative director Mac Walters said that personally, he has taken a liking to the gameplay. "As a writer, one of the things I loved was the freedom to say 'I know this character is coming along,' so they can carry a lot of the narrative. That made my job easier, but it also made it more fun, because I could tell a more specific story in one of those missions."
However, it is also revealed that the Loyalty Missions are just part of the optional activities and are not critical to the main story in "Mass Effect: Andromeda." There are also a number of new activities in the game, the biggest of which is exploration. While it is confirmed that not all species from the original trilogy will be present, there are still plenty of new things to discover and explore, as the new game takes place in at-first unknown part of the galaxy.
Meanwhile, more details are expected to come out leading to the "Mass Effect: Andromeda" release, though publisher Electronic Arts has yet to announce a date. However, a new gameplay footage will be shown at The Game Awards on Dec. 1.
