Update February 17, 2017: Mass Effect: Andromeda will let players experiment in combat more than ever. There are no restrictions on weapons and skills, so you can dip into a bit of everything and spec your Pathfinder out however you want.
The RPG sequel offers three weapons types: Milky Way weapons, Remnant weapons, and Helios weapons.
Get in the mood for exploring a new galaxy with our list of the best space games.
Milky Way weapons are your standard Earth arms, firing bog-standard bullets. Remnant weapons fire beams and can overheat. Helios weapons are plasma-based, which means they’re slower firing but the projectiles can home in on enemies. Some of them can also be charged up.
The new combat trailer above also shows off some close-quarters action. Melee weapons like krogan hammers pummel enemies into the ground, while swords allow you to close distance fast and deliver a swift slice.
You can pump points into your weapon skills to up damage and accuracy. Flak cannons, grenades, and trip mines can also be unlocked. Elsewhere, tech skills allow you to unlock experimental weaponry, such as freezing cryo beams, scorching flamethrowers, turrets, and tools that debuff the enemy.
Last up are biotics. As well as your usual array of telekinetic powers, you can now pull an enemy close to use as a not-human shield. You can even fling them at other enemies when you’re done with them. To add even more variety to this assortment of powers, every skill has its own upgrade tree.
It looks slick and – thanks to the new dynamic cover system and the rocket pack that keepS you flowing through the battlefield – it’s hyper-fast. There seems to be plenty of variety to keep interest up throughout the campaign, too, and we haven’t even seen how squad commanding works yet.
Original Story February 16, 2017: BioWare have announced a new Mass Effect: Andromeda trailer will land tomorrow, and it’s going to show us all the nuances of combat.
In the new trailer, BioWare will be showing off weapons and skills, so I expect it’ll be quite a meaty one.
Here’s the tweet announcement, which is itself embedded with a little teaser video:
Getting to know your tools is essential to success. Tomorrow, you'll get an extended look at weapons and skills in Mass Effect: Andromeda. pic.twitter.com/bo4WPjGex9
— Mass Effect (@masseffect) February 16, 2017
We will update tomorrow as soon as the trailer is available.
Until then, why not watch our video embedded at the top of this page. If you like it, you might as well subscribe to our YouTube channel while you’re at it.