In an interview with Game Informer, Bioware has discussed some of the aspects of Mass Effect: Andromeda's multiplayer.
Multiplayer will be returning in Mass Effect: Andromeda, and this time, BioWare hopes to do some things a bit different compared to how it was handled in Mass Effect 3. When the multiplayer was first talked about for Mass Effect 3 it was to tie into the single player, with the player being rewarded in story for doing it.
The result was more underwhelming than its initial ambition. It ended with some players feeling they had to play the multiplayer rather than having a choice.
In Andromeda players will be able to send out teams to complete missions. If the player wants they can participate in these in a multiplayer setting, meaning players only wanting a single player experience won't be forced to play with other people. Bioware has said the multiplayer will tie into the single player but we don't know to what degree.
The player having a jetpack has also influenced the design of the multiplayer.
Whereas in Mass Effect 3's multiplayer, players would normally find a spot and hunker down, the jetpack adds a new mobility option for the player, allowing them to be more on the move with the maps to be designed around this. There will also be enemies that punish players for staying in the same place, with their prime objective being to flush players out.
Microtransactions will also be returning in Andromeda's multiplayer. There will be a random system where you buy packs with points you get from doing missions, but you'll also be able to spend real money in a store of rotating items.
It seems one of the main aims with the multiplayer for Andromeda is to not make the player feel forced to engage with it. In reference to the way Mass Effect 3's multiplayer was implemented with players feeling obligated to play, Lead designer Ian Frazier said,
If you feel cheated, we’ve done something wrong.
Mass Effect: Andromeda is set to come out sometime early in 2017. New footage of the game is meant to be shown at The Game Awards on December 1st.
How did you feel about the multiplayer in Mass Effect? Are you looking forward to it in Mass Effect: Andromeda? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
