
Mass Effect: Andromeda is not the start of a new trilogy, creative director Mac Walters confirmed earlier this week. Some might have taken that comment to suggest that Andromeda would be the last game in the series--but it sounds like that won't be the case.
Walters said on Twitter, "To be clear: Just because Andromeda isn't start of a trilogy, doesn't mean we haven't been planning for future adventures. Just not 3 acts." In another tweet, Walters was more forthcoming about plans for an Andromeda follow-up. In response to a suggestion that Andromeda would be the last Mass Effect game, Walters said, "Not by a long shot. There are so many stories left to tell..."
Andromeda's main character, Ryder, begins the game as an untested solider, with the story playing out like the traditional hero's journey. In the first Mass Effect, Shepard was already a known quantity in the game's universe. For Andromeda, the hope is that it will tell a contained story, Walters said.
That being said, he explained that BioWare could make more Mass Effect games in the Andromeda galaxy;
"At the end of this, we want it to feel like a story has completed," Walters said about Andromeda's story. "Yes, for the universe, there's much more you could explore, and we want to tease that, but it feels like its own story. It's like, 'Great. I had my Ryder sibling becoming-a-hero story. What's next? Is it going to be Ryder? Is it going to be something else? Who knows?'"
Producer Michael Gamble said Andromeda will tell a "different type of story" than what fans of the series are used to. "We want to leave the ending, and what we're doing with it, as a surprise," he said when asked if there would be multiple endings. "This is a different type of story, so it will be something different than the trilogy. We can't wait to hear what fans think."
Walters also teased on Twitter that BioWare will reveal the voice actors for Andromeda's villain and other characters "soon enough."
One actor already confirmed for Andromeda is Clancy Brown, who plays Ryder's father, Alec Ryder. Brown voices Mr. Krabs on Spongebob and also appeared in movies like The Shawshank Redemption and Warcraft.
In addition to a new trailer and a separate video that revealed some key story details, we've also learned about Andromeda's deluxe edition and the fact that loyalty missions are coming back. BioWare has also confirmed that a multiplayer beta will be held before launch.
Andromeda is scheduled to launch this spring for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. While not confirmed, multiple retail listings have suggested a March 21st release date.
Source: GameSpot