Bioware has always been a reliable studio, delivering memorable experiences with its games like Dragon Age and Mass Effect. There does seem to be a bit of doubt nowadays though, especially since the studio’s next big project – Mass Effect Andromeda – hasn’t had a ton of footage showcased at E3. In fact, the game itself has only sparingly received updates in the past few years. Will it even hit its early 2017 release date?
According to general manager Aaron Flynn while speaking to GameSpot, it certainly will. Asked about the early 2017 release date, Flynn said, “I’m pretty confident. We’re lucky to have an amazing publisher in EA, who want us to make the best Mass Effect game we possibly can. We talk to them constantly, they’re always asking questions and giving advice.
“Now that we’re using Frostbite, there’s a lot of developers such as DICE and Visceral, who have a lot of experience with the engine. So as a community of developers, I think, EA has never been stronger.”
Flynn also noted some of the concern that fans may have, especially with a project of this magnitude. “I recognise that there’s a lot of ambition with this game, and people are nervous about it for sure. The toughest thing for us to hear is that the fans are nervous, which is rather sobering, so we’re eager to calm those concerns. A lot of fans hold the studio to a really high standard, and the game will mark the final say on that.”
And what about rumours of gameplay features being removed to ensure Mass Effect Andromeda meets its release date? Apparently those fears are unfounded. “Oh I haven’t heard about any of that. We’ve had a couple of modest changes, but nothing radical. All of the emphasis to move towards the free-form exploration, all that’s still in there and very grounded in the mechanics.”
Stay tuned for more information on Mass Effect Andromeda, especially this Fall.