Game Informer has shared some new information on Mass Effect Andromeda, particularly about the Tempest. This is the ship that players will have as their home base for exploring the galaxy much like the Normandy from previous titles.
However, there are a number of changes this time around. Instead of using a map to select your destination, you’ll stand on the bridge and choose a location from among the stars. There’s also a holographic menu for Ryder to apply upgrades in a different part of the ship which can be used to shift character points and upgrades. Then there’s a garage for checking out the Nomad, the new ground vehicle.
Even better is that all of this is seamless. The Tempest won’t have any loading screens and the transition from the ship to planets will apparently be seamless. Technical director Harold Chaput stated that, “With memory limitations, with loading limitations, there was a real problem [in previous games]; if you wanted to go from one place to another, you had to unload everything, you had to reload everything – it was a long time.
“It really broke the flow of the game. Now, it’s so much smoother to be on the ship, land on a planet, jump around, go inside a building. It’s all very seamless, so breaking down the barriers frees up the player to explore and do activities. It makes it easier to make a rich and full environment.”
Mass Effect Andromeda is currently slated for release in Spring 2017 on Xbox One, PS4 and PC.