Yup, of course this game has Trophies and Achievements. They’re reasonably easy to find, and not a lot of them are hidden behind nonsensical padding or filler. That said, you may find yourself needing help trying to find that last elusive one that will get you your Platinum, or 1000 Gamerscore for the game- and that’s where we come in.

In this guide, we have listed all the Achievements/Trophies for the game, as well as their in game descriptions that you unlock once you get them. Where possible, we have also tried to include a video showing how to get these Achievements/Trophies in the first place.

Fireworks 
Perform 100 power combos.

Terminator 
Kill 2000 enemies.

Death from Above 
Kill 100 enemies while hovering. (Single-Player)

Close Combat Specialist 
Kill 100 enemies with melee attacks.

With Our Powers Combined 
Detonate 10 targets that were primed by a teammate. (Single-Player)

Pinpoint Shot 
Hit 250 enemy weak points while using a scope. (Single-Player)

Medic! 
Perform 25 revivals on teammates.

Mastermind 
Using constructs, kill 100 enemies.

Icebreaker 
Shatter a frozen enemy with a jump melee attack. (Single-Player)

Fastball 
Hit an enemy with a thrown enemy 25 times. (Single-Player)

Rough Landing
Detonate a trip mine with a thrown enemy. (Single-Player)

Friendly Fire
Direct your Remnant VI to attack each type of Remnant enemy. (Single-Player)

Trapshooter 
Hit 25 floating enemies with Concussive Shot, Lance, or Incinerate. (Single-Player)

Sucker Punch
Use a melee attack to hit 25 floating enemies. (Single-Player)

Pyrotechnics Expert 
Light three enemies on fire with one continuous Flamethrower attack. (Single-Player)

Long-Distance Jump 
Travel at least 30m in a single jump. (Single-Player)

Matchmaker
Complete romances with three different characters across all playthroughs.

Vanguard Surprise 
While cloaked, hit an enemy with a Charge attack. (Single-Player)

Hang Time
Keep the Nomad airborne for 35 seconds.

Unwavering
Complete an “Insanity” single-player game, or 5 “Gold” multiplayer extractions from any firebase.

Veteran 
Successfully complete a combined 25 strike team missions or APEX multiplayer mode extractions.
APEX 
Complete the multiplayer mode tutorial mission.

Explorer
Complete a combined five strike team missions or APEX extractions in multiplayer mode.

Mission Accomplished 
Activate Meridian.

Activation 
Activate the Remnant city.

Family Connections
Reboot the Pathfinder.

Liberation 
Free the salarian ark.

Foothold 
Establish an outpost.

Exaltation 
Destroy the exaltation facility or save the angara prisoners.

First Steps 
Meet the angara on Aya.

Alliance 
Ally with an outlaw faction.

Pathfinder 
Become the new Pathfinder.

Initiated
Gain access to the Tempest.

World-Shaper 
Activate the first Remnant vault.

Buccaneer 
Recover the krogan colony ship.

Building Bridges 
Stop the Roekaar leader.

United 
Unite the outposts against a common threat.

Helping Hand 
Help Vetra’s sister.

Signal Tracking 
Find the source of the strange signal Peebee discovers.

Role Model 
Rescue the asari ark.

Full Roster
In single-player mode, recruit all 6 squadmates.

First Contact 
Land on an alien planet.

Peak Condition 
Reach Level 40 in single-player mode or Level 20 in multiplayer mode.

Kitted Out 
Kill a foe with a Rank 5 weapon in a single-player game or equip a Rank 10 weapon in multiplayer.

High Performance 
Unlock Rank 6 for each single-player profile type, or obtain a Level 6 multiplayer bonus stat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4u7od_92EYc

Full Power 
Evolve one tech, one combat, and one biotic power to Rank 6. (Single-Player)

Almost There 
Reach Level 25 in single-player mode or Level 15 in multiplayer mode.

Teamwork 
Create six strike teams or earn 25 assist medals in multiplayer mode.

Top Talent 
Promote a strike team to Level 20.

Jack Of All Trades 
Equip three different profile types.

All Clear 
Increase all discovered planets to 100% viability.

Terraformer 
Increase a discovered planet to 100% viability.

Craftsmanship 
Craft armor or a gun with 3 augments.

Data Mining 
Scan 100 different objects.

Cryptographer 
Complete 20 Remnant puzzles in a single playthrough.

Mass Effect Andromeda is an RPG- this means that you need to plan out your build, to try to get the exact kind of character that you want. Andromeda has a dizzying array of abilities and skills for your character to pick and learn, all of which contribute towards his or her build- so it stands to reason that you need some kind of help with it, especially if you are new to the series, or new to the genre.

That’s where we come in. In this guide, we walk you through the entire process of building your character, listing out every skill and ability they can learn along the way, as well.

Unlike previous games, and a lot of other RPGs, you are not required to select a class in Mass Effect Andromeda– the class is debundled and distributed among the various skills you can learn, and your character naturally leans towards resembling the kinds of skills you pick for them the most. The skills you can learn in the game come in three varieties:

• Combat
• Biotics
• Tech

COMBAT

Combat skills naturally make you proficient at combat, allowing you to use advanced techniques and weapons that you otherwise would not have access to. Here are the combat skills you can learn. Unless noted otherwise, each ability can be upgraded six times.:

• Trip Mine: Deploys a mine that goes off when enemies come close to it. The damage it deals is determined by how close the enemy in question got to it. Activation requires one power cell from Trip Mine’s limited power cell supply.
• Flak Cannon: Fires shells that explode into shrapnel upon impact. Activation requires one power cell from Flak Cannon’s limited power cell supply.
• Pistols: This skill improves your sidearm training, making you more adept at using pistols and submachine guns.
• Turobocharge: Temporarily enhances weapon efficiency to prevent excessive overheating, and increase weapon firing rates.
• Combat Fitness: Investing in this skill increases your max health and shields.
• Combat Power: Increases the combat power damage that you deal out. The damage you deal out increases with each skill point you invest in this skill.
• Assault Rifles: This skill improves your ability to handle assault rifles.
• Shotguns: This skill increases your ability to handle shotguns.
• Omni Grenade: Throws a grenade after a 2 second fuse (can be shortened by holding down the button). Activation requires one power cell from the Omni Grenade’s limited power cell supply.
• Concussive Shot: A target seeking shot is launched that knocks down unarmored enemies, and detonates combo primers.
• Barricade: Generates a temporary barrier that quickens shield regeneration for everyone who takes cover behind it. Activation requires one power cell from Barricade’s limited power cell supply.

BIOTICS

Biotics abilities are like Jedi abilities, allowing you to manipulate the field around you to gain the upper hand. Biotic skills usually detonate combo primers if used right. Here are the Biotics skills you can learn. Unless otherwise noted, each skill can be upgraded six times.

• Nova: Creates a controlled explosion around the user.
• Shockwaves: Sets out shockwaves within a controller user.
• Annihilation: Creates a damage field around the user by manipulating mass effect fields. Other powers caught in the radius of this one take longer to recharge.
• Backlash: Reflects projectile attacks, interrupts melee attacks, and reduces damage from all other attacks.
• Lance: Allows the user to launch a shaft of energy into an area.
• Barrier: Maximum shield strength grows directly proportionally to each point invested in the Biotic skill group.
• Offensive Biotics: Lets you increase the damage dished out with Biotic attacks.
• Containment: Increases the duration of all Biotic powers deployed on field.
• Pull: Pulls an enemy into the air (drags them along with the player if you hold down the button).
• Throw: Hurls a gravity field projectile to knock enemies back. Can be used with Pull for devastating results.
• Charge: Imbues the user with a lot of mass and momentum as they launch themselves at an opponent. The user gains some shield regeneration by the end of the charge.
• Singularity: Creates a massive gravity well to attack enemies nearby. Can be interrupted early by the user.

TECH:

Tech abilities help you manipulate technology, hacking into computers and AI, and also regenerating shields quicker, among other things. These are the Tech abilities you can learn. Unless otherwise noted, they can all be upgraded six times each.

• Cryo Beam: Supercooled particle beam fired at enemies that freezes them.
• Energy Drain: Regenerates shield by sapping electromagnetic energy from enemies. Most effective against Synths.
• Overload: Overloads an enemy with an electric charge. Can be lethal against Synths. Holding the button can let you overload multiple enemies.
• Incinerate: Fires a plasma projectile that does bonus damage to armored foes.
• Assault Turret: Deploys an automatic assault turret. By holding the deployment button, you can detonate the turret, dishing damage to enemies nearby.
• Tactical Cloak: Makes you invisible, but slows down health and shield regeneration.
• Flamethrower: Lets loose a jet of flames at the enemy.
• Auxiliary Systems: Increases duration of Tech powers on the field.
• Unknown: Unlocked by investigating Remnant technology.
• Invasion: Infects synth enemies with a virus that weakens defense and spreads to other enemies.
• Team Support:  Improves defenses and support for the whole squad through kinetic barrier generator and hardsuit enhancements.
• Offensive Tech: For each skill point invested in the Tech Tree, it increases damage dished out by tech powers.

Mass Effect Andromeda isn’t strictly speaking an open world game- but it is more open world than previous entries in the series have been. With its move towards open world conventions comes some of the same things that we see in other titles in the genre- namely, a boat load of collectibles for you to track down.

Seriously, there are a lot of collectibles in Mass Effect Andromeda– in this guide, we help you track them all down.

MEMORY TRIGGERS

Memories and Audio Logs can help you learn the origins of the Andromeda initiative, as well as some idea of the context of the Milky Way as you fled to the Andromeda galaxy. The video below shows you how and where to find these:

NORMANDY

Yes, you can get Sheppard’s iconic Normandy in Andromeda– well, you can get a small model of it anyway. The videos below show you how.

FUSION MODS

These are special mods for Ryder’s armor that, when applied, can net positive and negative effects, both. Below is a list of all of them:

• Fusion Mod of Rupture: Obtained by clearing Elaaden Vault
• Fusion Mod of Tech Mastery: Obtained by defeating Elaaden Architect
• Fusion Mod of Rapid Deployment: Obtained by clearing Kadara Vault
• Fusion Mod of Battering: Obtained by defeating Kadara Architect
• Fusion Mod of Robotics: Obtained by clearing Havarl Vault
• Fusion Mod of Adrenaline: Obtained by solving Havarl puzzle
• Fusion Mod of Health: Beat Archon’s Sword in The Journey to Meridian quest
• Fusion Mod of Shielding:  Obtained by clearing Eos Vault
• Fusion Mod of Biotic Mastery: Obtained by defeating Eos Architect
• Fusion Mod of Resistance: Obtained by clearing Voeld Vault
• Fusion Mod of Hovering: Obtained by defeating Voeld Architect

REMNANT DECRYPTION KEYS

Remnant Decryption Keys are consumable items used to override Remnant Puzzles- essentially, they are a one time use cheatcode that automatically solves any puzzles you don’t want to solve yourself. You need to find a lot of these so you have them on hand.

You can get these as drops from Remnant enemies, as well as loot in Remnant buildings and vehicles. You also get some early in the game. You are advised not to use the ones you have unless you really need to.

So you’re playing Mass Effect Andromeda, and you don’t want to play by the rules. We hear you- we are judging you, but we hear you. You want to get ahead by using cheats to get what you haven’t earned. In this guide, we’ve got some cheats for you that you can look into. Go for it. Just remember- use them at your own discretion.

UNLIMITED CREDITS/MONEY

You know what wrecks the economy? Having too much money. Seriously. Hyperinflation is a thing. So while we don’t know why you’d want to wreck the nascent Andromeda economy by having unlimited money on you, I guess you do you. This video will show you how to do that.

FARMING RESOURCES

Another thing you can do is bypass the money entirely and just get an endless amount of the things you need. Whether it is materials for crafting and upgrading weapons, or just standard gear, the videos below will help you cheat your way to riches and glory.

Like all RPGs, Mass Effect Andromeda has crafting and upgrading armor. It also has multiple tiers of weapons, which means there are some really good, rare ones that you can find across the multiple worlds that you will find yourself on. In this guide, we walk you through the general upgrading and crafting process, as well as some walkthroughs for finding rare weapons and armor in the game.

UPGRADING AND CRAFTING

Upgrading and crafting is done at the Research and Development Terminal in the Tempest. You need to talk to Liam, and use Research Points for upgrade, with three kinds of upgrade paths, for each kind of weapon, being available to you- Milky Way, Remnant, and Helius. You need to use Research Points to scan weapons into the terminal- once you have used enough Research Points, you generate a blueprint for that weapon, and can also upgrade gear. After getting the blueprints, you need to shift to the Development section of the terminal, and craft or upgrade the desired gear.

RARE AND N7 WEAPONS

You can get some rare weapons in this game, and you can also get some iconic N7 ones, that you may recognize from the original trilogy. These videos below help walk you through the process.

AVPs are Andromeda Viability Points, which should, perhaps, make it very clear that they are an important gameplay mechanic in Mass Effect Andromeda. Your AVP score needs to be as high as possible so that you can achieve the objectives of the Andromeda Initiative. Earning AVP points is also tied to a larger mechanic, which unlocks helpful bonuses and perks.

AVP cannot be gained right away- they need to be unlocked first. To do so:

• Colonise Eos
• The quest AVP Cryo Deployment Perks should now be available.
• Go to Nexus Operations and talk to Addison and Brecka. They’ll tell you about the AVP Status Terminal.
• You can access the AVP Status Terminal on the Nomad and Tempest, both.

EARNING AVP:

AVP is earned, very simply, by making planets more habitable for the races of the Milky Way. You need to be the closest you can get to 100% for each planet- you can do these things by going to Remnant Vaults and unlocking the Monoliths within, establishing outposts, destroying enemy bases, doing Priority Quests, and so on.

ACTIVATING CRYO PODS:

Gathering AVP increases your Nexus level, which in turn leads to a very interesting mechanic- the ability Cry Pod point. Essentially, these allow you to wake up a sleeping crew member still in a Cryo Pod in the Nexus, and then assign them to a planet- this nets you some perks.

Science Pods

• Lab Technicians: Get Research Points every 45 minutes
• Improved Deployment: Research data is boosted by 10%
• Expanded Field Analysis: Forward Stations automatically detect resources
• Mining Operations: Get Minerals every 45 minutes

Military Pods

• Munitions: Get a Consumables drop every 45 minutes
• Advanced Training: Get 10% EXP more for every set encounter completed
• Always Prepared: Awards you an additional slot for Consumables, but only if Eos is at 70% viability
• Versatility: Awards you an additional slot for Consumables, but only if Eos is at 90% viability
• Hunting Parties: Get an organic materials drop every 45 minutes
• Special Forces: get a Tech materials drop every 45 minutes
• Reconnaissance: Reveal hidden caches around Forward Stations
• APEX Tactics: An additional 15% boost to credits you earn on APEX missions

Commerce Pods

• Market Dominance: Get access to special inventory at vendors
• Financial Infrastructure II: Gain additional Credits every 45 minutes
• Financial Infrastructure: Gain Credits every 45 minutes
• Grey Market Connections:  Improves prices you get at vendors
• Trade Capacity: Increase your inventory space

Upgrading Nexus:

Mass Effect Andromeda gives you two vehicles- the Tempest, which is the spaceship that serves as the hub of your adventures in Andromeda, and the Nomad, which is a planetary exploration vehicle, which you use when you want to scope out a planet. Andromeda also gives you the chance to customize each vehicle, and make it more effective, and/or suited to your requirements and playstyle. Here, we discuss these upgrades for each vehicle.

TEMPEST

There are 10 rooms in the Tempest:

• Pathfinder’s Cabin: Your room
• Bridge: This is where you navigate the ship from
• Med Bay: Dispensary and hospital within the Tempest
• Cargo Bay: Among other things, this is where the Nomad is
• Research Room: This is where your gathered intel and samples are analyzed, and new uses for them are determined
• Tech and Bio Labs: This is where all discoveries take place; samples you find may eventually end up here, too
• Crewquarters and Galley: Sleeping quarters for your crewmembers, and the kitchen, are found here
• Meeting Room: Where the entire crew gathers, mostly for meetings with the Nexus
• Engineering Bay: The engineering hub for the Tempest
• Armory: Weapons development center

Ship customization involves developing each of these individual rooms, which can lead to their facilities becoming better, and more full fledged, and more personnel being assigned to them.

NOMAD:

This is what you can customize on the Nomad:

• Shield: To protect the Nomad and its occupants
• Radar: Highlights enemies
• Shield Blast: A power that lets you explode the final remnants of a degrading shield to create a shockwave explosion
• Life Support: More resistance against environmental hazards
• Paint Jobs: You can customize these based on the surroundings
• Thrusts: To get more boost

MINING

Mining is an important aspect of the game, and is used to gather resources. Resources are gathered using the Nomad’s mining features, and the more you gather, the more you can develop weapons, armor, upgrades, and augmentations. To mine, you just activate a forward station to find a mining zone, check the computer to see the minerals available there, and then deploy a drill to mine until the area is depleted.

Mass Effect Andromeda has a multiplayer mode- it’s actually a very well done one, too, and especially players who enjoyed the multiplayer in Mass Effect 3 will like what’s on offer here. Multiplayer here can be a very different beast than the single player mode of the game- so it’s actually for the best that you get some primers, tips, and tricks, before you set out to play it.

Additionally, you may notice a number called the ‘Apex Rating’ on the multiplayer menu. This effectively acts as your rank on a global leaderboard, letting you assess where you stand with respect to other players. If you want to earn Apex points, you just need to play the multiplayer mode. Everything you do – playing matches, completing challenges, unlocking weapons, leveling up – counts towards this number. Just play the game, and try to play fairly and well- and this number should go up quickly.

Mass Effect Andromeda is, regardless of how slick its combat might be, an RPG. As an RPG, it expects you, as the player, to make some choices about how the characters you play as will develop. The central mechanic in the game is levelling- like with all RPGs, you gain more XP the more you interact with the world, and once you have enough XP, you gain a level.

When you gain a level, the game prompts you on screen (and this is your cue to go into the levelling screen). In the levelling screen, you use Skill Points you get awarded upon levelling up, and allocate them across various parameters, which govern your Offence and Defence, among other things.

A final thing to keep in mind is that your squad mates also get XP and also level up- and they don’t do this automatically. You need to go into their levelling screens and allocate Skill Points for them, too. It’s for the best, really- it means every character will end up playing exactly as you want and need them to.

One fastest way to unlock skills and earn experience points is to do side missions (besides completing the main missions). Certain side missions are dynamic and will only show if you explore enough. In the very first mission, there are like 5-6 optional missions which will only show up if you explore the area completely. As you are a Pathfinder, exploration is the key towards faster levelling up.

The signature feature of the Mass Effect series is its Loyalty Missions- Bioware’s own take on the age old concept of taking personal relationships, and having them be an integral part of the roleplaying game experience. Loyalty Missions were the most beloved part of Mass Effect 2, where depending on how close you were to crew members, what ending you got could change entirely.

Loyalty missions are back in Mass Effect Andromeda, the newest entry in the series- and while they are no longer integral to how the story in the game progresses, they are likely to be something that most players spent a lot of time on. If you find yourself among this number, then this guide is the right place for you to be at.

Jaal

Jaal is one of the natives of Andromeda Galaxy that you will encounter in this game and have a chance to recruit. The video below walks you through Jaal’s Loyalty Mission:

Peebee

Peebee is an Asari- which means she’s likely to be one of the more popular Loyalty Missions for most players. This video walks you through her Loyalty Mission:

Vetra

Vetra Nyx is a Turian- in many ways, she can be the female Garrus this time around. Which sadly deprives you of the opportunity of having a bro like Garrus on your squad- until you find out Vetra can be every bit the bro that Garrus could be. This is her Loyalty Mission:

Cora

Cora is a human- which means for many, she may seem to be the least interesting character. However, she is well versed in the realm of biotics, so ignore her at your own risk. Plus, she’s damn good at what she does, too.

Drack

Drack’s a Krogan, which means he brings with himself freakishly intimidating strength. His Loyalty Mission is a test of your capability, but if you come through, you gain an invaluable ally.

Liam

Liam Kosta is a human security and response specialist, who also happens to have some civilian tactical training. Here’s his Loyalty Mission: