MASS EFFECT™: ANDROMEDA – Gameplay Series #1: Combat

I was not expecting this trailer today, but I am glad it's here. There certainly shades of the combat we're accustomed to mixed in, but the new features like the jump-pack really show. It looks like a flexible combat system that will allow players to approach battles in several ways. The new takes on certain biotic and tech powers really appeal to me, especially being able to hold enemies in the air before sending them flying with a biotic throw. Cover is still a thing, but, with all of the new options, its use will rely on the player's preference. There will probably be situations where hunkering down will make the most sense.

Mechs are still around, but that's not really news. What surprised me the most was how good the gunplay sounds and the difference between Milky Way, Remnant, and Helius weaponry being just notable enough to impact gameplay. I prefer beam weapons, but the homing, plasma round remind of the old Ghostbusters game and I like that.

Also, did anyone else get an Angaran vibe from the armor shown at the end? It looked very alien in comparison to the armors we've seen until now.

N7 isn't a rank actually. It's a code for a military occupational specialty.  To compare it to the real world, take for example a US Marine Corporal who is an 0861. Corporal would be his rank, and 0861 his vocational code. The 08 signifies artillery and 61 the specific job within the artillery, in this case a Forward Observer. 

The N in N7 signifies special operations. The number designation is a bit different than real world occupational specialties in that it doesn't indicate a specific job within special operations (i.e. medic, scout-sniper, ect) but rather the degree of training a person has completed at the Alliance's special operations training center. (N-School, or the Villa) 7 is the highest and also requires combat experience, unlike the other 6.

Shepard's N7 status didn't give him or her authority over higher ranking officers like Hackett. All of Shepard's authority would have come from his or her rank (Lt. Commander) and billet as commanding officer of the SSV Normandy. 

Spectre isn't a rank either for that matter, something that confused a lot of fans. "Why do I have to listen to Hackett?" "Why can't I just sail off with the Normandy and tell the Alliance to pound sand?" Ect, ect.

That's only for the N designation I believe.

I don't think anything was said about any of the other letter designations. C8 may never end up explained as well, sort of like the S1 on Ashley's armor. It may just be an aesthetic detail that doesn't have a story behind it.

No longer, my friend. Now, it's time to



Encouraging image courtesy of Sekkuar666
steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=597062201

In all seriousness, barring some type of disability or endemic inability with games, you'll find you become a much better player now that your crutch has been removed. If not, you'll be able to turn down the difficulty.

Giggity

It's official, I've climbed aboard the hype train. That looked sweet. Now I'm going to go watch it a hundred more times.

Bad things:

- Gunplay looks unsatisfactory.
- Environments look very meh. DA:I tier.
- AI looks really bad. Here, just shoot me while I stand still in the open.
- No use of cover.

Good things:

- Mobility looks good.
- Animations look fluid.

Now, what's the point of all this fluid mobility and all these gameplay choices if the enemy is as stupid as a rock. A good combat system requires good AI. Learn from Dark souls.

I think what we saw was on the lower if not lowest difficulty settings. Ryder barely took any damage in any of those exchanges. Supposedly the AI also improves on the harder difficulties.

I doubt they have any aspirations to be like Dark Souls, though.

Hopefully they learned their lesson from ME3. MP training made people so good Insanity was pure joke

Although I agree with what you're saying, and indeed Crysis 2 is a great example of how you can do everything else right but have your gameplay sabotaged by bad AI, Dark Souls' barely have any AI at all.

Pretty much all enemies do is run towards you an engage in some kind of patterns. They work because nothing more than this basic behavior is asked of them. In a game like MEA you would expect much more. 

Which is probably just as well given how they didn't exactly come across as the most capable player.

Well if this is just the first trailer in a series detailing the combat system, hopefully we'll see more tactically challenging stuff.  I'm still pretty huped by what I saw.

Also, the gun sounds. Guns in ME:A, as far as I can tell, don't sound nearly as good, as say, The Division. It's like they've been recorded behind a noise filter.

This is basically Dragon Age: Inquisition with 3 skill slots and guns. Not a bad thing of course. Still lacks the "oomph" IMO.