Weapons, biotics and jump jets: latest Mass Effect Andromeda video

It would appear that a certain SF opera is very much back. Space, the final frontier. No, not that one. Mass Effect Andromeda has finally gone gold and they are wrapping up the promotional activities with the penultimate Andromeda Initiative trailer.

These orientation videos have so far been a nice idea to engage with the audience while keeping the incite by using a reward – those who watch all 6 orientation videos will receive a special Pathfinder-grade helmet. Think of it as a pre-order bonus without actual pre-ordering.

We are up to video 5 and this one deals with weapons and biotic powers. Liam Kosta is a crew member on Normand…Tempest and he is the resident weapons expert. The weapons available will look familiar with 4 classes: pistols, shotguns, assault rifles and snipers. The names of the exact weapons will be familiar to all fans of the series, with Carnifex, Katana, Avenger and Black Widow all returning. Each weapon has augmentations which sound interesting as you can add grenades to the pistol or laser shells to the shotgun. It seems that the developers have worked hard on making all the guns relevant.

Biotic powers are making a comeback with shields, gravitational changes (think gravity gun from Half-Life 2), as well as freezing, burning and electrifying enemies. Of course, specializations will grant you greater powers if you focus on a certain subset.

Melee weapons seem to really matter this time. You have the omni-blade, Aasari biotic sword and the Krogan Hammer, which means more tactical options in close-quarters combat. What also needs to be taken into consideration are the jump jets that allow you high jumps, hovering and quick side-stepping.

With one more orientation video to go, Mass Effect’s release date is looming closer with March 21st.