New Mass Effect: Andromeda Gameplay Trailer!

Well, it was new two days ago anyway.  If you haven't see it, here you go!

Tell me that you don't feel like running around a room doing cartwheels after watching that!  I was very excited but also tried to take a somewhat analytical approach as I did with the previous new video.  Before I begin with my listicle of obsession, let me clarify a few things.  Firstly, I am a huge Mass Effect fan, but not the kind of person who will spend hours reading every conspiracy theory, amateur Reddit/Youtube analysis, or just generally trying to dig up every juicy little detail.  I wait patiently for a new official video to drop and occasionally read an article if it pops up on my Facebook timeline.  There are, most likely, some people who will dissect this video like a middle school biology frog.  I'm not that person--I don't have that kind of time.  Let us begin!

1.) I was completely wrong about the ship in the previous video being the new Normandy.  Apparently it's some sort of ark ship (I read this somewhere) that is carrying a large contingent of people (species, if you will) to the new galaxy.  So maybe we should think of it as a type of mini-Citadel?  The new ship is called the "Tempest" and has a very Normandy-esque outline and feel.  The video opens on a fabulous shot of the Tempest buzzing through a beautiful asteroid field.

UPDATE:  I have totally ignored the Andromeda Initiative stuff that I signed up for awhile back.  I decided to go watch the intro videos and I would recommend them to everyone else.  They shed some light on the backstory--the Hyperion is an ark ship which is carrying survivors from all the Milky Way species to the new galaxy.  I was correct in the assumption that it would function like a mini-Citadel as a center for your activities.  The training briefs also emphasize the fact that you are travelling to Andromeda to establish a new homeworld.  (You get some sort of in-game item if you complete all the activities--so far there are two out of the total of six).

2.) The new environments look siiiiiiiiiickkkkkk and extremely varied.  I am so excited to explore any of these new gorgeous places!  Tell me you didn't tear up just a little when you saw the beautiful planets?  Tell me!

3.) We get to see a city and it looks awesome--a great hub for meeting new characters and embarking on quests.  And, like the hubs in other Mass Effect cities, it looks to be filled with all kinds of interesting activity.

4.) We get to hear more of the female Ryder's voice.  It sounds good, but will it have the same punch as FemSheps magical Jennifer Hale?

5.) The video expressly states "these worlds are big."  I'm cool with open world as long as that doesn't mean losing the story and characters that are the HALLMARK of Mass Effect games.  I sense some very Dragon Age:  Inquisition elements (the map bar in the city scene).  While I am also a fan of Dragon Age, I would really like Mass Effect to keep it's own unique feel.

6.) A new Mako!  It looks like a vehicle that functions normally too.  Haters have always bashed on the Mako and it's completely ridiculous abilities, but I liked the fact that the original Mass Effect still had a very space-y feel.  Yes, some planets would have low-gravity and driving on them would be weird.  I guess the low-gravity, space-y stuff is getting totally tossed out which is sad in a way.

7.) There's a scanning tool.  More and more RPG's seem to be using some flavor of "detection" in them--whether it's Geralt's "Witcher senses" from The Witcher 3 or Lara Croft's "Survival Instincts," an emphasis on details has taken center stage.  I am glad to see some sort of new enhancement added to the omni-tool.  Six hundred years have passed, it should be able to do some amazing stuff that is different than the previous games.

And now, for the best part....

8.) Combat.  It looks glorious.  GLORIOUS!  I always felt like there was too much hunkering down in one spot in the previous games (less so in the third).  The new combat looks fluid and seamless.  A few things I noticed--1.) the UI looks familiar but more streamlined. 2.) There were basically no longer pauses, only short ones which leads me to a few questions.  Can you still issue orders to teammates?  I am getting the impression that combat is moving towards a more Inquisitions-esque combat style...which....yeah, I don't know.  A more fluid combat system is great, but when there are specific "combos" to plan, I had difficulty getting the AI to time it correctly.  I don't trust the AI!  3.) Is combat going to be more individualized?  I didn't see any teammates in the whole combat part of the video.  4.) I very much enjoyed the biotic charge ability in Mass Effect 3 and it looks even better now.

And, the not-so-best part (depending on your personal preferences).

9.) "Everything you need you will have to find or craft."  Inquisition had an interesting crafting system that wasn't too heavy.  You grabbed the occasional animal, vegetable, mineral or killed a dragon to get the rarer components required to craft the best gear.  Then, you could customize your gear to the umpteenth degree to get exactly the stats or look that you desired.  This crafting thing is new...besides adding mods to weapons and armor in the original Mass Effect, all items were purchased or discovered.  This is a very RPG element in a series that has seemed to be moving away from an RPG-like structure.  I am intrigued...but cautious.  Crafting can sometimes tend towards the grindy and depending on how you feel about grinding, it can be tedious.

10.) Already the haters are out in force about criticizing the facial animations in the video stating that they look "rubbery."  I noticed it a bit, but not enough to be too terribly distracting.  BioWare has stated that the animations are in a preliminary stage and that they will be improved by release time.  I think that criticism seemed a little nitpicky, but...to each his own.  (I'm a fan, so completely biased)

There are many, many things to be excited about!