For a game as huge as Mass Effect: Andromeda, gamers know surprisingly little about it. Aside from the setting and the fact that a character named Shepard will make some sort of appearance, fans know next to nothing about BioWare's next action-RPG.
EA has released a number of different trailers for the game, but each one is more vague than the last — at this point, the only people who really know anything about Andromeda's story are the ones making the game.
That being said, gamers may have just gotten their first clue as to the state of the galaxy: a leaked marketing survey from EA (via IGN and NeoGAF) seems to detail the basics of Mass Effect Andromeda's story. It's nothing too specific ... but it's a lot more than fans already know.
Before we get into the survey itself, let this be a warning: if you want to head into Mass Effect: Andromeda knowing as little as possible, then the leaked materials could be seen as spoilers. Again, you don't have to worry about the survey ruining the end of the game, but for those who want to go in blind, SPOILERS AHEAD:
"Mass Effect: Andromeda takes players to the Andromeda galaxy, far beyond the Milky Way, where players will lead the fight for a new home in hostile territory — where WE are the aliens — opposed by a deadly indigenous race bent on stopping us.
"Experience the freedom to traverse and explore a planet-dense but seamless open-world galaxy, rich with discovery. Play as the leader of a squad of military-trained explorers in an intense third-person shooter, with deep progression and customization systems.
"This is the story of humanity's next chapter, and player choices throughout the game will ultimately determine our survival in the Andromeda Galaxy."
As with any leak, it's important to remember that everything listed above could be fake or inaccurate. Until BioWare or EA make some sort of official announcement, any information or news about Mass Effect: Andromeda shouldn't be trusted as fact.
Yet, the leak does look awfully legitimate. Plenty of publishers have released similar marketing surveys over the years, and EA's looks just like theirs — but it's not just the survey itself that makes the information seem credible.
The original Mass Effect was all about defining humanity's place in the galaxy, and from the looks of things, the same may hold true for Andromeda. There's a definite shift in tone, but the idea of one person representing humanity on a galactic front is nothing new for the series — if the marketing survey is actually legit, it seems that players will spend much of the game helping humanity secure a foothold in a new galaxy.
Hopefully, it won't be too long before fans get some official information about the game ... if anything, make sure to keep an eye out for Mass Effect Andromeda at E3 2016 this June.
