Mass Effect: Andromeda, which has captured the sharp criticism of the gaming community over several technical and gameplay issues, underwent a shaky and troublesome development period, a new article now reveals.
When the developers set out to make the sequel to Mass Effect 3, which ended up being Andromeda, lots of ideas were thrown around, chief of them the goal to incorporate things the original Mass Effect got right and eliminate those it didn't. Exploration, for one, was one hugely untapped element of the series, and the developers wanted to up the ante in that front.
To that end, early ideas for Andromeda involved the ability to explore hundreds of procedurally generated worlds, No Man's Sky style. As Kotaku reports, the game's original director, Gérard Lehiany, thought of using algorithms to create planets players can explore, allowing for endless and unique gameplay elements. No Man's Sky had not been announced at the time.
Mass Effect: Andromeda Almost Had 'No Man's Sky' Style Exploration
Early prototypes of Andromeda reportedly included the ability to discover unique planets where players may land their spaceship on. Afterward, they could explore the terrain with a smaller vehicle to hunt for habitable terrain.
"We wanted to give the feeling of really exploring space," one source told Kotaku.
Many who were working on the game at the time were excited by the ambitious yet promisingly fresh idea. However, they reportedly found problems incorporating it, especially when it came to how the whole mechanic could fit into a "BioWare-caliber story" and other elements.
Mass Effect: Andromeda Development Problems
First, some teams, the report reveals, "felt perpetually understaffed," and there were technological difficulties. Initially, one team used an engine to build certain terrain aspects of the procedurally generated worlds, but it soon proved insufficient.
"Unfortunately that was the only team that was able to figure out how to do stuff more procedurally," said a person who worked on the game. "No one else had the resources."
Without handcrafting the planets themselves — which would render the idea of procedurally generated world useless — the team couldn't figure out how to implement a narrative that could live up to the studio's and the series's acclaim, as per Kotaku's report.
"We started to realize by summer 2015 that we had great technological prototypes, but we had doubts they would make it into the game," said another person who worked on Andromeda.
Procedurally Generated Worlds Scrapped
The idea of incorporating procedurally generated worlds was eventually abandoned in late 2015, with the developers opting instead for BioWare's more traditional approach. Over time, development for the game suffered a number of cuts and scope changes, which is an industry term for abandoning certain elements to fulfill a deadline.
Andromeda's development in terms of combat, multiplayer, driving — basically most of its gameplay mechanics — was progressing smoothly. Its story, levels, and cinematics, on the other hand, was way behind schedule, according to the report.
Mass Effect: Andromeda launched earlier this year to some acclaim, save for its share of gameplay and technical issues, which internet denizens had a field day hating. The game appears to be the last entry in the franchise for now, as BioWare has put the Mass Effect series on hiatus.
Kotaku's compelling inside look dives deep into other developmental hurdles Andromeda faced in the five years it took to create it — that's including all stages of production, keep in mind, as the report reveals that the bulk of the game was actually built in less than 18 months.
Thoughts on Mass Effect: Andromeda's scrapped exploration mechanics? Do you think BioWare should incorporate it in the next Mass Effect entry? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
