The overall changes that Bioware developers did in "Mass Effect: Andromeda" has just revved up the excitement for the loyal franchise fans to a whole new level. However, the return of Avina reminds avid buffs that this game is not completely 'divorced' from the previous Mass Effect trilogy. Here is the summary of the changes done in the game's fourth installment:
No more Mass Relays
The defeat of the colossal Reaper machines that nearly wiped out sapient life in the Milky Way galaxy 600 years prior to this game's timeline also caused the destruction of the Mass Relays - a stellar gateway that transports voyagers across lightyears at a speed of light. Twinfinite reports that space voyage will take centuries longer under cryogenic stasis aboard 20,000-passenger capacity carriers such as the Arks. The multi-racial community of Nexus is comparable to the previous trilogy's Citadel orbital station.
No more Spectres
Unlike in the previous "Mass Effect" trilogy, "Mass Effect: Andromeda" introduces a new galactic operative called Pathfinders. While Spectres maintain peace and stability in the Milky Way galaxy, the Pathfinders function as explorers spearheading the colonization in the alien Andromeda galaxy.
An article by Jobs & Hire discusses how humanity's Pathfinder champions the interest of human settlement on habitable planets in the Andromeda universe. Like the previous trilogy's Spectre, Pathfinders serve as 'the first and last line of defense.'
What remains from Mass Effect trilogy?
While most components have been left behind by six centuries of progress, Bioware managed to retain some immutable elements. Apart from retaining the fierce N7 special forces of humanity's Alliance Navy, gamers will feel the nostalgia brought by the reemergence of the virtual intelligence guide Avina installed within the Nexus community. As revealed in an article published by Euro Gamer, Avina functions as a virtual guide for Pathfinder Ryder (the customizable male/female protagonist) while exploring the premises of Nexus.
