It comes as no surprise that BioWare has chosen N7 Day (their annual celebration of the Mass Effect franchise) as the time to reveal a new teaser trailer for the upcoming Mass Effect: Andromeda. The video itself is little more than stock footage and a voice over, but it’s interesting that the trailer is narrated by Jennifer Hale, reprising the role of Commander Shepard. Especially since BioWare have stressed before that Shepard will not be featured in Andromeda, telling gamers to “be open-minded” about a Mass Effect title without the commander.
In her speech, Shepard says goodbye and then tells players that “you are the explorer now.” Over footage of humanity’s first steps into space, we travel outwards from earth and out of the Milky Way Galaxy in a CGI teaser centering on a ship that is likely our new protagonist’s craft of choice. It looks more advanced than the Normandy from the Mass Effect trilogy, with a design that looks a little Reaper inspired, too.
Could humanity have re-purposed the tech of the franchise’s premiere villains to allow them to move beyond the realms of our own galaxy? Only time will tell, but BioWare have warned us not to expect too much news on Mass Effect: Andromeda to be revealed today.
Back to the video, though, and Shepard ends her speech on an emotional note, emphasizing that Mass Effect: Andromeda will focus on the thrill of exploring new worlds and venturing into the unknown, before saying goodbye one last time.
“We are travelers, constantly moving forward, and looking back. Alone and as one,” she says. “We have no choice but to try for our insatiable curiosity, for our fear in what should happen if we don’t. You are the explorer now. We will say goodbye, and you will look back one last time, and know that wherever you go, we will be with you. This is Commander Shepard, signing off.”
Mass Effect: Andromeda is slated to arrive on PC, Playstation 4 and Xbox One in Fall 2016.