‘Mass Effect: Andromeda’ Spoilers: Leaked Survey Reveals Possible Plot Details

Mass Effect: Andromeda spoilers are beginning to trickle in. All producers of media, whether movies, television shows, or video games, share one common obstacle: how to keep details of the project from spilling out before the finished product is ready. Many producers use non-disclosure agreements (NDA) to keep lips tight, and this is usually effective in preventing cast and crew from giving away too much. However, NDAs are not always enough to keep the project hidden. Usually, spoilers come from second-hand sources involved in the projects who are not necessarily bound by an NDA. Producers of ancillary products for a device, like a smartphone, would be just one example.

Spoilers for Mass Effect: Andromeda have leaked, however, this time, they are not from a secondhand source. According to IGN, Electronic Arts (EA), the producers of the Mass Effect franchise, sent out a marketing survey, screenshots of which turned up on the gaming forum NeoGAF. IGN suggests taking the Mass Effect spoilers revealed with “large pinch of salt,” apparently indicating that NeoGAF is not a reliable source. However, Gematsu claims to have verified the survey through an independent source who is “in the know.” So, proceed with caution, mild to moderate spoilers ahead.

Leak says Mass Effect: Andromeda will have "seamless open world galaxy." https://t.co/7rGFJaPPyS pic.twitter.com/uYBg9xuece

— GameSpot (@GameSpot) March 30, 2016

The first spoiler revealed in the Mass Effect survey is not a big surprise. The document says that the game will take place in the Andromeda galaxy. Since that is part of the title, this is no shocker. What is surprising is what the player will be doing in Mass Effect: Andromeda.

Previous Mass Effect games had players defending against hostile invading aliens. According to the survey, this time, the player will be the invading force fighting against native forces just trying to protect their territory. The implications of this dynamic alone are staggering.

It would be lying to say the next Mass Effect spoiler is that it will have a colony building and defense aspect, because that is not stated in the survey. However, it is a speculative idea that could be possible given the colonization narrative asserted in the questionnaire. Such a feature would add a new depth to Mass Effect, and franchises are always looking for new ways to refresh their titles. So, hopping from planet to planet to protect your colonies is not completely out of the realm of possibilities and could prove to be a nice addition to an already great game if executed properly.

The next Mass Effect spoiler is that there will definitely be at least two new races of aliens with which to ally or battle. A few facts support this assertion.

The first supporting point is that the setting is the Andromeda galaxy. Andromeda is far away from the Milky Way, where the other games take place. Surely the races will be different there.

Mass Effect Andromeda's plot may have slipped out in a survey.https://t.co/Buz4Qe8mQ3 pic.twitter.com/2IsF7CEpTD

— PC Gamer (@pcgamer) March 30, 2016

The second fact backing this spoiler is that the first screenshot of the survey hints about an indigenous race, meaning that unless they are spacefaring, the player will have never encountered them before. However, it is the second screenshot that confirms this spoiler of new Mass Effect races.

“There is a major battle brewing, and it awaits you. It is unfolding across a galaxy of planets, with creatures and species entirely unknown. Draw your weapon, because the fighter is bigger than you thought. It’s not just for your own life, it’s for all of humanity – the ultimate battle for a place we can all call home.”

“Creatures and species unknown” indicates that there will be at the very least two new types of non-player characters with which to interact, and very likely much more.

Another spoiler that the Mass Effect spoiler exposes comes from the statement, “explore a planet-dense but seamless open-world galaxy.”

Mass Effect: Andromeda marketing survey leaks – "We are the aliens." https://t.co/GiU3xqQLmF pic.twitter.com/CRNTCmZJLN

— Eurogamer (@eurogamer) March 30, 2016

Open-world is not something particularly new to Mass Effect, however, if they can truly make the world “seamless,” that would be a significant step forward from the other games. Previously players had to sit through loading screens when moving about. Eliminating this would be a definite plus.

The survey does not reveal any further spoilers, but those exposed in the screenshots should be enough to get gamers minds percolating on the possibilities of the next installment in the franchise.

As an endnote, the whole point of conducting a marketing survey is to gauge the consumer’s interest in a product. Since these Mass Effect: Andromeda spoilers were from such a survey, there is a high likelihood of the details changing depending on how the study turned out.

[Image via Jit | Flickr | CC BY-NC-SA 2.0]