Mass Effect: Andromeda Video Shows Off New Squadmate
By John Jacques 13 March 2017
Mass Effect: Andromeda releases in a little over a week, and BioWare is continuing to prepare for the return of the popular series by releasing in-depth videos on potential squadmates. Gamers have already seen videos about Citadel species squadmates like Peebee the Asari or Liam Kosta the human, but today BioWare and Mass Effect: Andromeda writer Cathleen Rootsaert have shown off Jaal, one of the squadmates Ryder can recruit who happens to be an Angara – a new bulky species that originates from the Andromeda Galaxy.
Jaal is described as a very cards-on-the-table companion who lets his emotions dictate his actions, and we’re sure that means communicating with the Angara will bring gamers both humorous and emotional moments both inside and outside of The Tempest. Gamers who want to take an in-depth look at Jaal can do so in the 4K video below:
As the video explains, Jaal is a member of the Angaran Resistance, a group of face-to-face combatants who are currently waging war against The Kett, an alien species who will play a large antagonistic role in Andromeda. For the past 80 years, the Angaran Resistance has had little luck in pushing back the Kett threat, who kidnap and enslave portions of the Angaran population. Recently, a pragmatic Resistance leader named Efra has the Angara warriors on the upturn, and the Pathfinder is likely to play a large role in how the Resistance fares in the near future.
The video also explains some of the species relations in Andromeda, revealing that Jaal joins the Pathfinder team partly because the rest of the Angarans don’t trust the outsiders after being betrayed by The Kett, the last species they had encountered 80 years before. This level of mistrust will feel familiar to Mass Effect veterans, as it echoes the sentiment of the Quarians and their mistrust of the Geth from the original trilogy.
BioWare writer Cathleen Rootsaert promises that gamers will get to see Jaal progress from an Angaran unsure of his place in the galaxy into a more matured, self-confident warrior, and this will supposedly mimic the journey of the Pathfinder as well. Since the game has over 1,200 voiced characters, there’s evidently a lot of character development to go through – and those with EA Access can get a 10 hour head start on Mass Effect: Andromeda beginning on March 16. The rest of the potential Pathfinders, however, will have to wait for the official release on March 21.
What do you think about Jaal the Angara, Ranters? Do he and his species compliment the Mass Effect universe?
Mass Effect: Andromeda is scheduled to release on March 21, 2017, for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.
Source: IGN
