Mass Effect: Andromeda will let hand-to-hand combat enthusiasts build and equip dedicated melee weapons, far beyond the starter omni-blade. This is a pretty big change - back in Shepard's day, if you wanted to put away your gun and go for a hand-to-hand attack you used your bright orange holographic knife and liked it.
These new combat and crafting details were revealed by Mass Effect: Andromeda lead designer Ian S. Frazier on Twitter.
PRO TIP: In MEA, you can craft your own krogan-style hammer and name it GRABTHAR'S HAMMER.That one's free, folks. #spaceJanuary 17, 2017
That's a Galaxy Quest reference if your knowledge of Tim Allen-led sci-fi pictures is lacking.
@konradkurze202 @bigking123 There's a dedicated melee weapon slot. The omni-blade you start with is just one (though you can upgrade it).January 17, 2017
BioWare's last game, Dragon Age: Inquisition, let you craft weapons and other equipment too, though Frazier said Andromeda's system is "quite a bit different". And not just because it's in space and doesn't use dragon's teeth and fairy dust as reagents, I imagine.
The original Mass Effect trilogy had some close-combat focused classes and abilities but little support for actual melee brawling. Having to run up to somebody to swing your space-axe at them as they fill you with futuristic bullets would put you at a bit of a tactical disadvantage, so I doubt Andromeda will encourage melee-exclusive characters. But more combat options are always welcome.
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