Skip to main content
Join The Community
- Join our community
11
Premium Benefits
24/7
Access Available
21K+
Active Members
Commenting
Join the discussion
Exclusive Articles Coming Soon
Member-only articles
Weekly Newsletters
Weekly gaming & entertainment news
Member Badges
Earn badges as you go
Exclusive Competitions
Members-only prize draws
Curated Deals Coming Soon
Tech and gaming deals worth grabbing
GET COMMUNITY ACCESS QUICK
For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE
Want to subscribe to the magazine? Click the button below to find out more information.
Find out more
GET Community ACCESS QUICK

Join the GamesRadar community for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Background
Welcome to GamesRADAR+ Community !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Badge picture
Earn your first badge
Read 1 article to unlock your first badge.
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Latest Games News

Latest Games News

Breaking gaming news and updates

Read Now
Latest Games Reviews

Latest Games Reviews

Expert verdicts on the newest releases

Read Now

See what you’ve unlocked.

Explore your membership benefits.

Explore
Member Exclusives

Stay Ahead with GamesRadar+

Get the biggest gaming news, reviews, and releases straight to your inbox.

Explore

Sign Out
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • View Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
Trending
  • Saros review
  • Arc Raiders
  • The Boys S5
  • Best turn-based RPGs
  • Submit your clips. Win prizes
  • Delta Force giveaway
Don't miss these
Bond peeks around a corner at a guard in 007 First Light
Action Games 007 First Light's License to Kill system adds nuance to its escalating action as "Bond won't shoot an unarmed man"
Best weapons and guns in Saros
Roguelike Games Best Saros weapons and guns
Exodus screenshot
RPGs Mass Effect hasn't been great in "a long time," but Exodus can fill the gap according to Hasbro CEO
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced key art showing protagonist Edward Kenway pointing dual wielding pistols
Assassin's Creed Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced doesn't borrow from Shadows and Valhalla's RPG combat at all
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced reveal showcase screenshot shows Edward attacking an enemy.
Assassin's Creed Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced HUD is optional as Ubisoft baked all the information you need into its animations
The Blood of Dawnwalker
RPGs The Blood of Dawnwalker makes one hell of a first impression
Saros gameplay showing a flying beast hover over multiple statues of hands
Third Person Shooters I asked Saros devs about their hand obsession and got a fascinating insight into game development
Edward Kenway attacks an enemy in a screenshot from the Assassin's Creed Black Flag Remastered overview trailer.
Assassin's Creed Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced brings a huge change to combat and I kind of love it
Crimson Desert
RPGs Best weapons in Crimson Desert
The Blood of Dawnwalker
RPGs The Blood of Dawnwalker devs "were afraid that people wouldn't want to play as human Coen"
A woman sits at a bar in an Arc Raiders trailer
Third Person Shooters Arc Raiders devs "still learning" what to do with PvP
Starfield cockpit
RPGs Best Starfield ship weapons for battling in space
Arc Raiders bespoke
Third Person Shooters Best Arc Raiders weapons and meta tier list (May 2026)
Arc Raiders soldier holding assault rifle
Third Person Shooters Arc Raiders guns will finally repair when upgraded, but Embark counters by making them break faster
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced reveal screenshot shows Edward Kenway aiming his gun.
Assassin's Creed Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced lead confirms "social stealth is back," but hidden blade combat isn't
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


Join the club

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
  1. Games
  2. RPG
  3. Mass Effect
  4. Mass Effect: Andromeda

Mass Effect: Andromeda gets more close-up combat options with craftable melee weapons

News
By Connor Sheridan published 17 January 2017

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Subscribe to our newsletter

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. 

Latest Videos From
You may like
  • Key art for Control Resonant showing Dylan with The Aberrant in its axe form standing on a ruined taxi as he faces shadowy figures across a twisted Manhattan Control Resonant trades shooting for a shapeshifting sword because "melee is cool", its creative director tells me
  • Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced reveal screenshot shows Edward Kenway aiming his gun. Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced lead confirms "social stealth is back," but hidden blade combat isn't
  • Screenshot from an Exodus trailer, showing a white man reach out to a glowy alien object in a dark room. Mass Effect veterans roll out gameplay teases for new RPG Exodus ahead of a big summer reveal

@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.

Seen something newsworthy? Tell us!

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
CATEGORIES
PC Gaming Xbox One PS4 Platforms Xbox PlayStation
Connor Sheridan
Connor Sheridan
Social Links Navigation
Former GamesRadar+ News Writer

I got a BA in journalism from Central Michigan University - though the best education I received there was from CM Life, its student-run newspaper. Long before that, I started pursuing my degree in video games by bugging my older brother to let me play Zelda on the Super Nintendo. I've previously been a news intern for GameSpot, a news writer for CVG, and was formerly a staff writer at GamesRadar+.

Read more
Key art for Control Resonant showing Dylan with The Aberrant in its axe form standing on a ruined taxi as he faces shadowy figures across a twisted Manhattan
Action RPGs Control Resonant trades shooting for a shapeshifting sword because "melee is cool", its creative director tells me
 
 
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced reveal screenshot shows Edward Kenway aiming his gun.
Assassin's Creed Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced lead confirms "social stealth is back," but hidden blade combat isn't
 
 
Screenshot from an Exodus trailer, showing a white man reach out to a glowy alien object in a dark room.
RPGs Mass Effect veterans roll out gameplay teases for new RPG Exodus ahead of a big summer reveal
 
 
Edward Kenway attacks an enemy in a screenshot from the Assassin's Creed Black Flag Remastered overview trailer.
Assassin's Creed Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced brings a huge change to combat and I kind of love it
 
 
The Blood of Dawnwalker
RPGs The Blood of Dawnwalker devs "were afraid that people wouldn't want to play as human Coen"
 
 
Arc Raiders player in heavy rain with shield shorting out
Third Person Shooters Arc Raiders apparently had a legendary weapon "intended" for PvP all along, but it was so bad nobody noticed
 
 
Latest in Mass Effect
Mass Effect 5
Mass Effect Mass Effect 5 hasn't been shown off more because BioWare is "just busy workin'" on the RPG
 
 
Mass Effect Mass Effect TV show goes through rewrites to appeal to "non-gamers," but I'm hoping it follows Fallout's lead
 
 
Mass Effect
Mass Effect "F***ing Colonel Shepard dies in Mass Effect 3, and that makes us the Worst Company in America," former EA exec laments
 
 
Commander Shepard smiles bizarrely in Mass Effect
Mass Effect Mass Effect DLC prototype uncovered after 19 years with a look at the cut side mission that became Bring Down the Sky
 
 
The Witcher 4
The Witcher CDPR welcomes new AI director, who joins The Witcher 4 studio "after 8 years of building memorable RPGs at BioWare"
 
 
BioWare
Mass Effect Skyrim lead thinks Mass Effect 5 would benefit from looking to Baldur's Gate 3 or being more of a "Bethesda-style game"
 
 
Latest in News
Link faces Midna in a screenshot from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD
The Legend of Zelda The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess finally gets a fanmade PC port
 
 
Mario in a swimsuit in Super Mario Odyssey.
Games Nintendo boss reportedly wants to make up for Switch 2 price increase with a stronger line-up of games
 
 
Marcus being pinned to a wall by a Locust Drone during the Gears of War: E-Day trailer.
Gears of War Gears of War: E-Day is officially sponsoring WWE Triplemania, potentially hinting at a September release date window
 
 
Dragon Quest concept art
Dragon Quest As Dragon Quest 12 continues to slumber, Yuji Horii reveals a 40th anniversary stream with news on the "next game"
 
 
The Elder Scrolls After 14 years since reveal, the Morrowind remake made in Skyrim gets another update and sounds close to completion
 
 
A blue-skinned girl in a hat and oversized clothes jetskis around a few small islands with the blue sky shining above, in a screenshot from Bobo Bay.
Simulation Games This indie game with near perfect Steam reviews is the Sonic Adventure follow-up I've been waiting 26 years for
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Lost Odyssey screenshot
    1
    If you love Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, find a way to play Lost Odyssey – the cult-classic RPG that remains one of the Xbox 360's best-kept secrets
  2. 2
    10 Games like Persona 5 with brilliant party members, epic stories, and plenty of style
  3. 3
    The Boys fans think season 5's POV episode reveals the order in which major Supes will die
  4. 4
    The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess finally gets a fan-made PC port, and I can't wait to see what modders do with the GameCube classic
  5. 5
    10 years later, Uncharted 4 remains the perfect antidote to overly bleak and serious adventuring

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...