BioWare has stated on multiple occasions that Mass Effect Andromeda is not a continuation of Mass Effect 3 and, as such, does not feature Commander Shepard. In fact, it has no returning characters from the Mass Effect Trilogy and uses an entirely new graphics engine.

Mass Effect: Andromeda’s Senior Development Director Chris Wynn stated on twitter that adding returning characters won’t make sense from a story standpoint, especially when considering that it is set in the Andromeda Galaxy, while the first three games took place in the Milky Way Galaxy.

In case you didn’t know, a whopping 2.5 million light years separate the two galaxies…

We can’t also forget that Commander Shepard’s journey ended in the third game, so an all-new lead character and cast of supporting characters are needed, each with a fresh and unique background.

Considering that Mass Effect Andromeda is an Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC game, fans of the series want nothing less than a notable improvement in graphics over Mass Effect 3, and BioWare has responded by building it on an all-new game engine. This is a big reason why it’s taking longer to make the game compared to its predecessors.

It has been previously reported that Mass Effect Andromeda has a better ending than Mass Effect 3 and has an incredible leveling up experience.

Considering all the changes the sci-fi action-adventure game will introduce, let us know what you want to see in Mass Effect Andromeda in the comments below, and stay tuned to GameTribute for more news and videos on BioWare’s upcoming masterpiece.