5 Quick Tips I Wish I Knew Before Starting Mass Effect: Andromeda

Setting off on a 600 light year journey across the universe is no small feat, and fighting enemy alien races and automated robots makes it no easier. Right from the get-go you’ll get tossed into heated battles surrounded on all sides. You’ll need to rely on cover, quick movement, and your own abilities to survive this harrowing journey.

If you aren’t a Mass Effect fan, you’re likely to have a little trouble getting used to Andromeda’s control setup. Here are five tips that should give you a great head start in making the neighboring galaxy a great new home for the human race.

1. Understand Cover

There is no button to press to drop down into cover when you approach a wall or other piece of cover. Instead, you’ll shield yourself behind it just by walking up to it. From here you have a few options, including pop and fire, as well as being able to blind spray from cover by simply pressing your trigger button. With this, you can do some damage to approaching enemies without having to worry about anything but grenades and flank attacks.

It is critical that you become comfortable with popping in and out of cover, as it's your main defense against the overwhelming number of enemies who will try to take you down. You won’t be able to run and gun like in many other similar games, especially once you face waves of enemy reinforcements. You'll want to move from cover to cover in every situation, even when you feel confident in your skills.

2. Stay Mobile

Your jump and dash abilities are incredibly useful in Andromeda. Not only can you close a gap between yourself and an enemy by using this, you can quickly transition from cover to cover with minimal exposure to attacks. It's far safer and more efficient to move by using dashes than simply running or walking when in combat as you're a far more difficult target to hit.

And really, it's more fun than running around anyway. Using your jet propelled jump to fly over the heads of enemies and then blasting them in the head from behind is one of many tricks you'll want to master in Andromeda. You'll want to combine the potential of both flying and dashing to replicate the mobility of a superhero. Your enemies will hate you for it.

3. Use Your Secondary Fire

Right off the bat your assault rifle will have an explosive secondary fire that can be used once before needing a short cooldown period to recharge. This skill is incredibly useful for wearing down the health of tougher enemies equipped with multiple health bars. It's also of great use when facing enemies who are abusing cover, as it serves as a great form of area of effect attack similar to grenades.

You can beef up this ability when leveling up by using skill points, making it more powerful with a shorter cooldown time. The round is semi-heat seeking, meaning it’ll hit a target even if you miss ever-so-slightly. Just make sure you aim the best you can.

4. Be Aggressive

Ammo is easy to come by with refillable packs all over the place. All you’ll need to do is navigate to them safely when you run out of bullets, which requires mobility But if you’re caught in-between an enemy Kett and an ammo pack, use your melee weapon to make quick work of them.

The key here is to be fast on your feet and aggressive. It’s important that you remain unpredictable against the enemy, challenging the A.I. in the process. If you spend too much time behind cover regaining health, your enemies will flank and surround you. Master those dashes and stay hot on your feet to make yourself the greatest opponent possible.

5. Strategize With Your Squad

You’ll always have a few squadmates by your side, each customizable once you more soldiers join your cause to colonize Andromeda. While you can leave them to their own devices, it’s recommended you give them an area to guide so they can guard your flank.

Be sure you don’t isolate any of them. If they are taken down, then you’ll have to revive them yourself. By creating a strong perimeter you’ll be free to let the guns blaze on any Kett or Remnant that comes into your line of sight. The key is to make use of the full potential of your teammates, who are there to embolden your presence.


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