Mass Effect: Andromeda features over 100 planets, but only ‘a handful’ can be explored

As Mass Effect: Andromeda nears its March 21 release date, developer BioWare has been releasing a series of videos detailing different aspects of the game. This week’s video is all about exploration, which seems to be a bigger focus in Andromeda than any previous Mass Effect game.

The video notes that there are over 100 planets (and other strange space anomalies) to discover in Andromeda’s Helius cluster. Planets and moons in whatever system you’re in will actually be visible outside of your ship’s windows, which is a cool touch.

While over 100 planets may sound like too much space, the video notes that only “a handful of beautifully crafted worlds” can be landed on. Each of the planets you land on will offer unique characters, sidequests and challenges, however.

The video above showcases one example: Elaaden, a harsh, desert world where even the hardy Krogan who have settled there are struggling to survive. The video shows off just how open these worlds are, and how you’ll use the Nomad all-terrain vehicle to traverse them.

Depending on your actions on Elaaden, you can lead to “increased viability” for the planet as a whole. This means you’ll be able to build an outpost and further upgrade the Nexus space station that sits at the heart of Andromeda’s story.

Mass Effect: Andromeda launches on March 21 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Windows PCs. You can read more about the game in our hands-on preview from last month.