Beginning now and running through November 1, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC owners can download Mass Effect: Andromeda and play up to 10 hours across both multiplayer and the campaign. While solo progress will be limited to just the first planet — which can be reached in about an hour — multiplayer content will be unlimited. Any progress you make during the trial will carry over into your full game, should you choose to purchase it.
What’s somewhat disappointing, however, is that EA Access and Origin Access subscribers who previously played the free trial will be limited in how much they can play. Any time they spent with the game in March will be deducted from their available playtime for the free trial now.
Mass Effect: Andromeda underperformed critically, with many reviews finding its story to be less interesting than those in the original trilogy, and its convoluted mess of game systems took attention away from a combat system that could be genuinely thrilling at time. Electronic Arts reportedly put the franchise on hiatus back in May, shelving any plans for single-player downloadable content as BioWare employees shifted their focus to other projects. These include the Destiny-like Anthem, which impressed us at E3 with its open-world structure and environments. A fourth Dragon Age game also appears to be in development, with creative director Mike Laidlaw giving some not-so-subtle hints about the project in a recent interview.
For those interested in Mass Effect: Andromeda‘s multiplayer mode, you have little reason to worry. Just a week ago, a new update added the Batarian race to the game’s APEX multiplayer, and new missions are available each week for dedicated players. We weren’t a huge fan of this mode, saying it “doesn’t feel like anything more than a bonus for fans who already showed up for the story.”
