Mass Effect Andromeda isn't due out until late 2016 and we still know very little about it, one of the things we do know about BioWare's next entry in their sci-fi saga is that you will play as a human.
General manager Aaryn Flynn and creative director Mac Walters were asked on Twitter why players couldn't choose to play as alien, such as the asari, in the game. Flynn responded:
@Gavin_J_Porter @macwalterslives Good question. The story is very much a human one, and we wanted to focus on that so it's relatable
— Aaryn Flynn (@AarynFlynn) November 4, 2015
Flynn was later asked about the possibility of a game in which players could only play as an alien and replied, "I'd play that too but that's a different story & deserves its own experience."
The original Mass Effect Trilogy cast players as Commander Shepard across all three campaigns but Mass Effect 3's multiplayer did allow players to choose to play as another species. Other BioWare games have afforded more choice in terms of race; there are 11 playable races in Star Wars: The Old Republic, Dragon Age Origins allowed you to play as a human, elf, or dwarf, and Dragon Age Inquisition added the qunari as a playable race. In Dragon Age 2 you could only play as a human.
In Andromeda you can play as a human man or woman, who we haven't met yet. The N7 soldier seen in the game's E3 trailer earlier this year is not the game's protagonist.
Mass Effect Andromeda is in development for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
