The release of the much anticipated Mass Effect: Andromeda is here, and aside from issues that some fans are finding fault with enough to cause BioWare to suggest fixes will be coming at a later date, the gaming community at large does seem to be rather enjoying their time with the latest game in the Mass Effect universe. Andromeda continues the series’ tradition of blending sci-fi action with the signature relationship-building mechanics that the series is now infamous for. BioWare made their plans to enhance the relationship portion of the game known for a while now, and a new video shows the decisions that went into improving the Mass Effect: Andromeda romance aspects.

https://www.facebook.com/ign/videos/10154619109946633/

The above IGN video shows BioWare writer Cathleen Rootsaert describing the process that the development team went through to refine the romance options and mechanics in Andromeda and what decisions needed to be made to make the improvements a reality. BioWare sought to make this game’s romances as compelling and emotionally satisfying as possible. Rootsaert expresses the studio’s belief that for a sexual relationship to resonate, it has to be built on fully fleshed out character motivations and desires. She also acknowledges the challenges of using one’s personal romantic experience and trying to translate it to that of another sexual orientation, gender, or even alien species. As she puts it, “what love means for someone of a different sexual preference, or even species, probably feels the same. That’s ultimately what we’re going for, something visceral and emotional.”

According to this video, the writers began building character motivations by asking why each character is making the voyage with the crew of the Tempest. This helped shape the complexity of each character’s backstory, and thus their need for love or even their disregard for romantic relationships. Rootsaert also compares the excitement that the writers had in dealing with new characters, which differed from the familiar characters that were the focus of the sequel games in the previous trilogy. Ultimately, she enjoys talking to these characters of different backgrounds and hopes that fans experience the same feeling. What do you guys think about the new Mass Effect: Andromeda romance aspects? What improvements would you like to see come to the game? Let us know in the comments below or start a discussion on our Disqus page.

Be sure to stay tuned for the latest Mass Effect news, such as what went into the newest patch for Andromeda and the new launch trailer for the game, here on Don’t Feed the Gamers! Follow us on Twitter to see our updates the minute they go live!