Mass Effect: Andromeda guide, tips & walkthrough – absolutely everything you need

You might be an explorer, but that doesn’t mean you need to get lost: here’s our complete guide to Andromeda.

It’s hard to believe that five years have passed from Mass Effect 3, but here we are: and we now finally have another entry in the Mass Effect series that’s far disconnected from the threat of Reaper-induced extinction.

Mass Effect: Andromeda has proved to be a polarising game for many, and though we found that it has a heart of gold that’s worth fighting to find, you might have to do some digging to get there. It’s scored a fair bit lower than other Mass Effect games, but we still think it’s pretty good and well worth a look.

One of the things that might make the rougher aspects of Andromeda a little easier to handle is knowing where you’re going, what you’re doing and how to best tackle its various systems. After over 100 hours of play across the VG247 team, we’ve got some strong feelings on some of Andromeda’s mechanics: so here are our tips, tricks and other guide assistance for would-be pathfinders. Good luck out there!

Tips, Tricks and other vital information

All us to help you get started.

• Tips for brand new Pathfinders and N7 veterans alike

  If you’re planning to hop aboard the Ark Hyperion and head to the Andromeda Galaxy, there are some things you should know first. Here’s our tips from over 100 hours of gameplay.

• Romance guide: from casual banging to winning hearts

  Who, what, where and how to get to banging your new space girlfriend, boyfriend, or monogendered alien pal. Some spoilers ahead, but if you want to know who is available, we’ve got you covered.

• Conversation options guide: what those dialogue icons mean

  Mass Effect Andromeda’s conversation system may baffle series newcomers and BioWare fanatics alike. Let’s break it down.

• Monolith, glyph puzzles and Remnant decryption guide

  Don’t let Alien Sudouku get you down. If those damn glyph puzzles and decryption games are getting to you, we’ve got the help you need.

• Frequently asked questions answered

  How to change armour, your first outpost, respec, best training and more covered in this guide to some of the most commonly recurring questions during the early hours of the game.

Main Quest Walkthrough

Fight your way to a new home but keep the stress-levels low.

• Part 1: Character Creation, Character Profiles and Starting Skills

  It’s time to wake up. Andromeda awaits.

• Part 2: Ark Hyperion and Habitat 7

  Humanity’s new home isn’t all it’s cracked up to be… now it’s time to fight for survival.

• Part 3: Arrival at the Nexus – sidequests galore

  The Citadel is 600 years away, but its spirit lives on aboard the Nexus. Time to explore it, and meet the Andromeda Initiative top brass.

• Part 4: The Tempest and the strange signal on Eos

  Get yourself two forms of transport – a ship and a buggy – and then get out into exploring your first proper planet..

• Part 5: A Better Beginning and Activating the Remnant Monoliths

  It’s time for some alien sudoku, some fighting, and a bad-ass Krogan.

• Part 6: Into the Vault, clearing the Eos radiation and founding Prodromos

  We’re going deeper underground – and when we emerge, we’ll have a much more hospitable planet.

Secondary Quests and Tasks

Mass Effect Andromeda is full of optional missions. Let’s highlight some of the ones you’ll want more intel on.

• Task: Naming the Dead visual guide with screens and map references

  An annoying task with no map references to guide you and irritating, repetitive audio prompts. Let’s kill it dead.

• First Murderer: exile or release?

  You have to make a choice, and you’re paralysed by indecision. We guide you through the quest and explain what your decision means.

• Sleeping Dragons: the fate of the protestors

  What can you do about protestors on the Nexus in the wake of your first outpost? The good news is riot shields are not necessary, no matter how you decide to deal with the matter.

• Voeld decision time: Uncovering the Past

  You’ve been shivering your way around Voeld and now you have to make a choice – maybe two choices! What to do, what to do?

Other Notable Pages

• Mass Effect: Andromeda isn’t all bad faces – it’s gorgeous in 4K, so here’s 33 screenshots of it in action
• Mass Effect Andromeda review: rough as guts for the first 10 hours, but worth fighting through to the heart
• Mass Effect Andromeda reviews: all the scores and how it compares to older Mass Effect games
• All the Mass Effect: Andromeda romance scenes we’ve come across so far

Mass Effect Andromeda Patches & Updates

• Mass Effect: Andromeda PC update out now, fixes black screen, Corsair Utility Engine, more
• Mass Effect: Andromeda Nvidia drivers released
• Mass Effect: Andromeda patch 1.04 is out now on PS4 and Xbox One

Got any questions about Mass Effect: Andromeda we haven’t answered here? Drop us a comment and we’ll see what we can do.