Mass Effect: Andromeda's creative director Mac Walters advises fans planning to get BioWare's forthcoming science fiction title to hold on to their saves after playing.

Although it has been repeatedly confirmed that Mass Effect: Andromeda won't be the beginning of a new trilogy, it seems as if the developers at BioWare are at least prepared to retain some of the elements from the franchise's previous installments that caused fans to become so enamored with the series. For instance, the forthcoming science fiction title's creative director, Mac Walters, recently stated that fans who go on to play Mass Effect: Andromeda would do well to hold on to their save files for followup entries, as they could affect followups' content.

This particular statement from Walters came during a rather lengthy special edition of Game Informer's podcast, where the BioWare creative director also discussed some of the developer's decisions when it comes to how Mass Effect: Andromeda will be influenced by prior entries in the series, such as its a "bold" ending on par with the first Mass Effect, variations in narrative that are inherent in Mass Effect 2, and the attempt to avoid a conclusion like ME3's ending with a more concrete and satisfying denouement instead. Of course, regarding fans' save files in Andromeda, it's quite possible that the plot in further sequels down the line could be influenced by decisions made in the franchise's fourth installment.

"I don't think it would hurt to keep [saves]. Right now, to be honest, we are focused on this game, and as I've said to people before, we very much think of Andromeda as a series. What we do with that series is TBD at this point. I think right now, we know we don't want it to be a trilogy, in the sense of, we're planning this three-part story in three games. But that said, key elements like the Pathfinders, even the Ryders themselves, those are things that are going to make another appearance in the next game."

Not only did Walters address Mass Effect: Andromeda's story aspects and the necessity for fans to hold on to their save files, but also the creative director touched on other details, such as the PC version's native controller support and confirmation that there will not be any day-to-night planetary cycles. However, Walters did say that there will be some "different states" that can impact the gameplay in action.

Furthermore, Mass Effect: Andromeda is set to contain occasional allusions and references to the original trilogy, but overall, Walters insists that the forthcoming title will be a complete divergence from Commander Shepard's tale. Much to fans' discontent, though, the creative director didn't reveal any information in relation to how Quarians and other alien races will be worked into the narrative, as BioWare remains relatively quiet about the subject.

Bearing all of this in mind, it seems as if BioWare is doing all it can to polish Mass Effect: Andromeda to the best of its abilities in order to not only have the game be a unique standalone experience, but also an homage to what made the series so great in the first place. With that being the case, here's to hoping that Andromeda will be able to give fans a science fiction adventure that only BioWare can deliver.

Mass Effect: Andromeda is set to launch sometime in the first quarter of 2017 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.