BioWare general manager Aaryn Flynn has walked his previous comments that Mass Effect: Andromeda is 'totally softcore space porn.' The developer's tweet had fans looking forward to steamy romance gameplay, as Flynn also confirmed that the game features 'full nudity' though he has now apologized for the comments.
In follow up tweets, Flynn says that he is "sorry" for giving the "wrong impression," stressing that Mass Effect: Andromeda has "strong characters, great gameplay, romances and more, all dealing with mature themes." The BioWare GM also admits that his initial tweet about the game's mature content "didn't come across right" and that he had though that this use of the word "totally" would "convey the sarcasm but it didn't."
Flynn's apology to fans will be welcomed by many of those who raised concerns about the game's content following the BioWare executive's earlier tweets. Some expressed fears that Mass Effect: Andromeda's romance would lack substance and that BioWare had chosen to completely ditch emotions and rich, serious relationships that players can have a real connection with in favor of romances that only titillate. One fan pointed out that entering into porn territory could potentially reduce sales of the highly anticipated sci-fi RPG.
Rather, fans can expect Andromeda to explore all sorts of different romantic relationships when it arrives on PC and consoles next month. Unlike the original Mass Effect trilogy, in which players would be expected to pursue a romance right the way through the game and visit their love interest after every major mission to progress the romance, not all of Mass Effect: Andromeda's romance plots will follow that template.
BioWare has already confirmed that some of Andromeda's romance options will be willing to 'hop in the sack' right away, others will be interested in a long-term relationship instead. It seems that the developer is looking to take a more natural approach to romance and craft romances that work as those do in real life (albeit, Andromeda's romances may feature aliens). Unfortunately, the romance options will be kept secret until the game is released but thanks to Flynn's clarification, it sounds as though many players will be happy with how these love lines play out.