In a new trailer published by Electronic Arts, the development team behind Mass Effect: Andromeda takes us through the paces regarding character creation and development. Unlike the earlier games in the Mass Effect series, players will no longer pick a class and go from there; from now on, skills can be allocated however desired and then players have the option of choosing a profile that adds bonuses to certain sets of skills instead. If, for example, a player decides to go for a biotic-heavy loadout, the Adept profile will unlock, giving bonuses to damage and duration.

This new hybrid system should offer greater flexibility without sacrificing the bonuses inherent in the class system while also allowing players to more easily implement the combos that made the earlier Mass Effect trilogy as much fun as it was. On top of that, companions' skills can also be customized in Mass Effect: Andromeda and players will have more control over when they're used, as well. From now on players can set combos in concert with AI team members: once the initial part of a combo has been primed on an opponent, a team member can be instructed to finish the job, or vice versa.

[embed width="800" height="450"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3q_Nd5arZM[/embed]

If that isn't enough explosive action, the skills and profiles in Mass Effect: Andromeda can also be freely swapped out at any time, including during combat. If, for example, a biotic profile isn't working on a certain enemy, by selecting a different, pre-set profile players can opt to go for a more direct approach using a more regular lead-based solution. Skills can be switched out much the same way, so players can initially pick off a few enemies using a cloak and sniper rifle, and then engage the rest of the group with grenades and a shotgun.

These new changes brought to Mass Effect: Andromeda should bring even more exciting dynamism to the already exciting franchise and really invest players into the way they build up their character. On top of that, it also offers players a lot more choice than ever before, allowing for any weird combination of tech, biotics and guns that they can dream up. It will be interesting to see what gamers can come up with in a month when the game is released.

Mass Effect: Andromeda will be released on March 21, 2017 on PC, PS4 and, Xbox One.