107 MASS EFFECT ANDROMEDA (+Trilogy) Facts YOU Should KNOW | The Leaderboard

Mass Effect is gearing up to explore a brand new galaxy of aliens with BioWare’s upcoming release of Andromeda, the fourth game in the hit Mass Effect series. Join The Leaderboard as we dive into the new things coming with Andromeda and trace back through the history, easter eggs, and development of this awesome series in 107 Mass Effect Andromeda (+Trilogy) Facts YOU Should Know!
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Tell us which aspect of the Mass Effect Andromeda are you hoping the developers improved most over the other Mass Effect games? Plus don’t forget to let us know which game you want covered next!
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Your Home For Video Game Facts! The Leaderboard offers fascinating insights, development history, tips & tricks, the latest in news and commentary about your favorite games past and present. We cover a mix of AAA titles and indie releases with compelling characters and deep stories. We upload about 7 times a week Chat with us on Discord (The Leaderboard Fam) / discord .

[@TheLeaderboard]

Mass Effect is a huge game and Andromeda promises to double the size of the galaxy, which alien race is your favorite???!! And don't forget to let us know which game you think we should cover next!

[@stealthrpggamer]

Asari Krogan Drell Geth Salarians. You guys should cover danganronpa next.

[@CentralCast]

The Leaderboard love your vids

[@busyenough]

Love the facts, and krogan for life with a little turians to spice it up for me

[@CentralCast]

The Leaderboard for the next 107 facts can you do destiny 2 when it comes out

[@TheLeaderboard]

there are a lot of folks in our office excited about Destiny 2...so you will see a video about it! thanks for the comment!

[@vine1313]

the AI from the moon in Mass Effect 1, ends up being EDI from Mass Effect 2 and 3.

[@sephirothdomain1]

And also the binary code she says on the moon translates to "help me"

[@flowerthencrranger3854]

Explain me this history please

[@flyingninjafish1558]

@@flowerthencrranger3854 - Basically in ME1 you get a side quest about a VI in a base on the moon that’s gone rampant and killed everyone in the base. You go there and shut it down, it letting out a series of 1’s and 0’s which translate to ‘Help me’. Then you leave. However while you’re gone another group sneaks into the base and recovers the fragmented VI. This group is known as Cerberus, a human supremacy group known for less than ethical behaviour who you are forced to work for during the second game. Back in ME1 you end the game with defeating the Reaper called Sovereign, which was meant to clear the way for the rest of the Reapers. Cerberus ended up stealing away some of the wreckage during the rebuilding efforts caused by the battle. They then used the fragmented VI and data recovered from Sovereign to create an advanced AI with limited Reaper style capabilities called EDI who serves as part of the Normandy in ME2 and 3.

[@rumdonkey7826]

Number 34 is false. Shepard IS given a first name. John and Jane.

[@ZackRToler]

Can confirm

[@skorp0003]

I thought those were just the default names because of how generic they are

[@Homerdread]

John and Jane are names given to unidentified bodies. It's kind of a dark joke. If these names were cannon, the other characters would use them.

[@karlsmith2570]

That's correct, that's the default names of the Male and Female versions of Commander Shepherd

[@IronAce777]

"bioware has stated that they really pushed the limitation of the frostbite engine in order to create a more expressive story through their characters animations" LMAO!

[@johnshepard4949]

How the turntables..

[@joegrimes9232]

To be fair to them they did. The engine wasn't designed to incorporate the insane amounts of detail they were pushing for. You get several kilometres of damned good looking terrain and open spaces and then have minute facial details, quests and dialogue to add. Code upon code upon code in compartmentalised development. Something had to f up. It was designed as a gallery you blow stuff up and shoot at stuff. From my understanding they were told outright to use frostbite because the procedural thing was a bust and frostbite is the new hotness.

[@TheBrianPLindsay]

2:28 "A more expressive story through their character's animations" That worked well didn't it :D p.s. The extended cut DLC to make the ending better was never paid DLC, it has always been free.

[@jpenhall]

#74: Cerberus is a "paramilitary" organization, not a "parliamentary" organization.

[@CeroAshura]

Cerberus is a semi privitized black ops branch of the human military going rogue.

[@karlsmith2570]

I noticed that snafu too

[@Account2129]

Marauder Shields #NeverForget

[@kyro-jaxxsonofkosmos23]

8:14 I named my Shepard, Alan for my first play through. Didn't know till later, that he was an actual astronaut.

[@Chinga3000]

Astro-not not astronaut as no human has been to space , don't say "but I saw it on T.V it must be real ".Just like the Simpsons movie the earth is under a giant dome.No exit while in mortal flesh .

[@karlsmith2570]

I did the same thing, but this was after having found out that the character was named after Alan Shepherd

[@connorshields3670]

Isn't 2183 the twenty second century? I heard him say it's the twenty third century.

[@crazedauthor98]

I thought the same thing.

[@scrabuz2100]

As 2183 is 166 years in the future it is the 22nd

[@fourlamb1]

Sir Dorky Pretty sure it's the 22nd century, as we are now in 2017 and it's the 21st century, so in 2183 it'll be the 22nd century surely. Must have been a mistake..

[@michaellong1727]

22nd century = years 2101-2200, so yes, 22nd century

[@karlsmith2570]

That's true, anything after 2100 would be the 22nd century, if the Mass Effect Universe was set in the 23rd century like they'd said in this video, it'd be after 2200

[@theriffwriter2194]

11:49 Lmao you just said "females impotent". Those poor female Krogan that can't get an erection. Oh, leaderboard. Bless your heart.

[@TheFuggi123]

fact nr.12 3:35 is that actual Bioware studio? with naked Triss Merigold with polish title "Wiedźmin 2" ? xD

[@JonnyNotion]

Outside a window the Citadel in Mass Effect 3 you can see the numbers 780. This is the telephone area code to Edmonton, Alberta where the first Bioware studio is. Very weird pronunciation of Edmonton BTW

[@DianaSeada]

Jonathan Kobewka idek he said edmonton it sounded so weird lmao

[@R3fug333]

Shepard is given a First name. The Default is John

[@ianbrittain9575]

#13 Bioware didn't make Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 2 The Sith Lords, Obsidian did.

[@karlsmith2570]

Both of these games were produced by EA, which is probably why they'd said that

[@DomoDolo]

The used the frostbite engine poorly for the expressions

[@Derpaherpaderpify]

Hehe, he said "animations"

[@joshbull623]

If you look at frostbite engine utilizing games dating back to 2015 in star wars battlefront, you can see that there is no way they pushed the engine to its limits for animation. Texture improvement for materials and skin yes, more detail to clothing and overall environment yes, special effect yup, overall graphical improvement but the actual animations of the character from their movements to expressions and lip syncing lol not so much. If you remove the bugs and forget about graphics and just compare animations of the characters from cutscenes there is actually minimal improvement from Dragon Age Inquisition to MEA. So I would, but barely yield to the claim that they made improvements in the engine, but pushed it to its limits? Clearly they have no idea what other teams have been able to do with the engine.

[@aragottix7322]

So, Tali was left out as a romance option in ME1, nearly was in ME2 as well, and they were planning to dump her in ME3, and today she is one of the most popular romance options in the trilogy. Guys, you nearly screwed up xD

[@iffin3786]

I'm still pissed off they didn't gave her a direct reveal imagine it's 2017 and I'm still pissed off I need a life.

[@karlsmith2570]

@@iffin3786 you and me both I'm especially pissed that they'd used a stock photo of a former beauty pageant contestant who was represented the UK instead of using a stock photo of Ash Soroka, the actress who was the voice for Tali

[@bubbajoe117]

"More players prefer to play paragon than renegade because most people love to be the hero" Yeah it probably doesn't help that they actively use every chance to punish you for playing renegade every chance they get.

[@SuperToaster25]

We'll bang in andromeda, ok?

[@papabless8910]

Insane Plum K

[@deviantpride1215]

MAY I ADD AS SOMEONE WHO LIVES THERE Bioware is stationed In Edmonton Alberta Canada *Pronounced Ed-men-ton* not EddMonTon :P

[@garrettg4678]

THANK YOU

[@elaboratelime5617]

I personally had to do a triple take as I couldn't believed how he pronounced it as I laughed my ass off

[@jacobdavidson9696]

I live around that area as well and I would like to deeply thank you for saying this 😤😂

[@jonjonson6840]

O sounding like E yeah...what did you expect lol. So if I go to Canada, I have to change my name to Jen Jenson and get a sex change. :D

[@TheWailer56]

Coming from a winnipegger, I laughed and felt bad for you guys lol

[@mikvance]

Who else laughed out loud at 2:30 "expressive character animations"?

[@Theo2077Nikolov]

There's no Mass Effect without Tali.

[@mistyowl9854]

You guys should do a 107 facts about Silent Hill video.

[@chadjacob8479]

#13 is inaccurate. Bioware did not create Knights of the Old Republic 2, only the original.

[@KaworuNagisa]

They actually have a poster of The Witcher hanging in their development studio - nice stuff :)

[@xavieromos1234]

Johannes Barber Hey dude I look all the comment section and you are the only one notices the Witcher 2 and write a comment. Aces :)

[@joegrimes9232]

That series especially with witcher 3 really pushed the boat out with rpg storytelling.

[@zakkmylde1712]

The people who make the best video games are the ones who love video games. I love when studios give props to other studios.

[@fourlamb1]

Cool vid bro!

[@forceraider451]

I'm surprised how they didn't mention how a significant amount of the Mass Effect fan base were infuriated by the limited number of options for the ending.

[@TheLeaderboard]

+ForeRaider thats a good point, on the other hand it's kind of a hard fact to contextualize and prove definitively as you can imagine. Fan sentiment is very important and we do work to include facts around the reception of a property. We also try to cover games that were universally loved whenever we can. Thanks for your comment and if you have further thoughts would love to hear them.

[@MrQdiddy85]

I love that they didn't have enough facts for Andromeda

[@antiadam666]

The first mass effect will always be the best to me

[@PaulaKirkus]

That Wrex moment 😂 "Like 18 quintillion planets" *face plants*

[@Freshmaker69]

Number 31. That's actually the 22 century, 23 century would be 2200 and on, since we are currently living in the 21st century.

[@jp_k]

Nice video!... as always

[@Micolino9878]

"Missed exploring in the M35 Mako?" .... That's a trick question, right?

[@undead890]

By "Missed" do they mean glad I don't have to drive that thing around, then yes I "Miss" it so much.

[@kosmosuzuki]

I think 2183 would be 22nd century.

[@itsMascio]

Pretty sure 2183 is the 22nd century.

[@TheMasterwitcher]

Reckless yeah i just said the same thing :D

[@closair]

So excited!

[@ZombieMaster420]

Been on that ride! It's short but really fun however a good guide actor really makes or breaks the experience. 108th fact, the park actor who guides the ride is playing Conrad Verner

[@andrewwall9708]

Great video. I may have misheard it but I think you said 2183 is the 23rd century. It's actually yhe 22nd.

[@kluang1]

I always put my Shepard first name Mark. Because of the voice actor and the model use for the default name, both name Mark.

[@pyrotaz6786]

Nice video

[@tranarchist_emily8181]

3:37 are you sure that that studio is boiware and not cd project red? i mean there is a witcher poster, witcher is an the screen on the wall and witcher props are lying around?

[@DragoneyeVII]

This video is why you always make sure to double check your work before uploading.

[@kyro-jaxxsonofkosmos23]

Thank Goodness for that!!! There are so many games Pc gamers don't have because of developers playing the "Xbox Exclusive" card!!! I am one of those Pc gamers. 7:19

[@joegrimes9232]

Shepherds brown space coat reminds me of John crictons brown spacecoat in farscape. With the unnessesary buckles. For space reasons

[@harryhaller9783]

"...in the year 2183, that is the 23rd century..." - that is the 22nd century actually:)

[@abysmalskulldog2763]

I noticed Alec's face changes to somewhat resemble your characters just a few days ago after I started the build for another character. I played the game for a long time and have beaten it twice before without noticing the change. During the scene of Alec prepping the team before departing to Habitat 7 I looked closer and thought something's fuckin up.. I'm slow

[@TheMMObro]

edi actually says "really, commander? *sigh* probing uranus"

[@RomeoCo]

I can't help but giggle at how he says Edmonton.

[@joeyclemenza7339]

i thought the game takes place between "the shadow broker" DLC and the reaper invasion?

[@AiMaTay]

13 is wrong. Obsidian made KOTOR 2, not Bioware.

[@joegrimes9232]

A spin off mass effect multiplayer game I can see as an xcom tactics game called something like Attrition. It starts off with a small squad of N7 alliance troops with a biotic, engineer soldier classes and expands as you play to get asari commandos, salarian stg engineers, turian sniper and Krogan tank units. The krogan hit hard but don't get any cover bonus and mix and match. It's set during the reaper invasion and you get more units as you play. Terminus system units that bring gunships as a unique ability. Cerberus has advanced stealth units and such as well as bring in extra currency. The overworld map is the citadel gearing up for the final showdown and like metal gear solid 5s gmp system you spend gmp on new tech and expanding the crucible. Basically just do xcom but mass effect. Some procedural generated tile maps. I'd play the hell out of that to unlock Jack or garrus as unique units. When I say multiplayer, it's single player, but you can take your team into c sec to combat vi challenges. An arena basically to put your squad up against player opponents. Or even a tabletop miniatures thing. Have fun rare units like blasto the first hanar spectre with dual wielding pistols or an elcor seige engine artillery unit. The volus aren't combat unit, but will increase gmp if you liberate a colony and will become a meme when the joke of "need some cash, save some volus colonies" with Shepards face grinning. The quarians get a chance to loot rare mods or items for your squad and are all rounders like the alliance, but deal extra damage vs synthetic opponents. But are weaker in hit points to make up the power creep Etc. The drell are fast moving units that get extra move range and a chance to shoot at a penalty. But the idea is they are hit and run units. Hp comparable to the quarians but have the bonus of being able to meditate. Meaning you can skip thier turn to add a meditation spin up. After 3 you can soup thier stats up for a barrage tsuname of attacks and movement, but at the cost of having them be out of action for 3 whole rounds prior and 1 fatigued to reflect thane and the drells condition in lore, The drell I can see being a frustration to pure Krogan builds until people remember the turian sniper exists

[@joegrimes9232]

The meat of the game is playing missions a la xcom playing random maps that are the standard. Sweep and retrieve, defend, extract a vip or save the colonists. The maps are varied, but then there are the notable missions that take place on therum or earth or Eden prime etc. That push the story forward and make for cool Canon stories of what was going on on the ground during me 3 with the permadeth xcom thing driving home the cost of the war. I would add a spaceship thing, but Mass effects combat essentially is like napolionic muskets in space. You file up and pepper the enemy with slugs till one of you pops. So ships would be a nice collectable. But imagine collecting your dream team of two drell runners a turian sniper, a quarian and an alliance biotic and naming them and watching them go through the war and the tragedy as Argus the turian is taken down by a husk during a mission to save a batarian colony. You unlock access to terminus system rep and gear, but at the cost of your rank IV sniper.

[@joegrimes9232]

If such a game existed then actual game designers would hammer all the details down. But I'd insist on a few commandments. First. No mobile game or loot boxes. Dlc is fine and a maybe waves of unique units but nothing game or lore breaking. 2 stick to preestablished units and ideas therein unless within lore you can justify it. You can't play as shepherd, the geth or collectors. Shepards overpowered and is a player unique character and is whomever the player designed. The others are generic and open the floodgates to shenanigans. The Reapers get a semi pass because they are more varied and horrific and it'd be fun to play as them in a pvp. They've assimilated countless into thier makeup, but again. Lore. Lore lore. Keeps the game credible and will warm people to it

[@alexanadraworld]

Fact 61: The Rogue AI was an early Version of EDI, the AI of the Normandy in Mass Effect 2 and 3.

[@WatcherLex_]

If you sell Legion to Cerberus or don’t help the Grissom Academy, both Legion and Jack will be turned into enemies, with Legion being ‘Legion Assasion’ and Jack being a phantom, screaming ‘I will destroy you!’

[@jonathansidwell1]

2:25 lies the game engine was a nightmare for developers

[@Bonney5thGear]

my shepard is named John shepard it was the default :)

[@TheMVPHut]

Number 7 was a real hoot.

[@pumajlr]

Number 7 is pretty funny giving what we know about the game now. lol.

[@karmas.570]

Wow!! I LOVE IT!! and u too

[@blackouthorus1519]

i love how you say Edmonton XD

[@MissyT12396]

amazing series

[@02091992able]

The thing is with the way your Shepard looks is that for some reason if you are using one from 1 to 2 is fine but for some reason when you try to use the same character for three it will not remember the exact look for your Shepard so how to get around this is to make your character again for 2 and then its fine for some reason when you use that character in 3, the default look of fem shep is different from 2 to 3 so if you like her from 1 and 2 select default for 2 and in 3 she will look that way for some reason default fem shep was changed for 3.

[@josegallegos6010]

While you guys are making the 107 fact about super sentai/ squadron series, can you also do 107 more about kingdom hearts and 107 more about the walking dead, please.

[@PugFitNation]

To me commander shepard for mass effect is like goku for dragon ball super. Im still waiting for KOTOR 3 and jade empire 2. I love the se-xbox

[@obi-wankenobi8406]

Wasnt kotor 2 made my aspyr becaose bioware was busy with other big titles

[@LordKinoda]

Obi-Wan Kenobi Obsidian Entertainment was the developer for KOTOR 2.

[@ChoseeComprende]

12:36 - No, they actually dont look like us. :D There even is scene (on citadel i believe) where Salarian, Turian and Human are talking about Asari woman ... and they all decribe her differently!

[@nhlakaniphomkhize2080]

The fact that I'm still enjoying the trilogy in 2023 speaks volumes about how good these games are

[@lns0lence]

YAAAY, been waiting and asking for this 107 facts!

[@TheLeaderboard]

+Insolence so glad we could help!!!

[@vlid4550]

You forgot one, in Mass effect 2 there is a planet called "Bothros" which means swer (or shithole) in Greek

[@Need_Sleep240]

Number 13 is partially wrong. Knights of the Old Republic 2 was made Obsidian, not Bioware.

[@Erkimet]

This video is riddled with inaccuracies. How does it have a positive like:dislike ratio?

[@jordanleveritt7028]

I know this is 3 years late but you said theres 9 races in mass effect. What about batarians, vorcha and rachni?

[@machellebergeman8951]

If you google when does MEA take place it says between 2 and 3 not after 3

[@FastForwardPlans]

It says that is when the project launched, as in, when they sent out the ships. However, as it took several hundred years to get there. It was well past the 3rd by the time the ME:A actually starts.

[@samseloo4962]

Mass effect is the perfect weekend game. Enough time to listen to dialogue and lore.

[@shrobee]

21:31 did the audio screw up

[@SUNSHINE-me8gz]

Getting excited for this one mass Effect Andramedia

[@smallfry3188]

99. If you go from arias couch right back to drinking you black out and wake up on the elevator.

[@Grim_Sister]

The character Garrus was only a supporting character in the 1st game. players loved him so much, they demanded to be capable of forging a romance with him.

[@TheMMObro]

why do i not remember brooks? only dlc i didn't have from me2 which would affect 3 is kasumi

[@MrMLJ92]

TheMMObro Citadel DLC.....she comes into the bar with Shepard and Joker

[@rasheedqe]

"create a more engaging Story through animation" I bet they regret that now.

[@Japhox45]

Did anyone else notice Uranus was also depleted ;)

[@Hyper445]

I'm pretty sure 2183 is the 22nd century.

[@NShivadas2023]

The mass effect saga are by far my favorate games. I would love to have 1-3 for ps4.

[@KonwTheTrut]

This actually aged pretty well lol

[@detlefdiesoos1730]

Mass effect andromeda would be the best game, if you could have played as other races, as turians or krogans, it would even fit, because the andromeda mission was made out of the different races from the milky way

[@storballen4449]

i get the feeling the narrator has never played mass effect

[@Wolfbane420]

correction Bioware only made the FIRST Knights of the Old Republic and The Old Republic MMO games while Obsidian Entertainment made the 2nd Knights of the Old Republic game.

[@blakechandler167]

2183 is the 22nd century

[@Galbrei]

Will Andromeda also use save files from ME3? I find it hard they'd need make use of it what with the game taking place in a different galaxy and hundreds of years in the future, but I'd stilll like some confirmation.

[@SlothyPunker]

Apparently the Andromeda Initiative launched between the events of ME2 and ME3 so, no, it won't carry over saves. Especially since PC would be the only one capable of doing it, since ME:A isn't coming out on last gen systems.

[@ElizaKurosawa]

SlothyPunker Dude, Dragon Age Inquisition had the same problem but they used the keep. But yeah..it doesn't really make sense to use the save files tbh..

[@busyenough]

Andromeda happens a couple centuries in the future, and they said it would carry over, there is not much reason for it

[@cyberfreak1995]

Actually to correct fact 13 Star Wars KOTOR 2 was actually created by Obsidian after purchasing the rights.

[@LAZERBEEEMZZZ]

"EdMuhton" yesssss

[@briannaMBrown]

+The Leaderboard Could you guys do 107 MORE facts about team fortress 2, please?

[@TXFDA]

#34 Well I just started ME1 for the first time. Named my Shep after myself. Chris. So I guess you're not wrong. Battlefield Mass Effect could be fun. Almost like Battlefront, but ME. #95 "Too video game-y"? But it's a video game. I WANT my video game to be video game-y.

[@AndrevusWhitetail]

It's 2018 in the 21's century. 2183 of Mass Effect is before 2200 so it's the 22nd century not the 23rd.

[@Emanon...]

#16: Sold Bioware to EA. What could possibly go wrong, right?

[@shuntaro2408]

fact 53 the asari looks like whatever race looks at them. To a human they look human to a krogan they look krogan. In game dialog reveals this.

[@rhidor8524]

The Extended Cut was the only ending altering DLC though, and it was free.

[@death2sion333]

Can’t wait for may 14

[@kyluki9962]

anyone else notice the nudie witcher 2 poster and terrible pronunciation of Edmonton at 3:37

[@SArthur221]

"Mass effect 3 offers 3 different story modes: 'Story', 'no Story' and 'Traditional'"

[@alexanadraworld]

Fact 67: The reapers are not really killing everybody because during the interview of the sovereign in Mass Effect 1 it says that every reaper is a nation, formed with the materials of a civilization. So actually its a transformation of a whole species.

[@InHumanoXY]

7:58 2183 is actually the 22nd century...

[@rocketman544]

3:55 Bioware did develop Knights of the Old Republic but KOTOR 2 was developed by Obsidian. Bioware didn't do both.