Skip to main content

EA Access members can play 10 hours of 'Mass Effect: Andromeda' before launch

mass effect andromeda trial coming to ea access meandro
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Want to get an early peek at BioWare’s next sci-fi epic? EA Access and Origin Access members can download a 10-hour trial version of Mass Effect: Andromeda starting on March 16, giving series fans an early look at the sequel’s new storyline developments and gameplay mechanics.

The trial offer is open to all paying members enrolled in the Xbox One-exclusive EA Access program. Origin Access members will get access to the PC demo version of Mass Effect: Andromeda on the same day. PlayStation 4 owners, however, will have to wait until launch day to get their hands on BioWare’s latest project.

Announced at E3 in 2015, Mass Effect: Andromeda is a sci-fi action-RPG that allows players to explore a series of massive otherworldly environments during a lengthy spacefaring quest. Gameplay alternates between exploration sequences and combat encounters with hostile alien life, requiring players to make effective use of their party’s skills and abilities in order to survive.

Mass Effect: Andromeda follows up on a trilogy of Mass Effect series releases for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC platforms. The latest sequel marks the franchise’s debut for current-generation consoles like the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

In addition to securing exclusive access to the Mass Effect: Andromeda demo, EA Access members can also download and play full versions of the original Mass Effect games via the Xbox One’s backward compatibility feature. The original Mass Effect games are not currently downloadable as part of the PC-equivalent Origin Access service.

Gamers can start up an EA Access membership for as little as $5 a month, while a year’s subscription costs $30. Subscribers get access to dozens of free EA-published games via the service’s “Vault” feature. Other currently featured EA Access games include Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst, Battlefield 3, and Star Wars: Battlefront.

Mass Effect: Andromeda launches for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Windows PCs on March 21 in North America. A European release will follow on March 23.

Editors' Recommendations

Danny Cowan
Danny’s passion for video games was ignited upon his first encounter with Nintendo’s Duck Hunt, and years later, he still…
Volgarr the Viking 2 will take you back to your Ghosts ‘n Goblins days
A viking slashes a tree in Volgarr the Viking 2.

Developer Digital Eclipse is working on a surprising project: Volgarr the Viking 2. The 2D retro sequel will launch on August 6 for PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

The news is an out of left field reveal. The first Volgarr the Viking game released in 2013 and was made as an ode to 1080s classics like Ghosts 'n Goblins. Despite being a small release, it sold over 1 million copies over the past decade. As revealed during today's Guerrilla Collective stream, the series is coming back with a new sequel by Digital Eclipse, the team behind this year's Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story.

Read more
3 Days of Play PS Plus games to try this weekend (June 7-9)
Key art for Streets of Rage 4.

June 2024 is shaping up to be a pretty great month for PlayStation players. Not only are we coming off an entertaining State of Play showcase, but a new Days of Play initiative surrounding all the video game showcases this month is bringing a lot of new PS Plus additions with it. Many of those games hit PS Plus this week, and three in particular stand out to us.

For owners of Sony's oft-neglected PlayStation VR2, the first game is one of its rare exclusives that take full advantage of the headset's eye-tracking by seeing how often players blink. The next is a new PS Plus Essential game that's a revival of Sega's classic beat-'em-up series for the modern gaming era. Finally, the last title is an atmospheric and eerie fishing game that should entice fans of Lovecraftian horror.
Before Your Eyes

Read more
3 first-party Xbox Game Pass games to try this weekend (June 7-9)
Gears 5 Kait Hero Close Up

Microsoft will hold an Xbox Games Showcase and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Direct. this Sunday. These shows will provide a much better idea of what to expect from Xbox over the course of the next year or two. That's really needed right now, as Microsoft has struggled to keep online discussions around Xbox positive as it went multiplatform with some games, laid off thousands of developers, and outright shut down the developers of Hi-Fi Rush and Redfall. Based on leaks and my personal expectations for the showcase, there are three games you can play on Xbox Game Pass this weekend to prepare for the event.

The first is the latest first-person shooter in a long-running series by id Software that might be getting a medieval-set spinoff. After that, we have the fifth entry in a sci-fi Xbox series that still looks fantastic on Xbox Series X/S even though it came out in 2019. Finally, you can prepare for Avowed with the latest RPG from Obsidian Entertainment, a satirical sci-fi game where player choice is critical.
Doom Eternal

Read more