The Official Xbox Magazine (UK) had a cover story on Andromeda. Many new tidbits on the game were covered, but a quote from the game's produce Michael Gamble stood out:
"'I definitely wouldn't call Andromeda an open-world game. We like to use the term exploration-based game. Sometimes that happens in open spaces, but not always. You can cruise around some of these planets in the Nomad, but it's not the traditional sandbox-type game."
Other noteworthy information includes:
- There are 'several highly advanced alien races' we'll meet in Andromeda
- Blades confirmed as a craftable melee weapon (we already knew hammers)
- After a couple of encounters with the Kett, you'll be able to craft some of their technology (they use plasma guns)
- Crafting is entirely optional, not important to the story
- Based upon your dialogue choices, there can be tensions in the team
- You see planets and stars fly by from the Tempest's bridge, al windows on the ship give a view of your current location on the galaxy map
- 'Interrupts' are not paragon/renegade, but 'disarm' for example (it's a strategic choice, not a moral)
- You'll be able to understand the Kett motivations, they're more nuanced as an enemy
- There's a whole seperate storyline besides the Kett
- The Kett were originally designed to be completely nude, but it was akward in cutscenes
- All squad members have a loyalty mission (they seem to be 'a string of objectives' rather than one single mission)
- The loyalty missions will explain the squad members' motivation for leaving the Milky Way
- Side quests will be 'more varied and interesting than ever', says BioWare
- Active abilities/powers (like Overload, etc.) have an alternate fire mode
- There is no level cap, you can keep leveling until you run out of skills to put points into
https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/5tlx96/mass_effect_andromeda_not_considered_open_world/