10 Best Video Game Easter Eggs, Secrets & References Of 2017 (So Far)

5. Mass Effect Andromeda DOES Feature Characters From The Trilogy

(25:30 on the above vid)

Although the vast majority of Mass Effect Andromeda centres around newcomer Ryder and their squad cutting a fresh swathe through a whole new galaxy, father of the protagonist, Alec, was an N7 operative just like Shepard, and has quite the amount of stories to tell.

Spoilers for Andromeda, but he actually perishes at the beginning of the game, leaving behind a number of memories stored away from his time in between the events of Mass Effect 2 and 3. You can access them through a terminal in the Ryder's personal quarters, and in one, Garrus' father, Castis, can be found discussing a certain important matter. During this, he discusses how Garrus is working with Shepard, and how the team have stumbled upon something regarding the then-mysterious, 'Reapers'.

The whole conversation is fascinating if you were looking for more direct ties to the first three games, and if nothing else, it's one hell of a nostalgic throwback to the timeline just after Mass Effect 1, when the mysteries of the galaxy were very much still regarded as such.

Ultimately, it's revealed that the Andromeda Initiative was funded not as a random excursion, but as a way to avoid the Reaper threat. A mysterious 'Benefactor' financed the project (most likely the Illusive Man), creating a far more engaging and direct thematic tie to the events of the trilogy. Why Bioware didn't lead with this I'll never know, but I do have more suggestions on what else should've been done instead.

Check out more Mass Effect Andromeda secrets, references and easter eggs over here.