Mass Effect: Andromeda – the Kett, new antagonist race, discussed

The new antagonist in Mass Effect: Andromeda will be the Kett, an alien race a bit similar to humans, but characterized by their bone armor and a collar at the back of the head.

BioWare decided to shed some more light on one of the two new alien races in Mass Effect: Andromeda revealed so far: the Kett (the other one are the Remnants). In a video interview with Game Informer the game’s art director Joel MacMillan said that intelligent species native to the Andromeda galaxy will be slightly more organic in terms of armor as well as their structures and architecture. This is to stand in contrast with more human-like Milky Way races, who wear top-notch armor and are generally characterized by a distinct gap between their organic side and the technology they use.

As for the Kett, this will be the main antagonist race in Mass Effect: Andromeda. Despite an early idea to make them naked, the team at BioWare decided to clothe the Kett after all, which is to help players associate with them. While designing their appearance the developers wanted this race to be forboding, but not to a degree that would make it impossible for players to empathise with them – after all, this time it’s humans who are the uninvited intruders. Hence, the Kett will have a human-like silhouette, but they will be characterized by their bone armor and a bone collar on the back of their head – a glimpse of which we could see in the latest trailer.

Mass Effect: Andromeda is currently slated for release in March 2017 for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.