In a recent interview published in the OXM, the game’s producer Michael Gamble clarified that Andromeda is not an open-world game, although he does note that it is exploration-based. “I definitely wouldn’t call Andromeda an open-world game. We like to use the term ‘exploration-based game’. You still have the concept of tight story deliverance and all the great things you come to expect with Mass Effect.”
He adds, “The layer on top of that is a layer of exploration. 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.” We suppose you could argue that it’s simply semantics, but in case you had your heart set on it being open-world, you might want to temper those expectations.
Mass Effect: Andromeda is currently set for a release on the 21st of March, 2017.