Mass Effect: Andromeda is said to have lengthier, story-heavy sidequests that takes some cues from its BioWare's competition at CD Projekt Red.

Producer Fabrice Condominas said that CD Projekt Red has done a good job in that area with its Witcher series, while Dragon Age Inquisition was learning experience. "We are approaching the completionist aspect very differently, because we've done and learned a lot from Inquisition," he told PC Gamer. "But we've also observed what other games have been doing, like The Witcher." 

He also noted what many players have felt when grinding through non-essential quests–bigger is not always better, and that "meaningful" side quests keep the player engaged better. "And it was very important for us that the quantity of scope doesn't downgrade the quality of whatever your are doing there."

The comparison to The Witcher is significant, because its detailed and world-building sidequests were a common point of praise among fans and critics alike. And to that end, The Witcher 3 was named Shacknews' 2015 Game of the Year.

Mass Effect: Andromeda is coming on on March 21 on PC, Xbox One and PS4.