Mass Effect: Andromeda

The fantastic combat and strong story points far outweigh the technical missteps and more cringeworthy moments. Bioware may has bitten off more than it could chew scope wise, and the fringe elements of the game clearly have suffered for it. However, they’ve nailed the key aspects of what made for a great Mass Effect game in the past.

Despite its problems with the facial animations, Mass Effect Andromeda is a great entry in one of the most beloved franchises of all time. Great side-quests, a compelling story, memorable characters, a solid combat system, decisions that matter and a deep atmosphere all make this game a must-have for every sci-fi fan.

Mass Effect: Andromeda deserves a high overall rating thanks to a multithreaded storyline that picks up the pace further into the game, thanks to a new combat system and some interesting characters and dialogues. There are some issues (animations and AI are among them) but overall Andromeda is a worthy addition to this acclaimed series.

Mass Effect: Andromeda is a great game, but it's far from a perfect one. It will satisfy the expectations of the fans but fails in delivering a masterpiece with errors in almost every aspect of the game.

The result is a highly immersive and very inspired narrative experience that is more than capable of sustaining the legacy of an unquestionable milestone gaming universe.

A blissfully easy recommendation for anyone looking for more than just another run-of-the-mill shoot ’em up set in space.

If you could combine the story and memorable quests of the originals with the combat, visuals and scope of Andromeda, you would have the perfect video game, though I think what's offered here will satisfy most. Despite its issues, Andromeda is welcome return to one of my favorite fictional universes, and I am still not ready to let Mass Effect go. I'm not sure I ever will be.

A welcome return to Bioware’s space opera, introducing great characters, an interesting story and some fantastic designs, always providing things to do.

It's one step below the original trilogy, but even so it manages to improve on it in certain aspects and offers a gigantic, overwhelming adventure, with plenty of interesting stories. If it only had been more polished in the technical department.

A welcome, if slightly patch return for Mass Effect. The script has problems, but combat is bloody brilliant. [May 2017, p.62]

Andromeda had no chance to outmatch the trilogy – and it didn’t. It’s not as emotional as its predecessors, leaves a lot to be desired in terms of execution and its campaign is unnecessarily bloated. Still the game has that unmistakable Mass Effect atmosphere and had some moments that left me euphoric. [05/2017, p.34]

Mass Effect: Andromeda is a wondrous, youthful, naive and hopeful new story in the Mass Effect universe, filled with ideas, stories and lore to kickstart a new series. The material is there and it could have been a triumphant return, but it is a pity that it is held back by its clearly rushed release state and some obvious shortages such as the lack of any control over your teams behavior or a mini map.

Mass Effect: Andromeda is a spectacular game to see on PlayStation 4. It has several flaws in terms of plots, companions and quests but technically is very good.

Opinions of Mass Effect: Andromeda will differ greatly based on expectations. The game still provides many hours of enjoyment and lots of the good things that fans have come to expect, but those hoping the series uses this opportunity to take another giant leap may find themselves brought back to Earth with a bump. For everything the development team has done right, there is a little misstep that holds it back, particularly when building the overall story. It's still a highly enjoyable game, but not as stellar as many might have hoped.

Not the best nor the worst Mass Effect to date, Andromeda is a still a good game with a load of content. It lacks a bit of personality to stand out, and needs quite a bit more polish from a technical standpoint.

For all its lofty ambitions and hype, Mass Effect Andromeda is an action-RPG with some good ideas and nicely-crafted combat but also with surprisingly poorly-written dialogue.

Mass Effect: Andromeda is an amazing journey into a brand new universe. It has some issues, but the overall experience is worth your money. The game is huge, deep and with a great storytelling. It just needs a few hours for taking off.

When taken as its own journey (and not in comparison to Shepard’s saga), Mass Effect: Andromeda is fun, and the important parts work. The narrative isn’t astounding, but keeps you invested and drives you forward. The combat is entertaining whether you're in single-player or multiplayer. The crew isn't my favorite, but I like them and they have some good moments. Even with its other problems, these are the largest forces shaping your experience with Mass Effect: Andromeda, and they make it worth playing. At the same time, I was often left looking through a haze of inconveniences and dreaming about the game it could have been.

I found it hard to be excited during the opening hours of Mass Effect: Andromeda. It feels too safe, too much like what’s gone before, but then it clicks. There’s a moment where the galaxy opens up to you and you find yourself embarking once more on a huge mission across compelling, beautifully constructed planets, surrounded by memorable characters. Sadly the glut of technical missteps serve to cheapen proceedings, but this is still an adventure you don’t want to miss out on.

Mass Effect Andromeda is a fresh start – but in borrowing liberally from the first game, it’s made many of the same mistakes. In spite of them, it’s an exciting space adventure that delivers everything that’s become important to Mass Effect: Great characters, fun exploration, and a climactic tale of good vs evil.

Andromeda’s first adventure is plagued by frustrations. But memorable characters, a satisfying story, and deep RPG systems ultimately win the day.

It might be the biggest, most complex and action packed game in the franchise, but Mass Effect: Andromeda is also the least convincing one. The dated facial animations, the inconsistent writing quality and the regularly occurring bugs take you out of the experience too often. On top of that, BioWare has not used the concept of a whole new universe to its full potential, which often makes it feel like Mass Effect: Andromeda has not left our Milky Way at all.

Mass Effect: Andromeda is disappointing in many respects (not merely the visual ones), even if its sci-fi mood, exploration, crafting and multiplayer are all well-done.

Andromeda still offers a great sense of exploration and discovery, a good adventure and plenty of content, but it's just a shadow of what the series was. The plot, the narrative, the tech... many aspects are not at the level you would expect, but if you are a big fan of the series, you'll still enjoy it.

Mass Effect: Andromeda presents plenty of great ideas, but these tend to be either aped too closely from its predecessors or buried under issues that are surmountable, yet frustrating all the same. It excels most keenly at crafting environments that drip with atmosphere, suffused with rich color and ambient, spacey sound. Though this new setting lacks the depth and texture of BioWare's Milky Way, would-be explorers and romantics will find their odyssey to Andromeda sufficiently enjoyable.

Mass Effect: Andromeda is an expansive action role-playing game with a few great moments that recapture the high points of the landmark trilogy that came before it, and energetic combat and fantastic sound effects create a potent sci-fi atmosphere. But without consistently strong writing or a breakout star in its cast to carry it through the long hours and empty spaces, disappointments like a lack of new races, no companion customization, and major performance problems and bugs take their toll.

The logical comparisons with the original Mass Effect trilogy don't do Andromeda any favors and neither do its many technical shortcomings. Beneath the weight of enormous expectations and a hesitant first impression, however, a sweeping and thoroughly enjoyable adventure awaits.

While I doubt that anyone will be classifying Mass Effect Andromeda as their favorite entry in the series, I’ve still enjoyed what I’ve played for the most part. Ideally, patches can iron out some of the rough spots, but if you’re planning on getting this day one, well, you’re bound to encounter an issue or two based on my week or so with the game. But if you’re willing to overcome some technical problems, and get past the somewhat boring opening hours of the game, I think you’ll get some enjoyment out of this return to the Mass Effect universe.

Despite the flaws, I really enjoyed Mass Effect Andromeda, its lovable alien buddies, its beautiful exotic planets, its story full of mysteries and surprises to uncover. The tight combat gameplay definitely adds to the package, making this a game worth playing...Perhaps Mass Effect Andromeda will serve as a wake-up call for BioWare, letting them realize that it’s time to evolve beyond the change of setting and cast. In the meanwhile, we’re still given a game that might not be the monumental fresh start that the masses expected, but is still a quite solid experience than many will enjoy.

While it’s underwhelming in places, there’s a lot to like as you venture into the weirder parts of Andromeda. Frequent technical issues hamper the experience a bit, as does an uninspiring main story. [June 2017, p66]

While it's underwhelming in places, there's a lot to like as you venture into the weirder parts of Andromeda. Frequent technical issues hamper the experience somewhat, as does an uninspiring main story. [May 2017, p.82]

A divisive entry in a lauded series, which manages to succeed despite encumbering its open-world design and interesting upbeat narrative with lacklustre combat and poor UI.

There’s the elements of greatness in this latest installment, it just needs to step out of the shadows. Right now we have a strong set up, but with the slow start to the story, waiting for the payoff is going to feel like an even bigger drag.

Andromeda was an opportunity to give the franchise a new impulse, but BioWare did not fully take it. The story is badly written and the amount of bugs is high. Other than that, Andromeda is an amazing Mass Effect journey.

At the end of the day, Mass Effect: Andromeda isn't bad so much as it is disappointing. The core gameplay has been improved from Mass Effect 3, and the multiplayer is almost worth the price of admission on its own. Alas, it's dragged down by a weak presentation, poor plot, and a general lack of ambition. When Andromeda shines, it's a lot of fun, but in a month filled with top-notch games, it's disappointing that Bioware's years-in-the-making follow-up is so thoroughly mundane. There's plenty of fun to be had if you're willing to overlook the flaws, but Andromeda asks you to overlook flaws just a bit too often.

While I’ve enjoyed my time with Mass Effect: Andromeda, I’m not dying to go back. It’s not bad, not by any stretch, but it’s missing that special something. Franchise devotees will no doubt dive in and find lots to like, but its newcomers who will pop the disk in the tray and walk away wondering what all the fuss was ever about.

Unfortunately, Mass Effect: Andromeda picked up some unwelcome visitors on its long journey to your gaming machine. Though it has some stellar moments, “Andromeda” tries to cram too many ideas into one package, turning its obsession with the bigness of space into a crutch for uncharacteristically shoddy workmanship.

This reboot offers a lot in the way of pure content, but as the hours drag on, there is a sense of repetition and obtuse busywork rather than a sense of purpose. Everything feels slightly more generic, and slightly less interesting compared to its namesake trilogy, although some strong level design helps the overall impression to a certain degree.

Mass Effect Andromeda is a good Space Opera RPG, with a lot of content, but the story isn't complete at the end, which is frustrating, calling for a sequel that could never be released.

I had a lot of fun with Mass Effect: Andromeda. The galaxy I got to explore was full of life and the combat felt incredibly satisfying. But various issues with important mechanics like the scanner and hefty technical problems prevented my enjoyment from ever lasting too long...Although familiar in some regards, this is a positive in Andromeda’s case. Though, a truly successful revival needs to be innovative, not repetitive, and Andromeda often falls into a trap of tedium. It's a shame because it could have been so much more.

While combat is improved over its predecessors it pales compared to rivals in the genre thanks to braindead AI. Facial animations are laughable at times and have a negative impact on the good voice acting. Bugs and performance issues only hamper this further. Andromeda is a good game and I’ve enjoyed my time with it. However, for those who’ve been waiting five years for another Mass Effect adventure, I don’t think it will be good enough.

Andromeda has a spirit that I don’t want to see squashed by technical failures and a few questionable design decisions. Andromeda is ambitious and above all else it has heart - the deeper I got into the game, the more glued to it I became. Had it been anything less I would’ve sat my controller down and given up, but the journey most certainly made the struggle worth it.

Andromeda provides an interesting premise and story, but is let down by poor combat, excessive padding, and over-complication.

Mass Effect: Andromeda is an unbalanced experience. It’s an incredibly ambitious game with a colossal scope, but it doesn’t always hit the right notes.

You can almost hear BioWare repeatedly mashing the “Series Reset” button during a play-through of Mass Effect: Andromeda, but the game’s deviation from what we’ve come to expect from the franchise is largely characterized by a downgrade in quality almost across the entire board. Mass Effect: Andromeda attempts to redefine the potential for the franchise as it moves forward into the current generation, but the establishment of this new fiction makes for a disappointingly inconsistent experience.

With the vast love of the Mass Effect series, Andromeda was never going to make people 100% happy, the same way the ME3 ending didn’t make people happy. The BioWare team put so many great things in place, but the main story, the characters, and most of the writing keep the game from being great. Sadly, the technical mess keeps it from being good.

Mass Effect Andromeda is not as bad as it is disappointing. Fans of Sci-Fi RPGs will find a lot to like here, but its many shortcomings will haunt BioWare for many years to come. Great potential wasted.

For all Andromeda does right, the game constantly feels like it’s going to fall apart, suffering from countless bugs and performance issues. We’re playing on a standard PS4, and the game constantly struggles to load in assets. Simply driving across the environment often results in the Nomad stopping in place for a moment before moving on. Large sections of landscape will just disappear under the right circumstances. Even in small areas, like our ship, we’ll see entire rooms missing at times. We’ve encountered doubled character models. We’ve had XP notifications cycle endlessly and minor quests that won’t complete. We’ve been forced to reset when we couldn’t choose any dialogue options, and we’ve regularly encountered enemies that get stuck in the walls or just stand there unresponsively...It’s hard to wrap your head around how much of a mess it is when other areas of Mass Effect: Andromeda are such a step forward.

The fact remains that there is still within Mass Effect: Andromeda an ambitious core and a vast amount of content, some of it very entertaining, if not the major leap forward or surprising change of direction that fans were hoping for. The first trilogy had its issues to be sure, but the games were beloved for their stories and characters. It's doubtful that players will keep returning to Andromeda. Aside from the tepid characters and rote story, its biggest failure is a lack of imagination. It somehow takes us to a whole new galaxy but makes us feel like we never left home.

If the combat is Andromeda’s most pleasant surprise, it is the alarming drop-off in the game’s writing that is of most concern. The dialogue, in particular, is unusually flat and laboured for a Bioware game, while Andromeda often fumbles what should be its biggest moments.

The scale of Mass Effect: Andromeda means there’s a lot of stuff, and thus a lot of bad or mediocre stuff.

Mass Effect deserves better than Andromeda. The series has stumbled into a new generation, weighed down by tedious open world tropes and a catalogue of performance issues on the PS4. That said, it's not quite the disaster that some would have you believe. There really is a good Mass Effect game here, complete with endearing characters and great combat, but it's buried beneath a mountain of unnecessary clutter. In time, patches may sort many of its problems out, but until then, we can only recommend Andromeda to the BioWare faithful.

There’s a decent game in here somewhere, but Mass Effect: Andromeda feels like a collaboration from Mass Effect fans rather than a group of known and established developers. It’s like that cool thing everyone loves, a decade-plus removed from its creators and pushed down an assembly line. Mass Effect: Andromeda didn’t need to reinvent the wheel, but the wheel needed to have that special sheen that’s evidence of five years of polish and care. Instead it feels well meaning, but sloppy.

Andromeda leaves behind the series' problems in another galaxy only to acquire a whole new and interesting set in this one. What BioWare has produced is our least favourite game to bear its name. Had it not been for this review, we would have given up during the game's hugely monotonous mid-segments, whose sense of physical scale isn't matched by equally towering, or even semi-interesting, design. BioWare is a pillar of the gaming landscape, but somewhere along the line the Andromeda project veered off course. Who knows where this leaves the franchise, but any sequel is going to have to rediscover its focus, or just like the Initiative, fans may also choose to emigrate to pastures new.

Mass Effect Andromeda falls short of its predecessors, but it's still a competently executed open-world action RPG with an interesting world and tons of quests to complete. Its biggest shame is that it doesn't make better use of its setting, opting instead to go with more of the same. Hopefully BioWare will be more ambitious when it comes time for the inevitable sequel.

What could have been an all-time classic action role-player is let down by a surprisingly poor script and unengaging characters.

The game can't escape its shortcomings, but patient explorers can still find a few stars shining in the darkness.

Andromeda is an undeniable mess, one that is now being hurriedly fixed after it already “enjoyed” its most effective sales period. The state it released in – considering the money and publisher behind it – is hard to conceive, let alone forgive, but a game can be a buggy mess and remain fun. Andromeda is fun… sometimes. Other times it’s a dreary slog through recycled cutscenes, infantile character interactions, and a lot of badly masked loading screens.

Instead of boldly striking out into the unknown, the game merely imposes its most predictable habits onto it.